New to ND filters

[m4v1c]

Hello,

I have the DJI Mavic Pro 1 and wanted to shoot long exposure waterfall drone pictures.

1) Is shooting at 1 sec with the Mavic too slow for a rushing waterfall during daylight? I want to get that silky smooth water motion blur but for everything else to be sharp.

2) Should I be using Tripod mode versus normal?

3) Seems like NDs go by 4, 8, 16, etc. Which individual ones or set should I get? I'd hate to waste battery life & time switching on and off different ND filters. Is there like a general rule (eg. harsh sun use 32, while overcast use 16).

Thanks!

 

[zocalo]

1) It depends on the waterfall, or more accurately the speed of the water, the amount of texture in it, and the effect you want to achieve. There is no "correct" time to use other than the one required for the result you want, and that might be anywhere from may 1/4s to several seconds.

2) Doesn't make any difference. Despite the name, "Tripod mode" does not make the drone any more stable in a hover, it just makes it easier to position be reducing the speed of the drone.

3) Again, depends on the required result (see 1) and the conditions. If the waterfall is shaded or in softer dawn/evening light then you'll need less stops from the ND than you would if it was in bright sunlight.

Best bet is to handhold the drone at the waterfall and see what kind of exposure setting you are getting. Think about how long you need to have the exposure to get the texture you want in the water, then add the appropriate ND to get in the ballpark. In my experience that can be anything from ND8 to ND64, although even higher NDs can be needed on occassion.

 

[m4v1c]

1) It depends on the waterfall, or more accurately the speed of the water, the amount of texture in it, and the effect you want to achieve. There is no "correct" time to use other than the one required for the result you want, and that might be anywhere from may 1/4s to several seconds.

2) Doesn't make any difference. Despite the name, "Tripod mode" does not make the drone any more stable in a hover, it just makes it easier to position be reducing the speed of the drone.

3) Again, depends on the required result (see 1) and the conditions. If the waterfall is shaded or in softer dawn/evening light then you'll need less stops from the ND than you would if it was in bright sunlight.

Best bet is to handhold the drone at the waterfall and see what kind of exposure setting you are getting. Think about how long you need to have the exposure to get the texture you want in the water, then add the appropriate ND to get in the ballpark. In my experience that can be anything from ND8 to ND64, although even higher NDs can be needed on occassion.

Right ok that makes sense; I guess for my first question is how long of a shutter speed can I use before I get a blurry photo on a non windy day? Can the mavic hold still enough afor a 1 sec or even 2-3 sec exposure? Just seems too good to be true haha, with a DSLR camera (depending on the lens & etc), handhelding a 1 sec photo usually comes out with some unintended motion blur.

Thanks

 

[zocalo]

It does depend on the wind, obviously, but you can get decently sharp exposures of up to the maximum of 8s if the conditions are perfect. In more typical almost still conditions 2-4s generally seem to be fairly well achievable, which is usually more than enough for most waterfalls. If you can position the drone so that it's sheltered from the prevailing wind direction that will improve your chances as well.

Also, don't forget that a little blur can usually be corrected in post with careful use of sharpening and deblur filters. I generally use a combination of the ISO and aperture controls to shoot a sequence of shots with varying exposure lengths from each spot, and do a few shots at each setting. Once I get them on a decent monitor, I can choose the best combination of sharpness and amount of blur from the whole set.