Hey all,

So I'm trying to get the best 'cinematic' footage out of the Air and obviously to do that I'm going to need to drop my shutter to 1/50 second, so Filters are needed but the earliest I can find that the new filters available is mid March in the UK.  Can anyone reccommend any techniques to get the best out of the drone until then?

Cheers

Tom

London camera exchange have the new DJI Mavic Air filters for next day delivery. Creating the 180 degree rule without them is almost impossible. You’d need to yaw the drone away from the sun and tilt the gimbal with as little sky as possible.

A CW Posted at 2018-2-19 03:48
London camera exchange have the new DJI Mavic Air filters for next day delivery. Creating the 180 degree rule without them is almost impossible. You’d need to yaw the drone away from the sun and tilt the gimbal with as little sky as possible.

Thanks but they only have the ND Filters, I'm looking to get the Polarpro ND Polarisers.  If I was in a desperate rush I'd go for these.   Thanks for the heads up, I had looked on their site but searched 'polarpro'.

The tip about keeping the sky out of shot is good.

Tom Jelfs Posted at 2018-2-19 03:53
Thanks but they only have the ND Filters, I'm looking to get the Polarpro ND Polarisers.  If I was in a desperate rush I'd go for these.   Thanks for the heads up, I had looked on their site but searched 'polarpro'.

I was thinking more like tips to tide me over.

I see. In the interim it will come down to blocking the light as I mentioned above or increasing your shutter speed - but the latter will sharpen the image more the faster the shutter and take away from the motion blur which is why ND filters are used on drones. I stopped using polarisers on drones a long time ago.  

Can I ask who is quoting mid March? Jeff from PP made is sound like delivery of them was imminent. I have stock alerts set up everywhere I can see that sells them and allows it. Don't want to get impatient and have the DJI ones if the PP ones are available shortly afterwards.

I have not had that much experience yet, so I'm wandering if shooting at higher framerates would make it easier to hit that 180 rule?

Cameleon Posted at 2018-2-19 04:00
Can I ask who is quoting mid March? Jeff from PP made is sound like delivery of them was imminent. I have stock alerts set up everywhere I can see that sells them and allows it. Don't want to get impatient and have the DJI ones if the PP ones are available shortly afterwards.

https://www.dronesdirect.co.uk/fts/polar-pro/fts/pr/dji-mavic-air

Say's March 13th on each of these links.

LoSBoL I was thinking about doing 60 fps and 120 shutter to help, never hurts to go slow mo.

A CW Posted at 2018-2-19 03:56
I see. In the interim it will come down to blocking the light as I mentioned above or increasing your shutter speed - but the latter will sharpen the image more the faster the shutter and take away from the motion blur which is why ND filters are used on drones. I stopped using polarisers on drones a long time ago.

With regards to Polarisers are they overkill if you are shooting D-Cinelike? Also how do you find shooting over water when you don't have a polariser?

Polarisers are great for cutting through reflective surfaces providing the polarising effect is aligned to the angle of the sun. The problem with drones is that the dynamic range changes quickly as you yaw to and from the sun and when not aligned correctly it does make polarised artefact in the image, especially in the sky. They are great to have for perfectly lined up shoots but for typical, everyday flying they can do more harm than good. I prefer standard shutter ND’s as nothing to line up - just pop one on to block enough light to make the shutter speed double the frame rate with perfect motion blur and no over exposure. I’d get the polarisers as a secondary accessory myself if you fly over large bodies of water in bright conditions quite regularly. The shutter filters also tend to lower the intensity of the reflection but do not cut through it.

A CW Posted at 2018-2-19 04:36
Polarisers are great for cutting through reflective surfaces providing the polarising effect is aligned to the angle of the sun. The problem with drones is that the dynamic range changes quickly as you yaw to and from the sun and when not aligned correctly it does make polarised artefact in the image, especially in the sky. They are great to have for perfectly lined up shoots but for typical, everyday flying they can do more harm than good. I prefer standard shutter ND’s as nothing to line up - just pop one on to block enough light to make the shutter speed double the frame rate with perfect motion blur and no over exposure. I’d get the polarisers as a secondary accessory myself if you fly over large bodies of water in bright conditions quite regularly. The shutter filters also tend to lower the intensity of the reflection but do not cut through it.

Thanks for that, to be fair I don't intend to fly over large bodies of water very often and the cutting through water isn't something that is essential because, I guess, that arge bodies of water would be too deep to reveal much.  What about the colour side of things? Is it irrelevant if you are shooting in a flat profile and colour correcting later?

Tom Jelfs Posted at 2018-2-19 03:53
Thanks but they only have the ND Filters, I'm looking to get the Polarpro ND Polarisers.  If I was in a desperate rush I'd go for these.   Thanks for the heads up, I had looked on their site but searched 'polarpro'.

The tip about keeping the sky out of shot is good.

I ordered mine direct from PolarPro got them in 7 days.

Tom Jelfs Posted at 2018-2-19 04:59
Thanks for that, to be fair I don't intend to fly over large bodies of water very often and the cutting through water isn't something that is essential because, I guess, that arge bodies of water would be too deep to reveal much.  What about the colour side of things? Is it irrelevant if you are shooting in a flat profile and colour correcting later?

Neutral density filters should be just that - neutral to colour enhancement but polarisers do enhance certain colours, especially the blues. Lowering the saturation on the camera profiles helps but again, not the best solution if you're looking to enhance in post and want a flat grading to work with.

Buzzyone Posted at 2018-2-19 05:04
I ordered mine direct from PolarPro got them in 7 days.

Interesting did you save money or did the shipping equal it out?

Didn't consider it TBH I needed the filters and paid the shipping.
$164.98 inc shipping for the set of 6 Cinema Series.

Buzzyone Posted at 2018-2-19 05:27
Didn't consider it TBH I needed the filters and paid the shipping.
$164.98 inc shipping for the set of 6 Cinema Series.

Damn, $45 shipping, yeah I'm not paying that.  Thinking standard ND filters might be the way forward if I can't wait but I guess I can.

Tom Jelfs Posted at 2018-2-19 05:33
Damn, $45 shipping, yeah I'm not paying that.  Thinking standard ND filters might be the way forward if I can't wait but I guess I can.

Yeah I went to order a custom set from PP and realised to get them any time soon its $45! It *almost* works out the same as getting from the UK if you were to get the 6 pack and 4 pack (limited collection), where the duty and postage along with the cost saving levels out to be the same cost per filter if you were to get them here.

I fancy trying out the plain ND filters first so will probably wait for them in the UK and get the shutter series then the vivid series if I feel the need for CPL also.

Tom Jelfs Posted at 2018-2-19 05:33
Damn, $45 shipping, yeah I'm not paying that.  Thinking standard ND filters might be the way forward if I can't wait but I guess I can.

Shipping was $14.99!

Tom Jelfs Posted at 2018-2-19 05:33
Damn, $45 shipping, yeah I'm not paying that.  Thinking standard ND filters might be the way forward if I can't wait but I guess I can.

I have ordered the Polar Pro cinema series shutter collection through Amazon in USA (because not yet available here) with EUR 6,27 for shipping. Amazon adds and handles the import tax and with that I shall end up slightly cheaper than with what they will be sold at here. Delivery time two weeks, I shall survive that timeframe ;-)

Buzzyone Posted at 2018-2-19 09:54
Shipping was $14.99!

Yeah but that states 3-4 week delivery time for that cost.

Wachtberger Posted at 2018-2-19 10:50
I have ordered the Polar Pro cinema series shutter collection through Amazon in USA (because not yet available here) with EUR 6,27 for shipping. Amazon adds and handles the import tax and with that I shall end up slightly cheaper than with what they will be sold at here. Delivery time two weeks, I shall survive that timeframe ;-)

Good to know, thanks!
First time I checked amazon.com it told that they don't ship to Finland, but now I can order them! :p

Tom Jelfs Posted at 2018-2-19 10:56
Yeah but that states 3-4 week delivery time for that cost.

They arrived in 7 days.

Buzzyone Posted at 2018-2-19 15:53
They arrived in 7 days.

Hmm, now that's more tempting. I see they have appeared on Amazon UK now, but are pre-order. They don't say how long before they plan to have them though.

After much looking into the pros and cons I've elected to not bother with the Polarisers and just go with the ND set.  I've just placed an order with Crooked Imaging who have stock of the Cinema Series Shutter set, should be here by the weekend but hopefully before, as it's looking like there will be some good sunrises and sunsets what with the cold weather setting in.

Where abouts in the UK are you, thedroneworx in Wolverhampton has the DJI Mavic Air ND filters in stock with next day delivery for a fiver, or if you are in the midlands you can collect in store.

Malakai_UK Posted at 2018-2-22 01:57
Where abouts in the UK are you, thedroneworx in Wolverhampton has the DJI Mavic Air ND filters in stock with next day delivery for a fiver, or if you are in the midlands you can collect in store.

Hi I live near Stratford-Upon-Avon so Midlands.  I've not read great reviews of the DJI filters, as I say I've ordered from a UK company with 1-2 days post chosen as shipping for £3.99.  Thanks for the heads up as it's always good to know about these stores.

Tom Jelfs Posted at 2018-2-22 02:10
Hi I live near Stratford-Upon-Avon so Midlands.  I've not read great reviews of the DJI filters, as I say I've ordered from a UK company with 1-2 days post chosen as shipping for £3.99.  Thanks for the heads up as it's always good to know about these stores.

No problem, just bought my Air from them and had a load of stuff in the past. Great service. Only round the corner from me too, that helps loads.

RC Geeks had some in, got my cinema 6 pack delivered today