Are Mavic Air 2 HDR video files true HDR?

[gb160]

Quick question I hope someone more knowledgable than me can answer.
Ive tested the MA2 capturing some HDR videos, and when played back with a media player and TV that both support HDR, the TV doesn't switch into HDR mode when playing them back, like all my HDR UHD BluRay rips do.

A very technical friend asked me to extract the media-info from the file and send it to him, and his conclusion was 'it doesn’t look like that file has proper HDR info.'

My question is are the Mavic Air 2 videos true HDR?

 

[Ice_2k]

I'm guessing DJI is using the new sensor's capabilities of basically shooting in two different exposure settings at the same time and merging the results but the output is just a normal (better looking) video, not an actual HDR video.

 

[gb160]

I'm guessing DJI is using the new sensor's capabilities of basically shooting in two different exposure settings at the same time and merging the results but the output is just a normal (better looking) video, not an actual HDR video.

Yeah this is what I suspected.
Not a big issue, the 'HDR' videos do look really good.

 

[THE CYBORG]

Even if it is only 2 different exposure settings it’s still technically HDR, the more differing exposures the better but 2 will or should make a difference.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yeah this is what I suspected.
Not a big issue, the 'HDR' videos do look really good.

Some early reviews indicated that HDR video tended to blow out the whites to open up the shadows, compared to Normal mode. Does that appear to be the case in your experience?

 

[gb160]

Some early reviews indicated that HDR video tended to blow out the whites to open up the shadows, compared to Normal mode. Does that appear to be the case in your experience?

If im honest I'm still getting to grips with it, I had a filter on but the clouds kept blocking/unblocking the sun so it wasn't really a great day to be testing it.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Even if it is only 2 different exposure settings it’s still technically HDR, the more differing exposures the better but 2 will or should make a difference.

Yes, but these are already baked, much like a jpg, without access to both originals, like the spherical Panos, where they throw away the 26 original images after the stitching in camera. True HDR requires several exposures, not just two. Since the whites tend to be blown out in the MA2 HDR, they are likely overexposing the second exposure, while the original is a normal exposure, and then the two are averaged together.

 

[Ice_2k]

Yes, but these are already baked, much like a jpg, without access to both originals, like the spherical Panos, where they throw away the 26 original images after the stitching in camera. True HDR requires several exposures, not just two. Since the whites tend to be blown out in the MA2 HDR, they are likely overexposing the second exposure, while the original is a normal exposure, and then the two are averaged together.

FWIW, the 26 original images are not discarded in panorama, you can opt to get those as well.

 

[GadgetGuy]

If im honest I'm still getting to grips with it, I had a filter on but the clouds kept blocking/unblocking the sun so it wasn't really a great day to be testing it.

Stewart of Stewart and Alina/Drone Film Guide said a comparison to Normal showed the MA2 video HDR setting resulted in overexposed highlights, so he would not recommend using it. Shadows can better be opened up in post without blowing out the highlights. Just wondering if others have found the same. I haven't tried the HDR setting yet either, but he's pretty sharp and now sponsored by DJI, so any negative is pretty objective.

 

[GadgetGuy]

FWIW, the 26 original images are not discarded in panorama, you can opt to get those as well.

Please explain how, as that would be game changer for me! I haven't found such a setting, unless it is part of the obscure HDR saving toggle?

 

[Ice_2k]

Please explain how, as that would be game changer for me! I haven't found such a setting, unless it is part of the obscure HDR saving toggle?

Long story short, the settings under the 3 dots in the top right corner are just relevant for the current mode. So if you enable JPG+RAW and only then switch into panorama mode, the RAW setting you previously made is irrelevant. You need to tap on the 3 dots *after* entering panorama mode and there you will have the JPG+RAW setting.

 

[THE CYBORG]

Yes, but these are already baked, much like a jpg, without access to both originals, like the spherical Panos, where they throw away the 26 original images after the stitching in camera. True HDR requires several exposures, not just two. Since the whites tend to be blown out in the MA2 HDR, they are likely overexposing the second exposure, while the original is a normal exposure, and then the two are averaged together.

Got to agree GadgetGuy but that’s why I said, Technically HDR but the more differing exposures the better.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Long story short, the settings under the 3 dots in the top right corner are just relevant for the current mode. So if you enable JPG+RAW and only then switch into panorama mode, the RAW setting you previously made is irrelevant. You need to tap on the 3 dots *after* entering panorama mode and there you will have the JPG+RAW setting.

Excellent! So does that setting then save the 26 jpg or the 26 DNG or both? On the Mavic 2, you only get one or the other, but not both, unless I missed something further on the Mavic 2 under the actual Pano settings there, too. Unfortunately, you can't enter the Pano setting until you are in the air to explore it. Not a good idea in the living room!

 

[gottahavit]

Quick question I hope someone more knowledgable than me can answer.
Ive tested the MA2 capturing some HDR videos, and when played back with a media player and TV that both support HDR, the TV doesn't switch into HDR mode when playing them back, like all my HDR UHD BluRay rips do.

A very technical friend asked me to extract the media-info from the file and send it to him, and his conclusion was 'it doesn’t look like that file has proper HDR info.'

My question is are the Mavic Air 2 videos true HDR?

Short answer is No. instead of calling it HDR, they should be calling Increased Dynamic Range. They are not shooting in HDR video. It will not properly trigger or provide proper metadata to any true HDR display to adjust itself to display true HDR video(HDR, HDR-10, or Dolvy Vision). What they are doing is expanding the Dynamic range of the picture they are capturing in SDR format(still a good thing).

 

[GadgetGuy]

Long story short, the settings under the 3 dots in the top right corner are just relevant for the current mode. So if you enable JPG+RAW and only then switch into panorama mode, the RAW setting you previously made is irrelevant. You need to tap on the 3 dots *after* entering panorama mode and there you will have the JPG+RAW setting.

I just found it, and the default setting is Off, and the other two options are Jpeg or Raw. So, like the M2, it's neither, or one or the other, but not both. Cool!
Any idea what the Auto Sync HDR Photos does?
Shouldn't have tested it in the galley kitchen!
Weak GPS signal switched it to ATTI mode while avoiding RTH to the living room due to low battery and it hit the oven and crashed on the floor! One set of props down, and an LED light that popped off a leg and was quickly popped back in! Sturdy little bird!

 

[Hiflyer808]

Stewart of Stewart and Alina/Drone Film Guide said a comparison to Normal showed the MA2 video HDR setting resulted in overexposed highlights, so he would not recommend using it. Shadows can better be opened up in post without blowing out the highlights. Just wondering if others have found the same. I haven't tried the HDR setting yet either, but he's pretty sharp and now sponsored by DJI, so any negative is pretty objective.

What about using hdr but underexposing half a stop? I really want to see some in depth testing and comparisons. What I've seen seems to UNDERexpose the highlights if anything..

 

[Dronarium]

FWIW, the 26 original images are not discarded in panorama, you can opt to get those as well.

where is the setting to keep the 26 org. images in MA2 ??? I got those in MA1 i like to have that choice

 

[RupertBoston]

So if it’s not “true” HDR will I benefit from better looking dynamic range range footage when played back on my non HDR TV?

 

[GtoJon]

I grabbed this image form HDR default & resized it here. I took it into Photo Shop & tweaked it a little & really like this HDR. I only edited what was there.
Video here:

 

[Ice_2k]

where is the setting to keep the 26 org. images in MA2 ??? I got those in MA1 i like to have that choice

In the three dots to right menu, *after* entering panorama mode