ND Filters for Drones: Why You Should Use Them

In this video, we will show you what ND filters, why you should use them, and how to use them. Whether you are a beginner or advanced drone pilot, doing photography or videography, there is always a good reason to use ND filters.
If you're not sure how to choose an ND filter, we will show you a quick tip on how to calculate the correct strength (ND4, ND8, ND16, ND32, etc). We will also show you how to put on ND filters on your drone using the DJI Air 2S, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, the Autel Evo II, and the DJI FPV. All in one video! ND filters explained: a complete guide for drones.
00:00 Introduction
00:28 What are ND filters
02:09 How to calculate the correct ND filter
04:31 Verify you chose the correct filter
05:14 Why are ND filters important
05:39 How to install ND filters
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~~ Show notes go here ~~

[@vidmaster7]

Excellent tutorial with no music playing in the background. Very professional. This is the first time I have fully understood how to use the ND Filters that came with my Fly More kit. Thank you.

[@jakelipsiner9017]

Once again Greg is the best. He always explains things so well. Ive been looking for nd filters for my Phantom 4 pro V2 and I can't find any over a 16.

[@donovanw.2943]

Thank you for this clear, helpful information!

[@KeyLargoDude]

I’m taking your course! About 50% completed for my part 107. You guys are the best and most professional drone channel ! Thank you!

[@VinnyDrones]

Good clear explanation of ND and how to work out the best filter , was valuable info thank you

[@linekermwiikisa1399]

This is the first time I've understood how to determine which ND filter to use. thank you so much

[@joebrown1385]

Watson is looking great!

[@DAP-UAV]

Why in D-Log is the ISO’s lowest limit set at 400? Why is 100-400 ISO not available? I have a Mavic 3 Pro.

[@AwaraGardiwithRafi]

I have seen a ton of videos explaining what ND filters do but none of them answered how to determine which ND filter to use. Thank you!

[@dxdclassico6251]

could you please make a video on how to use manual camera setting in Mavic 3. You are really great teacher and I understand lot more from you than someone else. thank you !!

[@StellaDavila]

Freewell filters all the way! Thanks for the great video!

[@TriniWeekes]

wow i love how you calculated the ND filter to use.Thank you

[@HighlanderMikeGolf]

Thanks for the easy to understand explanation…great quick tutorial!

[@evatrefethen2151]

Thank you for continuously providing stellar content!

[@Space_Mike]

Thank you for explaining how to determine the proper ND filter to use. I've been guestimating until now!

[@xd451e1edcc8]

Thanks! I'm going to try this today.

[@ponticelli]

As always the best teacher! The rule and the way you showed to calculate which filter to use is the most effective I have seen so far!

[@KnoxNerd]

Thanks for posting. Very informative. Awesome job as always!

[@bthomas493]

Thanks for a great video on ND filters!

[@modisumocustoms9374]

Good explanation of ND filter use and the math behind it. Thanks for the video.

[@allanw.gackstetter7969]

Really great job demonstration on the N/D filters……Love your school and magnificent videos Thank you 😊

[@Kandalf8989]

Greg i'am currently studying with your Part 107 course for part 107 future exam. And was looking to find a correct way to determine an ND filter. No surprise for me it was you to explain properly how to do this, and in a very simple way, by formula calculation. You have a teaching talent, and awesome overall skill of information delivery to the people.

[@shaynestephens]

Thank you, Greg!

[@dronesiviews]

Great explanation. Clear, simple and straight to the point.

[@ronkline8726]

Thank you !! This will help me with my regular video camera as well.

[@vicariouslythroughadrone]

Great explanation. All I ever heard was "use this filter for this type of light" but you explained how to determine the proper filter, thanks!

[@johanik1128]

Great tutorial, nd filters get me every time

[@krazekilla224]

Subscribed after watching this. First video I have found about ND filters explaining how to actually use them

[@BILLSIRLOIN]

Great video. So much better than all the other videos I’ve seen on this topic

[@droneviewgis6699]

Best explanation I have ever seen. Same approach to shoot into the sun for sunrise and sunset shots?

[@Manihsi]

Amazing tutorial, thanks for showing how to calcute the correct ND filter. Appreciate for your time .

[@michaelfoy8078]

Excellent video, as usual;, I wonder if you could possible do a review f the new Freewell MC3-SPLITND for the Mavic 3 pro drones. thank you

[@k4x4map46]

great vid Greg!

[@ivanp3233]

Great explanation on choosing the correct ND filter. I use my ND/PL filters when flying over water or other reflective surfaces but have mostly based my decision of which one to use on how bright it is outside, kind of like sunglasses for my drone. If I need sunglasses then my drone needs sunglasses approach ! So thank you for explaining the math behind the selection process. I would like to hear any suggestions or tips for using ND "PL" lenses. Not exactly sure how to set those for optimum exposure. Some videos show setting them with the drone on the ground and simply rotating the lens blah blah blah ... which doesn't help once the drone is in the air and pointing in a different direction. Thanks for the video Greg, it is appreciated .

[@TheCmcdevitt]

This is excellent content.

[@mickeymch876]

Good information, I like the mathematical method.

[@AllenTweed]

Good job

[@BrokerDaveV]

Thanks for the great content yet again. My videos should see much improvement. Just about ready to schedule my 107 test!

[@nedcook2]

Great stuff, Greg! Now do a video on ND filters for photography--I think you said people use them for long exposures...

[@thecorporategypsy]

Excellent very helpful. You mention that because the exposure was a bit dark, that you could bump up the ISO. Could you not tweak the shutter speed or is that sacrosanct ie not move off double the frame rate (fps 30, shutter 60 in this case)?

[@carlpasha]

I was wondering the same, but thinking along the lines of exposure compensation maybe. Looks like this fella doesn't bother to answer queries, so I'll not bother asking him.

[@flyingdoublew782]

Nice video. I have ND filters for all my photography gear, and for my Mavic Pro. Have not found any for the P4P v2. The set I purchased (P4P) thread size is too small. Does anyone know of a supplier for the v2?

[@slsdrones7735]

Hi! In "Style Camera".... what values of sharpness, contrast and saturation do you recommend for the PH4 with polarized filters (4, 8 and 16 CPL)? Thanks.

[@PilotInstitute]

We actually recommend leaving those at 0 and instead doing things in post-production.

[@christopherlyons7613]

Great vid, thanks. I do have a few questions. First, when doing a video shot, what is the best way to determine which ND to use? Obviously you can't get a true representation of the light levels until you get into the air and have the shot framed. What's the best approach to determine which ND to use? And what happens if you have fluctuating clouds which change your light levels quite a bit. Which ND should you use in these type of situations?

[@PilotInstitute]

We talk about how to choose the correct filter in this video.

[@mlmedia2023]

Should you get ND filters for general use with or with polarization ????

[@joelpollack]

Nice video on ND filter, but what about polarizing filter. Will those also be available for Mavic3?

[@InteractiveDNA]

ND filters that are polarized are great for filming lakes so you can see the fish, making the sky more blue and the clouds more white. Now, I don’t recommend setting the Aperture like he said to any value, that is a huge No No because you want to use less strong ND filters to avoid definition loss. Your goal is to use the smallest aperture possible (small hole) to reduce light and use a less dense filter. Remember that every camera only have two things that control light, Aperture (small number means bigger hole like f/1.7, 1.4… and bigger number like f/22 small holes because you divide the focus length by the iris opening) The Shutter controls light as well, the higher 1/8000 the less light and image super sharp but thing gets dark, the lower 1/30 the more light enters the sensors. ISO does not control light, it controls the gain, keep is a low possible to avoid noise on the photo or video. Now, because changing frame rates you need to change ND filters density things can be forgotten. That’s why I created a free video guide that you download and print, it comes with a gray card in witch is super important to get the colors right. Print it, it comes with 30fps and 60fps and no need to do any calculations. Record the gray card for few seconds and on your favorite video editor in one click on the gray area of the card you get right colors every time. Make sure you set your Kelvin to 5000. Enjoy it!

[@joelpollack]

@@InteractiveDNA Thanks for your reply. I understand that the smallest aperture will give me the largest depth of field, but in a drone that primarily shows up when we are flying close to objects. Another consideration is that optimum focus occurred at one aperture setting over all others. This is something I pay particular attention when shooting focus stacking images for macro, but perhaps is also a consideration for drone imagery. How can determine that f stop for the Hasselblad on the Mavic 3? Perhaps we should be thinking of the principles of zone focusing for drone photography using auto ISO after choosing the ideal f stop the appropriate shutter speed for cinematic imagery and adjusting to the suitable ND filter. I have seen that very high ISO doesn’t necessarily lead to noise if one gets the exposure right. Is there a link to your video guide?

[@InteractiveDNA]

@@joelpollack Note: on this video about ND filters, you always use the smaller Aperture you can first to avoid image definition loss because of the ND filter. Yes, ND filter will reduce image definition if they are too strong or made with cheap glass or plastic. Now, remember that the Mavic 3 does not have a Hasselblad and yes some technical guy helped DJI with a color grading in witch you can do that in post with any drone. DJI is just using it's name for commercial purpose only and color grading the footage. Hasselbdade is a small company and they only produce small amount of professional cameras. Also, like in the Mavic 3, people gets too existed and they need to lower their expectations as to what an 4/3rds sensor is capable of with an F2.8 lens. I don't recommend filming anything in a lower light with that drone or you will get a lot noise. Each manufacturer generally has their own algorithm for some of the focus modes and infinity focus point. You can never use the same thinking of as a DSLR and Mirrorless cameras in a drone camera unless you attached or have a full camera functions on them. In a camera like the Mavic 3 or any other drone with camera they have their own algorithm for some of the focus modes. That's why when I build my autonomous drones I replace the lens and change the focus point of them, so I can program my own camera settings in code. You can get the print-out video guide on any new streams I did on the description of the videos or you can search for: Hubsan Zino Mini Pro - Best recording in manual mode with ND Filters - Live In 4k In witch I show how to use filters for any drones.

[@dhiyaaulauliyaa3988]

DJI avata doesn't have that histogram feature to evaluate the over-exposed area. Any alternative suggestion for DJI avata?

[@PilotInstitute]

Unfortunately no, it's just not a photography drone.

[@MilouTintin]

This, of course, could have gone into a whole education on photography, such as the f-stop corresponding to the iris diaphragm with the smallest numbers the most open and the largest numbers being the most closed. The more closed the iris is, the greater the depth of field of focus. So if you want only your subject in focus and the background out of focus, you open up the iris and increase the shutter speed. However, in this discussion, you want to blur the motion, so you need a slow shutter speed. Thus the need for the ND filter to cut down on the amount of light without closing the iris (f-stop). Also, you'll notice that lenses come with an f-stop value. That indicates the lenses light-gathering ability. The smaller the f-value of the lens, the better.

[@nikodelrey]

Great video! I'm curious why the jello effect happens when not using an ND filter?

[@danman32]

I would have liked to see a demonstration of the jello effect, considering I had a heated debate as to what it was. The other option was that it was gimbal vibration. My understanding is that it was sunlight at the right angle that it being cut by the props which acts like a shutter where its rate is out of sync with the frame rate.

[@InteractiveDNA]

The ND gives weight to the gimbal and that can reduce the jello in some drones. Remember that the only function of a ND filter is to stop light volume entering through the lens, nothing else unless you use a ND filter that is polarized so you can film glass, make sky more blue and clouds more white. Think this way, ND filters gives your camera more Aperture control, most drones are fix aperture and you must film with proper shutter angle. Anyway, I make a print out video card that you can print and it has a gray card so you can get right colors no matter what camera or drone you use, no need to do any calculations because the card shows you what shutter speed to use. Enjoy it!

[@mikebelanger4165]

OK, Greg, what about drones like the Hubsan Zino? Its camera's aperture is a lot smaller and not 'square-ish' like the ones you showed.

[@PilotInstitute]

You should still be able to put a filter on there, it just depends if they are made available.

[@michaelo6003]

Gregg, Is it possible to use an ND filter with auto camera settings? In other words, can I put on, for example, an ND4 filter and just set the drone's camera to auto?

[@PilotInstitute]

Yes you can. It might not land on the proper camera settings though.

[@oliveviewimages8313]

@@PilotInstitute Thanks for the quick reply! I might do some experimenting….😊

[@geezerpleasers_OG]

The real question is as much "when should you use ND filters" as "why should you use ND filters". In some situations they're great, in others, they're a significant negative. As for the goal of doubling your frame rate, that was far more important in the days of celluloid film, not nearly so much in digital video with electronic shutters. You'll be perfectly fine most of the time without worrying about that "perfect" shutter speed. I do have ND filters, but I only use them about 1/4 of the time.

[@PilotInstitute]

The rule can be tweaked a little but if you want the more natural motion blur, it should be used.

[@geezerpleasers_OG]

@@PilotInstitute I literally never want motion blur in my videos. I work very hard to capture the natural patterns and formations of the desert floor, of rock formations, of mountainous areas, and of badlands areas, among others. I want as much clear detail as possible. Motion blur would degrade the image tremendously. . And that goes back to my main point. You don't start off by asking "what filter do I need to use to get a shutter speed = twice my frame rate?" You start out by asking, "What am I trying to accomplish? What am I trying to capture, what am I trying to communicate, what feeling am I trying to express, what story am I trying to tell, and what ensemble of equipment and methodology will best help me accomplish that?" An ND filter might be appropriate, it might be irrelevant, or it might ruin the footage.

[@InteractiveDNA]

I worked in Hollywood, TV Commercials and Making High End Interactive Video Applications, you must use the right Shutter Speed all times unless you are doing slow motion or else. Failing to film with the right Shutter Angle the video playback could be jerky in some devices. Remember that today's displays are based in hertz and failing to film with the right frame rate and shutter angle you will encounter problems and your footage may be denied for some content creations. If you pay attention, you can see very clean in some TV commercials and even in KZbin when the Shutter Angle is wrong, the video will skip frames because the computer is trying to guess the matching sequence. When we create Interactive video applications video Shutter Speed is a must or sync will be a problem with programming, specially when dealing with video walls. Now, if you are just having fun, Shutter Speeds, frame rates etc could means nothing or it does not matter getting right. Also, always film with a gray card to get the right colors every time no matter what camera you use, I created a one that you can print out with the right ND filters and gray card. B creative and B original and happy filming!

[@geezerpleasers_OG]

@@InteractiveDNA Reminds me of something one of my early photography instructors told us back in the 1970s. "Learn all the rules, practice them, master them, and then forget they're rules. If all you ever do is follow rules just because you've been told to, then all you will ever produce is boring cookie cutter, paint-by-numbers work that is inherently uncreative."

[@InteractiveDNA]

@@geezerpleasers_OG Nope! when you know you never forget, you must use the rules to create professional contents, breaking the rules you endup with odd content, I never like when they do break the rules because they are actually having no idea how to produce something. In my field there is not choice. you must produce a professional work every time. And when we used to use film, the rules had to be used every time or you endup loosing a ton of film in witch is super expensive. Learn the rules and never break time. When you break them is because there is no creative thought or idea. Human brain see moving image in such way and when you break them no many will get the picture. I am not your old professor, I won many Emmy Awards, Telly Awards, Technology Awards and my work in even a Museum in San Francisco. I work with dynamic video walls now and other applications that are interactive. I am a few in the world that does what I do. And my work is bonified in the the tech and video industry. From NBC, PlayBoy, Microsoft, Movie T animations, Advanced interactive tech and the list goes on. The best thing about what I do is when people talk about great things that they see from movies t, television, videos walls and else right in front of me without knowing that I did that.

[@garyannunziata9260]

When you calculated for the proper ND filter you settled on 32. Why when you demonstrated how to attach the ND filter to the DJI 2s did you select the ND 16 rather than the ND 32 filter?

[@PilotInstitute]

Light changes over time and sometimes you land right between two values and one is better than others.

[@danman32]

I would be cautious about those variable ND filters. They're basically two polarized lenses opposing each other. Polarized lenses can be great, or they can be a detriment, especially when you shoot at different angles.

[@jodokcello]

Makes it sense to use nd filters also in auto-modus?

[@PilotInstitute]

For videos, it will help a little bit to lower the auto shutter speed but it’s still better to switch to M or A mode.

[@jodokcello]

@@PilotInstitute What means m or a mode? You mean automodus whitout filters?

[@PilotInstitute]

@@jodokcello there’s a manual mode (M mode) and Shutter priority mode (S mode) and aperture priority mode (A mode).

[@alexis.x]

What if you use an ND filter in AUTO mode? Will it bring better quality over AUTO mode without ND? Is there a point in using ND filter in AUTO mode?

[@PilotInstitute]

Great question. The difficulty in using ND filters in auto mode is that you don’t know which setting the drone is going to change automatically to properly expose the image. It could be adjusting shutter (good) but it could also adjust ISO (not good).

[@alanabley525]

What if you're taking photos at the same time, don't you have to bring the drone down and take off. Thank you.

[@mattalford3932]

My biggest concern is stopping the sun from washing out half the sky.

[@mattalford3932]

I shoot at 60fps. We aren't in the mid 1900s.

[@odinata]

You wouldn't be using a drone to photograph waterfalls, making them blurry. ND filters dark enough to cause a desireable amount of motion blur require the camera to be locked down on a tripod. Not flying on the breeze

[@PilotInstitute]

Plenty of examples of beautiful waterfall shots done with drones.

[@odinata]

While you were playing with your calulator, the sun seet below the horizon. The shot is gone. PAck up and go home. You missed by futzing with filters instead of using auto mode, no filters.

[@PilotInstitute]

Except... using auto mode without filters gave you jello shots because your shutter speed was way too fast :)

[@eaglespy009]

"in the video description we put a bunch of links in there for you to find the perfect filter for your drone"... No, no you didn't... but it would be really nice if you did.

[@w.e.s.]

Nd filters r a gimmick. That intro was a lie. That's color grading nd filters have to do with movement not changing colors. They never change colors. Good edit though. If anybody camera looks like that before on intro send it back

[@PilotInstitute]

Wait, what? ND filters don't change color, that's why they are called Neutral Density. They change the amount of light that comes into the camera. Color grading is a totally different technique, unrelated to this.

[@PilotInstitute]

Also, for that intro, we literally added the ND filter on the camera, just as it is shown.