I remove filters from my Air very easily by wearing thin surgical glove
@OzoneVibeDave that is an excellent demo of polarizing filter…more expense!!!
I use ND filters all the time, in fact I can’t find my Hasselblad window!
I use them in photography to get slower shutter speeds, try shooting a 1 or 2 seconds. With a stabilised gimbal you can get some stunning landscape images by slowing shutter speeds down and still working with wider apertures.
With video I use them when the lighting conditions are so bright that you cannot maintain the 180 degree shutter rule. As a rule I edit on a 24 or 25p timeline so my shutter is always double the frame rate of my video so 1/50th of a second or multiples thereof(rule of thumb). The faster the shutter speed the more crisp each frame is and the video can seem more stuttering. Apply the same rule as you do in photography. If you want to “freeze” motion go for the higher shutter speeds.
Time lapses are best shot with NDs as you want the shutter to be slower. The whole idea of time lapse is to exaggerate movement so some blur on the frames is needed for each frame to “blend” nicely. If the shutter is too high it makes the time lapse very jumpy.
Butch
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I think there is a real need to differentiate between drone photography and normal photography … this being a forum for drone flying … to avoid any confusion.
Generally, long exposures of 1 or 2 seconds are not what we do with a drone, and, for most drones, swapping filters is a right fiddle … their size, the type of fitting and the vulnerability of the gimbal … not to mention that your drone might be 500m away and 400ft up when you think “Ah - need an ND32 rather than that ND8” …. and, alternating between video and stills … compromising the shutter speed of one because you’ve filtered up for the other.
Quite easy to change your mind, and the filter, when the camera is hanging from your neck or on a tripod close-by.
I value your opinion and understand why you might say that. The modern drone, to me is a film making and photography tool that flies.
If I am going out to take a landscape shot, I usually have planned what I might do. If, halfway through I need to rethink plans and change an ND or lens or tripod or add a light then that’s what I have to to. Same with drones, switch it to sport mode, land it and then go again, I’ve done that a few times.
The principles of the photographic process and indeed film making process are exactly the same regardless of whether your camera is on the ground or in the air, to get great shots or footage you need to think and plan in exactly the same way.
That’s what I find so exciting and challenging with aerial shooting, with land based cameras you plan your shots from a perspective that you understand i.e. from the ground plane to eye level and slightly above but the drones allow a perspective which challenges us to look deeper into the art of composition from a perspective that we can only imagine.
I agree that an iteration of a drone camera that allows for variable ND as I have in my cinema cameras, would be spectacular I don’t see a need to differentiate between aerial and land-based photography. Also, this being a forum that encourages flying and filming I have to say I am learning a lot about flying!
I hope I have understood you correctly!
Regards
Butch
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Sorry, also on the subject of long exposure, it’s perfectly fine in the right conditions to shoot for 1 or 2 seconds, even land based gimbals are capable of balancing and hand-holding longer than usual exposures.
The technology afforded to us at the moment with balancing gimbals, sliders, motors and drones etc allow us to do things that were once only the domain of Hollywood production companies.
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Horses and courses, of course.
Hobbyist v Pro … and differing needs/priorities.
Indeed - with drone or land based cameras, the fundamental techniques are the same … where the same can be done.
Hefty NDs and a 30 second exposures to blur water movement are not the realm of a drone, etc. … and with a buffeting wind and turbulence, even 2 secs with a drone can fail to get the desired/intended result.
The vast majority of my drone flying has been whilst travelling, and responding to scenes as they present themselves. This rather interferes with the planning aspect of things.
There have been many times when just finding somewhere to park the car in time to catch something has been an issue, let along deciding on and fitting the right filter. 
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And by the same token, many land based camera/tripod setups fail to stabilise at 2 seconds for all sorts of reasons, so we continue to use what we have and make the best of it!!
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Still working on those last 5 words. 
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I know what you mean!
This is about the longest exposure I managed without movement…
Not with a drone though, about 300 seconds, f/4, 17mm ND8 I believe…have a good day!
Do you good people use manual settings when using ND/PL filters ? Only asking because mine seem very washed out using up to ND16 as if the camera is overexposed
Yes, use manual settings. And use the histogram to put you in the ballpark for post production
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Cheers Tim bud 
It also depends on why you are using the filters. The ND filters are mainly for making sure the shutter speed is correct for motion blur in the light you are shooting video in.
Or in photography for longer exposure shots.
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Mainly sunrise and sunsets but getting better results without filters in manual and auto tbh Tim, I’ve got the ND??PL filters from 4 -32 as I used pl filters a lot in my Canon camera
Do you use the histogram to help you set up in manual mode?
Also, here is a useful table for ND filters
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Yes just started using the histogram and thanks that table will come in very useful