polarizer for phantom 4 pro

Same here. Freewell makes a CPL but I haven't received any responses on the thread I started regarding its quality.

Seems like no one used it yet.
 
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Thanks for the replies. I hesitated to buy the Polar Pro because it appears to only come in a 3-pack for the P4P and only combined with ND (it seems you could buy only the polarizer for previous versions, but I don't see a polarizer only from Polar Pro for the P4P.)

For DSLRs I've been accustomed to choosing a polarizer that has the least light loss to maintain fastest auto focusing, etc.; my Nikon CPs have a Filter Factor 2.3 - 2.8 (1.2 - 1.5 Stop).

It appears the Polar Pro set for the P4P includes:
  • ND4/PL Filter (2-Stop)
  • ND8/PL Filter (3-Stop)
  • ND16/PL Filter (4-Stop)
So the ND4/PL at 2 stops loss appears the closest to what I'm accustomed to on other cameras as a polarizer (different ballpark, granted.) Suspect I won't get much use out of the bundled ND8/PL or ND16/PL, but maybe they will be useful for me for video later if I get into more video...
 
I'm using the PolarPro Cinema CPL 3 pack. I'm finding it pretty tricky to get the polarization to produce desirable and effective results. My stills don't end up with a smooth polarized gradient sky. Often I'm finding a ~90 degree wedge of polarized sky.

Perhaps the split Gradient should be a little more than 180 degrees?

With a drone it can be a real PIA to come back to base for a 15 degree rotation and back out again for the next shot.
 
Just remember that the darkening you get with a CPL is dependent on the angle you (camera) is pointing relative to the Sun and that using a wide angle lens can be troublesome with a CPL. I have CPL's for my still cameras (Nikon D800E's) but almost never use them and with video, particularly when panning/yawing you will see upwards of a couple stops of darkening difference depending on which direction the camera is pointing. A CPL can be difficult with a still camera but even more so with video.

Now, there are situations where a CPL is definitely recommend or even necessary, but please be aware of it's limitations and know when and when not to use it.


Brian
 
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Definitely aware and have experienced the difficulties of uneven skies on wide angle lenses. Also aware of the obvious difficulty of not being able to turn the polarizer while the drone is in the air although I haven't used one on a drone yet to experience how difficult/frustrating it may be to try and get it right through guess, trial, and error.

About 70% of my DSLR photography is around water, and I enjoy the ability to control the color and reflectivity of the water surface so I use a CPL on my DSLRs quite a bit. I use them to 18 mm on a 1.5 crop sensor with caution but frequently (so down to 27 equivalent.). Of course, I can turn them carefully when the camera is right there. So with that said, I don't know how much I'll be using a CPL on the drone, so I was curious if there was a single filter polarizer that was decent quality to fit to a P4P to give it a try.

If not, I'll go for the 3-filter kit, and maybe sell 2 of the ND+PLs on ebay if they are only sitting on the shelf.
 
Thanks for the replies. I hesitated to buy the Polar Pro because it appears to only come in a 3-pack for the P4P and only combined with ND (it seems you could buy only the polarizer for previous versions, but I don't see a polarizer only from Polar Pro for the P4P.)

For DSLRs I've been accustomed to choosing a polarizer that has the least light loss to maintain fastest auto focusing, etc.; my Nikon CPs have a Filter Factor 2.3 - 2.8 (1.2 - 1.5 Stop).

It appears the Polar Pro set for the P4P includes:
  • ND4/PL Filter (2-Stop)
  • ND8/PL Filter (3-Stop)
  • ND16/PL Filter (4-Stop)
So the ND4/PL at 2 stops loss appears the closest to what I'm accustomed to on other cameras as a polarizer (different ballpark, granted.) Suspect I won't get much use out of the bundled ND8/PL or ND16/PL, but maybe they will be useful for me for video later if I get into more video...
You can buy single filters from Polar Pro, just email them and they will work it out for you. I bought 2 from them, an ND16 and a CPL8
 
Island2: We’re using the Polar Pro ND/PL cinema vivid three set. All three are invaluable for videography; we only film with one of them on, depending upon time of day. (And we’re a long way from the coast.) They’re easy to fit and use.

I’m principally a stills photographer, even if filming is dominating at present. I’ve always used B+W front of lens filters for protection, and a Cokin Pro polariser for normal ground photography when needed. The quality of Polar Pro for the P4P by comparison doesn’t disappoint.

Brian’s good point above has only caught us out twice so far, just after dawn. Then it was easily rectified by reshooting.
 

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