Mavic 2 Pro 4K HQ vs 4K FOV

[Elmateo487]

P4P is EOL as of this week.

I meant the once the Phantom line goes away.

 

[chunky]

I meant the once the Phantom line goes away.

Maybe, maybe not...

 

[yysc]

Seems the Mavic 2 uses the Ambarella H2 which is newer and more energy efficient (14nm node process same as current Intel CPU) than the H1 found in the P4P (28nm). The H2 has a Quad Core ARM CPU vs the Dual Core of the H1. Image quality in 4K FOV 30fps in P4P is much better. Link below from EOSHD with further discussion:

DJI Mavic Pro II

Considering the M2P and P4P both use a similar 1" sensor from SONY, sensor readout performance must be similar. P4P does line skipping at 4K60fps mode. For this I can buy sensor readout limitations. What I'm not buying it is the crappy 4K FOV 30fps of the M2P and saying this is the best we can get.

Saying record in 10bit and HEVC is very taxing when the H2 does this natively in hardware doesn't seem an excuse for the crappy 4K 30fps FOV mode. Or the battery stress. P4P was never reported to fly less time in 4K60 having to encode double the frames per second and is also powered by a single 4S battery.

 

[chunky]

Seems the Mavic 2 uses the Ambarella H2 which is newer and more energy efficient (14nm node process same as current Intel CPU) than the H1 found in the P4P (28nm). The H2 has a Quad Core ARM CPU vs the Dual Core of the H1. Image quality in 4K FOV 30fps in P4P is much better. Link below from EOSHD with further discussion:

DJI Mavic Pro II

Considering the M2P and P4P both use a similar 1" sensor from SONY, sensor readout performance must be similar. P4P does line skipping at 4K60fps mode. For this I can buy sensor readout limitations. What I'm not buying it is the crappy 4K FOV 30fps of the M2P and saying this is the best we can get.

Saying record in 10bit and HEVC is very taxing when the H2 does this natively in hardware doesn't seem an excuse for the crappy 4K 30fps FOV mode. Or the battery stress. P4P was never reported to fly less time in 4K60 having to encode double the frames per second and is also powered by a single 4S battery.

Maybe we still have Umbarella, maybe we have a DJI custom design made in collaboration with Socionext as GoPro does with the Hero 6.
Both doesn‘t excuse the mediocre image quality of the Full FOV mode, right. Performance was much better in the old P4Pro!

 

[eukaryote]

Having compared online FOV Vs HQ, it's clear that FOV takes a substantial hit in image quality. I have no idea why, but I suspect this is a strategic move by DJI to make way for something like a Phantom 5. They can't make it good at everything, it must be crippled.

 

[chunky]

For me that’s not acceptable since it‘s not loyal to sell a 1“ copter that‘s not using the potential of the sensor found in a 2 years old model from the same company for the same price or in other cameras using the same sensor like Sony FDR-AX100 (even older) or Sony DSC-RX100IV and V.
This should be fixed in a firmware update and should be possible.

One could also guess that this may be a temperature problem since Sony‘s RX100 is also getting „warm“.
In the P4Pro the camera may be better cooled because of the free mounting, the Mavic has some covering from above that may degrade cooling.
If so, please make a temperature monitoring available in the app (the sensor monitors the temp) and switch down to pixelbinning if the sensor is getting to warm. I think most people don‘t take longer clips than a few minutes and so this would be a benefit.
For plain monitoring the flight we don‘t need the full sensor readout.

 

[yysc]

For me that’s not acceptable since it‘s not loyal to sell a 1“ copter that‘s not using the potential of the sensor found in a 2 years old model from the same company for the same price or in other cameras using the same sensor like Sony FDR-AX100 (even older) or Sony DSC-RX100IV and V.
This should be fixed in a firmware update and should be possible.

One could also guess that this may be a temperature problem since Sony‘s RX100 is also getting „warm“.
In the P4Pro the camera may be better cooled because of the free mounting, the Mavic has some covering from above that may degrade cooling.
If so, please make a temperature monitoring available in the app (the sensor monitors the temp) and switch down to pixelbinning if the sensor is getting to warm. I think most people don‘t take longer clips than a few minutes and so this would be a benefit.
For plain monitoring the flight we don‘t need the full sensor readout.

GoPro H6 does 4K60 80Mbps HEVC with very limited passive cooling/battery. Yi 4K+ uses the Ambarella H2 and does 4K60 @130mbps again with very limited passive cooling/battery. As you point SONY RX100 series downsamples 1" 20MP to 4K in-camera with passive cooling and a small battery.

In the P4P camera electronics are in the body aswell. Gimbal only stabilizes Lens/Sensor. The Mavic 2 has active cooling (just like the P4P) with a noisy little fan. I find hard to believe thermals/battery is the issue, but actually lazy coding.

 

[Chasing Light & Shadows]

I reckon they just ran out of time to finish everything off, just look at the current lens distortion issue in HQ mode, they must have known it was there but didn't have time to create the correction profile. Hopefully we'll be seeing some major enhancements to image quality with the next few firmware releases. Afterall, all they have to do is be slightly better than their competitors and they already have that with the 1" sensor alone.

 

[Talley]

Remember the P3A not having a 2.7k mode and later they upgraded the firmware to include 2.7k.

I sense a firmware upgrade.....

...but first they have to release the P5P. I feel pretty strong the P5P will have interchangeable lenses and a 4/3 sensor. This means viable option. A cheaper Inspire. And the P5P will now be 2k.

Then the firmware to the MP2 will upgrade it's video capability.

 

[yysc]

Remember the P3A not having a 2.7k mode and later they upgraded the firmware to include 2.7k.

I sense a firmware upgrade.....

...but first they have to release the P5P. I feel pretty strong the P5P will have interchangeable lenses and a 4/3 sensor. This means viable option. A cheaper Inspire. And the P5P will now be 2k.

Then the firmware to the MP2 will upgrade it's video capability.

Yeah, I remember that. Initially they only brought 2.7K to the P3A. Naturally, P3P owners were pissed off, precisely when everybody knew P3 series was using 1/2.3" CMOS 12MP sensor + Ambarella A9 just like GoPro 4 Silver/Black, and GP4B was doing 2.7K besides 4K30 just fine.

2.7K "not possible" in P3P: 2.7k on P3P

The DJI reps said this was a "hardware limitation issue" to prevent deploying 2.7K in the P3P which didn't make any sense. I guess that was all the information they had. Seems DJI HQ is secretive. And of course they added 2.7K to the P3P a few months later. They didn't ship the drone initially with it because they didn't want to/have time to, not because it was not possible.

I really hope they will make the M2P right. As it stands now, we paid more (vs. the M2Z) for a camera that delivers worse 4K video at 28mm (the M2Z can be zoomed to 28mm to match default focal lenght of M2P). M2P is only good currently for video at 40mm (HQ mode) which throws away 60% of lens/sensor.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

The curved horizon is a D-log M setting issue and should be fixed with the next update.

 

[Kilrah]

DJI rep on RCG just said the opposite.
No correction when in log or HDR.

 

[Talley]

I think people has always been complaining about video quality since the P3's were announced if not earlier. What I find amazing is that years later... nobody cares then. Videos still were made. Etc.

I just fly them because they are fun, take photos... some video.... and will continue to do so. If I wanted perfect quality I'd unfortunately have to spend goobers amount of money. For a consumer product readily available for purchase by many I think the quality is outstanding even looking at P3P videos.

Stuff likes this just captures me and I tend to forget techy things like hdr, sharpness etc.

Isn't movie magic more about capturing the moment/content than all those silly techy items? I'm willing to bet there is many pros who can still do wonderful things with a $500 old drone than new people using their new $1500 drones.

 

[NAUIDIVER]

DJI rep on RCG just said the opposite.
No correction when in log or HDR.

Jeez people! Chill out! The “rep” isn’t the last word on what and what won’t be done!

Omg these forums are insane.

Buy the darn drone that you want. Fly the darn drone. Update the firmware when releases and enjoy the fixes and feature tuning.

If it doesn’t do what you want right now and right out of the box, then don’t buy it! Dang. There is so much bull crap in these forums to wade through that very little valuable information is shared.

Chillax. Fly. Edit. Post. Repeat.

Sheesh.

 

[Talley]

Having compared online FOV Vs HQ, it's clear that FOV takes a substantial hit in image quality. I have no idea why, but I suspect this is a strategic move by DJI to make way for something like a Phantom 5. They can't make it good at everything, it must be crippled.

Pixel binning. Same reason crop mode looks better than fov with my a7riii

 

[chunky]

...
Isn't movie magic more about capturing the moment/content than all those silly techy items? I'm willing to bet there is many pros who can still do wonderful things with a $500 old drone than new people using their new $1500 drones.

Simple - stay with your 5 years old $500 drone if it‘s enough „magic“ for you.
Observing the results from the moon on a 32“ FullHD TV also makes hardly any difference.
Some others may like advance.

 

[Kilrah]

Jeez people! Chill out! The “rep” isn’t the last word on what and what won’t be done!

Well it's certainly closer to it than random people...

If it doesn’t do what you want right now and right out of the box, then don’t buy it! Dang.

Except real life and people just don't work that way.

 

[Kilrah]

Isn't movie magic more about capturing the moment/content than all those silly techy items? I'm willing to bet there is many pros who can still do wonderful things with a $500 old drone than new people using their new $1500 drones.

Well yes and no, there's beautiful stuff out there but the quality it's recorded in matters as well to the viewing pleasure.

Stuff likes this just captures me and I tend to forget techy things like hdr, sharpness etc.

This video is the opposite to me, it a perfect example of too "slow" to hold me and getting me to look at details.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

I think people has always been complaining about video quality since the P3's were announced if not earlier. What I find amazing is that years later... nobody cares then. Videos still were made. Etc.

I just fly them because they are fun, take photos... some video.... and will continue to do so. If I wanted perfect quality I'd unfortunately have to spend goobers amount of money. For a consumer product readily available for purchase by many I think the quality is outstanding even looking at P3P videos.

Stuff likes this just captures me and I tend to forget techy things like hdr, sharpness etc.

Isn't movie magic more about capturing the moment/content than all those silly techy items? I'm willing to bet there is many pros who can still do wonderful things with a $500 old drone than new people using their new $1500 drones.

Nice Shots! Great Job.

 

[yysc]

I think people has always been complaining about video quality since the P3's were announced if not earlier. What I find amazing is that years later... nobody cares then. Videos still were made. Etc.

I just fly them because they are fun, take photos... some video.... and will continue to do so. If I wanted perfect quality I'd unfortunately have to spend goobers amount of money. For a consumer product readily available for purchase by many I think the quality is outstanding even looking at P3P videos.

Stuff likes this just captures me and I tend to forget techy things like hdr, sharpness etc.

Isn't movie magic more about capturing the moment/content than all those silly techy items? I'm willing to bet there is many pros who can still do wonderful things with a $500 old drone than new people using their new $1500 drones.

Well if you care about IQ, then in 2018 that video from a P3P can hardly impress you. Terrible shadows with all detail gone thanks to the junk Ambarella A9 SOC used in the P3P, P4 and Mavic Pro. Very limited dynamic range, mushy detail thanks to the crappy 60mbps codec, etc.

That scenary recorded in a M2P in 4K30 HQ Dlog 10bit and graded would be like NIGHT AND DAY in terms of quality, colors and immersion.