Mavic 2 Pro + FStop Labs filters blurry image..

[sundriver]

Hello!

So i got my Mavic like 15 days ago and was working fine.. It came with 3 ND Filters (8,16,32) from FStop Labs.. So i tried the ND 16 and was working fine actually i liked the image with the filter..
Then i did like 4 flights more with no issues just with the ND 16 filter, the next day i put back the stock filter from DJI to try at night and no issues.. Then i decided to get the sunrise.. I prepared everything at night and decided to try the ND 8 filter, so as soon as i turn on the Mavic i notice i have the Blurry image, tried correcting it from the settings in the phone with no sucess so flight cancelled..

This is the troubleshooting i did at home:
Software:
- I restored camera settings from the DJI App
- Refreshed the firmware from the DJI program for win10
- Checked if i had installed the latest DJI App in my iPhone

Hardware:
- I usually use and ND 16 Filter from FSTOP LABS since the second flight literally .. Today i wanted to use ND 8 Filter from FSTOP LABS (Never use it before) and this happen, so i thought it might be something that the filter was messing with the camera and put back the stock filter from DJI/Hasselband with no success the image was still blurry..

So while i was writing this message, i took a moment to remove the Stock filter from the Mavic 2 Pro to see if the lens from the camera (with no filter) might be something causing the issue like a fingerprint or something so i turned the drone on again and test it with no filter just the raw camera and the blurry image was the same regarless of anything i was doing so it wasnt the filter, for sure its something in the camera but it focuses it's just that doesnt recognize the focus the software, i mean if you touch the screen it focus for like a milisecond its super fast it just doesnt hold it..

So now the sunset is almost gone and the light is very low, I put the stock filter again (the DJI/HASSELBAND) and turn on the Mavic so i can download the photo to my phone to share it here, and its working perfectly fine like nothing wrong ever happen..

I did a test flight and have no issues.. That happen on Monday (Jan,20). So yesterday i flew it again (i didnt change any filters just the original from DJI from the last time flight) and went very good no issues.. So today i was very confident that the issue might be resolved, so i tried it again and the camera was focusing right so i put back the ND 16 filter y it went blurry again..!! (but this was the filter i was using the first time and it worked fine).. So i turned thr drone off, i put back the DJI filter let it rest like 30 min and it working perfectly fine did several flight at night and its like nothing.. Im now thinking that the filters might be the issue which is very weird..

So what could be the problem? Im happy is working now i just dont know for how long.. And if i should put a filter again or not.. I only did like 5 times the process of changing ND filters since i bought it and im super careful to think that i might broke something in the drone camera when changing it..


This is how the camera stop working with the filters..


This is how is working right now with out the filters..

 

[Checki]

Have you tried manual focus? I have no idea...

But one question:

The night picture, is it unedited and jpg?
Because I try to find out, if there is something wrong with my camera. I find it quite noisy, even at sunset. I've seen a lot of great night shots and tried some myself, but never worked out very well. And I didn't everything right with the settings.

 

[sundriver]

Have you tried manual focus? I have no idea...

But one question:

The night picture, is it unedited and jpg?
Because I try to find out, if there is something wrong with my camera. I find it quite noisy, even at sunset. I've seen a lot of great night shots and tried some myself, but never worked out very well. And I didn't everything right with the settings.

Hahah yeah I tried manual it didn’t work either..

For the camera settings this are my specs..

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

It sounds like you're experiencing intermittent focus issues and that it is NOT directly related to the filters. That is, sometimes it's in/out of focus with the ND16, sometimes it's the ND8.

I would leave all filters off (if you're just doing still photography, you don't need ND filters anyways, even with sunrise/sunset photos) and try to get several flights in, see if the problem returns. If it does, then you can rule out the filters.

I would also be sure that you are very familiar with all focus settings (if you are not already). I personally don't like the screen-tap method to focus and use the shutter-button, half-press method. Also, if you are not doing the kind of fast moving action photography that AF-C is good for, I would turn it off. (AF-S only).

So if you then get out-of-focus images, without filters, and without AF-C on, you might consider sending the Mavic back.

Chris

 

[Checki]

AFC should always be off, that destroys every video...

 

[sundriver]

It sounds like you're experiencing intermittent focus issues and that it is NOT directly related to the filters. That is, sometimes it's in/out of focus with the ND16, sometimes it's the ND8.

I would leave all filters off (if you're just doing still photography, you don't need ND filters anyways, even with sunrise/sunset photos) and try to get several flights in, see if the problem returns. If it does, then you can rule out the filters.

I would also be sure that you are very familiar with all focus settings (if you are not already). I personally don't like the screen-tap method to focus and use the shutter-button, half-press method. Also, if you are not doing the kind of fast moving action photography that AF-C is good for, I would turn it off. (AF-S only).

So if you then get out-of-focus images, without filters, and without AF-C on, you might consider sending the Mavic back.

Chris

I’ll try it today and see how its doing.. What is AF-C?

i always fly in Autofocus.. I’m afraid that if a use autofocus I won’t be able to see the blurry image until I open it in the PC..

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

I’ll try it today and see how its doing.. What is AF-C?

i always fly in Autofocus.. I’m afraid that if a use autofocus I won’t be able to see the blurry image until I open it in the PC..

AF-C is 'Continuous' where AF-S is 'Single'.

With Manual focus, you touch the screen on a object and it stays there at that distance setting. Nothing changes that, not even pressing the shutter button.

With AF-S, you focus on an object and the lens remains at that focus setting (distance), but you can re-focus at any time by half-pressing the shutter button on the RC (with the screen focus indicator ("[ ]") on the location to focus on) and will do so every time you press the shutter button (but only when you press the shutter button).

With AF-C, it will also automatically auto-focus again any time it thinks that the distance to the main subject has changed. No shutter-button required, no touch of screen required. That can be good if you're shooting action / sports. But it can happen erroneously if you are flying and a nearby object goes in front of the lens, causing it to re-focus. The problem with this near-object re-focus is that you trust it will again re-re-focus to the further object once you pass the nearby object. In short, it "focus hunts" more than you want, unless you know for sure that this is what you need (with action/sports)

Chris

 

[sundriver]

AF-C is 'Continuous' where AF-S is 'Single'.

With Manual focus, you touch the screen on a object and it stays there at that distance setting. Nothing changes that, not even pressing the shutter button.

With AF-S, you focus on an object and the lens remains at that focus setting (distance), but you can re-focus at any time by half-pressing the shutter button on the RC (with the screen focus indicator ("[ ]") on the location to focus on) and will do so every time you press the shutter button (but only when you press the shutter button).

With AF-C, it will also automatically auto-focus again any time it thinks that the distance to the main subject has changed. No shutter-button required, no touch of screen required. That can be good if you're shooting action / sports. But it can happen erroneously if you are flying and a nearby object goes in front of the lens, causing it to re-focus. The problem with this near-object re-focus is that you trust it will again re-re-focus to the further object once you pass the nearby object. In short, it "focus hunts" more than you want, unless you know for sure that this is what you need (with action/sports)

Chris

Son I guess i use manual focus after all.. How can I turno on the AF-S?

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

You're in AF-S when you are a) not in manual focus and b) have not turned on AF-C (in menus for both).

See your owners manual, or there are several useful videos on the web (some short, some with more detail):

mavic 2 pro manual focus - Google Search

 

[Checki]

Its in the camera settings menu and called AFC. It makes no sense to turn on this option, you always see the picture "pumping" when its looking for a new focus point, and thats very often.

 

[Madmitch]

AFC should always be off, that destroys every video...

I was wondering whether to use afc? is this why when on and your shooting video it changes screen images, as example light to dark or vice versa?

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

I was wondering whether to use afc? is this why when on and your shooting video it changes screen images, as example light to dark or vice versa?

No, AFC is all about focus (Auto Focus, Continuous). It will do a lot of focus hunting, so unless you know you want AFC and know how to use it, it's best to have it off (have your focus set to AFS (single) or manual focus, for those that are good at that).

The screen changing from light to dark is all about the camera reacting to the light in the image, especially as you move the aircraft around. What's happening there is the camera adjusting aperture, shutter speed, or exposure compensation. These are basic photographic techniques that you should learn to shoot better video, or if you're just shooting recreational and don't care to learn about any of that, put your settings and full AUTO.

Chris