Irish-apple
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melmartin
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I like PolarPro filers and use them, but this seems rather silly. What If I've loaded that filter, and then decide to change my composition to a different ratio of sky/landscape? Better to do this in post and have infinite flexibility. Gradient filters are only useful if every shot is the same, On the ground, gradient filters are easy to switch out. In the air, not so much...
melmartin
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melmartin
Well-Known Member
melmartin
Well-Known Member
The issue is that these filters are fine if you are going to keep the sky and ground in just about the same place for each shot. If you change the proportions of ground/sky, the filter won't work. Some parts of your image will be too dark, some too bright. I shoot everything in RAW, and I have no trouble balancing the exposure in post. I also generally shoot brackets and create an HDR. I have complete control over where my exposure is adjusted. As I said, I like PolarPro filters and use them, but once you are in the air with gradient filters they control your composition, not the photographer.
Having another option is good in my opinion. I hardly ever use filters myself. Nothing I shoot has enough motion to actually need a filter and even if it did, I would just add blur in post.
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CPLs are the same. Need to be set up and correctly aligned to the required angle before flight. If you change that angle during flight or flip to portrait mode from horizontal they do nothing. They're useful for a small specific thing.
These grads seem even worse, the limit your tilt and orientation. I just cant see it being practical at all.
These grads seem even worse, the limit your tilt and orientation. I just cant see it being practical at all.
As a photographer, I see no use for these. A gradient filter is used when your camera is held in a very specific plane against the ground/sky horizon It would be very rare to have this control while I'm flying . Nope. Not interested in these, and I'm a big time user of gradients for my land cameras.
PolarPro
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You are correct, these are for video, well the ND16/4 and ND32/8 at least. The ND8-GR can be used for photography. We designed a soft transition line so you did not have to line of the horizon line perfectly. The horizon line just needs to be close to the center of the frame and your results will be solid. Happy to answer any questions! -Jeff from PolarPro
Here is a video that goes into a little more detail:
It's not particularly difficult to add a grad in post, which is also what I mainly do for stills (if required) with any camera.
To be fair there are plenty of flights when you might keep a fairly constant gimbal position and the grad might be useful, you could also brighten the darker region fairly easily when editing,
Life is too short for so much mucking about.
People will still buy them, then leave them at home or in the case after playing with them a couple of times.
To be fair there are plenty of flights when you might keep a fairly constant gimbal position and the grad might be useful, you could also brighten the darker region fairly easily when editing,
Life is too short for so much mucking about.
People will still buy them, then leave them at home or in the case after playing with them a couple of times.
I HAVE A QUESTION JEFF
when is polar pro gonna update the android app so its the same as ios ??? ...been waiting for ages
PolarPro
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Yah, we are pretty frustrated with the development company too, its been 10 months, apps do take a long time to build (1000 to 1500 hrs) but they keep running into problems on the Android stack. They have not really provided us with a date it will be ready which sucks because we have no information to provide everyone wanting the android app
-Jeff from PolarPro
I think these can be beneficial although on a limited basses. I don't think they are an everyday kind of filter, but more for when trying to achieve a particular result. Post editing can only do so much when a part of the scene is way over exposed. Once an area of the scene, like the sky for example, is blown out no degree of post editing can get it back.
Well - there's many many instances where a grad filter is the best solution.
Such as a waterfall you want to smooth the water with a slower shutter but not overexpose the sky.
Then some folks don't like the look of HDR's.
Key is the word "graduated". The transition is smooth so any mismatch is pretty much minimized across the middle grade.
Polarizers have the same issue as far as adjustability when in the air.
It's part of the craft to use your tools properly.
PL filters have maximum effect at 90 degrees to light source. This is for the famous dark blue sky. However rotate off axis and you still get reduction in scattered light since it's always only passing light in one plane. The scattered light is what causes dull foliage and muddied colors.
So even if you don't use it to darken skies it has a very beneficial effect on your color and contrast.
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