I have had trouble with my drone's camera. I have a P4 and whenever I record (with or without ND filters) the image I film is fuzzy, can someone help explain and help me fix this?

EXAMPLE:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/ ... nq/view?usp=sharing

I have no idea what you are worried about, there is nothing wrong with that footage.

I can see it, it gives the impression that the recording is done in less than HD, its more pronounced on the sea and sand....
As to what the issue is, if this is taken from the card, of which im sure it is and i am sure is filmed in higher than 720 too looking at the buildings, therefore i do not have a scooby doo, perhaps someone else may have some ideas?

I had a very frustrating camera blur issue. I tried everything troubleshooting and eventually had to send it in for repair. They replaced a camera flex ribbon cable and a gimbal motor. I don't know why or how replacing those items affected the picture, but whatever they did resolved the issue...

Perhaps you could upload the original clip to Dropbox, and we can take a closer look at it. I suggest Dropbox because it does not modify the footage in any way.

I agree that, in the early part of the clip, over the sea, the viewing experience is less than pin-sharp. I've watched it at 720 and 1080 from youtube.  But as you progress over land and turn back toward the shore it looks fine. Was that clip taken with, or without filters?

Blériot53 Posted at 2018-2-13 23:41
I agree that, in the early part of the clip, over the sea, the viewing experience is less than pin-sharp. I've watched it at 720 and 1080 from youtube.  But as you progress over land and turn back toward the shore it looks fine. Was that clip taken with, or without filters?

Without as I have said earlier, so there should be no issue with lighting, unless it is over exposed which didn't happen.

Blériot53 Posted at 2018-2-13 23:41
I agree that, in the early part of the clip, over the sea, the viewing experience is less than pin-sharp. I've watched it at 720 and 1080 from youtube.  But as you progress over land and turn back toward the shore it looks fine. Was that clip taken with, or without filters?

Without as I have said earlier, so there should be no issue with lighting, unless it is over exposed which didn't happen.  

fans1fbf83bc Posted at 2018-2-13 21:58
I had a very frustrating camera blur issue. I tried everything troubleshooting and eventually had to send it in for repair. They replaced a camera flex ribbon cable and a gimbal motor. I don't know why or how replacing those items affected the picture, but whatever they did resolved the issue... [view_image]

Should I send it into DJI? Would they offer a free replacement camera?

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-13 22:01
Perhaps you could upload the original clip to Dropbox, and we can take a closer look at it. I suggest Dropbox because it does not modify the footage in any way.

I will try to upload it later

Bashy Posted at 2018-2-13 21:52
I can see it, it gives the impression that the recording is done in less than HD, its more pronounced on the sea and sand....
As to what the issue is, if this is taken from the card, of which im sure it is and i am sure is filmed in higher than 720 too looking at the buildings, therefore i do not have a scooby doo, perhaps someone else may have some ideas?

It was taken from the card, and I am upset because I was able to record the sea with definition, now my camera seems sensitive to any sort of light, is it because I have been using ND filters for a few weeks and maybe my camera got used to them?
I don't think that should be the case though, cameras should know how to adjust.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-13 19:14
I have no idea what you are worried about, there is nothing wrong with that footage.

I could send another sample video because there is definently something wrong with that footage, it is not sharp and is fuzzy.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-13 22:01
Perhaps you could upload the original clip to Dropbox, and we can take a closer look at it. I suggest Dropbox because it does not modify the footage in any way.

Here is the dropbox link

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8wrqcpuok4utbng/edited%20bad.mov?dl=0

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-14 12:48
Here is the dropbox link

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8wrqcpuok4utbng/edited%20bad.mov?dl=0

That does not appear to be the original clip, the name itself 'edited bad', suggests it has been edited and processed to some extent. In order to evaluate the clip, it needs to be the un-edited, untouched original.

But yes, you are correct, it is not sharp and it is somewhat fuzzy, but it is a 720p resolution clip with a 2.1 Megabit per second bit rate, so it is not surprising that it suffers from compression artifacts, which is what you are seeing. It is also under-exposed, which tends to bring up the noise in the darker areas.
Are you certain that this file came directly from the SD card in the aircraft? Being 720p it looks like it might have come from the cache copy on your phone?

This is MediaInfo data on the file:

Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : QuickTime
Codec ID                                 : qt   0000.00 (qt  )
File size                                : 31.3 MiB
Duration                                 : 2 min 3 s
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 2 134 kb/s
Encoded date                             : UTC 2018-02-14 14:30:32
Tagged date                              : UTC 2018-02-14 14:30:56
Writing library                          : Apple QuickTime

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : Main@L3.1
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames                : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP                     : M=2, N=30
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 2 min 3 s
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 2 131 kb/s
Maximum bit rate                         : 768 kb/s
Width                                    : 1 280 pixels
Height                                   : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 30.000 FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.077
Stream size                              : 31.2 MiB (100%)
Title                                    : Core Media Video
Encoded date                             : UTC 2018-02-14 14:30:32
Tagged date                              : UTC 2018-02-14 14:30:56
Color range                              : Limited
Color primaries                          : BT.709
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-14 14:10
That does not appear to be the original clip, the name itself 'edited bad', suggests it has been edited and processed to some extent. In order to evaluate the clip, it needs to be the un-edited, untouched original.

But yes, you are correct, it is not sharp and it is somewhat fuzzy, but it is a 720p resolution clip with a 2.1 Megabit per second bit rate, so it is not surprising that it suffers from compression artifacts, which is what you are seeing. It is also under-exposed, which tends to bring up the noise in the darker areas.

Why would it be underexposed on a sunny day? I named it edited bad so I could export it from my card to dropbox, it made me rename it... I had to transfer it to my laptop to be able to upload it. Either way it is not sharp at all, and clearly does not look 4k.

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-14 14:12
Why would it be underexposed on a sunny day? I named it edited bad so I could export it from my card to dropbox, it made me rename it... I had to transfer it to my laptop to be able to upload it. Either way it is not sharp at all, and clearly does not look 4k.

I loaded the clip into Resolve and brought up the waveform monitor and histogram, it is indeed under-exposed. Were you relying on auto-exposure or did you set the exposure manually?

And you are right, it is not 4K, it is the lowest end of the HD scale which is 720 X 1280, as is shown in the MediaInfo. And it is a very low bitrate, which is the reason for the 'fuzziness'. 720p resolution is the downscaled version that is fed back from the aircraft to the RC unit and is saved to your phone, and is also saved in one of the directories on the SD card in the aircraft to be used as a proxy for editing.

Either way, you are not looking at the full potential of the camera here, so there is no reason to justify calling it a camera fault at this stage.

Perhaps the camera was set to shoot 720p? Loo0k at your settings. If not, then you have not copied the real file off the SD card in the aircraft.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-14 14:26
I loaded the clip into Resolve and brought up the waveform monitor and histogram, it is indeed under-exposed. Were you relying on auto-exposure or did you set the exposure manually?

And you are right, it is not 4K, it is the lowest end of the HD scale which is 720 X 1280, as is shown in the MediaInfo. And it is a very low bitrate, which is the reason for the 'fuzziness'. 720p resolution is the downscaled version that is fed back from the aircraft to the RC unit and is saved to your phone, and is also saved in one of the directories on the SD card in the aircraft to be used as a proxy for editing.

You don't seem to understand... I uploaded the file to dropbox after messaging it to myself from another computer. I am blaming the camera because the original file I uploaded to Google Drive should be in 4k or at least a little less than that. I decided to use no ND filter and had the drone on auto-exposure because of the fact that the last time I flew the drone, I used the ND filter and the image came back too dark, so I decided to let the camera auto adjust, I guess that was a bad choice because the image looked very poor and grainy.

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-14 14:30
You don't seem to understand... I uploaded the file to dropbox after messaging it to myself from another computer. I am blaming the camera because the original file I uploaded to Google Drive should be in 4k or at least a little less than that. I decided to use no ND filter and had the drone on auto-exposure because of the fact that the last time I flew the drone, I used the ND filter and the image came back too dark, so I decided to let the camera auto adjust, I guess that was a bad choice because the image looked very poor and grainy.

What am I not understanding? I gave you a detailed reply, the file you uploaded looks like crap because it is NOT 4K, but the lowest resolution setting of 720p. At that settring, the bitrate of the clip is very low, that is what is causing the fuzziness.

If you want to use auto-exposure, then be prepared for the camera to screw it up. Better to learn how to use the histogram and adjust the exposure manually from the RC unit.

Just a bit of further explanation. THe FPV video from the aircraft is sent back by radio from the aircraft to the controller so you can see what the camera is seeing, but because of radio channel limitations, it does not send back a full reolution version of the signal. For most aircraft, it sends back a 720 x 1280 version, usually known as 720p. For the P4P, it can be a 1080 x 1920 or 1080p feed. This video is used on the display so you can see the camera output, and, if you select the cache option, is saved to the memory of the phone. A 4K version is never sent to the phone.
The 4K clip is only recorded on the SD card in the aircraft, nowhere else. In order to view the 4K video, you either have to connect a USB cable to the aircraft and download the file to an external computer, however this is not that easy with any Apple product because they make you jump through hoops to make the connection, much easier with a PC. Alternatively, you can pop the SD card out of the aircraft, place the micro SD card in a full size adapter, then plug it into an SD card reader and copy the file off the card to your computer. Then you will be able to play back the 4K file, providing your computer has enough horsepower for the job.

The file you posted has either gone through some file conversion process, or it is not the real file from the SD card, because it is 720 x 1280 at a bit rate of 2.1 Megabits per second, which is way too low a bitrate for decent quality viewing, hence the fuzziness. I would suggest your camera is fine and does not have a fault, you are simply looking at the wrong file. If you remove the SD card and look at it, you will most likely find the correct file.

google drive compresses like YT does but that wouldnt account for the issues over the sand and sea, as for the 2nd video uploaded to dropbox, its quality is poop and certainly does not look even 1080 quality and as Geebax says, it looks like sommat off the device not the sd card, unless it is off the card and its been downgraded big time, the 2 links you posted are different qualities, 1st one is a higher quality than the dropbox one, 1st one is ‪3,840 x 2,160‬ @ 800+mb an stark difference to the 2nd

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-14 15:46
Just a bit of further explanation. THe FPV video from the aircraft is sent back by radio from the aircraft to the controller so you can see what the camera is seeing, but because of radio channel limitations, it does not send back a full reolution version of the signal. For most aircraft, it sends back a 720 x 1280 version, usually known as 720p. For the P4P, it can be a 1080 x 1920 or 1080p feed. This video is used on the display so you can see the camera output, and, if you select the cache option, is saved to the memory of the phone. A 4K version is never sent to the phone.
The 4K clip is only recorded on the SD card in the aircraft, nowhere else. In order to view the 4K video, you either have to connect a USB cable to the aircraft and download the file to an external computer, however this is not that easy with any Apple product because they make you jump through hoops to make the connection, much easier with a PC. Alternatively, you can pop the SD card out of the aircraft, place the micro SD card in a full size adapter, then plug it into an SD card reader and copy the file off the card to your computer. Then you will be able to play back the 4K file, providing your computer has enough horsepower for the job.

LIKE I SAID EARLIER: I did not upload the 4k version to dropbox, because I ran out of storage on dropbox. The file I uploaded to Google Drive should be in 1080 because it doesn't support 4k. It is the real file from the SD card to Google Drive, but I guess you failed to realize that. I am not going to argue because this is not the question I am trying to get answered out of this thread.

Bashy Posted at 2018-2-14 21:04
google drive compresses like YT does but that wouldnt account for the issues over the sand and sea, as for the 2nd video uploaded to dropbox, its quality is poop and certainly does not look even 1080 quality and as Geebax says, it looks like sommat off the device not the sd card, unless it is off the card and its been downgraded big time, the 2 links you posted are different qualities, 1st one is a higher quality than the dropbox one, 1st one is ‪3,840 x 2,160‬ @ 800+mb an stark difference to the 2nd

Like I said... I didn't have enough space to upload to dropbox. I downgraded the footage. The Drive file is the full file that I was able to upload.

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-16 15:21
LIKE I SAID EARLIER: I did not upload the 4k version to dropbox, because I ran out of storage on dropbox. The file I uploaded to Google Drive should be in 1080 because it doesn't support 4k. It is the real file from the SD card to Google Drive, but I guess you failed to realize that. I am not going to argue because this is not the question I am trying to get answered out of this thread.

Keep it civil. why should I waste my time trying to help someone who wants an argument? I don't care whether your Dropbox limit is exceeded or not, that's your problem. I asked you to upload it there because Dropbox does not make any changes to the file, and it needs to be the original file from the camera.

And yes, this is all quite relevant in trying to get to the bottom of this problem. Everything you try to upload is heavily compressed, and that will ruin the images. In any event, I have about done trying to help you because you are not reading or comprehending what I have said to you about the compression.
You originally asked for help to fix the problem. In order to eliminate the camera as a source of the problem, I asked you to upload the original camera file. Every file you uploaded has been a crap low bitrate, downscaled version, so naturally it looks like crap. It is most likely there is nothing wrong with your camera, just what you are doing to the images.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-16 15:28
Keep it civil. why should I waste my time trying to help someone who wants an argument? I don't care whether your Dropbox limit is exceeded or not, that's your problem. I asked you to upload it there because Dropbox does not make any changes to the file, and it needs to be the original file from the camera.

And yes, this is all quite relevant in tryin g to get to the bottom of this problem. Everything you try to upload is heavily compressed, and that will ruin the images. In any event, I have about done trying to help you because you are not reading or comprehending what I have said to you about the compression.

I appreciate all the help you have given me. I didn't want to give off an aggressive tone, but reading back my comments, I realize that I did give off such. I am sorry.

Is resolve an application I can download?

thx

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-16 15:28
Keep it civil. why should I waste my time trying to help someone who wants an argument? I don't care whether your Dropbox limit is exceeded or not, that's your problem. I asked you to upload it there because Dropbox does not make any changes to the file, and it needs to be the original file from the camera.

And yes, this is all quite relevant in tryin g to get to the bottom of this problem. Everything you try to upload is heavily compressed, and that will ruin the images. In any event, I have about done trying to help you because you are not reading or comprehending what I have said to you about the compression.

I was just trying to say that the footage I view back on my monitor, and my MacBook Pro's monitor appears grainy, and it is not Google Drive or Dropbox's fault because the original file already appeared low quality for a file recorded in 3840x2160, I don't understand that.

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-16 15:35
I was just trying to say that the footage I view back on my monitor, and my MacBook Pro's monitor appears grainy, and it is not Google Drive or Dropbox's fault because the original file already appeared low quality for a file recorded in 3840x2160, I don't understand that.

Viewing the file on a Macbook is not going to reveal the full quality of a 4K image, simply because the screen is too small to properly display 4K. But as I said earlier, the clip is somewhat under-exposed, that will raise the grain in the image. Proper exposure is important, perhaps you should study the use of the histogram: https://forum.dji.com/thread-135404-1-1.html

Edit: I just looked up the Macbook Pro, the screen does not even get close to 4K resolution, even on the 15" model.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-16 15:42
Viewing the file on a Macbook is not going to reveal the full quality of a 4K image, simply because the screen is too small to properly display 4K. But as I said earlier, the clip is somewhat under-exposed, that will raise the grain in the image. Proper exposure is important, perhaps you should study the use of the histogram: https://forum.dji.com/thread-135404-1-1.html

Edit: I just looked up the Macbook Pro, the screen does not even get close to 4K resolution, even on the 15" model.

4k Monitors are too expensive atm

I am in the process of uploading the full file to Dropbox after freeing space. The only thing 4k in this house is the TV!! Even with the TV, 4k is rarely used except through YouTube (my cable provider doesn't support 4k, I don't think any cable does).

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-16 15:42
Viewing the file on a Macbook is not going to reveal the full quality of a 4K image, simply because the screen is too small to properly display 4K. But as I said earlier, the clip is somewhat under-exposed, that will raise the grain in the image. Proper exposure is important, perhaps you should study the use of the histogram: https://forum.dji.com/thread-135404-1-1.html

Edit: I just looked up the Macbook Pro, the screen does not even get close to 4K resolution, even on the 15" model.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f8ctd5q651gfkj2/DJI_0110.MOV?dl=0

This is one of my several recording clips that I have made this day.

]

Mac says this is 4k. I don't understand why my camera is this grainy.

Here is the conversation with the DJI Support person, he suggested that the strong wind may have played part in the issue, he also said to reset camera settings

Hello, may I know your location and how I may help you?
16:14

Hi, I am in California, my camera has appeared to be recording grainy footage that does not meet 4k standards. I was wondering if you could review my footage and help figure out what, if anything, is wrong with my camera. The link to dropbox and my file is: https://www.dropbox.com/s/f8ctd5q651gfkj2/DJI_0110.MOV?dl=0

Hello Ethan

I'm sorry to know that

Rest assured that I am here to help


May I ask what happened prior to this issue
16:15

I have been recording most of my footage with ND filters, this time, I chose not to use the filters and recorded with the camera's natural adjustments. I don't know what else may have happened.

Is there any flight accident or hard landing?

No
16:17

What is the model of your aircraft?

What mobile device are you using?

I used a iPhone 6s to fly. I am typing you from a MacBook Pro.
16:18

Thank you for the information

Is the firmware up to date?

Yes, I updated before I flew.

What is the video resolution your using?
16:20

3840x2160 30fps. 4k

Can you please try to reset the camera settings then try to use a different video resolution
16:22

I could do that before I record again, but what was wrong with the footage I recorded? What issue occurred when I was flying to make my footage look bad?

Possible a strong wind
16:23

Wind can affect a video recording? I didn't know that.
16:25

Did you view the footage I uploaded to the link?

Yes
16:26

It may be possible that the issue is on the camera itself

That is why I suggest that try to reset the camera settings and use a different video resolution
16:27

I will try that, and if it doesn't work out then I will contact y'all again. Thank you for the help Mark.

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-16 16:02
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f8ctd5q651gfkj2/DJI_0110.MOV?dl=0

This is one of my several recording clips that I have made this day.

I just viewed that download on my 4k monitor, much better than the original you showed on Google. No compression artifacts on beach or above multi storey car park. Pretty sharp.

Aardvark Posted at 2018-2-16 16:37
I just viewed that download on my 4k monitor, much better than the original you showed on Google. No compression artifacts on beach or above multi storey car park. Pretty sharp.

Why does it appear sharp on your end and not mine? Does it still look bad compared to other 4k recordings?

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-16 16:46
Why does it appear sharp on your end and not mine? Does it still look bad compared to other 4k recordings?

It won't look its best if viewed in Google or suchlike. these players often invoke their own video compression and bandwidth restrictions.
What hardware are you using to view the 4k file ?

If you load the file directly to your computers hard drive then you should see it at its best.

I would say it is comparable with any 4k I have done in terms of sharpness.

Aardvark Posted at 2018-2-16 16:54
It won't look its best if viewed in Google or suchlike. these players often invoke their own video compression and bandwidth restrictions.
What hardware are you using to view the 4k file ?

I am using a MacBook Pro 13 in and it has a (2560 x 1600) display. It still looks poor, and I have the original file.

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-16 16:55
I am using a MacBook Pro 13 in and it has a (2560 x 1600) display. It still looks poor, and I have the original file.

It must be hardware related, I've just had a second look (eliminate the seed of doubt) and it looks good.

Perhaps some definition is lost in the Macs down scaling of image.

If somebody else could verify my findings, that at least would give you some guidance.

Aardvark Posted at 2018-2-16 17:00
It must be hardware related, I've just had a second look (eliminate the seed of doubt) and it looks good.

Perhaps some definition is lost in the Macs down scaling of image.

Should I upload the original file to YouTube and view that video on my 4k TV so I can confirm your findings?

eman_vg Posted at 2018-2-16 17:02
Should I upload the original file to YouTube and view that video on my 4k TV so I can confirm your findings?

Can you load onto a USB3 memory stick and playback on your 4k TV ? That might be best option (Assuming memory fairly good spec). YouTube may give a better rendition than google, but better if you play the file directly connected.

Aardvark Posted at 2018-2-16 17:06
Can you load onto a USB3 memory stick and playback on your 4k TV ? That might be best option (Assuming memory fairly good spec). YouTube may give a better rendition than google, but better if you play the file directly connected.

I can probably access the dropbox link through my TV. I will figure that out and get back to you.

I just downloaded the file from Dropbox and ran it. The file is indeed 4K, but there is something odd about it now I am looking at it on a 4K compatible monitor. It is, as I suspected, somewhat underexposed. This is not helped by the late time in the day. It also looks like you have auto white balance on, which is not a good idea, as it changes the colour as the aircraft flies over the water and onto land. Looking at the sky area in a zoomed in view, there is grain apparent there, which should not be the case. But what is most odd is that the overal level of video is way down, and I don't know what causes that. Itr might be fixed by a camera reset, but it also may be a fault.

I would suggest that you do a reset of all camera settings and start from scratch. Sorry, but I can't tell you the correct place to perform the reset, but comrade Aardvark may know.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-16 18:33
I just downloaded the file from Dropbox and ran it. The file is indeed 4K, but there is something odd about it now I am looking at it on a 4K compatible monitor. It is, as I suspected, somewhat underexposed. This is not helped by the late time in the day. It also looks like you have auto white balance on, which is not a good idea, as it changes the colour as the aircraft flies over the water and onto land. Looking at the sky area in a zoomed in view, there is grain apparent there, which should not be the case. But what is most odd is that the overal level of video is way down, and I don't know what causes that. Itr might be fixed by a camera reset, but it also may be a fault.

I would suggest that you do a reset of all camera settings and start from scratch. Sorry, but I can't tell you the correct place to perform the reset, but comrade Aardvark may know.

Yes

I found this footage very odd given that its 4k and looks so bad quality. I will reset camera settings and use an ND filter tomorrow morning when I shoot. Do I use the sunny WB setting when there are these conditions of weather?
I will see the result of the footage and give this thread the results.