Disappointed with Mavic 3 Classic image quality

[adeon]

Hello. I'm having image quality issues with Mavic 3 Classic bought a couple of days. I need to say that I'm disappointed with the image quality at f/2.8. The image at the right-hand side of the image is blurry. It's not only at the very edge, the issue starts at about 20% of the image width (from the edge).
For instance for this image (the images are captured in RAW and come from Lightroom exported with default settings):



The middle is pretty good (100% view):



The left-hand side has distortion, but sharpness is also OK-ish:



But the right-hand side is totally blurry (this crop is about 20% of entire image width):



In the corners it's even worse.

I have shared this and other DNG files here
I'm wondering if more users have similar issues. As long-time user of digital cameras (including DSLRs and so on), I'm disappointed by the image quality delivered by the not-the-lowest level DJI drones.
I'm aware that lens often have quality issues at certains apertures or at the edges, but I didn't expect it will be that bad. Closing the aperture helps a little bit, but still this brings the question why have f/2.8 camera if you can't use it (which is important especially for night photography).
Given this is new device, I'm wondering if I should appy for repair/replacement. I could live with that probably, but I'm far from saying that I'm happy with the image quality.

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

I don't have the Mavic 3 classic but I'm sure someone who does should be able to assist you. Have you talked with DJI support about this?

 

[3rdof5]

I'm no expert but I just don't see the blurriness. I also have the Classic and am very happy with the Hasselblad camera (and lens). I'm not saying by any means that you don't have an actual issue with your particular camera, but I don't see it.
Can you see any issue with mine?

 

[adeon]

Have you looked at the DNG files I shared? They have to be viewed at 100% zoom.
You probably won't see it in material like yours which are already compressed/postprocessed and lost the original quality.

 

[adeon]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

I don't have the Mavic 3 classic but I'm sure someone who does should be able to assist you. Have you talked with DJI support about this?

Hello. I've just talked to DJI support and they confirmed the issue (of course after a round of typical procedures, like firmware updates, settings resetting, etc). My drone is going for replacement.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Hello. I've just talked to DJI support and they confirmed the issue (of course after a round of typical procedures, like firmware updates, settings resetting, etc). My drone is going for replacement.

Sounds more like you confirmed the "issue" was still present, after following all their required resets and FW updates. They can't really confirm anything. They are merely following protocol to offer replacement after going through the required resets and FW updates.

Just don't be surprised if the replacement has the same "issue." Could even be worse. None of the cameras on the drones are perfect. They are supposed to be within tolerance, and that degree of imperfection varies from camera to camera. Your best hope is to get a slightly better one, or one that you find acceptable. Fingers crossed.

 

[Shuttersky597]

So, you are saying a variable aperture camera that can stop down to f11 where anyone who has been in photography would know that. F5 6 or 8 might be it's sweet spot?
How sharp is my mini 3 pro , Specta Air, or Air 3 at 5.6? Oh wait, they don't go there. So, DJI and Cogito have made the sharpest at the only aperture it has.

 

[adeon]

Sounds more like you confirmed the "issue" was still present, after following all their required resets and FW updates. They can't really confirm anything. They are merely following protocol to offer replacement after going through the required resets and FW updates.

Just don't be surprised if the replacement has the same "issue." Could even be worse. None of the cameras on the drones are perfect. They are supposed to be within tolerance, and that degree of imperfection varies from camera to camera. Your best hope is to get a slightly better one, or one that you find acceptable. Fingers crossed.

Hi. Actually I have sent then several DNGs and _they_ confirmed they can see the blur.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Hi. Actually I have sent then several DNGs and _they_ confirmed they can see the blur.

Their confirming that your eyesight isn't failing you is hardly confirming that it is a problem with the camera being outside of tolerance. They are merely seeing what you are seeing, or being agreeable, but they still have no idea whether this is normal or not. You are being very picky with very high expectations for a consumer grade drone camera. The support personnel are not engineers nor opticians, nor pixel peepers. They read from scripts. The only thing they can do is set up a support ticket and have you send it in for replacement, with no assurance whatsoever that the replacement will be any better. Hope you get one you are happier with. Like most lenses, the lens is sharpest at two stops down from wide open, which would be f/5.6, not f/2.8.

 

[Starz]

Would the possibility exist that the replacement aircraft will produce the same effect? I’m trying to remember the reason this model was produced. Was it not intended to be the “cheap” model in the Mavic 3 series?

 

[adeon]

Their confirming that your eyesight isn't failing you is hardly confirming that it is a problem with the camera being outside of tolerance. They are merely seeing what you are seeing, or being agreeable, but they still have no idea whether this is normal or not. You are being very picky with very high expectations for a consumer grade drone camera. The support personnel are not engineers nor opticians, nor pixel peepers. They read from scripts. The only thing they can do is set up a support ticket and have you send it in for replacement, with no assurance whatsoever that the replacement will be any better. Hope you get one you are happier with. Like most lenses, the lens is sharpest at two stops down from wide open, which would be f/5.6, not f/2.8.

Before I elaborate more: have you looked in the detail the DNGs which I have shared?

 

[Filmarik]

Would the possibility exist that the replacement aircraft will produce the same effect? I’m trying to remember the reason this model was produced. Was it not intended to be the “cheap” model in the Mavic 3 series?

No. It still has the same (Hassy branded) camera as the more expensive Mavic 3 or even the most expensive Mavic 3 Pro. It has been a well documented fact that these cameras suffer from significant IQ variations from unit to unit. Some people do not pay much attention to IQ at 100%-mostly video schooters and some who do got lucky first time round and got a good unit with well centered lens and minimal IQ issues. But many who do pixel peep, mostly astute photographers had to return several Mavic 3 (all iterations) units before getting one with a decent, or at least tolerable, or acceptable IQ. It has been more or less a gamble with this so called Hassy camera on Mavic 3 drones, unfortunatelly

 

[Filmarik]

Hello. I'm having image quality issues with Mavic 3 Classic bought a couple of days. I need to say that I'm disappointed with the image quality at f/2.8. The image at the right-hand side of the image is blurry. It's not only at the very edge, the issue starts at about 20% of the image width (from the edge).
For instance for this image (the images are captured in RAW and come from Lightroom exported with default settings):

View attachment 174535

The middle is pretty good (100% view):

View attachment 174536

The left-hand side has distortion, but sharpness is also OK-ish:

View attachment 174537

But the right-hand side is totally blurry (this crop is about 20% of entire image width):

View attachment 174539

In the corners it's even worse.

I have shared this and other DNG files here
I'm wondering if more users have similar issues. As long-time user of digital cameras (including DSLRs and so on), I'm disappointed by the image quality delivered by the not-the-lowest level DJI drones.
I'm aware that lens often have quality issues at certains apertures or at the edges, but I didn't expect it will be that bad. Closing the aperture helps a little bit, but still this brings the question why have f/2.8 camera if you can't use it (which is important especially for night photography).
Given this is new device, I'm wondering if I should appy for repair/replacement. I could live with that probably, but I'm far from saying that I'm happy with the image quality.

One advice I would give is that the default LR settings do not produce the best results. RAW files including the DNG from this drone need fair bit of sharpening applied before coming to life, so to speak. Do not be affraid to experiment and push the sharpening sliders to higher levels. Leave the radius small to 0.6 and increase the Amount and Detail to 80 and 50 respectively. Let us know what you think after applying these sharpening values

 

[Shuttersky597]

Try shooting at 5.6 and post that. Thank you.

 

[BobbyLashley]

How bad is the camera IQ variation on the Mavic 3 Classic? Is it difficult to get a good copy? Should I be expecting to make several trips back to the store to exchange it?

 

[Filmarik]

How bad is the camera IQ variation on the Mavic 3 Classic? Is it difficult to get a good copy? Should I be expecting to make several trips back to the store to exchange it?

It is impossible to quantify. DJI has never admitted that there was a "variation". But they usually replaced the unit if customer complained and did it without kicking up too much fuss. Which in a way can be perhaps interpreted as "admission of guilt"
Mavic 3 serie drones are all amazing for what they can do and at what price point they are sold. Sometime we tend to forget that and raise the bar of our expectations way too high. I'd say go for it and if you get a really bad one or one which does not meet your expectations you can always return it and ask for replacement or ask for your money back.

 

[BobbyLashley]

It is impossible to quantify. DJI has never admitted that there was a "variation". But they usually replaced the unit if customer complained and did it without kicking up too much fuss. Which in a way can be perhaps interpreted as "admission of guilt"
Mavic 3 serie drones are all amazing for what they can do and at what price point they are sold. Sometime we tend to forget that and raise the bar of our expectations way too high. I'd say go for it and if you get a really bad one or one which does not meet your expectations you can always return it and ask for replacement or ask for your money back.

Thanks. It seems many owners on YouTube of Mavic 3 got a good copy right out of the first box. I’ve exchanged professional camera lenses before multiple times just to get a perfectly sharp copy and I have to say it’s a major pain in the *** making constant trips back to the store, having to pack everything back up, test it, etc.

 

[Filmarik]

Thanks. It seems many owners on YouTube of Mavic 3 got a good copy right out of the first box. I’ve exchanged professional camera lenses before multiple times just to get a perfectly sharp copy and I have to say it’s a major pain in the *** making constant trips back to the store, having to pack everything back up, test it, etc.

I hear you. If you are after a decent drone Mavic 3 is certainly one of the best if not the best option in this price range. To a large degree the IQ is very personal and individual thing. Different people have different standards and expectations. What is perfectly fine to some might be completely unacceptable to others. Let us know how you go and good luck!!

 

[BobbyLashley]

OP, have you tried increasing your F stop? Your corners then will increase in sharpness.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Their confirming that your eyesight isn't failing you is hardly confirming that it is a problem with the camera being outside of tolerance. They are merely seeing what you are seeing, or being agreeable, but they still have no idea whether this is normal or not. You are being very picky with very high expectations for a consumer grade drone camera. The support personnel are not engineers nor opticians, nor pixel peepers. They read from scripts. The only thing they can do is set up a support ticket and have you send it in for replacement, with no assurance whatsoever that the replacement will be any better. Hope you get one you are happier with. Like most lenses, the lens is sharpest at two stops down from wide open, which would be f/5.6, not f/2.8.

Got to be honest, if I were turning over between £2 and £4 grand for a flying camera.... I'd expect Quality Control to go the full nine yards to ensure the imaging device lived up to the Hasselblad marque on the front of it BEFORE it left the factory. If the lens cover had 'VIVITAR' printed on it: I might expect dodgy optics.