Slow Shutter / Hyperlapse - Exposure Advice

[UVStudio]

Ok, so I did my first hyperlapse tonight. Because I'm on the Android I had to use Shutter Priority to slow my shutter down and AE lock it to get slow shutter speed. I was satisfied with the brightness I was seeing on my phone so I went ahead and did my hyperlapses. When I got home to review the DNG files, everything was underexposed:

View attachment HYPERLAPSE_0200.jpg

I can't prove it as I didn't record my screen, but believe me it was a lot brighter than this. What I saw was not what I was getting. I'm not an experienced slow-shutter night photographer, so I trusted what I was seeing on my monitor was what I was recording. Even though these are in RAW so Lightroom / Photoshop can do something about them, I can't help but feel that a hard night's work under a rare no wind condition has gone wasted.

So did the app brighten the monitor to compensate? If it did (it probably did), is there a way to turn it off?

Thanks.

 

[Mr. Salty]

Why did you have to use shutter priority and AE lock just because you were using "the Android"?

 

[UVStudio]

Why did you have to use shutter priority and AE lock just because you were using "the Android"?

The last firmware update stopped allowing you to set your shutter to anything slower than 1/30 in Waypoint Hyperlapse mode from the manual. We are supposed to get around that by re-routing shutter control to the 5D button but it just doesn't work on the Android. I believe there is a thread on this problem either on this forum or on the DJI forum, I don't remember where.

Anyhow, the issue is what I see is not what I get. The monitor was compensating one way or another and I need that to stop.

 

[SteveCA]

The hazards of updating firmware rears it’s ugly head. my buddy and I discovered this problem a week ago and I posted it on the DJI Facebook forums. I don’t update my firmware until all bugs are fixed because of this type of issue.The response on the DJI Facebook page what is to use the 5D button to adjust shutter speed when using way point Circle or course lock hyper lapse. Oddly this issue does not happen in free mode. we use iPhones so we don’t know what actually happens when using an android phone to fly. But I would be surprised if your screen was much brighter while shooting. Try these manual settings next time. ISO 400, 1/2 second, F2.8. You can also turn on your histogram to see what the exposures look like.

 

[UVStudio]

The hazards of updating firmware rears it’s ugly head. my buddy and I discovered this problem a week ago and I posted it on the DJI Facebook forums. I don’t update my firmware until all bugs are fixed because of this type of issue.The response on the DJI Facebook page what is to use the 5D button to adjust shutter speed when using way point Circle or course lock hyper lapse. Oddly this issue does not happen in free mode. we use iPhones so we don’t know what actually happens when using an android phone to fly. But I would be surprised if your screen was much brighter while shooting. Try these manual settings next time. ISO 400, 1/2 second, F2.8. You can also turn on your histogram to see what the exposures look like.

Hey I have an idea.

I can get my hands on a dumb iPhone (with no internet or cell service), connect that to the RC to fly the drone. Then, turn on bluetooth on my Android and get my iPhone to connect to the internet from my Android. I know you don't need your RC connected phone to have internet to fly the drone, but this way you retain full features, such as the map. AND you have a spare phone incase you have to google something on the fly haha!

btw I managed to get the exposure on my timelapse up without making it too noisy.

 

[SteveCA]

Hey I have an idea.

I can get my hands on a dumb iPhone (with no internet or cell service), connect that to the RC to fly the drone. Then, turn on bluetooth on my Android and get my iPhone to connect to the internet from my Android. I know you don't need your RC connected phone to have internet to fly the drone, but this way you retain full features, such as the map. AND you have a spare phone incase you have to google something on the fly haha!

btw I managed to get the exposure on my timelapse up without making it too noisy.

you can probably bump up the exposure a tad by going to ISO 400 without adding too much noise

 

[UVStudio]

you can probably bump up the exposure a tad by going to ISO 400 without adding too much noise

Yeah I intend to do that yes - or even higher to 500-640

 

[SteveCA]

Yeah I intend to do that yes - or even higher to 500-640

try going to a 1 second exposure at F2.8 and Iso 400 first. The noise starts to kick in a bit above 400 ISO.

 

[UVStudio]

try going to a 1 second exposure at F2.8 and Iso 400 first. The noise starts to kick in a bit above 400 ISO.

Good stuff. I'll wait for a night with calmer wind. Thanks.