Most used ND filter?

[Stealther]

Recently received a Mavic Pro as a gift and as my first drone I've been acclimating myself to the flying characteristics of the drone and gradually increasing what I do on each flight. I have a background in photo and video and normally use 4x4 solid and graduated ND filters in my photography from 4-10 stops in strength and a variable ND filter (1-6 stops) for my video work.

I'm looking at the different sets available for the Mavic and see lots of sets come with ND4 and ND8 in the sets. Obviously time of day and conditions would dictate which ND you would use but to me it seems like (for what I like to shoot) I would use either a plain CP, ND16, ND32 or ND64.

What do you find you use the majority of the time (For video)? Do you shoot with a 180 degree shutter for video or do you just try to get your shutter speed as close as possible? To me the ND32s in commonly available kits wouldn't be dark enough for mid-day use.

 

[gnirtS]

I guess this depends a lot on where you live (specifically latitude and month of year).
Ive got an ND8 and ND16. I really NEED an ND32 for shooting in daytime sunlight here. Even with the -16 i struggle to get a shutter below 1/200th.
I try to follow the shutter == double frame rate rule but it isn't possible. Generally i fly manual exposure, iso locked at 100 (its REALLY noisy even slightly higher than that) and shutter speed as near to twice the frame rate as i can get without burning out highlights.
The "auto" mode makes some odd decisions so i dont use it. Example iso200 and 1/120th when iso100 and 1/60th would be utterly perfect.

If im doing a photo flight not a video flight i'll take the filters off as i want as fast a shutter and as much light as possible. CP really doesn't do a lot from the air as you cant adjust it in flight and can't accurately align it from a drone on the ground.

I find both cameras on manual, iso100 and the right thumbwheel rapidly adjusts shutter speed. The histogram display and the ev bias on the RC are updated quickly enough to make this a very fast adjustment to get the correct exposure.

 

[Col Mustard]

I live in west Texas and picked up a 4/8/16 and the 16 does not cut it for bright desert sun. I haven't hard of anyone using a 64. I was going to try out a 32 next but will be awhile. With the 16 at 100iso in auto focus it try's to run at a 200 shutter for me .


Lol gnirts beat me to it and was way more informative so dido

 

[gavcuk]

Pretty sure the most commonly used is no filter.

I've often thought I need filters yet as far as I'm concerned my footage seems just fine.

I'm not saying there isn't a case for them but I think it is very overstated.

95% of the time my footage will look just fine and viewers will not be thinking "he really should have used a filter in that shot'"

*/prepares for a roasting