Can anyone recommend a variable ND Filter for the Mini 2,   I have the freewell one for the Mavic 2 pro which is superb but I cannot find one for the Mini 2.

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I dont think there is NVD filter for Mini/Mini2....I have worked with Freewell and PGYTech, but PolarPro is much more quality then this ones. At this point I advice you to take ND Filters 4/8/16, will be enough. Also in 30 minutes you will not have such major change to get the filter off...even with NVD you need to get the drone back...so no point...I have PolarPro NVD for MA2, most times in daytime stay between 4 to 16, if 32 is required i just go up with FPS and SS in order to remain 16 and the 180 degrees rule. Usually is enough to go to 50 FPS and 1/100 SS, as normally I use 25 fps and 1/50 SS. Is about being versatile in order not to bring the drone down each time you get sun instead of clouds ...and at post production just reinterpret the footage accordingly.

George210477 Posted at 1-14 02:58
I dont think there is NVD filter for Mini/Mini2....I have worked with Freewell and PGYTech, but PolarPro is much more quality then this ones. At this point I advice you to take ND Filters 4/8/16, will be enough. Also in 30 minutes you will not have such major change to get the filter off...even with NVD you need to get the drone back...so no point...I have PolarPro NVD for MA2, most times in daytime stay between 4 to 16, if 32 is required i just go up with FPS and SS in order to remain 16 and the 180 degrees rule. Usually is enough to go to 50 FPS and 1/100 SS, as normally I use 25 fps and 1/50 SS. Is about being versatile in order not to bring the drone down each time you get sun instead of clouds ...and at post production just reinterpret the footage accordingly.

Thats a shame,  Have the Variable ND filter of the Mavic 2 Pro and its just so much more convenient to set than having to take off and re install different filters and test which is the right one for the conditions, compared to the variable where I can just rotate the lens.

DAFlys Posted at 1-14 03:37
Thats a shame,  Have the Variable ND filter of the Mavic 2 Pro and its just so much more convenient to set than having to take off and re install different filters and test which is the right one for the conditions, compared to the variable where I can just rotate the lens.

Agree...but also the gimbal on Mini is more fragile than M2P and MA2...NVD have more weight than normal ND filters...and most quality NVD are made from Stainless Steel sustaining 2 real glass sheets in an ABS support, not just plastic...I believe is more a construction limitation, than a choice not to make NVD for MM2.

Also try Polar Pro Filter Guide...you can find older versions on Net, is helping you decide related to filter used.

I use the following strategy, maybe it helps (It takes me 5 seconds to set the proper Stops on NVD, until it is syncing the satellites, I'm ready to flight):
I have a P30 Pro Huawei, I  make a photo of what i want to record with the drone...than I just see the Info from picture made, as I have defined fixed ISO and Fixed AP (i mostly use MA2 fixed AP)...so is very easy to calculate from the SS I get in picture the Stops needed in order to get my targeted SS on drone, to be 180 degrees rule.

George210477 Posted at 1-14 03:57
Also try Polar Pro Filter Guide...you can find older versions on Net, is helping you decide related to filter used.

I use the following strategy, maybe it helps (It takes me 5 seconds to set the proper Stops on NVD, until it is syncing the satellites, I'm ready to flight):

I have a light meter app I often use. But this often quite a difference looking down vs looking forward so it’s convenient for the vnd to make a quick change.

I use the freewell gear nd filters, and they are great. (I have them for the 1, but its marketed for the 2 too.)

Maybe the M2 is not strong enough to hold a double layered ND filter.

Through The Lens Posted at 1-14 06:07
I use the freewell gear nd filters, and they are great. (I have them for the 1, but its marketed for the 2 too.)

From my research the Mini 1 and 2 are the same size, but I cannot find a Variable ND from freewell,  do you have a link?

Montfrooij Posted at 1-14 06:26
Maybe the M2 is not strong enough to hold a double layered ND filter.

Im thinking the same,  but they could do what moment did with the anamorphic lens and use a counter weight.

DAFlys Posted at 1-14 09:20
From my research the Mini 1 and 2 are the same size, but I cannot find a Variable ND from freewell,  do you have a link?

Here you go US $59.99 | Freewell Bright Day - 4K Series - 4Pack Filters Compatible with Mavic Mini/Mini 2 Drone
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqm7BvB

lordziemniak Posted at 1-14 09:32
Here you go US $59.99 | Freewell Bright Day - 4K Series - 4Pack Filters Compatible with Mavic Mini/Mini 2 Drone
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqm7BvB

Thanks,  but they are not variable ND filters.

lordziemniak Posted at 1-14 09:32
Here you go US $59.99 | Freewell Bright Day - 4K Series - 4Pack Filters Compatible with Mavic Mini/Mini 2 Drone
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqm7BvB

Heres an example for the Mavic 2 pro,  Im looking for the same for the mini.  You'll see you rotate the ring to set how many stops you want.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Freewel ... 8WK?ref_=ast_sto_dp

DAFlys Posted at 1-14 09:21
Im thinking the same,  but they could do what moment did with the anamorphic lens and use a counter weight.

We'll see who jumps in.

Montfrooij Posted at 1-14 09:57
We'll see who jumps in.

I hope there is one out there.   Did you get any ND filters yet?

DAFlys Posted at 1-14 09:47
Heres an example for the Mavic 2 pro,  Im looking for the same for the mini.  You'll see you rotate the ring to set how many stops you want.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Freewell-Variable-Neutral-Density-Compatible/dp/B07W4GF8WK?ref_=ast_sto_dp

there are zero variable nd filters compatible with the mini/mini 2, most probably because of the size of the gimbal and the limitations of weight it can withstand of no more than 1.30 or so gr...
there are nd and nd/pl filter sets from different brands. tiffen are claimed one of the best. they have a set of nd/pl ones. i personally use pgytech and recommend them as they are not circular and cover the whole camera. the circular ones cause lens flares at certain angles, hence i won't recommend any of them.

sbonev Posted at 1-14 10:08
there are zero variable nd filters compatible with the mini/mini 2, most probably because of the size of the gimbal and the limitations of weight it can withstand of no more than 1.30 or so gr...
there are nd and nd/pl filter sets from different brands. tiffen are claimed one of the best. they have a set of nd/pl ones. i personally use pgytech and recommend them as they are not circular and cover the whole camera. the circular ones cause lens flares at certain angles, hence i won't recommend any of them.

Thanks. I'll keep looking incase some company release them in the future.

DAFlys Posted at 1-14 10:04
I hope there is one out there.   Did you get any ND filters yet?

Not to this date.
I did not use ND filters a lot.
They interfere with the photography needs too much. (blocking light)
And I personally feel their effect is very very very much overrated.
Sometimes it feels like it is the first thing that comes to mind when people want to make 'good footage'.

Of course you can see some difference in some situations, but there are tons of other factors that make your video stand out.
A bit of motion blur is just the last 5% or so.
So unless I really need that 5% I won't buy them.

Flying slow and smooth, good composition, good lighting, good story.
If you get those right, I doubt many people will complain about a little bit of sharpness in the frame.

But, maybe with the M2 (that seems a bit less equipped for stills) I might change my mind because I don't take that much stills.

So far I even have to find time to fly.
I have not been very excited about it lately.
Too much hassle about rules etc. and negative publicity.
And it takes way too much of my free time (time I don't have during the day).
In fact, I even considered selling my M2....
But I decided to wait for the summer and see if I can get inspiration.

Hello there DAFlys. Thank you for reaching out and for the inquiry. Since this is a 3rd party accessory for the DJI Mini 2. I hope that you will get the best recommendation from our fellow DJI co pilot on what and  where to purchase the said variable ND Filter and share there experiences using it as well. In addition, you may try check our DJI Where To Buy platform on this link ( https://www.dji.com/where-to-buy ) to see if the said variable ND Filter are available. Thank you and please be safe always.

Montfrooij Posted at 1-14 10:50
Not to this date.
I did not use ND filters a lot.
They interfere with the photography needs too much. (blocking light)

I thinking for the M2 its more important as its got a fixed aperture.  

DAFlys Posted at 1-15 00:47
I thinking for the M2 its more important as its got a fixed aperture.

If you do photography, I would not mind.
It is counter productive for photography.
(unless you are going for long shutterspeeds of course)

Montfrooij Posted at 1-15 01:28
If you do photography, I would not mind.
It is counter productive for photography.
(unless you are going for long shutterspeeds of course)

Theres certainly a sweet spot for shutter speed,   especially for landscapes if its too fast things start looking a bit rough.

DAFlys Posted at 1-15 01:32
Theres certainly a sweet spot for shutter speed,   especially for landscapes if its too fast things start looking a bit rough.

So far I have to find evidence that you can get 'too fast' shutterspeeds for photography.
I more worry about motion blur and high ISO than a fast shutterspeed.
Did you do testings that show there is a degradation after a certain shutterspeed (with the same aperture of course, since that can cause softness because of diffraction etc.)

Montfrooij Posted at 1-15 01:48
So far I have to find evidence that you can get 'too fast' shutterspeeds for photography.
I more worry about motion blur and high ISO than a fast shutterspeed.
Did you do testings that show there is a degradation after a certain shutterspeed (with the same aperture of course, since that can cause softness because of diffraction etc.)

Something I learnt very early in photography,  but you can find reference of it -

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-common-shutter-speed-mistakes/

In general, the faster your shutter speed, the more it will freeze motion -- and the degree of frozen motion will depend on how fast your subject is moving. ... Most of the time, however, you'll want to avoid too fast of a shutter speed because it can look unnatural.

DAFlys Posted at 1-15 01:52
Something I learnt very early in photography,  but you can find reference of it -

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-common-shutter-speed-mistakes/

I know about that theory.
To my best knowledge this is mostly aimed at capturing moving subjects that are relatively close to the lens (fill up a large portion of the frame) and I have found no examples of this effect in landscape shots or other photo's that were taken from a larger distance.
But I could be wrong, hence the question if you have done testing with drone shots.

Montfrooij Posted at 1-15 01:58
I know about that theory.
To my best knowledge this is mostly aimed at capturing moving subjects that are relatively close to the lens (fill up a large portion of the frame) and I have found no examples of this effect in landscape shots or other photo's that were taken from a larger distance.
But I could be wrong, hence the question if you have done testing with drone shots.

For my landscapes with my DSLR I have seen it,  too high an iso and things log overly sharp and if you zoom in the detail is not as good.   This is of course at the extremes in the 1/4000+ area.

DAFlys Posted at 1-15 02:03
For my landscapes with my DSLR I have seen it,  too high an iso and things log overly sharp and if you zoom in the detail is not as good.   This is of course at the extremes in the 1/4000+ area.

For consumer drones, I think you are good at all shutterspeeds above 1/100s
The drone won't capture a lot of details anyway with the cheap lens in front of the tiny sensor .
So shutterspeed 'sharpness' is not an issue you will run into very likely.
There are other bottlenecks in the camera system that have greater impact on the image that we can't control.
That is my theory at least, so I could be wrong, (but I would love to see proof of it before diving into ND filters) .

Montfrooij Posted at 1-15 02:14
For consumer drones, I think you are good at all shutterspeeds above 1/100s
The drone won't capture a lot of details anyway with the cheap lens in front of the tiny sensor .
So shutterspeed 'sharpness' is not an issue you will run into very likely.

I use a ND on the M2P all the time,  I'll see how I get on when I finally have the mini 2 and will then decide on whether I want one of not.

DAFlys Posted at 1-15 03:53
I use a ND on the M2P all the time,  I'll see how I get on when I finally have the mini 2 and will then decide on whether I want one of not.

I'm curious if you can spot the difference with the MP.
Same situation, same aperture, different shutterspeed.

Montfrooij Posted at 1-15 03:57
I'm curious if you can spot the difference with the MP.
Same situation, same aperture, different shutterspeed.

i have tried that with my mini right after i got my nd filter set.. even with shutter speeds below 1/100 there is no visible difference with or without nd filter. you have to be really pixel peeping to notice something really small i guess. Overall in some situations the nd can be helpful when movement, or really contrasty skies and a lot of clouds.

sbonev Posted at 1-15 04:04
i have tried that with my mini right after i got my nd filter set.. even with shutter speeds below 1/100 there is no visible difference with or without nd filter. you have to be really pixel peeping to notice something really small i guess. Overall in some situations the nd can be helpful when movement, or really contrasty skies and a lot of clouds.

Thanks.
For videography it certainly makes a (small) difference, but for photography I'm not sure I want to invest in them.

Montfrooij Posted at 1-15 03:57
I'm curious if you can spot the difference with the MP.
Same situation, same aperture, different shutterspeed.

I have the Mavic 2 Pro so have a variable aperture to play with.

DAFlys Posted at 1-15 05:03
I have the Mavic 2 Pro so have a variable aperture to play with.

That is super handy.
I know the aperture does have a sweet spot with every lens.
I have tested that with my lenses to know what my optimal setting is (when I need the best sharpness).
Most of the time however I do use aperture for either a bit larger DOF or to get the most light in.

Montfrooij Posted at 1-15 05:49
That is super handy.
I know the aperture does have a sweet spot with every lens.
I have tested that with my lenses to know what my optimal setting is (when I need the best sharpness).

They have been some big arguments here over the sharpest aperture on the M2P. Lol

DAFlys Posted at 1-15 06:19
They have been some big arguments here over the sharpest aperture on the M2P. Lol

It is always debatable as there are so many factors to consider.

Montfrooij Posted at 1-15 06:25
It is always debatable as there are so many factors to consider.

Indeed but it’s amazing how heated it can get.

DAFlys Posted at 1-15 06:34
Indeed but it’s amazing how heated it can get.

It is amazing indeed.
You see it all the time.

DAFlys Posted at 1-14 09:45
Thanks,  but they are not variable ND filters.

Oh, just reread your title. Yep, no Variable ND filter for the mini 1-2 ive seen on the market. Sorry!

Through The Lens Posted at 1-19 05:57
Oh, just reread your title. Yep, no Variable ND filter for the mini 1-2 ive seen on the market. Sorry!

lol - no worries,  Ive searched long and hard and not come up with anything either.

DAFlys Posted at 1-19 07:42
lol - no worries,  Ive searched long and hard and not come up with anything either.

.