FAQ

An ND filter reduces the amount of light entering the camera without intentionally changing its colour. For video, that lets you use a slower shutter speed in bright conditions, which can add natural motion blur, help reduce the harsh look of very fast shutter speeds, reduce visible jello from vibration, and help control overexposure.

For a deeper explanation, see What do ND filters do?

It depends on the light, your camera settings, and how much movement is involved. These are useful starting points:

The ND Filter Chooser takes your camera, lighting, goal, and stabilization into account. If you already own filters and want to measure the actual light, Our free ND Meter App can recommend an ND strength and camera settings from the scene in front of you.

ND16 is a useful middle ground for a lot of normal daylight shooting. If you mostly shoot in strong midday sun, ND32 may be more useful. A multi-pack makes more sense if your conditions change.

If you want a recommendation for your camera and the way you shoot, use the ND Filter Chooser.

Yes. ND8 blocks more light than ND4, ND16 blocks more than ND8, and so on. As the light gets brighter, you generally move to a stronger ND filter.

Usually not. An ND filter removes light, so in genuinely low-light conditions it normally makes the camera work harder for no benefit. If the scene is already dark, take the ND filter off.

No. If the light is low enough that the camera is already using a sensible shutter speed, adding an ND filter just throws away light. Use one when the scene is bright enough that you want to slow the shutter down or get more control over exposure.

Not necessarily. A shutter speed around twice the frame rate is a useful cinematic starting point, but it is not a rule you have to follow. On action cameras, a very slow shutter can sometimes create too much motion blur when the camera is moving hard or electronic stabilization is doing a lot of work.

See Why is my footage choppy or jittery? and ND filters and HyperSmooth/Stabilization for a more complete explanation.

Yes. Just keep an eye on the shutter speed. If the camera has a lot of motion that is not in the main direction of travel (for example, the bumps up and down while jogging), the resulting motion blur is recorded into the frame and stabilization cannot remove it afterward.

See ND filters and HyperSmooth/Stabilization: The Real Story.

If the filter is clean and the image is optically sharp when the camera is still, the usual cause is too much motion blur. A stronger ND filter can push the shutter slower than your movement can tolerate.

If the image looks soft even when the camera is still, check for protective film, fingerprints, oil, or dirt on the front or back of the filter. See Why is my footage choppy or jittery? for the motion side of the problem.

It can make rolling-shutter jello caused by vibration much less visible, but it does not fix the vibration itself. Props, tuning, camera mounting, and vibration isolation still matter.

There is a fuller explanation in What do ND filters do?

Usually no. The filter's job is to control light while leaving the image itself alone (i.e. the "neutral" in "neutral density"). It does not normally increase the sensor's dynamic range, although it can help prevent clipped highlights when a scene is simply too bright.

See What do ND filters do? and our ND filter quality comparison.

A normal ND filter mainly reduces the total amount of light. It does not selectively remove reflections from water, glass, or other surfaces. A CPL polarizing filter is the better tool for that.

See our GoPro CPL filter and guide to dealing with glare in GoPro footage.

An ND filter reduces the overall amount of light entering the camera. A CPL is adjustable and reduces certain polarized reflections, which can help with glare from water, glass, wet roads, and other reflective surfaces.

See the Camera Butter CPL filter for more detail.

A Black Mist is a diffusion filter. It softens highlights, blooms bright light sources, and lowers contrast for a softer, less clinical image.

See the Camera Butter Black Mist filter.

Plain ND is usually more predictable on an action camera that changes direction constantly. Polarization changes with camera angle, so an ND/CPL can produce a changing effect through the shot. If reducing reflections is important and the camera is stationary, a CPL can be useful.

The strength of polarization depends on the angle between the camera and the light. With a very wide action-camera lens, different parts of the frame can see the sky at different polarization angles, so the effect can look uneven.  This is the physics of how light polarization works.

Variable ND filters are convenient, but they use two polarizers. On very wide lenses they can introduce uneven density, colour shifts, or an X-shaped pattern at stronger settings. Fixed ND filters are simpler and more predictable for most action-camera use.

See Why VND filters can be a problem on action cameras.

We put most of our effort into optical neutrality, durable materials, secure fit, and designs that make sense on cameras that actually get used hard. Many current Camera Butter filters use Corning® Gorilla® Glass, aircraft-grade aluminum, and high-quality coatings. We also use a scanning spectrophotometer to check how filters transmit different wavelengths of light.  Additionally, our ND filters for the GoPro 13 and Mission series support GoPro's automatic lens detection.  In short, our filters are designed by people who are passionate about performance.

You can see an example in our ND filter quality comparison.

That is what we design and test for. An ND filter should reduce light without intentionally shifting the colour balance. We use spectrophotometer measurements as part of evaluating filter transmission and colour neutrality.

See the ND filter quality comparison.

Waterproofing depends on the product. Our GoPro Hero 9-13 twist-on ND filters and DJI Action 4/5 and Action 6 ND filters are designed to replace the factory lens cover while maintaining the camera's waterproof seal. The adjustable GoPro CPL is not waterproof because of its dual-layer rotating construction.

Check the individual product page before taking a filtered camera underwater.

Yes. They are still optical filters, and no glass filter is indestructible. Many of our current designs use Gorilla Glass and protective frame geometry because action cameras get hit, dropped, and crashed, but a hard enough impact can still damage a filter.

If impact protection is a priority on a GoPro Hero 9-13, see Shock Mod ND.

For several Camera Butter product lines, yes. Our GoPro Hero 9-13 twist-on filters, stick-on filters and Shock Mod filters are available as singles as well as packs. Other product lines vary, so check the individual product page.  If you lose or break a filter in a multipack, contact us and we might be able to sell a single.

The easiest way to check is the ND Filter Chooser. You can also browse the GoPro, DJI Osmo Action, DJI drone, and FPV collections.

We make standard twist-on ND filters, Shock Mod ND filters, CPL, Black Mist, and lens-protection options for compatible Hero 9-13 cameras. The standard ND range also supports Hero 11 Mini and GoPro Bones.

Browse the GoPro Filters & Lens Protectors collection.

Both are high-quality ND filters for compatible GoPros. The regular twist-on filters are the conventional low-profile option. Shock Mod is the more rugged design, with extra structure around the glass to take harder impacts and a hood that also helps shield the lens from stray light, which is an additional benefit. It was developed with FPV drones in mindm (due to the frequency and force of crashes), but the extra protection can make sense anywhere the camera is likely to get hit.

See Shock Mod ND and our FPV ND filter guide.

Yes. Both the Camera Butter Hero 9-13 ND filters and Mission 1/Mission 1 Pro filters work with GoPro's automatic lens-detection system. The exception is ND64 opn the Hero 13: Because the Hero 13 does not have ND64 as part of its firmware, the Hero 13 identifies it as ND32, although the ND64 itself still functions normally.

See the GoPro Hero 9-13 ND filter page , GoPro Mission 1/Mission 1 Pro page

Yes. The Hero 9-13 twist-on filters replace the original clear lens cover and are designed to maintain the camera's waterproof seal when installed correctly.

See the GoPro Hero 9-13 ND filter page for installation details.

We currently make filters for DJI Action 2, Action 4/5, Action 6, and Osmo Nano. Browse the DJI Osmo Action collection or use the ND Filter Chooser.

The ND4/8/16/32 pack gives you more range from lower light through normal bright conditions. The ND8/16/32/64 pack shifts that range upward and makes more sense if you often shoot in strong sun, snow, beach, or around reflective water.

See the DJI Action 6 ND filters.

The ND8/16/32 pack is the more general-purpose daylight set. The ND16/32/64 pack is better if you mostly shoot in stronger light and want more headroom at the bright end.

See the DJI Action 4/5 ND filters.

Our Action 4/5 and Action 6 filters replace the original clear lens cover rather than stacking another filter over it. They twist on and off without tools.  There are real optical benefits to not stacking parallel glass, and stacking should typically be avoided.

Yes. They are designed to replace the factory clear lens cover while maintaining the camera's waterproof seal when installed correctly.

See the Action 4/5 and Action 6 product pages.

See the DJI O3 Air Unit ND filters and lens protectors, or select DJI O3 in the ND Filter Chooser.

Camera Butter makes dedicated O4 Pro ND filters and clear lens protectors. They are 20.6 mm wide, only 0.6 mm wider than the camera, so they fit into tight FPV frames better than wider Avata-style filters.

See the DJI O4 Pro filters and lens protectors.

Some Avata 2 filters can physically attach to the O4 Pro camera, but they are wider and may interfere with side plates or protective structures in FPV frames. Our dedicated O4 Pro filters are narrower specifically for that use.

See the O4 Pro product page.

They were designed for tight installations. The filters are 20.6 mm wide and extend about 2 mm above the O4 Pro lens hood. If there is no room above the camera, they can also be installed upside down.

See the O4 Pro product page for dimensions and installation notes.

The filters clip into small retaining points in the camera's plastic lens hood. Due tom DJI's lens hood design, repeated installation and removal can wear that interface and reduce retention. Installation technique also matters, so please dollow the instructions on the product page.

See Keep your O3/O4 filters from falling off for the installation method and fixes if the fit has already loosened.

Yes. Because of the O4 Pro camera design, some darkening in the corners can appear in Ultra Wide mode with any filter, especially when stabilization is also being used.

See the note on the O4 Pro product page.

Black Diamond universal filters are made for slip-in mounts that use a 33 x 36 mm filter slot. They are commonly used withm 3D printed TPU mounts for FPV and other action-camera setups.

See the Black Diamond universal ND filters.

Both have dedicated Camera Butter filter packs with multiple ND strengths plus CPL and clear protection.

See the DJI Avata 2 filter pack and DJI Neo filter pack.

Session stick-on filters are just over 1 mm thick including the adhesive and fit most mounts. Tight side-entry TPU mounts can be a problem because the filter adds thickness at the front. If that happens, put the camera into the mount first and install the filter from the front if there is room.

Hero stick-on filters will fit mounts that do not press against the front of the lens or catch the edge of the filter. A mount with some protection in front of the lens is ideal.

See the stick-on filter application instructions.

Clean and completely dry the camera glass, remove the clear liner from the edge adhesive, handle the filter by the edges, align it carefully, and press firmly around the outside edge. Do not press hard in the centre of the glass.

The full instructions are on the application instructions page.

The adhesive sticks very well to clean, bare glass. Problems usually come from contamination, moisture, another coated lens protector underneath, the filter being off-centre and partly stuck to plastic, or a camera mount rubbing against the edge.

Make sure the lens is completely dry before installation. Avoid touching the adhesive with your fingers. If the adhesive has picked up dirt or oil, wash it with tap water and a little dish soap if needed, then let it dry completely before reinstalling it. If you remove the adhesive from the filter, make sure it goes back on the same side of the glass.

Yes. The adhesive is reusable. If it gets dirty, rinse it under tap water and use a little dish soap if water alone is not enough. Let it dry completely before putting it back on the camera. You can clean it while it is still attached to the filter or remove it first.

If the adhesive is torn or damaged, replacement adhesive squares are available from Camera Butter.

Usually not. Many lens protectors have anti-stick coatings that repel oil and dirt, and those coatings also make it difficult for the Camera Butter adhesive to hold securely. Stick-on filters should normally be applied directly to the camera glass.

No. The adhesive sits around the outside edge of the filter and does not cover the image area. The black adhesive also helps prevent stray light from entering through the sides.

We ship to most countries worldwide. There may also be a Camera Butter dealer near you, so check the dealers page if you would rather buy locally.

Most orders ship the same business day or the next business day, excluding holidays and any delays specifically noted on the site. USPS shipments normally have an additional 2-3 day handling period while they move from Canada into the USPS network.

See the current Shipping Policy for details.

If you selected USPS, your package first travels from Canada to the United States and is then handed to USPS. You usually will not see a USPS acceptance scan until that handoff happens, which can take a few days. UPS can also occasionally miss the pickup scan, so the first tracking event may appear later.

That depends on the destination and shipping method. For orders shipped outside Canada, the receiver is generally responsible for applicable duties, tariffs, taxes, and brokerage unless otherwise stated for a specific service.

Because these rules can change, check the current Shipping Policy before ordering. For US-specific information, see Shipping to the US: What You Need to Know.