Neewer MC PL-ND 4/8/16/32 Set

rcheing · Mar 25, 2016

Just got this set in from Amazon: Amazon.com: Neewer for DJI Phantom 4, DJI Phantom 3 Professional and Advanced, Multi-Coated PL-ND Filter Set: PL-ND4, PL-ND8, PL-ND16, PL-ND32, Made of High Definition Glass, Not for DJI Phantom 3 Standard: Camera & Photo for $50 and 2 day shipping from Prime.

At first glance they seem to be good. Made of aluminum with glass lens and comes with a semi clear plastic case.

I was considering purchasing the Taco RC set but I had read some threads that some sets are not labeled by the company. The Neewer set has a label on each lens as you can see.

I'll test them out in the next few days and post some pictures so you guys can see.

Jcarlson1701 · Mar 25, 2016

Please let us know as to your results as I'm considering these as opposed to the taco-rc 4pc set myself.

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mandalay · Mar 26, 2016

rcheing said:
I was considering purchasing the Taco RC set but I had read some threads that some sets are not labeled by the company. The Neewer set has a label on each lens as you can see.

The first batch of Taco-RC filters had no markings. But I've got a set of 4 MC ones just 2-3 weeks ago and they are all labeled and came with a nice case as well. They are the same size, weight, and screw on just like DJI UV filter. Work great!

rcheing · Mar 26, 2016

I'm totally inexperienced with filters so please bear with me. Below are some sample shots I took:

ND4:

ND8:

ND16:

ND32:

Malakai · Mar 26, 2016

For photography use polarising filters, ND filters are more for bringing the shutter speed down to allow for motion blur in photos such as moving water or get the correct shutter speed for video. Eg if you are recording at 24p you want the shutter speed at 50 to get nice cinematic style footage. Polarising filters remove reflections and make landscape images pop a little more. Only drawback is not being able to adjust them in the air. I use the Neewer ND variable for video and am now looking on amazon for a good polarising filter.

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rcheing · Mar 26, 2016

Thanks Malakai, when bringing the shutter speed down, I have do it in the manual settings of DJI Go, correct? I usually choose ISO 100 and 1/60 shutter speed for video. However, I wasn't too happy with the results. Someone suggested I use the LOG setting but I am not too experienced in Premiere. In your experience, what is the best setting to set the camera at?

Jcarlson1701 · Mar 26, 2016

Malakai said:
For photography use polarising filters, ND filters are more for bringing the shutter speed down to allow for motion blur in photos such as moving water or get the correct shutter speed for video. Eg if you are recording at 24p you want the shutter speed at 50 to get nice cinematic style footage. Polarising filters remove reflections and make landscape images pop a little more. Only drawback is not being able to adjust them in the air. I use the Neewer ND variable for video and am now looking on amazon for a good polarising filter.

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So these PL/ND filters would or wouldn't be good for video?

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Jcarlson1701 · Mar 26, 2016

rcheing said:
I'm totally inexperienced with filters so please bear with me. Below are some sample shots I took:

ND4:
View attachment 48600

ND8:
View attachment 48601

ND16:
View attachment 48598

ND32:
View attachment 48599

Thanks rcheing. I'll have to look as these once I get on my desktop. They look okay on my iPhone 6 Plus but my eyes are getting old! [emoji846] Did you try any video?

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Malakai · Mar 26, 2016

Yeah, this is my workflow for a bit of cinematic footage. I have the phantom advanced so am limited to 40mbps. The Pro captures at 60mbps. As I'm outputting at 1080p I want to get as many bits per pixel as I can so capture at 1080p 24fps. Higher resolutions or shutter speeds reduce the number of bits available per pixel. Manual settings for video. Manual white balance. Capture in Log, with custom settings with all on -1. Depending on the lighting I use an ND Variable filter and expose for midtowns while trying to avoid blowing out or under exposing the shadows and at the same time keeping my shutter at 50 and iso at 200. I do this because all the iso of 200 gives me the ability to flick between iso 100-400 while in the air so i don't miss a shot. Id rather have to deal with a bit of noise than miss something. For post process I use final cut pro and ColourGrade to bring the contrast, sharpness and saturation back into the footage and PHYX grain to add a little grain into the footage to give it a bit more of a filmic look. I then output at 1920 x 817 again for that cinematic look.
I have attached a short clip i just threw together from a recent test flight using the same process. I think it was captured with AWB and a shutter of 25 though it was quickly thrown together at the bottom end of a battery but hopefully you will get the idea of the output from it.

Malakai · Mar 26, 2016

Polarising filters are ok for filming to reduce shutter a little and get rid of reflections but dont help much in really bright environments. Best for lakes and wooded areas. Fixed ND filters are a bit limiting in my opinion. thats why i go for variable ND. They are all extra tools that can help get the right shot when used. its all one big experiment really.

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Jcarlson1701 · Mar 26, 2016

Malakai said:
Polarising filters are ok for filming to reduce shutter a little and get rid of reflections but dont help much in really bright environments. Best for lakes and wooded areas. Fixed ND filters are a bit limiting in my opinion. thats why i go for variable ND. They are all extra tools that can help get the right shot when used. its all one big experiment really.

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Thanks for clearing this up. As I said, I'm leaning towards the Neewer PL/ND's simply for the difference in cost. If they're good enough for my limited photography skills I'll probably go with them. I can put the $20 savings towards another battery... [emoji846]

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Malakai · Mar 26, 2016

no worries. my neewer nd variable is **** good for what it cost. ive said it before, its nearly as good as my top end nd variable on my dslr but four times cheaper!

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