ok so ive been flying my Air 2S for almost two years and shooting without any ND filters the whole time, mostly just adjusting shutter speed and ISO in post and its been fine i thought. but i keep seeing people talk about how essential they are and i finally picked up a cheap set off Amazon, like the Neewer ones, just to try

flew yesterday in bright sun and honestly the footage did look smoother? but i cant tell if thats placebo or real. the 180 degree shutter rule makes sense in theory but like, is there actually a visible difference in the final edit or am i just convincing myself

also the cheap filters i got have a slight color cast that i wasnt expecting, is that normal or did i just get bad ones

the color cast thing is real with cheaper filters, its one of the main differences between the $20 Amazon sets and something like Polar Pro or even Freewell. the coating quality matters a lot and with the cheaper ones you sometimes get a warm or greenish tint depending on lighting conditions. totally fixable in post but annoying

as for whether they actually matter ? yeah they do, especially when youre shooting in bright midday sun. the motion blur from a proper 180 rule shutter speed is what gives footage that cinematic feel rather than looking like a video game. you might not notice it on a small screen but on a TV or exported at higher res the difference is pretty clear

i was skeptical for a long time too and then i put both versions side by side in resolve and kind of couldnt unsee it after that. the unfiltered stuff in bright conditions just looks kind of harsh and stuttery on anything with movement in the frame. its not magic but its not nothing either

that said i dont think you need to spend a fortune, the Freewell magnetic sets are reasonably priced and the quick swap is genuinely useful when clouds are rolling in and out. the Neewer ones are fine to learn on though