Tag: buying guide

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Which Drone to buy for Photography

In January 2019 I assessed the market to find what is the best drone for photographers.  It was very clear that the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is the leader for photographers looking for a drone for still photography with its exceptional image quality, affordable price and IQ.  

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  • Best Overall Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2, everything great about the Phantom 4 Pro without the bulk.
  • Runner up, Best Overall: DJI Phantom 4 Pro, while starting to show its age and a replacement being imminent, still a more than capable drone.
  • Best Value Option Drone: DJI Spark, this super small drone is a great entry point for people getting into drones.
  • Best Budget Option Drone: Holy Stone HS110D, a super cheap way to play around with drones without breaking the bank.
  • If Money was no Object: DJI Matrice 100, better get saving…! 

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 Before we look at what makes the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and alternative options, it’s important to look at why drone photography is an awesome new area of photography to explore and also what things to look out for when you’re buying a drone. 

What’s my experience in drones?

I’ve been fortunate to own a few drones over the years from:

  • DJI Phantom 2 with GoPro attached – This was like driving a car without power steering in the dark with no headlights.  Super fun but the image quality was terrible and the drone felt like a toy. This was largely due to the drone not having the ability to hover in the one place or avoid obstacles like today’s drones. Basically this meant that in any wind conditions you’d be fighting to keep the drone in the one position without crashing into any trees.
  • DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus – This was a huge step up compared to the P2 with the camera being a huge step up (think an entry level DSLR) and the drone now including being smart enough that anyone could fly one (scary!) with the obstacle avoidance, automatic take off and landing and camera to help with seeing where you’re flying. I loved the camera image quality of the P4P but the bulky nature of the drone made it unpractical at times when travelling interstate or on road trips. 
  • DJI Mavic 2 – Finally! A drone that comes with great image quality, IQ and doesn’t break the bank. 

All of this experience has given me a good understanding of what makes a good drone for photography.

Why you should buy a drone for photography

  • Mix up your photography with new angles not possible with your normal camera
  • Challenge yourself artistically in a relatively new genre of photography
  • Unleash your inner kid! Whilst the drones mentioned in this article definitely aren’t for kids, they still are a heck of a lot of fun to fly and made me feel like a kid again!

What you should consider when looking at drones

Budget

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The sky is the limit (like what I did there?) when it comes to buying drones for still photography but assuming you’re like me and have a mortgage and family to support, unfortunately that $10,000 drone is out of reach.

Fortunately though, we’re incredibly lucky with the available range of drones under $2,000 with many options for people looking to get started all the way through to people looking to buy a drone for high-end commercial work.

Camera sensor and lens

Things to consider when it comes to the camera on your drone:

  • What is the low light performance like on the drone? As you will be photographing around sunrise/sunset, it’s key to have something that is able to capture nice noise free images in low light
  • How wide is the lens? Most drones come standard with a wide angle lens and like your wide angle lens at home, some can have greater distortion than others. 

DJI bought a majority stake in Hasselblad in 2017. Since then we have begun to see equipment with the Hasseblad logo stamped over it. Whether Hasselblad have had much/any involvement 

Image output

The higher the mega pixel the better when it comes to drone photography. From my personal experience, I crop my images a lot more on the drone as I’m working with a fixed length lens with no zoom and it can also be difficult 

When looking for a drone for the purpose of aerial photography, it’s important to take into account the ability to capture images in RAW rather than JPG or other compressed outputs. Like photographing in RAW on your still camera, this gives you the ability to greater recover highlights or shadows as opposed to photographing in JPG or other compressed outputs.

Stability

Any decent drone will include a gimbal which basically acts as a stabilisation device for the camera.  Without a gimbal, the camera can appear wobbly as you move the drone and try to record at the same time. The gimbal is more critical if you’re planning on shooting video on your drone as you will be more inclined to record while moving the drone. But it is also useful to have for flying the drone so you have a steady video stream coming through to help with navigating. 

Reliability 

Early edition DJI drones like the DJI Phantom 2 were renowned for having reliability issues where they would die mid flight or fly away. DJI have innovated heavily in this area and the drones  have incredible reliability with these issues only occurring for a very small minority of drones.

When researching other drones for this article, I did notice that reliability issues are still  common in lesser known and mature brands. Generally these issues only affect a small minority but it’s worth noting when considering the price difference between DJI and a cheaper brand.

Battery life

When considering battery life, it’s important to take into consideration:

  • Powering on and taking the drone off
  • Flying the drone to altitude height 
  • Manoeuvring the drone into position
  • Taking your photos or videos
  • Returning and landing the drone

All of the above use your precious battery life which leads me to say – the more battery life the better! 

Having gone from a 20 minute to 30 minute battery life, I now feel less rushed and don’t feel like I’m constantly clock watching to see how much air time my drone has. 

Physical size

Having owned both the DJI Mavic 2 and DJI Phantom 4 Pro, I can tell you that size definitely matters when it comes to owning a drone.

I’ve gone from owning the DJI Phantom 4 Pro which weighed in at 1334 grams to the Mavic 2 weighing  907 grams and folds down to a substantially smaller size.  The Phantom 4 Pro was cumbersome to carry around and also attracted a lot of attention. With the Mavic 2 Pro, I’m able to simply put this in my camera bag and barely notice it’s there. 

Consider asking yourself the following questions when considering what size drone would best suit your needs:

  • Will I be travelling interstate/overseas and be happy to carry the drone to the airport/check it in?
  • What advantage does the bigger drone provide over smaller drones available?
  • Will I also be carrying my regular camera setup with me?

Ease of flying

When using a drone for aerial photography, you need something which provides stability and allows you to easily fly in open areas where conditions might be windy (I.e. above open coastline) but also features obstacle avoidance to fly in small confined areas (i.e. between trees when photographing a waterfall).

There’s a few things I’d recommend you check when looking for a drone:

  • Ability to hover in one position without needing manual intervention
  • Obstacle avoidance
  • Stability in the wind
  • Return to home  functionality 

Range

 How far are you looking to fly the drone?  Realistically you shouldn’t fly your drone a big distance away from you due to most country aerial/drone laws requiring drone operators to always maintain line of sight with the drone at all times. 

Although sometimes having a drone with a good range even when you are maintains line of sight can be useful especially when flying in windy conditions where the drone may struggle to fly up wind back to you. This gives the option of being able to either a) Slowly return up wind to you and not stress that the drone may fall out of range or b) find a safe spot to land if your battery is low.

Drone Buying Guide

Best Overall Drone – DJI Mavic 2 Pro  

Announced in August 2018, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is DJI’s current flagship drone. DJI have taken a lot of what was great about the DJI Phantom 4 Pro and put it in a more compact drone being the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. 

I personally own the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and love it. Some of the key features which make this a great drone include:

  • Flight time of 31 minutes (if flown at a constant 7 miles per hour (25 kph)
  • Weighs 907 grams and 354 mm (diagonal)
  • Omni-directional obstacle avoidance system to help with avoiding those pesky trees
  • Range of  8km
  • 20 megapixel 1″ sensor (vs the old 1/2.3″ sensor on the original Mavic)
  • 10-bit colour mode
  • Outputs files in RAW (DNG)
  • Captures video in 4k up to 30 fps
  • Impressive ISO performance of 100-12800
  • 28mm fixed lens
  • Hyperlapse mode to capture hyperlapse videos
  • Hyperlight mode to assist with taking photos in the dark
  • Active Track 2.0

All of the above makes the DJI Mavic 2 Pro an awesome drone for aerial photography and my recommended pick if you are looking for a drone for aerial photography.

Previous drones felt like you were capturing images with your iPhone but the Mavic 2 Pro feels like an entry level DSLR (at least).   DJI have really hit the mark with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and you cannot go wrong.

[amazon box=”B07GDC5X74″ title=”DJI Mavic 2 Pro” template=”horizontal” description_items=”3″]

Difference between the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is a superior drone for still photography when compared to the other recently released DJI’s other new drone, the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom. The Zoom is targeted towards the video market with features such as dolly zoom and the ability to optical zoom whilst the Pro is more geared towards photographers with a greater image sensor (1″ vs 1/2.3″ sensor) , better low light capabilities (100-12800 vs 100-3200) and far superior colour range (1 billion vs 16 million).

The key difference between the DJI Mavic Pro 2 and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom are:

  • Lens: Pro model has a fixed 28mm lens whilst the Zoom has a 2x optical zoom lens
  • Image Resolution: The Pro has a 20 megapixel camera whilst the Zoom has a 12 megapixel sensor
  • Image Sensor: The Pro comes with a 1″ sensor (similar to the Phantom 4) while the Zoom only comes with a 1/2.3″ sensor.
  • ISO Range: The Pro has an ISO range of 100-12800 and the Zoom has a range of 100-3200
  • Colour range: The Pro wins this hands down with a colour range of 1 billion colours vs 16 million colours
  • Dolly zoom: As expected by the name, the Zoom includes a dolly zoom (great for video) whilst the Pro does not
  • Price:  The Pro model was launched at $1499 whilst the Zoom model was $1249. A $250 difference

My recommendation is to purchase the DJI Mavic 2 Pro if you are looking for a drone for aerial still photography. This recommendation is based off the better sensor in the DJI Mavic 2 Pro which in turn provides:

  • Greater dynamic range
  • Better low light performance
  • Greater ability to crop your images due to the higher mega pixel

Runner Up, Best Overall Drone – DJI Phantom 4 Pro

Having once owned the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, I can’t speak more highly enough of this drone. However with the recent release of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, it makes recommending the Phantom 4 Pro difficult. 

Some of the key features of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro include:

  • Weighs 1388 grams and is 350mm (diagonal) when taken out of the box
  • Flight time of 30 minutes
  • Range of 7km
  • 20 mega pixel 1″ sensor that outputs to RAW (DNG)
  • 8-bit colour mode
  • Fixed lens of 24mm
  • Mechanical shutter 
  • Films in 4k up to 30 fps
  • Active Track 1.0

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Difference between the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and the DJI Phantom 4 Pro

The key differences between the DJI Phantom 4 Pro and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro include:

  • Flight time:  Mavic 2 Pro has 2 minutes of additional flight time (32 mins vs 30 mins)
  • Weight: Mavic 2 Pro is 481 grams lighter and far smaller in physical size
  • Camera: Phantom 4 Pro includes a mechanical shutter where the Mavic Pro 2 only includes an electronic shutter. This is more relevant for filming to avoid the rolling shutter effect
  • Colour mode: Mavic 2 Pro comes with 10-bit colour whilst the Phantom has 8-bit colours.
  • Focal Length: The  focal length of the Phantom 4 Pro is 24mm vs the Mavic 2 Pro’s 28mm
  • Cost: At time of writing, the Mavic 2 Pro costed $1,449 and the Phantom 4 Pro was $1,499 making the Mavic 2 Pro cheaper
  • Set up time – I’d argue the Mavic 2 Pro is easier to set up and travel with
  • Range: Mavic 2 Pro has a range of 8km vs the Phantom’s range of 7km
  • Wind resistance: Due to the size and weight of the Phantom 4 Pro, this makes it a bit more stable in the wind and lesser prone to get thrown around
  • Active Track: The Mavic 2 Pro comes with Active Track 20 vs. the Phantom’s Active Track 1.0. The difference you ask? Mostly reliability and the new spotlight tracking feature where the drone will keep the subject at the centre of frame and continue to fly around it
  • Hyperlapse and Hyperlight: Only the Mavic 2 Pro comes with these modes.

It’s pretty clear based on the above that the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is the superior drone when compared to other high end drones in the market. Although the DJI Phantom 4 Pro is beginning to show its age now and a refresh isn’t far away.

I’d only recommend the DJI Phantom 4 Pro if one came up second hand for cheap. Even then I’d be nervous about buying in case it has been crashed in the past.  For this reason, go with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

Best Value Option Drone – DJI Spark

Released in May 2017, the DJI Spark makes a great drone for people entering the drone market and not ready to make the leap to spending a large amount of money on a drone just yet.  

The DJI Spark is known for its small size so some of the short comings below (i.e. distance or camera capability) are due to limitations in the size of the drone.  Some features of the DJI Spark include: 

  • Weighs a tiny 300  grams and 170mm diagonal
  • 16 minute flight time
  • 2km distance
  • 12 mega pixel camera with a 1/2.3″ sensor
  • ISO range of 100-1600
  • Only exports in JPG and not RAW (DNG)
  • Films 1080p HD video
  • Small size makes it vulnerable in windy conditions compared to other drones

The sensor on the DJI Spark is on the lower side at 1/2.3″ when you consider an iPhone 7 sensor is 1/1.3″.  Combine this with the low ISO range and ability to only photo in JPG, this limits the image quality which you will get from the DJI Spark. 

The DJI Spark makes a great drone for people who are unsure about buying a drone and not convinced it’s for them.  Personally, I’d save the money and buy the DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

[amazon box=”B075TDRS2M” title=”DJI Spark” template=”horizontal” description_items=”3″]

Best Budget Drone – Holy Stone HS110D

The Holy Stone HS1110D is one of the lesser known brands trying to make a name for itself in the DJI dominated drone market.  I’d place the Holy Stone HS110D and other drones like this in toy/hobbyist category. Largely due to their size (145 grams), flight time (10 minutes) and distance (60 m) making it not overly practical if you’re keen on getting high end shots.

A quick look at the specs of the Holy Stone HS110D:

  • Weighs 145 grams and 320 mm diagonal
  • 10 minute flight time
  • 60m distance
  • 5 mega pixel camera
  • Films 720p video
  • Doesn’t require FAA registration due to weight

One thing that DJI does well with its drones is reliability. A quick skim of the reviews of the Holy Stone HS110D and it was quite clear that this drone was susceptible to reliability issues when in the sky.

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for and I’d recommend skipping this one unless you want to pick up a cheap drone for your kids.

 

[amazon box=”B078WKT1HL” title=”Holy Stone HS110D” template=”horizontal” description_items=”3″]

Comparison

I’ve created a quick comparison of the drones reviewed in this article to help show the difference between them. 

[amazon table=”12476″]

Upcoming Releases

With it being almost 2 and a half years since the DJI Phantom 4 Pro was released, we can only speculate that a replacement isn’t too far away. 

Rumours suggest that the new DJI Phantom 5 could come with the following:

  • Flight time: Longer 45 minute flight time which would considerably raise the bar compared to current drones
  • Gimbal: Improved gimbal to include 360 degree view
  • Lens: Interchangeable lenses so you can change from an ultra wide lens to a zoom lens depending on what you are photographing
  • Improved distance – Ability to reach a flight range of 8-10 km
  • Enhanced obstacle avoidance – Introducing artificial intelligence systems to provide an even better obstacle avoidance system

Obviously the above is all rumour at this point but it will be interesting to see what DJI do with the Phantom considering how great the Mavic 2 Pro now is. Exciting times ahead!

End

Thanks for reading this comparison article on current drones in the market place for still photography.

If you have any suggestions or questions be sure to use the contact section to reach out and I’ll do my best to help.

– Alex  

 

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Long Exposure Filters Buying Guide

Neutral density filters are a great way to get creative and explore long exposure photography. With most manipulation to a photograph happening during post processing, it’s a refreshing change being able to get creative in camera with the various effects of long exposure photography.  The purpose of this article is to give you an overview of long exposure filters, how they work and what’s best based on your budget. 

Personally I recommend the NiSi long exposure kit paired with the NiSi’s circular polariser for anyone looking for the perfect long exposure filter kit. Whilst a bit on the pricey side, you are getting high quality filters that won’t affect your image quality which can be an issue with colour cast issues which comes with other brands like Cokin or Hitech. 

What is Long Exposure Photography?

An example of where a neutral density filter was used to slow down a moving object while keeping surrounding objects sharp

Before we start talking about the pros and cons of different neutral density filters, let’s get back to the basics for a moment. Long exposure photography or slow shutter photography, is where your camera uses a slower shutter speed to blur moving objects in your shot while keeping other parts of your image sharp and in focus.

Let’s look at this with a real world example of a long exposure image from Flinders Street Station. By using a slower shutter speed, I’ve been able to blur the passing traffic while the rest of the frame is sharp and in focus. This is just one of  the various styles of long exposures you can capture. My long exposure photography ideas has many more styles for you to explore from waterfalls to dark starry night skies, long exposures can be used at any time during the day with or without filters. 

What is a Neutral Density Filter?

Circular or Rectangle? 

Example of a rectangle neutral density filter setup

If you asked me this question 2-3 years ago when the Lee Big Stopper and NiSi rectangular circular polariser didn’t exist, I would have suggested stacking a mix of both circular 10 stop neutral density filter like the B+W 110 10 stopper and a rectangle graduated neutral density filter like the Cokin Z-Pro .9 filter on top of one another.

It was a painful process where you would screw your strong B+W 10 stop filter on first, then screw the filter holder adapter, mount the filter holder on top of this and then finally, slide your graduated filter through the filter holder. Fortunately things have come a long way with neutral density filters and circular polariser filters coming in rectangle form which leads to left stuffing around.

The reason I personally prefer going rectangle is that it makes changing filters a breeze and your process isn’t slowed having to screw/unscrew filters to setup for a shot (not so much when your fingers are frozen!). Instead you’re able to just slide your filters in or out of the filter holder and you’re away (literally a 2-3 second job). Much better. But the old way still works with that said 🙂

Example of a circular neutral density filter

Quick and Easy to Change

But this isn’t just about me being a princess and feeling the cold, having the ability to quickly change and remove filters is great when shooting with the more stronger neutral density filters (like the 15 stop Lee Big Stopper). 

Due to the filter being so dark, you’re unable to look through the viewfinder and compose your image when the filter is attached. This leads you having to take off the filter to compose and focus your photo and then re-attach. There’s been many times when I’ve accidentally left the autofocus on after screwing my B+W 10 stop and Cokin graduated neutral density filters on and then lost my focus as the camera can’t find a focus point (due to the strength of the filter). This can be especially frustrating when using a rectangle graduated neutral density filter on top of a circular screw filter as you not only have to remove the circular screw filter but also the lens screw adapter and rectangle filter holder. Instead if you were using just a rectangular system, there’s no unscrewing to recompose your image but just sliding your filters in or out. Much more convenient if you ask me! 

Greater Control

Another issue with circular screw on filters is controlling the location of the GND transition. As the transition isn’t as pronounced it can sometimes be difficult to get the GND exactly how you want it especially in low light conditions like sunrise or sunset. For this reason, I much prefer using rectangle filters where the graduation is more pronounced and can be easier to slot into place regardless of light conditions.

What Strength Level?

For this image I used a graduated neutral density filter to darken the sky

Neutral density filters come in all levels of strengths from blocking out 1 stop of light all the way up to blocking out 15 stops with the Lee Big Stopper. Deciding on what strength neutral density filter to use depends on your scene in terms of light conditions and what you are trying to achieve. 

If you are simply looking to balance the sunset sky against the land then the strength of your neutral density filter will depend on the light conditions at the time. If you’re shooting at the start of the sunset when there is still strong light, this is when you would look to apply a stronger strength neutral density filter. Towards the end of the sunset is when you would look to pull out a weaker strength neutral density filter as the light starts to fade. 

From personal experience – I’ll generally use my 10 stop filter for the first 15-30 minutes of the sunset but will put it away as the light starts to fade. I find as the light rapidly fades the filter really struggles to capture enough light and you’re left having to increase your ISO to accomodate the low light conditions which introduces unwanted noise. At this point I’ll either use a 6 stop neutral density filter or just shoot wide (F22~) at the lowest ISO possible (ISO 50) to get the slow long exposure times I’m after.

Using a 10 stop neutral density filter allowed me to capture this 5 minute exposure during the day

If you are looking to get creative with your photography and capture long exposures during the day (we’re talking exposure times of a few minutes) then this is when you will pull out the stronger 10+ stop neutral density filters like the Lee Big Stopper or NiSi 10 stopper.

By using these filters which block out a significant amount of light, you won’t be able to see through the viewfinder when the filter is applied due to the strength of the filter which can make composing a bit tricky. 

What is a Graduated Neutral Density Filter?

How soft, hard and reverse graduated neutral density filters are best applied.
How soft, hard and reverse graduated neutral density filters are best applied.

The difference between a graduated neutral density filter and a solid neutral density filter is that part of the filter will be neutral density (dark) and then transition into transparent (clear). The transition from dark to clear comes in different variations including soft edge, hard edge and reverse graduated neutral density filters which I briefly describe below:

Soft Edge GND

NiSi Soft Edge Graduated Neutral Density Filter

The top part of the filter is 100% neutral density and gradually lowers in strength to 0%.

This is my preferred type of filter and is best applied where your horizon level is uneven and you may have objects appearing above the horizon level. Generally if there are objects above the horizon which become darkened by the soft GND, you can generally dodge (brighten) this back in Lightroom/Photoshop to bring back the detail.

Pros: Great for scenes where you have objects sitting above the horizon as you can position the filter at 90° to avoid the object on the horizon
Cons: The gradual transition can be soft so occasionally you will need to stack multiple soft edge filters to get your desired effect

Hard Edge GND

NiSi Hard Edge Neutral Density Filter

The top half of the filter is neutral density and does not gradually transition to clear like the soft edge graduated neutral density filter. Hard edge graduated neutral density filters are best used in seascape photography when balancing the exposure from the sky to the land.

An example of how not to use GND filters. Notice how the filter has darkened the cliff? A big no no!

For best results, I only use hard edge graduated neutral density filters when there isn’t any objects on the horizon (i.e. surrounding cliffs). The reason being is that any objects on or above the horizon will darken which will lead to a loss in dynamic range to your final shot which can be difficult to recover in Lightroom/Photoshop.

Pros: Works great when there are only clouds above the horizon to darken the clouds nicely
Cons: The sharp transition from dark to clear makes these limited to scenes where there are no objects (i.e. cliffs) above your horizon

Reverse Level GND 

NiSi Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter

The reverse level graduated neutral density filter goes from clear at the top, to dark in the middle and then to clear again.

Think of a reverse level graduated neutral density filter as the ideal filter for when the sun is just about to pop on the horizon.  These aren’t as common as other graduated neutral density filters but can be handy when trying to capture the sunburst effect as the sun dips below the horizon.

Pros: Best used for sunset or sunrise photography when the sun is sitting on the horizon
Cons: Only effective when there is a sun bursting on the horizon so they become quite a specialised filter for the price

Are Neutral Density Filters Still Relevant as Technology Advances?

Most definitely!

There are some effects like day time long exposures or shooting directly into the sun on sunset which is only made possible by using neutral density filters like the Lee Big Stopper or NiSi graduated neutral density filter kit. Sure, you can imitate some of these effects in Photoshop with lots of image stacking but it’s not quite the same as capturing the image in camera. 

As technology has advanced I must admit that I’ve found myself using my graduated neutral density filters less as camera sensors have become more forgiving and post processing techniques have evolved with exposure stacking. Not only are sensors coming with higher megapixels but also with greater highlight and shadow recovery which means that you can sometimes get by without needing to use graduated neutral density filters.

A before and after with the easy to use Graduated Filter in Lightroom

Quite often I’ll apply the same effect in post using Lightroom’s graduated neutral density filter. Sure, this won’t work for every situation (i.e. when you’re shooting directly into harsh sunlight) however for other situations where you’re simply looking to emphasize the colour of a sunset sky, Lightroom’s graduated neutral density tool works great allowing you to decrease the brightness of the sky as you would with a normal graduated neutral density filter. 

Can the a digital workflow fully replace physical neutral density filters? I’ll leave that to another post but in my opinion, no, not at the moment anyway. 

Choosing Neutral Density Filters

Which Filter is Best for You?

Using a graduated neutral density filter allowed me to properly capture the light bursting on the horizon

Anyone who is serious about landscape photography needs a graduated neutral density filter and at least one strong neutral density filter in their bag. There’s a couple of reasons to why I recommend this:

  1. Flexibility in quickly changing light conditions – Having a strong neutral density filter in your kit allows you to continue taking long exposures in the later stage of a sunrise or early stage of a sunset. I’m not sure about you but there’s been many a times when I’ve photographed a sunrise and stuffed around in the dark for too long and only found a good spot to photograph as the light started to become stronger. At this point of the sunrise, it becomes harder to take a long exposure due to the amount of light hitting your camera meter. By having a strong neutral density filter available, I’m able to put this on my camera and still obtain the effect I’m after like the nice blurry movement of waves crashing against a rock
  2. Balancing harsh light in a scene – We’ve all been there, the sun is beginning to set and you want to capture an image just before the sun dips below the horizon to capture that burst of the suns last light. Unfortunately your camera has other ideas and will struggle to expose the image. This is where a graduated neutral density filter comes in handy and helps you balance the exposure of the harsh sunlight against the land
  3. Creativity – We can’t all be blessed with great light against jaw dropping locations so sometimes it takes a bit more to get that shot. In these situations sometimes I’ll experiment with a strong neutral density filter to capture a long exposure to add a bit extra to the image, whether that be the blur of passing clouds or the movement of the water. 

Neutral Density Filter Buying Guide

Showing the difference a strong neutral density filter like the Lee Big Stopper can do to your scene with this long exposure image

So taking these reasons to why I love neutral density filters, here are some of my favourite neutral density filters available at the time of writing. Unfortunately neutral density filters don’t come cheap but I’ve tried to make all attempts to include a range in different price brackets.

Like most things in life, it pays to spend and get the best you can afford as this will ensure superior image quality.With the midrange and budget price brackets, the filters aren’t perfect and can introduce colour cast to your image (a purple tinge) when using multiple filters at a time. Part of the reason the high end filters are more expensive is that because they don’t have any colour cast issues like the cheaper filters. 

My recommendation for people looking at the different price brackets and unsure – If you’ve used neutral density filters before and know they will form an essential part of your kit, just buy properly the first time. If you’re sitting on the fence and haven’t used them before, start off with the more affordable range first to see if you get a taste for them before splashing the cash. 

High End

NiSi and Lee are the producers of the best filters in the high end market. For many years, Lee had a firm grip on the market but in recent years, NiSi have started to make a presence with their filters which are slightly more affordable than the Lee range and offer just as good, if not better, quality than the Lee filters. Plus I’m a sucker for Australian based products.

If you want a great set up, I would strongly recommend the NiSi long exposure kit with comes with the required adaptor, a 6 stop and 10 stop neutral density filter. Add a circular polariser and graduated neutral density filter and you will have yourself a very nice kit. 

Yes I agree it is a lot of money to spend on filters but with this setup you will be fully equipped to photograph long exposures during the day, waterfall photography and for sunrise or sunset photography. The perfect kit for a landscape photographer. 

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Budget

For those that don’t want to break the bank on the premium end of the market or aren’t sure whether neutral density filters are for them, I’d recommend a mix of filters from a strong long exposure like the B+W 110 10 stop neutral density filter (great for capturing daytime long exposures), a Hoya circular polariser for assisting with reducing the glare and getting a longer exposure time for photographing waterfalls and lastly, a set of Cokin Z-Pro graduated neutral density filters. 

Contrary to what others say, the Cokin Z-Pro filters are actually good bang for buck provided you know the constraints of the filters. As an example, if you stack all three graduated filters at once, you will get some harsh purple colour cast coming through the filters meaning an unwanted purple colour at the top half of the frame which you may or may not want. I’m assuming you may not want… Although I may have cheated a few times and used the colour cast to my advantage for dull sunsets… 

[box type=”info” style=”rounded”]If you really want to experiment with long exposure photography on the cheap why not DIY a neutral density filter with welding glass?[/box]

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Examples of Long Exposure Photography

Examples of different long exposure photographs
Examples of different long exposure photographs

Some of my favourite long exposure photographs are of water (I love the sea if you can’t already tell by expanding the image to the right) but there are plenty more options whether it be long exposures of traffic at night or capturing the movement of clouds at a location over the period of 5-10 minutes (creates a cool effect!).

[box style=”rounded”]Looking for ideas to plan your next shoot? Give my long exposure photography ideas post a read for some ideas and inspiration[/box]

Most of the images in the right image were made possible by having neutral density filters which allowed me to take 5~ minute long exposures during the day. They allowed me to turn an otherwise dull scene into something different and unique from the effect of a long exposure (like the pylons beneath the jetty).

End

I hope this buying guide for long exposure filters has been useful and answered some questions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via my contact form if you have any questions as I’d be more than happy to help where I can.

Thanks for reading,

Alex