Auto Focus at distance is 2 notches below infinity!

[UAVquadman]

I can never win! just returned the Classic version because of range issues now I have a new Mavic 3 I will also be returning because the auto focus tells me infinity is not accurate. All the other Mavic 3 drones say infinity when going from auto to manual (when at a long distance). This new one is 2 notches below at daytime, worse than at night that's 1 notch below infinity. I may do a focus test for fun... but' it's going back!! should I take photos and see what the sharpest?

 

[Rchawks]

Man, that's got to be frustrating, hang in there man, they'll make it right I'm sure.

 

[UAVquadman]

Man, that's got to be frustrating, hang in there man, they'll make it right I'm sure.

I am sure it's usable but it sure bugs me that I have to do tests to see what's going on. I would accept one notch below... but 2!! it's going back for an exchange to avoid restocking fees. thanks! lol..

 

[TwoSticks]

I can never win! just returned the Classic version because of range issues now I have a new Mavic 3 I will also be returning because the auto focus tells me infinity is not accurate. All the other Mavic 3 drones say infinity when going from auto to manual (when at a long distance). This new one is 2 notches below at daytime, worse than at night that's 1 notch below infinity. I may do a focus test for fun... but' it's going back!! should I take photos and see what the sharpest?

What was the range like on the failing Classic?

 

[UAVquadman]

What was the range like on the failing Classic?

it would go from 5 bars to 3 then back to 5 again all the time. Never had this happen before. It was so obvious at first then I got lucky and seemed to have been fixed but after many test flights... it was returned! plus I could see the video feed wasn't as smooth. A controlled test, so it was a no brainer something wasn't right. Same exact controller, etc...

 

[TwoSticks]

it would go from 5 bars to 3 then back to 5 again all the time. Never had this happen before. It was so obvious at first then I got lucky and seemed to have been fixed but after many test flights... it was returned! plus I could see the video feed wasn't as smooth. A controlled test, so it was a no brainer something wasn't right. Same exact controller, etc...

I found the other post. Thanks for the info, I will be looking at mine tomorrow when it arrives. Hope it’s working as it should.

 

[SmilingOgre]

I don't get it. What is a "notch below infinity"? Are you saying it's focusing past infinity? It would be interesting to see if the images where in focus. I think it would be hard to be out of focus. DJI only qualifies their lens as a 24mm full frame equivalent which if like any other MFT system would be a 12mm focal length. Hyper focal distance is like 11 feet even with the lens stopped all the way down. The drones avoidance system would be throwing a fit before the image was out of focus.

 

[Meta4]

should I take photos and see what the sharpest?

Of course you should.
The only thing that matters is .. are the images in focus, not is something two notches below something else (whatever that means).
And as mentioned above, it's unlikely that your camera won't focus properly.

 

[UAVquadman]

Of course you should.
The only thing that matters is .. are the images in focus, not is something two notches below something else (whatever that means).
And as mentioned above, it's unlikely that your camera won't focus properly.

I will now. thanks (or two lines bellow infinity when you view the manual focus bar.)

 

[Dave Maine]

Autofocus should get the focus right. The screen indicators are never dead on at infinity even if the lens is perfectly focused. Ask any astrophotographer using even the best lenses. They all use some actual visual methods to insure perfect focus at infinity.

Testing your equipment by examining an actual image is the simplest way to be sure. Shoot a shot with a sharp object running from close to the camera to very far away, and examine it on a big screen to see where the actual focal plane is. Brick buildings shot on a diagonal work well.

 

[UAVquadman]

I don't get it. What is a "notch below infinity"? Are you saying it's focusing past infinity? It would be interesting to see if the images where in focus. I think it would be hard to be out of focus. DJI only qualifies their lens as a 24mm full frame equivalent which if like any other MFT system would be a 12mm focal length. Hyper focal distance is like 11 feet even with the lens stopped all the way down. The drones avoidance system would be throwing a fit before the image was out of focus.

The bar has lines shown vertically. so 2 lines bellow the infinity line, is where the auto focus locks on to when objects are far away. The other M3 drones autofocus always locked onto the infinity line, not 2 notches under! LOL

 

[UAVquadman]

Autofocus should get the focus right. The screen indicators are never dead on at infinity even if the lens is perfectly focused. Ask any astrophotographer using even the best lenses. They all use some actual visual methods to insure perfect focus at infinity.

Testing your equipment by examining an actual image is the simplest way to be sure. Shoot a shot with a sharp object running from close to the camera to very far away, and examine it on a big screen to see where the actual focal plane is. Brick buildings shot on a diagonal work well.

But for distant objects. all the other DJI drones would show infinity when I switch from auto focus to manual. Last night it was one bar/notch/line less... so I was hopping in the day it would be spot on! nope! twice as bad!! lol..

 

[SmilingOgre]

The bar has lines shown vertically. so 2 lines bellow the infinity line, is where the auto focus locks on to when objects are far away. The other M3 drones autofocus always locked onto the infinity line, not 2 notches under! LOL

Thanks. I get it now. I've never used the focus bar, I always use focus peaking. Next flight I'll have to take a look at that. I have no idea of the function or accuracy of that facility. I don't have any nd filters yet so my aperture is usually stopped down pretty far and focus is not a concern. I like to use 180° shutter angle and with the 400 ISO limit on D-log I really do need to get some nd filters.

 

[Ralph thompson]

Many digital cameras focus beyond infinity for multiple reasons, this is perfectly normal and only expensive lens will indicate where that infinity point is (quality SLR lens, infinity is at the cross in the infinity symbol). There are many reasons but it can be because, during fast focus you avoid hitting a hard end stop, temperature changes on tiny optical components can significantly impact where a focus point is mechanically and the design probably incorporates features that will allow mechanical zoom (maybe in the future) where the mechanical infinity focus point will vary. Id guess that the reason the manual focus bar only shows infinity at the top and macro at the bottom without accurate numbers in-between, is because the manual slider is just a guide, up for infinity, down for macro. And as said above the hyperlocal distance is so close that the only reason to focus is to set anything beyond 20 feet or for very close shots (less that 10 feet). Just my thoughts.

 

[UAVquadman]

Of course you should.
The only thing that matters is .. are the images in focus, not is something two notches below something else (whatever that means).
And as mentioned above, it's unlikely that your camera won't focus properly

in this shot I couldn't back up far enough. I will later on. But this shows the autofocus, and when checked in manual it was 3 increments/lines under infinity. But I did take another shot at another Brick building far back enough and it was only 1/2 a line bellow infinity when on auto. But when I did some above shot test with auto it was doing 2 lines below like it does with landscapes and clouds. So, in Manual one line bellow is the sharpest at infinity shots one would guess... but I will return this lemon!

 

[Arnold LeVine]

I wonder if the Auto focus lock is either locking in at the focus point that it "sees" at that moment, or locking in at the hyperfocal distance, which is the point at which the lens has the greatest depth of field front to back.
And the hyperfocal distance is not infinity but much closer, perhaps at the 2 "notch" distance you are talking about.
As stated above, the question should be is your subject in focus?

 

[UAVquadman]

I wonder if the Auto focus lock is either locking in at the focus point that it "sees" at that moment, or locking in at the hyperfocal distance, which is the point at which the lens has the greatest depth of field front to back.
And the hyperfocal distance is not infinity but much closer, perhaps at the 2 "notch" distance you are talking about.
As stated above, the question should be is your subject in focus?

all the DJI drones I have flown in autofocus when at a far distance say infinity when I change it to manual. This Defective drone says manual.... (then I press on manual, and I see it well below infinity! it's a new one on me so it's going back. thanks for asking. I shot it at a brick building to be close to infinity... 1/2 below. but then when at a further object it goes 2 notches below!! going back. I can't take this flaw.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I am sure it's usable but it sure bugs me that I have to do tests to see what's going on. I would accept one notch below... but 2!! it's going back for an exchange to avoid restocking fees. thanks! lol..

No restocking fees on "defective" drones, and you get to decide what a "defect" is, not the store clerk. No one will be testing it to confirm your defect.