Huge quality difference between Advanced and Professional even when scaled down ?

Greyfox51 · May 5, 2015

Given the spate of recent deliveries and the overpowering desire to unpack, charge and fly, then film and post the result online, I do wonder just how many 'bad' examples may be due to a failure to remove the protective plastic film from the lens. I mean, it is an easy enough mistake to make, and having done so, how many would actually admit to it?

ELHEAPO · May 5, 2015

arnt 4k files huge and take a long time to edit etc then you would need a 4k tv to get the real bebefit for it. For now the advanced seems more than adequete but for future proof the 4k would be an investment but by then there will probably be the p4 or 5 out!!

edonovanl · May 5, 2015

Greyfox51 said:
Given the spate of recent deliveries and the overpowering desire to unpack, charge and fly, then film and post the result online, I do wonder just how many 'bad' examples may be due to a failure to remove the protective plastic film from the lens. I mean, it is an easy enough mistake to make, and having done so, how many would actually admit to it?

Certainly possible, and I admit I may not have noticed. I think also that some pilots don't give enough consideration to the lighting and appropriate camera settings to capture the best quality image. Just my opinion as I know there are many very experienced photographers/videographers in this forum...

leekiya · May 5, 2015

Meta4 said:
Because it came from here ... and explained in the article
http://blog.jeffcable.com/2015/04/dji-just-announced-phantom-3-after.html

Great, i am really shocked by a few videos from the advanced now. A lot better than i thought.

cheers for that link meta4,

robinb · May 5, 2015

I got the my advance today, 1080p picture quality is excellent.

Hasan Ahmad · May 12, 2015

It would be better to buy advanced and buy 4k next year when it becomes standard

Adam Kontras · May 13, 2015

Hard to say no to what amounts to a $250 4K camera if you're already buying the P3...

4wd · May 13, 2015

This explains it quite well.
For youtube etc the Avanced at 1080p is still very very good.

Fourblade · May 13, 2015

The Advanced is perfectly good for me! Spending more money for nominal gain is not for me....2 more batteries makes more sense than any slight differences between the Pro and Advanced - just sayin...

robinb · May 13, 2015

Absolutely and the file size and processing grunt needed to manage 4K is not worth the effort for me.

pqdbr · May 13, 2015

robinb said:
I got the my advance today, 1080p picture quality is excellent.

Robin can you show us some of your videos ?

My advanced is still nowhere to be seen. I bought on Advexure =/

robinb · May 13, 2015

pqdbr said:
Robin can you show us some of your videos ?

My advanced is still nowhere to be seen. I bought on Advexure =/

Here is one.

nirvine88 · May 13, 2015

If I had the processing horsepower and a 4K tv I would have went for the P3P no question. Majority of us just don't have the means to properly enjoy full 4k yet.

ebfoxbat · May 13, 2015

nirvine88 said:
Majority of us just don't have the means to properly enjoy full 4k yet.

I don't either, but I can tell you that the 4k out of the P3P viewed on a 1080p display is remarkably good (especially when you consider the size of the camera and platform).

I had never realized how bad Youtube can destroy a video until I saw my native 1080p export on the same TV as my Youtube 1080p. Youtube is so bad it's to the point where it's almost useless to compare the Advanced with the Professional.

nirvine88 · May 13, 2015

Yeah ideally you would want to compare the raw footage side by side. Youtube shreds quality so bad.

tom3holer · May 13, 2015

I have a question about still photography if I may.
I do mainly still photography of waterfront homes using my P2 with GP 3+ Black.
Would a frame grab from a 4K video be as good or better than a 12mp still shot?

KillerCut · May 13, 2015

4k video should look like 8mp, but it will be worse because of compression, but not much worse, maybe 6mp equiv, so u get half of what a 12mp looks like...

tom3holer · May 13, 2015

Thank you, I kinda thought that but was not sure.

ebfoxbat · May 15, 2015

A 4k extracted still is good (I think it's better than any GoPro jpg because it lacks the distortion and has much less edge softness). A DNG still from the P3 is very good.

It's impossible to shoot in direct (overhead) sunlight without blowing the highlights unless you stop down a bit. The P3's camera just doesn't have that much dynamic range. However, the Pilot app does allow for automatic exposure bracketing which helps if you're shooting something stationary like waterfront homes. Your life is easier if you time your shots to not have any moving traffic or pedestrians or the like in the bracketed photos (it's just makes merging them easier).

I'm *really* looking forward to having some Neutral Density filters for the P3. They'll help with video, sure, but they'll also allow higher shutter speeds without blowing highlights.

tom3holer · May 15, 2015

ebfoxbat,

Thank you for the post. I have ordered the P3P and am guessing about a week and a half.
Are you saying that automatic exposure is similar to HDR in that it takes 3 pics and combines them?
That would be great as I have had issues with the GoPro on the 2 and had to do a good bit of post to get exposure correct.
Most of the waterfront stills I do there is no car or people movement but there is always some small wave movement so I guess they would be blurred to some extent.