ND Filters

[nacraracer]

I do a lot of sunset pics and also very cloudy pics. What ND filters do I need? When I say sunset pics it is third to the left or right. That’s the ones that blow out the camera. P3S by the way and thanks in advance!

 

[PaulSouthport]

For stills, ND are not essential - possibly helpful. You may find in high contrast scenes like sunset you are simply darkening the entire scene.
Try a bracketed set of raw shots, combined carefully in photoshop (or your editor of choice).

 

[nacraracer]

I don’t do photo shop and was just looking for a ND filter to help with the camera over exposure

 

[PaulSouthport]

OK. Well, you can try ND8 and ND16, possibly a graduated filter. But, you'll probably get better results setting the camera to manual, open the histogram and set the exposure to balance the scene.

 

[ryantrax]

This is a common misconception about ND filters. They are used for video only. Unless you get like the Polar Pro Cinema series that also contain a circular polarized filter. Using a standard ND filter on photos will actually slow your shutter speed down causing blur if there are any vibrations. The only time I really suggest using an ND filter for photos is if you want blur like in running water in a waterfall.

 

[Bad Andy]

Re Paul's comment... very important to know how to use the histogram! Lots of web pages and YouTube videos about that. Search and learn. After learning the basics of histograms in digital photography, search for sunset histogram for the win.

Graduated filters can be handy for reducing how much the landscape gets silhouetted. Just be mindful of where the gradient is. Also, shoot in raw! This gives you a bit more exposure latitude. Then in Photoshop (or GIMP or whatever) you can use gradient masks to great benefit.

You don't want to use polarizing filters for sunset photography. It kills the colors.

Exposure bracketing can be cool for getting more dynamic range and helping with landscape silhouetting if you can match up the images well.

 

[JazzAir]

I don’t do photo shop and was just looking for a ND filter to help with the camera over exposure

See, I'm like racer here where I didn't think to much about all the post work that goes into good shooting. STEEP learning curve that I'm trying to climb. Two months in class.

 

[barefootbeachcombing]

See, I'm like racer here where I didn't think to much about all the post work that goes into good shooting. STEEP learning curve that I'm trying to climb. Two months in class.

At first, don't worry so much about "post work". Concentrate on learning about correct exposure first. One thing at a time.

 

[JazzAir]

... and that's about where I'm at now barefoot. I understand the histogram and working on 'the triangle'. BOY this is a lot to learn. Having fun so far. Any suggestions??

 

[barefootbeachcombing]

Here are some basic guides.

Drone Camera Settings: All you Need to Know - DJI
DJI GO 4 Manual: The Pilot’s Handbook

 

[JazzAir]

Thank you my friend.

 

[JazzAir]

OK. Bearfoot. I got all that. Got anything on post production? What does all this temperature, grading, hue and stuff mean? I can see it in action on these videos I've been studying but 'building up' from a 'flat' video has been hard to understand.

 

[With The Birds]

OK. Bearfoot. I got all that. Got anything on post production? What does all this temperature, grading, hue and stuff mean? I can see it in action on these videos I've been studying but 'building up' from a 'flat' video has been hard to understand.

The higher the temperature the cooler the look (more blue). Grading is simply the process of matching the final footage to how you want it to look. Hue is colour.

If you want to learn about video post form someone who knows his stuff and explains things well go find @fhagan02 on YouTube.

 

[JazzAir]

PERFECT!!!! Thanks again Team. With The Birds. You broke it down where I wont choke on a mouth full bite. Thanks.

Anyone else asking my same question??

Thanks to Bird...

 

[Lindsaybev]

Dude! I loved that tip on psd files at the end! My editor, Sony Vegas, will allow psd files, too! I am so stoked!

I found this guy on Youtube on three days ago, myself. By far the best at explaining and understanding. I am with you JazzAir! Keep it up.

 

[spacetrakker]

Back to the original question..." What ND filters do I need for shooting sunsets?"

In my opinion, ND filters are only useful to control the amount of light reaching the camera lens and are mainly used when shooting video. So if you are filming in very bright daylight, the camera will need to be set to higher speed/minimum aperture to achieve correct exposure. However the rapid frame exposure tends to look quite "jerky" rather than the smooth motion we like to see in movies. This is where Neutral Density (ND) filters can assist by reducing the amount of light entering the lens and thereby allowing a much slower shutter speed (ideally around 24 frames per second) while still achieving correct exposure.
Your video will look smoother when filmed at lower shutter speeds.

So in answer to the original question, I don;t think there is any need for ND filters unless you are shooting video, and you need to reduce lighting in order to achieve correct exposure at a slower shutter speed. Unlikely scenario for sunset photography.

My thoughts only,
Cheers

 

[Bad Andy]

FYI it seems a little difficult to find a good discussion of why and how ND filters should be used for video, and drone video in particular. This page gets pretty close:

Why do I need an ND filter when filming with a Drone?

 

[David_Cambridge]

You don’t need ND filters at all unless you have problems with images that are unnaturally sharp. The cinema legend comes from the problems panning or tilting a camera rapidly. When you go faster than a certain angular velocity, the image stutters. To get rid of the stutter, folks shoot at a shutter speed 2x the frame rate. The resulting slight blur makes the strobing less noticible. In my experience with my P3, it is never moving fast enough to encounter any strobing, and hence the need for a slower shutter speed. Shooting at a higher shutter speed yields a noticible sharper image, both in Video and stills.