Can firmware updates fix sharpness on Mavic 2 Pro?

[floyd]

I had a Phantom 4, sold it, and bought the Mavic 2 Pro primarily because I thought it would (for the most part) would be a much more portable version of the Phantom 4. But it seems the more Mavic 2 Pros that are sold, the more there are internet/youtube comparisons between the images of the Phantom 4 and Mavic 2 Pro (Yes, I should have waited for more Mavic 2 Pros to be sold and used before buying one; lesson learned). (Anyways) Some reviews find (and demonstrate) the Phantom 4 to have better image quality, some find the Mavic 2 Pro to have better image quality, and others say it's a toss-up. My takeaway from watching and reading many of these amateur and professional reviews is the Phantom 4 yields (putting aside color saturation and tint) sharper video and sharper still images.

Some of the reviewers said DJI should release a firmware update to fix the sharpness issue (if there is one) on the Mavic 2 Pro. So my question: Can a firmware update fix a sharpness issue? Would seem to me only a hardware (sensor, lens, processor) change could improve sharpness.

Please don't turn this thread into a discussion about which drone has a better picture. The only discussion I'm interested in reading is about whether firmware updates have the ability to fix sharpness. Thanks!

Thoughts?

 

[Lon Denard]

I had a Phantom 4, sold it, and bought the Mavic 2 Pro primarily because I thought it would (for the most part) would be a much more portable version of the Phantom 4. But it seems the more Mavic 2 Pros that are sold, the more there are internet/youtube comparisons between the images of the Phantom 4 and Mavic 2 Pro (Yes, I should have waited for more Mavic 2 Pros to be sold and used before buying one; lesson learned). (Anyways) Some reviews find (and demonstrate) the Phantom 4 to have better image quality, some find the Mavic 2 Pro to have better image quality, and others say it's a toss-up. My takeaway from watching and reading many of these amateur and professional reviews is the Phantom 4 yields (putting aside color saturation and tint) sharper video and sharper still images.

Some of the reviewers said DJI should release a firmware update to fix the sharpness issue (if there is one) on the Mavic 2 Pro. So my question: Can a firmware update fix a sharpness issue? Would seem to me only a hardware (sensor, lens, processor) change could improve sharpness.

Please don't turn this thread into a discussion about which drone has a better picture. The only discussion I'm interested in reading is about whether firmware updates have the ability to fix sharpness. Thanks!

Thoughts?

Yes.

 

[Kilrah]

Stills (assuming you shoot RAW) will never get better.
Video yes in theory processing can be improved since its shortcomings are visible - but nobody knows whether that is possible fiven the MP's characteristics or whether that's in DJI's plans in the first place.

So basically until it happens if ever nobody will be able to tell you "yes".

 

[floyd]

Stills (assuming you shoot RAW) will never get better.

This is disappointing to hear. Yes, 90% of my Mavic use is for still images. I have learned an expensive lesson. Never again will I let the 10-year-old on Christmas morning make big financial purchases. When the P5 is released I will wait a good three months before deciding on whether to purchase or not.

And I also read the Mavic 2 doesn't use all of the one inch sensor? What's that all about?

I just don't understand why the Mavic 2's still images aren't as good or BETTER than the P4P, especially given the (alleged) higher quality Hasselblad lens. Now to decide whether to keep the M2P or sell it and buy a used P4P v2.

 

[Kilrah]

Haven't seen P4P files in direct comaprison, but I don't find M2P DNG photos to be bad.

And I also read the Mavic 2 doesn't use all of the one inch sensor? What's that all about?

One of the video modes uses a 1:1 center crop of the sensor to avoid a resizing operation, unrelated to stills.

 

[Lon Denard]

Video is a processing driven operation, so it can always be "improved" up until the max capacity of the sensor. Auto focus can also be improved. In fact, there are several videos that claim this is more of a focusing "problem" than a sensor problem. In any case, the sensor is a known quality, if video is not performing to spec, the fault must lie in the processing. Right?

 

[star4870]

I had phantom 4 pro and switched to mavic 2. Yes the video sharpens is better on Phantom 4, I saw Chinese video comparing mavic2 vs phantom 4 pro and they claim sensor is the same but phantom has additional sharpens post processing.
Camera on phantom has much bigger optics, lenses. When you compere gimbal side to side, lens part of the gimbal on phantom is same size as whole gimbal in mavic. I don't believe dji will improve sharpens or quality much more.
Nerveless for me mavic i much more then phantom in every aspect. Size, noise , body frame, propellers getting into shot , stability, distance. etc

 

[Urx]

Have you seen this? Interesting stuff about M2P sharpness problems.

 

[floyd]

Have you seen this? Interesting stuff about M2P sharpness problems.

I did see that video. In fact, it was the genesis for my making this thread. The evidence presented in the video is troubling if you own a M2P in my humble opinion.

 

[Lon Denard]

I had phantom 4 pro and switched to mavic 2. Yes the video sharpens is better on Phantom 4, I saw Chinese video comparing mavic2 vs phantom 4 pro and they claim sensor is the same but phantom has additional sharpens post processing.
Camera on phantom has much bigger optics, lenses. When you compere gimbal side to side, lens part of the gimbal on phantom is same size as whole gimbal in mavic. I don't believe dji will improve sharpens or quality much more.
Nerveless for me mavic i much more then phantom in every aspect. Size, noise , body frame, propellers getting into shot , stability, distance. etc

This is what I'm saying as well. All of these photography experts that aren't taking lenses into consideration are worse than what they are accusing DJI of.

 

[parkgt]

I did see that video. In fact, it was the genesis for my making this thread. The evidence presented in the video is troubling if you own a M2P in my humble opinion.

Nothing troubling about it for me. There have been many fantastic pictures taken and posted by the owners of M2Ps from all over the world. These people are like me, plenty pleased with the image quality. Some of these images would not have been taken if they had to lug a P4P to the launch site.

Sometimes the form factor is more important than absolute IQ except to the pixel peepers in the crowd.

No, it doesn't stand up to my GH5 and Leica glass but it captures scenes that my GH5 can't without a drone I don't want to lug around either.

 

[Robbyg]

I wish DJI was more upfront about their products. I would not make a blanket statement that it can be fixed by firmware but I am also wondering about the test and the methodology.

One thing caught my attention and that was the fact the test were done with a drone on table. That is when cooling is at its worst! Maybe the camera firmware dynamically throttles Back if the sensor gets too hot.

Rob

 

[abridge]

Have you seen this? Interesting stuff about M2P sharpness problems.

Thats scary. It sucks because I would get a Phantom 4 but I like to travel with my drones so its just not possible. I have a Pro 2 and that kind of scares me now that they did this.