ND filters or neutral density filters reduce light intensity without changing color.
There are different brands with different filter levels, from 2 to 1024. Different values are doubled at each step. For DJI drones, DJI sells ND4 ND8 and ND16 for Phantoms, Inspire and Osmo, and Autel brands include ND4, ND8, ND16, ND 32 for EVO Lite series and EVO II series.
Taking pictures at high altitudes, in order to reduce the amount of sunlight that the sensor sees (or slow the shutter speed), we have to limit the amount of light that enters the lens. Hence the need for ND filters that act like camera sunglasses.
At ND2, the amount of light entering the camera is cut in half. So 50% is allowed. The ND2/filter helps capture well-balanced cinematic images in very bright sunlight conditions, especially in the afternoon and early morning.
Under ND4, the amount of light entering the camera is halved again. So 25% is allowed. The ND4 filter helps to reduce the shutter speed by 2 stops. This is great for clear photos when the weather is overcast or cloudy with low daylight.
Under ND8, the amount of light entering the camera is halved again. So 12% is allowed. The ND8 filter is designed to reduce the amount of light hitting the camera's sensor, thereby slowing the camera's shutter speed by 3 stops. This is very helpful for capturing realistic and clear images, especially in cloudy daylight conditions.
At ND16, the amount of light entering the camera is halved again. So 6% is allowed. The ND16/PL hybrid filter is designed to reduce the amount of light hitting the camera sensor by 4 stops. This filter also prevents unwanted reflections from windows or bodies of water. This helps to perfectly balance the image and capture sharp shots in normal daylight conditions. In addition to slowing down the shutter speed, ND filters are also effective at avoiding the unwanted "jelly" effect that often occurs in footage shot without an ND filter.
At ND32, the amount of light entering the camera is halved again. So 3% is allowed. The ND32/PL filter is a great way to reduce your camera's shutter speed by 5 stops, effectively slowing it down. This helps capture clear and vivid color images in the brightest sunlight conditions. With this filter, you can also capture the much-needed "Motion Blur" effect, giving your footage a truly cinematic look, while protecting your images from unwanted glare from natural surfaces that reflect light.
The ND64/PL hybrid filter effectively minimizes camera shutter speeds. This is a great way to add our coveted "motion blur" effect. It also effectively prevents unwanted reflections from windows, snow, water, etc. from ruining the image quality.
We need to know that darker filters are more useful when shooting directly from the sun or in extreme lighting conditions. And in photo shoots that may require long exposures during the day.
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