Mavic 3 ND/PL Filters

Patman Droneography · Dec 14, 2021

Hi Guys,
I just finished this one up for anyone interested in ND Filters for the M3.
I've got to admit, I did have a hard time getting a clear photo with any shutter speed over 2s. However these filters worked great for taking long exposure shots with the M3.
Any advice for a beginner like me trying to get these shots crisp?

akdrone · Dec 15, 2021

this review entirely misses the point...and the presenter has no clue how to use either nd or polarizers. sad.

Patman Droneography · Dec 15, 2021

akdrone said:
this review entirely misses the point...and the presenter has no clue how to use either nd or polarizers. sad.

Yeah, the dude in the video is a total idiot.
I mean, did you see that part at 1:14?

Also,
What point do you think that he should have made? How do you think he could improve?

akdrone · Dec 15, 2021

Patman Droneography said:
Yeah, the dude in the video is a total idiot.
I mean, did you see that part at 1:14?

Also,
What point do you think that he should have made? How do you think he could improve?

P

Patman Droneography said:
Yeah, the dude in the video is a total idiot.
I mean, did you see that part at 1:14?

Also,
What point do you think that he should have made? How do you think he could improve?

OK...I guess I owe you that. ND filters have a very specific function with regard to video and a different specific function with regard to still photography. You say you shoot at 60fps cause you don't know if a bird is going to fly by...that is perfectly reasonable. Then you go on and say when you shoot at 30 it gives it a smooth softer look but if you shoot at 30 and want to slow it down you can't because it's already at 30fps. Then you comment you notice a color change that is correctable in post. Let's just deal with those. Here is what ND filters are for when shooting video. ND Filters are used in video to allow you to shoot at 24 or 25 fps and match that to a shutter speed of 50fps. Those specific numbers are chosen because in the "old days" (and today) when shooting actual film at those speeds, things in the foreground (in particular) that move fast will show a certain amount of motion blur and we are used to seeing that motion blur. If you shoot with a shutter speed of 1/500 each frame will be sharp and motionless which is not perceived as "cinematic" so the desire for some people is to emulate that old stayle motion blur at those particular fps and shutter speed combinations. To do that you often need an ND filter. Note that you will notice no motion blur if you are shooting from your drone from 400 feet toward the ground. ND filters are meaningless in that situation but if you are flying your drone to the side of a running horse, 100 feet away, as you keep to the horse's side and use that shutter speed/fps combination the horse will remain sharp but the ground will have a nice, cinematic motion blur that would not exist if you did not use an ND filter to allow you to lower the shutter speed. That is what an ND filter is used for in video (Almost exclusively.)and that's why you "didn't see much of a difference when it came to recording video". You didn't really understand what ND filters are used for and how they are used. It can also allow you to slow the shutter speed when taking a still shot just like any still camera which can allow, as you observe, to get a sharp image of the rocks around water that is soft and flowing due to a longer shutter speed. As you explore and learn about photography you will, at some point, learn the finer points of polarizing filters and I'll leave you to that. They should not be changing the color cast. They are simply polarizing the light. The heavy duty filters are not there to block out the sun. Yeah...I'm a pro photographer (retired now) that knows exactly how to use these and polarized filters have a VERY limited usage in video because they affect light that is coming from the sun at 90 degrees significantly more that light coming from in front of or in back which leaves you with a deep blue sky in one area but not another if you use a wide angle lens. Polarizing filters have their use in eliminating glare when the sun is coming from a particular angle but are rarely used in video with sky in it if you shoot with a wide angle lens because the sky changes its color density all over the place. I don't mean any of thise condescendingly and was overly harsh and abrupt in my original post and for that I apologize. It just turns out you chose to "review" a product that you really were not qualified to review but there is an interesting thing called the "Dunning-Kruger" effect that comes into play a bit here in that we don't know what we don't know so we often (and it's natural) think we might know more than we do. To your credit you did start out saying, "I am not an expert" photographer, which, if you didn't know how to blur motion with an nd filter was a bit of an understatement but I give you credit...really...for getting out there and doing this stuff which is better than not

. When your beard is white (as mine is) you'll look back and chuckle I'm sure and in the mean time you're learning. Again, my apologies for the 'sad' comment which was unnecessary, but as to the other part...yeah LOL. As to how to improve...just keep doing what you're doing...and keep learning. (studying a bit about subjects like Polarizing Filters and ND Filters in depth before doing such a review could also be helpful. Everything I've said here was available on the net to learn about before you did the video so there is that. Regardless...congrats on putting it out there which at least is better than sitting on your butt and eating cheetos.

Patman Droneography · Dec 15, 2021

akdrone said:
Regardless...congrats on putting it out there which at least is better than sitting on your butt and eating cheetos.

Hey, Thanks for the detailed response. Of course I'm still learning and the video was not intended to be a review from an expert. Freewell marketing emailed me and asked if I would make a video on their product if they sent it to me for free. Of course my response was, "Hell yeah free gear"! hahaha.
I didn't review them because I'm an expert (which I thought I had made clear) I reviewed them because I was paid to lol.
Maybe I'll change the title so people don't feel as they are being Clickbaited.

akdrone · Dec 15, 2021

Patman Droneography said:
Hey, Thanks for the detailed response. Of course I'm still learning and the video was not intended to be a review from an expert. Freewell marketing emailed me and asked if I would make a video on their product if they sent it to me for free. Of course my response was, "Hell yeah free gear"! hahaha.
I didn't review them because I'm an expert (which I thought I had made clear) I reviewed them because I was paid to lol.
Maybe I'll change the title so people don't feel as they are being Clickbaited.

that got a chuckle...an unusually honest admission. well done

Patman Droneography · Dec 15, 2021

akdrone said:
that got a chuckle...an unusually honest admission. well done

Hahaha I'm required to by law

That's why as soon as you click play on the video a message comes up that says "Includes Paid Promotion" hahaha! I also changed the title to better describe the depth of 'review' the viewer will receive.... "From a beginners view"
Honestly though, Thanks again for the feedback! We all have to start somewhere.