Magic flight modes and photography

[KingRat]

I have looked, and watched over 200 hours of Mavic Air videos on you toob now... but I cannot find out if there is a way of setting up one of the magic flight paths and being able to shoot stills whilst doing it, or are they only for video shooting?

I am finding the controls very difficult to master. I have to look at the flight sticks while I am working them to do anything, so my flying is very staccato, one movement at a time... I am the same when trying to type with a computer ormobile phone pad too, I have to look at each letter and press one button at a time (one finger typing). It is just the way I am. I have given up thoughts of doing video, my computer / technology ability is not up to it. Maybe I can do ordinary pictures with it instead. If I can't manage to do that, I will give up on the whole drone thing. I have a new appreciation of videos people have made. It is very difficult.

 

[brett8883]

I have looked, and watched over 200 hours of Mavic Air videos on you toob now... but I cannot find out if there is a way of setting up one of the magic flight paths and being able to shoot stills whilst doing it, or are they only for video shooting?

I am finding the controls very difficult to master. I have to look at the flight sticks while I am working them to do anything, so my flying is very staccato, one movement at a time... I am the same when trying to type with a computer ormobile phone pad too, I have to look at each letter and press one button at a time (one finger typing). It is just the way I am. I have given up thoughts of doing video, my computer / technology ability is not up to it. Maybe I can do ordinary pictures with it instead. If I can't manage to do that, I will give up on the whole drone thing. I have a new appreciation of videos people have made. It is very difficult.

I don’t believe there’s a way to take photos instead of video using quick shots.

I think most people wouldn’t even have thought to do that.

Hang in there and focus on practicing flying without looking at the control sticks. I know it’s probably tough to break that habit if you don’t already have that hand eye coordination from playing video games but you can do it.

I also type while looking at the keyboard but I found that if I force myself not to look at the keyboard I can actually type without looking it just feels weird. Maybe we both need to work on getting over that.

 

[KingRat]

I have never played a video game in my life. Our son isn't interested in computers at all, he is 30 now and so beyond the age when playing games is of interest.

Why would nobody use the flight modes for photography? The shutter delay is such that trying to take photgraphs of moving subjects is almost impossible, or at least you have to just trust to luck. I am trying to photograph fast motorboats and the drone struggles to keep up with them. The stupid wide angle lens is such that you have to be so close to get a frame filling picture at that speed they are gone. I have tried using burst mode, but even that is too slow or too hit and miss. I think it is an impossible task.

 

[Dave Maine]

Shoot videos and grab the single frames you want in post. There is very little difference in quality between a frame extracted from a video in post and a still photograph taken by the drone.

 

[brett8883]

I have never played a video game in my life. Our son isn't interested in computers at all, he is 30 now and so beyond the age when playing games is of interest.

Why would nobody use the flight modes for photography? The shutter delay is such that trying to take photgraphs of moving subjects is almost impossible, or at least you have to just trust to luck. I am trying to photograph fast motorboats and the drone struggles to keep up with them. The stupid wide angle lens is such that you have to be so close to get a frame filling picture at that speed they are gone. I have tried using burst mode, but even that is too slow or too hit and miss. I think it is an impossible task.

Try using active track then. You can take photos in active track mode as far as I know.

 

[KingRat]

Shoot videos and grab the single frames you want in post. There is very little difference in quality between a frame extracted from a video in post and a still photograph taken by the drone.

Wuld they be RAW still frames? There is a HUGE difference from a camera jpeg and a RAW jpeg. I need publishing quality, print publishing in high end magazines. The new iPhones don't pass muster, the publisher will not countenance using an image off a mobile phone.

 

[KingRat]

Try using active track then. You can take photos in active track mode as far as I know.

Thank you. I will have a look at that one. I can't remember what they are all called - indeed I flattened a battery the other day trying to remember/work out how to change the shutter speed. I get these mental blocks. That is why I am writing myself a manual book to refer to. I need a book to refer to. You tube is fine while you are at home... but when you are out in the wilds with no electricity, it is a bit useless.