I am in the market for some ND filters for my
Phantom 4 Pro. Now I need this forum's help.
I just joined the Phantom Pilots forums today, but I have been reading them and learning for quite some time, I just never joined until now because I didn't exactly have a reason to post until now. I came across a thread here last night while researching the filters I want to get. I see in the comparison on the first page of that thread I came across here that the PolarPro ND8 filter seems to have quite a bit of color difference from the DJI ND8 filter or the DJI UV filter. Please see this link to see which thread I am referring to:
Detailed comparison of commonly used ND filters
That was the standard non-Cinema Series filter used in the comparison though and I don't see any of the newer Cinema Series filters on that comparison for reference. Keep in mind that the comparison thread there is on the P3 forum and I have a
Phantom 4 Pro, but it still makes me debate them a bit. So that's where I need everyone's help here
PLEASE.
I am torn between purchasing the DJI ND4, ND8, and ND16 filters - or purchasing the PolarPro Cinema Series Shutter Collection filters. I'm gonna eventually go with one or the other. Now is where I need everyone's help
PLEASE.
I have tried to do lots of research into the matter and I am honestly getting mixed signals on it. So many people write that PolarPro Cinema Series filters are top of the line with their advertised higher quality glass. The PolarPro Cinema Series filters seem to be what everyone recommends for the most part, but I have read mixed reviews on them while comparing them to the DJI filters, which seem super neutral as far as I have read and seen (which they should be of course, as they are made through DJI by the same people that made the
P4P camera so they should be a perfect match).
The standard PolarPro filters used in the comparison on the thread I linked above seem to introduce a bit of warmth to the lens, making your overall pic or video look a little warmer than normal. What about the Cinema Series filters though? Do they do the same thing? The object of filters is that you don't want them introducing color change. You want them to be as neutral as possible so they show the colors as truly as possible. How do the PolarPro Cinema Series filters, specifically the Shutter Collection that I am interested in, match up to staying neutral like the DJI filters do though? The DJI ones in that comparison thread seem to be SUPER neutral, which is a good thing, and since it was for a P3, I am assuming the DJI
P4P filters stay just as neutral.
I've watched videos on the Black Raven Films YouTube channel which compared the PolarPro Cinema Series ND/PL filters to the DJI ND only filters, but that's not an accurate test because you can't compare polarized filters to non-polarized filters and get accurate comparison results. That's like comparing apples to oranges and expecting the apples to be orange. Not accurate. I need something that compares the PolarPro Cinema Series Shutter Collection
ND-only filters to the DJI
ND-only filters. I have never seen a comparison of such on a video or in pictures.
The thing I really like about the DJI filters is that they seem to be as neutral as can be, and they are the exact same size as the stock UV filter too, meaning you can use the stock gimbal guard clamp with them still attached to your camera. You can't do that with the PolarPro filters. I did ask Jeff from PolarPro about that though, and he said that the Cinema Series Shutter Collection would actually fit in the stock gimbal guard that comes with the
Phantom 4 Pro (the Vivid Collection won't because they are a tad longer) but that the Shutter Collection filters would be a very tight fit with the stock gimbal guard, so he recommends getting the
P4P lens cover that PolarPro just came out with. The only problem with the lens covers from them is that it protects the lens filter attached to your camera, sure, but although it does provide some gimbal stabilization, it doesn't stabilize the gimbal during transport as much as the stock gimbal guard. It would be a pain in the butt to have to take off your PolarPro filter at the end of your flight all of the time just to put the stock UV filter back on in order to use the stock gimbal guard when packing up. Not a total deal breaker, but it's definitely worth mentioning because lots of us like to pack up and move to another spot pretty quickly when trying to get our shots and time is valuable. I know I could get the lens cover PP just came out with if the Shutter Collection is indeed too tight of a fit for the stock gimbal guard, but I don't like the fact that it looks like it doesn't provide as much stabilization and support for the gimbal as the stock DJI gimbal guard does. I have never used the lens cover from PP, but I have spoken with many who have used the PP lens cover on a standard P4 and they all have told me that it does protect the gimbal but the gimbal can still wobble just a hair with it on. My
Phantom 4 Pro gimbal guard won't allow ANYTHING to wobble, AT ALL.
Anyways....
So between the
Phantom 4 Pro filters that DJI makes and the
Phantom 4 Pro PolarPro Cinema Series Shutter Collection filters, which ones are truly the best as far as providing neutral colors and providing clarity? PolarPro Cinema Series filters are are advertised as being made with higher quality glass than the DJI filters and they also have a lower refractive index, and are also multicoated with AR coatings to help reduce lens flaring, enhancing clarity. Is the difference really noticeable or are the differences subtle?
I did come across another review on the two last night which actually says that the DJI ones are made with higher quality glass than the PolarPro, even if it is the Cinema Series you are comparing DJI ones to. That goes against what PolarPro advertises in that the Cinema Series is a higher quality glass than what DJI uses. Check this link here and scroll about halfway down the page and you will see DJI at number 2 and PolarPro at number 3.
A quick review of ND filters for the DJI Phantom
Is that comparison even accurate?
I know this is a long thread and thanks for anyone who is still reading, but I'm here to ask all of you which ones are truly the best? Which ones do you recommend, and why? Please do not be totally biased because you use one over the other, and please do not actually recommend one over the other if you have never actually used both.
Please do feel free to post your opinions on it though for me cuz I need to make up my mind on it and I am having a very hard time doing just that.