Mavic 3 DNG images being distorted but fine in JPG

[ianmeg]

Hello,

I have been using a DJI Mini 2 for about a year now and have no issues with my photographs which I always take in both JPG and DNG format.

I have just acquired a DJI Mavic 3 and been taking a few photos to see how it compares. Again I have it set up to give me JPG and DNG versions of each photograph.

When I open my JPG versions they are as expected. However, when I open the DNG version of each photo there is minor vignetting in all 4 corners of the photo plus the image itself seems warped in that the images are somewhat curved. For example, intead of seeing straight roofs on building I am seeing curved roofs.

Does anyone know why DNG images are displaying like this?

Thanks.

 

[Meta4]

when I open the DNG version of each photo there is minor vignetting in all 4 corners of the photo plus the image itself seems warped in that the images are somewhat curved. For example, instead of seeing straight roofs on building I am seeing curved roofs.

Does anyone know why DNG images are displaying like this?

The first question is: What are you using to open and view the dng files?
Whenever there are similar questions to yours, the reason is usually that the software being used, does not apply the lens corrections that are built-in to the dng files

 

[edcMavicPilots]

It isn't a problem with the dng. It is a problem with the profile used by your raw software. The jpg is generated in the drone from the same dng file. Capture One Pro's profile is not as good as Adobe's from that regard in my experience.

 

[ianmeg]

The first question is: What are you using to open and view the dng files?
Whenever there are similar questions to yours, the reason is usually that the software being used, does not apply the lens corrections that are built-in to the dng files

Thanks for the reply.

I am using Affinity Photo to edit my photos and that's where I see the vignetting and the strange curve that is applied to the photo. Yet when I open the same DNG image using the standard photos app on Windows the image looks like you'd expect i.e. no vignetting and the image isn't curved.

When I open JPG images in Affinity Photo (or the default photo app) they both look like they should - so the problem only seems to exist with opening DNGs in Affinity.

I had a go with a Parrot Anafi drone and discovered the same thing would happen - curved photos - but I realised that I had the drone's camera settings set to actually take 'WIDE' and when I changed it to 'RECT' it fixed the problem (see the bottom of the below image). Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be the same fix for the DJI Mavic tho.

I'm guessing there's no way of removing the vignette and fixing the curved aspect of the photos in Affinity so I'm stuck with editing JPGs only which is very disappointing.

 

[ianmeg]

It isn't a problem with the dng. It is a problem with the profile used by your raw software. The jpg is generated in the drone from the same dng file. Capture One Pro's profile is not as good as Adobe's from that regard in my experience.

Thanks for the reply - it's very annoying to discover that software opens the photo in a way it wants to and not in the same way as the JPG looks. It basically makes shooting in RAW utterly pointless.

 

[sar104]

Thanks for the reply - it's very annoying to discover that software opens the photo in a way it wants to and not in the same way as the JPG looks. It basically makes shooting in RAW utterly pointless.

Actually you have that backwards. The whole point of RAW is that you have access to the unmodified, uncorrected image data. Some software will apply the embedded lens correction or an established lens/camera profile, on the basis that most users will want that taken care of automatically, but other software will open it with no corrections.

 

[ianmeg]

Actually you have that backwards. The whole point of RAW is that you have access to the unmodified, uncorrected image data. Some software will apply the embedded lens correction or an established lens/camera profile, on the basis that most users will want that taken care of automatically, but other software will open it with no corrections.

I have a DJI Mini 2 and a Mavic 3. Affinity Photo appears to treat the DNG photos taken on each drone in a totally separate manner.

The Mini 2 photos (RAW) open as I would expect them... The Mavic photos (also RAW) open as I would not expect.

Maybe there is a way in these photo software programs to show the image in a consistent manner. Why would anyone shooting in JPG only or in RAW want to see a distorted, curved photo?

 

[sar104]

I have a DJI Mini 2 and a Mavic 3. Affinity Photo appears to treat the DNG photos taken on each drone in a totally separate manner.

The Mini 2 photos (RAW) open as I would expect them... The Mavic photos (also RAW) open as I would not expect.

Maybe there is a way in these photo software programs to show the image in a consistent manner. Why would anyone shooting in JPG only or in RAW want to see a distorted, curved photo?

Affinity Photo Help

 

[edcMavicPilots]

I have a DJI Mini 2 and a Mavic 3. Affinity Photo appears to treat the DNG photos taken on each drone in a totally separate manner.

The Mini 2 photos (RAW) open as I would expect them... The Mavic photos (also RAW) open as I would not expect.

Maybe there is a way in these photo software programs to show the image in a consistent manner. Why would anyone shooting in JPG only or in RAW want to see a distorted, curved photo?

You are not understanding what I am telling you. It is not a surprise at all that any given raw software converter will treat every single camera and lens combination differently. They should.

Every single camera, whether it flies or not has a variety of different characteristics including lens shape and vignetting. Every one needs a it's own profile to get to the same result as the in camera jpg.

The jpg starts out as raw and gets converted in the camera. That processing takes the colors, lens, EVERYTHING into account. Affinity apparently does not have a profile that will match the jpg.