Tello size ND Filters

Mach13 · Jan 29, 2022

Hi folks
I found some nice (cheap £19 delivered from ebay) Tello sized filters for my Tello's camera (See pics). As they've only just arrived my only way of attaching them is to duck tape them to front, which I'm ok with for testing purposes. They do have a screw fitting for their intended device (Telesin Insta360 Go2).. So I may keep my eye open for an adapter ring or busted one that I can get for the parts that I can use for a more permanent option. Unless you folks have any ideas..

In the pack you get

a CPL Filter Which apparently is : "A circular polarising lens filter (CPL filter) an essential part of any outdoor photographer's camera gear. It helps to darken over-bright skies, reduce reflections, and/or suppress glare from water surfaces."
3 ND Filters of varying densities ND8, ND16 and ND 32..it seems the higher the number the less light gets through.. So i'm guessing the brighter the day the higher the rated filter to use.. Just guessing and will require a little trial and error. A quick test does seem to show much better video clarity outside.

I'm currently hoping to use my Tello to survey my chimneys and overall roofing condition. I've had some success but as I'm still trying to the the handle of my Tello I've not gone at it full commitment as yet. The position of the sun at the mo tends to add too much flare but, as n when the breeze drops (and I get a nice sunny day) I will give it a go and let you know how the filters perform. Will also be doing the same for my neighbour (as a neighbourly free thing to to) so I will have plenty of practice.

PS I don't work for Telesin and am not getting anything out promoting these filters, so I'm not putting links in (They only go out of date anyway) so google em if you want to try some. And it you find a way of attaching em other than tape i'd be interested to know here.

Or maybe you've found another cheap n cheerful option...let us know..

SamC · Feb 22, 2022

ND filters reduce the amount of light getting to the camera and are used for 3 main reasons:

To slow the shutter speed when filming so that you get some motion blur. This is a bit easier on the eye as fast moving objects appear much less stuttery.
For stills photography they give a slower shutter speed which is used for capturing motion such as flowing water, traffic.
For very bright lighting (eg sunlight on snow) they can avoid overblowing the sensor where the fastest shutter speed still lets too much light in for the sensor to cope with.

For chimney inspections I don't expect ND filters (or CPL filters) will give any benefit, with the downside of shortening flight time a little due to the extra weight. There shouldn't be any improvement in video clarity, unless you've got exposure settings wrong in the first place, as the Tello camera can cope with quite bright light. I've only seen mine start clipping when the sun is in frame. I'd be interested to see examples to see the difference you're noticing.

The CPL filter also won't be much help, unless you have lots of reflections from hard surfaces that you want to eliminate, and then you'd have to have a way of adjusting the polariser angle to achieve this. Stills camera polarisers can be spun so that the polarising effect can be aligned to the sky or object you're looking to filter reflected light from. Also, the claim that they darken over bright skies is only true for certain sectors of the sky, relative to the sun position. They can increase contrast in cloud detail a bit. On a drone they're typically more of a problem than they're worth.

However, If you're happy with the results from using them then keep on using them!

I don't mean to come across as negative, and this post is intended to help educate rather than criticise. There are a lot of misconceptions around filters for drones and what they're actually useful for. So many times I've read posts about people getting filters because they read somewhere or saw a youtube video that said you really need them, when in fact filters wouldn't actually help them at all for what they were trying to achieve.

ccolognesi · Jan 27, 2023

Mach13 said:
Hi folks
I found some nice (cheap £19 delivered from ebay) Tello sized filters for my Tello's camera (See pics). As they've only just arrived my only way of attaching them is to duck tape them to front, which I'm ok with for testing purposes. They do have a screw fitting for their intended device (Telesin Insta360 Go2).. So I may keep my eye open for an adapter ring or busted one that I can get for the parts that I can use for a more permanent option. Unless you folks have any ideas..

In the pack you get

a CPL Filter Which apparently is : "A circular polarising lens filter (CPL filter) an essential part of any outdoor photographer's camera gear. It helps to darken over-bright skies, reduce reflections, and/or suppress glare from water surfaces."

3 ND Filters of varying densities ND8, ND16 and ND 32..it seems the higher the number the less light gets through.. So i'm guessing the brighter the day the higher the rated filter to use.. Just guessing and will require a little trial and error. A quick test does seem to show much better video clarity outside.

I'm currently hoping to use my Tello to survey my chimneys and overall roofing condition. I've had some success but as I'm still trying to the the handle of my Tello I've not gone at it full commitment as yet. The position of the sun at the mo tends to add too much flare but, as n when the breeze drops (and I get a nice sunny day) I will give it a go and let you know how the filters perform. Will also be doing the same for my neighbour (as a neighbourly free thing to to) so I will have plenty of practice.

PS I don't work for Telesin and am not getting anything out promoting these filters, so I'm not putting links in (They only go out of date anyway) so google em if you want to try some. And it you find a way of attaching em other than tape i'd be interested to know here.

Or maybe you've found another cheap n cheerful option...let us know..

I’ve found a ND filter of Pgytech, made for DJI spark, but it is perfect for Tello! Its weight is 0,6g and is possible attach and detach easily!
Follow links and photo in Tello:

Filtro ND4 para DJI Spark Pgytech Densidade Neutra HD-ND

O filtro ND4 para DJI Spark é ideal para retratos e cenas ao ar livre sob luz solar intensa. Eles reduzem a quantidade de luz que chega à câmera sem afetar a cor final, e aplicam uma velocidade lenta do obturador sob forte exposição solar. Eles também permitem aberturas mais amplas, diminuindo...

www.funpro.com.br

Mach13 said:
Hi folks
I found some nice (cheap £19 delivered from ebay) Tello sized filters for my Tello's camera (See pics). As they've only just arrived my only way of attaching them is to duck tape them to front, which I'm ok with for testing purposes. They do have a screw fitting for their intended device (Telesin Insta360 Go2).. So I may keep my eye open for an adapter ring or busted one that I can get for the parts that I can use for a more permanent option. Unless you folks have any ideas..

In the pack you get

a CPL Filter Which apparently is : "A circular polarising lens filter (CPL filter) an essential part of any outdoor photographer's camera gear. It helps to darken over-bright skies, reduce reflections, and/or suppress glare from water surfaces."

3 ND Filters of varying densities ND8, ND16 and ND 32..it seems the higher the number the less light gets through.. So i'm guessing the brighter the day the higher the rated filter to use.. Just guessing and will require a little trial and error. A quick test does seem to show much better video clarity outside.

I'm currently hoping to use my Tello to survey my chimneys and overall roofing condition. I've had some success but as I'm still trying to the the handle of my Tello I've not gone at it full commitment as yet. The position of the sun at the mo tends to add too much flare but, as n when the breeze drops (and I get a nice sunny day) I will give it a go and let you know how the filters perform. Will also be doing the same for my neighbour (as a neighbourly free thing to to) so I will have plenty of practice.

PS I don't work for Telesin and am not getting anything out promoting these filters, so I'm not putting links in (They only go out of date anyway) so google em if you want to try some. And it you find a way of attaching em other than tape i'd be interested to know here.

Or maybe you've found another cheap n cheerful option...let us know..