Mavic 2 Zoom - Zooming Issue?

[ccurry]

Quick question, I noticed while zooming in that there seems to be a shift in light. For example, everything looks normal when recording then when I zoom in, the image gets darker in some cases.

I’m new to the zoom lens world, is that because less light is getting in the lens causes a shift to a darker image? It’s not extremely noticeable but it does happen and I can pin point it every time. I’m thinking it has to do with aperture getting bigger at the long end, but I could be mistaken.

Bottom line picture/video gets darker when zooming in on the drone. Not extreme, but some.

Any thoughts on this? Is it normal?

Thanks for the help!

 

[CarlStarke]

It’s normal

 

[ccurry]

It’s normal

Ah. Ok. Thank you. Sometimes it will sort of do a flicker to the darker image when zooming instead of a color shift, maybe it’s the same thing. I’m guessing it’s all part of it when zooming.

I’m curious though, why does it happen? Is it because of the light and aperture?

 

[Rockowe]

Background: The Automatic Exposure is set by default on Mavics.
That Means the aperture will autoadjust on the PRO or the ISO and exposure will autoadjust on the zoom- allowing for the AVERAGE lighting for the current frame to adjust to a MEAN between Highlights and Shadows-

For example looking at the SUN will Auto Darken the frame to get an Average for the whole Frame. (Very contrasted)

But spinning the drone to look away from the sun - Should then lighten the frame substantially.

ZOOMING: -
By the above explaination, zooming into a frame will Adjust to an Average (Mean) Exposure for the frame being zoomed.

TRY IT: If Say you were zooming into a Very dark part of an original frame it should autoLighten… and...
… by the same token zooming into something Super bright (say in the corner or the bottom of the original frame) should Darken to get a MEAN average exposure for the view.

This can have some horrible effects if say using Hyperlapse - where you would want the frame exposure to remain constant as far as possible. (otherwise you may get a flickering ~super 8 effect )
Using Hyperlapse properly requires that you LOCK the exposure ie AE lock or set it to Manual.

If the zooming AE irritates you , just do the above (in Blue), but then its up to you to manage your exposure...
Hope this helps

 

[ccurry]

Background: The Automatic Exposure is set by default on Mavics.
That Means the aperture will autoadjust on the PRO or the ISO and exposure will autoadjust on the zoom- allowing for the AVERAGE lighting for the current frame to adjust to a MEAN between Highlights and Shadows-

For example looking at the SUN will Auto Darken the frame to get an Average for the whole Frame. (Very contrasted)

But spinning the drone to look away from the sun - Should then lighten the frame substantially.

ZOOMING: -
By the above explaination, zooming into a frame will Adjust to an Average (Mean) Exposure for the frame being zoomed.

TRY IT: If Say you were zooming into a Very dark part of an original frame it should autoLighten… and...
… by the same token zooming into something Super bright (say in the corner or the bottom of the original frame) should Darken to get a MEAN average exposure for the view.

This can have some horrible effects if say using Hyperlapse - where you would want the frame exposure to remain constant as far as possible. (otherwise you may get a flickering ~super 8 effect )
Using Hyperlapse properly requires that you LOCK the exposure ie AE lock or set it to Manual.

If the zooming AE irritates you , just do the above (in Blue), but then its up to you to manage your exposure...
Hope this helps

This helps a lot! I really appreciate it. It is sort of hit or miss. Sometimes the frame gets darker when zooming into a dark area. Sometimes the frame gets brighter when zooming into a normal lighted area. Sometimes it shifts in color and others it’s sort of a flicker in color to darker or brighter.

As long as it is normal I’m good with it, but it tends to get darker more than brighter from what I’ve seen.

 

[ccurry]

Background: The Automatic Exposure is set by default on Mavics.
That Means the aperture will autoadjust on the PRO or the ISO and exposure will autoadjust on the zoom- allowing for the AVERAGE lighting for the current frame to adjust to a MEAN between Highlights and Shadows-

For example looking at the SUN will Auto Darken the frame to get an Average for the whole Frame. (Very contrasted)

But spinning the drone to look away from the sun - Should then lighten the frame substantially.

ZOOMING: -
By the above explaination, zooming into a frame will Adjust to an Average (Mean) Exposure for the frame being zoomed.

TRY IT: If Say you were zooming into a Very dark part of an original frame it should autoLighten… and...
… by the same token zooming into something Super bright (say in the corner or the bottom of the original frame) should Darken to get a MEAN average exposure for the view.

This can have some horrible effects if say using Hyperlapse - where you would want the frame exposure to remain constant as far as possible. (otherwise you may get a flickering ~super 8 effect )
Using Hyperlapse properly requires that you LOCK the exposure ie AE lock or set it to Manual.

If the zooming AE irritates you , just do the above (in Blue), but then its up to you to manage your exposure...
Hope this helps

Sounds like it adjust to whatever it thinks is the best exposure for the frame.

 

[ccurry]

Background: The Automatic Exposure is set by default on Mavics.
That Means the aperture will autoadjust on the PRO or the ISO and exposure will autoadjust on the zoom- allowing for the AVERAGE lighting for the current frame to adjust to a MEAN between Highlights and Shadows-

For example looking at the SUN will Auto Darken the frame to get an Average for the whole Frame. (Very contrasted)

But spinning the drone to look away from the sun - Should then lighten the frame substantially.

ZOOMING: -
By the above explaination, zooming into a frame will Adjust to an Average (Mean) Exposure for the frame being zoomed.

TRY IT: If Say you were zooming into a Very dark part of an original frame it should autoLighten… and...
… by the same token zooming into something Super bright (say in the corner or the bottom of the original frame) should Darken to get a MEAN average exposure for the view.

This can have some horrible effects if say using Hyperlapse - where you would want the frame exposure to remain constant as far as possible. (otherwise you may get a flickering ~super 8 effect )
Using Hyperlapse properly requires that you LOCK the exposure ie AE lock or set it to Manual.

If the zooming AE irritates you , just do the above (in Blue), but then its up to you to manage your exposure...
Hope this helps

Here is a video of how it looks- I cut it a bit too short but it shows it getting darker.

 

[Point Zero]

Try setting your exposure manually instead of auto and see if that helps?

 

[ccurry]

Try setting your exposure manually instead of auto and see if that helps?

I believe I was shooting in manual. I hardly ever do auto.

 

[Kilrah]

You actually want to shoot auto if your goal is to avoid that.

The lens isn't constant aperture, so as you zoom in less light gets in. If you shoot auto it will compensate with SS and/or ISO, but if you shoot manual since those are locked the image will always get darker.

 

[ccurry]

You actually want to shoot auto if your goal is to avoid that.

The lens isn't constant aperture, so as you zoom in less light gets in. If you shoot auto it will compensate with SS and/or ISO, but if you shoot manual since those are locked the image will always get darker.

Thats what I was thinking. Thanks for all of the help.