Like many drone pilots, I vividly remember those early flights where my footage just didn’t look quite right. The sky was often blown out, or the colours felt dull and flat. It was clear that controlling the light entering the camera was crucial, especially with a powerful tool like the DJI Air 3. Without the right filters, achieving professional-looking aerial photos and videos is nearly impossible, leading to frustration and wasted flight time.
- 【Dedicated to Air 3 Drone】 Introducing the latest must have ND & CPL filter set, designed for the wide angle & telephoto dual camera gimbal system of Air 3. It's a game changer for all drone...
- 【Balanced Exposure for Landscape】 The ND16, ND32, and ND64 drone lens filters provide varying levels of light reduction, ranging from 4 to 6 stops. These filters allow for precise exposure control...
- 【Vivid Color Reproduction】 Add vibrancy to your drone shots with the included CPL filter. It helps to reduce glare and unwanted reflections from surfaces such as water, glass, and metallic...
Understanding the Need for Drone Filters Before Purchase
Drone photography and videography present unique challenges, primarily related to light control. Unlike ground-based cameras where you can easily adjust aperture and shutter speed widely, drone cameras, especially consumer models, have more limitations. Bright sunny days, reflective surfaces like water or snow, and variable lighting conditions can quickly ruin your shots, resulting in overexposure, harsh contrast, and washed-out colours. This is precisely why seeking out drone lens filters is essential.
The ideal candidate for a filter set like this is a DJI Air 3 owner who is serious about improving the quality of their aerial content. If you’re just flying for fun and aren’t concerned with perfect exposure or vibrant colours, you might not need a full ND & CPL filter set. However, if you want to capture smooth cinematic video with the correct shutter speed (the 180-degree rule is key!) or take stunning landscape photos without glare, filters are a must-have. Someone who flies exclusively indoors or in very low light might find these specific filters less useful, but for anyone operating outdoors, especially in variable or bright conditions, they are invaluable.
Before investing in a set of filters for your DJI Air 3, consider your typical flying conditions and what problems you’re trying to solve. Are you fighting glare from water or reflections? A CPL (Circular Polarizer) filter is crucial. Are you getting blown-out skies or needing to slow down your shutter speed for smoother video motion blur? Neutral Density (ND) filters are what you need. Think about the varying light levels you encounter to determine which ND strengths you’ll require. Also, consider the build quality, ease of installation, and whether the filters will affect gimbal calibration.
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- 【58mm Lens Filter Accessories】This NEEWER lens filter accessory kit offers 9 pieces for your choice: UV/CPL/FLD filter, ND2/ND4/ND8 filter, tulip lens hood, collapsible rubber lens hood, snap on...
- 【58mm Filter Accessories】This lens kit is an essential addition to your photography toolbox with a 0.43x wide angle lens, a 2.2x telephoto lens, UV/CPL/FLD filters, a set of neutral...
Introducing the NEEWER Filter Kit for Air 3
The NEEWER ND & CPL Filter Set Compatible with DJI Air 3 is a dedicated collection designed specifically for the dual-camera system of the Air 3 drone. This 4-pack filter kit includes ND16, ND32, ND64 Neutral Density filters and a CPL (Circular Polarizer) filter. It promises to give drone enthusiasts precise control over exposure, reduce unwanted glare and reflections, and enhance colour and contrast in various lighting situations.
This specific NEEWER filter set is tailored for the DJI Air 3 user who needs reliable, effective filters without breaking the bank. It’s particularly suited for those who frequently shoot landscapes, fly near water, or aim for cinematic motion blur in their videos. While NEEWER offers various filter options for other drones and camera systems, this kit is specifically engineered for the Air 3’s unique gimbal and lens sizes, including compatibility with both the wide-angle and telephoto cameras.
Pros:
- Excellent optical quality with multi-coated HD glass.
- Secure snap-on design ensures filters stay attached during flight.
- Lightweight aluminum alloy frame minimizes impact on gimbal.
- Includes essential ND strengths (ND16, 32, 64) plus a versatile CPL filter.
- Comes with a compact carrying case for easy storage and transport.
Cons:
- The CPL ring can be a bit stiff to rotate initially.
- Some users have reported receiving sets that were not in perfect condition (though this seems inconsistent).
- Requires manual swapping of filters between flights or scenes.
Exploring the Capabilities and Advantages
Achieving Balanced Exposure with Neutral Density Filters
One of the most fundamental challenges in bright conditions with a drone is managing exposure. Drone cameras typically have fixed apertures, meaning you can’t just stop down the lens to reduce light. This leaves you with shutter speed as the primary tool for exposure control. However, for video, maintaining a shutter speed that’s roughly double your frame rate (the 180-degree rule) is crucial for achieving natural-looking motion blur. For example, shooting 4K at 30fps means you ideally want a shutter speed near 1/60th of a second. In bright sunlight, achieving this without filters results in massively overexposed footage.
This is where the Neutral Density (ND) filters in the NEEWER set become indispensable. The kit includes ND16, ND32, and ND64 filters, which reduce light by 4, 5, and 6 stops, respectively. An ND16 filter cuts 1/16th of the light, an ND32 cuts 1/32nd, and an ND64 cuts 1/64th. This graduated range allows you to select the appropriate filter based on the brightness of the scene. For instance, on a moderately bright day, an ND16 might be perfect to get your shutter speed down to 1/60s or 1/120s. On extremely bright days with snow or water, the ND64 might be necessary.
The benefit here is twofold: firstly, you can prevent overexposure, retaining detail in bright areas like skies and clouds. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly for video, you can achieve that desired cinematic motion blur by using a slower shutter speed. Without these ND filters, video shot in bright light at a fast shutter speed looks jarringly sharp frame-to-frame, lacking the smooth motion characteristic of film. For photography, these drone lens filters allow for longer exposures to blur motion, like flowing water or traffic trails, creating unique effects not possible otherwise.
Enhancing Color and Clarity with the CPL Filter
The CPL (Circular Polarizer) filter is a different beast entirely, focusing not on reducing overall light (though it does reduce it slightly, usually by 1-2 stops) but on managing reflections and enhancing colours. Think of the NEEWER CPL filter as sunglasses for your drone’s camera. It works by filtering out polarized light, which is the light that bounces off non-metallic surfaces like water, glass, leaves, and even the atmosphere itself.
The most noticeable effect of using a CPL filter is the reduction of glare. When flying over water, a CPL can cut through the surface reflections, allowing you to see into the water below (depending on clarity and depth). When shooting buildings with windows, it can minimize reflections off the glass. For landscape shots, it can reduce the glare off leaves and foliage, making the greens look richer and more saturated. It also has a significant impact on the sky, deepening the blue colour and making clouds pop more vividly. This is particularly effective when shooting roughly perpendicular to the sun’s position.
The benefit of using the NEEWER CPL filter is getting more vibrant, saturated colours and improved contrast straight out of the camera, reducing the amount of post-processing needed. It allows you to capture details hidden by reflections and adds a professional polish to your aerial imagery. Unlike the ND filters which have fixed densities, the CPL filter has a rotatable ring. By turning this ring, you can adjust the amount of polarization effect, allowing you to fine-tune the glare reduction and colour enhancement. This adjustability makes the CPL incredibly versatile for a wide range of conditions and subjects.
Quality Construction: HD Optical Glass and Nano Coatings
Filters are only as good as the glass they are made from and the coatings applied to them. The NEEWER filters in this kit feature HD optical glass, which is designed to minimize distortion and maintain sharpness. Poor quality glass can introduce aberrations or reduce image clarity, defeating the purpose of using a filter in the first place. Having clear, high-quality glass is fundamental to preserving the image quality that the DJI Air 3 camera is capable of capturing.
Beyond the glass itself, the 30 layers of multi-functional NANO coatings on both sides of each filter are a significant feature. These coatings provide multiple benefits: they are water repellent, causing water droplets to bead up and roll off easily, which is essential if you get caught in unexpected drizzle or encounter mist; they are scratch resistant, offering protection against minor scrapes that can happen during handling or cleaning; and they are oil proof, meaning fingerprints and skin oils are less likely to adhere and are easier to wipe off. These properties are crucial for maintaining clean lens surfaces in the field, which is vital for sharp, artifact-free images. Smudges or scratches on a filter will directly impact your photo or video quality.
The benefit of these coatings and quality glass is durability and ease of use, combined with optimal image performance. You can be more confident using these filters in various weather conditions and during travel without constantly worrying about them getting ruined. Cleaning them is also much simpler thanks to the oil-proof and water-repellent layers.
Designed for the DJI Air 3: Lightweight Frame and Secure Attachment
A major concern when adding anything to a drone’s gimbal is its weight. The gimbal is a finely balanced system designed to keep the camera stable. Adding too much weight, even a few grams, can affect its performance, leading to calibration errors or shaky footage. The NEEWER ND & CPL filters address this with ultra-slim and lightweight aluminum alloy frames. The ND filters weigh in at a mere 0.11oz (3.1g), and the CPL is only slightly heavier at 0.14oz (4g). This minimal weight ensures that the filters have negligible impact on the Air 3’s gimbal calibration and overall flight performance.
Ease and security of attachment are also paramount. You don’t want filters falling off mid-flight! The NEEWER filters feature a snap-on mounting design. They are designed to replace the drone’s original lens cover simply by snapping into place securely. This design guarantees a tight grip on the drone lens, even during dynamic flight maneuvers. The installation and removal process is straightforward, making it easy to swap filters as lighting conditions change.
The benefit of this thoughtful design is practical usability in the field. You can quickly and confidently attach or remove the filters without fiddling or worrying about damaging the gimbal. The lightweight construction means you get the benefits of the filters without compromising the drone’s stability or requiring complex recalibrations. This allows for a smoother workflow and more reliable footage.
What Others Are Saying
Having looked around at feedback from other users, the general sentiment is quite positive, though a few issues were noted. Many users praised the quality of the lenses themselves, describing them as great and well-made, surprisingly featuring metal construction rather than plastic as some might have expected. The secure fit and ease of attachment were frequently mentioned, with filters staying firmly on during flight. People felt the filters did their job effectively in controlling light and glare. However, some reviewers unfortunately received their sets with packaging seals broken or the filters themselves appearing dirty, scratched, or used upon arrival, necessitating returns or thorough cleaning. One user specifically noted that the polarizing ring on the CPL could be a bit stiff to turn, although not overly problematic. Despite these occasional issues with initial condition, the performance and fit of the filters once installed seemed to meet or exceed expectations for many users, offering good value.
Final Thoughts on Solving Your Drone Photography Problems
If you’ve struggled with overexposed footage, washed-out colours, or distracting glare in your aerial photos and videos captured with your DJI Air 3, you know how frustrating it can be. These issues can significantly detract from the quality and impact of your work, making all the effort of flying and framing your shots feel less rewarding. Solving this problem is essential for anyone serious about elevating their drone content.
The NEEWER ND & CPL Filter Set Compatible with DJI Air 3 offers a practical and effective solution. With its range of ND filters, you gain crucial control over shutter speed for cinematic video motion and correct exposure in bright light. The CPL filter empowers you to cut glare and boost colours for more vibrant, detailed images. The quality construction and secure, lightweight design ensure they perform reliably without hindering your drone’s capabilities. If you’re ready to take your Air 3 footage to the next level, this filter set is definitely worth considering. To check it out further, click here.
Last update on 2025-07-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API