ND for Drones

0ptics · May 18, 2019

Hello,

I have the DJI Mavic Pro 1 and wanted to shoot long exposure waterfall drone pictures.

1) Is shooting at 1 sec with the Mavic too slow for a rushing waterfall during daylight? I want to get that silky smooth water motion blur but for everything else to be sharp.

2) Should I be using Tripod mode versus normal?

3) Seems like NDs go by 4, 8, 16, etc. Which individual ones or set should I get? I'd hate to waste battery life & time switching on and off different ND filters. Is there like a general rule (eg. harsh sun use 32, while overcast use 16).

Thanks!

dennybeall · May 20, 2019

Because prevailing light is so variable most people get a set of ND Filters. You may use a 10 one time and need a 10 + 5+4 the next time.

RVT1K · May 21, 2019

My first thought was that there was no way a drone could be held steady enough for a long exposure.

tirediron · May 21, 2019

RVT1K said:
My first thought was that there was no way a drone could be held steady enough for a long exposure.

Concur. You may get useable images, but that will be about it. As good as drone technology is, a >1 sec exposure isn't going to be sharp. Air currents, minor corrections, etc, are going to result in sub-par images. As well, especially on larger water falls there are often unique localized air currents that will further complicate matters.

RVT1K · May 21, 2019

tirediron said:
RVT1K said:

My first thought was that there was no way a drone could be held steady enough for a long exposure.

Click to expand...

Concur. You may get useable images, but that will be about it. As good as drone technology is, a >1 sec exposure isn't going to be sharp. Air currents, minor corrections, etc, are going to result in sub-par images. As well, especially on larger water falls there are often unique localized air currents that will further complicate matters.

You know, after I posted that I did consider that the camera may be gyro-stabilized. It may work if that's the case but I don't know how well a system like that would work on a consumer-level item.