So this just arrived today.....
- Thread starter Garrie
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Try filter stacking and see if you get any problems like flare or drastic reduction in video quality. Do update here once you have tested it out! I don't foresee myself flying for the next few days as I'll be busy with work.
Yes, I think us early adopters got a cheaper packaging but we also got a free ND16 filter!
Wow. Very cool. I just ordered the set that includes a 16. Already have an 8, but for the $18 price for three filters I had to give it a shot.
You can stack them to get what ever F stop equivalent you need Here is a video one of the people that puts out a different set made to show how to us the nd filters and how to pick the filters you need for different light and exposer settings
Thanks for that, didn't realize the link between EV and ND stops
I question the accuracy of determining the correct filter in this video example. Perhaps I am wrong, but I've never seen EV higher than +2 on the Phantom. In this video, it works because you can see his shutter is 640, so cutting exposure by 2 stops would bring him down to 120 shutter and a little over exposed as it did. Personally, I leave everything on auto except frame rate. I usually shoot 1080 30p so I want a shutter speed of 1/60th. I take the P3 outside where I plan to shoot and look at what my auto shutter speed is. Often times it's 1000. Cut in half (1 stop)= 500. Cut in half again (2stops)=250. Cut in half again (3stops)=125. Cut in half again (4stops)=62.5.I then know that ND 16 will leave me slightly overexposed. I experimented with the method in this video and my EV never went above +2.0 in the exact same environment that I had auto shutter reading 1/1000.
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Guys ... use your histogram. As Trump would say ... it's HUGE. Avoid crushed spikes on either end of the range and exposure is easily corrected in post. Gradients can be applied to the sky if necessary, and flying with VIDEO and/or PHOTO as the goal as opposed to speed, range, and/or altitude, along with awareness of the position of the sun and choice of time of day are also big factors in determining the quality of the end product.
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Thanks. So using the method described in this video, someone not as familiar with this topic will always think an ND 4 (2 stop filter) is the correct filter to choose in bright sun.
Great points. One thing to note is that the ND filters are being used to control shutter speed, and therefore the overall look of the video, not just exposure. I am not aware of a way to fix this in post. One could shoot a properly exposed sunny landscape without an ND filter, but you're likely to see shutter speeds of 1000 or higher. Selecting the correct ND filter will allow you to obtain the desirable shutter speed for a nice looking motion blur, assuming they also follow the rules you stated above. I'm a follower of the 180 degree rule and therefore always use a filter to obtain proper exposure at 1/60 shutter at 1080 30p.
Agreed... I use ND filters. I come out of a photography background, and there is no substitute for using the histogram. Corrections to video depend on the sophistication of the program you use. I created a bunch of black to 50% gray gradients that I can apply to skies in overlay mode, and then use keyframing to have them track the video. Planned, careful flying also plays a major role.
Cool. I work in video production only on the production side. No post production. The editors I work with want to do as little tweaking, color correction, etc. due to the volume of work. Therefore, I've grown accustomed to making it look as good as possible in the field in order to limit post time. Thanks for sharing your insights.
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Agreed. As with photography, it always helps to get it right on scene rather than depending on post processing.
You don't do a lot of serious or professional photography, perhaps. Think of Ansel Adams. Pretty good photographer. He was the master of darkroom techniques, i.e., post-processing. The idea that perfection can be achieved in every shot through a single click of a shutter is nonsense. Some shots are perfect, but most need something, ranging from a crop to a little color correction, exposure, contrast, etc. ALL PROS use post-processing, often along with exposure bracketing in field, because they understand the limitations of the camera compared to the human eye. I shoot exclusively in RAW, and I can't produce an image without software of some type, and I may shoot 5-8 or more exposures on a given shot to ensure maximum quality in the field, depending on the lighting challenges.
I agree, of course, that it is important to maximize the quality out in the field. That is a thoroughly obvious point, I think everyone would agree. I didn't present this as an "either or". As I mentioned, I use all of the techniques described in these threads with respect to EV, shutter, ND, etc.. My point is that the use of the histogram gives huge insight into the light being captured, and that as long as you stay in its range, the quality will be respectable, and post will be easy, if required at all.
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