When to use ND filter for photo.

[Mantrain]

I seem to get mixed information. Some videos on YT indicate it is merely for motion blur in video. I am more of a photo imager. Is there a good use for my stock ND filters that came in the Fly More for the Mavic 3? Also any recommendations for the Freewiel that have polarizers? I dread buying them because I already paid for the ND filters in my Fly more package but they are polarized.

THANK YOU !!!

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

For photography a C-PL can reduce glare of water and other reflective surfaces.
Still a bit of mucking about staging the shot and setting up a PL to work as it should, but for special shots it might be worth it.
Clear coral reefs underwater, shots of a glacier, streams, water puddles, or shots through glass, etc.

ND filters are of less use, unless you want motion blur type photos, at taillights at night etc, or smooth waterfall or tidal movement type photos.
Keeping the drone stable is critical of course, and in many flight situations could be difficult not getting shots too blurred.
You might not need a strong ND, the M3 has a better range of long shutter than most smaller consumer drones, some might need ND 1000 or better to get a good long shutter result.
Maybe you could even do without them on the M3 for either of the above types of scenario.

 

[Meta4]

I seem to get mixed information. Some videos on YT indicate it is merely for motion blur in video. I am more of a photo imager.

If you are shooting stills, there is only one reason to use ND filters on the drone.
That is if you want to force a slower shutter speed than otherwise possible.
ND filters cut the amount of light getting through to the sensor and do nothing at all to improve colour, contrast or anything else about the image.

 

[BigAl07]

This question comes up a LOT..... it shows that very few of us understand what an ND filter does or why it's needed.

If you really don't understand how/why it works you really don't need to be using it.

It's like Sunglasses for your camera and you only wear sunglasses for specific reasons.

IMHO ND filters are a big "Fad" that many of us feel like we NEED them because we've read so many others have used them.

Do they have a purpose? YES absolutely so but they aren't a silver bullet and only help when you know when and how to use them.

 

[Dave Maine]

No.

 

[Cosmo0g]

I keep a ND8/PL filter on mine pretty much all the time. I shoot mainly stills and like what the polarizer does. The ND8 part of it slows the shutter down a bit and I like that too.

 

[Meta4]

I keep a ND8/PL filter on mine pretty much all the time. I shoot mainly stills and like what the polarizer does. The ND8 part of it slows the shutter down a bit and I like that too.

An ND8 filter cuts 87% of the light, leaving you only 12% to work with.
That means that to get proper exposure, you need a shutter speed 8 times longer than you otherwise would.
eg .. instead of 1/250th of a second you would be using 1/30th.
What's to like about that?

 

[Cosmo0g]

An ND8 filter cuts 87% of the light, leaving you only 12% to work with.
That means that to get proper exposure, you need a shutter speed 8 times longer than you otherwise would.
eg .. instead of 1/250th of a second you would be using 1/30th.
What's to like about that?

I still get 1/160 on an overcast day, and 1/320 on a sunny day. That's plenty fast enough for me.

 

[Dave Maine]

Image sharpness is directly related to camera movement and shutter speed. If you like sharp still images you are thinking of 1/125 s or faster.

If you like ethereal blurry images like waterfalls shot on a tripod with moving water, shutter speeds in the 1/8 - 1 sec will achieve the desired effect.

Polarizing filters are a whole different story. In addition to absorbing 2 stops of light, they interact wilt light reflecting from surfaces to reduce surface glare, making the true color of the object come forward, definitely a useful addition.

 

[Dave Maine]

What ISO for those exposures? Anything faster than ISO 100 is introducing grain and color noise, which to my eye is undesirable.

 

[MS Coast]

I still get 1/160 on an overcast day, and 1/320 on a sunny day. That's plenty fast enough for me.

With the ISO set to max?

 

[Atkas]

Ideally you want to maintain an ISO of 100 as mentioned, as much as possible. NDs are good for video to help achieve shutter speed twice the frame rate...example, frame rate of 30fps an ideal shutter is 1/60th to capture more natural/cinematic video. For stills, as eluded to, allows more creativity for longer daytime exposures, to do things such as the classic blur/soften water flow. Sunglasses for your lens, absolutely. It's a case of setting up on the day, be it full sun, partial cloud, etc. There's no perfect formula, which is where getting close and always shooting RAW and D-LOG is imperative to get post edit results.
I was a DSLR based photographer long before drones, then the transition to airborne stills, and now I'm falling in love with aerial video more after flying the M3. My Mavic Pro and P4P never launch without at least an ND4. Also helps greatly for mapping if that's your thing.
I've also purchased the Freewell All Day pack (8 filters inc ND 1000 and ND 2000) based on many informative reviews available on the interwebs. NO AFFILIATION but Freewell have a sale this month? for free global delivery over $99US. I manage to find the All Day pack, usually $149US, for $179.10AU delivered from ebay AU, which is a great deal if you look at conversions...for me here in anyway. Google is your friend for this one

Enjoy, spin those props, right side up!

 

[Meta4]

My Mavic Pro and P4P never launch without at least an ND4.

For stills?
Why would you cut 75% of the light before you even start?

Also helps greatly for mapping if that's your thing.

How would it make a positive difference for mapping?

 

[Atkas]

For stills?
Why would you cut 75% of the light before you even start?

How would it make a positive difference for mapping?

This is going to be personal preference no doubt, but for me it's a more effective edit for shadows and highlights in D-log. And again for my mapping has the same effect (not that I post edit my mapping solutions so I prefer them with an ND out of camera). I usually shoot on sunny or overcast days, and it suits my purpose. Again in those situations it's not really having much reduction on shutter speed and for my editing/output it works a treat. This image was shot as per description, using an ND8...

3 - Historic Church, no editing!

Pretty impressive, 5 AEB shots straight out of the Mavic 3 (Hasselblad), LightRoom HDR merge, no other editing. Looking forward to this thing getting all it's abilities unleashed!

mavicpilots.com

Not all photography is about flooding the sensor with the most light available

 

[Meta4]

Again in those situations it's not really having much reduction on shutter speed

???
An ND4 requires a shutter speed 4x times longer than without and the ND8 would require an 8x longer shutter speed.

Not all photography is about flooding the sensor with the most light available

Photography is about getting correct exposure.
Whether you get that amount of light with or without an ND filter, the amount of light required is the same.
You can control the amount of light be varying the shutter speed without doing what you do,

I'm sorry but I can't see that you've explained why you throw away 75% or 87% of the light before you even launch.
It doesn't do anything to change or improve the look of the image.
It just forces a slower shutter speed.

 

[Atkas]

???
An ND4 requires a shutter speed 4x times longer than without and the ND8 would require an 8x longer shutter speed.

Photography is about getting correct exposure.
Whether you get that amount of light with or without an ND filter, the amount of light required is the same.
You can control the amount of light be varying the shutter speed without doing what you do,

I'm sorry but I can't see that you've explained why you throw away 75% or 87% of the light before you even launch.
It doesn't do anything to change or improve the look of the image.
It just forces a slower shutter speed.

...and allow for different levels of creativity.

Yep, and your opinion is all good champ. Feel free to disagree or have differing thoughts, that's what makes us human. Enjoy your flying and photography.

Let's not hijack the OP's request for information by personalising. Opinions are like arseholes, we all have one

All the best

 

[Meta4]

...and allow for different levels of creativity.

To use an ND filter creatively, you would have to understand photographic basics and what an ND filter does.
From your explanation, I can't see that you do.

Let's not hijack the OP's request for information by personalising.

Actually I was trying to give some balance to prevent the OP and others who might not know, from being distracted by misguided ideas.

 

[Atkas]

No worries mate, been a paid photographer for nearly 20 years, part time while serving in Defence against real bad guys, not keyboard warriors. But by your logic, I can't believe DJI and all those camera manufacturers have anything longer than 1/5 sec exposures. And to imply that I don't understand is that sinking into the realm of lowest forms of insult. You might as well start swearing at me.

OP, feel free to Google mate, you'll find a lot of similar information, not my opinion, that I hope assists in your decision making. What I gave was my opinion and real world personal examples. As other members have also offered...and been criticized.

For other posters like Cosmo0g above, that also use ND filters often, please don't take offence and do what works for you...even if you don't understand it like I apparently don't

 

[Meta4]

I still get 1/160 on an overcast day, and 1/320 on a sunny day. That's plenty fast enough for me.

But what's the benefit?
That's the thing that you ND shooters never can explain.

 

[Meta4]

And to imply that I don't understand is that sinking into the realm of lowest forms of insult. You might as well start swearing at me.

InsuIt you?
I simply suggested that you didn't explain why you use an ND filter to shoot stills.
I asked and your reply was that you like to.

As for being a "keyboard warrior", I've been engaged in photography much longer than you have and even taught it.
I understand a lot more about ND filters than you apparently.