How can I determine if I have focus issues?

[BobA]

I haven't posted an awful lot, and I'm neither a photographic genius or drone expert. In addition to that, I've now realised that I need a new PC or possibly a Mac, as my 100 year old HP isn't up to task at all.

I fly my MP using an iPad Mini2, and at the moment this is the only device I am able to review and save pics and video to. I'm also in the UK, where the weather and light isn't the best at the moment.

Anyway, since receiving my Mavic, I've had quite a few flights, and whilst I'm impressed with it's performance as a quadcopter, I have yet to be blown away by the photographs or video I have taken. The main issue is focus; practically the whole screen can be sharp and in focus, but usually the lower right, and sometimes the upper left too, are blurred and out of focus. Usually I am flying with the camera on it's default settings, using auto-focus, but I have used tap-to-focus too, trying to determine if I have a camera problem.

I have spoken to a DJI rep, who recommended I recalibrate the IMU; which I have done. I have also reset the gimbal, and read somewhere that toggling between NTSC and PAL, and back, may fix the issue, but this did not.

Can anyone suggest a definitive way proving my camera has a fault please? I'd like to take pics that prove to me, and possibly DJI that there is an issue.

If I'm honest, I really don't want to send it back to DJI, but at the same time I want what I've paid for, to work properly.

I've had no crashes or rough landings at all, so the MP is exactly as received.


Help!!!


Regards
Bob

 

[elvis101]

The main issue is focus; practically the whole screen can be sharp and in focus, but usually the lower right, and sometimes the upper left too, are blurred and out of focus. Usually I am flying with the camera on it's default settings, using auto-focus, but I have used tap-to-focus too, trying to determine if I have a camera problem.

Hello, looks like this camera issue

 

[Wombat55]

I haven't posted an awful lot, and I'm neither a photographic genius or drone expert. In addition to that, I've now realised that I need a new PC or possibly a Mac, as my 100 year old HP isn't up to task at all.

I fly my MP using an iPad Mini2, and at the moment this is the only device I am able to review and save pics and video to. I'm also in the UK, where the weather and light isn't the best at the moment.

Anyway, since receiving my Mavic, I've had quite a few flights, and whilst I'm impressed with it's performance as a quadcopter, I have yet to be blown away by the photographs or video I have taken. The main issue is focus; practically the whole screen can be sharp and in focus, but usually the lower right, and sometimes the upper left too, are blurred and out of focus. Usually I am flying with the camera on it's default settings, using auto-focus, but I have used tap-to-focus too, trying to determine if I have a camera problem.

I have spoken to a DJI rep, who recommended I recalibrate the IMU; which I have done. I have also reset the gimbal, and read somewhere that toggling between NTSC and PAL, and back, may fix the issue, but this did not.

Can anyone suggest a definitive way proving my camera has a fault please? I'd like to take pics that prove to me, and possibly DJI that there is an issue.

If I'm honest, I really don't want to send it back to DJI, but at the same time I want what I've paid for, to work properly.

I've had no crashes or rough landings at all, so the MP is exactly as received.


Help!!!


Regards
Bob

Why don't you post a picture so that we all know what you're talking about?

 

[BobA]

Finally had a day with some good light and mild wind, so I was able to take some pics for comparison.

Camera settings are auto, focus was achieved by tapping screen.

First pic is using centre focus button.
Second pic is focused to the right.
Third is focused left.

To me, and I'm no camera expert, the right side of the image particularly at the bottom, seems soft and blurry.

Am I being over fussy, doing something wrong, or do I genuinely have an issue with my camera?

Your thoughts please.

 

[Wombat55]

Gee, if kind of does look like the camera isn't focusing properly, as if the image sensor is tilted with respect to the focal plane. The issue is especially noticeable in the second picture (IMG_0334). Seems that all of the white buildings are far enough away that it shouldn't matter which of them you tap to focus on, but in this picture the white building on the right is in focus but the white buildings just a bit further away going to the left start to rapidly go out of focus. The clincher is that the large brown house on the right side is in pretty sharp focus even though it appears to be farther away from the camera than the out-of-focus white buildings on the left side of the picture!

Let's see what others here say, but at this point my advice would be to contact DJI and email them this picture which shows that there is some left-to-right focussing issue.

 

[BobA]

Thank's for taking time to review the pics Wombat. Let's see what other think.

I love the MP for what it is, and although I'm not a camera professional, to me it just doesn't look right, and I'd kind of expect a uniform quality to the image. I just don't know if my expectations are too high or if there is a genuine fault.

When I compare my images and videos to those posted by others, the quality just doesn't seem to be there on mine, although I do appreciate that we do not have the best light here in the UK, and I don't have (at the moment) a capable PC/Mac to manipulate anything I record.

Can anyone else offer opinions please?

 

[Wombat55]

I tend to be cautious about jumping to conclusions, but after taking another look at the 2nd picture ("IMG_0335), I would say that this is pretty much of a no-brainer: There is definitely a "plane-of-focus" problem here. I would say just email the picture in to DJI and point out to them that the white houses on the left are blurry while all the houses and features on the right side of the picture are relatively sharp regardless of their distance away from the camera. Send in the other two pictures, too, so that they don't start suggesting that the problem may be a fingerprint or grease smear on the left side of the Mavic's lens and they know that this is a real camera/lens problem.

 

[BobA]

Just in case anybody is experiencing similar problems with focus on their Mavic, I thought it would be nice to add a closing post to this thread.

My Mavic was returned to the European service centre in Holland after raising a fault case and receiving a UPS shipping label via email. I suspected the Mavic was faulty as I was experiencing an unfocused area on the lower right side of images and video.

I followed the UPS tracking and saw that my Mavic was received by Marlon on the front desk of the service centre. There followed about 3 days of no updates on the case, so I started chasing things up. I had a feeling that somehow my Mavic had not entered the warranty return process correctly, or had been misplaced, however, the following day there was an email and an update saying that it had been assessed and would be repaired due to the focus issue.

Long story, short; after about two weeks I received a replacement Mavic, which is a new unit, and I was lucky that it also came with some new props. Maybe this was a mistake, or perhaps a gift in apology?

Anyway, the new Mavic is a definite improvement on the original, and appears to be working correctly.

Apart from the small delay in getting my faulty unit into the system, the turnaround and service from DJI's repair centre in Holland was fantastic, so I'd like to say thank you to them.

Hope this little update helps anybody else that may be experiencing a similar fault, but isn't completely confident it's not "user error" as I was worried it could have been in my case.

 

[Derlisz]

I haven't posted an awful lot, and I'm neither a photographic genius or drone expert. In addition to that, I've now realised that I need a new PC or possibly a Mac, as my 100 year old HP isn't up to task at all.

I fly my MP using an iPad Mini2, and at the moment this is the only device I am able to review and save pics and video to. I'm also in the UK, where the weather and light isn't the best at the moment.

Anyway, since receiving my Mavic, I've had quite a few flights, and whilst I'm impressed with it's performance as a quadcopter, I have yet to be blown away by the photographs or video I have taken. The main issue is focus; practically the whole screen can be sharp and in focus, but usually the lower right, and sometimes the upper left too, are blurred and out of focus. Usually I am flying with the camera on it's default settings, using auto-focus, but I have used tap-to-focus too, trying to determine if I have a camera problem.

I have spoken to a DJI rep, who recommended I recalibrate the IMU; which I have done. I have also reset the gimbal, and read somewhere that toggling between NTSC and PAL, and back, may fix the issue, but this did not.

Can anyone suggest a definitive way proving my camera has a fault please? I'd like to take pics that prove to me, and possibly DJI that there is an issue.

If I'm honest, I really don't want to send it back to DJI, but at the same time I want what I've paid for, to work properly.

I've had no crashes or rough landings at all, so the MP is exactly as received.


Help!!!


Regards
Bob

Hi. I've sent my Mavic back today due to the same problem, only addmintedly yours is a lot more pronounced then what I experienced in mine. After looking through the forums I found it's worryingly common issue for a device this expensive.

 

[Rudiger]

My Mavic is currently with DJI for this exact same problem. It's disappointing how common this seems to be with the Mavic.

 

[grorr76]

Launching the DJI desktop assistant and doing a factory rest with your Mavic plugged into its usb can fix a myriad of issues. I had a focus issue and the water colour issue and after doing the factory reset they both were 100% fixed.

 

[Mavic626]

I just got my mavic today it seems like some of the photos are out of focus at different parts of the screen. some are out of focus in the top right and some on the bottom left. I dont know if this is normal or not.

 

[Derlisz]

I just got my mavic today it seems like some of the photos are out of focus at different parts of the screen. some are out of focus in the top right and some on the bottom left. I dont know if this is normal or not.

It's not normal. It should work just like any other camera. With my Mavic that had a problem with focus on the right third of the image the problem will occure in a different portion of the image depending on where I set the focus to. If it was set to the right third rest of the screen was out of focus.

 

[Derlisz]

Launching the DJI desktop assistant and doing a factory rest with your Mavic plugged into its usb can fix a myriad of issues. I had a focus issue and the water colour issue and after doing the factory reset they both were 100% fixed.

DJI are addminiting fault with the camera and swapping affected Mavics. If a reset could solve his I bet people would be getting same devices when most confirm different serial number on returned unit.

 

[mildim]

The question is if DJI reached the point where the new units the return to the customers do not have the same problem.

 

[Wombat55]

Just in case anybody is experiencing similar problems with focus on their Mavic, I thought it would be nice to add a closing post to this thread.

My Mavic was returned to the European service centre in Holland after raising a fault case and receiving a UPS shipping label via email. I suspected the Mavic was faulty as I was experiencing an unfocused area on the lower right side of images and video.

I followed the UPS tracking and saw that my Mavic was received by Marlon on the front desk of the service centre. There followed about 3 days of no updates on the case, so I started chasing things up. I had a feeling that somehow my Mavic had not entered the warranty return process correctly, or had been misplaced, however, the following day there was an email and an update saying that it had been assessed and would be repaired due to the focus issue.

Long story, short; after about two weeks I received a replacement Mavic, which is a new unit, and I was lucky that it also came with some new props. Maybe this was a mistake, or perhaps a gift in apology?

Anyway, the new Mavic is a definite improvement on the original, and appears to be working correctly.

Apart from the small delay in getting my faulty unit into the system, the turnaround and service from DJI's repair centre in Holland was fantastic, so I'd like to say thank you to them.

Hope this little update helps anybody else that may be experiencing a similar fault, but isn't completely confident it's not "user error" as I was worried it could have been in my case.

Glad that things worked out well. When you first started this thread with your focusing complaint I was a bit skeptical because I've seen so many complaints here about tiny, niggling issues. But when I took a close look at the pictures I went "Whoa! That is pretty bad!". Surprised that that got through their quality control system. Hopefully, they're on top of the issue now.