I am sick.

[robport]

I just got back from a local park, shooting marshy areas and it was the first time I used my filters. Almost right above me, 3 assorted birds of prey and two large vultures began circling my H. They didn't get too close, but was right in the frame a bunch of times circling or flying through it. Taking the footage home, I could see that the filter dropped my shutter speed to the point where they were just blurs. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

[AeroJ]

Ah yes, very important to be in manual exposure mode when using filters (I presume they were ND ?) so that you retain control of shutter speed, which you can limit to double frame rate or 1 'stop' either side to avoid that problem...

But you have been quite lucky in other respects ! Any of those birds could have taken your H down in a single strike had it been minded to do so. I had 3 large buzzards circling mine the other week, and I couldn't get out of the air fast enough. My lot circled too, and also didn't attack, but remained directly above the craft, in the perfect position to do so, so I legged it out of there quick smartish...

I find it quite difficult to know from observation alone whether raptors are just curious, and coming over to check stuff out, or in 'full defence' mode, where they feel the need to remove you from the sky. Unfortunately one situation can turn into the other before you can do anything about it, so I tend to leave the area as as soon as I see anything that size anywhere near my craft...

 

[thoneter]

I've got lots of turkey vultures in my area. They seem to be indifferent to the drone. The Hawks and Martin's are a different story.

 

[PatR]

That’s why, and contrary to what most do, I don’t use filters except for the rare occasion a CPL gets used with a hand held camera.