An ND (neutral density) filter is a piece of darkened glass that cuts the light entering a lens evenly, without changing its color. That lets you use a slower shutter speed, a wider aperture or a longer exposure than the light would otherwise allow. In video, its main job is to get a shutter about twice your frame rate in daylight, which gives natural motion blur instead of choppy, stuttering footage.
What ND filters are used for
- Cinematic video in daylight. Keep a 1/50 or 1/60 shutter at 24 or 30 fps, even in bright sun.
- Long exposures. Blur waterfalls, waves, clouds and traffic in daylight.
- Shallow depth of field. On cameras with adjustable apertures, shoot wide open in bright light without overexposing.
- Fixed-aperture cameras. Most drones, action cameras and the Osmo Pocket 3 can't stop down the lens, so ND is the only way to slow the shutter in sun.
The 180-degree shutter rule
Film cameras used a spinning shutter open for half of each frame, so each frame's exposure was half the frame interval. That amount of blur looks natural to us. The modern rule: shutter speed ≈ 1 / (2 × frame rate).
| Frame rate | Target shutter |
|---|---|
| 24 fps | 1/50 |
| 30 fps | 1/60 |
| 60 fps | 1/120 |
| 120 fps | 1/240 |
DJI gives the same example for its drone filters: at 24 fps with the shutter open at 180°, exposure is 1/48 s.
Without a filter, a camera in sun at its lowest ISO may pick 1/2000 to 1/8000 s. Every frame is razor sharp, so motion between frames looks jumpy, especially in pans, water and foliage.
What ND filters don't do
- They don't cut glare or deepen blue skies. That's a circular polarizer (CPL). See ND filter vs CPL.
- They don't protect the lens in any special way; that's what UV filters were sold for.
- They don't replace exposure compensation. EV changes brightness by changing shutter or ISO; ND changes how much light reaches the sensor.
- They don't fix highlights in a scene with huge contrast. A graduated filter or HDR bracketing does that.
ND numbers in one line
ND8 cuts 3 stops, ND16 4, ND32 5, ND64 6, ND128 7, ND256 8. The full chart is in ND filter numbers explained.
Choosing a good filter
- Neutral color: cheap filters can add a magenta, green or blue cast, especially strong ones.
- Fit and weight: drone filters must not upset the gimbal. Use sets made for your model.
- Fixed vs variable: fixed filters are sharper and more consistent; variables are faster to adjust but can show uneven darkening at the strong end.
- Sharpness: a poor filter softens the whole image. Branded, model-specific sets are the safe choice.
Many brands sell filters for DJI drones and cameras. Whatever brand you consider, check it's made for your exact model.
ND filters for DJI drones
DJI makes sets for each drone, matched to its camera:
- Mini 5 Pro set: ND8, ND32, ND128
- Air 3S set: ND8, ND32, ND128, covering both cameras
- Mavic 3 Pro set: ND8, ND16, ND32, ND64, covering all three cameras
For drone-specific advice, read which ND filter for drones and best drone video settings.
Related guides
- Best ND filters for drones and cameras: DJI vs K&F, H&Y, JJC and other brands
- Using ND filters for long exposures and motion blur
- Variable ND filters vs other ND types: are they worth it?
- Which ND filter should you use on a drone?
- Which ND filters for the DJI Air 3S? Settings guide
- Which ND filters for the DJI Mavic 3 Pro? Settings guide
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