Mavic Pro AEB Issues

[noogadrone]

I just got a Mavic Pro, I've had a P4 for awhile now. I'm big on HDRs so the first thing I do when I get the Mavic is put it in AEB and take some shots in RAW to see how the Mavic images will compare to P4 after I've edited them in post. I get to post and find that my HDR software spits out a grey image that has zero color and looks like a negative of some sort, completely unusable. I try different images, do a reshoot, convert them to tif first, then try jpg. Nothing works.

Then I notice that the Mavic AEB mode is not actually giving me bracket images! The shutter speeds in the meta are changing but on two of the images the histogram is not! This means that the image is the same exposure, the meta is incorrect values. I get two light images (the same) and one darker image for a 3 shot AEB. All claimed as same ISO but different shutter speeds. The funniest thing is that one of the lighter images has a faster claimed "shutter speed" than the darkest image, LOL.

So I moved on to stopping manually with the EV wheel. I frame up a shot and take a photo, then take two more shots; one brighter, one darker. These now, for all three, have visually different exposure values and the meta agrees. I take these into post and my software gives me the merged HDR image that I am hoping to see. This is great and means I can use the Mavic for my HDRs but the ease of using the AEB function is now lost!

Any thoughts on this? I've seen a few threads on this but no confirmed fix or work-around aside from a random comment about buying Litchi.

 

[Marcos]

I have a similar issue with the latest version Litchi... posted a thread about it: Litchi v4.0.1 Update: Bracketed exposure settings gone?

Same as you I like the to control the AEB settings. If someone has a workaround I'd be glad to hear about it.

 

[KaiservonPoopChute]

I use AEB almost exclusively when shooting with the Mavic to ensure I'm getting details in both the shadows and the highlights. The only difference is that I use 5 shots instead of 3. I used this for almost every shot during my vacation this month and never ran in to any issues. I use Lightroom for post so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. Maybe try using 5 shots instead of 3 and see if that helps.

 

[noogadrone]

I have a similar issue with the latest version Litchi... posted a thread about it: Litchi v4.0.1 Update: Bracketed exposure settings gone?

Same as you I like the to control the AEB settings. If someone has a workaround I'd be glad to hear about it.

Even though you lost some functionality it still sounds like it will actually take 3 images at different exposures, unlike the GO 4 app right now! I'm guessing 5 shots would likely give you better range than 3 or to take full control of this process I think the only option now is to shoot in manual exposure mode and then use the EV wheel to stop up and down to get the custom exposures. Reminds me of days when DSLRs didn't have a bracketed shot function and you'd have to do it all manually - it was fine when you have a camera on a tripod but when flying a drone in the air the AEB 3-5 shot function gives you one less thing to think about.

I use AEB almost exclusively when shooting with the Mavic to ensure I'm getting details in both the shadows and the highlights. The only difference is that I use 5 shots instead of 3. I used this for almost every shot during my vacation this month and never ran in to any issues. I use Lightroom for post so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. Maybe try using 5 shots instead of 3 and see if that helps.

Same here, it's all I use - well at least with my P4. I'll try the 5 shots later today and see if that works. I did import the 3 AEB images into Lightroom as a test and even though two of the images had the same histogram it appeared as though the merge was working and it created an HDR (just off of two images basically).

 

[KaiservonPoopChute]

I'm not a huge fan of the Mavics implementation of AEB as it has a tendency to change the ISO rather than the shutter speed but it works fairly well in good lighting. I just processed a 5 shot picture today and can confirm that the histogram doesn't change all that much between the 5 shots. I'm used to the way my DSLR's shoot AEB where there is a clear difference in exposure between the various shots.

If you have low wind then it may be better to put the Mav in tripod mode and shoot your shots manually by changing the shutter speed based on your preferred stop range. I've done that before with fairly good results.

 

[Marcos]

If you have low wind then it may be better to put the Mav in tripod mode and shoot your shots manually by changing the shutter speed based on your preferred stop range. I've done that before with fairly good results.

Agreed.

I've used both the dji app & litchi for bracketed pics and both are hit and miss. In fact taking 5 shots with litchi and the first 2 are exactly the same. Plus as already been mentioned; the ISO is tinkered with when using the auto methods... I can see the noise.

 

[Evo1668]

I just tried the AEB 5 shot with the Mavic this evening. I've been doing these sorts of shots with my OSMO, but never thought to try same with the Mavic, so thanks.....
Imported with Lightroom and touched up with Photomatrix Pro - I'm really pleased with results!

 

[noogadrone]

Tried the 5-shot function and it works with my HDR software! Only thing that I can conclude is that there is some bug with the 3-shot AEB.

I'm used to the way my DSLR's shoot AEB where there is a clear difference in exposure between the various shots.

If you have low wind then it may be better to put the Mav in tripod mode and shoot your shots manually by changing the shutter speed based on your preferred stop range. I've done that before with fairly good results.

Agreed! I'm used to the DSLRs too. I think I'll start doing the tripod mode with manual shots when quality really matters.

Aside from this AEB thing I am really impressed with the Mavic vs my P4. Controls seem more crisp and precise, it descends faster, the cinematic and tripod modes are awesome, and oh yeah! it's like 1/5 of the size of the phantom and you can take it anywhere!

I have not noticed any difference in the image quality at this point vs the P4.

 

[daivatam]

rely, no difference...as big vignetting, center image discoloration and tons of noise and 3d NR messing with image?

 

[KaiservonPoopChute]

rely, no difference...as big vignetting, center image discoloration and tons of noise and 3d NR messing with image?

I can't speak to the differences between the P4 and Mavic but I have not seen any center image discoloration with my Mavic. Noise is definitely an issue but is not nearly as bad when bracketing images. And as far as vignetting is concerned using profile corrections in Lightroom should resolve this.

 

[daivatam]

the center image of mavic camera will go toward yellow or magenta...I was in the first group signalling this to dji...I was rely disappointed by this defect because on movie you need to live with it...they even came with an document explaining that because the tiny camera they could not remedy it and it is inherent to mavic....like in some phones also....

 

[gnirtS]

IVe noticed similar in that 3 shot AEB doesnt seem to vary exposure (and/or update metadata). I'll do some tests tomorrow with 3 and 5 shot AEB in both manual and auto exposure to see what happens.

And FWIW tripod mode does nothing at all to improve stability or hover - it simply makes the controls less responsive and max speeds slower. You dont need it to bracket shots - it hovers just the same in any mode.

 

[troybogert]

Can someone please explain how to get to the bracketing AEB settings in the DJI go 4 app? Under photo setting tab, I see grid and click on that...then I select bracket (w. center point) but I don't see where you can adjust the number of photos in the bracket.

Anyone know how to access that?

 

[troybogert]

Can someone please explain how to get to the bracketing AEB settings in the DJI go 4 app? Under photo setting tab, I see grid and click on that...then I select bracket (w. center point) but I don't see where you can adjust the number of photos in the bracket.

Anyone know how to access that?

I found it...for the sake of others...it is on the photo tab (the first one).

 

[northernstar]

Just found a similar issue. I was doing a test with 5 shot bracketing in manual mode. I set the iso to 200 and with 1/25 sec on a tripod.
What comes out is inconsistent with the metadata using adobe bridge to check. Meta data as follows:-
1st shot iso 200 f2.2 0 1/25th
2nd shot iso 200 f2.2 -0.7 1/40th Visibly same as 1st shot
3rd shot iso 200 f2.2 +0.7 1/15th Darker than first shot
4th shot iso 200 f2.2 -1.3 1/60th Lighter than first shot
5th shot iso 200 f2.2 +1.3 1/10th Darkest shot (darker than 3rd shot)

This is now January 2018. I've only had the Mavic for a few weeks but this issue has obviously been going on for a long while.
What are they playing at at DJI.

The darkest shot has the longest exposure which is opposite to what should happen.
It looks like a software issue somewhere. This would mean that the data for the 5th shot should actually be the data that equals that from the 4th shot.
The same for images 2 and 3.
IT's the wrong way round.

 

[jmarka]

I now have this issue on my Mavic 2 Pro.
And if I use AEB in aperture mode with AElock , and do a pano, each 5-exposure set is different. And some sets of 5 have repeating shutter speeds. Total mess. PTGui cannot even find the sets it is so bad.

 

[mfc]

Just found a similar issue. I was doing a test with 5 shot bracketing in manual mode. I set the iso to 200 and with 1/25 sec on a tripod.
What comes out is inconsistent with the metadata using adobe bridge to check. Meta data as follows:-
1st shot iso 200 f2.2 0 1/25th
2nd shot iso 200 f2.2 -0.7 1/40th Visibly same as 1st shot
3rd shot iso 200 f2.2 +0.7 1/15th Darker than first shot
4th shot iso 200 f2.2 -1.3 1/60th Lighter than first shot
5th shot iso 200 f2.2 +1.3 1/10th Darkest shot (darker than 3rd shot)

This is now January 2018. I've only had the Mavic for a few weeks but this issue has obviously been going on for a long while.
What are they playing at at DJI.

The darkest shot has the longest exposure which is opposite to what should happen.
It looks like a software issue somewhere. This would mean that the data for the 5th shot should actually be the data that equals that from the 4th shot.
The same for images 2 and 3.
IT's the wrong way round.

This is still there with the latest firmware. Also, like the 3-shot AEB, the first two shots have the same exposure. Fortunately the 'missing shot' would have been the lightest -- which would usually have burned-out highlights anyway.

 

[hillridge]

I'm running ancient firmware on the drone itself, and a roughly year old app. I just started shooting AEB3 and ran into this issue. Came here hoping it was fixed in some update I've ignored, but looks like that's a no. Even with the first 2 of the 3 the same, Lr makes better HDRs than shooting in HDR on the Mavic, so I guess that's the best I can do for now.

 

[mfc]

I'm running ancient firmware on the drone itself, and a roughly year old app. I just started shooting AEB3 and ran into this issue. Came here hoping it was fixed in some update I've ignored, but looks like that's a no. Even with the first 2 of the 3 the same, Lr makes better HDRs than shooting in HDR on the Mavic, so I guess that's the best I can do for now.

I'm using the 5-exposure shot version now .. the first two are the same (as with 3-exposure) but that first one is the least useful anyway -- so you end up with a 4-exposure bracket that's a good range.

There's also the built-in HDR option; is it any good?

Mike

 

[BigAl07]

There's also the built-in HDR option; is it any good?

Mike

Not really because you're giving up all "control" to how the finished product looks to the Mavic. I've done a few "Mavic HDR" and they were very unimpressive to say the least. YMMV