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Out of Focus Camera... Please help!
6006 38 2015-11-5
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devinpickering
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Hi Everyone,
After much testing, I'm finding that the camera on my Phantom 3 Professional is totally out of focus. This is without any filters, in 4k video and the stills mode, the image especially the center of the frame is out of focus and blurry. Has anyone else had this problem?? Please help DJI!!


https://www.dropbox.com/s/lfed9o ... 7.Still001.jpg?dl=0


https://www.dropbox.com/s/766wynbfiv7fcnb/DJI_0032.jpg?dl=0



https://www.dropbox.com/s/kke3f2 ... 44.51%20PM.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/home?pre ... 5+at+1.44.51+PM.png

2015-11-5
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Paniza
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can't see the pictures... asks for username/password
2015-11-5
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devinpickering
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Paniza Posted at 2015-11-5 13:14
can't see the pictures... asks for username/password

Just changed the link, let me know if it works
2015-11-5
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Paniza
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-11-5 13:31
Just changed the link, let me know if it works

yes I does but I cannot see the "out of focus" issue.

Sorry.

2015-11-5
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devinpickering
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Paniza Posted at 2015-11-5 13:44
yes I does but I cannot see the "out of focus" issue.

Sorry.

Zoom in on the center of the frame - TOTALLY out of focus.
2015-11-5
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tdrussell1
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Hmm yeah, those look like crap.  What happens if you take the stock filter/glass off?
2015-11-5
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devinpickering
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tdrussell1 Posted at 2015-11-5 14:07
Hmm yeah, those look like crap.  What happens if you take the stock filter/glass off?

its off already - naked lens for the test.
2015-11-5
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Geebax
Captain
Australia
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I agree with you, it does look out of focus. There may be a back-focus adjustment that can be performed on the camera to focus it, but you are going to have to return it to DJI to get that done unfortunately.
2015-11-5
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acenothing
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I am not sure I agree.  

1. What resolution are you shooting?
2. Zoom in enough on ANY digital picture and you will sharpness.  You can't create a 10 foo mural out of an 1,900 x 1080 JPG.  
2015-11-5
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devinpickering
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acenothing Posted at 2015-11-5 17:23
I am not sure I agree.  

1. What resolution are you shooting?

shooting 4k 24 and 30p. I expect the center of the frame to be as sharp as the rest of the frame. I'm not trying to create a 10 foot mural, just a detailed 1080 image scaled down from 4k.
2015-11-5
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labroides
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If you're concerned, try shooting pics with something in the centre rather than distant trees, sky and horizon.
Get a subject that isn't a mile away and see what that looks like.
Go for something solid rather than leaves or grass.

Now I see you're shooting video.
Try shooting some stills so you're using fast shutter speeds too.
2015-11-6
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devinpickering
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labroides@yahoo Posted at 2015-11-6 04:01
If you're concerned, try shooting pics with something in the centre rather than distant trees, sky a ...

Some of those are stills, but I shot some more at high shutter speeds of 120+ RAW DNGs. Still out of focus and mushy. I've seen a few other threads on this from other users, I don't think Im' the only one. Apparently QC is pretty bad.    Some areas of the frame are nice and sharp, but other parts are total mush and that's very disappointing.
2015-11-6
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devinpickering
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labroides@yahoo Posted at 2015-11-6 04:01
If you're concerned, try shooting pics with something in the centre rather than distant trees, sky a ...

Also - all of the work I do is shooting landscapes and horizon lines, so not too sure what good shooting close up subjects would do. I bought it to shoot landscapes!
If you look at the first picture I posted, you can see the edges of the frame are nice and sharp, while the trees further down the line in the center are completely out of focus.
2015-11-6
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Larry L
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Devinpickering, I had a camera like yours except the whole image was soft. I returned mine to the place I purchased it from. They looked at the images & agreed it was bad. I had a replacement camera within a week.
2015-11-6
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devinpickering
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Larry L Posted at 2015-11-6 11:38
Devinpickering, I had a camera like yours except the whole image was soft. I returned mine to the pl ...

Thanks for the info Larry L!! Very helpful to know someone else had the same problem. Are you happy with yours now? DJI issued me an RMA, but won't be ready or really get any info for 2-3 weeks. Hopefully they will see the issue here and give me a replacement. I'll update this thread with photos when this gets figured out.
2015-11-6
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acenothing
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-11-5 18:27
shooting 4k 24 and 30p. I expect the center of the frame to be as sharp as the rest of the frame. I ...

So you grabbed a frame from the 4k stream?  Despite the ability to do this my experience it that 1 frame of video is not usually sharp like the hi-res shot.  It does not need to because the image is designed to create the illusion of movement.

What do you rhi-res single shots look like?
2015-11-6
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devinpickering
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acenothing Posted at 2015-11-6 14:01
So you grabbed a frame from the 4k stream?  Despite the ability to do this my experience it that 1 ...

The illusion of movement?? The shot is either in focus or it's not.

In all of these shots the drone isn't moving. It's still. There is no movement. The shot should be in focus throughout the entire image, and two of these examples are raw DNGs. At shutter speed of 50, 100, 120, 250. No movement. All out of focus.
2015-11-6
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Geebax
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-11-7 10:30
The illusion of movement?? The shot is either in focus or it's not.

In all of these shots the dro ...

It is possible to have an out of focus camera, and this looks to be such an example. All cameras require setting of the back-focus to focus the image on the sensor, and in this case it appears to be maladjusted.
2015-11-6
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Larry L
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-11-6 11:06
Thanks for the info Larry L!! Very helpful to know someone else had the same problem. Are you happ ...

Yes I am pleased with the new camera. It is tack sharp. I showed them the same image from my PV2+ & my P-3. It was night & day difference. Now they both have the same sharpness.
2015-11-7
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labroides
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-11-7 01:32
Also - all of the work I do is shooting landscapes and horizon lines, so not too sure what good sho ...

"all of the work I do is shooting landscapes and horizon lines, so not too sure what good shooting close up subjects would do. I bought it to shoot landscapes!"
If you want to properly evaluate a focus problem, you need to be looking at something more definite than something vague and indistinct in the distance.
You might or might not have a problem but looking at distant trees in frames grabbed from video won't tell you anything useful.
2015-11-8
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jorski
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You can try to focus the camera lens, if you do not want to send it back...
2015-11-8
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classicalle
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He wasn't even focusing the lens. You can see that it did not turn.
2015-11-8
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acenothing
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-11-6 17:30
The illusion of movement?? The shot is either in focus or it's not.

In all of these shots the dro ...

I am tapping out.  
2015-11-8
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jorski
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classicalle@gma Posted at 2015-11-8 23:39
He wasn't even focusing the lens. You can see that it did not turn.

Yes, he just demonstrated how you focus it...
The Gopro camera has got same kind of lens and after lens replacement the focus procedur is the same.
2015-11-9
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devinpickering
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I just wanted to give everyone an update on this thread:

After calling DJI they gave me an RMA#. I sent it in and after 2 weeks they sent it back to me in perfect order! They calibrated the camera, but most importantly replaced the entire lens. For anyone out there who has had the same problem as me, just give them a call and get them to replace the lens. DJI said the unit was definitely not focused correctly, or even up to their basic measure of quality standards. I just did a few tests and that level of detail and focus is now where it should be, really a night and day difference. Everything is tack sharp across the entire focal plane and I am pretty happy, for the first time I had to dial down the sharpness because of too much detail for the default setting! Yay!

I must say though in dealing with DJI's customer service I was kind of blown away by how awful it was.. it took almost 2 hours to get though to a human, then they had to ask around to see what exactly was done repair wise to my drone, after everything though, they did come through, and i guess that's what really matters.
2015-12-8
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Sinisalo
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-12-8 12:51
I just wanted to give everyone an update on this thread:

After calling DJI they gave me an RMA#. I ...

Can you post some photos of something with letters or number on it with your fixed lense? I think I have the same problem but am having a hard time because it is too cold and wet outside to fly and everything I shoot indoors looks out of focus maybe because shutter speed can't be set high enough but I am keeping the Phantom totally still.
2016-1-15
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QBK
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Sinisalo Posted at 2016-1-15 12:01
Can you post some photos of something with letters or number on it with your fixed lense? I think I ...

You can power up the Phantom inside (where it's warm and dry), get everything fired up, and then open a door or window to take a shot of the outdoors (leave the motors off, of course!).  Just put the Phantom on a firm surface for the shot -- the gimbal will work and eliminate minor vibrations.  If your house/apartment/yurt doesn't have a useful view out the window, find another location that does (office, friend's house, cruise ship...)

With a correctly focused lens, everything more than 8 feet (2.5 meters) away should be perfectly in focus.  (Maybe closer than that, but 8 feet is a safe number).
2016-1-15
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lalvar40
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-12-8 14:51
I just wanted to give everyone an update on this thread:

After calling DJI they gave me an RMA#. I ...

Pls, can u post the new pictures. I think I have the same issue.
2016-1-22
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omegas
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-12-9 02:51
I just wanted to give everyone an update on this thread:

After calling DJI they gave me an RMA#. I ...

Can you show before/after images? Full size.
2016-1-25
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omegas
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-12-9 02:51
I just wanted to give everyone an update on this thread:

After calling DJI they gave me an RMA#. I ...

Can u show new pictures with replaced camera?!
2016-1-28
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DJI-Ken
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If you are operating the camera in very cold weather. If you operate the camera in colder weather than the specs you may get some focal shift.
2016-1-28
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omegas
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DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-1-29 00:45
If you are operating the camera in very cold weather. If you operate the camera in colder weather th ...

Dji support says, that i can send my gimbal for repairing. But i don't know. Can it fix this issue or what? I'm worry about shipping time, china new year and long repairing time. I don't want lose my camera for long weeks and then receive cam with the same problem. Is it fixable issue? They are change some parts/lens or just calibrating focus?

Can you show before/after images, please?! No one can't!
2016-1-29
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DJI-Ken
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omegas Posted at 2016-1-29 20:02
Dji support says, that i can send my gimbal for repairing. But i don't know. Can it fix this issue  ...

If you are having the cold weather issue, you can easily tell. If your photos outside have a slight blur and if you take photos inside and they are perfectly clear then that's what the issue is and it's not a fault of the camera, but you flying it out of the recommended temperature specifications.
2016-1-29
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omegas
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DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-1-29 22:06
If you are having the cold weather issue, you can easily tell. If your photos outside have a sligh ...

This is hot camera https://www.dropbox.com/s/u0q6rffmk8bx4de/DJI_0002.jpg?dl=0
This is cold https://www.dropbox.com/s/auc8hi3fh4xd53z/DJI_0017.jpg?dl=0

Do i need repairing? Can they fix this issue or it is just of normal?
2016-1-29
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DJI-Ken
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omegas Posted at 2016-1-30 00:21
This is hot camera https://www.dropbox.com/s/u0q6rffmk8bx4de/DJI_0002.jpg?dl=0
This is cold https: ...

To me on my small monitor the cold one looks sharper then the hot one. If that's the case then you are experiencing the opposite of what the cold weather focal shift is. In that case I would contact the support center and start a ticket and let them see to see what they think.
2016-1-29
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omegas
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Where i can find sample images, that Dji makes as test after repairing? I can't understand perspectives of it. If it is just a bit better - it is no reasons to send gimbal and waiting for a long time..
2016-1-31
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fredz
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ok same problem
2016-2-14
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nada.ricardo
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Hi. I have the exact same problem and it's not a cold weather issue, not in Texas . Center of the frame is out of focus and blurry:

Will be hard to see on this resolution

Will be hard to see on this resolution
2016-2-14
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ArcticDrone
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devinpickering Posted at 2015-12-8 19:51
I just wanted to give everyone an update on this thread:

After calling DJI they gave me an RMA#. I ...

Hi there,
I have the same problem with the camera on Inspire 1, centre of the frame is out of focus, the edges are nice sharp. The horizon is falling one side after I turn with the drone, it takes a while to get the horizon back to normal. How to proceed to get some help from DJi, need my drone functional asap.
Thanks
2016-2-16
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