Mavic3 Pro 3x lens - 12MP or 48MP?

[waynorth]

To do a fair comparison the 12MP image should be enlarged to the same size as the 48MP image, or the 48MP dowscaled to 12 MP.
Here is the 12 MP upscaled to 48MP, and the 48 MP untouched except the crop. No other editing on any of the photos.

 

[waynorth]

Here is the 48MP dowscaled to 12MP, crop from 100%.
The first (left) is the original 12MP.

 

[marcosvc]

Here's a pair of jpgs straight out of the camera to compare

12 & 48 MP - Google Drive

drive.google.com

I did a match with zoom, and as you can see the picture 0015 is better than the 0012 in this outdoor sunny picture. Please confirm that 0015 is the 48MP

 

[Roberto Smera]

The samples above posted by waynorth show a visible loss of quality from 12 to 48mp, mainly around the edges which were rendered fuzzy. Even so, the quality of the 3x optical zoom in 12mp isn’t that great as it also lacks sharpness and looks way too “digital” for my taste. Maybe the test should be redone with a static subject and more controled variables. On the other hand, the downsize from 48mp to 12mp shows a visible increase in quality compared to the native 12mp image. The edges are more defined and with less artifacts.

 

[waynorth]

Even so, the quality of the 3x optical zoom in 12mp

I do not understand what you mean here. Both pictures posted by Meta4 (that I used in my posts) are taken with a medium telephoto lens. Only difference, as Meta4 explained, is that one is shot with the camera set to 12MP, the other with the camera set to 48MP. No zoom involved, as the camera does not have optical zoom capabilities.

Edited: I first wrote he used a wide angle lens, that was not correct.

 

[waynorth]

Maybe the test should be redone with a static subject and more controled variables

I don't think that would do any difference. The ship is moving slowly, the shutter speed is more than fast enough to freeze any movement, and the ship has plenty of details to see the differences between 12 and 48MP.

 

[Roberto Smera]

The topic subject says "Mavic 3 Pro 3x lens - 12MP or 48MP?" so I thought I was analysing two different samples
captured by the 3x optical zoom. What I mean about a better suited subject is one without a bright flat surface against a dark background as it frequently shows some kind of smearing on edges with zoomed images and these tiny sensors.

 

[MS Coast]

That's something-nothing.
The images were shot 11 seconds apart and the exposure difference is probably because light values were changing with strong winds blowing the clouds.

Yes, it's difficult to do a head-to-head comparison with a moving object and moving clouds. The slightly lower exposure makes me lean strongly toward the 12mp image.

The two photos suggest to me that in most cases, the 12mp setting is just fine, and it certainly reduces the size of the image file.

When you shoot those ships underway, are you using one of the tracking modes or flying manually?

 

[waynorth]

The topic subject says "Mavic 3 Pro 3x lens - 12MP or 48MP?" so I thought I was analysing two different samples
captured by the 3x optical zoom. What I mean about a better suited subject is one without a bright flat surface against a dark background as it frequently shows some kind of smearing on edges with zoomed images and these tiny sensors.

I was wrong when I said the photos was taken with a wide angle lens, he used the 70mm fixed focal lens. I get confused by the way people (mis)use the word zoom.

 

[Meta4]

When you shoot those ships underway, are you using one of the tracking modes or flying manually?

I follow them manually

 

[Filmarik]

I downloaded the Meta4 two samples and after downsizing the 48MP to the size of the 12MP image there is a perceptible difference. The 12MP picture downsized from 48MP picture shows more fine detail than the one taken as 12MP. Somehow the 48MP downsized to 12MP looks like it has been taken with a larger sensor. It has less artefacts and less noise.

 

[Soophoo]

12MP for better dynamic range & less noise.
48MP for more details (in good light condition).

 

[Filmarik]

12MP for better dynamic range & less noise.
48MP for more details (in good light condition).

I would have to respectfully disagree based on the samples provided by Meta4

 

[GadgetGuy]

As @Meta4 suggests, take one of each and compare, picking whichever looks best to you. It can vary! However, the resolution is the same on both.

"In a Quad Bayer filter, the pixels of different color are further apart, so demosaicing is less effective (despite what makers claim). So, you’re definitely not getting 4x the detail in 48MP mode than you do in 12MP. In fact, since the HDR and other image processing modes are disabled at 48MP, the 12MP photos sometimes come out with better detail (and much smaller file size, win-win).

Running the demosaicing algorithm on the raw 48MP data may result in a sharper image, but it changes from scene to scene. If detail levels are critical to a particular shot we've found that the best strategy is to shoot in both modes and then pick whichever comes out better. Most of the time, however, you’re better off sticking to 12MP mode."

Quad Bayer sensors: what they are and what they are not

Marketing departments are trying to sell you on the wrong thing - resolution isn't why these sensors are good, it's the better image processing.

www.gsmarena.com

 

[waynorth]

I downloaded the Meta4 two samples and after downsizing the 48MP to the size of the 12MP image there is a perceptible difference. The 12MP picture downsized from 48MP picture shows more fine detail than the one taken as 12MP. Somehow the 48MP downsized to 12MP looks like it has been taken with a larger sensor. It has less artefacts and less noise.

Yes, I agree with you. The difference is obvious.

 

[AlanL]

This is the description of the sensor from the company that makes them:

OMNIVISION’s OV48C is a 48 megapixel (MP) image sensor with a large 1.2 micron pixel size to enable high resolution and excellent low light performance for flagship smartphone cameras. The OV48C is the industry’s first image sensor for high resolution mobile cameras with on-chip dual conversion gain HDR, which eliminates motion artifacts and produces an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This sensor also offers a staggered HDR option with on-chip combination, providing smartphone designers with the maximum flexibility to select the best HDR method for a given scene. The OV48C is the only flagship mobile image sensor in the industry to offer the combination of high 48MP resolution, a large 1.2 micron pixel, high speed, and on-chip high dynamic range, which provides superior SNR, unparalleled low light performance and high quality 4K video.

Built on OMNIVISION’s PureCel®Plus stacked die technology, this 1/1.3″ optical format sensor provides leading-edge still image capture and video performance for flagship smartphones. The OV48C also integrates an on-chip, 4-cell color filter array and hardware remosaic, which provides high quality, 48MP Bayer output, or 8K video, in real time. In low light conditions, this sensor can use near-pixel binning to output a 12MP image for 4K2K video with four times the sensitivity, yielding a 2.4 micron-equivalent performance. In either case, the OV48C can consistently capture the best quality images without motion blur, as well as enabling digital crop zoom with 12MP resolution and fast mode switch. Additionally, this sensor offers a wide range of features, including digital crop zoom and a CPHY interface, making it ideal for main, rear-facing cameras in multicamera configurations. The OV48C also uses 4C Half Shield phase detection for fast autofocus support.

The OV48C’s output formats include 48MP at 15 frames per second (fps), 12MP with 4-cell binning at 60 fps, and 4K2K video at 60 fps with the extra pixels needed for electronic image stabilization. This sensor also offers 1080p video with slow motion support at 240 fps, as well as 720p at 360 fps.

 

[Wreckhunter]

This is the description of the sensor from the company that makes them:

OMNIVISION’s OV48C is a 48 megapixel (MP) image sensor with a large 1.2 micron pixel size to enable high resolution and excellent low light performance for flagship smartphone cameras. The OV48C is the industry’s first image sensor for high resolution mobile cameras with on-chip dual conversion gain HDR, which eliminates motion artifacts and produces an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This sensor also offers a staggered HDR option with on-chip combination, providing smartphone designers with the maximum flexibility to select the best HDR method for a given scene. The OV48C is the only flagship mobile image sensor in the industry to offer the combination of high 48MP resolution, a large 1.2 micron pixel, high speed, and on-chip high dynamic range, which provides superior SNR, unparalleled low light performance and high quality 4K video.

Built on OMNIVISION’s PureCel®Plus stacked die technology, this 1/1.3″ optical format sensor provides leading-edge still image capture and video performance for flagship smartphones. The OV48C also integrates an on-chip, 4-cell color filter array and hardware remosaic, which provides high quality, 48MP Bayer output, or 8K video, in real time. In low light conditions, this sensor can use near-pixel binning to output a 12MP image for 4K2K video with four times the sensitivity, yielding a 2.4 micron-equivalent performance. In either case, the OV48C can consistently capture the best quality images without motion blur, as well as enabling digital crop zoom with 12MP resolution and fast mode switch. Additionally, this sensor offers a wide range of features, including digital crop zoom and a CPHY interface, making it ideal for main, rear-facing cameras in multicamera configurations. The OV48C also uses 4C Half Shield phase detection for fast autofocus support.

The OV48C’s output formats include 48MP at 15 frames per second (fps), 12MP with 4-cell binning at 60 fps, and 4K2K video at 60 fps with the extra pixels needed for electronic image stabilization. This sensor also offers 1080p video with slow motion support at 240 fps, as well as 720p at 360 fps.

This argument could go on forever,but in the end why would a secondary camera (3x) in the mavic 3 pro
have higher and better resolution than the main 4/3rds 20mp sensor camera.The 48mp SETTING may produce
only slightly better photos in the brightest of outdoor conditions.I have a mavic air 2 with the same 48 setting.
and Quad Bayer array.Never usually use the 48mp SETTING as it makes little difference to me.One more time
here we go.I keep it on its true native mode12mp.But in the end before closing everyone has their own opinion
on this what can become a heated subject,and is not even really worth it.All done

 

[Wreckhunter]

I have a doubt. The Mavic3 pro's 3x lens allows for 12MP or 48MP. What's the real difference. Are the 12MP real pixels? Is the 48MP pixel interpolation (or division)? For better quality, which one should I use?

12mp

 

[AlanL]

This argument could go on forever,but in the end why would a secondary camera (3x) in the mavic 3 pro
have higher and better resolution than the main 4/3rds 20mp sensor camera.The 48mp SETTING may produce
only slightly better photos in the brightest of outdoor conditions.I have a mavic air 2 with the same 48 setting.
and Quad Bayer array.Never usually use the 48mp SETTING as it makes little difference to me.One more time
here we go.I keep it on its true native mode12mp.But in the end before closing everyone has their own opinion
on this what can become a heated subject,and is not even really worth it.All done

And nothing I have read here has convinced me there is merit to me switching from using 48MP which is the native mode according to the sensor manufacturer. I used 48MP on the air 2 as well but it has next to nothing in common for image quality with the 70mm system on the Mavic Pro 3 which is the subject of the thread.

 

[Felix le Chat]

There are 48MP in the sensor and if you divide it into clusters of 4 pixels you get 12MP. 12MP is a software calculated output from the 48MP sensor. I use DNG outputs only and have plenty of software tools to refine the 48MP outputs.

If you do a lot of jpeg imaging or HDR for faceplant and instagram you might care about the 12MP mode. I don't and will say it again - Your Mileage May Vary depending on what you do with your images. My post here is to simply say the 48MP mode is not a compromised or interpolated result and offers up some good quality images. I haven't experienced any issues that would convince me to downgrade to 12MP with the 70mm lens camera configuration.

It's a 12mp sensor. Exactly the same one as shoehorned into the mini 3 pro.