MP2 Polar Pro ND16 or ND32?

[supermachoalpha]

Hey, guys. I was wondering if you guys use Polar Pro ND16 or ND32 on bright sunny days. Would ND16 be enough for a very bright sunny day and using F4.0? Or would I need an ND32? Thanks.

 

[kjcbid54]

Hey, guys. I was wondering if you guys use Polar Pro ND16 or ND32 on bright sunny days. Would ND16 be enough for a very bright sunny day and using F4.0? Or would I need an ND32? Thanks.

I would suggest that you get both. There are to many variables in lighting conditions to universally say that any 1 ND filter will set the proper exposure for the frame rate you want. Plus you may want to shot at a different frame rate depending on the project you're working on. Sometimes a ND 64 is needed, and sometimes an ND 8 is needed. Better get a set of 4 if your really dedicated to keeping shutter speed 2x the frame rate.

 

[Evnbehr]

Hey, guys. I was wondering if you guys use Polar Pro ND16 or ND32 on bright sunny days. Would ND16 be enough for a very bright sunny day and using F4.0? Or would I need an ND32? Thanks.

You can get a custom set of filters on Polar Pro's site. You can choose a 3 pack for $79, 4 pack for $99. You just choose what filters you want. So you can get a ND8, ND16, and ND32. This will give you more flexibility. Polar Pro has an App that helps determine what ND filter you need based off your shutter speed.

 

[kilomikebravo]

I second the emotion to get both because for sure you're gonna need that ND32 on a really bright day in Summer or a similar day in Winter with snow on the ground.

 

[paulatkin73]

Hey, guys. I was wondering if you guys use Polar Pro ND16 or ND32 on bright sunny days. Would ND16 be enough for a very bright sunny day and using F4.0? Or would I need an ND32? Thanks.

so, on a sunny day you can use ND16 filter with ISO100 and aperture 4. it is still sharp and works fine.
on a cloudy day same ND16 works with wide open aperture. so i keep it on my bird pretty much all the time - also have nd32, nd8 and 4 - and do not even recall when i used them last time.

only exception is when you are high in the mountains, at winter time with a lot of snow and ultra bright light - then you may actually need ND64.
you can also try this set -
Amazon.com : Lens Filters for DJI Mavic 2 Pro Camera Lens Set, Multi Coated Filters Pack Accessories (3 Pack) ND8, ND16, ND32, Upgraded: Works with Gimbal Cover : Electronics

i have em and those are ok. tiffens are better - but cost way more and do not come in such a convenient set.

 

[brett8883]

so, on a sunny day you can use ND16 filter with ISO100 and aperture 4. it is still sharp and works fine.
on a cloudy day same ND16 works with wide open aperture. so i keep it on my bird pretty much all the time - also have nd32, nd8 and 4 - and do not even recall when i used them last time.

only exception is when you are high in the mountains, at winter time with a lot of snow and ultra bright light - then you may actually need ND64.
you can also try this set -
Amazon.com : Lens Filters for DJI Mavic 2 Pro Camera Lens Set, Multi Coated Filters Pack Accessories (3 Pack) ND8, ND16, ND32, Upgraded: Works with Gimbal Cover : Electronics

i have em and those are ok. tiffens are better - but cost way more and do not come in such a convenient set.

Well said! I live high in the mountains and it’s winter and it use to be I could get away with an ND32 but now I really need an ND 64. I was kinda confused why that was, thought my light sensor might be going crazy but it’s so clear now what that is! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!

 

[GordonWhite]

I got the 6-pack (3xND + 3CP) from Best Buy at $99 when in US recently, I/2 price of UK

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/polarpro-camera-filters-for-dji-mavic-2-pro-6-count/6287484.p?skuId=6287484

 

[Ralph thompson]

It is useful to know that the camera has a sweet spot (best focus, sharpest image) & i understand that that is f4 for the M2P. As a photographer, I like having the polarizer also so I got polarpro ND4, 8, 16 with the circular polarizer. I have the same set for my I1P. The polarizer takes another 1 to 2 stops of light. I have found that this set is always good in overcast & sunny skies.

 

[Jason_sturgess]

Hey, guys. I was wondering if you guys use Polar Pro ND16 or ND32 on bright sunny days. Would ND16 be enough for a very bright sunny day and using F4.0? Or would I need an ND32? Thanks.

I must admit I have the ND16 & ND32 & generally speaking you would prob use ND16 more on sunny day for say F4 to F8 at 30FPS with 1/60 shutter ? I’ll be honest tho it effects the video quality & makes it look a lot darker! I generally don’t like using mine & avoid using them! I prefer to just not use them & use these settings for the best results , ISO 100 , F4 to F5 , Shutter speed ( What ever one gives you the best exposure across shadows & hightlights ?. Use the histogram always ) I always shoot at 30 FPS , I myself generally don’t notice any difference is footage filmed at 1/60 or 1/160 all looks the same to my eyes! Some may disagree but I don’t notice it. Hence why I avoid filters. Always film away from the sun where possible & expose for that direction.

 

[paulatkin73]

F8 is the edge where you will start noticing softness of fine details. Try to limit aperture to 6.3 limit. Shooting with 10bit color gives quite a DR to work with, so you should be fine.
As of shutter speed - to be frank i also cannot tell footage done at 1/60 from 1/90 or 1/120... Dunno. I just use 1/60 always with 4K30 and so far with ND16 it always works out fine.

 

[supermachoalpha]

Lots of good info from all of you guys. I picked up a polarpro ND8, 16, and 32 since I plan to shoot mostly in bright daylight. Good to know about ND64 for snow. I'll be ordering one of those as well just in case.

 

[CanadaDrone]

It just depends what aperture and shutter speed you want to use (ISO should pretty well always be at 100). There is no rule for what filter to use for any given lighting scenario because it is completely dependent on what aperture, ISO, and shutter speed you are using. On the M2P, diffraction starts to degrade the image beyond F4.0, but most people are probably OK up to F5.6 either in a pinch or if you aren't overly picky.

There is a 1-stop difference between ND8, ND16, ND32, and so on. This is one huge advantage of the M2P's variable aperture.

All else equal, starting at F2.8, if you have a ND4 installed, moving to F4.0 gives you a ND8 equivalent, and moving to F5.6 gives you a ND16 equivalent

All else equal, starting at F2.8, if you have a ND8 installed, moving to F4.0 gives you a ND16 equivalent, and moving to F5.6 gives you a ND32 equivalent

All else equal, starting at F2.8, if you have a ND16 installed, moving to F4.0 gives you a ND32 equivalent, and moving to F5.6 gives you a ND64 equivalent

All else equal, starting at F2.8, if you have a ND32 installed, moving to F4.0 gives you a ND64 equivalent, and moving to F5.6 gives you a ND128 equivalent

The exact same thing happens if you were to change any other part of the exposure triangle by one stop each time (ISO or shutter speed), and leave the rest alone.

Very generally speaking at F2.8, ISO 100 and 1/60 shutter, you will need (roughly) a ND8 for cloudy/overcast, ND16 for sun, ND32 for bright sun/water, and ND64 for extremely bright sun or especially strong reflections off of water/snow. Now, using the adjustable aperture, you can get away with half the ND filters (or fewer) you would need on a fixed aperture drone, all else equal. You should not need a ND64 for snow if you don't mind stopping down the aperture a little bit, because you can get there (or more) with a little aperture or shutter speed adjustment. I flew lots over snow this year and never once needed my ND64, but if conditions were unbelievably bright/reflective, it's possible.

Also don't get too hung up on the 1/60 'rule', it is nothing more than a guideline. If you are flying fast or relatively close to your subject, all your footage is going to be blurry at 1/60. I regularly fly around 1/80 or 1/100 and prefer the quality of the footage - this also allows for less ND strength because the faster shutter is going to pick up some of the slack in the exposure equation.