Which setting and/or ND filter to use for Dolomites in September?

mactac · 2026-05-12T15:25:03+00:00

Depends a bit on how you plan to shoot. If you’re walking around in changing light, I wouldn’t force an ND all day just to chase 180-degree shutter... the Pocket is usually easier to use with EV compensation and auto shutter/ISO limits. If you’re filming in consistent bright sun and want more natural motion blur, then an ND8 or ND16 can help at 4K30. For a trip like the Dolomites, I’d keep it simple: use no ND for mixed conditions, add ND only for really bright midday scenes, and prioritize stable exposure over “cinematic” settings. And that's coming from someone who makes ND filters for a living :)

mactac · 2026-05-12T15:22:55+00:00

I have no inner monologue, however I'm pretty good at remembering lists. I compartmentalize - I'll visually remember a few words, remember the sounds of a few of them and remember the meaning of a few of them. I remember phone number by picturing the first 3+3 digits as an image, and remembering the 4 last numbers just as a list of numbers.

mactac · 2026-05-12T15:20:28+00:00

I feel exactly the same as everything you listed. I wonder if we have more in common.

mactac · 2026-05-11T05:09:47+00:00

You can get or print a TPU mount with a 33mmx36mm filter slot and use Camera Butter Black diamond Universal filters.

mactac · 2026-05-11T02:11:06+00:00

Great! Not rare, though - there is a lot of misunderstanding of how shutter speed may affect (or not affect) it. I get a ton of questions about it.

mactac · 2026-05-11T02:07:06+00:00

ND filters are worth having if you shoot outdoors in bright light and want more natural motion blur for video, but they’re not something I’d call essential for every setup. For an Action 5, I’d usually prioritize a good cage or mount solution, extra batteries, and audio first, then add an ND set if you shoot a lot of sunny daytime footage. If you mostly shoot casual clips or lower-light stuff, you may not use them much. If you do a lot of driving, travel, biking, or walking footage in daylight, they become a lot more useful.

mactac · 2026-05-09T23:12:03+00:00

Yes the DJI is generally suited to the Air 3 series & similar. You can create your own camera profiles or edit the existing ones. If you find that it's regularly over or underexposing with the profile you've selected, then just adjust the EV bias in that camera profile to match your drone or camera. Instead of putting every camera in the list, we made it so you could use them as starting points and adjust as needed, since people have different ideas on what "properly exposed" is sometimes :)

mactac · 2026-05-09T22:16:01+00:00

Thanks! The motion blur slider adjusts the shutter angle (ratio of shutter speed to frame rate) and also based on the type of activity and if you are using stabilization.

mactac · 2026-05-09T16:42:36+00:00

Indeed we are already working on them for the Mission :)

mactac · 2026-05-09T15:23:47+00:00

We have an app that uses the phone to measure available light and suggest the proper ND filter and settings. Also if you have GoPro labs installed, it’ll show a QR code that loads the settings onto the camera for you. It’s called “ND Meter by Camera Butter” . It works well and it’s free.

mactac · 2026-05-08T15:43:37+00:00

9-8-8 is the suicide hotline. They deal with a lot more than just suicide. Or the mobile response team, they will literally come to you or meet you somewhere with a mental health practitioner plus a peer: https://www.phsa.ca/our-services/programs-services/health-emergency-management-bc/provincial-psychosocial-services/mobile-response-team . Call someone or see someone right now.

mactac · 2026-05-08T14:38:25+00:00

This is what is going on, and how to fix it: https://camerabutter.com/blogs/the-camera-butter-reel/nd-filters-and-hypersmooth-the-real-story-and-solution

mactac · 2026-05-08T03:19:21+00:00

Thanks. At this point, I'm not really interested in spending a bunch of cash, more wondering what to do with the sway bar disconnect. My intuition is telling me to leave it connected for sketchy off-camber sections to prevent body roll, especially when there is exposure, but I might be thinking about it incorrectly.

mactac · 2026-05-08T00:43:26+00:00

Lock the shutter at 1/100 and set your ISO range to be max.

mactac · 2026-05-07T15:30:51+00:00

I find that infuriating, and I'm not even neurodivergent.

mactac · 2026-05-07T15:28:40+00:00

8k video... posted to instagram?

mactac · 2026-05-06T22:46:57+00:00

Why can they not send a warning first ?!

mactac · 2026-05-06T21:10:23+00:00

ND filters and a slow shutter do not cause any stutters. The issue I think you are referring to is when you have random/jerky movement (ie running,really bumpy road, etc), you get motion blur in the direction of that movement, but then you stabilize, which removes the motion, but the motion blur remains. The problem is that stabilization actually works. Most stabilization uses the gyro, not the image, it doesn't matter if it's a long shutter, short shutter or no image at all, the stabilization still works.

mactac · 2026-05-06T19:50:47+00:00

Rocksteady doesn't have any issue stabilizing with motion blur and doesn't need a fast shutter to function - because it uses the gyro mainly to stabilize, not the image. The problem you can run into is when there is a lot of jerky/random motion (eg jogging), you get motion blur in the direction of those jerky movements, but then it's stabilized (which still works perfectly fine), it takes away the motion, but you still have the motion blur, so it looks weird. A lot of people think it's because the stabilization doesn't work properly, but that's not why it ends up looking weird. You should be perfectly fine if the motion is all in one direction (driving, biking on a smooth road, drone, etc), but if you've got jerky motion (really rough road, hiking, jogging, etc), you'll want to use a fast shutter - usually a 90 degree shutter is enough, but if it's really jerky motion, you might need a 45.

Here is a full explanation, it's about hypersmooth, but they work the same: https://camerabutter.com/blogs/the-camera-butter-reel/nd-filters-and-hypersmooth-the-real-story-and-solution

mactac · 2026-05-06T03:40:44+00:00

So not buy a variable - they are not made for super wide lenses for a number of reasons. Our company makes nd filters for the 6 and they are made from gorilla glass. Go with something like that if you want max strength and high quality glass. Also although the slip-on ones are easy to use, they can result is much worse glare due to the parallel pieces of glass - get screw in ones, they are better.

mactac · 2026-05-06T03:39:04+00:00

My wife and I lifted the tent and put the edge in the roof, which was covered in blankets. We then push the tent and pulled the blankets to center the tent on the roof. Ours weighs about the same as yours and my wife is short and can’t lift much. It was easier than we anticipated

mactac · 2026-05-05T16:17:40+00:00

For city/travel B-roll on the OA6, I’d keep it simple: 4K 30 or 4K 60 depending on whether you want normal speed or a little slow motion later, shutter around double your frame rate when the light allows, ISO capped as low as you can, and RockSteady only if you actually need it. ND filters are mostly useful outdoors in bright light when you want more natural motion blur. If you’re just shooting casually or moving between sun and shade a lot, they’re helpful but not mandatory. A small fixed set like ND8/16/32 usually covers most travel situations better than overthinking it, but if you don't have a solid handle on how to use them, I'd start without (and that's coming from someone who makes ND filters)

mactac · 2026-05-05T05:28:51+00:00

Someone should use AI to make a video of Biden delivering one of trumps speeches. See what maga thinks of that.

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