Mavic 3 5.1K and Video Editing

[ddodell]

Finally upgraded my computer to be handle the 5.1K video the Mavic 3 is cable of. Did some test video today, and using iMovie and Filmora 11 ... having issues.

Can't seem to export in either software to 5.1K ... iMovie seems to max out at 4K video, and when I try to set custom setting in Fimora 11 of 5120x2700 ... it keeps changing it to 4096 max

I don't need or want to learn more sophisticated software, I did try Final Cut Pro but found it difficult to use without some instructions.

Does everyone just take video at 4K or 4CK? Anyone get iMovie or Filmora to export at 5.1K?

Thanks

David

 

[Dave Maine]

Why are you trying to export at 5.1 K? Almost all playback devices are 4K max, and will down res any video sent to them to their max resolution.

 

[akdrone]

I use FCP but don't see that it is able to output 5.1K. I saw no settings in Compressor that would do it either. A web search for "what NLE can output 5.1K turned up nothing". I think it's smart to record in 5.1 when that's reasonable. It provides some room to crop to 4K or even more cropping to 2k or HD but I don't know what will output 5.1 or where you would be able to upload it.

 

[Eagle Eye 62]

Finally upgraded my computer to be handle the 5.1K video the Mavic 3 is cable of. Did some test video today, and using iMovie and Filmora 11 ... having issues.

Can't seem to export in either software to 5.1K ... iMovie seems to max out at 4K video, and when I try to set custom setting in Fimora 11 of 5120x2700 ... it keeps changing it to 4096 max

I don't need or want to learn more sophisticated software, I did try Final Cut Pro but found it difficult to use without some instructions.

Does everyone just take video at 4K or 4CK? Anyone get iMovie or Filmora to export at 5.1K?

Thanks

David

You should output in 4K and unless you want some flexibility to crop the image a little, it's probably not worth the hassle and extra processing required to use 5.1K footage in your editing software.

 

[CanadaDrone]

There is no reason to export in 5.1K, and it's also much more demanding on your PC hardware unless you are editing in proxy (which is a great option regardless). The main benefits of shooting in 5.1K are cropping flexibility down to 4K (or lower), higher resolution screen grabs, or for increasing quality by downsampling from 5.1K to 4K or lower (which the drone can already do if you shoot 4K).

There are no native 5.1K TV's or projectors and 5K computer monitors are extremely rare. I cannot think of a single reason you would want to export a final product in 5.1K so I would suggest you save yourself the hassle and either just shoot in 4K or export the final product in 4K.

 

[ddodell]

thank you everyone for the feedback and comments ... made me rethink the whole scenario.

 

[bkushner]

Filmora does not render anything more then 4K - Shoot 5K render 4K and you'll be fine.

 

[AnzacJack]

Is there an advantage to shooting 5K and rendering in 4k, over film 4k and render 4k?
Assuming you are not cropping

 

[bkushner]

Is there an advantage to shooting 5K and rendering in 4k, over film 4k and render 4k?
Assuming you are not cropping

Well I come from the school of thought to always shoot in the highest resolution. I would guess it depends on the situation, the camera, sensor etc...

 

[ddodell]

Thank you ... Filmora confirmed the same

 

[CanadaDrone]

Is there an advantage to shooting 5K and rendering in 4k, over film 4k and render 4k?
Assuming you are not cropping

Yes, if you're willing to process it. Shooting in 5K with an intended 4K output gives you:

- Additional "lossless" cropping/zooming/composition flexibility down to 4K (you already know this)
- Higher resolution frame grabs (approx. 15MP vs 8MP for 4K)
- Downsampling from a higher resolution improves image quality (this is why oversampled video is so desirable)

The M3 already oversamples if you shoot in 4K though, so it does put out very high quality native 4K footage. The higher resolution you can oversample/downsample from the better. For example some cameras oversample their 4K from an 8K frame and the 4K footage you get from that is absolutely incredible.

Honestly for most people, just shooting in 4K on the M3 is going to be plenty. You get great quality oversampled video and if you aren't wanting to put a bunch of effort into editing it, you don't need to. Even normal 8bit footage on the M3 is surprisingly good and would be fine for many applications or if you weren't wanting to do a lot of post processing.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yes, if you're willing to process it. Shooting in 5K with an intended 4K output gives you:


- Higher resolution frame grabs (approx. 15MP vs 8MP for 4K)

Wow! I had naively assumed that 5K frame grabs would only be 25% larger than 4K frame grabs!
Are they truly more than 100% larger in 5K video?
If so, that is reason enough to shoot video in 5K, so you have the best of both stills and video from the same video shoot! 30fps of 15MP stills! Not many still cameras can keep up with that continuous 30fps!

 

[AnzacJack]

Thats quite a burst mode

 

[CanadaDrone]

Wow! I had naively assumed that 5K frame grabs would only be 25% larger than 4K frame grabs!
Are they truly more than 100% larger in 5K video?
If so, that is reason enough to shoot video in 5K, so you have the best of both stills and video from the same video shoot! 30fps of 15MP stills! Not many still cameras can keep up with that continuous 30fps!

Well, 5K is not quite double 4K frame resolution, but yes that is correct.

1080P (2K) ~2MP
4K ~8MP
5K ~15MP
8K ~33MP
16K ~132 MP

Every time the linear resolution doubles (i.e. 2K to 4K or 4K to 8K) you get a 4x increase in total frame resolution because the vertical resolution doubles as well.

A frame grab even from LOG footage is not the same as just taking a RAW photo, but it can certainly be convenient if you want to cherry pick a precise moment out of a video and end up with something usable. In other words, if your intention is to get a photograph rather than video, you are still better off using the camera in photo mode rather than just always shooting video and grabbing frames, but you do have the option.

5K video is much more taxing to edit though, so I still think it's important to consider the end usage before filming in 5K. If you aren't going to be cropping or zooming in post, you will save a lot of time by just shooting in 4K. If you are shooting a once in a lifetime scene or important project, then it would probably be a good idea to use the highest resolution available for maximum flexibility and longevity.

 

[Mavic 3 by the Sea]

Why are you trying to export at 5.1 K? Almost all playback devices are 4K max, and will down res any video sent to them to their max resolution.

Answering a question with a question…

In light of your ‘reply’, how about you consider the question why DJI provides the 5.1k mode in the first place…

If the 5.1 mode is available, which it is, the question how to deal with 5.1k footage is hands-on.

Particularly considering the fact that many editing programs either don’t offer the option or crash in the process.

 

[Dave Maine]

It is useful when you want to do some cropping and don't want to loose quality from reduced resolution. It is a form of mild digital zoom.