Hero4 Black vs Mavic (detail image quality)

[gow7]

Hello,
I've decided to make a little comparison between my Hero4 Black and Mavic, and here are the results:

Hero4 Black FOV Analysis for detail image quality:

Resolution: 16:9

- 4K 30fps wide: as good as it gets, better quality

- 2K 30/60fps:

• wide: not that good for detail
• medium: much better quality in detail. Looks the same as 4K in wide

- FullHD:

30/60fps:

• wide: not that good for detail as well
• medium: better quality in detail
• narrow: better than medium. Looks the same as 2K in medium
• linear: didn’t notice much difference from medium

120fps

• wide: worst quality of all
• narrow: best setting for super slow. Just a tiny bit under the 30/60 narrow quality.

This link helped me understand why some FOV “zoom” preserved such quality.
Results: Hero4-composite.png


Mavic analysis for detail image quality:

Settings: Manual
Color: True Color
Style: -3/+0 +0 +0

C4K 24fps:

• -3: very similar to a 4:3 still (not RAW, RAW is just perfect).
• +0: I guess it has better quality than -3

- 4K:

• 24fps / 30fps (both present the same level of quality)
• -3 / +0: same analysis as in CK4. It looks like when using +0 we get more quality than -3 because in post I wasn’t able to reproduce the same sharpness/detail presented in +0. In other hand I was able to reduce sharpness in +0 ending up with a less sharp image while preserving detail/quality.

- 2K: Same as in 4K.

- FullHD :

• 24fps / 30fps (both present the same level of quality)
• 60fps (less quality comparing with 24/30)
• 96fps (less quality comparing with 24/30. It seems to be a 60fps sharp version)
• -3 / +0: for all frame rates, +0 seems to have better quality than -3.

Note: I was not capable of reproducing 100% the same sharpness level/quality between -3 and +0, so maybe using -2 or -1 would be better for situations where we want less sharp images. I believe it’s easier to get less sharpening in post (using gaussian blur) while preserving quality than the opposite. So perhaps using +0 is the best option and instead of adding sharpness we could remove it.

Results: Mavic-composite.png


Mavic vs. Hero 4 Black image detail quality:

Hero4 FOV: Wide 17.2mm, Medium 21.9mm, Narrow 34.4mm
Mavic FOV: 28mm

I’ll be comparing Mavic with Hero4 Narrow (when possible) for 30fps and 120fps.

4K:

• Looks like Hero4 (wide) offers a quality similar to Mavic’s -3, maybe -2.

Mavic +0 wins.

2K:

• Again, looks like Hero4 (medium) offers a quality similar to Mavic’s -3, maybe a -2.

Mavic +0 wins.

FHD:

• 30fps: Hero4 (narrow) offers a quality similar to Mavic’s +0, maybe a little less sharp. Mavic’s -3 is the worst.

It’s a tie between Hero4 and Mavic’s +0.

• 120 / 96fps: The same as 30fps, Hero4 (narrow) offers a quality similar to Mavic’s +0 where Mavic’s -3 is the worst.

It’s a tie between Hero4 and Mavic’s +0.
For FHD, those who like smoother images will choose Hero4.

Results: Final-composite.png


Conclusion:

This is my analysis, I’m not a photographer nor a designer, I don’t have skills for a perfect post production and maybe this analysis wasn’t conducted in a proper way and also without the best conditions.

I believe for detailed images with a smaller FOV Mavic wins but maybe you’ll have to choose the right settings and give it a little post production while Hero4 it’s more straight out of the box.

Super slow motion - I’m comparing frames, not short clips, so looking at just one frame I must say they are very similar.

So what do you think?

 

[Malavic]

After a week of my Mavic Videos, my Hero4 went up for sale. In my opinion, The Mavic not only looks better, but I don't need to apply lens correction to correct the fish-eye look. The Hero is also not natively 4k stabilized.

The best part...I sold the Hero with a bunch of other junk, like extra batteries, a charger, some mounts and whatnot. I then spent that money plus $100 and bought the Sony FDR-X3000. Truly stabilized 4k in an action cam. Not quite Mavic level of stability but light years ahead of the GoPro.