Video & Camera Settings

Where it shows iso there's a bar under it that you use your finger to slide left or right. To the left (I think) should go lower to 100 is the lowest.
I only used 1/60 as an example
At f2.8 ( that's the aperture of the shutter-Which is fixed on the P3) and 100 iso on a bright sunny day you will probably be somewhere from 1/1000 sec to 1/1600. Very fast.
As it get late in the day the speed will need get slower as the light wanes. Last night near sunset I was shooting towards the sun at the horizon with clouds and was at 1/320 sec.
After the sun sets and I'm doing city scenes with lights and a very deep blue sky I could be near 1 second. You have to adjust for your subject. Try auto first and look at the shutter speed to get a feel firmest the camera says is right.

You have to look at the scene and adjust the shutter until it looks nice onscreen. No blown highlights, no shadows so dark they have no detail. Expose for the important part of the scene (to you).

I try to alway keep it at 100 I iso because the tiny sensor on this camera gets very noisy (grainy looking) at higher iso's


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
Where it said 400 I tried to slide it to the left but it would now move at all. Neither left or right actually. That was on manual.

as for the rest of what you said, I didn't understand a word of it, sorry. I don't know what 1/60 is, or what f2.8 The aperture of the shutter and fixed on the P3. Also, I have no clue what 1/1000 sec to 1/600 very fast means at all. I'm really sorry, but all these numbers mean nothing to me.

Can I just set it on AUTO and get some vide I can use? If not, then this isn't for me I'm afraid. That's really all I want to know. Can I set it on Auto and get video I can watch?

Bud


Where it shows iso there's a bar under it that you use your finger to slide left or right. To the left (I think) should go lower to 100 is the lowest.
I only used 1/60 as an example
At f2.8 ( that's the aperture of the shutter-Which is fixed on the P3) and 100 iso on a bright sunny day you will probably be somewhere from 1/1000 sec to 1/1600. Very fast.
As it get late in the day the speed will need get slower as the light wanes. Last night near sunset I was shooting towards the sun at the horizon with clouds and was at 1/320 sec.
After the sun sets and I'm doing city scenes with lights and a very deep blue sky I could be near 1 second. You have to adjust for your subject. Try auto first and look at the shutter speed to get a feel firmest the camera says is right.

You have to look at the scene and adjust the shutter until it looks nice onscreen. No blown highlights, no shadows so dark they have no detail. Expose for the important part of the scene (to you).

I try to alway keep it at 100 I iso because the tiny sensor on this camera gets very noisy (grainy looking) at higher iso's


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
I appreciate the filter advice but I'm not interested in sinking $140. or more dollars into filters that won't do diddly squat for me in the setting up department. I wouldn't know which filter to use or when. I need to figure out how to set this video camera up correctly first I think, then I can wonder about which filters I need.

As I said, I'm not a photographer. All I want to do is fly this thing and get some video that I can see. I'm not making movies or commercials here, just want to have a little fun is all.

Bud
It is really pretty simple.

On the camera menu settings go to wrench icon and turn on the grid.

On the video tab set video size to 4k 3840 x 2160 at 30 or 24 fps. I am playing with 24 right now.

White Balance - 5000 to 5200K

Style - sharpness = -2, contrast = -3, saturation = -2 (some use 1,2,1 or some combination thereof). The point is to keep things flat and preserve all your pixels so you can change things in post video production. You don't want to crush your blacks and whites. If you are not interested in post video production then forget all this stuff and use the auto settings.

Color = D-Log or none. D-Log is recommended. It keeps things very flat without losing detail.

Set your manual settings to 100 ISO and shutter speed at 60 if you are using 30 fps or 50 if 24 fps.

Buy the Cinema Series Filters - without the filters this is useless as everything will be overexposed. I really like them because they have the polarizer lenses that rotate. If you have water, pavement or other bright areas, turn the dot up and they are on. If not, rotate 90 degrees and they are off.

Use the 4 when it is heavily overcast. Use the 8 late in the day when partially overcast. Use the 16 when it is bright out. I use the 16 the most as it is summer and most days I fly are only partially overcast.
 
Where it said 400 I tried to slide it to the left but it would now move at all. Neither left or right actually. That was on manual.

as for the rest of what you said, I didn't understand a word of it, sorry. I don't know what 1/60 is, or what f2.8 The aperture of the shutter and fixed on the P3. Also, I have no clue what 1/1000 sec to 1/600 very fast means at all. I'm really sorry, but all these numbers mean nothing to me.

Can I just set it on AUTO and get some vide I can use? If not, then this isn't for me I'm afraid. That's really all I want to know. Can I set it on Auto and get video I can watch?

Bud

Yes. Put it on auto. Until you learn what the other stuff is. I would just try to override the Iso (sensitivity to light) if possible to 100 or 200.
Not sure why it won't let you change it.
Are you in Photo mode or Video?
I am only talking about Photo mode. Still photos.
Sorry if I confused that.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
Wow!! Thank you so much for this very detailed information. I think I even understand it because you've made it sound so simple in terms I can read and understand. Just one question though. Where you say to go to the camera menu settings and turn on the grid, do I do all this under "MANUAL" settings? Also, could you please tell me how to set the iso to 100 as the last time I tried it wouldn't go below 400. I was indoors at my desk though. Should I be outside? Bright day, cloudy?

I will have to wait for the filter as my son doesn't go down to the states for another two weeks.

Would it be possible for you to give me the numbers or whatever it is I need to know, to purchase this filters set so I can have my son pick them up next week? He'll be going to Illinois, so is there a certain store that he could pick them up at?

Thank you so much for this. I feel a lot better now and hopefully I can get this done.

Bud
ps
Does it matter that I only have a 1080p Samsung Smart TV? Will I be able to view 4k video on this TV?



It is really pretty simple.

On the camera menu settings go to wrench icon and turn on the grid.

On the video tab set video size to 4k 3840 x 2160 at 30 or 24 fps. I am playing with 24 right now.

White Balance - 5000 to 5200K

Style - sharpness = -2, contrast = -3, saturation = -2 (some use 1,2,1 or some combination thereof). The point is to keep things flat and preserve all your pixels so you can change things in post video production. You don't want to crush your blacks and whites. If you are not interested in post video production then forget all this stuff and use the auto settings.

Color = D-Log or none. D-Log is recommended. It keeps things very flat without losing detail.

Set your manual settings to 100 ISO and shutter speed at 60 if you are using 30 fps or 50 if 24 fps.

Buy the Cinema Series Filters - without the filters this is useless as everything will be overexposed. I really like them because they have the polarizer lenses that rotate. If you have water, pavement or other bright areas, turn the dot up and they are on. If not, rotate 90 degrees and they are off.

Use the 4 when it is heavily overcast. Use the 8 late in the day when partially overcast. Use the 16 when it is bright out. I use the 16 the most as it is summer and most days I fly are only partially overcast.
 
Wow!! Thank you so much for this very detailed information. I think I even understand it because you've made it sound so simple in terms I can read and understand. Just one question though. Where you say to go to the camera menu settings and turn on the grid, do I do all this under "MANUAL" settings? Also, could you please tell me how to set the iso to 100 as the last time I tried it wouldn't go below 400. I was indoors at my desk though. Should I be outside? Bright day, cloudy?

I will have to wait for the filter as my son doesn't go down to the states for another two weeks.

Would it be possible for you to give me the numbers or whatever it is I need to know, to purchase this filters set so I can have my son pick them up next week? He'll be going to Illinois, so is there a certain store that he could pick them up at?

Thank you so much for this. I feel a lot better now and hopefully I can get this done.

Bud
ps
Does it matter that I only have a 1080p Samsung Smart TV? Will I be able to view 4k video on this TV?
On the app right side is your camera info and settings. MENU refers to the bar on top that says menu. Manual its it below with an icon of several slider bars. When you press on the icon there is a slider on top. Turn off auto and you will get the manual choices for ISO and shutter speed.

Yes you will only get 1080p but it will still look great.

To understand the settings, look around at videos on the web. They will offer different advice and I am no professional. This is just what I have been able to put together as the best setup. Once you have the filters, there will be a world of difference AFTER you use post-video production. I use iMovie, which is a simple program but I have to do very little post production. My videos have improved tremendously since I started.
 
Skippilot, you just made my day. No!! My whole month. I was able to easily follow your instructions and find each place you told me to go and entered the settings you suggested. Even the iso was easy to set to 100 and the shutter speed to at 60 (since I set the frame rate at 30) The white balance I set to 51something as it was very sensitive so I left it in the range you suggested. The sharpness, contrast and saturation I set as suggested.

I will add the filters and try all this in manual mode and I think it'll work out fine now, thanks to you and some of the other kind, helpful people on this forum. Worst case scenario, I can always go to "Auto" if I have to.

Thanks again for this, I'm much obliged to you, and I can't wait to show you my first "good" video.

Thanks also to everyone else here who has tried to help me.

Bud


On the app right side is your camera info and settings. MENU refers to the bar on top that says menu. Manual its it below with an icon of several slider bars. When you press on the icon there is a slider on top. Turn off auto and you will get the manual choices for ISO and shutter speed.

Yes you will only get 1080p but it will still look great.

To understand the settings, look around at videos on the web. They will offer different advice and I am no professional. This is just what I have been able to put together as the best setup. Once you have the filters, there will be a world of difference AFTER you use post-video production. I use iMovie, which is a simple program but I have to do very little post production. My videos have improved tremendously since I started.
 
You say you're not a professional but you were kind enough to share what works for you and for that I am very grateful. You explained it in a easily understood way which I was able to grasp. Three years ago I got pretty sick and along with Diabetes, Heart disease, and now Kidney failure, I have a lot to deal with. I'm already in a wheelchair due Spinal Stenosis from an old back injury. Because of a loss of a great deal of blood quite rapidly, I now have problems with concentration and comprehension which makes it extremely difficult for me to remember things, even if I do get to learn them in the first place.

Anyway, there's more to it but this isn't the place so enough of my whining, right?

Thank you for making it simple for me. You'll never know how much you brightened my day. I'm still grinning from ear to ear.

All the best to you, and thank God for kind, generous people like you and others here on this forum.

Bud

Skippilot, you just made my day. No!! My whole month. I was able to easily follow your instructions and find each place you told me to go and entered the settings you suggested. Even the iso was easy to set to 100 and the shutter speed to at 60 (since I set the frame rate at 30) The white balance I set to 51something as it was very sensitive so I left it in the range you suggested. The sharpness, contrast and saturation I set as suggested.

I will add the filters and try all this in manual mode and I think it'll work out fine now, thanks to you and some of the other kind, helpful people on this forum. Worst case scenario, I can always go to "Auto" if I have to.

Thanks again for this, I'm much obliged to you, and I can't wait to show you my first "good" video.

Thanks also to everyone else here who has tried to help me.

Bud
 
Matchlock, I suggest you go to the library and obtain a book on beginning photography. Then terms like EV, F-Stops, apertures, exposures, ISO etc. will be explained and you'll learn how they all relate and affect the other. It's really quite interesting.

AND, when you're ready to get filters, these are quite affordable and I love mine...
Products
 
I appreciate that, but I guess you missed my post where I said I'm not the slightest bit interested in becoming a photographer. All I ever wanted to do was fly this machine and take a few video and photos. Skippilot gave me information I can use and if that doesn't work I can always use the "Auto" function on the camera. If that doesn't work then it's "Phantom for sale day" because it would be of little use to me. I just want to enjoy a little flying without having to get a degree to do it.

I didn't realize you had to be a photographer to use one of these. I thought it was a flying machine first but it turns out it's really a camera first and a flying machine second.

Bud


Matchlock, I suggest you go to the library and obtain a book on beginning photography. Then terms like EV, F-Stops, apertures, exposures, ISO etc. will be explained and you'll learn how they all relate and affect the other. It's really quite interesting.

AND, when you're ready to get filters, these are quite affordable and I love mine...
Products
 
Hi skippilot;

Which filter set do I need to get? There is the "VIVID" set and there's the "SHUTTER" set. I don't know the difference. Can you tell me please?

Thank you.

Bud



You say you're not a professional but you were kind enough to share what works for you and for that I am very grateful. You explained it in a easily understood way which I was able to grasp. Three years ago I got pretty sick and along with Diabetes, Heart disease, and now Kidney failure, I have a lot to deal with. I'm already in a wheelchair due Spinal Stenosis from an old back injury. Because of a loss of a great deal of blood quite rapidly, I now have problems with concentration and comprehension which makes it extremely difficult for me to remember things, even if I do get to learn them in the first place.

Anyway, there's more to it but this isn't the place so enough of my whining, right?

Thank you for making it simple for me. You'll never know how much you brightened my day. I'm still grinning from ear to ear.

All the best to you, and thank God for kind, generous people like you and others here on this forum.

Bud
 
Search for "camera settings for phantom P3" on google and you will get tons of information. It's easy to go through videos and understand the concepts rather than figuring out few points here. Photography is a huge subject and you can't expect any one to guide you here in few sentences. You got to experiment and experience to decide what's best for your eyes.
 
Thank you. I took it out a few minutes ago using the settings that skipilot gave me yesterday and came in with some very acceptable video. As soon as I learn how to clip a piece out of this and post it here you'll see how well it worked out.

Thanks again to all who've helped me here, and I will also take your advice and go and look at some of the videos on Youtube about camera settings.

Most appreciated

Bud


Search for "camera settings for phantom P3" on google and you will get tons of information. It's easy to go through videos and understand the concepts rather than figuring out few points here. Photography is a huge subject and you can't expect any one to guide you here in few sentences. You got to experiment and experience to decide what's best for your eyes.
 
Thank you. I took it out a few minutes ago using the settings that skipilot gave me yesterday and came in with some very acceptable video. As soon as I learn how to clip a piece out of this and post it here you'll see how well it worked out.

Thanks again to all who've helped me here, and I will also take your advice and go and look at some of the videos on Youtube about camera settings.

Most appreciated

Bud
Its not a rocket science, so easy to pick up settings. I also use Histogram on DJI GO app to check if pattern is equally distributed.
 
At least I'm getting half decent video now, but that Histogram thing, forget it. I'll never understand that thing, ever!!

Its not a rocket science, so easy to pick up settings. I also use Histogram on DJI GO app to check if pattern is equally distributed.
 
Hi Skypilot;

I just downloaded iMovie from iTunes. Can you tell me how to go about editing my videos with it? I have iMovie on iPad Mini 2 and the videos are on the Micro SD card.

I use iMovie, which is a simple program but I have to do very little post production. My videos have improved tremendously since I started.
 
At least I'm getting half decent video now, but that Histogram thing, forget it. I'll never understand that thing, ever!!
I don't use the histogram. Some people find it very helpful. I find it a bit distracting. If my manual settings are on, things generally come out pretty well. I have changed recently from D-log to None on color after doing some reading and want to make some comparisons. I have not tried the None setting yet but may today.

You don't have to read a book on photography to understand three basic concepts of photograph. On a still camera, your basic settings are aperture, film speed (ISO) and shutter speed. The aperture determines the amount of light coming in. ISO is how fast the film exposes and shutter speed also determines exposure. Slow means more light coming in but the slower it gets the greater the chance for blur. Fast shutter speed gives sharpness like catching the wings on a hummingbird but there is less light coming in so you would open up the aperture. Now you have to adjust for video which is a bit different because of the need for a cinematic look. That means much slower shutter speed (50 to 120). ISO is the same as with the camera. Normal daytime photography is 100 or 200 for indoor. Since ISO and shutter speed are now set, how are you going to adjust the light coming in to prevent overexposure? Normally you would adjust the aperture. The problem is the aperture on the Phantom is fixed at wide open letting lots of light in. That means you have to use filters.
 
Hi Skypilot;

I just downloaded iMovie from iTunes. Can you tell me how to go about editing my videos with it? I have iMovie on iPad Mini 2 and the videos are on the Micro SD card.
You cannot learn iMovie from a couple of posts. It took me a while from learning on the web and from iMovie help. It is time consuming and takes a bit of frustrating practice. I am still learning and just figured out how to use zoom. It is worth the investment in time and learning something new is always rewarding.
 

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