ND8 filter

[Jez6640]

Hi all.

What would be a good base setting for my mavic pro with an ND8 filter on now.

 

[Blackbird1]

Weather conditions?

 

[Jez6640]

Sunny [emoji295]️

 

[Blackbird1]

I usually use a ND16 if its proper sunny, ND8 is good if its not too sunny..
ISO 100, Shutter 50, WB sunny, ideally u wana get your EV near +1

hope this helps

 

[Jez6640]

Great thanks, how about if it's a bit dull will the ND8 be no good?

 

[Chris.K]

Great thanks, how about if it's a bit dull will the ND8 be no good?

A bit of photography school here which may help you...

You want your ISO to be set to 100 for best image quality
You want to get your shutter speed to around 1/50
ND filters reduce your shutter speed
Every time you halve your shutter speed you reduce the exposure by 1 stop.

ND filter numbers can be confusing. Each time you double the ND rating you reduce the exposure by 1 stop and go up 0.3 in density.

So...
nd2 is 0.3 or 1 stop
nd4 is 0.6 or 2 stops
nd8 is 0.9 or 3 stops
Etc etc etc

So with that in mind...
Without an ND check what your current shutter speed is and work backward from there.

E.g.:
When flying with no ND your shutter speed is 1/400
1 stop reduction is 1/200
2 stop reduction is 1/100
3 stop reduction is 1/50

So you need a 3 stop NF filter, (nd8)

When flying with no ND your shutter speed is 1/1600
1 stop reduction is 1/800
2 stop reduction is 1/400
3 stop reduction is 1/200
4 stop reduction is 1/100
5 stop reduction is 1/50

So you need a 5 stop ND filter, (nd32)

Hope that's not too confusing.

 

[Slayerstwin]

A bit of photography school here which may help you...

You want your ISO to be set to 100 for best image quality
You want to get your shutter speed to around 1/50
ND filters reduce your shutter speed
Every time you halve your shutter speed you reduce the exposure by 1 stop.

ND filter numbers can be confusing. Each time you double the ND rating you reduce the exposure by 1 stop and go up 0.3 in density.

So...
nd2 is 0.3 or 1 stop
nd4 is 0.6 or 2 stops
nd8 is 0.9 or 3 stops
Etc etc etc

So with that in mind...
Without an ND check what your current shutter speed is and work backward from there.

E.g.:
When flying with no ND your shutter speed is 1/400
1 stop reduction is 1/200
2 stop reduction is 1/100
3 stop reduction is 1/50

So you need a 3 stop NF filter, (nd8)

When flying with no ND your shutter speed is 1/1600
1 stop reduction is 1/800
2 stop reduction is 1/400
3 stop reduction is 1/200
4 stop reduction is 1/100
5 stop reduction is 1/50

So you need a 5 stop ND filter, (nd32)

Hope that's not too confusing.

Thank you that's the best explanation I've seen so far on this forum!!!

 

[Fearless Flight]

Thank you that's the best explanation I've seen so far on this forum!!!

Same here that makes a ton of sense. Thanks Chris.

 

[Doecliff]

If I could just clarify that a little further, 1/50 means the shutter is open longer than say 1/100 or 1/200? Is that right? The higher the shutter speed the shorter period of time it is open? which means less light gets to the sensor with a high shutter speed than with a low shutter speed? So we put a filter on the lens to allow a longer (lower) shutter speed?

 

[Chris.K]

Yeah that's right mate. 1/50 = 1/50th of a second. I.e. The shutter is open for 1/50th of a second. which is slower than 1/100th of a second which as you rightly point out, means it lets more light in.

Spot on about the filter. We're sort of tricking the camera into thinking the ambient light is darker, so it slows down the shutter to get the correct exposure.

 

[ed1nh0]

Install the PolarPro Filter calc app. It is handy for this situation.

 

[Logger]

Is there any benefit in using ND filters for simpletons like me, running the camera in Auto? I gather not.

Happy enough with my footage in Auto using NTSC 2.7k/30. EV -.0.7 on bright days. EV0 not so bright.

Where I run in to issues is flying within about 60 degrees of the sun early or late in the day and the image starts to flicker. Obviously directly into the sun in never going to work, but oblique should be possible? I gather an ND filter might help here. But then, when I turn home, to have the sun behind me isn't the previously appropriate ND filter going to be all wrong and too dark. So at this point I manually decrease the shutter speed and no longer satisfy the square rule.

 

[Doecliff]

But then, when I turn home, to have the sun behind me isn't the previously appropriate ND filter going to be all wrong and too dark

I started using ND filters on my gopro to reduce jello effect in my video when filming from a drone. You would think it would make things darker but it doesn't. I am sold on them and think they are a useful addition. If its sunny they don't really make it darker at all.

 

[ed1nh0]

Is there any benefit in using ND filters for simpletons like me, running the camera in Auto? I gather not.

You're right. There's no need for ND filters, even in Manual, not only in Auto.
Actually, if you're satisfied enough with your footage, there's no need for ND filters.
There are many purposes for ND filters.
Going straight to the point, the Mavic's camera has a limitation, you cannot set its lens aperture. Thus, if you're in Auto, the way you control the light on its sensor is to spinning the wheel for adjusting the ISO. If you're in Manual, the wheel controls the shutter speed.
If you want more control and get better results, the ND filter is the only option you have to "simulate" the lens aperture.
But, this is only theory. As you said, if you're happy with your footage in Auto, forget about what I just said.
Fly safe!