Disappointing Mavic image quality

[Morgon]

'not the brightest tech guy'

5 million more youtube subs than you. I think he'll be okay.

Oh, so sorry, Casey. He didn't mean to upset you...

One can point out a fault in a person without it being a comment on someone's overall character. @Noble 1 is absolutely right. There are highlight reels of him being extremely careless with his toys.. possibly, because as you've pointed out, his high number of subscribers allows him to just buy another one without a second thought. Plus the whole Mavic debacle.

Personally, I don't think his followups were sufficient enough for how wide the resulting misinformation spread. But whatever, I think we've given him enough press on the forum. It's old news. Let's talk about something else.

 

[iker42]

possibly, because as you've pointed out, his high number of subscribers allows him to just buy another one without a second thought.

That's not what I said. I said he uses drones/cameras/boosted boards ect as TOOLS in his filmmaking style. When a director destroys 200 cars for a movie, do we ask them why they didn't take better care of them? No. They (and Casey and a handful of other youtubers) understand that getting the shot is the ONLY thing that matters.

But none of this has anything to do with the fact that DJI not only didn't cover tap to focus at the release, but didn't tell any of the reviewers about it. Their lesson to be learned.

 

[Morgon]

That's not what I said. I said he uses drones/cameras/boosted boards ect as TOOLS in his filmmaking style. When a director destroys 200 cars for a movie, do we ask them why they didn't take better care of them? No. They (and Casey and a handful of other youtubers) understand that getting the shot is the ONLY thing that matters.

But none of this has anything to do with the fact that DJI not only didn't cover tap to focus at the release, but didn't tell any of the reviewers about it. Their lesson to be learned.

No argument about DJI providing documentation. They absolutely should have. However, I will point out that other folks had no problems understanding the focus, because they took the time to learn the Mavic-specific features of the Go app.

Your comparison to people intentionally destroying things for a specific reason is completely irrelevant. Knocking his P4 off the table is nowhere near the same thing, unless you're claiming he's doing it for clicks.

 

[iker42]

"I will point out that other folks had no problems understanding the focus"

umm, they did. Casey's video forced DJI to make a statement and being so close to the release, it caught on quickly. Every video not produced by DJI released the day after the release looked the same.

 

[Butterpuff 6]

No argument about DJI providing documentation. They absolutely should have. However, I will point out that other folks had no problems understanding the focus, because they took the time to learn the Mavic-specific features of the Go app.

Your comparison to people intentionally destroying things for a specific reason is completely irrelevant. Knocking his P4 off the table is nowhere near the same thing, unless you're claiming he's doing it for clicks.

You said "other folks had no problems understanding the focus." Who are these "other folks" besides people working for DJI. Can you link to anyone showing the proper use of the focus function before the problem was exposed by the many blurred videos? The folks at FlightTest, who are probably the most tech savvy group of people when it comes to UAVs, had the problem. DigitalRev had the problem. Who was doing it right before it was exposed as a problem?

 

[iker42]

You said "other folks had no problems understanding the focus." Who are these "other folks" besides people working for DJI. Can you link to anyone showing the proper use of the focus function before the problem was exposed by the many blurred videos? The folks at FlightTest, who are probably the most tech savvy group of people when it comes to UAVs, had the problem. DigitalRev had the problem. Who was doing it right before it was exposed as a problem?

It's easier to just throw out broad statements in order to make your point. Lol.
This is exactly what I was asking, had it not been made an issue by Casey (A video that drew the attention of EVERYONE in the drone community), I might not have bought mine thinking the sharpness was that bad.

 

[Morgon]

Can you link to anyone showing the proper use of the focus function before the problem was exposed by the many blurred videos?

Actually this turned out to be a little trickier than I expected - mostly because YouTube's search is terrible, and there are a ton of videos marked Mavic that clearly aren't.

So I don't know everyone who has pre-release units, but the videos I was going to post were from people (e.g. iPhonedo) who were at the DJI hands-on event where they learned about the focusing. Casey was at the unveiling, but not sure if he took part in the hands-on test.

Secondly, as I'm sure you know, shooting and editing video takes time. I can't prove that other folks, like Michael Shainblum or My First Drone, didn't film the video first and then learned about and addressed the misconceptions while editing.

So again, DJI should have certainly reminded people about the focus, but there were 4 people (your three examples, and I saw a channel called 'Modern Frontier' address the issue after having initial blurry footage) out of an admittedly-smaller-than-I-thought(-but-cant-confirm-anyway-because-people-are-dicks-and-mislabel-videos-for-clicks) number of total of people with pre-release units who didn't know about it.

 

[iker42]

Actually this turned out to be a little trickier than I expected - mostly because YouTube's search is terrible, and there are a ton of videos marked Mavic that clearly aren't.

So I don't know everyone who has pre-release units, but the videos I was going to post were from people (e.g. iPhonedo) who were at the DJI hands-on event where they learned about the focusing. Casey was at the unveiling, but not sure if he took part in the hands-on test.

Secondly, as I'm sure you know, shooting and editing video takes time. I can't prove that other folks, like Michael Shainblum or My First Drone, didn't film the video first and then learned about and addressed the misconceptions while editing.

So again, DJI should have certainly reminded people about the focus, but there were 4 people (your three examples, and I saw a channel called 'Modern Frontier' address the issue after having initial blurry footage) out of an admittedly-smaller-than-I-thought(-but-cant-confirm-anyway-because-people-are-dicks-and-mislabel-videos-for-clicks) number of total of people with pre-release units who didn't know about it.

It's actually not that hard but I'm not going to do the work for you. Search YouTube by date and you'll find the first few videos shot at the hands on (which 90% of the time the DJI rep sets everything up and you just fly it around on camera) look good, then the review videos and first flights (Like you said, Modern Frontier was the first in the wild flight) that are not too good. Posted the day before Casey's hands on and first blurry flight which prompted the side by side by side comparison ANDDDDDDD the DJI correction on how to focus. Modern Frontier then also follows up on it.

Less typing, more research next time.

 

[Morgon]

It's actually not that hard but I'm not going to do the work for you.

I did. It's clear you did not, because you would understand. Initial videos came between the 26th and 29th, there are many channels who I cannot confirm actually have review units, maybe you're just awesome than everyone else and have the complete list. I already stated four people who had the problem, a fact you don't seem to be disputing, so I don't get your point.

Less typing, more research next time.

In respect to others, I won't type out what I actually uttered when I read this, but suffice it to say I hope your day is just as pleasant as you are.

 

[Noble 1]

'not the brightest tech guy'

5 million more youtube subs than you. I think he'll be okay.

Thanks for the support.

If I was rich I'd buy you all Mavic so we could see for ourselves!

By the way not to bring up a sore topic but Casey lost his favorite drone the Mavic in the Hudson River today.

 

[Docjkm]

Hysterical.
This whole thread.
Evaluating a product before actual release, and paying any attention to technical merit from someone like Casey.
Really?

 

[iker42]

paying any attention to technical merit from someone like Casey.
Really?

You mean technical merit from someone who will probably use their equipment in more places, more times than (again) 90% of people who own the same equipment?? Yeah, I'd say he relates more to the layman than anyone on this forum. A target market that DJI is specifically reaching out to with the Mavic (and the phantom line to an extent). I think they know EXACTLY what they're doing and I thin Casey's technical merit far outweighs yours, my own and everyone on here... Combined.

 

[DefaultIT]

...not mine.

 

[cbgeorge]

I think DJI will make a upgrade to the firmware to improve the quality of the images, to me it really did not look all that bad, but some people are much better at picking out video and pic flaws!
I am going to wait a while before abandoning my P3P bird for the Mavic, give a chance for them to work out the bugs!

 

[Morgon]

I think DJI will make a upgrade to the firmware to improve the quality of the images

The problem is two-fold. First is the focus issue, which has been covered extensively. The second one is that the Phantom line has always been oversharp. While many people like this, many of the guides and other suggestions on how to get the best, most natural image quality have always suggested pulling the sharpness down a notch or two.

As iPhonedo's comparison video pointed out, you can just increase the sharpness in the camera settings to get a similar look.

 

[pierce]

In the last days the myth of mavic bad cam seems that is past!
It's all over now and there are some testers saying it's best then Phantom 4 cam.
I believe this "feeling" will increase in the next days, as more tests are beeing made.
It was hard to believe that DJI put an inferior camera in a superior product.

 

[pierce]

Many things are beeing said about Mavic beeing a phantom killer.
Never, in a life time!
Phantom is a sucessfull branding name that DJI creats. It's value is huge!
Wait to see the new Phantom 5 with the features of mavic and more!
About phantom 4 beeing best than Mavic... lets forget it!

 

[Teejay41]

Mike, "Center Auto Focus" - wow, I missed that one! Now that sounds EXACTLY like what I was asking for like for ages...! So that would mean the Mavic indeed has a continuous autofocus mode? And whatever comes into the center of the frame becomes sharp in the image, without me tapping on the screen like crazy?

/// Tom

No, not continuous autofocus... I don't believe the Mavic has that. I think centre focus implies 'hyperfocal distance' - a point which will ensure sharp focus from infinity back to a point close to the camera. Focusing on infinity is wasteful, for there is a range of sharpness beyond the focused point and we can't get further away than infinity. Focusing somewhat closer such that the lens's depth of field extends to infinity is the optimum focus point (the hyperfocal distance) for it extends the depth of field's focused zone closer to the camera. I am sure this is what is meant by 'centre auto focus'.
Tony.

 

[John Lo]

For the focusing issue, I am so worried that the focus hunting will occur at night time cause I do not see any PDAF OR LASER focus assist has implied to the Mavic.

 

[Mimoid]

For the focusing issue, I am so worried that the focus hunting will occur at night time cause I do not see any PDAF OR LASER focus assist has implied to the Mavic.

Nah, after having seen more than a dozen video clips online, I think by now it is safe to assume that there is no continuous autofocus in the Mavic. Tapping the screen to set the focus is just like pressing the shutter button halfway in a DSLR camera - you set the focus to whatever is in the viewfinder and then lock it there, so you can recompose the image without altering the focus. I think it will work just fine.

/// Tom