DJI Osmo Action 6 ND Filter Guide

That gives the camera another way to control exposure, but it doesn't eliminate the need for ND filters when you want to deliberately slow the shutter down.

We make two Action 6 ND filter sets:

• ND4 / ND8 / ND16 / ND32 (the "standard" set)
• ND8 / ND16 / ND32 / ND64 (the "bright sun" set)

Camera Butter Action 6 ND filters

Which set makes more sense depends mostly on where you shoot and how much motion blur you're trying to create.

Which Action 6 ND filter should you use?

A good starting point is:

These are starting points. Shutter speed, camera movement, stabilization and the Action 6's aperture setting all affect the final choice.

For most people, the ND4/8/16/32 set gives the widest useful range, from lower light through bright daylight.

If you mostly shoot outdoors in strong light, especially around snow or water, or regularly use slow manual shutter speeds, the ND8/16/32/64 set usually makes more sense.

The variable aperture changes things

The Action 6 can vary its aperture from f/2.0 to f/4.0. That range represents two stops of exposure control. DJI lets you use an automatic variable aperture, fixed f/2.8, or f/4 in Starburst mode.

This matters when you're choosing an ND.

If the aperture is set to Auto, the camera can close the aperture as the light gets brighter before it has to make as large a change to shutter speed. That gives Auto exposure more room to work.

If you're deliberately setting shutter speed yourself, you would normally want to use Fixed f/2.8. It removes one variable from the exposure and makes choosing the ND much more predictable.

On the camera, go to:

Image/Audio Settings → Variable Aperture → Fixed (f/2.8)

f/2.8 is the fixed-aperture setting that makes the camera act more like a conventional action camera. 

Remember: If you're using the f/4 Starburst setting, the aperture itself is reducing the light by another stop compared with f/2.8, so you may need a lighter (smaller value) ND than you normally would.

The easy way: leave exposure automatic

You don't have to shoot manually to get some benefit from an ND filter.

If you leave exposure and aperture in Auto, adding an ND pushes the camera toward slower shutter speeds. That adds motion blur and can make movement look more natural.

For general outdoor shooting, start with ND8 or ND16 and see how it looks rather than trying to force a particular shutter speed.

If you're using RockSteady with rough, bumpy or random movement, such as jogging or mountain biking, be conservative with how much ND you use.

RockSteady 3.0 can sometimes increase shutter speed as part of its stabilization process. A strong ND filter works in the opposite direction by forcing the camera toward a slower shutter.

If the shutter gets too slow while the camera is being bounced around, the motion blur recorded into each frame can become noticeable after stabilization. The result can look smeared or jittery even though RockSteady is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

If you see that happening, try a lighter ND filter.

For more on that, see Why does my action-camera footage look choppy or jittery?.

Manual mode: choose the shutter first

If you want consistent motion blur, manual exposure gives you much better control.

On the Action 6, tap the Image/Audio Settings icon, enable PRO mode, then set Exposure to M. DJI allows shutter speed and ISO to be controlled manually from there.

I would set it up in this order.

1. Choose your frame rate

For normal-speed footage, you're probably using 24, 25, 30, 50 or 60fps.  You can find out more about frame rates in our frame rates article.

2. Choose your shutter speed

The traditional 180-degree starting point would be roughly:

For smooth movement, those settings can look very good.

The situation gets more complicated when the camera itself is moving around randomly, such as when you're running or riding over rough terrain.

RockSteady can stabilize that camera movement, but any motion blur caused by the original movement is already recorded in the individual frames. After stabilization, that blur can appear to move in directions that no longer seem to match the stabilized movement of the camera. The result can look smeared, jittery or unnatural. 

If you see this jittery effect, using a faster shutter speed reduces the amount of motion blur being recorded. It does not make RockSteady work better. It simply reduces the unwanted blur that remains visible after the movement has been stabilized.

For a more detailed explanation, see ND Filters and Stabilization: The Real Story.

3. Set the aperture

For predictable manual exposure, set:

Variable Aperture → Fixed (f/2.8)

Now your aperture isn't changing behind the scenes while you're trying to choose an ND.

4. Lock ISO at 100

If you're using an ND filter specifically to control shutter speed, lock ISO at 100.

Letting the camera increase ISO because the ND is too dark just adds gain to compensate for light you deliberately removed with the ND filter.

5. Choose the ND

You can use the chart above as a quick starting point.

For a more precise recommendation, use our free Camera Butter ND Meter app for iPhone and Android.

Set your shutter speed and ISO, measure the light, and it will tell you which ND strength should put you close to the correct exposure.

Then check the Action 6 screen. If the image is too bright, move to a stronger ND. If it's too dark, move to a lighter one.

Test the setting while the camera is actually moving

This matters with any stabilized action camera.

A shutter speed that looks fine while the camera is stationary can look very different once the camera is actually moving.

If stabilized footage starts to look smeared or jittery during rough movement, try a lighter ND filter and increase the shutter speed to maintain the same exposure. This reduces the amount of motion blur recorded into each frame.

For example, at 30fps:

• 1/60 gives quite a lot of motion blur.
• 1/120 gives less motion blur.
• 1/240 gives much less motion blur.

The right setting depends on the shot. Smooth, controlled movement can usually tolerate more motion blur. Running, mountain biking, skiing and other rough POV footage often benefits from less.

What does the variable aperture actually buy you?

This is one of the more interesting things about the Action 6.

Going from f/2 to f/4 cuts the light by two stops. In exposure terms, that is roughly equivalent to adding an ND4.

For comparison:

ND8 = 3 stops
ND16 = 4 stops
ND32 = 5 stops
ND64 = 6 stops

So the variable aperture gives the camera a meaningful amount of extra exposure control on its own. But if you're trying to hold a relatively slow shutter speed in bright daylight, you can still need several more stops of light reduction.

That's why ND filters are still useful on the Action 6 despite the variable aperture.

It also means that two people shooting in the same light at the same shutter speed may need different ND strengths depending on whether the aperture is being left in Auto or fixed at f/2.8.

Fixed ND or variable ND?

Fixed ND filters are generally better on action cameras.

The Action 6 has a very wide field of view and is usually moving through changing angles relative to the sky and reflected light. Variable ND filters use two polarizing layers, which can produce uneven darkening, colour shifts and other polarization effects across a wide frame.

We go into that in much more detail here:

Why Variable ND Filters Can Be a Problem on Action Cameras

A fixed ND also makes things simple. ND16 is always ND16, regardless of how the camera is rotated.

Which Camera Butter Action 6 ND set should you get?

For mixed conditions, overcast days, later-day shooting and normal sunlight, choose the ND4/8/16/32 set.

If most of your shooting is in bright outdoor conditions, snow, beach or water, or you regularly use slow manual shutter speeds, choose the ND8/16/32/64 set.

Both sets replace the original Action 6 clear lens cover, twist on and off without tools, and maintain the camera's waterproof seal. They're made with Corning Gorilla Glass in anodized aluminum frames.

See Camera Butter DJI Osmo Action 6 ND Filters