Which ND Filter to buy?

[djr]

Hi just join this forum and also got my drone for a week now...

Can anyone recommend any ND fliter, i had watched alot of video but is hard to say which 1 is good... but it seem like below is the list that people use

- Polarpro
- Freewell
- Fslab
- DJI
- etc

I saw this Polarpro

DJI Mavic Air Filters - Cinematographers Collection

$249.99

its like the complete range...but the price is like kind of high.... =(

i stay a Singapore we only have 2 weather which is either rain or shine through out the year so what ND filter range i should use? Also planning to go Finland and Iceland on Dec, what kind of ND filter range i must bring along?

Hope some expert can share experience.


TIA

 

[jbishop129]

http://a.co/cugOmTo

I use these, it's a set of ND4, 8, and 16, plus 4, 8, and 16 polarized (6 filters in total). These cover me for just about all conditions, though I may pick up a 32 and/or 64 for shooting low shutter speed during the day. Good luck!

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

The set I have are THESE they are really nice and far cheaper than the Polar Pro's
I also purchased THESE to do daytime long exposures.

 

[JoeCec]

These work for me HERE and they're $42.95USD. I have a vid on my YouTube channel HERE reviewing them.

 

[djr]

These work for me HERE and they're $42.95USD. I have a vid on my YouTube channel HERE reviewing them.

actually i watch your video earlier on... nice video.....

=)

 

[JoeCec]

actually i watch your video earlier on... nice video.....

=)

Awesome! Thanks for your support!!

 

[Pilot25dmc]

PolarPro have never let me down.

 

[JoeCec]

PolarPro have never let me down.

So, I'm curious about this. What is the difference in quality? What justifies the high cost of these filters?

Not asking in a confrontational way just seriously curious.

 

[Pilot25dmc]

The only other make I have used other than PolarPro was by Neewer. Bought them from Amazon for my Phantom 4.

4 times out of 10 they would cause gimbal problems, it would help if I powered everything up and then fitted the filter but occasionally I would get a problem up in the air. They didnt look or feel cheap but I just got fed up with them.

Have just gone with the PolarPro ones ever since as they just work, simple as that. Their customer service is also second to none.

 

[djr]

The only other make I have used other than PolarPro was by Neewer. Bought them from Amazon for my Phantom 4.

4 times out of 10 they would cause gimbal problems, it would help if I powered everything up and then fitted the filter but occasionally I would get a problem up in the air. They didnt look or feel cheap but I just got fed up with them.

Have just gone with the PolarPro ones ever since as they just work, simple as that. Their customer service is also second to none.

I was about to place order with the FSlab nd filter and i saw your reply...

Making much harder to choose...

 

[djr]

Any real polar pro user that also own other nd filter brand, care to share any difference in video quality or?

Tks

 

[CanadaDrone]

So, I'm curious about this. What is the difference in quality? What justifies the high cost of these filters?

Not asking in a confrontational way just seriously curious.

Nobody has done any objective testing, so really all we have to go on is manufacturer claims and user experiences. If a user tells us they can't see a difference between product A and product B, that really has zero weight behind it without a heck of a lot more information.

Personally I chose PolarPro for the following reasons:

- Guaranteed no problems with the gimbal (this is probably one of the most important attributes)
- Quality construction and easy to screw on/off
- Anti-reflective coatings on both sides of the filter
- Lifetime warranty and good customer support
- They own their own production lines for (theoretically) better QC
- They do not introduce a color cast into the image which can be difficult to corrrect
- They do not vignette a noticeable amount
- They claim they have better effect uniformity and ND rating accuracy than others, which I cannot confirm beyond saying that I have no issues with either. That is definitely one of the first things that will suffer if someone is in fact cutting corners or has poor QC.
- They are so cheap already (relative to the price of the drone) that I personally saw no reason to try and save a few bucks rather than go with a 'tried and true' product

Other filters might be just as good, or they may not be. For me, it's just easier to buy something that I know works well than to venture into the unknown.

But, at the end of the day, this is a tiny 1/2.3" 12MP sensor we are talking about here - not exactly the pinnacle of image quality. Depending on your end usage, you may or may not see a difference with a lesser filter. If they weren't so cheap, I would probably be putting more effort into finding the highest point of diminishing return.

 

[JoeCec]

Nobody has done any objective testing, so really all we have to go on is manufacturer claims and user experiences. If a user tells us they can't see a difference between product A and product B, that really has zero weight behind it without a heck of a lot more information.

Personally I chose PolarPro for the following reasons:

- Guaranteed no problems with the gimbal (this is probably one of the most important attributes)
- Quality construction and easy to screw on/off
- Anti-reflective coatings on both sides of the filter
- Lifetime warranty and good customer support
- They own their own production lines for (theoretically) better QC
- They do not introduce a color cast into the image which can be difficult to corrrect
- They do not vignette a noticeable amount
- They claim they have better effect uniformity and ND rating accuracy than others, which I cannot confirm beyond saying that I have no issues with either. That is definitely one of the first things that will suffer if someone is in fact cutting corners or has poor QC.
- They are so cheap already (relative to the price of the drone) that I personally saw no reason to try and save a few bucks rather than go with a 'tried and true' product

Other filters might be just as good, or they may not be. For me, it's just easier to buy something that I know works well than to venture into the unknown.

But, at the end of the day, this is a tiny 1/2.3" 12MP sensor we are talking about here - not exactly the pinnacle of image quality. Depending on your end usage, you may or may not see a difference with a lesser filter. If they weren't so cheap, I would probably be putting more effort into finding the highest point of diminishing return.

Great points, why risk a new product when you already trust the one you use. I respect that.

 

[djr]

Nobody has done any objective testing, so really all we have to go on is manufacturer claims and user experiences. If a user tells us they can't see a difference between product A and product B, that really has zero weight behind it without a heck of a lot more information.

Personally I chose PolarPro for the following reasons:

- Guaranteed no problems with the gimbal (this is probably one of the most important attributes)
- Quality construction and easy to screw on/off
- Anti-reflective coatings on both sides of the filter
- Lifetime warranty and good customer support
- They own their own production lines for (theoretically) better QC
- They do not introduce a color cast into the image which can be difficult to corrrect
- They do not vignette a noticeable amount
- They claim they have better effect uniformity and ND rating accuracy than others, which I cannot confirm beyond saying that I have no issues with either. That is definitely one of the first things that will suffer if someone is in fact cutting corners or has poor QC.
- They are so cheap already (relative to the price of the drone) that I personally saw no reason to try and save a few bucks rather than go with a 'tried and true' product

Other filters might be just as good, or they may not be. For me, it's just easier to buy something that I know works well than to venture into the unknown.

But, at the end of the day, this is a tiny 1/2.3" 12MP sensor we are talking about here - not exactly the pinnacle of image quality. Depending on your end usage, you may or may not see a difference with a lesser filter. If they weren't so cheap, I would probably be putting more effort into finding the highest point of diminishing return.

Seem like polar pro is a safer chioce...

I plan this
DJI Mavic Air Filters - Cinematographers Collection

$249.99

Reason of getting that it is some how a complete set so no need worry if i miss out anythig...

I stay in Singapore, weather here is sunny, rain or cloudy. I think it will use ND 8 - 16 - 32.

I going to iceland and finland on December and base on the youtube video i seen they say need to prepare nd filter 32 and 64.

So is it over kill to get that polar pro complete set?

Tks

 

[JoeCec]

I can only speak for Zeus Optics that I use and can say the fit is great and doesn't overload the camera. With that being said, I will also say that zeus optics sent me these to try (for free) and I have no other experience with other brands. So take that as you want.

 

[djr]

I can only speak for Zeus Optics that I use and can say the fit is great and doesn't overload the camera. With that being said, I will also say that zeus optics sent me these to try (for free) and I have no other experience with other brands. So take that as you want.

At least you got someone to send you to try out

[emoji106]

 

[CanadaDrone]

Seem like polar pro is a safer chioce...

I plan this
DJI Mavic Air Filters - Cinematographers Collection

$249.99

Reason of getting that it is some how a complete set so no need worry if i miss out anythig...

I stay in Singapore, weather here is sunny, rain or cloudy. I think it will use ND 8 - 16 - 32.

I going to iceland and finland on December and base on the youtube video i seen they say need to prepare nd filter 32 and 64.

So is it over kill to get that polar pro complete set?

Tks

Personally I think that set is overkill. I don't know your exact requirements though. A UV filter is useless on a digital camera, they were used in the film days and do nothing on a digital sensor except reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor, and introduce the possibility for glare and color casts. In the DSLR world people just use them as protective filters, but really they should be using NC (Neutral Color) or Clear filters for that purpose. Also, chances are you don't need ND4PL's, but again I don't know your exact shooting requirements.

I think a 6-pack that would cover most people is a ND4, ND8, ND16, ND32, ND16PL, ND32PL. You could probably drop the ND4 (if you don't fly at sunset/sunrise) and add a ND64 if you wanted, too. PolarPro will let you build a 'custom' 6-pack on their website. That is not a rule, everyone's needs are different, but that is what I would buy. I don't know if you'll need a ND64 or not, you might if there is bright sun hitting snow.

 

[djr]

Personally I think that set is overkill. I don't know your exact requirements though. A UV filter is useless on a digital camera, they were used in the film days and do nothing on a digital sensor except reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor, and introduce the possibility for glare and color casts. In the DSLR world people just use them as protective filters, but really they should be using NC (Neutral Color) or Clear filters for that purpose. Also, chances are you don't need ND4PL's, but again I don't know your exact shooting requirements.

I think a 6-pack that would cover most people is a ND4, ND8, ND16, ND32, ND16PL, ND32PL. You could probably drop the ND4 (if you don't fly at sunset/sunrise) and add a ND64 if you wanted, too. PolarPro will let you build a 'custom' 6-pack on their website. That is not a rule, everyone's needs are different, but that is what I would buy. I don't know if you'll need a ND64 or not, you might if there is bright sun hitting snow.

Ok tks.. probably will follow your advise..

 

[Pilot25dmc]

If you order direct from PolarPro you can make up your own filter kit. I went down this route and got a kit comprising ND8 - ND16 - ND32. I also have a single ND16/PL which I find myself using the most as I like filming over water.

Will be getting their Gradient kit in the next week or so.

 

[djr]

If you order direct from PolarPro you can make up your own filter kit. I went down this route and got a kit comprising ND8 - ND16 - ND32. I also have a single ND16/PL which I find myself using the most as I like filming over water.

Will be getting their Gradient kit in the next week or so.

Initially i thought of getting the 6 custom pack... but i end up getting this
DJI Mavic Air Filters - Cinematographers Collection

$249.99



So no headache.. all in.. probably overkill but dont want to pay 2 times for the courier to indonesia..