Testing ND8 Filter with Phantom 3S

[jcaerialstudio]

Attempt to create cinematic footage-

Phantom 3 Standard
2.7K/24fps
D-Log/(+1,+1,+1)
Manual Mode /ISO 200/ Shutter Speed 400
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Hope you enjoy

 

[With The Birds]

The aim is to get your shutter close to twice your frame rate, in this instance you would need an ND32 with your ISO@100 (there is no good reason to run a higher ISO with an ND of any value). It might be that an ND16 would have been adequate for some if the takes though where you are seemingly under exposing by a stop- it might also be you went in a bit hard in setting your levels in post.

 

[jcaerialstudio]

The aim is to get your shutter close to twice your frame rate, in this instance you would need an ND32 with your ISO@100 (there is no good reason to run a higher ISO with an ND of any value). It might be that an ND16 would have been adequate for some if the takes though where you are seemingly under exposing by a stop- it might also be you went in a bit hard in setting your levels in post.

Thank you so much for the in depth information so basically my ND8 filter is useless.. should i just use it as jello-effect preventing lens then?

 

[With The Birds]

The ND isn’t useless. The ND8 would be just as useful in lower light as an ND32 would have been, The benefit is dependent on you understanding the benefit. With respect to what seemed to be your primary intent, i.e to test the “cinematic effect” we have a convenient alignment with “reducing Jello”, that is to use an ND of appropriate density to arrive at a correct exposure with a shutter speed of twice the frame rate when shooting video. The so-called “cinematic effect” is simply to employ a slow shutter to introduce some motion blur which, to some extent, creates a similar feeling/presentation to movies shot on film. Jello is simply the wobbly looking footage you get when panning/flying at higher frame rates (it is an artifact of the rolling shutter in the camera). Slower shutter introduces blur which makes any rolling shutter effects less obvious.