ND Filters
Why Drones Need ND Filters
Drones have transformed the way we capture images and video from the sky, offering breathtaking perspectives that were once reserved for expensive equipment and experienced pilots. To enhance the quality of aerial photography and videography, many drone enthusiasts turn to a handy accessory: ND (Neutral Density) filters. In this blog post, we'll explore the significance of ND filters for drones and why they are essential tools for achieving stunning aerial visuals.
Understanding ND Filters: A Brief Overview:
ND filters are designed to reduce the amount of light entering the camera lens without affecting color or hue. They essentially act as sunglasses for your drone's camera.
Controlling Light for Creative Freedom:
ND filters give drone operators greater control over their shots. Being able to have the flexibility to use more range in your camera’s sensor in bright daylight, is crucial for filmmaking. There are three main key concepts that ND Filters enable you you to control in bright situations:
- Shutter Speed Control: ND filters allow for slower shutter speeds even in bright conditions. This control is crucial for capturing motion blur, creating cinematic footage, and avoiding overexposure.
- Aperture Adjustment: Being able to reduce the amount of light into the sensor enables the use of wider apertures, resulting in a shallow depth of field. This is desirable for cinematic effects like bokeh.
- Maintaining Cinematic Frame Rates: ND filters help maintain the desired frame rate, such as 24 or 30 fps, even in bright sunlight. This is essential for achieving a cinematic look. usually, a frame rate of 24 or 30fps is going to allow for more light into the sensor, then again, using ND Filters help block out some of the unwanted light.
Balancing Exposure for Aerial Shots:
Maintaining proper exposure with drones can be extremely difficult, especially with wider shots that deal with dark shadows but also show extremely bright highlights.
- Dynamic Range: Drones can often struggle with limited dynamic range. ND filters help by balancing the exposure between the bright sky and the darker ground, resulting in more balanced and visually pleasing images.
- Reducing Glare: ND filters can reduce glare and reflections, especially when flying over water or other reflective surfaces, allowing for clearer and more vibrant shots. Nothing worse when you have a perfectly exposed shot and an unwanted glare comes out of nowhere ruining the shot. Some glares can be desirable and ND Filters can help enhance those desirable glares in the correct lighting.
Types of ND Filters for Drones:
There are many different levels of ND filters, such as ND4, ND8, ND16, and ND32, and the choice depends on the lighting conditions and desired effects. there are many more different levels of filters, but ND4 - ND32 is usually the most used for drones in most applications.
Applications for Drone Photography and Videography:
Explore various scenarios and styles where ND filters can significantly improve the quality of drone shots:
- Landscape Photography: Utilizing the proper ND filter can help capture landscapes with balanced exposure and vivid colors, even during the golden hour.
- Cinematic Videography: If you intend on capturing that “Cinematic Look”, it is crucial to use ND Filters to achieve the look and feel in drone videos, with smooth motion and controlled exposure.
- Long-Exposure Photography: It is a MUST to use a strong level of ND Filter to capture a long exposure shot. This can enable long-exposure shots of waterfalls, rivers, or traffic, resulting in stunning, ethereal images. utilizing long exposure shots during the day require you to shoot at an extremely low shutter speed; therefore allowing more light into the sensor. Capturing these kinds of shots during the daytime will require a ND 64 or possibly even higher to capture these shots correctly and properly exposed.
Tips for Using ND Filters with Drones:
- Learn to Read Lighting Conditions: Drone operators need to assess the lighting conditions and choose the appropriate ND filter accordingly.
- Experiment and Practice: It is super important to experiment and practice to understand the effects of different ND filters and settings in different lighting scenarios.
Conclusion:
The transformative power of ND filters in drone photography and videography is greatly shown and appreciated by just about everyone on set and even the audience of the deliverable. These small accessories can make a significant difference in the quality and creativity of aerial shots. We at Avionik Studios encourage drone enthusiasts and professionals to invest in ND filters and explore the endless possibilities they offer for capturing stunning visuals from above.