I’m new for Newtownabbey to drones, after a few nervous flights I’m getting a little more confident. I love taking photos and a little video so would love to know do filters make a big difference to Photographs from the DJI mini 2 please.
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ND filters do nothing to colour or contrast. Their sole use is to lower the shutter speed in bright light to something approaching the ideal - 1/50 for 25fps, 1/60 for 30fps
Polarising filters will reduce reflections (not always good when trying to make smooth water interesting!) and darken blue skies - if the angle is right. On the ground a photographer can rotate the filter to achieve the effect desired, not easy when your camera is 150 feet above you. So, for me CPL (circular polarisers) is of little use - most effects can be achieved in the edit.
Here is expert pilot (and GADC member) @ianinlondon giving his views:
Ian has a whole catalogue of drone videos all available free on YouTube and all well worth watching. Hit that subscribe button in the video above!
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Thank you again macspite that is a video that explains filter in a simple to understand way. Thanks to @ianinlondon for making a this great video. 
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Hi and welcome.
Your title could have been written for me, keen photographer who agonised over whether or not to get a drone I joined GADC early this year and finally bought a Mini 2 last month.
During my research period I maxed out on YouTube and also found @ianinlondon a valuable source of information.
Another I found good is an American YouTuber called Flytpath.
Hope you enjoy your time on here as much as I do.
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I’ll check him out YouTube. Yea was out today again it’s great being to look down on the world
Very helpful thanks. Being new to this does it make any sense at the beginning to fix my best guess ND filter on and then use auto till I get used to Pro settings? In other words will the filter at least make auto choose closer to the magic fps/shutter speed ratio than it would do without any filter?
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Thank you aga for your advise.
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It depends in part as to how much control over the camera settings you have in auto. I don’t have a Mini 2 myself so I’m assuming that you can select a fixed ISO in the Fly app.
Correct exposure is a combination of shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity of film of sensor (ISO). Alter one and you need to increase or decrease the other(s)
The Min has a fixed aperture of f2.8 so that is one variable that is out of the equation. As far as I can make out shutter and ISO are automatic unless in Manual mode. So in auto an ND filter may reduce the shutter speed - or it might increase the ISO, The only way to find out is to switch the aircraft on and play with the filters and camera controls (on the ground would be quickest!)
Manual mode is available by clicking on the camera symbol at the very bottom right. Once activated, an M appears and you can set the ISO and shutter speed. You might as well learn to use the camera manually - it gives you greater control.
And once again @ianinlondon comes to the rescue with a selection of easy-to-understand tutorials on manual exposure and the Mini 2
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Hi from Lisburn, 10 months new flyer. Mini2
I am just getting into filters myself.
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