Help with video quality

[trevsdad]

After looking around, I can't seem to find an answer to this problem.

I'm trying to shoot P3P video, mostly with auto settings right now so I can gradually work my way over the curve of manual settings and color correction. The video quality is ok, but as it runs, the background...in particular grassy areas and similar detail seem to take a few seconds to come into focus.

I'm shooting at 4k/30fps, with a low number ND filter, standard style setting (everything at 0), ISO 3200, 1/30, EV +1.0

here's a test video. It's very short and the distortion is mostly towards the end, what am I doing wrong?

 

[Air Ontario]

Consider this....When a sky and a ground are in frame, the camera must try its best to get both correct, meaning not optimum for either.

sometimes adjusting settings can leave detail in the foreground and not adversely affect the sky. Or simply film and not include very much of one or the other.

I never shoot in auto so take this with a grain of salt.
I use manual "custom" Sharpness Contrast and Saturation,(-2-3-2) manual sometimes -1-2-1, white balance around 4900k-5500k.

I think the camera does better dulled down on Sharp/Cont/Sat. I also use ND 8 or ND16 on sunny days especially in snow.
I like to run at Iso 100 and a 30-60 fps. I want the shutter twice the fps and I like the blur a ND filter gives with motion moving down the side of the frame and out the frame bottom.

I also get the best video around 3.5 mph and slightly higher depending of course of how big a shot(a fairly close flythru vs an orbit of a landscape)

I also have my yaw expo/gain setting on the bird dulled down for a very slow (panning type)yaw. Seems it may be .34 or lower even.

 

[With The Birds]

ISO3200????? That must be some seriously dark ND you are flying (not a low number). What was your shutter speed? I would go for a lower iso and shutter speed close to twice framerate if you can get it.

Btw... get up and fly around for a better idea. Walking around close in to everything will really highlight comoresssion artifacts in the codec (mainly due to available bitrate).

 

[flyboy73]

The lens is fixed focus, so it does not change the distance at which it focuses as the camera moves around. I do see the camera adjusting for rapidly changing exposure information, from very bright to fairly dark, shady areas.

 

[trevsdad]

ISO3200????? That must be some seriously dark ND you are flying (not a low number). What was your shutter speed? I would go for a lower iso and shutter speed close to twice framerate if you can get it.

Btw... get up and fly around for a better idea. Walking around close in to everything will really highlight comoresssion artifacts in the codec (mainly due to available bitrate).

Yeah, you know after I posted and continued to look around, I discovered the same thing...ISO is WAY to high. That's a start.

 

[trevsdad]

Consider this....When a sky and a ground are in frame, the camera must try its best to get both correct, meaning not optimum for either.

sometimes adjusting settings can leave detail in the foreground and not adversely affect the sky. Or simply film and not include very much of one or the other.

I never shoot in auto so take this with a grain of salt.
I use manual "custom" Sharpness Contrast and Saturation,(-2-3-2) manual sometimes -1-2-1, white balance around 4900k-5500k.

I think the camera does better dulled down on Sharp/Cont/Sat. I also use ND 8 or ND16 on sunny days especially in snow.
I like to run at Iso 100 and a 30-60 fps. I want the shutter twice the fps and I like the blur a ND filter gives with motion moving down the side of the frame and out the frame bottom.

I also get the best video around 3.5 mph and slightly higher depending of course of how big a shot(a fairly close flythru vs an orbit of a landscape)

I also have my yaw expo/gain setting on the bird dulled down for a very slow (panning type)yaw. Seems it may be .34 or lower even.

Ok, I'll try this and let u know the result.

 

[Air Ontario]

Ok, I'll try this and let u know the result.

Post settings and video in case camera is way out from most with those settings.

However, if you really were in Iso 3200, I'd fix that then re shoot and see if you like it. No sense in changing everything if changing the Iso suits your eye.

I ignored it as I thought it was too high to be a real Iso number. My bad.

 

[With The Birds]

While a little extra rooting around initially i would advise you to condlsider shooting manual, you will save a lot of headaches in post with more predictable and pleasing results all around.

As suggested above back off the sharpness, contrast and saturation settings, use log orofile and manual WB (5500 is a pretty good start, some fiddlimg here in the first and last light of the day can give pleasing effects).

Fly with your histogram active and when you first launch yaw around and work out the brightest and darkest parts of the scene will be predominantly in frame for your planned take. Adjust your exposure accordingly, i aim to preserve highlights as my priority- you can bring shadows up in post but blown out areas are gone and tend to be distracting and look very unnatural in tour final clip. You can make slight adkustments to the exposure in flight if you really need to.

Filming with auto exposure you end up with the canera attempting to keep everything average and for me the end result looks a little strange. Yes, our eyes adjust in the real world but seemingly nit to the same extent. Preserving the differences between brightly lit and shadow areas maintains a natural feel and manual will do that. Only my personal view here, its subjective.

 

[trevsdad]

While a little extra rooting around initially i would advise you to condlsider shooting manual, you will save a lot of headaches in post with more predictable and pleasing results all around.

(Also fo Air Ontario) thanks! I'll switch to manual with the suggested settings, try to fly Friday (...rain forecast for the first half of the day in MD) and report back.

 

[Air Ontario]

Do you do any post video editing? If not the settings may be slightly washed out when viewed and before bringing out the data in post.

Anyway see what you like, you got some good tips from with the birds and we can always tweek with vivid style from dlog or Cine or move some settings around.

Looking forward to your results. Yea, crappy day here too, 4" snow then rain all afternoon.

 

[With The Birds]

Even if you only commit to a limited post routine the proposed settings are likley valid. Not having to fight against constantly changing exposure and WB you are left with opening scopes and tweakimg levels. For me at least this proved to give more pleasing resukts and removed a lot of frustration and time in post. For my taste the preset styles where overly crunchy and unrealistic and impossible to correct.

 

[Air Ontario]

Even if you only commit to a limited post routine the proposed settings are likley valid. Not having to fight against constantly changing exposure and WB you are left with opening scopes and tweakimg levels. For me at least this proved to give more pleasing resukts and removed a lot of frustration and time in post. For my taste the preset styles where overly crunchy and unrealistic and impossible to correct.

That's about what I do many times. Just trim, splice and hit a little contrast or brightness.

 

[trevsdad]

Do you do any post video editing? If not the settings may be slightly washed out when viewed and before bringing out the data in post.

Anyway see what you like, you got some good tips from with the birds and we can always tweek with vivid style from dlog or Cine or move some settings around.

Looking forward to your results. Yea, crappy day here too, 4" snow then rain all afternoon.

I do...lots of conventional editing and shooting (work in Premiere Pro, but also can work in Final cut and Avid) with 1080p, but I'm new to aerial, and color correction so I've got a bit of a learning curve to overcome. Snow??? ****!...suks 'ta be you.

 

[Air Ontario]

I do...lots of conventional editing and shooting (work in Premiere Pro, but also can work in Final cut and Avid) with 1080p, but I'm new to aerial, and color correction so I've got a bit of a learning curve to overcome. Snow??? ****!...suks 'ta be you.

You'll do fine then with those numbers and style at Dlog.
Yep snow, freezing rain, ice, expecting the seven horseman shortly.....

 

[trevsdad]

ROTFFL! yer killin me.

 

[trevsdad]

better...I think???

 

[With The Birds]

What did you do in post? It seems to have an almost animation quality to it. Very interesting effect.

 

[WWK888]

Is there any way of avoiding that slight blurry effect when yawing?


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[trevsdad]

Is there any way of avoiding that slight blurry effect when yawing?


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

I wish I knew....the whole thing looks a little soft. I added some contrast and saturation, then rendered and exported it at 1080p/29fps...that's it.

 

[trevsdad]

What did you do in post? It seems to have an almost animation quality to it. Very interesting effect.

Unintentional...see the above response for what was done in post.