so i picked up a Mavic 3 Classic last month after debating forever between it and the Air 2S and honestly pretty happy with the decision. the camera is just on another level for what i was used to with my mini 2.

anyway i want to start getting into more cinematic stuff and everyone keeps saying ND filters are essential but im kind of lost on which ones to actually get. like do i need the full kit with all the different stops or is there a smaller set that covers most situations? i mostly fly in the late afternoon golden hour type stuff and occasionally on overcast days. dont really do much midday shooting.

also is it worth paying for the DJI ones or are the third party options just as good? ive seen some polarizing opinions (pun intended i guess) on reddit about this. any real world experience would be helpful

honestly for your shooting conditions you could probably get away with just an ND16 and ND64 to start. the 16 will cover most of your golden hour stuff when the light is already dropping and the 64 is great for brighter overcast situations where you still want to hit that 180 degree shutter rule without cranking ISO. i wouldnt bother with the full kit right away, you'll end up with filters you never touch.

on the DJI vs third party thing - i use Freewell and have zero complaints. they fit perfectly on the M3C and the optical quality is solid. DJI's own filters are fine too but you're paying a premium and i genuinely couldnt tell a difference in my footage. save the money for a spare battery or something more useful.

i went through the same debate lol. ended up getting the Freewell all day kit and its been great, though i'll be honest i still get confused sometimes about which one to throw on in the moment. theres a little chart i found online that helps match filter to conditions, might be worth bookmarking something like that when you're just starting out with them