DJI Phantom 4 Pro image versus Canon 5DIII w/ 16-35 f/4

[Jim Roof]

With my curiosity having been aroused from another thread, I decided to go to my front yard today and take two photos of my neighbor's house across the street. One was taken with a Canon 5DIII (roughly 20MP) with the newer f/4 16-35L. This lens is much sharper than the f/2.8 16-35 Mk II, BTW.

The second was taken with my Phantom 4 Pro, being handheld like a really awkward camera. The shutter speed for this was 1/1000 so any movement associated with awkwardly holding the drone while pressing the shutter should not appear. I did use the ''half press" auto focus with the Phantom.

This crop is from the center of the frame. I also looked at the edges on both photos. In the edges the Canon clearly wins the battle, but not by as much as you might expect. If anyone is really interested, I can post a sample of an area that is off center.

I opened both RAW files in ACR and used the default sharpening settings. Color was tweaked a bit to try to get the two images a bit closer to each other.

I will let readers come to their own conclusions...

 

[KevMo Photog]

I have the Canon 5D 4 and the 16-35 lens as well Jim. Hell of a lens btw! But this looks pretty darn good to me since the Canon gear would be almost 5000 just for body and lens. Our P4P is only about 1500 plus you get the drone! LOL

 

[Paul Dingman]

With my curiosity having been aroused from another thread, I decided to go to my front yard today and take two photos of my neighbor's house across the street. One was taken with a Canon 5DIII (roughly 20MP) with the newer f/4 16-35L. This lens is much sharper than the f/2.8 16-35 Mk II, BTW.

The second was taken with my Phantom 4 Pro, being handheld like a really awkward camera. The shutter speed for this was 1/1000 so any movement associated with awkwardly holding the drone while pressing the shutter should not appear. I did use the ''half press" auto focus with the Phantom.

This crop is from the center of the frame. I also looked at the edges on both photos. In the edges the Canon clearly wins the battle, but not by as much as you might expect. If anyone is really interested, I can post a sample of an area that is off center.

I opened both RAW files in ACR and used the default sharpening settings. Color was tweaked a bit to try to get the two images a bit closer to each other.

I will let readers come to their own conclusions...

View attachment 80544

 

[Paul Dingman]

I'll take the canon

 

[Jim Roof]

I'll take the canon

I will too, as long as I am shooting from the ground. If I need an aerial perspective I will not hesitate to use the P4P.

It looks to me like I got a good copy of this lens or something. Or maybe my focusing system is somehow working better.

BTW, I did not post this thread to be contrary to yours. I posted it to add to the conversation and to try to better understand what this imaging system is capable of.

 

[KevMo Photog]

I'll take the canon

Same here Paul! But only when I'm getting good money for my portraits with it. When I can turn that kind of money with my Phantom I may move up to the 6,000 dollar drone with X5 Camera on it. Then it would be worth it for me. Like Jim said I hope you can get yours taken care of for sure!

 

[mariocuzco]

Comparing the prices of these systems the difference is about 2000 am I right?

 

[AlanTheBeast]

I'll take the canon

You realize you're comparing a 1" sensor (which is 13.2 x 8.8mm = 116mm^2) against a FF sensor (24 x 36 = 864) or 7.4 times the light gathering area?

I guess what you should have bought was the Inspire 2 with the X5S camera. You'd be a lot closer.

 

[smiller]

The Canon is better but these are impressively close, considering.

 

[AllenLim]

Thank you for making this good comparison, it gives me some idea the images that i will be getting. I am just wondering whether you can make 5D vs p4p vs p3p/p4/mavic image comparison day and sunset images. That will be much helpful. 5D is just for control image only.

 

[KevMo Photog]

Thank you for making this good comparison, it gives me some idea the images that i will be getting. I am just wondering whether you can make 5D vs p4p vs p3p/p4/mavic image comparison day and sunset images. That will be much helpful. 5D is just for control image only.

Why would you need to see a reg 5D image compared to it? It's gonna be basically identical. Just a slight diff in megapixel capture from the older 5D. Just curious!

 

[Meta4]

Thank you for making this good comparison, it gives me some idea the images that i will be getting. I am just wondering whether you can make 5D vs p4p vs p3p/p4/mavic image comparison day and sunset images. That will be much helpful. 5D is just for control image only.

You probably won't find anyone that has a 5D and a P4 pro and a Mavic and a P3 pro and the time to set them all up to shoot that comparison.
Just accept that the P4 pro camera is much better than the P3 pro.

 

[AllenLim]

Why would you need to see a reg 5D image compared to it? It's gonna be basically identical. Just a slight diff in megapixel capture from the older 5D. Just curious!

5D just a control image as said as i own it. Anyway, got myself p4p. Still new on testing on the image quality

 

[AllenLim]

You probably won't find anyone that has a 5D and a P4 pro and a Mavic and a P3 pro and the time to set them all up to shoot that comparison.
Just accept that the P4 pro camera is much better than the P3 pro.

i think i could be done since i purchase p4p (take the bull by the horn), that's the biggest hurdle. As for mavic/P3/P4 need to call out friend since this is quite many of it out there. Furthermore, i own a 5D....so it is a matter of time to do some unscientific test result (i think). But i need to get used to p4p first...

 

[AlanTheBeast]

There is no point comparing the P4P camera to the 5D. The 5D is a much better camera.

If you want anything even close in an airborne camera you would need a larger drone such as the Inspire 2 with the Zenmuse X5R and lenses. Or a drone carrying the 5D. That would get you there for sure.

 

[Jrods]

Kinda of interesting, viewing pictures that are not the complete file, on various video cards, and monitors, and with unlimited number of variables. But the point is well illustrated.

 

[Meta4]

All that matters is the comparison between a P3/P4 camera and the P4 pro.
And you only have to make one flight to see that the P4 pro with a sensor that's 4x bigger takes images that are much better.
End of story.

 

[Capo]

Looking at the pics, there is more visible detail on light and shadow in the P4P due to less contrast, whereas the D5 is blown out in areas. Question is, if the contrast, saturation, and colour were adjusted closer, how different would they actually be? To me, the difference is more due to post adjustments than anything. A touch more green and contrast to the P4P image, and they would be much closer.

 

[Capo]

Looking much closer... I do see the P4P has more grain in shadows.. that is harder to adjust for.

 

[Jim Roof]

Looking at the pics, there is more visible detail on light and shadow in the P4P due to less contrast, whereas the D5 is blown out in areas. Question is, if the contrast, saturation, and colour were adjusted closer, how different would they actually be? To me, the difference is more due to post adjustments than anything. A touch more green and contrast to the P4P image, and they would be much closer.

IF the 5D image truly looks blown out (values that are clipped at white) then it is going to be your monitor. The image has no clipping other than the white text. It gets close in the brightest spots (251, 250, 254) but not truly blown out.