Does Mavic Shoot Video or Watercolor Paintings? Don’t settle. Get Involved!

[Kestrel]

I really hope that they can fix it because right now getting half way decent video out of this camera is like trying to get milk from a bull.

My personal feeling is that DJI is not really all that good at making camera hardware and that's why they just purchased Hasselblad.

Rob

They make decent cameras do you own a Phantom 3 or 4?

 

[CyberNate]

No you'll more than likely have to do it everytime you boot up the drone.



Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

Today I did the same NTSC/PAL/NTSC switch and I still got watercolor crap video. For me is seems that bright sun, at around noon, makes my video look horrible, even with reduced exposure like -1V EV. If I again take video later in the day when sun is lower, the footage is MUCH better.

 

[devinkumar]

Another firmware update today and no mention for any enhancement in regards to video/image quality.

I installed the new firmware this morning, and updated to the new Go 4 App that was also released today. Then went out for a flight. I reset the camera before flying. I still got watercolor! So no total fix in this firmware version, at least on my Mavic.

@JPMavic I also have been shooting with a Polarpro ND filter most of the time. On a sunny day like today I would usually use ND 8, to achieve under 1/100s shutter speed but since we were talking about it, I went ahead and used ND4 instead, so my shutter speed had to be around 1/160s - 1/240s to be properly exposed.

Out of the 20 clips I shot, I did get more usable shots than before. Unfortunately I don't know if it's because of the new firmware, or because I used a less powerful ND filter and therefore a faster shutter speed, or because of my focusing. I've found that my shots are more likely to have watercolor effect when I use autofocus. Manual focus tends to produce much more detailed video. I noticed some clips would go from great footage to watercolor, even within the same shot, and as I was changing focus.

 

[JPMavic]

I installed the new firmware this morning, and updated to the new Go 4 App that was also released today. Then went out for a flight. I reset the camera before flying. I still got watercolor! So no total fix in this firmware version, at least on my Mavic.

@JPMavic I also have been shooting with a Polarpro ND filter most of the time. On a sunny day like today I would usually use ND 8, to achieve under 1/100s shutter speed but since we were talking about it, I went ahead and used ND4 instead, so my shutter speed had to be around 1/160s - 1/240s to be properly exposed.

Out of the 20 clips I shot, I did get more usable shots than before. Unfortunately I don't know if it's because of the new firmware, or because I used a less powerful ND filter and therefore a faster shutter speed, or because of my focusing. I've found that my shots are more likely to have watercolor effect when I use autofocus. Manual focus tends to produce much more detailed video. I noticed some clips would go from great footage to watercolor, even within the same shot, and as I was changing focus.

That's interesting. It's not knowing what causes it, or how to fix it that's so frustrating. Focus/shutter speed/colour profile? It maybe a case of just finding the perfect combination of all 3. But then the ambient light is obviously also a factor.

 

[noka]

Hmmm - I did a first test after all the updates with medium light conditions after sunset - lot's of gras and trees. I did not the PAL reset and up until now I did not get the water color back... everything looked just fine... more testing this weekend.

 

[jjmucker]

Hmmm - I did a first test after all the updates with medium light conditions after sunset - lot's of gras and trees. I did not the PAL reset and up until now I did not get the water color back... everything looked just fine... more testing this weekend.

After the new firmware updates? Did you have the watercolour effect all the time prior to this?

 

[noka]

Yes and yes. While "all the time" is relative, since I got it in January and I don't remember the very first videos, later the reset trick worked for me. Also I must say, since reading this forum, I look much closer at the pics, and maybe one gets a bit more paranoid as well

 

[noka]

to me that still looks pretty ok (in terms of no-water-color). I think it was 100 iso and no filter.
BUT: I'll see more tomorrow.

 

[JPMavic]

I updated everything earlier. Still had watercolour & muddy trees. Decided to try without the ND4 filter that I always have on. I've always had to use at least the ND4 to get anywhere near shutter speed of 60. That seemed to have a positive effect. No water colour and the definition of branches was greatly improved. Just wondering now if the Firmware can handle computing the adjustment that a filter requires? If we took a poll. How many of us having watercolour issues are using any type of filter? My default setup is ND4 filter. UltraHD (3840) at 30fps. Art -1,-1,0.

 

[Owen Manderfield]

IIf we took a poll. How many of us having watercolour issues are using any type of filter? .

Never used an ND filter - chance would be a fine thing! English winter :-(

 

[JPMavic]

Never used an ND filter - chance would be a fine thing! English winter :-(

Do you get watercolour effect?

 

[alirz]

to me that still looks pretty ok (in terms of no-water-color). I think it was 100 iso and no filter.
BUT: I'll see more tomorrow.

Thats a picture of a wall, you want see any water color on it
take some pics of some trees, bushes etc

 

[alirz]

I updated everything earlier. Still had watercolour & muddy trees. Decided to try without the ND4 filter that I always have on. I've always had to use at least the ND4 to get anywhere near shutter speed of 60. That seemed to have a positive effect. No water colour and the definition of branches was greatly improved. Just wondering now if the Firmware can handle computing the adjustment that a filter requires? If we took a poll. How many of us having watercolour issues are using any type of filter? My default setup is ND4 filter. UltraHD (3840) at 30fps. Art -1,-1,0.

Me. I've used a ND filter from the first time i powered on the mavic and i have massive water effect problems. I started off with a ND 8 and have gone down to ND4. But given the winter weather, have not really flown the mavic in three weeks.
Sure there could be some relation between the bad images and ND filters, but only if the mavic has an issue with capturing images at slower shutter speeds?

 

[Robbyg]

They make decent cameras do you own a Phantom 3 or 4?

No I do not but I have seen enough videos to know that everyone says or demonstrates that the Mavic Camera is either better or on Par with the P4. I have seen that the P4P is definitely better than the Mavic. I have watched videos comparing the Inspire 2 with the expensive camera to the Mavic and P4P and to tell you the truth I found even the Inspire 2 camera to be pretty disappointing also.

To me the Mavic video looks like it something created using a computer graphics program. The colors either look highly exaggerated or in other setting look very weak, there just never seems to be a sweet spot. The dynamic range is horribly limited, just about as bad as some Vtech toy cameras that my younger son uses. The end result is that some footage looks overly colorful and blurry and other settings create footage that is washed out and blurry. It's kind of strange because it almost seems like the camera cannot focus on infinity and instead seems to keep objects semi sharp at about medium distances and then everything past a certain point just drops off into a haze.

I have not participated in this thread much because the Mavic is built to a price. So I guess I dont expect it to produce great video, but I keep on hoping that something will make my video better so I keep trying every setting.

Rob

 

[Strafe1]

No I do not but I have seen enough videos to know that everyone says or demonstrates that the Mavic Camera is either better or on Par with the P4. I have seen that the P4P is definitely better than the Mavic. I have watched videos comparing the Inspire 2 with the expensive camera to the Mavic and P4P and to tell you the truth I found even the Inspire 2 camera to be pretty disappointing also.

To me the Mavic video looks like it something created using a computer graphics program. The colors either look highly exaggerated or in other setting look very weak, there just never seems to be a sweet spot. The dynamic range is horribly limited, just about as bad as some Vtech toy cameras that my younger son uses. The end result is that some footage looks overly colorful and blurry and other settings create footage that is washed out and blurry. It's kind of strange because it almost seems like the camera cannot focus on infinity and instead seems to keep objects semi sharp at about medium distances and then everything past a certain point just drops off into a haze.

I have not participated in this thread much because the Mavic is built to a price. So I guess I dont expect it to produce great video, but I keep on hoping that something will make my video better so I keep trying every setting.

Rob

I believe this applies to the Mavics that are affected with the watercolor issue. The video is quite good on the unaffected Mavics.

 

[Robbyg]

I believe this applies to the Mavics that are affected with the watercolor issue. The video is quite good on the unaffected Mavics.

Can you point me to a video of an unaffected Mavic. I am not being hostile, it's just that I have never seen any video from the Mavic that was not either CG looking or blurry.

Rob

 

[Robbyg]

Here is why I am not impressed with any DJI camera. I have also seen another video with the Inspire 2 vs Mavic vs P4P and the same result, would expect that since the Camera is the same.
If I purchased a Inspire 2 with that X5 I would not be happy. First the range issue now you find out that the Camera is not all that spectacular for the price.

This video is not in English but he only talks for the first 30 seconds, the rest is just visual

Rob

 

[Strafe1]

Can you point me to a video of an unaffected Mavic. I am not being hostile, it's just that I have never seen any video from the Mavic that was not either CG looking or blurry.

Rob

Well, if you haven't see even one good Mavic video out of the plethrora of videos on YouTube, then we just see things differently, I mean, physically see things differently. Same with the Inspire camera vids you mention above. If some of those are not pleasing to your eye, then that's just your perception, because I've seen some X5S video that is mind blowing to me. Your perception does not apply to everyone, because it is largely a subjective observation. The video in the "legality" thread is excellent IMO. The attached vids I took the other day (unedited) look very good to me. Its OK if you disagree, I just think judging video is more subjective than objective.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/85571036/vids/Art-test.mov
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/85571036/vids/D-Cinelike test.mov
(most likely need to be downloaded to be viewed correctly)

 

[Kestrel]

No I do not but I have seen enough videos to know that everyone says or demonstrates that the Mavic Camera is either better or on Par with the P4. I have seen that the P4P is definitely better than the Mavic. I have watched videos comparing the Inspire 2 with the expensive camera to the Mavic and P4P and to tell you the truth I found even the Inspire 2 camera to be pretty disappointing also.

To me the Mavic video looks like it something created using a computer graphics program. The colors either look highly exaggerated or in other setting look very weak, there just never seems to be a sweet spot. The dynamic range is horribly limited, just about as bad as some Vtech toy cameras that my younger son uses. The end result is that some footage looks overly colorful and blurry and other settings create footage that is washed out and blurry. It's kind of strange because it almost seems like the camera cannot focus on infinity and instead seems to keep objects semi sharp at about medium distances and then everything past a certain point just drops off into a haze.

I have not participated in this thread much because the Mavic is built to a price. So I guess I dont expect it to produce great video, but I keep on hoping that something will make my video better so I keep trying every setting.

Rob

My history with drones comes from strapping action cams on racing drones and others, and from my experience my P3 and Mavic put out outstanding video.

 

[alirz]

No I do not but I have seen enough videos to know that everyone says or demonstrates that the Mavic Camera is either better or on Par with the P4. I have seen that the P4P is definitely better than the Mavic. I have watched videos comparing the Inspire 2 with the expensive camera to the Mavic and P4P and to tell you the truth I found even the Inspire 2 camera to be pretty disappointing also.

To me the Mavic video looks like it something created using a computer graphics program. The colors either look highly exaggerated or in other setting look very weak, there just never seems to be a sweet spot. The dynamic range is horribly limited, just about as bad as some Vtech toy cameras that my younger son uses. The end result is that some footage looks overly colorful and blurry and other settings create footage that is washed out and blurry. It's kind of strange because it almost seems like the camera cannot focus on infinity and instead seems to keep objects semi sharp at about medium distances and then everything past a certain point just drops off into a haze.

I have not participated in this thread much because the Mavic is built to a price. So I guess I dont expect it to produce great video, but I keep on hoping that something will make my video better so I keep trying every setting.

Rob

The Mavic is by no means a low end, made to price drone.Especially when its aptly named Mavic PRO. Its pretty much the same price as a P3P back in the day and the P3P has a much better camera compared to the mavic. I dont care what anyone says. I have hundreds of videos from my p3p and they are 1000% better than my Mavic's under any lighting conditions..
I dont agree to the fact that we should expect lower quality images from the mavic because it is $300 cheaper than the P4P.