ND filters

[pilot1]

I have read numerous reviews on the value of ND filters for video. Do they also help with still photos? It appears that ND 8 and ND 16 work well for sunny days. Would it be the same ND filter for stills under similar lighting conditions?

 

[rockydog]

There is no point in using ND filters for stills, as the camera will increase shutter speed to cope with lighting conditions -(which is what you don't want for video).
Having said that, there is no harm in having ND filters on if you intend shooting video and stills on the same flight.

 

[Egika]

I have read numerous reviews on the value of ND filters for video. Do they also help with still photos? It appears that ND 8 and ND 16 work well for sunny days. Would it be the same ND filter for stills under similar lighting conditions?

What kind of help do you mean?
Basically ND filters reduce the amount of light into the camera.
To get a proper exposure, either the shutter speed has to be faster or the ISO has to be higher than without the filter.
While higher ISO actually never is desirable, the shutter speed is an important factor for your picture.
Higher speeds can freeze fast moving objects and slower speeds can blur the motion.
Which effect you like for a specific scene totally depends on your preference. There is no "better" for shutter speed.
Just google shutter speed and watch some examples of slow and fast speeds (like panning along with race cars at slower speeds, or moving water...)

 

[Wombat55]

Having said that, there is no harm in having ND filters on if you intend shooting video and stills on the same flight.

Well, if the rationale for using an ND filter for video is that it results in a slight motion blur that allows the individual video frames to more smoothly transition from one to the next, then it logically follows that an ND filter will cause some harm for shooting stills because there will be some loss in sharpness due to motion blur. Can't have it both ways.

 

[Pedro]

Off topic but reducing shutter speed by using an ND filter will also minimise the chances of the video suffering from the jello effect that a lot of drones have the risk of producing by way of vibrations.

 

[Egika]

Well, if the rationale for using an ND filter for video is that it results in a slight motion blur that allows the individual video frames to more smoothly transition from one to the next, then it logically follows that an ND filter will cause some harm for shooting stills because there will be some loss in sharpness due to motion blur. Can't have it both ways.

Slow shutters won't always cause harm. Sometimes motion blur is a nice effect!
All comes down to creativity.

 

[pilot1]

I thank all of you for your knowledgeable input.
I think that I will follow the advice of leaving it on for both video and stills (my thinking is that this in convenient and offers some protection for the camera lens.

 

[DodgeP]

You should familiarize yourself with the 180 degree shutter rule and then you'll be able to better understand why you'll need ND Filters. In more situations than not you won't be able to abide by that rule with the Mavic's "usable" video modes and frame rates.

 

[Egika]

Please note that the original question was about using ND filters for photos, not for video...

 

[DodgeP]

Please note that the original question was about using ND filters for photos, not for video...

Please note that it would seem that the original question insinuates that the user has no idea what ND filters are really for because traditionally, still photography would incorporate ND filters to slow the shutter speed to blur things like moving water. In video we're trying to slow the shutter speed to match the natural blur the human eye see's and create smoother video right? I have yet to see anyone here "purposely" create choppy video with a Mavic. So those with a better understanding of how frame rate and shutter speed relate to one another will notice what went wrong with those settings immediately!

Have you ever thought that maybe we as community better serve its members by providing more than just Yes and No answers? Well I do, and that was the purpose for my response. If he knows what the intended uses for ND filters are (other than just, "they work well for sunny days"), then by selective reasoning he should be able to figure out that for most still photography they are probably not needed and he would most likely benefit from a CP filter on his mavic for stills; depending on what he's shooting - as opposed to an ND filter or better yet, no filter at all.

 

[Dabrain]

WTF DodgeP see to much information. Now you have to explain CP filters. Please!