Promised test for you guys.
Enjoy.
Great post. Shows there is no benefit to filming in 4K if you are going to output to 1080P. That will save a lot of computer time.
Promised test for you guys.
Enjoy.
This test tends to prove the inverse, 4K downscaled seems to better when zooming in.
The difference between the GoPro results and the P3P results is interesting considering they are using exactly the same hardware (except for the lens). The GoPro results are what I would expect. The 4K version has more resolution and detail than the 1080p version albeit at the sacrifice of some latitude. In the P3P comparison, the 4K version and 1080p version are very similar.
This really highlights to me that DJI needs to do more work on their compression algorithms. They're using a sensor that is perfectly capable of more detail than is being recorded.
One significant advantage to shooting video in 4K over 1080p is that 100% quality jpeg still frames taken from the video are 4 MB in size,... Plus, it looks stunningly better!
Plus your 4K video recording is continuous, rather than being fragmented by intervening still shots. You get 25 images per second to choose from! Simply awesome! Pick the sharpest frames, and then optimize them in Lightroom. You also have a continuous record for DJI, in case something goes horribly wrong, to help make your case for a warranty claim.Yeah i did not think of that - another reason to shoot 4K if you need stills later. Rather than stopping record to shoot full size stills.
I was just saying in another thread about why it is always best to start with the best image (highest resolution) so that you can do whatever you want with it.Just doing some initial video testing on the P3P. Here is a video that I shot yesterday that shows the same relative scene with 4K and 1080p30. Both using 100 ISO, 400 Shutter, Normal color, and custom sharpening set to -3.
See if you can tell which clip is the 4K and which is 1080p CLIP 1 or CLIP 2? Which looks better playing back at 1080p. Make sure you set youtube to playback fullscreen and at 1080. Otherwise the test is rather pointless LOL.
Yes, it is a little softer. And the exposure is not as good. It all depends on the downsampling method so admittedly not the best apples to apples comparison. Sometimes working at the highest resolution is not the best choice.
I actually don't like the GoPro 4K very much. I prefer the 2.7K which is right in the middle. It's the perfect mode for the sensor. I really really want DJI to implement a 2.7K mode at 65mbps.
Software is hugely important on phone cams. Look at some of the pro apps for the iPhone 6s. I am amazed at how little fanfare the 6s has gotten as a formidable camera player in the 4K market. I think it's better than any GoPro or anything on a prosumer drone that I've seen by a long shot and you need the good software to get the best out of it.I don't know. I thought the GoPro results were a little surprising in that the picture is sharper in the native 1080P at 100%. The 4K downscale advantages don't show until you zoom in. I would have guess the downscaled image would the advantage across the board.
Your point on camera software is very accurate. One look at cell phone results shows that the software may be as important as the sensor. Many phones have the same sensor, but give very different IQ due to the software.