Polarizing filter for water search and rescue

[CP_Oregon]

Hi,
I am looking to improve our P4's ability to "see" through water and reduce glare from the water to better serve in water rescue scenarios.

This isn't a pretty photography question, I simply want to be able to more easily find a submerged craft in shallow water or a body in video or onscreen.

Can you all recommend a filter or other product for this use? I appreciate any help you can offer!

 

[BigAl07]

I'm currently "scheduled" to do a Search & Recovery mission this coming Sunday and it's all "water search" for a lost boater. It's still tentative due to horrible rains, flooding, and mudslides in the area but if weather cooperates I'll be on the water all day Sunday. I plan to test a couple of filters and see if they make any difference at all but we will be using Phantom 3, Inspire 1 V2, and Mavic. I'll report back our findings if everything goes as planned.

Allen

 

[CP_Oregon]

That's great, thank you! Good luck and good weather.

 

[ryantrax]

Problem with water and CPL's is they only work if rotated properly, when you change direction or gimbal angle it throws everything off. One nice thing with the Mavic Pro is you can go into Portrait mode which rotates the lens and CPL 90 degrees, this sometimes helps. I'm looking forward to your findings @BigAl07

 

[BigAl07]

Problem with water and CPL's is they only work if rotated properly, when you change direction or gimbal angle it throws everything off. One nice thing with the Mavic Pro is you can go into Portrait mode which rotates the lens and CPL 90 degrees, this sometimes helps. I'm looking forward to your findings @BigAl07

Portrait Mode? Shut the front door... how have I never seen or used this? Is it in the same menu/section in the DJI Go as Tripod Mode etc? I need to read up on it and practice some with it.

The varying angles are why I don't use CPL's. They can look great in THIS shot and one slight turn and no more LOL.

 

[ryantrax]

Portrait Mode? Shut the front door... how have I never seen or used this? Is it in the same menu/section in the DJI Go as Tripod Mode etc? I need to read up on it and practice some with it.

The varying angles are why I don't use CPL's. They can look great in THIS shot and one slight turn and no more LOL.

LOL, learn something new every day don't we

 

[BigAl07]

Thank you Ryan

 

[bsartist]

Problem with water and CPL's is they only work if rotated properly, when you change direction or gimbal angle it throws everything off. One nice thing with the Mavic Pro is you can go into Portrait mode which rotates the lens and CPL 90 degrees, this sometimes helps. I'm looking forward to your findings @BigAl07

For the type of use case described, I was thinking that you deal with the CPL orientation issue by keeping the camera aimed straight down then you can yaw the aircraft till the reflections are minimum. Since you are yawing around the lens axial it’s like rotating the polarizer. Then fly your search pattern.