Automation and AI are we missing the wood for the trees ?

[Pacefast]

Firstly I am not an expert so would like opinion !
One Drone photographer with thousands of Followerrs admitted to only using filters ( 64 ) in the strongest sunlight with NO filters for anything less ! He claimrd filters destroy true colour while the only benefit was motion blur which he again thought was overated !
Other surpise was other than in very special circumstances he left the camera in Auto !
This argument was followed by another big follower site .
I rarely use automatics to fly preferring instant response of hand flying as I tend to fly close to water and trees but the capability of the Drones is such now as well as editing capability in automatics with use of AI that all the skills of a photographer or Drone pilot are being lost to automatics ?
I would like opinion of those more expert than me

Peter

 

[GFields]

I never use filters. However, 95% of my photography is still shots. What videos I have done have also been without filters.

 

[Meta4]

One Drone photographer with thousands of Followerrs admitted to only using filters ( 64 ) in the strongest sunlight with NO filters for anything less ! He claimrd filters destroy true colour while the only benefit was motion blur which he again thought was overated !

That's not unusual for someone with a good understanding of photography.
Unless the photographer has a particular reason to force a slower shutter speed, there is no reason to use ND filters when shooting stills with a drone.

Other surpise was other than in very special circumstances he left the camera in Auto !
This argument was followed by another big follower site .
I rarely use automatics to fly preferring instant response of hand flying as I tend to fly close to water and trees but the capability of the Drones is such now as well as editing capability in automatics with use of AI that all the skills of a photographer or Drone pilot are being lost to automatics ?

Drone flyers with no photographic knowledge often leave exposure decisions to the automated program mode of the drone camera.
That will get reasonably good results much of the time, but not in non-average lighting conditions
You'll read many in the forums suggesting that you must use manual exposure if you want the best results.
But that's not correct, experienced photographers can benefit from automation and still use their experience to override when that's appropriate for the images they want to capture.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Firstly I am not an expert so would like opinion !
One Drone photographer with thousands of Followerrs admitted to only using filters ( 64 ) in the strongest sunlight with NO filters for anything less ! He claimrd filters destroy true colour while the only benefit was motion blur which he again thought was overated !
Other surpise was other than in very special circumstances he left the camera in Auto !
This argument was followed by another big follower site .
I rarely use automatics to fly preferring instant response of hand flying as I tend to fly close to water and trees but the capability of the Drones is such now as well as editing capability in automatics with use of AI that all the skills of a photographer or Drone pilot are being lost to automatics ?
I would like opinion of those more expert than me

Peter

I don't use ND's at all, I find that they introduce too much digital noise in the shadows for my liking, I'll drop the E.V. or adjust the shutter speed instead and leave the lens as clear as possible.

The auto mode in modern digitals is very good and more than up to the mark for spur of the moment snap-shots, but there are plenty of circumstances where manual settings need to be used for specialist exposures. More often than not, I'll start out in auto, shoot the asset once and then go back to specific features and adjust f/stop and shutter for a 'better' exposure more suited to purpose.

While I've tested a couple of the automated flight modes, I haven't used any of 'em once while shooting whatever is on my agenda for the day. Manual control all the time.

Personally, I really dislike the use of 'AI' with digital photography because the picture you end up with isn't technically the shot you took. There's been an argument going on for the best part of a century concerning the 'creative' manipulation of photographic images, some shooters can't stop themselves tinkering, while others claim that a shot should have veritas and be an accurate reflection of what the eye saw at that moment.

 

[BetterBizWorks]

Firstly I am not an expert so would like opinion !
One Drone photographer with thousands of Followerrs admitted to only using filters ( 64 ) in the strongest sunlight with NO filters for anything less ! He claimrd filters destroy true colour while the only benefit was motion blur which he again thought was overated !
Other surpise was other than in very special circumstances he left the camera in Auto !
This argument was followed by another big follower site .
I rarely use automatics to fly preferring instant response of hand flying as I tend to fly close to water and trees but the capability of the Drones is such now as well as editing capability in automatics with use of AI that all the skills of a photographer or Drone pilot are being lost to automatics ?
I would like opinion of those more expert than me

Peter

I teach people how to get their camera off automatic and use manual When it comes to drone flight the light intensity changes from moment to moment. DJI drones adjust 10 times per second for light changes. We can't possible keep up. As fr as filters a variable ND filter is worth it's weight in gold on the ground, but once you use an ND filter on a drone you are stuck with that intensity for the duration of the flight. Most editing can be done in post to compensate for the subltle changes that happen on auto and without ND filters. You are speaking of Ted Nemeth as the person suggesting this simplification for beginner pilots and I agree that beginner pilots are better off concentrating on framing the shot and not the minor adjustments. Most people don't need more gear and adjustments. They need to compose their scene and let the drone do most of the work. When you have time, in stable light conditions you can adjust manually to get the proper shot.

 

[offtheback]

I don't use ND's at all, I find that they introduce too much digital noise in the shadows for my liking, I'll drop the E.V. or adjust the shutter speed instead and leave the lens as clear as possible.

The auto mode in modern digitals is very good and more than up to the mark for spur of the moment snap-shots, but there are plenty of circumstances where manual settings need to be used for specialist exposures. More often than not, I'll start out in auto, shoot the asset once and then go back to specific features and adjust f/stop and shutter for a 'better' exposure more suited to purpose.

While I've tested a couple of the automated flight modes, I haven't used any of 'em once while shooting whatever is on my agenda for the day. Manual control all the time.

Personally, I really dislike the use of 'AI' with digital photography because the picture you end up with isn't technically the shot you took. There's been an argument going on for the best part of a century concerning the 'creative' manipulation of photographic images, some shooters can't stop themselves tinkering, while others claim that a shot should have veritas and be an accurate reflection of what the eye saw at that moment.

I don't know how,if the exposure is correct with and without,how an ND filter could produce any more noise than no filter.

 

[Meta4]

I don't know how,if the exposure is correct with and without,how an ND filter could produce any more noise than no filter.

The cameras with smaller sensors produce better images in good light, but the image gets mushy in low light.
As an ND filter cuts the amount of light getting to the lens, you would see more noise with the filter on.

 

[offtheback]

The cameras with smaller sensors produce better images in good light, but the image gets mushy in low light.
As an ND filter cuts the amount of light getting to the lens, you would see more noise with the filter on.

Even if the exposure value for with and without an ND is correct(shutter speed slower and/or F Stop larger opening)?Not compensating with ISO which would increase noise.

 

[Felix le Chat]

I don't know how,if the exposure is correct with and without,how an ND filter could produce any more noise than no filter.

Reply #7 sums it up in a nutshell.

 

[offtheback]

Reply #7 sums it up in a nutshell.

Read my reply to#7.What am I missing?

 

[StevenBrodsky]

Regarding AI. I think DJI is only using AI in it's object tracking features. Helping it identify the current number of things they can track. AI will soon help DJI drones track other things , other than what they are able to track today.

The Cameras are not using AI to adjust ISO, AF, Shutter speeds, aperature etc. Those are being adjusted by algorithms. Algorithms are much different than AI. AI can learn and get better, Algorithms do what they do without changing their protocols.

 

[4006448]

Is it fair to say that for a recreational flyer who takes stills and videos of their life / family / holidays that auto settings are generally acceptable but for the professional photographer / videographer, manual provides the control required for a paying customer?

 

[offtheback]

I don't use ND's at all, I find that they introduce too much digital noise in the shadows for my liking, I'll drop the E.V. or adjust the shutter speed instead and leave the lens as clear as possible.

The auto mode in modern digitals is very good and more than up to the mark for spur of the moment snap-shots, but there are plenty of circumstances where manual settings need to be used for specialist exposures. More often than not, I'll start out in auto, shoot the asset once and then go back to specific features and adjust f/stop and shutter for a 'better' exposure more suited to purpose.

While I've tested a couple of the automated flight modes, I haven't used any of 'em once while shooting whatever is on my agenda for the day. Manual control all the time.

Personally, I really dislike the use of 'AI' with digital photography because the picture you end up with isn't technically the shot you took. There's been an argument going on for the best part of a century concerning the 'creative' manipulation of photographic images, some shooters can't stop themselves tinkering, while others claim that a shot should have veritas and be an accurate reflection of what the eye saw at that moment.

Aperture priority allows you to use the sweet spot aperture of a camera.Auto not necessarily.

 

[Meta4]

Is it fair to say that for a recreational flyer who takes stills and videos of their life / family / holidays that auto settings are generally acceptable but for the professional photographer / videographer, manual provides the control required for a paying customer?

Leaving the exposure settings to the camera's automatic programming will get you good photos when lighting is good.
But that doesn't mean that professionals must use full manual exposure settings for good results.
I shoot moving subjects where the scene and lighting can change, so I'm not able to take the time to set exposure for each shot.
Most of the time, I shoot in Aperture Priority mode, where I set the aperture and ISO and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed for the lighting.
But I keep an eye on what the camera is doing to be able to make changes when needed for the shot I want.

There's nothing magic about manually setting exposure that makes for better images.
The correct exposure settings are correct, whether a machine sets them or you do.
The experienced photographer can use the benefits of technology, but he supervises the tech to make sure it's doing what he wants it to.

 

[Meta4]

Aperture priority allows you to use the sweet spot aperture of a camera.Auto not necessarily.

The idea of a "sweet spot" aperture doesn't really apply with DJI drones with a controllable aperture.
Their lenses are sweet at just about any aperture.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Aperture priority allows you to use the sweet spot aperture of a camera.Auto not necessarily.

That's really nice to know... but I don't always shoot assets using drones that have variable aperture. With the mini 3 pro and the Mavic 2 zoom: the exposure triangle isn't, it's an exposure straight line of shutter and ISO.

 

[offtheback]

The idea of a "sweet spot" aperture doesn't really apply with DJI drones with a controllable aperture.
Their lenses are sweet at just about any aperture.

I wouldn't want a 1" sensor to shoot smaller than F/6.3 to avoid diffraction.

 

[EssenYVR]

I've pretty much given up on fully manual exposure for all my photography and videography, ground- or air-based. When I started in photography with film, exposure was absolutely critical. And there was no such thing as automatic exposure - you read the light level off the exposure meter and then set the aperture and shutter speed on the camera. And woe be to you if your last roll of film was Tri-X and you forgot to change the ASA setting on the light meter for Panasonic-X.

These days the camera can eliminate all of that hassle and get it right most of the time. Having to check and recheck your settings every time you move the camera around just gets to be a waste of time. There are only a few specific scenarios, such as night photography, where I bother with fully manual exposure.

Instead I use automatic exposure mode and then adjust the exposure compensation as necessary. I sometimes use aperture or shutter priority mode depending on what I'm trying to accomplish, but the exposure is still automatic. That has the advantage of letting the camera make adjustments should the light change.

I have a set of filters for my DJI Mini 3 Pro, but I've only used them once or twice. I shoot and produce my videos at 60fps, and I've found that motion blur isn't really a factor for the kinds of stately landscape videos I shoot.