I'm a retired Hollywood cinematographer. Everything you said is spot on. There are a rew very limited use cases for ND filters, in which case, they're essential. Otherwise, nobody notices, nobody cares. Especially, as you say, when viewed on a phone.
I'm surprise that as retired Hollywood cinematographer you did not notice it is not 'apple to apple' setups what other people observed immediately about scene differences??? I hope this channel is not to 'influence' based on 'paid' campaigns??? (hidden or obvious). I say as not as 'experienced' bast way is just to test out yourself taking careful notes, and check on big screen outcome, not just phone. In a time, you will know what works best... Also I'd say having 'logs' you are free to change hue as well an easy way - another aspect of 'more professional and cinematic' setup (more warm colors).
I think it would have been more helpful for us novices if the comparison clips were of the same scene. 3:00 it's kind of hard for me to tell the differences when I'm comparing two totally different scenes. Still really appreciate all the work you put into the content!
Finally. At last, someone who actually knows what he is talking about. Thanks. You've done everyone a service. At least a dozen drone TH-camrs propagate the meme that NDs are a must. In some specific use cases, sure. As a rule of thumb, no. And you can save money by buying one in the mid range that you will occasionally need as opposed to a whole set.
I mean they ARE a must if you are shooting in fully manual mode. That's just the way the mathematics of exposure works. It's been like that since the dawn of cinema. You are not taking advantage of like 80 percent of what the Mavic Pro has to offer if you are not shooting in full manual mode. Sorry, not trying to be confrontational, I just disagree when you say they are not a must. They are a must if you are seeking professional level quality that matches specific specs.
@@jason-basin Being confrontational is fine, being inaccurate is not. The "mathematics" of exposure are simple. Shutter speed and aperture are inversely proportional. If, to achieve a particular effect, you need to set a particular aperture, you will need to adjust shutter speed proportionately. And vice versa. Under certain lighting conditions, an ND may be required to strike the proper balance. That hardly makes them a "must." As for the notion that one should always operate in manual, in point of fact the odds are you will get the most out of your Mavic lens if you apply the time-honored photography rule "f/8 and be there." That's the sweet spot of almost every quality lens ever made, which is why many photojournalists still shoot in aperture priority. Exceptions would be achieving a particular depth of field or the corresponding shutter speed not cooperating. That's how it works. And, for the vast majority of DJI users, auto exposure does the job just fine. There are few, if any, musts.
There might be a variant which is natural illumination, so if you are in a place as sunny as I am in, a lot of the times for most cameras the autoshutter creates a Stacatto effect, and especially if the natural constrast varies a lot, you absolutely NEED to use manual mode, if you want professional quality. That being said here in this desertic part of Mexico where I live, you DEFINITELY need to use ND filters, I cant begin to tell you how painful it was to see the footage of my camera being blown out for not having the filters...and YES it is a pain to having to switch them all the time throughout the shoot
It would have been a more effective demo if the scenes with/without ND filters were the same. The light, clouds, terrain are different and it makes a difference. As a beginner I am using the ND filter to try and control exposure ie prevent over exposure.
Finally someone honest and impartial explaining all pros and cons with video examples. Looking around seems like we absolutely need nd filters and that will make us pro (or at least not worthless noobs) but thats not how it works, and it could lead to problems and mistakes (like the blurry photo example) for who is still learning. Well subscriber earned. Good job
Finally, some that doesn’t push the prophecy of Nd filters . 👏 Most of the times the fuss outweighs the small quality gains… not to mention that if you are a beginner, you can easily damage the gimbal by forgetting to install/remove only when the drone is turned off
As many vids talk about having ND filters because of motion blur, this video is the best since it says even motion blur is not necessary! And thanks for reminding situations for switching between video and pics
Thanks for explaining the proper use of ND filters, and then testing them in field and showing people the difference they make in a world setting. Great video Jeven, and thanks for sharing.
I can’t thank you enough for this video. I thought I was going crazy trying to get my video to look better with the filters, and most of the time having my videos actually look worse because of my inexperience with the filters And putting the wrong one on by mistake. My I’m getting much better footage is much higher without filters, but hearing you explain, it helps so much to confirm what my gut was telling me.
None of those examples even remotely demonstrates the jitteryness I get without without my ND filters. It almost feel shaky and unwatchable with a fast shutterspeed. Also your comparison shots are completely different shots in different lighting.
That will be because your shutter speed is likely a lot faster than in his particular video. Also are you shooting at 24gps, 30fps or 60fps. It all plays a part.
I was about to male the same comment. At least show the pro settings your using as the same with the same or as close to the same flight path on the same day at the same location to give a accurate comparison
I don't get any jittery footage without ND .. but I shoot at 60fps. But for me 24fps looks like a jittery mess no matter what camera or settings, I'm just not really used to such low frame rates anymore. But yer maybe if that is the case an nd is a very good idea.
The differences I would see are mostly not to do with motion blur obviously. The ND filter footage resembles TV/film footage in lighting and style. Professionals probably need them for specific reasons. I leave the ND 4 filter provided in the Fly More Combo on my Air 2S to act as a protective layer in front of the camera, not because I want that specific 'look' in my footage.
Hi Jeven, love you channel and the explanation in this video was clear and concise. One piece of criticism is that the example shots weren't very illustrative to me, as they were quite different from one another. I appreciate that it's super difficult to recreate a shot, let alone using a drone, but having a moving car in one shot vs no car at all in the other shot doesn't really illustrate what you're trying to say.
To be honest, I really like the COLOR and sharpness of the videos without the ND filters! Now, I don't know how strong a filter you were using but I bought a 4ND filter WITH polarizing. I may return that filter and simply replace it with a plain polarizing filter with no ND. Thanks for the info!
For me, it's all about cutting down the sun's glare. W/o filtering, clouds and sky are blown out. With filtering, I can adjust the difference. I've wasted so much time when I first started not having those shades on. That always trumps blur / not blur for me. Close-up fast shots: shades for any glare and motion blur. Far away panning: shades for glare. Motion blur isn't a factor at that distance anyway
yeah exactly. I try to use them for the motion blur rule, but my main use case is keeping the contrast of the clouds and sky when filming a horizon shot. it makes a HUGE quality difference, especially at sunset when the sun is super low and trying to blow out your image. I don't take a ton of photos, I mostly do video with my drone, and I feel like filters are a must-have for this type of thing
Shoot when the sun is lower. Its all about timing in the sky- you can't set up like you could on the ground.... so you use the time of day for your lighting
So filters stop it form being time essential, heck that a good enough reason to purchase them rather than waiting on the sun to set i would say.@@Matanumi
I found using polarizing ND filters "pop" some colors, aside from the fact they are suppose to be neutral on my Mini 2. I usually have to shift the WB to a bit cooler temp to get a truer color.
I totally agree with everything you are saying! This is one of the best explanation of ND filters for drone that I've seen... I use ND filters only when I'm flying low and fast or taking a picture with long exposure for a nice blurry effect. One of the reason that I'm not using ND filters most of the time is that I like to be able to take a screenshot from the 4K video. I also feel that the image is better and clearer without the extra layer of glass from the ND filter. Looking forward to the next one... Thank you! 🙏
Personally to me, Nd off videos are more clear, bright juicy colours and more pleasant to watch. I've just got my filters from delivery, but haven't tested them yet. Thanks for video. It's quite right that Nd is not of high necessity, because all "pro's" say that you won't have life without Nd.. ))
Great helpful video, Jeven I have a question here. Motion blur is one aspect with ND Filters. Aren't ND filters necessary if you have a bright sunny day or an overcast/cloudy day? I live in a country where its bright sunshine all year round. I think I need to have respective filter mounted on my drone to manage it, Don't I? Please guide me on this? Thanks!
From experience I would say that buying a set of ND filters is as waste of money for the most part. You'll probably wind up using the higher strengths like ND 32 and ND 64 and even those you would only need to use in certain situations as your video suggests. One of the best breakdowns on the use of ND filters I've seen on TH-cam.
yes.. I planned to buy the ND64 and CPL filter only.. coz most of the nd filters I may never use it later. but then I found the K&F single adjustable range ND filter ND32 - ND 256. SO I bought that instead. also the CPL only filter
Hey, I've got a rookie question perhaps. I bought the whole set of those nd filters from farewell for my DJI MINI 2. And the NDPL filters there have a movable circle around, there are two tiny white lines to mark the postion of the rotation. My question is what influence does this rotation have? I mean if the white lines are aligned it is maks polarizing efect or min poalrizing efect?
beside the obvious sharpness with the non ND filters shots. Question, if you have drone like a mavic 2 pro that have a variable aperture could I make adjustments to get a properly exposed image without ND filters?
Top notch advice. Thank you. I don't take much footage with fast motion in it, but I did notice something the other day. A bird flew across the scene and it looked very jerky. So even if most of the footage doesn't benefit from an ND filter/slower shutter, it might make those unexpected fast movements look better. I don't have ND filters yet, so I'm not sure.
This is a fantastic explanation as to why nailing exposure matters more than motion blur. One constructive feedback..you should add as an annotation to the video is that every time you say ND off its implicit that you are saying the shutter speed can be varied or set to auto if needed - if someone is new to photography/videography they might not catch that and it might seem to give them the opinion that NDoff vs NDon while everything else is auto.
Far off backgrounds on fast panning shots are very noticeable with high shutter speeds. I noticed the No ND pan was much slower than the ND On pan. This is why that was less noticeable.
My brothers and I are going fishing in northern Canada at the Grass River Lodge. I plan to take my DJI Mini 4 Pro along. I purchased ND Polarized filters, for example (ND64PL). My understanding is that polarized ND filters are useful for sunny days in a boat while on the water. Is this correct?
The one differences video editing, if you edit on a 24 FPS timeline with 30 FPS footage then you’ll drop four frames every second which will make it look jittery, regardless of any filter or not
Thanks for being so honest about the utility of the ND filters. Personally, I fly and film quite high from above (30 to 50 m) capturing wider nature views, and ND filtres do not improve the footage.
So, higher shutter speed would cause stutters? I have stutterers flying my Phantom 4 but no stutterers flying my mini 3. I don’t know if the stutters are related to shutter speed. I never thought about it!
Question, with a 30FPS drone like the Mini 3 that I just ordered, don't I need the ND filter to make the image less stuttering? With 60FPS it's a lot easier to get less stuttering image as I experience with my pocket 3. So I'm afraid that in sunny summer conditions a 30FPS 4K drone shot also needs at least and ND5 to make this some easier in a lot of situations? I get it when you're really high in the sky but just circling around an object I soon see stuttering with my pocket 3. I can't imagine that this doesn't happen with drone close-up shots?
Interesting video. I've recently bought my first drone and was close to buying a set of ND filters. But looking at your examples here, I'd much prefer to have sharper looking video than blurry footage. They might be useful for long exposure photos though or if it's a really bright day.
I don't know how I got to this video but it was really interesting to watch it. Maybe cause I've got a drone. As I'm filming a lot, I can tell you that this comparison is a bit incorrect. You're filming in the open space, with one or two moving objects. Trees doesn't count, cause that's how people's brain work. You introduce them with the main object of the scene. In your example it's a car. Everything around is just checked momentarily just to understand where the object is. That's all, but now, move to a scene where are a lot of fast moving objects. For example you're filming a chase in a city with a lot of moving objects. If you won't use ND filter, the scene will be without motion blur. And the watchers brain will be stuttering. Cause everything looks the same. Now, we use ND, and put our main subjects in the center of the frame. Everything around them will be a bit blurry. The brain still understands where is the main object, it understands where the scene goes and you literally blur out everything unnecessary. It's like you're telling viewers where to watch and where you want them to look at that moment. That's why you really need filters. Also, you didn't mention the CPL filter. Cause I literally hate when everybody who wants to film oceans, beaches etc aren't using them in a sunny day. Cause literally half of the scene is gone by sun's reflection on the water. You have to go through a lot of mistakes to understand how this thing works. Also, you use NDs to make scene a bit darker, if you can't correct exposure or iso... It's also one of the first rules.. You can make dark image brighter. Yeah, it's a bit hard sometimes because of the noise, but doable. And you CAN'T fix overexposed scene. If you overexposed the sky you literally can't fix it. In the white color there's no info about the correct color. It's just a white blank... I've used this rule all my life. Saved me a lot of footage. Sometimes you just can't see it right on the filming spot. And than you watch footage at home on a big screen and that's unusable...
Been struggling to get a good picture quality out of my DJI Mini 2, using freewell ND/PL filters and keeping shutter speed at 1/double frame rate, and exposure pretty good. Picture quality just looks really grainy in 1080, 2.7k and 4k. Any tips? Or do I just need a better drone with a bigger sensor?
When you use the ND filter is your iso going up? To get the least amount of noise you should shoot at the lowest iso and make sure your exposing not too dark. If you boost the image in editing you’ll introduce more noise
On my 4k TV yeah see a huge difference. The non nd filter clips look super sharp and vibrant where as the the nd filter clips look soft. I like the sharp look and I like the soft look so depends on the feel or video you're going for.
A great video. I can't be bothered with ND filters when flying my drone. I like the footage without a filter on my Mavic2Zoom. It is good enough for what I want. Thanks for your videos they are really useful to me.
You can't educate enough on this subject. In your last comparison while tracking the car, the difference in video quality is minor. The scene was during sunset while the filter was off and full day while filter was on. Since the shutter was probably a bit slower for the sunset, you were able to get slight motion blur without the need for a filter. In my own experience, I use an ND4 or nothing for low light or sunsets and it still looks pretty good although we are still above the 180 degree rule. I think for landscape videos, the 180 degree rule does not make a big difference. That rule seems to work best when filming low to the ground with people or fast moving subjects.
Hi Jeven, My little Mini 2 take’s great footage in softer, even light, like when it’s overcast. If it’s sunny, really bright, like it almost always is in SE Utah, the shadows are so dark. Can ND filters help with this? Like put on a filter to darken everything, then turn up the exposure to lighten everything, maybe reducing the contrast? Or…
Great video, thank you for this thorough explanation! Where did you film these short clips? Especially the nd off footage looks very interesting to go with a awd car!
To me it just looks darker and only one side by side example I liked. My perception of course and I am just learning all this. I plan on getting the Mini Pro 3 for the stealth low noise even if I decide to use it for commercial use. Bright sunny days I can see value but I guess I will have to test. Thanks great info!
My problem - very much a newbie at the topic - I'm comparing one shot with bright white ground vs one with browns and greens. One is psychologically brighter and interferes with making distinctions. But also, I never view on MY phone, that's what my monitors are for. (I refuse to shoot vertically, too much info lost when watched on 16:9...)
Great video. I think the filters are a great addition but as you say, not necessary. Better to spend time learning to tell the story and shoot better content before adding the complexity of the filters. Thanks.
I know this is an older video - but as someone who's shooting exclusively in the Florida sun, over the water 90% of the time, I would think ND or PL would be a must. Especially if i want to see through the water at any sea life that may be stalking the beach. Am I wrong?
Hi Jeven, I have the same feeling about ND filters. A lot of the times I am to lazy to put on or change out filters.. Question what are you thoughts about variable ND filters, and then FREEWELL has the variable filters that have mist affect? Thanks Dave...
The one thing that I notice regarding nd filters and motion blur is that if I want to extract a still image from a video that has motion blur, to use as a TH-cam thumbnail for example, it makes the picture look pretty fuzzy. The bottom line I think is that if you are making videos to use on social media like Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram for example, I believe that having motion blur in it may actually cause a distraction to people watching your video because the video formats they use create a zooming effect on the videos which make motion blur a lot more noticeable. So my question is, if you are making drone videos for social media (with the exception of sites like Vimeo and TH-cam), Is it a good idea to not use ND filters at all? I would love to get an answer to this. Thanks
It's surprising to see there's no stuttering on the Non-ND filter footage. I have experienced that in the past in some situations. But I think it can be fixed with optical flow in Premiere. Also yes basically the biggest difference is the Non-ND filter footage is too sharp, at all times. For most people I guess that's not a deal-breaker. Thanks for the comparison!
Stuttering usually appears when you put clips with different framerate from timeline. These need to be conformed to the project timeline framerate, otherwise you'll get the stutter, which are dropped frames.
You want to keep the fps at the same level at all times.. definitely use the ND filters. otherwise stuttering/jittering are noticable at some parts of your footage
I've ended up with some over/under exposed footage trying to fix my shutter speed and guess at the right ND filter on my mavic air with no aperture adjustment. I want to quickly get my drone up and get some footage with minimal interruption to the adventure and for me it seems not worth it. I'll still slap an ND on there if it is sunny, but have mostly given up on trying to fix the shutter speed.
Great vid mate (like all your others) and you're so good at explaining. If I'm understanding correctly, the filters are only needed for the motion blur effect. But I'm from sunny Malta in Europe and I mainly use auto on my Mini 2 videos. So when it's sunny and I set my EV to -0.7 or -1.. is this best way to reduce that white wash? I'd prefer not buying filters not to mess around with my gimbal.
ND-Filters are important for shots like a face and hands moving (0:22). In some cases it's also better for moving objects, people running and such. But for a lot of action shots, it isn't that bad to get a more hectic appearance into action shots by using a shorter exposure. Actions cams need short exposure for the electronic stabilization anyway. So over all, ND-filters for Action cams and drones are a bit overrated.
Yeah I bought whole ND set for my insta360 go 2 without knowing this. And I was like what happen to those weird blur pulsing. Then I realize for the gyro stabilization to work in post you need very fast shutter. So completely a waste of money to buy the ND set for it.
Oooo. A question I didn’t even realize I wanted answer for HAHA. Love hearing your thoughts on this since I always did find a hassle sometimes to switch filters on my Mavic Air 2 mid shoot! Awesome video! 💯✔️🔥
yes.. I planned to buy the ND64 and CPL filter only.. coz most of the nd filters I may never use it later. but then I found the K&F single adjustable range ND filter ND32 - ND 256. SO I bought that instead. also the CPL only filter
Great content as always mate, keep it up. Was on way to Egypt with my new osmo pocket 2 to test run today but got turned away at the airport....didn't have 6 months on my passport 😭, so I'm watching you instead 😀
Jeven - what fps rate were you shooting in your examples? Is it possible that there is more of an effect with 24 fps vs 60 fps? because the slower frame rate captures more time? thanks for your videos.
Yea I notice a difference: A complete CHANGE OF FRIGGIN SCENERY AND COLOR PALETTE! If there's one kind of A or B example I hate, it's when the subjects being compared are completely different from each other
One thing I noticed you are comparing fast moving drone (time: 6:00) but why are you take one shot against Sun, and the other behind you? I'd rather see the same exactly framing, that is having same position of Sun... I DON'T KNOW IF IT DOES OR NOT contributes to whatever we observer??
although there are some filters that kinda make the image look better, some of them kinda pop some colors or dehaze mountains at a long distance and stuff like that
Graded with my Drone & Adventure LUTs: geni.us/STngny
I'm a retired Hollywood cinematographer. Everything you said is spot on. There are a rew very limited use cases for ND filters, in which case, they're essential.
Otherwise, nobody notices, nobody cares. Especially, as you say, when viewed on a phone.
LOL just like this obsession with 4K
So ND filters are really not needed, esp on bright days?!
. My eyes tell me what I see. ND filters on Mini 3 and Air 3 a huge difference on bright days. Circling shots on landmarks.
I'm surprise that as retired Hollywood cinematographer you did not notice it is not 'apple to apple' setups what other people observed immediately about scene differences??? I hope this channel is not to 'influence' based on 'paid' campaigns??? (hidden or obvious). I say as not as 'experienced' bast way is just to test out yourself taking careful notes, and check on big screen outcome, not just phone. In a time, you will know what works best... Also I'd say having 'logs' you are free to change hue as well an easy way - another aspect of 'more professional and cinematic' setup (more warm colors).
I think it would have been more helpful for us novices if the comparison clips were of the same scene. 3:00 it's kind of hard for me to tell the differences when I'm comparing two totally different scenes. Still really appreciate all the work you put into the content!
Finally. At last, someone who actually knows what he is talking about. Thanks. You've done everyone a service. At least a dozen drone TH-camrs propagate the meme that NDs are a must. In some specific use cases, sure. As a rule of thumb, no. And you can save money by buying one in the mid range that you will occasionally need as opposed to a whole set.
I mean they ARE a must if you are shooting in fully manual mode. That's just the way the mathematics of exposure works. It's been like that since the dawn of cinema. You are not taking advantage of like 80 percent of what the Mavic Pro has to offer if you are not shooting in full manual mode. Sorry, not trying to be confrontational, I just disagree when you say they are not a must. They are a must if you are seeking professional level quality that matches specific specs.
@@jason-basin Being confrontational is fine, being inaccurate is not. The "mathematics" of exposure are simple. Shutter speed and aperture are inversely proportional. If, to achieve a particular effect, you need to set a particular aperture, you will need to adjust shutter speed proportionately. And vice versa. Under certain lighting conditions, an ND may be required to strike the proper balance. That hardly makes them a "must." As for the notion that one should always operate in manual, in point of fact the odds are you will get the most out of your Mavic lens if you apply the time-honored photography rule "f/8 and be there." That's the sweet spot of almost every quality lens ever made, which is why many photojournalists still shoot in aperture priority. Exceptions would be achieving a particular depth of field or the corresponding shutter speed not cooperating. That's how it works. And, for the vast majority of DJI users, auto exposure does the job just fine. There are few, if any, musts.
There might be a variant which is natural illumination, so if you are in a place as sunny as I am in, a lot of the times for most cameras the autoshutter creates a Stacatto effect, and especially if the natural constrast varies a lot, you absolutely NEED to use manual mode, if you want professional quality. That being said here in this desertic part of Mexico where I live, you DEFINITELY need to use ND filters, I cant begin to tell you how painful it was to see the footage of my camera being blown out for not having the filters...and YES it is a pain to having to switch them all the time throughout the shoot
Save me money. Thanks Jeven.
I did an Air 2s video in full sun at the beach with no ND and it nailed the exposure.
It would have been a more effective demo if the scenes with/without ND filters were the same. The light, clouds, terrain are different and it makes a difference. As a beginner I am using the ND filter to try and control exposure ie prevent over exposure.
E X A C T L Y
I think like with high end flagship phones... lots of over exposures can be controlled with AI???
Finally someone honest and impartial explaining all pros and cons with video examples. Looking around seems like we absolutely need nd filters and that will make us pro (or at least not worthless noobs) but thats not how it works, and it could lead to problems and mistakes (like the blurry photo example) for who is still learning. Well subscriber earned. Good job
Finally, some that doesn’t push the prophecy of Nd filters . 👏
Most of the times the fuss outweighs the small quality gains… not to mention that if you are a beginner, you can easily damage the gimbal by forgetting to install/remove only when the drone is turned off
As many vids talk about having ND filters because of motion blur, this video is the best since it says even motion blur is not necessary! And thanks for reminding situations for switching between video and pics
Thanks for explaining the proper use of ND filters, and then testing them in field and showing people the difference they make in a world setting. Great video Jeven, and thanks for sharing.
I can’t thank you enough for this video. I thought I was going crazy trying to get my video to look better with the filters, and most of the time having my videos actually look worse because of my inexperience with the filters And putting the wrong one on by mistake. My I’m getting much better footage is much higher without filters, but hearing you explain, it helps so much to confirm what my gut was telling me.
None of those examples even remotely demonstrates the jitteryness I get without without my ND filters. It almost feel shaky and unwatchable with a fast shutterspeed. Also your comparison shots are completely different shots in different lighting.
Try watching again from 2:38. That seems to be addressed.
That will be because your shutter speed is likely a lot faster than in his particular video.
Also are you shooting at 24gps, 30fps or 60fps.
It all plays a part.
Amen. Glad someone else said it. My footage 30fps with filters is buttery smooth. HUGE difference. Just getting into it. Air3 and MINI 3prp
I was about to male the same comment. At least show the pro settings your using as the same with the same or as close to the same flight path on the same day at the same location to give a accurate comparison
I don't get any jittery footage without ND .. but I shoot at 60fps. But for me 24fps looks like a jittery mess no matter what camera or settings, I'm just not really used to such low frame rates anymore. But yer maybe if that is the case an nd is a very good idea.
The differences I would see are mostly not to do with motion blur obviously. The ND filter footage resembles TV/film footage in lighting and style. Professionals probably need them for specific reasons. I leave the ND 4 filter provided in the Fly More Combo on my Air 2S to act as a protective layer in front of the camera, not because I want that specific 'look' in my footage.
Thats an interesting thought ie leaving it on for protection
Hi Jeven, love you channel and the explanation in this video was clear and concise. One piece of criticism is that the example shots weren't very illustrative to me, as they were quite different from one another. I appreciate that it's super difficult to recreate a shot, let alone using a drone, but having a moving car in one shot vs no car at all in the other shot doesn't really illustrate what you're trying to say.
I see a difference in fast speeds.I personally fly in cine mode so this will make my life easier.Thank you very much, great video!!
Makes it sense to use nd filters also in auto-modus?
To be honest, I really like the COLOR and sharpness of the videos without the ND filters! Now, I don't know how strong a filter you were using but I bought a 4ND filter WITH polarizing. I may return that filter and simply replace it with a plain polarizing filter with no ND. Thanks for the info!
For me, it's all about cutting down the sun's glare. W/o filtering, clouds and sky are blown out. With filtering, I can adjust the difference. I've wasted so much time when I first started not having those shades on. That always trumps blur / not blur for me. Close-up fast shots: shades for any glare and motion blur. Far away panning: shades for glare. Motion blur isn't a factor at that distance anyway
yeah exactly. I try to use them for the motion blur rule, but my main use case is keeping the contrast of the clouds and sky when filming a horizon shot. it makes a HUGE quality difference, especially at sunset when the sun is super low and trying to blow out your image. I don't take a ton of photos, I mostly do video with my drone, and I feel like filters are a must-have for this type of thing
Shoot when the sun is lower.
Its all about timing in the sky- you can't set up like you could on the ground.... so you use the time of day for your lighting
So filters stop it form being time essential, heck that a good enough reason to purchase them rather than waiting on the sun to set i would say.@@Matanumi
Tons of value shared from this video. I'm returning my ND filter tomorrow,
I found using polarizing ND filters "pop" some colors, aside from the fact they are suppose to be neutral on my Mini 2. I usually have to shift the WB to a bit cooler temp to get a truer color.
I totally agree with everything you are saying! This is one of the best explanation of ND filters for drone that I've seen... I use ND filters only when I'm flying low and fast or taking a picture with long exposure for a nice blurry effect. One of the reason that I'm not using ND filters most of the time is that I like to be able to take a screenshot from the 4K video. I also feel that the image is better and clearer without the extra layer of glass from the ND filter. Looking forward to the next one... Thank you! 🙏
Personally to me, Nd off videos are more clear, bright juicy colours and more pleasant to watch. I've just got my filters from delivery, but haven't tested them yet. Thanks for video. It's quite right that Nd is not of high necessity, because all "pro's" say that you won't have life without Nd.. ))
You have to use nd because with d cinelog and edit it as raw
What a great video. Examples to back everything up. Love it. You're the man.
Outstanding content delivery as usual. Learning is cool.
hey buddy we learning all time :)
Great helpful video, Jeven
I have a question here. Motion blur is one aspect with ND Filters. Aren't ND filters necessary if you have a bright sunny day or an overcast/cloudy day?
I live in a country where its bright sunshine all year round. I think I need to have respective filter mounted on my drone to manage it, Don't I? Please guide me on this?
Thanks!
You just simplified my life a little bit 🙂 thank you!
Thanks for this, I didn’t see much of a difference between shots in terms of blur, but I.preferred the non ND shots for clarity and sharpness.
That's… literally the difference.
It seems like a ND filter probably shouldn't be your first upgrade to your drone. I would say extra battery or other accessories first.
Extra batteries were my first additional purchase :D
From experience I would say that buying a set of ND filters is as waste of money for the most part. You'll probably wind up using the higher strengths like ND 32 and ND 64 and even those you would only need to use in certain situations as your video suggests. One of the best breakdowns on the use of ND filters I've seen on TH-cam.
yes.. I planned to buy the ND64 and CPL filter only.. coz most of the nd filters I may never use it later. but then I found the K&F single adjustable range ND filter ND32 - ND 256. SO I bought that instead. also the CPL only filter
What is the 180 rule?
Hey, I've got a rookie question perhaps. I bought the whole set of those nd filters from farewell for my DJI MINI 2. And the NDPL filters there have a movable circle around, there are two tiny white lines to mark the postion of the rotation. My question is what influence does this rotation have? I mean if the white lines are aligned it is maks polarizing efect or min poalrizing efect?
Hold the filter up to the light and rotate while looking through it. You’ll see the light darken as you add more polarisation
I just bought a Mini 2 and wish you posted this last week before I bought the set of filters. Oh well, subscribed
Freewell’s email list just got a bit shorter. 😁
Thank you for that concise tutorial on ND filters!
beside the obvious sharpness with the non ND filters shots. Question, if you have drone like a mavic 2 pro that have a variable aperture could I make adjustments to get a properly exposed image without ND filters?
@5:30 So with ND off the bright blue skies turn to sunset?
@6:30 ND changes seasons and adds snow to the ground?
Great Comparison.
Excellent Tutorial Video On ND Filters!! Great Advice Jeven!!
Living in Arizona, very very bright most days, I use a ND16 on at all times. It helps a bit.
Top notch advice. Thank you. I don't take much footage with fast motion in it, but I did notice something the other day. A bird flew across the scene and it looked very jerky. So even if most of the footage doesn't benefit from an ND filter/slower shutter, it might make those unexpected fast movements look better. I don't have ND filters yet, so I'm not sure.
This is a fantastic explanation as to why nailing exposure matters more than motion blur. One constructive feedback..you should add as an annotation to the video is that every time you say ND off its implicit that you are saying the shutter speed can be varied or set to auto if needed - if someone is new to photography/videography they might not catch that and it might seem to give them the opinion that NDoff vs NDon while everything else is auto.
You really explain things so well. Thank you for making this
at the 6:30 mark you are confusing the audience with 2 different images with ND on or Off different areas.
Far off backgrounds on fast panning shots are very noticeable with high shutter speeds. I noticed the No ND pan was much slower than the ND On pan. This is why that was less noticeable.
would a lower shutter speed affect the battery consumption?
My brothers and I are going fishing in northern Canada at the Grass River Lodge.
I plan to take my DJI Mini 4 Pro along. I purchased ND Polarized filters, for example (ND64PL).
My understanding is that polarized ND filters are useful for sunny days in a boat while on the water. Is this correct?
The one differences video editing, if you edit on a 24 FPS timeline with 30 FPS footage then you’ll drop four frames every second which will make it look jittery, regardless of any filter or not
Really good Video, thanks bro
Thanks for being so honest about the utility of the ND filters. Personally, I fly and film quite high from above (30 to 50 m) capturing wider nature views, and ND filtres do not improve the footage.
So, higher shutter speed would cause stutters? I have stutterers flying my Phantom 4 but no stutterers flying my mini 3. I don’t know if the stutters are related to shutter speed. I never thought about it!
I love you talking a about this even you have talked some before coz it’s educational information pls don’t feel repetition❣️
Very helpful and informative
Question, with a 30FPS drone like the Mini 3 that I just ordered, don't I need the ND filter to make the image less stuttering? With 60FPS it's a lot easier to get less stuttering image as I experience with my pocket 3. So I'm afraid that in sunny summer conditions a 30FPS 4K drone shot also needs at least and ND5 to make this some easier in a lot of situations? I get it when you're really high in the sky but just circling around an object I soon see stuttering with my pocket 3. I can't imagine that this doesn't happen with drone close-up shots?
Good One Bro..well explained
Interesting video. I've recently bought my first drone and was close to buying a set of ND filters. But looking at your examples here, I'd much prefer to have sharper looking video than blurry footage. They might be useful for long exposure photos though or if it's a really bright day.
I don't know how I got to this video but it was really interesting to watch it. Maybe cause I've got a drone. As I'm filming a lot, I can tell you that this comparison is a bit incorrect. You're filming in the open space, with one or two moving objects. Trees doesn't count, cause that's how people's brain work. You introduce them with the main object of the scene. In your example it's a car. Everything around is just checked momentarily just to understand where the object is. That's all, but now, move to a scene where are a lot of fast moving objects. For example you're filming a chase in a city with a lot of moving objects. If you won't use ND filter, the scene will be without motion blur. And the watchers brain will be stuttering. Cause everything looks the same. Now, we use ND, and put our main subjects in the center of the frame. Everything around them will be a bit blurry. The brain still understands where is the main object, it understands where the scene goes and you literally blur out everything unnecessary. It's like you're telling viewers where to watch and where you want them to look at that moment. That's why you really need filters.
Also, you didn't mention the CPL filter. Cause I literally hate when everybody who wants to film oceans, beaches etc aren't using them in a sunny day. Cause literally half of the scene is gone by sun's reflection on the water. You have to go through a lot of mistakes to understand how this thing works.
Also, you use NDs to make scene a bit darker, if you can't correct exposure or iso... It's also one of the first rules.. You can make dark image brighter. Yeah, it's a bit hard sometimes because of the noise, but doable. And you CAN'T fix overexposed scene. If you overexposed the sky you literally can't fix it. In the white color there's no info about the correct color. It's just a white blank... I've used this rule all my life. Saved me a lot of footage. Sometimes you just can't see it right on the filming spot. And than you watch footage at home on a big screen and that's unusable...
You should make a video on the subject
@@JevenDovey oh, if you're asking, a will try to make a couple. 👌
Been struggling to get a good picture quality out of my DJI Mini 2, using freewell ND/PL filters and keeping shutter speed at 1/double frame rate, and exposure pretty good. Picture quality just looks really grainy in 1080, 2.7k and 4k. Any tips? Or do I just need a better drone with a bigger sensor?
When you use the ND filter is your iso going up? To get the least amount of noise you should shoot at the lowest iso and make sure your exposing not too dark. If you boost the image in editing you’ll introduce more noise
Is a HD filter more important for the F1.7 on a mini 3 pro. Thanks for your info.
On my 4k TV yeah see a huge difference. The non nd filter clips look super sharp and vibrant where as the the nd filter clips look soft. I like the sharp look and I like the soft look so depends on the feel or video you're going for.
While shooting a drone in daylight, he noticed that the white buildings were shining a lot. In this case, would it help if I used nd filter?
GREAT explanation! Thanks!
A great video. I can't be bothered with ND filters when flying my drone. I like the footage without a filter on my Mavic2Zoom. It is good enough for what I want. Thanks for your videos they are really useful to me.
is the shutter speed same for both examples on this video?
Fantastic honest video. Thank you. I have subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
Excellent content for beginners. I
Amazing content as always!!, I have a dji mini 2 and i love the quality even without filters
I use mine on my 2S for long exposure pics and on sunny days. Even with the VND's its a pain though.
The ND on examples look like there's some color LUT. Does the ND change the colors?
You can't educate enough on this subject. In your last comparison while tracking the car, the difference in video quality is minor. The scene was during sunset while the filter was off and full day while filter was on. Since the shutter was probably a bit slower for the sunset, you were able to get slight motion blur without the need for a filter. In my own experience, I use an ND4 or nothing for low light or sunsets and it still looks pretty good although we are still above the 180 degree rule. I think for landscape videos, the 180 degree rule does not make a big difference. That rule seems to work best when filming low to the ground with people or fast moving subjects.
Hi Jeven,
My little Mini 2 take’s great footage in softer, even light, like when it’s overcast. If it’s sunny, really bright, like it almost always is in SE Utah, the shadows are so dark. Can ND filters help with this? Like put on a filter to darken everything, then turn up the exposure to lighten everything, maybe reducing the contrast? Or…
Great video, thank you for this thorough explanation!
Where did you film these short clips? Especially the nd off footage looks very interesting to go with a awd car!
cant ii just add motion blur post filming when editing? Would u say the "natural" motion blur is cleaner?
To me it just looks darker and only one side by side example I liked. My perception of course and I am just learning all this. I plan on getting the Mini Pro 3 for the stealth low noise even if I decide to use it for commercial use. Bright sunny days I can see value but I guess I will have to test. Thanks great info!
My problem - very much a newbie at the topic - I'm comparing one shot with bright white ground vs one with browns and greens. One is psychologically brighter and interferes with making distinctions. But also, I never view on MY phone, that's what my monitors are for. (I refuse to shoot vertically, too much info lost when watched on 16:9...)
Great video. I think the filters are a great addition but as you say, not necessary. Better to spend time learning to tell the story and shoot better content before adding the complexity of the filters. Thanks.
Jeven are you still uploading to stock footage sites? Thx
I know this is an older video - but as someone who's shooting exclusively in the Florida sun, over the water 90% of the time, I would think ND or PL would be a must. Especially if i want to see through the water at any sea life that may be stalking the beach. Am I wrong?
Hi Jeven, I have the same feeling about ND filters. A lot of the times I am to lazy to put on or change out filters.. Question what are you thoughts about variable ND filters, and then FREEWELL has the variable filters that have mist affect? Thanks Dave...
Better bay ND FILTERS or DJI Mini 3 Pro Wide-Angle Lens were I going to be noticeably?
What type of filter do you need to photograph the solar eclipse using the DJI Mavic 3?
The one thing that I notice regarding nd filters and motion blur is that if I want to extract a still image from a video that has motion blur, to use as a TH-cam thumbnail for example, it makes the picture look pretty fuzzy. The bottom line I think is that if you are making videos to use on social media like Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram for example, I believe that having motion blur in it may actually cause a distraction to people watching your video because the video formats they use create a zooming effect on the videos which make motion blur a lot more noticeable. So my question is, if you are making drone videos for social media (with the exception of sites like Vimeo and TH-cam), Is it a good idea to not use ND filters at all? I would love to get an answer to this. Thanks
It's surprising to see there's no stuttering on the Non-ND filter footage. I have experienced that in the past in some situations. But I think it can be fixed with optical flow in Premiere. Also yes basically the biggest difference is the Non-ND filter footage is too sharp, at all times. For most people I guess that's not a deal-breaker. Thanks for the comparison!
Stuttering usually appears when you put clips with different framerate from timeline. These need to be conformed to the project timeline framerate, otherwise you'll get the stutter, which are dropped frames.
You want to keep the fps at the same level at all times.. definitely use the ND filters. otherwise stuttering/jittering are noticable at some parts of your footage
I've ended up with some over/under exposed footage trying to fix my shutter speed and guess at the right ND filter on my mavic air with no aperture adjustment. I want to quickly get my drone up and get some footage with minimal interruption to the adventure and for me it seems not worth it. I'll still slap an ND on there if it is sunny, but have mostly given up on trying to fix the shutter speed.
Great vid mate (like all your others) and you're so good at explaining.
If I'm understanding correctly, the filters are only needed for the motion blur effect. But I'm from sunny Malta in Europe and I mainly use auto on my Mini 2 videos. So when it's sunny and I set my EV to -0.7 or -1.. is this best way to reduce that white wash? I'd prefer not buying filters not to mess around with my gimbal.
ND-Filters are important for shots like a face and hands moving (0:22). In some cases it's also better for moving objects, people running and such. But for a lot of action shots, it isn't that bad to get a more hectic appearance into action shots by using a shorter exposure. Actions cams need short exposure for the electronic stabilization anyway. So over all, ND-filters for Action cams and drones are a bit overrated.
Yeah I bought whole ND set for my insta360 go 2 without knowing this. And I was like what happen to those weird blur pulsing. Then I realize for the gyro stabilization to work in post you need very fast shutter. So completely a waste of money to buy the ND set for it.
Thank you Jeven. I've been wondering about ND filters for a while now. Assumed that I need one. Probably not going to get one now.
Oooo. A question I didn’t even realize I wanted answer for HAHA. Love hearing your thoughts on this since I always did find a hassle sometimes to switch filters on my Mavic Air 2 mid shoot! Awesome video! 💯✔️🔥
Difference is maybe most significant in the colorgrading
Would you also do a video on polarized filters please? I live in a coastal area, so plan on flying around or over water.
Great contain and super interesting topic. Thank you for sharing this with us! You are an awesome 👏👏👍👍❤️❤️❤️
yes.. I planned to buy the ND64 and CPL filter only.. coz most of the nd filters I may never use it later. but then I found the K&F single adjustable range ND filter ND32 - ND 256. SO I bought that instead. also the CPL only filter
Perfect , thank you!
Great content as always mate, keep it up. Was on way to Egypt with my new osmo pocket 2 to test run today but got turned away at the airport....didn't have 6 months on my passport 😭, so I'm watching you instead 😀
Jeven - what fps rate were you shooting in your examples? Is it possible that there is more of an effect with 24 fps vs 60 fps? because the slower frame rate captures more time? thanks for your videos.
I shot in 30fps
Yea I notice a difference:
A complete CHANGE OF FRIGGIN SCENERY AND COLOR PALETTE! If there's one kind of A or B example I hate, it's when the subjects being compared are completely different from each other
Thanks for this video, I’m not seeing a huge difference. Out of convenience seems better to leave them off
what about for highlights?
Great explanation Thanks
One thing I noticed you are comparing fast moving drone (time: 6:00) but why are you take one shot against Sun, and the other behind you? I'd rather see the same exactly framing, that is having same position of Sun... I DON'T KNOW IF IT DOES OR NOT contributes to whatever we observer??
although there are some filters that kinda make the image look better, some of them kinda pop some colors or dehaze mountains at a long distance and stuff like that
Hi, what ND Filters do you recommend for the DJI Mini 3 Pro - thanks
Polar pro and Freewell both make good filters