ND vs ND/PL filters??

[Bzzz]

Why should you opt for one over the other?




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[halley]

Have you read any other thread on the topic of polarized filters? Start there.

 

[Bzzz]

Have you read any other thread on the topic of polarized filters? Start there.

I have read tons, i know about cpl, nd, nd/pl and what each does. What i don't get is what environmental condition or desired feature of my video would drive me to chose an nd/pl over a straight nd.

When looking at most packages of filters you will get matching nd and nd/pl filters. For instance, an nd8 and an nd8pl.

Why chose one over the other?


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[halley]

Sorry if I'm being rude but it doesn't sound like you do understand what they are, or do, then.

Polarizers allow photons through only if their plane of excitement is within about 45 degrees of the orientation of the parallel microscopic filter elements. This means they reject about half the incoming light, similar to an ND2 filter.

The practical upshot for this orientation effect is that light which reflects off smooth objects is usually organized with all the photons oriented in parallel planes. So a PL will reject none, or some, or even ALL of that group of photons depending on the filter's orientation. Glare from glass or water or smooth foliage is thus selectively cut. A small portion of the sky will also appear a deeper blue. Without the glare, other colors may exhibit more saturation and range.

Combining an ND with a PL will cut all light by a fraction, and also rejecting an additional half of the light depending on orientation. On big cameras, you can stack filters to combine their effects. On a tiny camera the filters tend to be married into one mounting ring.

 

[Bzzz]

Sorry if I'm being rude but it doesn't sound like you do understand what they are, or do, then.

Polarizers allow photons through only if their plane of excitement is within about 45 degrees of the orientation of the parallel microscopic filter elements. This means they reject about half the incoming light, similar to an ND2 filter.

The practical upshot for this orientation effect is that light which reflects off smooth objects is usually organized with all the photons oriented in parallel planes. So a PL will reject none, or some, or even ALL of that group of photons depending on the filter's orientation. Glare from glass or water or smooth foliage is thus selectively cut. A small portion of the sky will also appear a deeper blue. Without the glare, other colors may exhibit more saturation and range.

Combining an ND with a PL will cut all light by a fraction, and also rejecting an additional half of the light depending on orientation. On big cameras, you can stack filters to combine their effects. On a tiny camera the filters tend to be married into one mounting ring.

That does help me understand when to chose one over the other. Lots of reflective surfaces then a pl can help otherwise the nd alone. So much material in these lenses focus on what they do but not when one is better to use over the other. Thats where my obtuseness is




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[Blucenturion]

That does help me understand when to chose one over the other. Lots of reflective surfaces then a pl can help otherwise the nd alone. So much material in these lenses focus on what they do but not when one is better to use over the other. Thats where my obtuseness is




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Any time shooting a reflective surface, PL. Otherwise, ND. BTW, that was a beautiful explanation given. Ed Land would have approved.


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[eltonloh]

I have a question with regards to the "angle". In traditional SLR/DSLR setup, we can rotate the PL filter to get the right picture, how does it operate here for done?

 

[PolarPro]

Why should you opt for one over the other?
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PolarPro ND/PL's: Will reduce shutter speed and also reduce glare. The polarizer by nature increases color saturation and increases contrast. I use this filter when I want my colors to POP without having to color grade.
https://www.polarprofilters.com/collections/dji-mavic-filters-and-accessories/products/dji-mavic-cinema-series-vivid-collection

PolarPro ND's: Will only reduce shutter speed, while leaving the color profile flat. I use these when I want a more natural look, or if I need to match the color profile of other cameras.
DJI Mavic Filters - Cinema Series - Shutter Collection

Let me know if you have any other questions,

Jeff from PolarPro

 

[PolarPro]

I have a question with regards to the "angle". In traditional SLR/DSLR setup, we can rotate the PL filter to get the right picture, how does it operate here for done?

If I need production value to be very high and have my content look perfect, I will align the polarizer for each shot. This requires you to set the polarizer, get your shot, bring it back down, and align it for the next shot. It takes some effort, but if I need my videos to be perfect this is how I do it.

If I am just flying for fun, I set the polarizer once and leave it. It still helps out a lot in this setting, and will not degrade image quality in any way.

Hope that helps!
-Jeff from PolarPro

 

[Ray Ishido]

Hope that helps!

A lot actually!
I just don't understand why you align between shot. is to compensate the sun movement?

Until your post I believed that the PL filter should be align once and that the effect would be the same independent of the direction the drone is flying (North, or West).
Am I wrong?

Thanks

 

[PolarPro]

I just don't understand why you align between shot. is to compensate the sun movement?

Until your post I believed that the PL filter should be align once and that the effect would be the same independent of the direction the drone is flying (North, or West).
Am I wrong?

The polarizer filters will provide variable results depending on the angle of the camera relative to the sun. If you're only pointing the drone in a single direction during any given shoot, then setting the filter once is all that would be needed. In most cases, though, folks tend to reposition the camera in between shots. This changes the angle relative to the sun, which then causes a change in the way the image looks. In order to ensure a consistent look between shots, the filter would need to be adjusted each time the camera is repositioned.

As Jeff mentioned above, this is only something we normally do when we're shooting with the highest possible content quality in mind, as it does require more work. When flying for fun, the consistency isn't usually as important. Even if you're not setting the polarizer for each shot, shots with it in place will look better than shots without any filter at all.

- Oliver from PolarPro

 

[Masteraal]

Hi everyone,

Can I quickly check that the 16ND and 16ND PL will reduce the shutter by the same amount? Or does the PL version reduce by a little bit more than the 16ND?

The reason I am asking is that I want to go for the Vivid series but a little concerned that the 16NDPL will not be strong enough and that I will be better off with the 32ND from the Cinema series.

I tend to shoot more water footage as I love the look of it most.

Thanks for your help!

 

[PolarPro]

Can I quickly check that the 16ND and 16ND PL will reduce the shutter by the same amount? Or does the PL version reduce by a little bit more than the 16ND?

The reason I am asking is that I want to go for the Vivid series but a little concerned that the 16NDPL will not be strong enough and that I will be better off with the 32ND from the Cinema series.

Both the ND16 and the ND16-PL are 4-stop filters and will affect the shutter speed accordingly. Technically there can be a very minor difference between them as a result of the polarizing aspect of the filter, but this will not be noticeable in your shots. I am located in Los Angeles and normally my ND16-PL is perfect for sunny days here.

We do offer custom orders, so if you'd like to pick up the lone ND32 filter in addition to the Vivid Collection, please email [email protected] and our team will be happy to help you out.

- Oliver from PolarPro

 

[Masteraal]

Thanks Oliver. I really appreciate your response.

I just ordered to vivid series :-D

Both the ND16 and the ND16-PL are 4-stop filters and will affect the shutter speed accordingly. Technically there can be a very minor difference between them as a result of the polarizing aspect of the filter, but this will not be noticeable in your shots. I am located in Los Angeles and normally my ND16-PL is perfect for sunny days here.

We do offer custom orders, so if you'd like to pick up the lone ND32 filter in addition to the Vivid Collection, please email [email protected] and our team will be happy to help you out.

- Oliver from PolarPro

 

[PolarPro]

Thanks Oliver. I really appreciate your response.

I just ordered to vivid series :-D

No problem, and thanks for supporting our brand!

- Oliver from PolarPro

 

[Masteraal]

No problem, and thanks for supporting our brand!

- Oliver from PolarPro

Hi Oliver,

I got the filters today in the mail and gave them a test run. With the ND16PL, at 1/60 the footage is over exposed by 1 stop. Should I bother getting a regular ND32 or will shooting at 1/100-1/125 not be an issue for good footage? (4k at 30fps)

Thanks for your help so far.

 

[PolarPro]

Should I bother getting a regular ND32 or will shooting at 1/100-1/125 not be an issue for good footage? (4k at 30fps)

Thanks for your help so far.

Sure thing, always happy to help. Increasing the shutter speed should resolve the slight overexposure you're seeing, so 1/100 or 1/125 will likely do the trick. Usually increasing the shutter speed poses no issues in terms of getting quality footage, all that does is decrease the amount of light hitting the camera sensor.

- Oliver from PolarPro

 

[robbiewex]

Does PolarPro ND filter packs ever go on sale?

 

[PolarPro]

Does PolarPro ND filter packs ever go on sale?

We have historically offered some deals on our site around holiday periods, so it is always worth checking in with us then. Sometimes our retail partners offer deals of their own, independently of any promotions we might run. We are also currently offering a single-use 10% discount code via email for anyone who signs up for our newsletter. To sign up, enter your email address into the "Join the Adventure" field at the bottom of any page on our site, then click on the link in the verification email that you receive. After that is done the email with the code should appear. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions about this.

- Oliver from PolarPro

 

[robbiewex]

Thanks Oliver. Price has been what's holding me off, the Cinema 6-pack is just more than I want to spend. The price and quality varies my mfr., of course, but PP appears to be the leader. I currently use a Freewell CPL filter I use as a sort-of lens saver; it works well simply in that the Mavic calibrates properly and the images look pretty good overall unless it's way too sunny, I believe Freewell's quality may not be as high as PolarPro's, so I'll keep searching for a deal until I find one.