Why is my RAW image grainy?

[James_3183]

Hi all,
I’m new to the scene here and have just started shooting in RAW for post.
However, when I have brought them onto my iPad, the images are really grainy, as you can see attached.
As far as I’m aware, the ISO was at 100 and I did not have any filter on the lens.
I am unable to see how to view my camera settings that were used on the image within LIGHTROOM on the iPad, is anybody able to confirm the camera settings on the above image please?

Any ideas as to why the image is grainy? (Mavic 2 Pro)
Best Regards

 

[boblui]

can you post the raw file ?

 

[James_3183]

can you post the raw file ?

Hi,
I am doing this via my iPad, I have attached the image as above but wouldn’t be able to attach the file I don’t think?
I downloaded the image straight from DJI 4 straight to my iPad, where I have just uploaded it. If that helps? Sorry!

 

[lannes]

Unfortunately there is no exif on the jpg file.
The exposure seems very dark, was that the lighting conditions it was shot in ?
Obviously in low light conditions there is more grain as the sensor struggles to resolve the scene.

 

[slup]

Hi,
I am doing this via my iPad, I have attached the image as above but wouldn’t be able to attach the file I don’t think?
I downloaded the image straight from DJI 4 straight to my iPad, where I have just uploaded it. If that helps? Sorry!

First ... you can't "download" a RAW file (ending with .DNG) through DJI GO4 ... only .JPG is possible to transfer through the app.

Secondly ... the pic you've attached is a .JPG, 272kb big in 960x640 format, a proper .DNG will be 15-30 Mb. So this is probably only a preview thumbnail or a cache file.

You need to pull the SD from the Mavic put it in a card reader (OTG cable with a small micro SD card reader into your iPad) & transfer the .DNG file and open that in Lightroom.

 

[boblui]

I downloaded the image straight from DJI 4 straight to my iPad, where I have just uploaded it.

That's just the thumbnail, not the original picture. Suggest you to download the JPG file and examine the EXIF. I bet the ISO is not 100 but higher.

 

[Meta4]

Any ideas as to why the image is grainy? (Mavic 2 Pro)

The image is grainy because it's a tiny 61K thumbnail jpg image that's included inside the much bigger dng file as a preview image.
You need specialised software to view and manipulate dng files.
If your software doesn't work with dng files, it's just going to show you the preview image.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

What everyone else said.

Plus, even if you were to get your DNG to you iPad, you may still only be viewing the preview from a default iOS image browser. Even DJI Go 4 will only show you the preview image on the iPad. I learned I can never trust viewing the image in DJI GO 4.

You would need to load the DNG into an iPad app that knows the DNG format, such as Lightroom / Photoshop Mobile.

Chris

 

[James_3183]

Unfortunately there is no exif on the jpg file.
The exposure seems very dark, was that the lighting conditions it was shot in ?
Obviously in low light conditions there is more grain as the sensor struggles to resolve the scene.

Hi, the the lighting wasn’t that dark, on some of the lighter shots that I took the grain is still there.

 

[James_3183]

That's just the thumbnail, not the original picture. Suggest you to download the JPG file and examine the EXIF. I bet the ISO is not 100 but higher.

Hi,
Do I need a laptop to be able to do this or is this possible on the iPad? The ISO was 100% at 100. I have been out this morning to do it again to be absolutely certain. The pictures were took just after sunrise with perfect lighting and ISO at 100

 

[James_3183]

What everyone else said.

Plus, even if you were to get your DNG to you iPad, you may still only be viewing the preview from a default iOS image browser. Even DJI Go 4 will only show you the preview image on the iPad. I learned I can never trust viewing the image in DJI GO 4.

You would need to load the DNG into an iPad app that knows the DNG format, such as Lightroom / Photoshop Mobile.

Chris

Hi Chris,
I have been downloading the images from DJI 4 and then opening them into Lightroom On the iPad, however the image still looks grainy.
I don’t have an SD card in the drone as of yet so I’m just using the drones storage. Could this be why?

 

[slup]

Hi, the the lighting wasn’t that dark, on some of the lighter shots that I took the grain is still there.

It's useless to discuss the exposure values out from a thumbnail or a cache pic ... you need to work with the real .DNG file, nothing else.

Hi Chris,
I have been downloading the images from DJI 4 and then opening them into Lightroom On the iPad, however the image still looks grainy.
I don’t have an SD card in the drone as of yet so I’m just using the drones storage. Could this be why?

You have all answers on how to proceed in Post #5 ... you need to get hold of the proper .DNG file either it is on a SD card or in the internal memory in the drone. After that either transfer the .DNG file to your iPad or your computer & open it in for instance Lightroom.

Then you also need to understand that a .JPG file coming out from your drone camera is already processed from the RAW sensor inputs & then converted to .JPG by the drone camera software ... & that includes noise cleaning. So if you by yourself starts out from the RAW .DNG you yourself will need to dampen the noise to your liking in the RAW converter (ie. Lightroom).

 

[boblui]

Hi,
Do I need a laptop to be able to do this or is this possible on the iPad? The ISO was 100% at 100. I have been out this morning to do it again to be absolutely certain. The pictures were took just after sunrise with perfect lighting and ISO at 100

You do not need a laptop. Just use the download picture function of the GO APP. download the JPG, not DNG.

 

[Meta4]

Hi Chris,
I have been downloading the images from DJI 4 and then opening them into Lightroom On the iPad, however the image still looks grainy.

The reason your image is grainy is because it's only 960 x 640.
If you enlarge a tiny image, it's going to look very rough.
The actual raw images from the Mavic 2 pro are 5472×3648.
Until you are looking at the actual dng images instead of tiny thumbnail images, you are wasting your time trying to analyse the image.

 

[James_3183]

It's useless to discuss the exposure values out from a thumbnail or a cache pic ... you need to work with the real .DNG file, nothing else.


You have all answers on how to proceed in Post #5 ... you need to get hold of the proper .DNG file either it is on a SD card or in the internal memory in the drone. After that either transfer the .DNG file to your iPad or your computer & open it in for instance Lightroom.

Then you also need to understand that a .JPG file coming out from your drone camera is already processed from the RAW sensor inputs & then converted to .JPG by the drone camera software ... & that includes noise cleaning. So if you by yourself starts out from the RAW .DNG you yourself will need to dampen the noise to your liking in the RAW converter (ie. Lightroom).

Thanks for your help, it’s really appreciated.
I’m understanding what you are saying however, I’m unsure as to how to get the proper DNG file from the DJI GO 4 app and open this into lightroom
This is how I’ve been opening my images..
DJI GO 4 - Photos - tap the image - download HD - Save to camera roll (iPad) - open Lightroom - add photo - from camera roll. There the image is grainy.

 

[James_3183]

Thanks for your help guys, this is how I have been getting my images.
DJI GO 4 - Photos - tap the image - download HD - Save to camera roll (iPad) - open Lightroom - add photo - from camera roll. There the image is grainy.

I’m wanting RAW(DNG) images as I’m wanting to do some post editing within Lightroom however I am struggling to get my DNG RAW images into Lightroom without looking terribly grainy.
Currently I’m using the internal storage within the drone and have formatted the internal storage prior to deploying.
I have an SD card on order, however I would again only be downloading the images through the app as the SD wont fit into the iPad.

Is anybody able to explain how to get the original DNG file into Lightroom correctly?

 

[James_3183]

The reason your image is grainy is because it's only 960 x 640.
If you enlarge a tiny image, it's going to look very rough.
The actual raw images from the Mavic 2 pro are 5472×3648.
Until you are looking at the actual dng images instead of tiny thumbnail images, you are wasting your time trying to analyse the image.

Thank you for the reply however, my question is, how do I do this correctly then and open the image as I should, within Lightroom?

 

[boblui]

..., this is how I have been getting my images.
DJI GO 4 - Photos - tap the image - download HD - Save to camera roll (iPad) - open Lightroom - add photo - from camera roll. There the image is grainy.

The use of Camera Roll is why you cant get the DNG file. I am not 100% ( although 99% ) sure but Camera Roll can store non-raw files only ( e.g. JPG ). This is how to get the DNG file into Lightroom on ipad :

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[Meta4]

Thank you for the reply however, my question is, how do I do this correctly then and open the image as I should, within Lightroom?

It sounds like raw image files are something new to you.
Do you really need to use a raw image file or are you just curious?
Forums tend to convey the idea that you must use raw image files to get good results.
Although you hear it a lot, it's not really true.
You can get very good results with jpg images too.
Much better than many people believe.

 

[James_3183]

It sounds like raw image files are something new to you.
Do you really need to use a raw image file or are you just curious?
Forums tend to convey the idea that you must use raw image files to get good results.
Although you hear it a lot, it's not really true.
You can get very good results with jpg images too.
Much better than manypeople believe.

Hi, yes I am very new to this. Ive been doing lots of research, which has mostly said you need to shoot RAW images in order to get better results in Lightroom. I can fly the drone just fine, I’m just trying to get into the editing side of this now.