Which ND filters are recommended for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3?

Question

So I finally pulled the trigger on the Osmo Pocket 3 for my sister's wedding in Santorini next month and I am honestly lowkey panicking about the lighting situation there because it's gonna be so bright and I want that 180-degree shutter look but the base ISO is already so low. I've been looking at filters for three days straight and my brain is just mush at this point. I saw the Freewell ones are super popular especially the Mega set but then I read a couple of comments on a Facebook group saying the magnets on the Freewell filters are a bit weak compared to the official DJI ones and that they can fly off when the gimbal does its startup calibration dance which sounds like a total nightmare if it happens over a cliff or something.

My logic was that I should just get the DJI ones to be safe but then I realized the DJI set only goes up to like ND64 and if I'm in the middle of a white-sand beach in Greece at noon is that even enough to keep my shutter at 1/50 or 1/60? I'm trying to stay under $70 for the filters because the camera already drained my savings but I don't want to buy cheap junk that ruins the glass quality. Then there's the whole K&F Concept vs PGYTECH debate and some people say the K&F ones have a weird green tint but others say they're the best value for money.

I'm also confused about the Mist filters... like do I need a VND or are fixed ones better? Some people say VNDs cause cross-polarization issues on wide lenses but I don't know if that applies to the Pocket 3's sensor size. I just want something that stays on securely and doesnt make the footage look like mush. Should I just stick with the basic ND 8/16/32/64 or am I gonna regret not having a PL filter for the water? Everything is so expensive and I have to order by Friday to get them before my flight...

OrbitOracle · Accepted Answer

To add to the point above: the magnet strength is definitely the biggest variable with these small gimbals. If the filter is even a fraction of a millimeter too thick, the motors can catch on the housing during that startup flip. I saw this earlier and wanted to chime in because Santorini is basically a giant reflector with all those white buildings. Since the Pocket 3 has a fixed f/2.0 aperture, you are gonna be struggling. On a bright day at ISO 50, your shutter speed would naturally want to be around 1/4000 or higher. To get down to 1/50 for that 180-degree motion blur, you need about 7 or 8 stops of light reduction. An ND64 only gives you 6 stops, so you will still be overexposed or forced to use a faster shutter.

Fixed filters are way better than VNDs for this specific camera. VNDs add extra weight and glass layers that can cause internal reflections.

The K&F Concept DJI Osmo Pocket 3 ND Filter Set ND16 ND32 ND64 ND128 is probably your best bet under $70. The ND128 is the hero piece for Greece.

If you're worried about magnets, the PGYTECH DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Filter Set ND8 ND16 ND32 ND64 uses high-quality magnets that stay put during calibration, tho they dont go up to ND128 in the basic kit. Technically speaking, K&F has improved their coatings a lot lately. The green tint people talk about was mostly on their older circular filters, not the newer Nano-X stuff. I wouldnt worry about a PL filter for a wedding honestly... it just adds another thing to rotate and calibrate while you should be focusing on the couple.

DanielAmopy · Answer

Unfortunately, some magnets just arent strong enough for that gimbal flip. I had issues with filters flying off which is a total nightmare. I'd suggest the PGYTECH DJI Osmo Pocket 3 ND Filter Professional Set for a tighter fit. You definitely need a Freewell DJI Osmo Pocket 3 ND128 Single Filter for that Santorini sun tho. It's better to be safe than lose your glass over a cliff!

Minnievok · Answer

man i totally get the panic... santorini lighting is no joke and unfortunately i had a pretty bad experience with those magnetic sets everyone talks about. i actually lost a filter during a hike because the gimbal did that snap-back thing and it just flew into the brush. never found it. tbh it was super frustrating and i wish someone told me before i spent the money. seriously, watch out for these things:

nd64 is definitely not gonna cut it at noon in greece; youll still be blowing out highlights even at iso 50.

stay away from cheap vnds because they can add weight and mess with the motor balance if theyre not perfectly centered.

some budget glass honestly makes the sharp 4k look like mushy 1080p, which is a waste for a wedding. i was honestly so disappointed with the limited range of the basic sets. you really need at least an nd128 or even nd256 for those white buildings. skip the mist stuff for now and just find a set with really strong magnets... losing one over a cliff would be a nightmare.