Neutral Density filters, commonly known as ND filters, are great accessories that can help creators capture incredible aerial photography and videography, regardless of weather or lighting conditions.

Some of the most popular ND filters on the market have been developed by DJI for their Mavic series drone and professional-grade cinematography gimbals, like the Ronin 4D. Let’s take a look at what ND filters are, and how they can elevate even the most basic drone photography into professional imagery.

As the name would describe, ND filters are lenses that can be attached to the front of the camera lens of a drone or camera. They reduce the amount of light that enters the camera, changing the exposure of the final image. This works exceptionally well when trying to highlight movement in an image, which is great for outdoor and dynamic photography. Keep in mind that overexposure, even when working with ND filters, is linked to the proper use of the ideal shutter speed, ISO, and aperture for your shots. For example, you can combine an ND filter and a fast shutter speed to capture a more natural motion blur, allowing you to take more dynamic footage of moving objects. On the contrary, a lower shutter speed will enhance a blur effect; if you combine an ND Filter and a slow shutter speed, you may end up with a very blurry photo.

While ND filters may be easy to attach to the camera lens, the user must know how to properly use them and have a basic understanding of the triangle of exposure. ND filters affect the shutter speed and the amount of light that enters through the camera lens—if you don’t know how to use them properly, your images can become messy. Since an ND filter is just that –a filter– you will need to consider how long you need to allow the right amount of light to filter into the camera; meaning that the darker your filter, the longer you will need to have your shutter open to allow in the right amount of light. ND filters also allow you to have a larger aperture, supporting brighter light filtration without overexposing the image—this results in sharp, focused images. When used properly, ND filters will allow you to enhance aerial imagery, but if used incorrectly, your results will be blurry, dark, or underexposed images from improper light penetration. 

The world moves a little slower, the heat waves have us dreaming of paradise, and you can set off, if only for a moment, from your cold office and find yourself cruising, camping—flying, on to your next adventure.

Film your summertime rendezvous and take a piece of paradise home with you in HD. From San Andres, Colombia to the Bolivian Salt Flats, or to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, capture your summer like never before.

Discover Lake Atitlan in Guatemala with the Mini 3 Pro

If you have been flying drones for a while, whether it has been professionally or just for fun, chances are you want to take your drone experience to the next level. As an advanced flyer, you have great control over your drone and can maneuver it properly through tight spaces and in changing weather conditions; now you can learn a few tricks to enhance your skills. 

Congratulations! You’ve officially purchased your first drone and you’re eager to fly. You may not know where to get started, so here are the first three steps you should take to prepare for your first flight.

1. Battery Charging

Like most electronics, drone batteries should come with minimal charge out of the box. Even though it might be tempting to fly as soon as you open up your drone, a low battery may cause a faulty flight. If your drone doesn’t land on its own with low battery or if you are not an experienced flyer, then you could potentially crash your drone.

Another reason we recommend charging your drone batteries right away?

Unlike phones and other small electronics, drones can take 60 to 90 minutes to charge. It’s inconvenient to have to stop midflight to charge your batteries, especially if you don’t have backups ready to go.

Our team highly recommends having an additional pair of batteries if you plan to use your drone for photography or other professional uses. You can find a variety of power options here.

2. Firmware Updates

Reliability, safety, and legal compliance—these are the three main reasons why you want to update your drone’s firmware before flying your drone for the first time.

Firmware updates fix bugs in flight algorithms that affect flight stabilization, battery management, and fail-safe landing (if your drone has that feature). Some manufacturers also push updated airport and no-fly zones, which will keep you from flying near restricted areas.
Compass calibration is also an important update that is pushed through the latest firmware, especially for drones that have a “return home” feature, like the DJI Mavic 2 and the DJI Mini 2.

Drones repairs can be costly; updated firmware is crucial to keeping your drone in the sky and avoiding a crash that could significantly damage your equipment. 

DJI officially launched the Mini 3 Pro—an exciting new mini drone with powerful camera options, a lightweight design, and plenty of other features that have fans running to pre-order.

The Mini 3 Pro is not the only lightweight drone on the market— let’s take a look at how it compares to the DJI Air 2S and see if the Mini 3 Pro is worth taking the title of the preferred consumer drone.