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Night Footage is BAD!!!

bkushner

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Wow, just did a little night flight to confirm what I've been hearing. The Air 2S looks bad at night. It's worst then the M2P which was worse then the P4P V2. So all this time later the Phantom 4 Pro still has better night video then anything in the Mavic line. Wondering if and when the 3 Pro comes there will be much improvement. I'd like to retire the P4P but can't so far.
 
Aren't night shots pretty subjective? It always seems to me that atmospheric conditions really come into play at night. Temp/dewpoint spread is generally closer.
 
That's the problem with the fixed aperture!
The ISO needs to blow up and this causes a lot of noise in the picture. Also the drone will not be a stable enough platform for long exposures.

The camera just needs sufficient light to work properly.
Besides night flights is a No-No we're I'm from.

Check out the Topaz software for Denoise and Sharpen: good results.

Success

Ruud
 
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Were you flying in Auto or manual? Makes a huge difference when in manual and adjusting as much as possible to get decent pics / video. In video, don't even think about using zoom - it will grain out really bad.

I've flown past sunset with my Air2 and gotten pretty decent pics and video when there is enough light from other objects.
 
Wow, just did a little night flight to confirm what I've been hearing. The Air 2S looks like crap at night. It's worst then the M2P which was worse then the P4P V2. So all this time later the Phantom 4 Pro still has better night video then anything in the Mavic line. Wondering if and when the 3 Pro comes there will be much improvement. I'd like to retire the P4P but can't so far.

Would love to see some comparisons you may have.

I haven't seen a P4P comparison, but Potato Jet on YT had a decent A2S/MP2 comparison and it came down to preference more so than one being better or worse. In his comparison, the MP2 had more noise in favor of shadow detail straight from the camera. Both sensors have the same pixel pitch, so it's hard to imagine the MP2 being dramatically different than the A2S after editing.
 
i have watched some great night footage from the Air 2 s ,have a dig on youtube ,maybe you have an issue.
i have not had chance to test any myself.
 
here are a couple of side by sides,,,,the air 2 s is way better.very clean at iso 3200 compared to the old air 2.


 
I'm not an a/b type, I simply know what looks best for me. No mavic can touch the P4P V2 for night footage. Would love to see a comparison.
 
I'm not an a/b type, I simply know what looks best for me. No mavic can touch the P4P V2 for night footage. Would love to see a comparison.
i would get another P4P v2 then if its that good....the Air2 looks good enough for me ,looks very very similar to m8s M2p. ;)
 
That's the problem with the fixed aperture!
The ISO needs to blow up and this causes a lot of noise in the picture. Also the drone will not be a stable enough platform for long exposures.

The camera just needs sufficient light to work properly.
Besides night flights is a No-No we're I'm from.

Check out the Topaz software for Denoise and Sharpen: good results.

Success

Ruud
I am not sure how the fixed aperture on the A2S is a negative, as it is F2.8 which is as wide open as the M2P goes, i.e. f2.8 -f11. A night shot will usually prefer to use the widest aperture over cranking up the ISO as compensation, so there is no real advantage of the M2P over the A2S in this regard. Tell me how the fixed aperture is a problem, as I don't see it
 
I am not sure how the fixed aperture on the A2S is a negative, as it is F2.8 which is as wide open as the M2P goes, i.e. f2.8 -f11. A night shot will usually prefer to use the widest aperture over cranking up the ISO as compensation, so there is no real advantage of the M2P over the A2S in this regard. Tell me how the fixed aperture is a problem, as I don't see it
All i can say from my first flights compared to my air 2 its head and shoulders above ,most footage my buddy and i compared from his m2p its better as well ,its good enough for me that's for sure ,no matter what make of model some people never are happy with the end product ,if the op has bad night video maybe its a faulty because what i have seen its very good for a 43mph flying camera..
 
Are you shooting in Auto or Manual. I do lots of DSLR photography especially night shots. Many people I know just use Auto without bothering to learn the nuances of settings then complain when their photos look bad.
 
I am not sure how the fixed aperture on the A2S is a negative, as it is F2.8 which is as wide open as the M2P goes, i.e. f2.8 -f11. A night shot will usually prefer to use the widest aperture over cranking up the ISO as compensation, so there is no real advantage of the M2P over the A2S in this regard. Tell me how the fixed aperture is a problem, as I don't see it
The fixed aperture at 2.8 results in a very shallow depth of field so a large area is out of focus causing much noise. Being able to close the aperture makes a larger part of the scene in focus and therefore less soft.
 
Wow, just did a little night flight to confirm what I've been hearing. The Air 2S looks like crap at night. It's worst then the M2P which was worse then the P4P V2. So all this time later the Phantom 4 Pro still has better night video then anything in the Mavic line. Wondering if and when the 3 Pro comes there will be much improvement. I'd like to retire the P4P but can't so far.

Do me a favor and post the night footage you took, so I can try to duplicate the conditions with the Phantom 4 Pro.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your AIR 2/S in the Rain.
 
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The fixed aperture at 2.8 results in a very shallow depth of field so a large area is out of focus causing much noise. Being able to close the aperture makes a larger part of the scene in focus and therefore less soft.

No, not with a drone camera (or any aerial-based camera) with a small sensor and at height. As the camera is angled downwards the plane of focus moves with it. It’s very different to being planted on the ground.
 
The fixed aperture at 2.8 results in a very shallow depth of field so a large area is out of focus causing much noise. Being able to close the aperture makes a larger part of the scene in focus and therefore less soft.

I get what you're saying and I see this on DSLR cameras all the time, but do you have examples of this on a DJI drone with a 1 inch sensor? I'd love to see an example. With a 1in sensor and a 28mm eq lens at F2.8 while at the hyperfocal focus setting, the DOF is 40' to infinity. I just have a hard time believing it's really that much of an issue on a drone.
 
Wow, just did a little night flight to confirm what I've been hearing. The Air 2S looks like crap at night. It's worst then the M2P which was worse then the P4P V2. So all this time later the Phantom 4 Pro still has better night video then anything in the Mavic line. Wondering if and when the 3 Pro comes there will be much improvement. I'd like to retire the P4P but can't so far.
It's really bright and clear in picture mode though. In video mode, It darkens the image significantly. However I use 1500 lumen spot lights, so it doesn't matter to me. I use one on the Air2S. It decreases my flight time by 10% due to it's weight. but its worth it. The light gives a good broad output up to 200ft.
 
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Where can I look at this light
I went through about 10 pocket flashlights. The best one I found with the brightest sustained beam is the Klarus G15. Its rated for 4000 lumens in turbo mode, but goes to a sustained level of 1500 lumens when fully charged. Its 5 oz with its battery. I use heavy duty Velcro, i picked up at Lowes and glued it to the flashlight, then I stuck another velcro piece to the side body of the drone using its normal adhesive backing. The flash light needs the glue because the metal is to slick. I can see the ground super clear at 100 ft and adequately at 200ft. You can get one on Amazon for 89 dollars usa.
 
Well I took the advice offered here and did a test between the Air 2S and P4P V2. Now mind you I'm no youtube video expert so this is a simple comparison. I have to say the AIR 2S is MUCH better then I expected. I think its almost too close to call in some areas. I do think the P4P is a little sharper especially in reading signs on the buildings. This could also be due to the difference in applications as well.
 
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