Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Can you get CINEMATIC video from a GoPro? Sandmarc variable ND filter review
So cameras all have their strengths and weaknesses. The GoPro is certainly no exception. For me - filming activities like hiking, backpacking and canyoneering - the strengths outweigh the weaknesses out of necessity. GoPros are small, light, waterproof, shock resistant and easy to operate. Go in, put the settings where you want them (see below for my settings) and you're off. Point, push a button and you're recording.
But these come at a cost. First, the image quality isn't as good as, say, a full frame camera because the GoPro's sensor is smaller. That can't be changed. The other issue is exposure. The GoPro's fixed aperture (f2.8) can't help you. EV compensation can help somewhat, but not enough for most bright conditions. So you're stuck with leaving shutter speed at auto to properly expose.
The trade off here is that under most daytime conditions, this means the shutter speed is too fast for your framerate. See, the framerate that is most cinematic and pleasing to the eye is 24p. Moreover, the human eye is accustomed to seeing motion blur when things are moving. But not too much motion blur, or things are....well, they're too blurry. The fix is to have a set shutter speed of 1/48 second when shooting at 24p. But since the GoPro uses shutter speed for exposure, using this fixed exposure often means your footage is over exposed.
So what do you do?
This is where ND filters come into play. An ND filter serves as sunglasses for your camera; it lowers the amount of light entering the camera, allowing for lower shutter speeds in brighter conditions. The problem here is that all the ND filters I have owned are fixed; they come in varying degrees of intensity, usually ranging between ND4 to ND32. So as lighting conditions change, such as clouds passing by, you have to reach into your bag and pull out a different filter. ND16 is working? Well, a cloud blows by and now you need to swap out to an ND4. That's slow, cumbersome and inconvenient when I'm out filming while I'm hiking. So I gave up ND filters altogether and just resigned myself to the fact that any chance I might have a cinematic footage went along with them.
Then Sandmarc reached out to me. I know Sandmarc. My wife owns a set of Sandmarc lenses for her iPhone. I own a Sandmarc selfie stick. It's a great company that makes quality products. What I did not know was that they also make accessories for GoPros. So when they asked me to review their VARIABLE ND filter, I said yes.
The great thing about the Sandmarc variable ND filter is that it's a single device that, with a simple twist of the filter's ring, you can change from ND8 all the way up to ND64. With a variable ND filter like this, you can adjust exposure for lighting conditions on the fly, eliminating the need for filter swapping.
So how does it work? Guess you'll have to watch the video and see.
Please note that although Sandmarc gave me the variable ND filter for free, I am not compensated for this review and therefore have no motivation to recommend the filter if I don't like it.
If you are interested, you can purchase from their website;
sandmarc.com/products/gopro-hero-10-9-variable-nd-filter
Again, I don't get any commission or compensation, so if you want it, buy it. If you don't, don't buy it.
Thanks for watching.
Music by Epidemic Sound:
Topsy at the Top - Martin Landstrom
Can you get CINEMATIC video from a GoPro? Sandmarc variable ND filter review
So cameras all have their strengths and weaknesses. The GoPro is certainly no exception. For me - filming activities like hiking, backpacking and canyoneering - the strengths outweigh the weaknesses out of necessity. GoPros are small, light, waterproof, shock resistant and easy to operate. Go in, put the settings where you want them (see below for my settings) and you're off. Point, push a button and you're recording.
But these come at a cost. First, the image quality isn't as good as, say, a full frame camera because the GoPro's sensor is smaller. That can't be changed. The other issue is exposure. The GoPro's fixed aperture (f2.8) can't help you. EV compensation can help somewhat, but not enough for most bright conditions. So you're stuck with leaving shutter speed at auto to properly expose.
The trade off here is that under most daytime conditions, this means the shutter speed is too fast for your framerate. See, the framerate that is most cinematic and pleasing to the eye is 24p. Moreover, the human eye is accustomed to seeing motion blur when things are moving. But not too much motion blur, or things are....well, they're too blurry. The fix is to have a set shutter speed of 1/48 second when shooting at 24p. But since the GoPro uses shutter speed for exposure, using this fixed exposure often means your footage is over exposed.
So what do you do?
This is where ND filters come into play. An ND filter serves as sunglasses for your camera; it lowers the amount of light entering the camera, allowing for lower shutter speeds in brighter conditions. The problem here is that all the ND filters I have owned are fixed; they come in varying degrees of intensity, usually ranging between ND4 to ND32. So as lighting conditions change, such as clouds passing by, you have to reach into your bag and pull out a different filter. ND16 is working? Well, a cloud blows by and now you need to swap out to an ND4. That's slow, cumbersome and inconvenient when I'm out filming while I'm hiking. So I gave up ND filters altogether and just resigned myself to the fact that any chance I might have a cinematic footage went along with them.
Then Sandmarc reached out to me. I know Sandmarc. My wife owns a set of Sandmarc lenses for her iPhone. I own a Sandmarc selfie stick. It's a great company that makes quality products. What I did not know was that they also make accessories for GoPros. So when they asked me to review their VARIABLE ND filter, I said yes.
The great thing about the Sandmarc variable ND filter is that it's a single device that, with a simple twist of the filter's ring, you can change from ND8 all the way up to ND64. With a variable ND filter like this, you can adjust exposure for lighting conditions on the fly, eliminating the need for filter swapping.
So how does it work? Guess you'll have to watch the video and see.
Please note that although Sandmarc gave me the variable ND filter for free, I am not compensated for this review and therefore have no motivation to recommend the filter if I don't like it.
If you are interested, you can purchase from their website;
sandmarc.com/products/gopro-hero-10-9-variable-nd-filter
Again, I don't get any commission or compensation, so if you want it, buy it. If you don't, don't buy it.
Thanks for watching.
Music by Epidemic Sound:
Topsy at the Top - Martin Landstrom
