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Why You Need ND Filters For Your DJI Osmo Action!
Welcome to our blog discussing the significance of ND filters for your DJI Osmo Action camera! As an avid photographer or videographer, you understand the importance of capturing the perfect shot in any lighting condition. However, when it comes to filming with your DJI Osmo Action, you may find yourself encountering overexposed or washed-out footage, especially in bright environments. This is where ND (Neutral Density) filters come to your rescue. ND filters are indispensable tools that allow you to control the amount of light entering your camera lens, resulting in well-balanced and stunningly vivid visuals. Throughout this blog, we will delve into the various reasons why incorporating ND filters into your DJI Osmo Action setup is essential for achieving professional-grade footage you’ll be proud to share.
Why You Need ND Filters For Your DJI Osmo Action!
Introduction
What is up people done here and today we’re gonna try and do something fun with this the Osmo action from DJI using the polar Pro and D filters but first I’m gonna do something that’s probably a terrible idea. I need to drive to work to pick up a Package and one of my favorite things to do with the Osmo action are driving time lapses. No, up until now I’ve always hooked up the Osmo action inside my vehicle which is nice, it’s safe there and everything but if there’s any kind of debris on your windshield it’s a little bit tough to get a really nice picture. So, what I want to do today is actually hook up using this suction cup onto the hood of my van here and see how that goes. Like I said, probably a terrible idea. I’m trying to decide where I think this should go: there are two places, right in between the windshield wipers or right down on the hood of the car. I’m thinking I’d probably feel better if it was up between the windshield wipers because that way I can kind of use the windshield wipers to sandwich it in. This is a terrible idea. I feel really bad about this. It’s kind of pretty good hold though. Here’s opening…
Using ND Filters for Motion Blur
If you’ve ever seen the Osmo action before, you might be noticing that there’s something a little bit different about this one and that’s because this video is sponsored by polar pura. Polar Pro makes filters and they’ve got a filter set made specifically for the Osmo action, but we’re gonna talk about that later because I’m really nervous. I don’t want to get this over with, rip the band-aid off and drive to work and hope that this doesn’t fall off of my vehicle and ruin it forever. Okay, this is the moment of truth. I’ve got the app all hooked up, it’s on this it’s on the hood of the car. I this is I feel really not good about this, but here we go, gonna start the time-lapse. We made it and it’s still there! Genuinely so happy that it didn’t fall off and get crushed on the road.
Now I’ve had the Osmo action for a little while now and action cams are pretty cool because of the unique things that you can do with them. They fit in super tiny spaces and you can mount them on pretty much anything, which opens up a lot of possibilities. But there are also some limitations, for example, the Osmo Action has a fixed aperture of f/2.8, so you can’t use aperture to adjust your exposure.
The Importance of Shutter Speed
I have a whole video talking about the exposure triangle and how to properly set your exposure. What I really want to talk about specifically today is motion blur, which is controlled by shutter speed. All said and done, there are two main things that I use my action camera for: the first one is to shoot video in places where I might not be able to shoot video with my normal camera, and the second thing is to shoot those time lapses.
First, let’s talk about video and we’ll get to the time lapses a little bit later. When I’m shooting video, I typically try to adhere to the 180 degree shutter rule. What that means is whatever frame rate I’m shooting at, I want my shutter speed to be approximately double. For example, if I’m shooting at 24 frames per second, that means each frame takes up one twenty-fourth of a second, so I want to set my shutter speed at one forty-eighth of a second. Because there is no one forty-eighth of a second option on a lot of cameras, I’ll set it to 1/50th. And then on the Osmo Action, if I’m using their 60 frames per second 4k, I’ll be trying to shoot at 1/120th of a second, and so on and so forth.
The reason that this is important is because it gives pleasing motion blur. Each frame is a picture, and if there’s something moving through the frame, depending on how slow the shutter speed is, it will blur more or less. In video, if you have too fast of a shutter speed, things can look sharp and jittery. But shutter speed is also one of the ways that we adjust our exposure or brightness of our image. A faster shutter speed means a darker image, and a slower one means a brighter image. So, if our shutter speed is down to keep with that 180-degree shutter rule, we’re gonna need another way to adjust exposure.
The Role of ND Filters in Adjusting Exposure
Like I said before, on action cameras, it’s often a fixed aperture, so you can’t use that to adjust for exposure either. And yes, we do have ISO that we can make things brighter with, but if it’s already bright out, we’re gonna need to use ND filters. In this shot, I’m filming at 24 frames per second, and ideally I’d like to have my shutter speed at either 1/48th or 1/50th of a second, but I’ve had to bump it all the way to 1/1600th of a second just to get the exposure right. If I was to change it down to 1/50th of a second, it would look like this, basically it looks like white.
If you do a little bit of quick math, you might be able to figure out that 1/50th of a second and 1/1600th of a second are exactly six stops of light difference. So, I’m gonna put an ND filter on there. We’re still at 1/50th of a second, we’re still at ISO 100, but we put a six-stop ND filter on there and now we get the proper exposure until the sun comes out and ruins everything.
As you can see, when shooting video on the Osmo Action, having ND filters can be the difference between having janky looking amateur footage and having awesome looking cinematic professional footage. But there are a couple of things that really make the Polar Pro filter stand out.
The Benefits of Polar Pro ND Filters
First of all, the quality is super high, like all Polar Pro products. If you’ve ever heard me talk about my Peter McKinnon variable ND filters made by Polar Pro, or pum tvind as I like to call them, you’ll know how much I love those things and how I love the quality of them. It’s that same Polar Pro build and image quality that you’ve come to expect from them, but what I really love about them is the way that you actually mount it.
Polar Pro has come up with this cool new system. When you get the Osmo Action, it comes with this clear protective part that we’re just gonna take straight off. Instead of making the ND filters the same and having to screw them on and off each time, they gave you this little magnetic ring that you can screw on, and that just stays on there nice and snug. Now I’m ready to put on a filter, it just snaps into place and it holds pretty securely too. If I want to put another one on, I can pull that one off and snap another one into place, with no screwing on and off like you would have to do with normal filters.
The entire range of ND filters and polarizing filters go from two to six stops. There are a bunch of different packages depending on exactly what you need. These filters are great if you just want to make things darker, and the polarizing filters are kind of cool because they’ll actually cut reflections. So, if you’re trying to look through glass or water, that can be really helpful, or even if you’re looking at a nice blue sky, it’ll…
FAQ: Why You Need ND Filters For Your DJI Osmo Action
Q: What are ND filters?
A: ND filters, or Neutral Density filters, are camera accessories that reduce the amount of light entering the lens without affecting its color or clarity.
Q: Why do I need ND filters for my DJI Osmo Action?
A: ND filters are essential for controlling the amount of light entering your camera, especially in bright outdoor conditions. They allow you to achieve proper exposure, avoid overexposure, and maintain the correct shutter speed, resulting in better image and video quality.
Q: Can’t I adjust exposure settings manually without ND filters?
A: While you can adjust exposure settings manually, the DJI Osmo Action has a fixed aperture and limited shutter speed range. ND filters provide additional flexibility in controlling exposure under varying lighting conditions, enabling you to capture well-balanced shots with the desired motion blur and sharpness.
Q: What types of ND filters are available for the DJI Osmo Action?
A: There are different ND filter options available, such as fixed ND filters with specific light reduction values (e.g., ND4, ND8, or ND16) and variable ND filters that allow adjustable light reduction through rotating the filter.
Q: When should I use ND filters?
A: ND filters are particularly useful in situations with bright sunlight or harsh lighting conditions. They are indispensable for outdoor activities such as landscape photography, drone footage, or capturing action sports, as they help maintain proper exposure and prevent overexposure or blown-out highlights.
Q: Can I use ND filters for creative purposes?
A: Absolutely! ND filters not only assist in achieving proper exposure but also offer creative capabilities. By using ND filters, you can create long exposure effects, capture motion blur in water or moving objects, and even achieve shallow depth of field in bright conditions for a more cinematic look.
Q: How do I choose the right ND filter for my DJI Osmo Action?
A: Choosing the right ND filter depends on the lighting conditions and the effect you wish to achieve. Fixed ND filters with different light reduction values are suitable for specific lighting situations, while variable ND filters offer flexibility by allowing you to adjust the light reduction according to your needs.
Q: Are there any ND filter kits available for the DJI Osmo Action?
A: Yes, many companies offer ND filter kits designed specifically for the DJI Osmo Action. These kits often include multiple ND filters with various light reduction levels, ensuring you have the ideal filter for different shooting scenarios.
Q: How do I attach ND filters to my DJI Osmo Action?
A: ND filters are typically screw-on filters that attach directly to the lens of the DJI Osmo Action. They come with different thread sizes, so make sure to choose filters compatible with the camera’s lens diameter.
I hope you find useful my article Why You Need ND Filters For Your DJI Osmo Action!, I also recommend you to read my other posts in my blog at this link.
If you need help with anything join the community or do not hesitate to contact me.
Best of luck! and follow your passion.
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