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ND vs. ND-PL Filters for DJI Air 3S

DroneZone Thailand

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After the big rain... an other beautiful day on our fantastic island...
We put Freewell's ND and ND-PLfilters to the test. All test clips were filmed in 4K 60p and flown in sunshine with a little wind.

  • All shots taken with DJI Air 3S
  • Edited with "Adobe Premiere Pro"
  • Soundtrack sampled with "Magix Music Maker"

Thanks for watching and have a nice day !

If you like this video, please share it with your friends and subscribe to my channel.
:cool:
 
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Thanks! I'm deciding which PL filters to get, Freewell or Polar Pro? Advise?

bob
 
Can you bottom-line it?

Which is better, ND or ND-PL?

Or no filter?

IS there a difference between photos and videos when it comes to filters?
 
I think you may have not understand how PL filters work. Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears that you are filming while flying towards the sun. It shows that clearly in some parts of the video. PL filters do virtually nothing when flying to or away from the sun (in terms of polarizing). If you fly 90deg to the sun you will have a strong polarizing effect with the effect diminishing as you begin to face to or from the sun. This was a very poor "test". If you'd flown 90 off it would have been useful. Also, the fact that it was an ND 32 meant nothing. It could have been an ND 64 or 128 or no ND filter at all. If a scene is shot with no ND filter and then an ND filter is added the scene will only look dark if the exposure is set manually so it is not changed. A much more revealing test would have been shooting 90deg to the sun, setting the camera to full manual mode for exposure, then shooting again after adding an ND filter...and comparing them...then adding the PL to the ND and showing the difference between them. By filming into the sun the video tells us exactly nothing much. Sorry to say. I'll also mention that PL filters, particularly with video, are rarely useful if the video expects to pan left or right with the sky or clear water in view as the sky will change dramatically from a dark polarized sky to a lighter non- polarized sky particularly with a wide angle lens and that's visually jarring. It is not very visually appealing. PL filters have great effect on foliage and other reflections and can be used to great effect but because they don't affect the sky uniformly they have to be used carefully, again, particularly with wide angle lenses or you end up with a weird dark and light sky. Consider redoing this video when flying 90deg to the sun and if possible. I think you would find it much more informative.
 
I think you may have not understand how PL filters work. Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears that you are filming while flying towards the sun. It shows that clearly in some parts of the video. PL filters do virtually nothing when flying to or away from the sun (in terms of polarizing). If you fly 90deg to the sun you will have a strong polarizing effect with the effect diminishing as you begin to face to or from the sun. This was a very poor "test". If you'd flown 90 off it would have been useful. Also, the fact that it was an ND 32 meant nothing. It could have been an ND 64 or 128 or no ND filter at all. If a scene is shot with no ND filter and then an ND filter is added the scene will only look dark if the exposure is set manually so it is not changed. A much more revealing test would have been shooting 90deg to the sun, setting the camera to full manual mode for exposure, then shooting again after adding an ND filter...and comparing them...then adding the PL to the ND and showing the difference between them. By filming into the sun the video tells us exactly nothing much. Sorry to say. I'll also mention that PL filters, particularly with video, are rarely useful if the video expects to pan left or right with the sky or clear water in view as the sky will change dramatically from a dark polarized sky to a lighter non- polarized sky particularly with a wide angle lens and that's visually jarring. It is not very visually appealing. PL filters have great effect on foliage and other reflections and can be used to great effect but because they don't affect the sky uniformly they have to be used carefully, again, particularly with wide angle lenses or you end up with a weird dark and light sky. Consider redoing this video when flying 90deg to the sun and if possible. I think you would find it much more informative.
I agree with this
 
Thank you for the interesting explanation.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears that you are filming while flying towards the sun.
Yes, that is something that fascinates me and can also be seen in my videos. Flying against the low sun is particularly effective with the Air 3S and produces really good material. Other brands, especially Hubsan, can only take good pictures with the sun behind them (...)

A much more revealing test would have been shooting 90deg to the sun, setting the camera to full manual mode for exposure, then shooting again after adding an ND filter...and comparing them...then adding the PL to the ND and showing the difference between them.
Yes... that's actually the normal procedure for such tests... (Just like I do it)

Consider redoing this video when flying 90deg to the sun and if possible. I think you would find it much more informative.
This is just the first attempt... and yes, 90 degrees works better and that will be tested in more detail in a follow-up video with stronger polarizing filters in full sunlight.
 
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I think you may have not understand how PL filters work. Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears that you are filming while flying towards the sun. It shows that clearly in some parts of the video. PL filters do virtually nothing when flying to or away from the sun (in terms of polarizing). If you fly 90deg to the sun you will have a strong polarizing effect with the effect diminishing as you begin to face to or from the sun. This was a very poor "test". If you'd flown 90 off it would have been useful. Also, the fact that it was an ND 32 meant nothing. It could have been an ND 64 or 128 or no ND filter at all. If a scene is shot with no ND filter and then an ND filter is added the scene will only look dark if the exposure is set manually so it is not changed. A much more revealing test would have been shooting 90deg to the sun, setting the camera to full manual mode for exposure, then shooting again after adding an ND filter...and comparing them...then adding the PL to the ND and showing the difference between them. By filming into the sun the video tells us exactly nothing much. Sorry to say. I'll also mention that PL filters, particularly with video, are rarely useful if the video expects to pan left or right with the sky or clear water in view as the sky will change dramatically from a dark polarized sky to a lighter non- polarized sky particularly with a wide angle lens and that's visually jarring. It is not very visually appealing. PL filters have great effect on foliage and other reflections and can be used to great effect but because they don't affect the sky uniformly they have to be used carefully, again, particularly with wide angle lenses or you end up with a weird dark and light sky. Consider redoing this video when flying 90deg to the sun and if possible. I think you would find it much more informative.
Quite correct, that is tthe problem with ND and PL filters when people don't know much about them but just listen to others talk about them. You don't need ND filters for still images unless there is a need to slow the shutter in bright sunlight, for a particular effect, like making water flow, instead of a frozen sharp image.

In filming there is a reason because some people want to get the slower shutter for effect of the finished looking film. I personally don't see much difference. A PL filter ONLY works in certain angles to the sun when filming or shooting still images. If you subject is not at the angles you are flying, then the PL will do nothing to improve what you have already.

You need to understand what the filter is doing before you can decide if it will give you the desired effect you are wanting. A PL filter is amazing in, say Hawaii compared to no PL when you are wanting to take a photograph in a particular direction that aligns the sun and you point of view and your subject matter, all perfectly as they were meant to do.

However, if you turn yourself around and take photos, say turning in a circle, you will see that pointing is some different directions to the sun, from where you stand, the PL will not do very much, to in fact, doing nothing at all, to improve your image, if you are not aligned with the sun in the way you need to be to get that best effect from a PL.
 
The PL and ND and ND PL are each different animals. The PL filter is for polarizing effects that are most accurate when the conditions are right. Sun angle, drone position and whether it is cloudy or sunny. The ND PL would be used for video mainly when you want control fps/shutter speed AND have the polarizer part of the filter do its thing.
Sometimes when conditions are not right, half your sky could come out saturated and the other half un saturated using the polarizer. Of course the ND PL can be used on stills should you want to really slow the shutter speed down and get the effects of the polarizer.
 
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