Polar Pro Producer has been in the filter for quite some time also fitted with applications as well as products and adventure sports. Many of the products used in the past have achieved great success, and we are very excited to try out their new six-piece filter and several professional filters. Polar Pro also enables a convenient filter to transport and maintain tissue. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the product lineup and also take advantage of this opportunity to see which filters apply to different settings. Even in the automatic mode of shooting, they still let the product will help you get a superior image.
OPTIMIZED FOR THE DJI PHANTOM 3 AND 4
What’s great about the Polar Pro brand is their commitment to manufacturing products optimized for Phantom users. The filters we tested were nothing short of top construction. Having tried a wide variety of others on the market we were impressed by the attention to detail in the Polar Pro line. At first, you will notice how incredibly light the filters are, tipping the scales at only four grams, they can replace the stock Phantom clear filter without any need to worry about gimbal balance issues. The threads on the inside of the filters are very sturdy and machined perfectly, ensuring that they will be around for the long haul. Each filter comes with a small carry pouch that doubles as a cleaning cloth. We highly recommend the filter pouch they make as it is super compact and can fit into most drone cases and backpacks specific for the Phantom. Above and beyond amazing construction are the astonishing optics. The material used for the filters themselves is top notch and provides for stunning imagery. We tested the filters for sharpness and image degradation that sometimes takes place with lesser quality optics and were presently surprised by what we found. Upon inspection and review we didn’t notice any harsh shadowing that can sometimes happen, any vigneting or strange color shifts. With some of the drone shots demanding perfection on the first pass or in action sports where there are no second takes, we can confidently trust Polar Pro to deliver imagery that won’t disappoint.
The six-pack of filters comes with a Polarizer (PL) filter, ND8, ND16 and ND32 filters and then two blended filters that are a mix of polarizer ND in the form of ND8/PL and ND16/PL. This kit is a great starting point that will cover you for almost any filming situation. Additionally they off er an ND64 and ND32/PL filter for alternative creativity.
THE 180 RULE
You always want to set your shutter speed to about double your frame rate. This means at 4k/30FPS set to shutter speed 60, while at 1080/60 you want shutter speed 120. Additionally, 24FPS you want shutter speed 50 and for the 120FPS mode on the phantom this means you need to shoot at 250 shutter speed. This will give you the correct motion blur. Ever film in auto on a sunny day and get choppy video? This is due to the camera selecting the wrong shutter speed. Even filming in auto and knowing which filter to apply means the camera can then do the rest. If the image is too bright it will have to increase the shutter to darken the image and introduce choppy motion blur into the video clips. For experienced cinematographers looking to control light, the Polar Pro filter kit will have you crafting beautiful video with correct settings every time.
THE POLARIZER FILTER
Much like a good pair of sunglasses, this filter helps cut through reflections and provide more definition to what you are viewing … great for seeing detail in clouds and the ability to see through glass reflections. It’s also very useful for filming bodies of water as they will cut through any glare and help you see under the surface; a feature ideal for Caribbean drone shots where the water is crystal clear. PL filters help provide vivid colors and bring the image to life due to their ability to minimize the back cast of light.
ND FILTERS
ND serves to do two things. First, they darken your image to help get you to a point where you can select a slower shutter speed and get your fi lm settings optimized. Second, it allows the light to be more evenly dispersed on the image. This gives you less contrast and a more balanced exposure which is perfect for aerial video and photos as it helps combat the bright sky and the subject below. When you see numbers attached to ND filters this refers to how much light the filter absorbs. It’s measured in light stops and normally the greater the number, the more light it blocks. Pick an ND4 for a dusk shot, ND8 or ND16 for cloudy days or using 1080/60FPS video and ND32 for bright sunny days when shooting 4k video is a good baseline to start at. Polar Pro also offers a ND64 which can help get your shutter speed lower for photos or for video use in extremely bright conditions. The ND32 and 64 ND filters can be useful for the beach and snowy conditions.
COMBINED ND AND PL FILTERS
Provide the best of the two combined into one filter. Polar Pro integrates the best of both worlds to give the producer the brilliance of marriage, allowing ND to blacken the image and control the shutter speed while offering the advantage of adding vibrant colors to full-fledged images in the clouds and shadows. These combination filters are really miraculous. The stand-alone ND32 / PL is a good filter for using the car and shooting 4 k video in bright days. If I had to choose a filter to use this would be it, but that certainly would not replace the whole six pieces of the device.
GET OUT THERE AND FLY
The best way to see what works best for you is to go out and fly and try a different filter to see what you like. In general, almost all of the shooting and picture settings will benefit from some sort of filter to assist. Polar Pro at the top of the list, and in our 30-day flight test the new Magic 4. They also provide additional comments and suggestions for each filter used on the site. Happy to fly, use these filters to create stunning images!
