Looking at the following 360° panorama I`d like to know whether the use of a ND/PL filter have helped in getting a better stitching?

https://www.skypixel.com/photos/betty-s-bay-sand-dune-360-pano

I don't think so. Taking shots against the sun is always a very difficult thing.

Cool pano mate! ND's are mainly used to control shutter speeds to create motion blur for video recording of moving objects and are not really designed for stills other than long exposure shots. The Sphere's produced by the MA are 32mp so very detailed. If you have a 1080p screen it will show a bit of pixilation. A 4K screen makes it look very smooth.

Nice pano, it looks great.

Very nice image. I see what you are referring to. I am not an expert, but maybe the contrast/color difference you are referring to is caused by automatic camera settings. Maybe try it with a manual settings and make the same pano with different settings and see if it gets better.

But as if said, I am not an expert, but I am sure someone on the forum can help.

As Chiplifter said, you should always shoot pano's in manual mode to eliminate exposure changes from frame to frame. A Polarizing filter will help reduce sun flare/glare but they are somewhat tricky to use on a drone as you don't have access to adjusting them as needed while airborne.

FlyDK Posted at 2018-5-11 02:06
I don't think so. Taking shots against the sun is always a very difficult thing.

Thanks for the comment.

Appreciated

A CW Posted at 2018-5-11 02:08
Cool pano mate! ND's are mainly used to control shutter speeds to create motion blur for video recording of moving objects and are not really designed for stills other than long exposure shots. The Sphere's produced by the MA are 32mp so very detailed. If you have a 1080p screen it will show a bit of pixilation. A 4K screen makes it look very smooth.

Thank you for the explanation.

DJI Diana Posted at 2018-5-11 02:13
Nice pano, it looks great.

Thank you  

chiplifter Posted at 2018-5-11 02:17
Very nice image. I see what you are referring to. I am not an expert, but maybe the contrast/color difference you are referring to is caused by automatic camera settings. Maybe try it with a manual settings and make the same pano with different settings and see if it gets better.

But as if said, I am not an expert, but I am sure someone on the forum can help.

Thank you for the comment.  I think that you are correct.

QuadKid Posted at 2018-5-11 02:25
As Chiplifter said, you should always shoot pano's in manual mode to eliminate exposure changes from frame to frame. A Polarizing filter will help reduce sun flare/glare but they are somewhat tricky to use on a drone as you don't have access to adjusting them as needed while airborne.

I understand what you are saying about the polariser filter.  Thanks for the comment.

All the above is very positive.
My "problem" is just that I still have to get my head "around" the different results between uav photography and handheld photography in the same conditions as one has much more control with handheld than uav.
Thanks again.

Yes, I always set my exposure manually - split the screen 50/50 across the horizon so sky in the upper half and ground in the lower then tap to take the pano. The colour and contrast won’t change between each still.

hey hendrik - nd filters are essentially for use in shooting video (to attain that ceratin cinematic effect that is sonmewhat synonomous with drone footage/edits. Photgraphs (my understanding) does not require nd filters (except for still blurrs in low light conditions which your photo/pano is not ) -
a pano is a stiched series of photos and therefore nd filters are not required (certainly not so far as your pano subject is concerned.)
Beautiful pano by the way - i grew up in the cape:-).

Here is an idea you may try out: how about setting your camera to 'automatic' (vs manual settings) and see what the outcome is if you leave it up to your drone and see how it manages to conpensate with settings adjustments to minimise the overexposure and see if that is not a feasable way around your issue.
Also what you can do is drop your camera to face down a little bit more - this to cut out as much of the sun as possible (without losing the mountain tops or too much sky)
By reducing the max brightness the camera will be exposed to means that it has less adjustment to compensate for when required (hopefully providing a well balanced result)

Oh and by the way - it is my belief that the experience points denotes the actual milage (in meters) your drone has flown. my growth in experience points is almost directly related to my growth in flight milage.
Although there is some amount diffence between my experience points and my flight distance these can be explained as flight records 'lost' when my drone was being flown using other devices during times of repairs or during times when i was using other devices to test my drone to find a problem.
Notice in the image below how my flight distance (read in meteres) and my experience points grow at a similar rate. i have posted 157 works on skypixel - if making videos / images and posting them to skypixel does influence your experience points, its hardly noticable.
Any way thats what i think - it is your drone odmeter in meters




Notice

HendrikJB Posted at 2018-5-11 03:00
Thanks for the comment.

Appreciated

Not much of a help though, but you're welcome.

A gradient filter could help balance that exposure when you are shooting at the sun. The rest of that image looks clean. A PL filter doesn't do much when it is facing the sun, so your results would have been similar with a PL and ND/PL.  

We have a few gradient filters: https://www.polarprofilters.com/ ... ies-gradient-3-pack
Happy to answer any questions you have
-Jeff from PolarPro

A gradient filter could help balance that exposure when you are shooting at the sun. The rest of that image looks clean. A PL filter doesn't do much when it is facing the sun, so your results would have been similar with a PL and ND/PL.  

We have a few gradient filters: https://www.polarprofilters.com/ ... ies-gradient-3-pack
Happy to answer any questions you have
-Jeff from PolarPro

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 07:08
A gradient filter could help balance that exposure when you are shooting at the sun. The rest of that image looks clean. A PL filter doesn't do much when it is facing the sun, so your results would have been similar with a PL and ND/PL.  

We have a few gradient filters: https://www.polarprofilters.com/products/cinema-series-gradient-3-pack

OMG - you've actually made them!! I've been waiting for grad filters from you guys for a long time! Just bought your cinema ND shutter filters for the Mavic Air and they work brilliantly. Going to need to look into these for sure!

A CW Posted at 2018-5-11 07:14
OMG - you've actually made them!! I've been waiting for grad filters from you guys for a long time! Just bought your cinema ND shutter filters for the Mavic Air and they work brilliantly. Going to need to look into these for sure!

Yep! These ones took awhile to nail the manufacturing process but we did it.
Thanks for supporting our brand
-Jeff from PolarPro

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 07:18
Yep! These ones took awhile to nail the manufacturing process but we did it.
Thanks for supporting our brand
-Jeff from PolarPro

Do you know when they'll be available on Amazon UK?

Bekaru MP UAV Posted at 2018-5-11 04:13
hey hendrik - nd filters are essentially for use in shooting video (to attain that ceratin cinematic effect that is sonmewhat synonomous with drone footage/edits. Photgraphs (my understanding) does not require nd filters (except for still blurrs in low light conditions which your photo/pano is not ) -
a pano is a stiched series of photos and therefore nd filters are not required (certainly not so far as your pano subject is concerned.)
Beautiful pano by the way - i grew up in the cape:-).

Hi Dean,

Thank you your time and very detailed explanation. Really a mouthful and a lot to think about.

You gotta come back "Home"

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 07:08
A gradient filter could help balance that exposure when you are shooting at the sun. The rest of that image looks clean. A PL filter doesn't do much when it is facing the sun, so your results would have been similar with a PL and ND/PL.  

We have a few gradient filters: https://www.polarprofilters.com/products/cinema-series-gradient-3-pack

WHAAATTTTTT!!!!!!

You guys actually made some!!!  That sounds excellent.

How about a few to review this side of the pond??

Thank you EVERYONE for your inputs

You guys ROCK

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 07:18
Yep! These ones took awhile to nail the manufacturing process but we did it.
Thanks for supporting our brand
-Jeff from PolarPro

When I google for these filters I got no results. Are they already available in NL or Europe?

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 07:18
Yep! These ones took awhile to nail the manufacturing process but we did it.
Thanks for supporting our brand
-Jeff from PolarPro

Oh wow that is awesome so glad you are selling them now.  Looks like these will have to be my next purchase.  So cool.  

A CW Posted at 2018-5-11 07:24
Do you know when they'll be available on Amazon UK?

LOL looks like I found my next purchase.  For sure need to test these out.

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 07:18
Yep! These ones took awhile to nail the manufacturing process but we did it.
Thanks for supporting our brand
-Jeff from PolarPro

Great news!
Mavic Pro also?

Montfrooij Posted at 2018-5-11 10:38
Great news!
Mavic Pro also?

P4P, MP/P and MA by the look of it. $99 for a set of three - but this will expose the lights and darks far more evenly for sure.  

A CW Posted at 2018-5-11 10:44
P4P, MP/P and MA by the look of it. $99 for a set of three - but this will expose the lights and darks far more evenly for sure.

Nice.
I am curious how you (if you buy them) will find use to align the horizon when you have a specific shot in mind.
You can't move the filter like when you are on the ground.

Montfrooij Posted at 2018-5-11 10:46
Nice.
I am curious how you (if you buy them) will find use to align the horizon when you have a specific shot in mind.
You can't move the filter like when you are on the ground.

I imagine you will have the same 'set angle' restrictions as you get with polarisers. I think these will come in more useful for sunset/sunrise and low light flying in around a 45 degree angle from the original take off/manual grad setting. I wonder if they will ever invent a drone with ND options built into the lens or at least the ability to rotate the lens remotely. The MP has a portrait mode which can be set remotely to and from landscape during flight so the tech is already there. I'd appreciate that more than a 1" sensor.

A CW Posted at 2018-5-11 11:00
I imagine you will have the same 'set angle' restrictions as you get with polarisers. I think these will come in more useful for sunset/sunrise and low light flying in around a 45 degree angle from the original take off/manual grad setting. I wonder if they will ever invent a drone with ND options built into the lens or at least the ability to rotate the lens remotely. The MP has a portrait mode which can be set remotely to and from landscape during flight so the tech is already there. I'd appreciate that more than a 1" sensor.

I'm not sure about that last statement.
If the 1"sensor has a good dynamic range, you have less need for a var ND filter.
Polarizers yes, that you can't mimic with a sensor.

The polarizer (rotating) might even work, although it would require a separate motor to rotate the lens outer ring only.....
So that is rather expensive and heavy.
And a Var ND filter will require some glass movement up and down outside of the filter ring.
With a motor and mechanics....
That might be too heavy for the current gimbals I guess.

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 07:08
A gradient filter could help balance that exposure when you are shooting at the sun. The rest of that image looks clean. A PL filter doesn't do much when it is facing the sun, so your results would have been similar with a PL and ND/PL.  

We have a few gradient filters: https://www.polarprofilters.com/products/cinema-series-gradient-3-pack

Just looking at the pics on the website I must say that these look really great quality
Now just for the testing

Montfrooij Posted at 2018-5-11 11:06
I'm not sure about that last statement.
If the 1"sensor has a good dynamic range, you have less need for a var ND filter.
Polarizers yes, that you can't mimic with a sensor.

Yeah, you've got a point on the 1" sensor. Both would be good.

Camera size would be a huge hurdle to cross. I very much doubt we'll see something like that on an MP2 - though may be an MP5 which at this rate will probably be on the shelves before the P5 as I'm sure by then we'll have the Phantom 4 Professional Plus with Added Plusness V.3.6 diamond cluster with black spots edition hahahahaha

A CW Posted at 2018-5-11 11:13
Yeah, you've got a point on the 1" sensor. Both would be good.

Camera size would be a huge hurdle to cross. I very much doubt we'll see something like that on an MP2 - though may be an MP5 which at this rate will probably be on the shelves before the P5 as I'm sure by then we'll have the Phantom 4 Professional Plus with Added Plusness V.3.6 diamond cluster with black spots edition hahahahaha

Don't forget the black spots indeed

Montfrooij Posted at 2018-5-11 11:25
Don't forget the black spots indeed

In all seriousness, I like where the P4P V2.0 is going in terms of OcuSync and quieter motors but we really need to move on from the P4 as a series now. I hope the P5 is out this year for sure. You never know what they may do with that camera.

A CW Posted at 2018-5-11 07:24
Do you know when they'll be available on Amazon UK?

Yah they should be live within a couple weeks.
-Jeff from PolarPro

chiplifter Posted at 2018-5-11 10:06
When I google for these filters I got no results. Are they already available in NL or Europe?

We do not have stock in Europe yet, but we have stock here in the US and ship to EU and NL
https://www.polarprofilters.com/ ... ies-gradient-3-pack
Happy to answer any other questions!
-Jeff from PolarPro

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 12:41
Yah they should be live within a couple weeks.
-Jeff from PolarPro

Good to know - thanks Jeff

PolarPro Posted at 2018-5-11 12:43
We do not have stock in Europe yet, but we have stock here in the US and ship to EU and NL
https://www.polarprofilters.com/products/cinema-series-gradient-3-pack
Happy to answer any other questions!

hey jeff - are the gradient filters available in south africa at any place you know of?

A CW Posted at 2018-5-11 11:33
In all seriousness, I like where the P4P V2.0 is going in terms of OcuSync and quieter motors but we really need to move on from the P4 as a series now. I hope the P5 is out this year for sure. You never know what they may do with that camera.

Yes, I am looking forward to the future when it comes to DJI development.
I do hope MP2 will be there 'soon'