360 degree pano.....Litchi vs DJIgo

[Jr. Stafford]

Been using Litchi for 360 panos, tried the new pano option on DJIgo today. Here are my findings:

I have Litchi set to 42 pictures, no option for that on the DJIgo app, it's set for you at 34 pics. A HUGE difference in speed, DJIgo takes a hair over a minute for 34 pics, Litchi takes a hair over 5 minutes for 42. You could set Litchi to 34 pics, but it's still going to take over 4 minutes for the whole thing. DJIgo zips through it like it's on some kind of drug! Big win for DJIgo there. I have had times I wanted to take a couple of panos with Litchi at different camera settings, but by the time I fly it to where it's going, and then get it positioned and take the first 42 pics, quite often it will run down to critical battery before the 2nd set can finish.....DJIgo TOTALLY solves this issue. (Kind of, I'll explain later.) I could take 4 or 5 panos with DJIgo in the time Litchi can do just one.

Also, when you go to download the files to stitch together, another HUGE win for DJIgo. Each pano is in it's own separate folder....simply load into stitching program and go for it. With Litchi you have to sort thru the pics and find the right 42, so again, much slower.

So it's a slam dunk, right? DJIgo is faster and simpler all the way around? Not so fast.......

The obvious problem came after I stitched the pics and uploaded them to the site I use for hosting panos. Here they are, with a minimum of editing with Photoshop. I done an Auto Tone, Auto Contrast, and Smart Sharpen on both. Here are the results: (And you can quickly see the problem!)

Litchi: LitchiPano

DJIgo: DJIGoPano

I'm not much of a photographer, so not sure of all the terms. The DJIgo app is so fast that it doesn't give the camera time to adjust to the correct settings before it snaps the picture. (Exposure and White Balance, I think?) So the DJIgo version is horribly washed out.

I even went back out and changed the settings from Auto White Balance to Sunny, and changed the ISO from Auto to Manual, but it doesn't work......everytime the camera moves it still adjusts the exposure. Maybe photographer experts can help me.....how do I solve this issue? I absolutely want to use DJIgo for panos due to the speed and ease, but how can I keep the pics from being over exposed in the process?

At this point, DJIgo is much faster and easier, but for the finished product Litchi would be the only way to go. Unless there is a way to solve the camera issues?

Anybody got any thoughts?

 

[Martin Kuhn]

The light situation on your pano is quite extreme.

I can imagine that using polarization filters would dramatically improve the result of the DJIgo pano pics

 

[LivinLarge]

I have not used the new automatic pano features but here is what I have done for manual panoramas. Set the exposure to manual. Leave the ISO at 100 point the camera at a part of the scene that does not include sky or dark shadows and adjust the shutter speed until the exposure compensation shows 0 (zero.)
here is one created from video, not still images:
Beech Fork Lake

 

[Nathan Hoover]

Wow, the DJI result may be fast but sure doesn't look good. I have been using Litchi for several years and usually do 26 photos (3x8, 2 nadirs). Yes it takes some time but I typically get good results. I use Panorama Studio so the results look like this: http://www.flynathan.com/pano/tilos.html

I was almost thinking of updating my Mavic for this feature but it's not very compelling. I am still back on the .0700 firmware which works fine.

 

[LivinLarge]

Wow, the DJI result may be fast but sure doesn't look good. I have been using Litchi for several years and usually do 26 photos (3x8, 2 nadirs). Yes it takes some time but I typically get good results. I use Panorama Studio so the results look like this: http://www.flynathan.com/pano/tilos.html

I was almost thinking of updating my Mavic for this feature but it's not very compelling. I am still back on the .0700 firmware which works fine.

I am thinking of going back to .0700 as well. I have not upgraded to the latest. I have been using Microsoft ICE for stitching.

 

[OzoneVibe]

@Jr. Stafford
Like I've discovered with the DJI, the images seem a little over-exposed. I much prefer the exposure on your Litchi version.

I have a thread on this : Pano working fine(ish). A couple of questions.

 

[TxMavPro2017]

My panos using the DJI Go app on my Mavic Pro come out insanely overexposed. Almost to the point to where they are unusable. Not sure what's going on? They turn out amazing when using my Spark.

 

[dv8ed]

I remember seeing Litchi lock exposure does DJI Go do the same?

 

[Jr. Stafford]

My panos using the DJI Go app on my Mavic Pro come out insanely overexposed. Almost to the point to where they are unusable. Not sure what's going on? They turn out amazing when using my Spark.

Yeah, I honestly think it's because of the speed. If you watch while it's taking pictures, it's almost comically fast. I think because of how fast it takes the pictures, that it can't adjust the exposure fast enough. I think if they slowed it down a bit, it would probably work better. Which sucks, because the speed is one of the cool features of it. Maybe a medium ground?

 

[OzoneVibe]

I think it's just consistently incorrect. :/
I've checked the exif from the jpg/raw on the SD card that are part of a photosphere, and it's not using a fixed exposure for all. See below.
So - it's a firmware issue if the images on the MP are overexposed, not an app issue?
Although the Litchie look superior ... = app related.

Would setting the MP to fixed exposure improve? Or would Pano mode override that?

Not managed to test yesterday's mini-update of GO4 (build 2027953 on Android) to see if this has been fixed. Anyone?

 

[Jr. Stafford]

I think it's just consistently incorrect. :/
I've checked the exif from the jpg/raw on the SD card that are part of a photosphere, and it's not using a fixed exposure for all. See below.
So - it's a firmware issue if the images on the MP are overexposed, not an app issue?
Although the Litchie look superior ... = app related.

Would setting the MP to fixed exposure improve? Or would Pano mode override that?

Not managed to test yesterday's mini-update of GO4 (build 2027953 on Android) to see if this has been fixed. Anyone?

View attachment 25826

Done the mini update, maybe it helped a bit?

DJIGoPano2edited

Doesn't seem as washed out as the ones yesterday, but still too over exposed. One thing I noticed: I watched the screen while it was taking pictures. As it snapped the pictures the lighting was darker and pretty good, but once the screen 'blinked off' for a split second while it was taking the picture, when the screen came back on everything was suddenly too exposed. So I think it's an app problem, Litchi doesn't have this problem.

 

[OzoneVibe]

Done the mini update, maybe it helped a bit?

DJIGoPano2edited

Doesn't seem as washed out as the ones yesterday, but still too over exposed. One thing I noticed: I watched the screen while it was taking pictures. As it snapped the pictures the lighting was darker and pretty good, but once the screen 'blinked off' for a split second while it was taking the picture, when the screen came back on everything was suddenly too exposed. So I think it's an app problem, Litchi doesn't have this problem.

Indeed. That looks better than before.
There's been a second Android app update today (yes, 2 just today!), not managed to test either. Tomorrow is forecast sunny. (Yes - it can happen in the UK!) I'll give it a whirl.
I'll also see what happens if I select a manual exposure ... tho I anticipate Pano will override.

 

[Jr. Stafford]

Indeed. That looks better than before.
There's been a second Android app update today (yes, 2 just today!), not managed to test either. Tomorrow is forecast sunny. I'll give it a whirl.
I'll also see what happens if I select a manual exposure ... tho I anticipate Pano will override.

That actually was after today's update, didn't realize there was another. And it was cloudy here, so hard to tell. I tried to do Manual exposure yesterday, and like you thought, it was overriding it for every picture. I will be curious to see what you find during your experiment. Once they get it locked in and perfected, I can't imagine I would ever use Litchi again for 360s.

 

[dv8ed]

DJI Go 4 with Spark does have a notification exposure it's locked like Litchi, tried it earlier today but for Mavic there was no exposure lock notification.

 

[OzoneVibe]

Tried latest (Android) and, whilst overexposure is a little less, it's still nowhere near what I'd call good.



Even the jpg and RAW on the SD Card are still overexposed .... well, all but the very first "straight down" shot ... and even then I'd suggest it is very slightly.



The Exif claims the above was ISO100 1/155sec.
Below (4th image) ISO100 1/2288sec.



I'm sorry .... that (2nd one) just can't be correct!

We'll just have to wait and see what trickles out from DJI in the way of updates.

Edit. That very low-level photosphere was interesting to watch. Quite windy too ... and moved very little,

 

[Luc.vn]

Thanks for sharing OzonVibe, no upgrades at all on iOS since the first release yet :-(

 

[AAPhoto]

In the photography world, it's best to use manual settings to take any kind of panorama so the exposure doesn't change across the image. Also, on bright days, the Mavic's shutter speed may not be fast enough so an ND filter may be required. I'm not going to teach a whole photography class here (google "exposure triangle") but will instead give it a try later today and will report back.

 

[mastermind]

Been using Litchi for 360 panos, tried the new pano option on DJIgo today. Here are my findings:

I have Litchi set to 42 pictures, no option for that on the DJIgo app, it's set for you at 34 pics. A HUGE difference in speed, DJIgo takes a hair over a minute for 34 pics, Litchi takes a hair over 5 minutes for 42. You could set Litchi to 34 pics, but it's still going to take over 4 minutes for the whole thing. DJIgo zips through it like it's on some kind of drug! Big win for DJIgo there. I have had times I wanted to take a couple of panos with Litchi at different camera settings, but by the time I fly it to where it's going, and then get it positioned and take the first 42 pics, quite often it will run down to critical battery before the 2nd set can finish.....DJIgo TOTALLY solves this issue. (Kind of, I'll explain later.) I could take 4 or 5 panos with DJIgo in the time Litchi can do just one.

Also, when you go to download the files to stitch together, another HUGE win for DJIgo. Each pano is in it's own separate folder....simply load into stitching program and go for it. With Litchi you have to sort thru the pics and find the right 42, so again, much slower.

So it's a slam dunk, right? DJIgo is faster and simpler all the way around? Not so fast.......

The obvious problem came after I stitched the pics and uploaded them to the site I use for hosting panos. Here they are, with a minimum of editing with Photoshop. I done an Auto Tone, Auto Contrast, and Smart Sharpen on both. Here are the results: (And you can quickly see the problem!)

Litchi: LitchiPano

DJIgo: DJIGoPano

I'm not much of a photographer, so not sure of all the terms. The DJIgo app is so fast that it doesn't give the camera time to adjust to the correct settings before it snaps the picture. (Exposure and White Balance, I think?) So the DJIgo version is horribly washed out.

I even went back out and changed the settings from Auto White Balance to Sunny, and changed the ISO from Auto to Manual, but it doesn't work......everytime the camera moves it still adjusts the exposure. Maybe photographer experts can help me.....how do I solve this issue? I absolutely want to use DJIgo for panos due to the speed and ease, but how can I keep the pics from being over exposed in the process?

At this point, DJIgo is much faster and easier, but for the finished product Litchi would be the only way to go. Unless there is a way to solve the camera issues?

Anybody got any thoughts?

Use exposure lock in goApp so it maintains same exposure

 

[OzoneVibe]

In the photography world, it's best to use manual settings to take any kind of panorama so the exposure doesn't change across the image. Also, on bright days, the Mavic's shutter speed may not be fast enough so an ND filter may be required. I'm not going to teach a whole photography class here (google "exposure triangle") but will instead give it a try later today and will report back.

Use exposure lock in goApp so it maintains same exposure

​

Unfortunately, Pano mode on the Mavic seems to override any manual exposures. The Exif on mine show this to be the case, as well. It also shows that they are not all the same exposure. (See above).

I have read that the ISO setting is not overridden, but not tested this ... the main reason being that mine seem overexposed (PhotoSphere mode) and they are all at ISO100 in any case.

 

[Jaysjob]

In the photography world, it's best to use manual settings to take any kind of panorama so the exposure doesn't change across the image. Also, on bright days, the Mavic's shutter speed may not be fast enough so an ND filter may be required. I'm not going to teach a whole photography class here (google "exposure triangle") but will instead give it a try later today and will report back.

I agree. A filter might help.