Mavic 2 Pro Normal vs DLOG

[Blacksails]

all i am trying to say - 'normal' has the on-board applied set of methods to produce a certain look from the drone 'as-is'. DLOG requires you to run all the same methods on your own - noise removal, sharpening, contrast - that is what resolve studio setup is for. DLOG has no 'softness', it is the original capture from the sensor. dunno what else to say here.

i want to add - the 'normal' setting on the M2P model produces very decent result and during daylight conditions no one really probably even needs to use DLOG, UNLESS you expect to deal with the extreme contrast or dense shadows, or just need a raw feed to post-process anyway. it is not a necessity to USE DLOG - it is a capability. use it or don`t - it is your choice. but to say that DLOG is somehow inferior to the on-board result of the processing of that very same stream makes no sense at all.

again, what is produced on the SD card in the DLOG setting is the _origin_ of the video, pre-processing. The RAW footage that requires professional work to make a consumable video out of it. it cannot be 'better' or 'worse' than anything produced out of it, including result of the 'normal' setting that is the h.264 encoded 8-bit video stream is - a post-processing product from that raw source.

Let’s not confuse people new to this. Dlog is not Raw. Formats such as CinemaDNG can be classed as raw. Raw has nothing applied to the sensor data other than varying degrees of compression, sometimes lossless, sometimes lossy. True Raw generally requires faster and larger storage due to the huge file sizes involved.

Dlog is having a custom curve baked into it, then being compressed a fair into a h265 format, then it is saved to the card. It is by definition, not raw.

 

[paulatkin73]

The "normal" footage is just "RAW" footage

what i see in his samples i cannot reproduce, so, not sure what is the problem there, but his DLOG definitely differs from 'normal' h.264 graded stream. go figure why.
i suspect something somewhere in his settings is corrupted.

 

[paulatkin73]

Let’s not confuse people new to this. Dlog is not Raw. Formats such as CinemaDNG can be classed as raw. Raw has nothing applied to the sensor data other than varying degrees of compression, sometimes lossless, sometimes lossy. True Raw generally requires faster and larger storage due to the huge file sizes involved.

Dlog is having a custom curve baked into it, then being compressed a fair into a h265 format, then it is saved to the card. It is by definition, not raw.

cinemaDNG, R3D, RMD, etc, yes. DLOG-M is not that.
the point of calling DLOG 'RAW' was to establish the fact that it is a 10bit unsharpened, unprocessed feed from the gimbal processor, however it is done. it has a curve, but it is not nearly comparable with a curve and processing applied to what was called 'normal' by the OP - and then stated that DLOG is inheritable corrupted and suffers from lack of detail. dunno what else to say here, but, again, i cannot reproduce what OP has an issue with.

 

[CanadaDrone]

what i see in his samples i cannot reproduce, so, not sure what is the problem there, but his DLOG definitely differs from 'normal' h.264 graded stream. go figure why.
i suspect something somewhere in his settings is corrupted.

I've watched probably every single video on YouTube from professional film makers using the M2P and I have one myself - he seems to be the only one having these issues with D-Log. Everyone else loves it. I think you're right that something else is going on.

Proper grading of 10bit H265 footage is definitely a learning curve and usually requires some premium software and a capable PC. It's not going to be for everyone. I REALLY wish DJI had a DCinelike profile for the M2P though so I wouldn't be stuck with Normal when I don't want to shoot DLog. I was spoiled with the Mavic Air when I just wanted to do a quick grade on a vacation video or something.

 

[parkgt]

I record video both ways as a 107 pilot. In most cases the resulting footage from Normal is more than acceptable to paying customers, most are even happy with Normal 1080p.

Sometimes I have the desire and time to play with D-log and enjoy seeing what I can do with it. I am not a pro at grading so there are times I like it better than Normal but not in every instance.

I don't think anyone should feel bad about shooting in or feel pressured into shooting in and grading, D-log. For most this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby. Do what you enjoy; if flying and sharing the footage from Normal make you happy, keep at it. If you enjoy grading; D-log should satisfy that itch.

 

[Mordor]

All my vacations "ruined" because i did use Dlog....and high frames.
Opposite my P3, with Dlog, image video on M2P is very........strange....but im not a PRO.

With about 30 flys, i love photo from it, but i have a mix of....confusion about M2P camera video.

Again, im not a PRO.

 

[paulatkin73]

All my vacations "ruined" because i did use Dlog....and high frames.
Opposite my P3, with Dlog, image video on M2P is very........strange....but im not a PRO.

what is ruined, exactly? drop a file on the google drive and give a link here if you want us to look at it.
usually all what is needed for DLOG is a generic basic application of the LUT and slight correction in the free version of the Davinci Resolve. it is a very simple process.

 

[CanadaDrone]

For those wanting the benefits of 10bit D-Log but not wanting to put in a ton of effort grading, here you go:

SkyGrades Natural LUTs for Mavic 2 Pro

Rich, natural LUTs for the DJI Mavic 2 Pro's Dlog-M profile.

www.thefilmpoets.com

And here is a free profile for distortion correction for FOV mode:

Mavic 2 Pro Distortion Correction - Film Poets

A free and simple fix for the distortion of the Mavic 2 Pro.

www.thefilmpoets.com

 

[CaptHook]

i cannot reproduce what OP has an issue with.

Interesting to see how the Lens Correction greatly affects the overall image.
Applying OFX: Lens Distortion .18 (as recommended by DJI)
(edit: to the 4k Dlog HQ footage)
By 'dewarping' the image, it also introduces a blur - the further from the center, the greater the blur.
I suspect this is some of the issue.

 

[paulatkin73]

so, try running a grading process without that lens distortion node and compare results. and, again, try using some more reliable source, from a better sign or target. i ran it with distortion correct also and did not get any blur. check if your noise settings are zeroed and if other things not set - better to do a brand new project to make sure nothing is there, as it is odd what you got

 

[CaptHook]

Well toggling on/off the distortion node greatly improves the image.
I suspect this is the primary source of the majority of my Dlog image issues.
The degradation is less noticeable on close-up shots vs high/wide views.
However, Lens Correction is mandatory - for me anyway.
It might could be a Resolve Studio issue - I doubt it.
In Normal, the lens correction is done in camera, so there is no post correction needed.
In Dlog, it's needed after, and thus will introduce distortion.

 

[CaptHook]

Thanks for the posts paulatkin73 as I don't think I would have discovered what appears to be the true image quality issues I've had with Dlog - lens correction.

 

[Mordor]

what is ruined, exactly? drop a file on the google drive and give a link here if you want us to look at it.
usually all what is needed for DLOG is a generic basic application of the LUT and slight correction in the free version of the Davinci Resolve. it is a very simple process.

Don`t know very well how to use it...but i will try!

 

[dronovich]

Interesting to see how the Lens Correction greatly affects the overall image.
Applying OFX: Lens Distortion .18 (as recommended by DJI)
(edit: to the 4k Dlog HQ footage)
By 'dewarping' the image, it also introduces a blur - the further from the center, the greater the blur.
I suspect this is some of the issue.

I have had the same experience that the need to do distortion correction on the DLOG footage is a terrible compromise to gain access to 10-bit grading options, as Davinci Resolve has terrible image quality doing distortion correction. It's really really bad. Try taking a quality image (like a high res still) into Resolve and do a distortion correction, even if not needed on the particular image. Now do the same in Lightroom or Photoshop and see the vast difference in image quality / sharpness. It's not even close. Resolve is making it so blurry. What a shame. Hope they improve, soon.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

I have had the same experience that the need to do distortion correction on the DLOG footage is a terrible compromise to gain access to 10-bit grading options, as Davinci Resolve has terrible image quality doing distortion correction. It's really really bad. Try taking a quality image (like a high res still) into Resolve and do a distortion correction, even if not needed on the particular image. Now do the same in Lightroom or Photoshop and see the vast difference in image quality / sharpness. It's not even close. Resolve is making it so blurry. What a shame. Hope they improve, soon.

About that: it's true that Resolve is not the proper tool to correct lens distortion on stills. It's not designed for that.

For video, Resolve gives very good lens correction in the Fusion panel. If you're using the generic Lens Correction in the Inspector, I can see why you may not have been happy with it. But both have worked for me without reducing video quality.

Chris

 

[dronovich]

About that: it's true that Resolve is not the proper tool to correct lens distortion on stills. It's not designed for that.

For video, Resolve gives very good lens correction in the Fusion panel. If you're using the generic Lens Correction in the Inspector, I can see why you may not have been happy with it. But both have worked for me without reducing video quality.

Chris

Not using it for stills of course, just as an example to ensure a high quality starting point instead of a compressed grab from h.264 or h.265. Anyways, even for video usage I find the generic Lens Correction very lacking in image quality. If I take a CDNG or other high quality starting point, it's very obvious the Resolve is way behind here compared to what it could be quality wise.
From a performance stand point there can of course be good reasons to have to accept lower quality for speed increase (real time video), but if so, I would expect higher quality settings available for non real time (pre)rendering. Not the case as I know of.

I will try the Fusion lens correction if that's better. Thanks for that tip. Will be interesting to compare.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

This video gives the basic steps:

 

[MavicMaster]

I've owned the mavic 2 pro since launch and can honestly say DLOG is pretty much worthless unless you really want to play with your camera for a good 5 minutes before recording which is a long time when you are in the air. You need to tinker with the settings. if you want sharp D-log you need to do a couple things. First set you aperture to F4, check your histogram and zebras (don't trust your eyes). light is everything, so if you happen to change the scene or direction. You'll need to re expose your image again. It's a complete pain to do for every situation.

A lot of youtube peeps hype up DLOG, but a lot of the same effects can be made in normal with less time. Notice most of there videos are just hype release 1 to 4 months after the M2pro was released to the public. Me on the other hand, I have about 90 hours in the air with this thing.

what is ruined, exactly? drop a file on the google drive and give a link here if you want us to look at it.
usually all what is needed for DLOG is a generic basic application of the LUT and slight correction in the free version of the Davinci Resolve. it is a very simple process.

Thanks for the posts paulatkin73 as I don't think I would have discovered what appears to be the true image quality issues I've had with Dlog - lens correction.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

I've owned the mavic 2 pro since launch and can honestly say DLOG is pretty much worthless unless you really want to play with your camera for a good 5 minutes before recording which is a long time when you are in the air. You need to tinker with the settings. if you want sharp D-log you need to do a couple things. First set you aperture to F4, check your histogram and zebras (don't trust your eyes). light is everything, so if you happen to change the scene or direction. You'll need to re expose your image again. It's a complete pain to do for every situation.

A lot of youtube peeps hype up DLOG, but a lot of the same effects can be made in normal with less time. Notice most of there videos are just hype release 1 to 4 months after the M2pro was released to the public. Me on the other hand, I have about 90 hours in the air with this thing.

The things you mention (good aperture, don't blow out highlights, exposure changes with aircraft orientation) are basic photography exposure topics. They don't become non-existent concerns in other modes.

If anything, DLOG compresses dynamic range and makes it more difficult to expose badly.

If you had said "DLOG is a PITA because it requires post processing" (to expand that dynamic range and also apply contrast and color grading to taste), then I would have understood that — you want usable footage out of the bird, no post processing required.

But you can make all of those exposure mistakes in any mode — it's is not DLOG specific.

In general, DLOG is for those that want total control over the end-result and don't mind the post-processing steps required, which of course is a learning curve.

Chris

 

[MavicMaster]

The things you mention (good aperture, don't blow out highlights, exposure changes with aircraft orientation) are basic photography exposure topics. They don't become non-existent concerns in other modes.

If anything, DLOG compresses dynamic range and makes it more difficult to expose badly.

If you had said "DLOG is a PITA because it requires post processing" (to expand that dynamic range and also apply contrast and color grading to taste), then I would have understood that — you want usable footage out of the bird, no post processing required.

But you can make all of those exposure mistakes in any mode — it's is not DLOG specific.

In general, DLOG is for those that want total control over the end-result and don't mind the post-processing steps required, which of course is a learning curve.

Chris

The point is adjusting your settings manually contribute to a better picture. OP was disappointed with soft DLOG footage. I was simply suggesting manual control of settings for better quality.

DLOG is for high contrast situations otherwise you pretty much can get the same results without it and there really is no need for it.