Guide to ND filters for drones

Guide to ND filters for drones

Learn how to use ND filters and find out which ones are best for your images.

The acronym ND means Neutral Density. These are neutral density filters that perfectly complement the qualities of a drone camera and more.

Anyone who cares about quality photos and footage, especially those of you who do this professionally, will appreciate the properties of ND filters. They are extremely easy to use and help to get the most out of every shot.

DJI drones are compatible with ND filters, and some models can even run two filters at the same time (like the new DJI Mavic 3 for example). The new DJI Ronin 4D works with the incredibly precise Zenmuse X9 camera, which has built-in 9-stage high-pass ND filters (from ND 2 to ND 512 or ND 0.3 to ND 2.7). Here the filters can be switched quickly and easily thanks to an internal motorised system.

In this article we will talk about what ND filters are, how they work and help to create stunning footage.

What are ND filters?

ND filters are used to regulate the light that enters the camera lens. The filters actually block the light in an absolutely neutral way, not changing the color and hue. Other instances where filters are very useful are when you highlight certain movement, such as falling water. You can also use ND filters to soften the picture.

ND filters - aperture and shutter speed

ND filters allow users to have more choice of aperture and shutter speed.

Aperture

Thanks to the ability of ND filters to maintain a larger aperture in bright light, you can create more detailed images with incredible sharpness and choose the focus of the picture.

Shutter speed

Because ND filters can limit the light reaching the lens, you can slow down the shutter speed and thus capture every movement.

How do ND filters work?

If you use the drone camera without a filter in place, when you slow down its shutter speed, you run the risk of overexposing the photo i.e. overexposing it. When you insert an ND filter, the light to the lens can be limited and you can extend the shutter speed time. The result will be a more detailed photo with highlighted movement.

In fact, there is more motion blur when shooting at a longer shutter speed, and the photo takes on a more natural and dynamic look. This is very useful especially for action shots.

ND filters - their specifics and their importance

Filters come with different levels of reduction of light that is transmitted to the sensor. In short, these levels are denoted by numbers, and are noted as ND2, ND4, ND8, ND64, etc. ND2 reduces the amount of light to the sensor by a factor of two (or in other words, dims by 1 stop), ND4 reduces by a factor of four (2 stops), etc.

So the larger the F-stop, the less light is transmitted to the sensor.

For capturing the type of footage most commonly associated with drone cameras, the standard ND filters you'll come across from the major manufacturers are ND4, ND8 and ND16, but there are other options for increasing stops.

How do you use an ND filter for your DJI drone?

We recommend that you use the ND filter on manual settings to ensure that the camera will not automatically adjust to your desired settings.

Then select the appropriate filter. You can do this simply by trying out the different settings and checking which camera result satisfies you.

DJI's product interface makes it easy to choose the right ND filter to minimize overexposure, which is inextricably linked to shutter speed, frame rate, and ISO.

Tip: Be careful not to choose a filter with too many stops to avoid an overly dark photo.

Tip 2: Always turn off the drone before making any changes to the camera lens to avoid damaging the gimbal.

ND filters allow you to capture smooth, professional-quality footage that makes the most of the unique perspectives offered by drones.

They are essential for enhancing aerial shots and are key to any photographer or videographer's professional arsenal.

Adding these filters to your drone's camera can produce remarkable results. Your images won't be overexposed and you'll have even more freedom to get truly creative with your shots. Take a look at our suggestions on COPTER.BG. Contact us if you need a consultation.