Mini 2-what strobe and 16ND filter to buy?

[Dale D]

Just acquired a Mini 2, to add to my Mavic 2 Pro for traveling without so much weight and space. Now I have to acquire the same add-ons that I already have for my 2 Pro.

Two questions;

(1) what strobe to use, and where on earth will it even fit?

(2) looking to acquire only a single ND filter- the ND 16, because that is pretty much all I use in sunny Florida.

Looking for the exact brand and model of each. Can anyone out there help me?

Dale

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Welcome to the Mini 2 Family Dale : Think your going to love it , but struggle some with getting all the Perks.
I came up with the Micron Flash Light with the Movable Lamp , clips in under the Wet Suit , easy on and off.


Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain.

 

[reaperman]

Firehouse duel with miss Chrissy mount

 

[Repaid1]

Just acquired a Mini 2, to add to my Mavic 2 Pro for traveling without so much weight and space. Now I have to acquire the same add-ons that I already have for my 2 Pro.

Two questions;

(1) what strobe to use, and where on earth will it even fit?

(2) looking to acquire only a single ND filter- the ND 16, because that is pretty much all I use in sunny Florida.

Looking for the exact brand and model of each. Can anyone out there help me?

Dale

Dale, I've looked (as I am sure you have) Only single filter (Not Pack) I can find is a Freewell ND-16 and it is special order at B&H: Might wanna cruise over to the actual Freewell site to check availability but looks like Freewell is experiencing a backlog on many of their ND's

Freewell Neutral Density Filter for DJI Mavic Mini/Mini 2 (ND16)

Buy Freewell Neutral Density Filter for DJI Mavic Mini/Mini 2 (ND16) featuring Reduces Light by 4 Stops, Ideal for Normal & Bright Daylight, GimbalSafe Lightweight Construction, 16 x Layers of Protective Coatings, Water-, Dust-, Scratch- & Oil-Proof. Review Freewell MM-ND16

www.bhphotovideo.com

 

[Dale D]

Firehouse duel with miss Chrissy mount

View attachment 131403

I have Firehouse for my Mavic 2 Pro. In your picture it shows the start/stop button covered over and some of the air vents?

 

[reaperman]

I have Firehouse for my Mavic 2 Pro. In your picture it shows the start/stop button covered over and some of the air vents?

it does cover the on/off button and partially covers one vent. It’s not a big issue. The mount snaps on and off easily so after the drone is turned on, simply snap in place. Before the mount arrived, I used some velcro on the rear of the drone. It worked, but I wanted a clean install.

Firehouse Dual arrived

My Firehouse dual, white strobe arrived today. Its not the cleanest install, I'm still hunting for some kind of belly mount but for now the velcro seems to be working. I mounted the strobe lengthwise to keep the lights further away from the sensors. I tested it today in the bright sun and it...

mavicpilots.com

 

[Ontosrob]

Welcome to the Mini 2 Family Dale : Think your going to love it , but struggle some with getting all the Perks.
I came up with the Micron Flash Light with the Movable Lamp , clips in under the Wet Suit , easy on and off.
View attachment 131400

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain.

Where did you get your light from?

 

[Dale D]

Where did you get your light from?

Thanks to all- I am awaiting delivery on the two (2) Freewell filters I use- 8ND and 16 ND, both from Amazon, as well as the Firehouse bottom mounted Mini-2 version directly from Firehouse Tech. Deliveries are scheduled for Thursday July 8. Totals about $20/each ($40) for the filters ($19.99each) and 42.00 for the strobe- so just tack on another $82.00 to my Mini-2. I cannot fly this week due to Tropical storm, now Hurricane Elsa coming through. Luckily wed dodged the bullet and the storm went to west side of Florida but we are getting tons of rain. NO, I do not fly in the rain, and have no plans to do it.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Where did you get your light from?

The company is nitecore thumb its a clip on but only 85 lumens , but they have up to 1000 . I just like the fact i can move it quickly to all my drones as I where it on my hat as my personal carry.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain.

 

[Chris Rees]

2) looking to acquire only a single ND filter- the ND 16, because that is pretty much all I use in sunny Florida.

Hi Dale, I am confused as to why you only use an nd16 filter in Florida in (what I assume would often be very bright conditions)? I would have thought you would also need an nd32 in your arsenal to bring the f-stop down to meet the 180 rule.
Regards Chris.

 

[Dale D]

2) looking to acquire only a single ND filter- the ND 16, because that is pretty much all I use in sunny Florida.

Hi Dale, I am confused as to why you only use an nd16 filter in Florida in (what I assume would often be very bright conditions)? I would have thought you would also need an nd32 in your arsenal to bring the f-stop down to meet the 180 rule.
Regards Chris.

Hi Chris:

To be absolutely truthful, I really do not follow the 180 rule very much. I mainly follow the histogram. For video, I mainly want to be sure my skies are not overexposed, and I do use the overexposure zebra stripes. If I see those once I am up in the air, I adjust the exposure with aperture (Mavic 2 Pro) until I get a good histogram. I try to keep the ISO at 100. For stills, the same rule applies, and I may adjust the speed to get a sharp image. I shoot in H.265 and color correct everything in Premiere Pro.

As a follow up to the Freewell filters, I ordered their ND8 and ND16. I tried for several hours to put them on my new Mini 2 without any success. They kept falling off. I called Freewell and had numerous conversations with them and they defended their filter-fit for the Mini 2 vigorously, stating that they had sold thousands of them too satisfied customers. For my own part, after total failure, I returned them to Amazon and got a refund.

It is not that I am not handy with my hands after 38 year as an eye surgeon! I am now an old retired ophthalmologist. My main drone is the Mavic 2 Pro so I will forgo the ND filters for the mini 2 which I only purchased as a travel drone to document aerial views of scenery on my upcoming African safari. I am considering seizure at the airport and can afford to lose the Mini 2 if they are strict. So, yes, to hell with the ND Mini 2 filters. It is really DJI's fault, not Freewell. They (DJI) did not put a small flange at the bottom of the camera to hold the bottom part of the clip on filter and so the filters come off with up/down movement, or putting on and taking off the plastic gimbal cover.

 

[SethB]

So far I have one day of use on the Skyreat ND16:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0824V129W

So far so good! It is staying on the Mini 2.

OTOH I may return the Freewell long exposure set, so far I don’t have confidence they will stay on and haven’t yet flown them.

 

[Chris Rees]

I bought a set of Sunnylife nd filters from Banggood.com and had them imported here to the UK, yes they are dirt cheap and probably not of the same high quality as Freewell or Skyreat but they work for me, and most importantly they DON'T fall off, I have been using these and also a set of ndpl filters for over a month now and never had an issue. The pl filters really make the greens and blues pop.
See examples on my YT channel @ 99 Drones.

Chris.

 

[Dale D]

Hi Chris:

To be absolutely truthful, I really do not follow the 180 rule very much. I mainly follow the histogram. For video, I mainly want to be sure my skies are not overexposed, and I do use the overexposure zebra stripes. If I see those once I am up in the air, I adjust the exposure with aperture (Mavic 2 Pro) until I get a good histogram. I try to keep the ISO at 100. For stills, the same rule applies, and I may adjust the speed to get a sharp image. I shoot in H.265 and color correct everything in Premiere Pro.

As a follow up to the Freewell filters, I ordered their ND8 and ND16. I tried for several hours to put them on my new Mini 2 without any success. They kept falling off. I called Freewell and had numerous conversations with them and they defended their filter-fit for the Mini 2 vigorously, stating that they had sold thousands of them too satisfied customers. For my own part, after total failure, I returned them to Amazon and got a refund.

It is not that I am not handy with my hands after 38 year as an eye surgeon! I am now an old retired ophthalmologist. My main drone is the Mavic 2 Pro so I will forgo the ND filters for the mini 2 which I only purchased as a travel drone to document aerial views of scenery on my upcoming African safari. I am considering seizure at the airport and can afford to lose the Mini 2 if they are strict. So, yes, to hell with the ND Mini 2 filters. It is really DJI's fault, not Freewell. They (DJI) did not put a small flange at the bottom of the camera to hold the bottom part of the clip on filter and so the filters come off with up/down movement, or putting on and taking off the plastic gimbal cover.

Freewell did the best they could to design a clip on filter for the mini 2 but unfortunately, DJI did not provide the designers for any purchase/hold on the bottom of the camera. The tiny little clips on the back that fit into the back of the camera slots did not hold the filter for me. The "hold" was extremely tenuous, and it kept falling off. If I did manage to get the filter on, the moment the gimbal moved a bit, or if I tried to take off and put on the gimbal guard, the filter was immediately knocked right off.

I am happy to say that Amazon immediately refunded my money and it is now back in my account. I would not waste my money on these filters until DJI alters the gimbal cover to include a small "purchase" point on the bottom of the camera.

 

[vindibona1]

Hi Chris:

To be absolutely truthful, I really do not follow the 180 rule very much. I mainly follow the histogram. For video, I mainly want to be sure my skies are not overexposed, and I do use the overexposure zebra stripes. If I see those once I am up in the air, I adjust the exposure with aperture (Mavic 2 Pro) until I get a good histogram. I try to keep the ISO at 100. For stills, the same rule applies, and I may adjust the speed to get a sharp image. I shoot in H.265 and color correct everything in Premiere Pro.

As a follow up to the Freewell filters, I ordered their ND8 and ND16. I tried for several hours to put them on my new Mini 2 without any success. They kept falling off. I called Freewell and had numerous conversations with them and they defended their filter-fit for the Mini 2 vigorously, stating that they had sold thousands of them too satisfied customers. For my own part, after total failure, I returned them to Amazon and got a refund.

It is not that I am not handy with my hands after 38 year as an eye surgeon! I am now an old retired ophthalmologist. My main drone is the Mavic 2 Pro so I will forgo the ND filters for the mini 2 which I only purchased as a travel drone to document aerial views of scenery on my upcoming African safari. I am considering seizure at the airport and can afford to lose the Mini 2 if they are strict. So, yes, to hell with the ND Mini 2 filters. It is really DJI's fault, not Freewell. They (DJI) did not put a small flange at the bottom of the camera to hold the bottom part of the clip on filter and so the filters come off with up/down movement, or putting on and taking off the plastic gimbal cover.

Hi Dale. Sorry I didn't pick up on this thread earlier, but as you may already know I was on vacation without good internet access. Sorry to be late to the party but perhaps I can add to the conversation regarding strobes and ND filters for the Mini 2.

Like you my main drone is a M2P and I have ND, PL and gradient filters for that one. The M2P camera is so much easier to operate where ND filters are concerned because you only have to get in the ballpark with an ND filter and have a 4 stop aperture adjustment to play with after selecting one and then dialing in the shutter and adjusting when in the air. If I need a cinematic effect I'll just fly the M2P. My Mini 2 is more for recreation and fun. FWIW on this vacation I only took my M2P. For touring I used the original FMC bag and limited what was in it to the drone, controller, batteries and filters. While the Mini 2 would have been lighter I didn't find the M2 burdensome at all to have it on my shoulder for 10 days.

Strobes: Firehouse has a number of options and I have explored most of them. I typically fly my Mini 2 with an Arc II on the bottom or alternately an Arc V. Unlike others who have the 3D printed bottom mount I use velcro. It works fine. The only caveat is that you have to be a little creative because it has to be mounted creatively around the switch and battery condition lights so you can't mount the light until you start the Mini 2. I have a piece of velcro on the top and park the strobe there until after the Mini 2 is turned on. It takes two extra seconds and saves weight. My Arc II has that bottom option, but I ordered a top "headlight mount" but got it separately and modded it so that I could take the Arc II in and out of that mount. I tend not to use it much because now I have smaller red/green strobes currently mounted on the arms, but will, as of today use the headlight mount for one of the smaller strobes and mount the other on the back. Green in front red in back- or vice versa? I have to look that up.

Edit: Note that on the arms the strobes are mounted via cheap elastic hair bands. I got several hundred of them for $2.59. In reality two is sufficient to hold a strobe on. You have to be careful with velcro. Standard HD velcro is more reliable than the stuff that Firehouse provides. I've lost two strobes with their velcro, so I supply my own.

Lots of combinations in photos below.

 

[Dale D]

Hi Dale. Sorry I didn't pick up on this thread earlier, but as you may already know I was on vacation without good internet access. Sorry to be late to the party but perhaps I can add to the conversation regarding strobes and ND filters for the Mini 2.

Like you my main drone is a M2P and I have ND, PL and gradient filters for that one. The M2P camera is so much easier to operate where ND filters are concerned because you only have to get in the ballpark with an ND filter and have a 4 stop aperture adjustment to play with after selecting one and then dialing in the shutter and adjusting when in the air. If I need a cinematic effect I'll just fly the M2P. My Mini 2 is more for recreation and fun. FWIW on this vacation I only took my M2P. For touring I used the original FMC bag and limited what was in it to the drone, controller, batteries and filters. While the Mini 2 would have been lighter I didn't find the M2 burdensome at all to have it on my shoulder for 10 days.

Strobes: Firehouse has a number of options and I have explored most of them. I typically fly my Mini 2 with an Arc II on the bottom or alternately an Arc V. Unlike others who have the 3D printed bottom mount I use velcro. It works fine. The only caveat is that you have to be a little creative because it has to be mounted creatively around the switch and battery condition lights so you can't mount the light until you start the Mini 2. I have a piece of velcro on the top and park the strobe there until after the Mini 2 is turned on. It takes two extra seconds and saves weight. My Arc II has that bottom option, but I ordered a top "headlight mount" but got it separately and modded it so that I could take the Arc II in and out of that mount. I tend not to use it much because now I have smaller red/green strobes currently mounted on the arms, but will, as of today use the headlight mount for one of the smaller strobes and mount the other on the back. Green in front red in back- or vice versa? I have to look that up.

Edit: Note that on the arms the strobes are mounted via cheap elastic hair bands. I got several hundred of them for $2.59. In reality two is sufficient to hold a strobe on. You have to be careful with velcro. Standard HD velcro is more reliable than the stuff that Firehouse provides. I've lost two strobes with their velcro, so I supply my own.

Lots of combinations in photos below.

View attachment 131812View attachment 131807View attachment 131808View attachment 131809View attachment 131810View attachment 131811View attachment 131812

Thanks for all of the comments. I wound up buying the Firehouse ND8 and ND16 and after an hour of fussing with them, I said, to heck with them., They simply would not stay attached. I returned them to Amazon and immediately got a refund too my credit card. Amazon is amazing.

For the strobe, I got the Firehouse which mounts on a small black platform which clips into the slots on the drone.

 

[vindibona1]

Thanks for all of the comments. I wound up buying the Firehouse ND8 and ND16 and after an hour of fussing with them, I said, to heck with them., They simply would not stay attached. I returned them to Amazon and immediately got a refund too my credit card. Amazon is amazing.

For the strobe, I got the Firehouse which mounts on a small black platform which clips into the slots on the drone.

I understand the Firehouse mount also acts as sort of pseudo landing gear. As of late I've bypassed the ARC II's in lieu of the ARC V's which are fully enclosed. The plastic wrapping on my ARC II got brittle and I had to repair with hot glue.

 

[Dale D]

I understand the Firehouse mount also acts as sort of pseudo landing gear. As of late I've bypassed the ARC II's in lieu of the ARC V's which are fully enclosed. The plastic wrapping on my ARC II got brittle and I had to repair with hot glue.

Yes- it lands on the strobe! I mostly hand catch it a lot anyway but I was worried at first. Sometimes when it lands on a flat surface it will tilt and I'm afraid for the props. You can definitely see where it clips into the slots of the drone so as to leave he sensors and start/stop button unobstructed.

 

[vindibona1]

@Dale D Pro tip... Put landing gear on it. Any kind of grass will be too tall. These are what I have and they stay on permanently and while I had to make slight modifications to the case they never have to come off. Also, as seen on the top photo I posted I also use a lens hood. In a head-on crash it will take the blow first before the gimbal. Not seen in the photos or video. In the first good crash I had it must have done something because it was cracked and the gimbal was unscathed, except the clear window popped out from the impact.

PGY Tech landing gear

 

[spudster]

Here is how I did mine using landing gear.

Mounting a Firehouse Arc V on the Bottom of a Mini

I wanted to get a Firehouse Arc 5 to mount on the bottom of my MM2 because I have a hard time finding it if it's more the a few hundred feet away. We know this can be a problem as there is no place to mount it on the bottom without blocking the vents. Here is a solution that found that works...

mavicpilots.com