P4P Filters

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Hey all,

With my P4P, turns out my P4 filters won't work on them. I live in Florida by the beach so filters are a must for me.

I am stuck between polar pro's shutter vs vivid collection.

The shutter collection are straight ND's to reduce SS, the vivid includes PL to reduce glare.

I can't afford to get them both so I am stuck on picking 1 or the other.

I know with the changeable aperature size, that helps reducing light to get the sweet SS spot, but is just that alone enough ?

I fly over water a lot so i like the PL filters to help reduce glare, but I hate how we have to turn the filters to optimal settings.

I don't know how to do that because with a drone, you are moving around a lot - won't you need to adjust it a lot ??

If I don't have the CP filters turned to the correct setting, will it make my image look worse than having no PL filter?

What do you find is the best method for CP filter installation? Should I just stick with straight NDs so I dont have to worry about adjusting the CP ?

Thanks in advance !!
 
I know with the changeable aperture size, that helps reducing light to get the sweet SS spot, but is just that alone enough ?
Should I just stick with straight NDs so I dont have to worry about adjusting the CP ?

Unfortunately aperture control alone is not a replacement for NDs. I assume you bought the P4P for the added image quality, so you're looking at ~f/5.6 for best quality, then you need to use NDs from there. There is a little extra leeway with the aperture, which is great, but it only supplements your choice of ND.

As for the PL-ND vs ND, based on my knowledge I'd prefer the ND alone (so shutter collection or DJI's options), but I'm not sure it would make a big difference. Regarding quality being potentially worse if your PL is not set optimally, I wouldn't think so under most circumstances. There may be a slightly different look as your camera points at different directions (especially in the sky with the relatively wide angle lens which may give a gradient to the blue intensity), but I can't say for sure. If I were using the vivid collection, I'd probably just put them on never thinking about PL orientation and hope it sometime helps. If you plan to do any post processing, I think PL is probably worth even less. Others may give better advice.

I went with the Shutter collection. Try code 'welcomewinter' whatever you choose and see if they're still giving 10% off. Happy flying and filming.
 
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Hey all,


If I don't have the CP filters turned to the correct setting, will it make my image look worse than having no PL filter?

What do you find is the best method for CP filter installation? Should I just stick with straight NDs so I dont have to worry about adjusting the CP ?

Thanks in advance !!

Get the polarizers. They are a must for aerial work. You are right that is it impossible to set the correct PL attitude for every angle that you may be shooting during a flight. Remember that a PL filter not only effects atmospheric polarized light but it will also reduce specular reflections off all organic materials ie. foliage, roads, sand etc, net result is a better saturation of all colours. A good PL will not reduce image quality if incorrectly adjusted, some can have a colour cast. I would not stress to much about slowing down the shutter for the 'film look', much overrated nowadays, in my opinion. If you want motion blur apply a motion blur filter in post. Thing is, if you have a nice sharp image, then you can add as much motion as you want in post. If you start with an image with motion blur, you can't remove it in post:)
 
Potentially f
I would not stress to much about slowing down the shutter for the 'film look', much overrated nowadays, in my opinion. If you want motion blur apply a motion blur filter in post. Thing is, if you have a nice sharp image, then you can add as much motion as you want in post. If you start with an image with motion blur, you can't remove it in post:)

I'm interested in your experience with post processing appropriate blur into your footage. To me that seems like the Holy Grail of all these discussions, but I have not personally tried it.

Mainly, what's your workflow? If the results are great that would theoretically negate a lot of these conversations, including whether to purchase more than one filter. The logic being that at most you might want a PL filter, but if SS does not matter, then why go for any ND at all, let alone multiples. Maybe even the PL is up for debate, though I respect your opinion that it is useful.
 
I def would not want to mess with trying to get the optimum results from the polarizing type nd filters. I just received the Shutter Collection and they are awesome! I also had the Vivid Collection for my reg P4's. But they were not polarizing type though. If I were flying mostly over water or shooting very shiny objects at certain angles I would also own the Vivid Polarizer Collection but I don't. So I don't want to see any changing reflections as I fly. It's prob not a huge deal but it's just me. Polarizers seem to boost contrast too much most of time too.
 
To me the 'holy grail' of the P4P is the higher frame rate. Shooting at 50P makes the image so much smoother. In regard to 'motion blur', best to experiment for your own look/feel. Good thing here is you can experiment, change it, and still have your original sharp footage.

I personally do not find the need to use any motion blur when at 50P. 'Motion blur' using shutter speed/angle, was introduced back in film days. It was not a creative look that cinematographers really wanted at the time, it was a corrective measure to smooth the look of slow frame rates. These were as low as 14 to 15 FPS in Chaplin's days, hence the staccato look. Motion picture film cost a lot of money to use and handle and a crew would use half the amount at 24 FPS then at 48 FPS. It was found at around 24 fps, most people could not see the flicker, more so if the frames were blurred in camera. They were blurred in camera because it was almost impossible to do it effectively and at a reasonable cost in post production. Nowadays we can do it in software, easily, if we want.

Screen size also has an effect on perceiving slower frame rates. Big cinema - easier to see and be influenced frame rate. Most of what I shoot ends up on computer screen or large TV. If it goes to Vimeo or utube it also runs through compression which adds its own type of motion blur in the form of compression artifacts (not real blur more like inference which can also trick the eye).

The PL is however a must have for my work, also the original P4P filter is made of perspex, worth about $1. The PL is of glass:)
 
I prefer the non PL filter. Easier to throw on a regular ND and forget about it. No need to adjust the PL angle. I have every filter PolarPro makes for the P4P, just giving my opinion.

Here is me running the ND8 last Saturday.
 

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How does the adjustment of the vivid polar Pro filters work? Do you turn it for greater polarisation?
Does it effect image quality if not correctly adjusted? Would be very hard to adjust on land vs when the bird is up in the sky..?


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I prefer the non PL filter. Easier to throw on a regular ND and forget about it. No need to adjust the PL angle. I have every filter PolarPro makes for the P4P, just giving my opinion.

Here is me running the ND8 last Saturday.
Can't agree with you more Kman unless these specific polarizers have been made to be more forgiving as far as them changing too much while moving and changing your angles to the sun. Theyre prob fine for some but I've been super happy with the non polarizing type.
 
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