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RAW photo issues with Mavic 2 Pro

moabdds

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I just started taking photos with my Mavic 2 Pro. On the first day, the settings were for jpg and everything worked fine. The image resolution was 5472x3648 pixels. Today, I changed the camera format to RAW, and when I tried to find the RAW files in the Internal Memory, it only showed jpg screen shots for the RAW files I shot. No actual RAW files. The resolution on these images was also only 960x640 pixels. I copied all these files to an SD card in the Smart Controller and downloaded to the computer. No RAW files. If I go through the File Manager, no RAW files show up, only the jpeg screenshots. But, if I click on the Replay button on the lower right corner of the flight screen, then I get a screen showing all the pictures by date. It shows all RAW files, with a RAW tag on each picture, but does not show the resolution. I am also unable to download these files. When I try, I get a message saying only jpegs and h.264 movies are downloadable. I tried plugging in the drone and downloading via cable to the computer, but no RAW files showed. Are these RAW files full resolution, or for some reason, did it down-res to 960x640? How do I get them off the Internal Memory? Also, why did the first day's jpgs show up at full 5472x3648 resolution, but all the RAWs (or at least the screen shots of the RAWs) are 960x640.

Does anyone know what is going on? I'm obviously doing something wrong, but can't figure out what! Help!

Also, is it better to have an SD card in the drone or in the Smart Controller to write the RAW files directly instead of to the internal memory? Or in both drone and controller?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
The 960 x 640 images are JPEG previews embedded in the RAW image files. The RAW files are full resolution, but you can't view them unless you have photo software that is able to import and read them. They will be around 40 MB in size, and have the .DNG file extension.

The images will be written either to the internal memory on the aircraft or the SD card on the aircraft, depending on which you select. Since the SD card can be much larger than the internal memory, that is the usual choice.
 
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Thanks, sar104,

I use Adobe Lightroom for all my professional photography, so I could read the files if I could get them to download. The issue here is that there doesn't appear to be any way to download them from the internal memory. They won't copy to an SD card from the internal memory - only jpegs will so far - and when I tried to download them, I got the message saying only jpegs and H.264 movies are downloadable.

Not recording them to an SD card to start with looks like the fatal error. It's beginning to look like any RAW files not originally written to the SD card are lost forever, like Charlie on the MTA. Any ideas on how to work around this?

I am a very experienced professional photographer, but a rank amateur newbie at drone photography, so your experience is greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
 
Thanks, sar104,

I use Adobe Lightroom for all my professional photography, so I could read the files if I could get them to download. The issue here is that there doesn't appear to be any way to download them from the internal memory. They won't copy to an SD card from the internal memory - only jpegs will so far - and when I tried to download them, I got the message saying only jpegs and H.264 movies are downloadable.

Not recording them to an SD card to start with looks like the fatal error. It's beginning to look like any RAW files not originally written to the SD card are lost forever, like Charlie on the MTA. Any ideas on how to work around this?

I am a very experienced professional photographer, but a rank amateur newbie at drone photography, so your experience is greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
When you look at the files in finder or explorer are there raw files there?
 
Thanks, sar104,

I use Adobe Lightroom for all my professional photography, so I could read the files if I could get them to download. The issue here is that there doesn't appear to be any way to download them from the internal memory. They won't copy to an SD card from the internal memory - only jpegs will so far - and when I tried to download them, I got the message saying only jpegs and H.264 movies are downloadable.

Not recording them to an SD card to start with looks like the fatal error. It's beginning to look like any RAW files not originally written to the SD card are lost forever, like Charlie on the MTA. Any ideas on how to work around this?

I am a very experienced professional photographer, but a rank amateur newbie at drone photography, so your experience is greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
The only difference between the aircraft internal memory and the aircraft SD card is the storage size. I've recorded RAW images to the internal storage and then downloaded via USB with no problem.

So you can see them on the aircraft internal storage (~ 40 MB .DNG files), but you are getting a message that they are not downloadable? This is using a Windows machine?
 
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They won't copy to an SD card from the internal memory - only jpegs will so far - and when I tried to download them, I got the message saying only jpegs and H.264 movies are downloadable.
You're trying to use the app, don't use the app. Connect the drone via USB to a PC, it'll appear like an external drive like a standard camera and you can copy anything you want from there.
 
The only difference between the aircraft internal memory and the aircraft SD card is the storage size. I've recorded RAW images to the internal storage and then downloaded via USB with no problem.

So you can see them on the aircraft internal storage (~ 40 MB .DNG files), but you are getting a message that they are not downloadable? This is using a Windows machine?
No, an iMac.
 
Thanks, sar104,

I use Adobe Lightroom for all my professional photography, so I could read the files if I could get them to download. The issue here is that there doesn't appear to be any way to download them from the internal memory. They won't copy to an SD card from the internal memory - only jpegs will so far - and when I tried to download them, I got the message saying only jpegs and H.264 movies are downloadable.

Not recording them to an SD card to start with looks like the fatal error. It's beginning to look like any RAW files not originally written to the SD card are lost forever, like Charlie on the MTA. Any ideas on how to work around this?

I am a very experienced professional photographer, but a rank amateur newbie at drone photography, so your experience is greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
How do you download the RAW files from your normal camera? I bet you either plug the camera into your computer, or use a card reader to do it from the Compact Flash or XQD card... your drone is a flying, compact camera, just treat it the same as you would a handheld camera and download the image files direct to your computer. If you have selected the internal memory as the primary storage then you will need to use a cable and connect the drone to your computer because that storage is not removable. If you go into the settings menu you can select 'SD CARD' at the bottom of the menu as the primary storage - get yourself a couple of 64GB cards to fit. I suggest 2x 64GB rather than 1x 128GB because if you get a corruption you lose the lot with one big one.... always format the card (camera and drone) between shoots, once you know your images are downloaded safely and backed up. It is extremely bad practice to merely 'delete' the files on the card and then shoot over the top. In effect you are overwriting the files you had on there and sooner or later you will get a corrupted card. Always format before shooting, that way you are starting with a clean card.
 
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Thanks for the input. I do use a card reader. I took these pictures on one of my first flights and did not have a memory card in the Mavic, so it was using internal memory only. I plugged the Mavic into the computer and got the message that only jpeg images could be downloaded. Additionally, even though I had set the system to record RAW files, it recorded the ones in question additionally as jpeg thumbnails at 960x640 pixels! Those downloaded, but at that resolution, are worthless. I could not figure out a way to get the full-res RAW files off the drone memory. Anyway, I finally just reformatted the internal memory and wrote those images off, unfortunately. I now have the drone set to record to the SD card and download it after every session, just like I do with my regular cameras. I do know the trick about not deleting images on the card since it can cause unpleasant things to happen sometimes. I always reformat the card after downloading.

This brings up another question. Since my Smart Controller also has a micro SD slot, what gets recorded there? Does it by chance record the same data that's being recorded to the SD card in the Mavic? I would love that. I record to two cards simultaneously in my regular cameras so I have an in-camera back-up in case a card crashes. I had that happen to me once on a camera that did not have that capability, and even the card manufacturer was unable to retrieve anything off the card. So, they replaced it, but could not replace the images taken in Costa Rica that could never be repeated. So now I 'wear a belt and suspenders', as it were, but hopefully will not lose irreplaceable images due to a card failure again.
 
I plugged the Mavic into the computer and got the message that only jpeg images could be downloaded.
That makes no sense since the internal memory is just a storage drive, there is no message it can give.
You likely saw that message on the app, saying you can only download JPGs to the phone, nothing to do with the computer.

Additionally, even though I had set the system to record RAW files, it recorded the ones in question additionally as jpeg thumbnails at 960x640 pixels! Those downloaded, but at that resolution, are worthless.
Those ARE your RAW files, just you need to load them into a RAW processing program to see the full image, if you load them in a viewer that doesn't deal with RAW you'll just get the embedded preview that's in that same file. Look at the file extension, they'll be .dng.

Does it by chance record the same data that's being recorded to the SD card in the Mavic?
No, it can record the live view footage you see on your screen, which is way lower quality than what's on the aircraft's card.
 
Thanks for the input. I do use a card reader. I took these pictures on one of my first flights and did not have a memory card in the Mavic, so it was using internal memory only. I plugged the Mavic into the computer and got the message that only jpeg images could be downloaded. Additionally, even though I had set the system to record RAW files, it recorded the ones in question additionally as jpeg thumbnails at 960x640 pixels! Those downloaded, but at that resolution, are worthless. I could not figure out a way to get the full-res RAW files off the drone memory. Anyway, I finally just reformatted the internal memory and wrote those images off, unfortunately. I now have the drone set to record to the SD card and download it after every session, just like I do with my regular cameras. I do know the trick about not deleting images on the card since it can cause unpleasant things to happen sometimes. I always reformat the card after downloading.

This brings up another question. Since my Smart Controller also has a micro SD slot, what gets recorded there? Does it by chance record the same data that's being recorded to the SD card in the Mavic? I would love that. I record to two cards simultaneously in my regular cameras so I have an in-camera back-up in case a card crashes. I had that happen to me once on a camera that did not have that capability, and even the card manufacturer was unable to retrieve anything off the card. So, they replaced it, but could not replace the images taken in Costa Rica that could never be repeated. So now I 'wear a belt and suspenders', as it were, but hopefully will not lose irreplaceable images due to a card failure again.
I hope you still have them on the memory. Sorry I for delay I have been away.

Step 1: Plug the drone back in, then in your menu on the computer search for the 'drive' that it comes up as. Just open all the files on the drone memory, click one, then cnt A - highlights all of them. The whole list will turn blue. Leave alone.

Step 2: Go to your computer menu again, open your picture folder you want to download the files into (I call mine DRONE TRANSFER). If you don't have one, make a new folder!

Step 3: Go back to your highlighted list and either click Cntr C (for copy) then click in your DRONE TRANSFER folder, anywhere on the page, and cntr V (for paste) or drag and drop to your DRONE TRANSFER folder.

Step 4: Watch as the bar graph shows you the progress of the download/transfer in action.

Step 5: Click your DRONE TRANSFER folder and check the files have come across happily. There should be no reason they haven't.

Step 6: Get your backup drive plugged in (you will probably have a fancy wireless one) open your folder for this job that you have created to drop the RAW files into. Hit cnt V again and it pastes the same files onto the second, backup drive folder. This is why I prefer the copy and paste option rather than the lazy drag and drop.

You now have your pictures, in RAW format, on both your computer to work with, and backed up to your seperate hard drive. My opinion of The Cloud is well documented.... I think if you use the cloud alone you have been suckered. You DO NOT have sole control over your pictures. You have delegated them to some third party and entrusted them with them.... worked well for Photobucket and a host of other type of places users.... they got held to ransom. If you use a decent plug in hard drive, only YOU have your backup. You can use the cloud for convenience, but don't rely on it for archiving.
 
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