First flight and notes

camfirstflyer · Nov 6, 2016

So i've had it for last 2+ weeks and finally got out to do a first flight test..

massive improvement over my P3/4K. With that said:

- footage without an ND filter on bright day is a bit mushy with artifacts.. need to bring that shutter speed down
- edge sharpness (especially on right side of frame) was a bit soft. Not sure if this is because of the focus point i selected..
- wow. this thing is so stable in flight I literally thought i had paused my replay when reviewing footage (also, not in tripod mode)
- Blade shadow is evident when lens is adjacent to bright light source.. hopefully ND filters will help
- Spot light active track is a bit less polished than the other modes... loses target lock if you force the drone to re-orient itself
- flight time is HUGELY improved
- line of sight flying is going to be difficult with such a small profile even an 100m out, hoping FPV options get cheaper
- importantly, because this thing is so low to the ground on launch and land, even moderately long grass will interfere with blades (i used cut up shoe box for flat take off/landing pad, but this wasn't the most practical--also difficult to nail on landing). Investing in a decent, portable surface may be worth considering
- I really like the narrower field of view. I thought I would miss the wider field, but I was wrong.

So far, so good

Anthony Viscomi · Nov 6, 2016

Man, you're right the right edge does look soft

Anthony · Nov 6, 2016

I watched a youtube video today that had the same issue with rightside softness and he spoke to dji and they told him to return it for a replacement . how is your slow motion shooting ??

This was the video . ..

camfirstflyer · Nov 6, 2016

I didn't try the slow motion yet. I'm going to do some more test flights before considering an RMA. I'll post my findings when I can..

Joe H · Nov 7, 2016

Hi, how are the still photos? can you post any samples? i am curious of the photo quality. thanks!

dam · Nov 7, 2016

Joe H said:
Hi, how are the still photos? can you post any samples? i am curious of the photo quality. thanks!

Post your Mavic Photos

camfirstflyer · Nov 8, 2016

Haven't taken photos, but I did go back to raw footage and confirmed the right edge softness. I am in the process of RMA with DJI North America.

garaobriain · Nov 11, 2016

Hey. Saw video yesterday for soft focus fix so try these (other videos on this topic too) before sending your Mavic back!

Sent from my iPad using MavicPilots

garaobriain · Nov 11, 2016

Sent from my iPad using MavicPilots

camfirstflyer · Nov 11, 2016

garaobriain said:
Hey. Saw video yesterday for soft focus fix so try these (other videos on this topic too) before sending your Mavic back!

Sent from my iPad using MavicPilots

Thanks for this. Interesting, but two things:

1. My mavic is already on its way to the service center.

2. I don't think the guy in the video had the same issue as me. My footage was only out of focus alignment on the right side. As a photographer, I am familiar with some camera lenses that have had issues with de-centering, which essentially means that when the lens assembly (all the various lenses stacked together) was processed, even minor misalignments can create uneven focus across different focal lengths.

Before I sent it back, I went through everything in the settings again, took new footage and photos and still reproduced the same right-side blurriness. Now, in many cases the softness is subtle and is mostly apparent when framing subjects or background with sharp edged, like brick buildings or grass. Also, I compared my results with other Mavic footage, which were fairly evenly sharp across the entire frame (the lucky customers) and with those who have similar issues as me (on left and right sides).

I had also thought that, as unlikely as it may be, DJI had some tech that allowed us to focus across the frame, not just at certain distances because I remember tapping to focus the first time slightly left of center. I debunked this by using the default C1 focus center button, with the same results.

camfirstflyer · Nov 11, 2016

As an aside:

My experience with DJI support has been fairly good with no hassles and prompt service. I will update when I get the drone back.

garaobriain · Nov 11, 2016

Ah cool. You obviously know what you're doing! I just wanted to try and save you having to return the little fella. Good luck for the new one and a speedy delivery!

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