MP 2 image quality

ken.T · Dec 15, 2018

Hello, I currently have an MP, and have an itchy finger over the buy button for an MP2, but the reviews are not selling it to me....is the new Hasselblad sensor a significant unpgrade over an MP or is Phantom 4 pro the place to go for better resolution?

buddb55 · Dec 15, 2018

As a owner of both, and by no means an expert but I can see a difference for the better on the MP2. Just my opinion. Haven't done any side by side testing.

sar104 · Dec 15, 2018

For video or stills the M2P is much better than the MP, with a larger sensor and better dynamic range.

For video there have been many arguments regarding the M2P vs. the P4P, and to some extent it boils down to preference. They have similar sensors but the M2P will record 10-bit HEVC, while the P4P will not, so the M2P wins on dynamic range but requires significant post-processing to realize the advantage. On the other hand the P4P appears to use full-sensor readout which gives sharper 4k video straight out of the camera. Some people find that more pleasing, especially if they don't want to spend much time post-processing.

I'd recommend looking at real samples from both to make a decision.

ken.T · Dec 15, 2018

sar104 said:
For video or stills the M2P is much better than the MP, with a larger sensor and better dynamic range.

For video there have been many arguments regarding the M2P vs. the P4P, and to some extent it boils down to preference. They have similar sensors but the M2P will record 10-bit HEVC, while the P4P will not, so the M2P wins on dynamic range but requires significant post-processing to realize the advantage. On the other hand the P4P appears to use full-sensor readout which gives sharper 4k video straight out of the camera. Some people find that more pleasing, especially if they don't want to spend much time post-processing.

I'd recommend looking at real samples from both to make a decision.

Thanks, yeah that’s pretty much what I’ve heard, I’m swaying toward the p4p to be honest, what I was hoping to hear was the MP2 is significantly better, but I’m not convinced.

sar104 · Dec 15, 2018

ken.T said:
Thanks, yeah that’s pretty much what I’ve heard, I’m swaying toward the p4p to be honest, what I was hoping to hear was the MP2 is significantly better, but I’m not convinced.

It's much better than the MP, but it has the same sensor as the P4P so the differences there are more subtle, especially with video. Is portability a consideration?

PC1134 · Dec 15, 2018

I think this might tell a story. First two images taken on my previous Mavic Pro Platinum which I sold and then bought a Mavic 2 Pro. In the MPP images, the colour are flat and lack dynamic range. In the M2P images, the colours are vibrant, exhibit huge dynamic range and are pin sharp as a tack. I own a Sony RX10 IV camera which has the sharpest (Zeiss) lens I've ever owner, including a heap of very expensive Zeiss and Sony lenses, and this Hasselblad lens is equally as sharp and precise. Like you, I was very concerned about the sharpness issue, but I challenge anyone to pick fault and see softness in my M2P images here. Mine was a more recent purchase (about a month ago) so whether DJI improved things from the first lot of M2Ps they produced, I'm not sure. But my recommendation would be to wholeheartedly step up. It's a cracker camera on this new drone!

sar104 · Dec 15, 2018

PC1134 said:
I think this might tell a story. First two images taken on my previous Mavic Pro Platinum which I sold and then bought a Mavic 2 Pro. In the MPP images, the colour are flat and lack dynamic range. In the M2P images, the colours are vibrant, exhibit huge dynamic range and are pin sharp as a tack. I own a Sony RX10 IV camera which has the sharpest (Zeiss) lens I've ever owner, including a heap of very expensive Zeiss and Sony lenses, and this Hasselblad lens is equally as sharp and precise. Like you, I was very concerned about the sharpness issue, but I challenge anyone to pick fault and see softness in my M2P images here. Mine was a more recent purchase (about a month ago) so whether DJI improved things from the first lot of M2Ps they produced, I'm not sure. But my recommendation would be to wholeheartedly step up. It's a cracker camera on this new drone!

Those observations are broadly in line with my own. And I agree with your comments on the RX10 - that is a quite remarkable camera in good light.

PC1134 · Dec 15, 2018

And here's the thing: I've used all the varying Picture Profiles on my Sony and with SLog2 you have to expose to the right (2 stops over-exposure) and it's tricky to properly colour grade, whereas DLogM with the M2P you expose normally and it colour grades very easily. However, the biggest difference is the dynamic range and colour gamut on the M2P. It blows the Sony out of the water. To the point, in an upcoming holiday trip to the Northern Territory (Australia), I've bought a handle which converts my M2P from an aerial camera, to a handheld one, for when I'm just walking around. Might look a bit odd, but no more than if I used a Ronin or similar gimbal with my Sony attached, plus I get videos that are in a different class again, albeit with no audio of course.

photoghafri · Dec 15, 2018

if you are a photographer , the difference is huge .
M2 pro is a remarkable drone.

i had both .

PC1134 · Dec 15, 2018

I am no pro, but a keen amateur photographer, and only now just getting into videography - using Davinci Resolve Studio for editing/colour grading. I must admit the files are Ginormous! Did a DlogM video (H265) which ran for a minute and the native file was 1.04GB! Compared to 20MB with a RAW still image, that is huge.

But as far as stills, the M2P is mind blowing. The clarity, colour depth and pretty much everything about it is amazing. The only thing I'm finding is I'm needing to tone down white balance and the saturation levels slightly. I should do this in camera, but haven't got to that as yet. The colours do tend to be over-saturated, but that's simple to correct in post.

ken.T · Dec 15, 2018

Thanks, I’ll have a look on my computer

ken.T · Dec 15, 2018

photoghafri said:
if you are a photographer , the difference is huge .
M2 pro is a remarkable drone.

i had both .

Yes I am, fount the MP only worked well with good light, dynamic range wasn’t great. Do you shoot any video, because this will be important too?

PC1134 · Dec 15, 2018

Yeah I have shot in 4K H265 DlogM and colour graded it in Davinci Resolve but the files are huge. I can upload a rezzed down version later for you to view, however same level of detail at 4K HQ setting as for RAW photos. It's a beast!

ken.T · Dec 16, 2018

sar104 said:
It's much better than the MP, but it has the same sensor as the P4P so the differences there are more subtle, especially with video. Is portability a consideration?

Not so much, if I go down the P4P route I’d probably keep the MP, image quality is the main thing, if I saw that the MP2 was close to the P4P then it would be more of a selling point, I think the P4p would be more stable in less ideal conditions

Meta4 · Dec 16, 2018

ken.T said:
Hello, I currently have an MP, and have an itchy finger over the buy button for an MP2, but the reviews are not selling it to me....is the new Hasselblad sensor a significant unpgrade over an MP or is Phantom 4 pro the place to go for better resolution?

You'd have to look exceptionally closely to find the differences in image quality between the P4 pro and M2 pro.
Try this review for size: Drone diaries: the 2018 DJI Mavic 2 Pro review

ken.T said:
image quality is the main thing, if I saw that the MP2 was close to the P4P then it would be more of a selling point, I think the P4p would be more stable in less ideal conditions

Despite the common suggestion to the contrary, both are quite stable in the wind.
Less surface area = less for the wind to push around.