sjb3

A few years ago I bought a set of 4 neutral density filters made specifically for the GoPro Hero 5 Black (which was top of the line at that time); unfortunately, things happened at home that precluded my getting to even try them out until today. It's a stroke of luck that GoPro kept the same design for the 5,6 and 7 models, since I now have a Hero 7 Black and I finally had the chance to get out in the yard with our little Chihuahua and shoot some footage.

Since the design is identical, the ND filters fit just fine. The reason I bought them (and what I've come to think was why they were marketed in the first place) was to be able to follow the 180-degree rule, something that was almost impossible given the GoPro's fixed f /2.8 aperture. On a normal sunny day, not glaringly bright, just sunny & blue sky, you couldn't even shoot 60 frames per second (with the requisite 1/120th shutter speed), much less 24 fps & 1/48th or 30 fps & 1/60th without the highlights being completely blown out. Putting on an ND filter made all the difference in the world by restricting the light getting through to the sensor.

The short clip I've attached is not the least bit artistic; I was strictly interested in how things looked with the filter attached. The set of 4 (by Freewell) included ND4, 8, 16 and 32 (2, 3, 4 and 5 stops). I shot about 8 minutes total of video using the Freewell ND 16 filter, and with the following settings on the H7B camera: 2.7k, 60fps, 1/120th shutter, ISO 100 min / 200 max, with (as previously stated) aperture fixed at permanent f /2.8.

The afternoon was just as I described above, with everything in the LCD screen mostly just plain white, given the settings, until I snapped on that ND16 filter. What a difference! I didn't do anything in post (using Premiere Elements 2020) except insert a few seconds of slo-mo; I first used the Time Remapping feature but while it worked okay it was kind of cumbersome to use, so I deleted it and started over using the simple Time Stretch command which went much quicker & easier and had an identical good result.

What I would like comments on is what you see in the last few seconds of the 23-second-long clip: It looks almost as though I would have done better to use the 5-stop ND 32 insetad of the ND16, seeing as how the dog's white coat seems almost too white, with no detail (hair) visible, even up close. Or am I being too particular? If the weather's the same I'll have another go tomorrow, using the ND32. I want to get a good gounding in using these filters for video since I have them immediately to hand, to find out what works best before ordering some for my newly acquired Lumix FZ1000. Thanks!

(Clip is 23 seconds long)
Attached file:
(Download)

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

If it's like the FZ80 (and I suspect it is) you have full manual control over iso, aperture and shutter speed with the FZ1000 if you set the camera to M, rather than M with the video symbol, and start the video with the red button. Or if you use the M video function, the camera will automatically adjust the aperture to adjust to changing light situations, like in the attached indoor video. I've never had the need for a ND filter. I just adjust exposure for the lighting at hand. In the second outdoor video, the camera's auto settings washed out the sky so I manually set the aperture, iso and shutter speed.
https://vimeo.com/349351726 Auto aperture automatically adjusts to light.
https://vimeo.com/347845438 Manual settings where I increased the aperture to f8, lowered the iso to 80, and increased the shutter speed to 1/160 to keep the sky from being washed out.

Both segments were shot in 4K.

sjb3

From what I've seen in going through the (367 page!) manual for the FZ1000, the Creative Video mode (The M with the video symbol as you described) is the setting that allows for full manipulation of all 3 elements of the Exposure Triangle, (among other things I don't know enough about yet) and in fact must be set to Creative mode if you want to record in 4k. You don't use the red button to start/stop recording, you use the shutter button.

For just regular video where the red button is used, whatever you have the mode dial set to is how the exposure will be made: if you're in A, you can set the aperture and the camera will set the shutter for best exposure, S mode you can set the shutter, etc., and if you're in M mode presumably you can set aperture and shutter to what you want and I guess the camera will adjust ISO if need be (don't know that for sure either).

Anyway, I do appreciate your advice. My use of ND filters, whether on the GoPro or (eventually) on the FZ1000, is again strictly to shoot IAW the 180-degree rule, mounting them only when the lighting conditions make them necessary. In the case of the GoPro, with its fixed, relatively wide and unadjustable aperture, unless you use an ND filter the camera will almost certainly use (automatically) a very fast shutter speed to avoid blown-out highlights, resulting in a usable video, but one with no motion blur so it looks slightly jittery and almost too clear & sharp, if you know what I mean.

As for using them on the FZ1000, it won't be near as much since I do infact have an adjustable aperture so I'd only need them if I have a particular need for say depth of field (or lack of it). I still have to be able to stay with the fixed shutter speed, depending on my shooting frame rate, and I want to stay with ISO 100.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

You are right, the only way I could get a proper exposure without an ND filter on the FZ80 in my outdoors example was to increase the shutter speed to 1/160 sec, as I was already using the minimum aperture of f8, and minimum iso of 80.

To keep the 180 rule you would have to have an ND filter on the FZ1000. I would consider a variable ND filter which gives 2 to 8 stops of light control, as you could change the strength of the ND filter while you were shooting by turning the filter ring, rather than having to change filters.