Poor Video Quality From New P3P

[lholcomb007]

Hi everyone, I need some expert help. I've had the hardest time getting any decent quality video out of my week old P3P. I am not sure what else to do at this stage. I hope I don't have a lemon! Can anyone take a look at these three clips and give any ideas as to what I can do to get better video quality? I double checked, and I did remove the hidden foam block at the back of the gimbal.

I have a set of ND filters being delivered tomorrow, but I am not holding my breath it will resolve the issue.

-various fuzzy throughout at: :25, :28, :32, :51, 1:07

-various fuzzy throughout at: :24, :35, :54, 1:08

-Nasty jello all the way through

Thanks everyone!

 

[With The Birds]

Looks normal to me. We are stuck with the limited bit rate and codec unfortunately.

 

[Vaneik]

Normal? there are strangers things in the images (dont know the name in english), the image is not clear, with jumps.

U can try exposure better the image, u burn the sky. But the moves in the image...that's not normal...with filters u cant resolve that problem...if its new, dont take risks and return It.

 

[lholcomb007]

Looks normal to me. We are stuck with the limited bit rate and codec unfortunately.

On the first video, I see buzz/shake at :25, :28, :32, :51, 1:07
On the second video, I see the same at :24, :35, :54, 1:08

I am a noob, does the bit rate and codec cause that?

 

[lholcomb007]

Normal? In the first vídeo there are strangers things (dont know the name in english), the image is not clear.

U can try exposure better the image, u burn the sky. But the moves in the image...that's not normal...

Agreed, from all the other clips I've seen from the P3P, this doesn't look normal to me.

 

[With The Birds]

On the first video, I see buzz/shake at :25, :28, :32, :51, 1:07
On the second video, I see the same at :24, :35, :54, 1:08

I am a noob, does the bit rate and codec cause that?

I was looking for "nasty jello". The stuttering while panning/yawing it's typical.

 

[J Dot]

Here is the very first video I shot with my used P3p, I bought on eBay!
( not seeing any of that in my videos )

Have you checked your jello balls ( I've seen a torn or cracked jello ball, cause all kinds of video issues ) and balanced your props?( this can also cause jello ) as for the fuzzy spots?
That I'm not sure about? ( is the lens clean of debris/ fingerprints? )
Lastly
Are you using a good quality fast memory card?

J Dot

 

[lholcomb007]

Here is the very first video I shot with my used P3p, I bought on eBay!
( not seeing any of that in my videos )

Have you checked your jello balls ( I've seen a torn or cracked jello ball, cause all kinds of video issues ) and balanced your props?( this can also cause jello ) as for the fuzzy spots?
That I'm not sure about? ( is the lens clean of debris/ fingerprints? )
Lastly
Are you using a good quality fast memory card?

J Dot

I just now visually inspected the jello balls and they look just fine. I was thinking of exchanging them out with the extra set just to rule that out. I haven't balanced my props, I don't have a balancer, but I did try out the extra set of props.

Fuzzy spots was probably a poor descriptor, the whole image gets fuzzy...like jello but smoother - I guess b/c of the shutter speed.

I am using the memory card that came with the bird, I will try another one tomorrow to rule that out as well. Thanks for the ideas J Dot!

 

[eneilsen]

what were your camera settings?

i'd also try cleaning your lens. a fingerprint can cause the autofocus to focus on the fingerprint/dirt on the lens itself.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[lholcomb007]

what were your camera settings?

i'd also try cleaning your lens. a fingerprint can cause the autofocus to focus on the fingerprint/dirt on the lens itself.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

One at 4K / 24 FPS / 50 SS /100 ISO
Another at 4K / 30 FPS / 60 SS / 100 ISO
Last one at 1080 / 48 FPS / 100 SS / 100 ISO - This one looks the worst. Definitely can see the jello.

 

[eneilsen]

One at 4K / 24 FPS / 50 SS /100 ISO
Another at 4K / 30 FPS / 60 SS / 100 ISO
Last one at 1080 / 48 FPS / 100 SS / 100 ISO - This one looks the worst. Definitely can see the jello.

from what i see, the autofocus is having trouble. that seems to indicate a smudge or dirt, or anything like, that on the lens itself.

can you see anything on the lens or the uv filter when you look closely at it under good lighting?

if everything is clean, it could be mechanical, in which case you may need to have it looked at. just my 2 cents though... also, the second clip had the least jello, probably due to those camera settings


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[Grandpa Don]

I made two mistakes involving the camera and gimbal when I first got my P3P. I had not so good image quality until I figured out that there was a think plastic lens cover on the camera's lens. I don't mean the big cup shaped one that protects the lens. I mean a piece of cellophane like piece. I didn't even know it was there. Could not see it until I looked very closely. I peeled that off and the quality improved.
Second, I flew for over two months with no so stable video. Then I found a little piece of red paper stuck to the rear of the gimbal. When I looked closer at that, it said, (are you ready for this)? It said, "Remove before flight". The **** thing was a small foam rubber gimbal lock that fixed the gimbal and prevented it from turning left and right. I flew two months like that! I was so embarrassed!

 

[With The Birds]

what were your camera settings?

i'd also try cleaning your lens. a fingerprint can cause the autofocus to focus on the fingerprint/dirt on the lens itself.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

There is no auto-focus, it's a fixed focus lens.

 

[4wd]

Normal? there are strangers things in the images (dont know the name in english), the image is not clear, with jumps.

U can try exposure better the image, u burn the sky. But the moves in the image...that's not normal...with filters u cant resolve that problem...if its new, dont take risks and return It.

That could just be recording at 48 (?) fps then rendering wrongly as the Yutube options don't show higher frame rate was uploaded.
It looks a bit washed out and over exposed due to settings used and was taken with quite low light levels but is reasonably sharp.
I don't see anything to be concerned about until some more typical footage is recorded.

If not experienced with video editing try it first with everything on Auto, all the advice about recording flat only applies if you are happy to spend plenty of time editing later.

 

[With The Birds]

Normal? there are strangers things in the images (dont know the name in english), the image is not clear, with jumps.

U can try exposure better the image, u burn the sky. But the moves in the image...that's not normal...with filters u cant resolve that problem...if its new, dont take risks and return It.

A replacement phantom will give similar results in these circumstances. Even 100mbits/sec would give us much more usable footage. It is beyond me why they don't, the hardware supports much higher rates. The non RAW X5 M43 on the inspire has the same stupid data rate limitation. It's frustrating.

 

[eneilsen]

There is no auto-focus, it's a fixed focus lens.

i didn't know that...

so does it just focus from something like .5m to infinity, no matter how much light hits the censor?

my apologies, i was assuming that it had to have some kind of auto focusing built in.

in that case, i'm sorry OP. i definitely see what you're taking about in the footage but i don't know what would cause such a blurry image unless it's picking up some abnormal vibration, or the processor isn't keeping up.

hopefully someone who knows more about this stuff than me has some answers. gl

 

[lholcomb007]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions everyone. I will do a few flies on auto today and I have some ND filters being delivered today as well. I will report back my findings.

 

[lholcomb007]

Here is my footage after adding my new ND16 filters...really hoping it would fix my issue, but still garbage. Highly disappointed so far! Here are all the things I've done to try to correct the issue
-Changed white gimbal bushings
-Changed props (didn't balance them)
-Added ND filter
-Changed memory cards
-Double checked to make sure gimbal foam block was removed

Really beginning to think I have a lemon!

4K @ 30 FPS / 60 SS

1080 @ 60 FPS / 120 SS

Auto 4K 24 FPS

4K @ 24 FPS / 50 SS

 

[With The Birds]

Your clips are showing as 'private'.

 

[lholcomb007]

Your clips are showing as 'private'.

Rookie mistake, thanks...should be public now.