I've noticed an annoying glitch a few times where the camera on my P3Pro seems to turn off while flying and recordning video (4K)


The Pilot App goes black and it reports "loss of signal", but the control-signal is still fine and it flies perfectly. However, the camera seems to reboot, the gimbal does its dance (still flying), the video that it was recording it seems to get restored (like you would restore a video by restarting the Phantom) with the telltale sign of a videofile with the date of 31th of December 2013.

An annoying sideeffect is that it seems to reset a number of settings, so if you resume filming it might not be with the wanted settings. Other settings might also revert to default - I'm a bit uncertain about that part.


Anyone else experience this? Is DJI aware of a bug? Is there something wrong with my precious?

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Buy your DJI-gear, batteries, cases by using this link - it'll help me out

Happens to me - it happened during two flights (out of 8) and multiple times in one flight.
It seems to be a bug - at least you know it's not just you!

Hopefully DJI knows.....there seem to be other small bugs such as the compass error banner I (and another report) got, the camera angle getting off (even after IMU calibration, it sometimes returns to slanted), etc.

My thinking is these problems will go away with future updates. I'm not sure if DJI have an official way to report bugs!

It's hard to imagine that none of this stuff happened to their beta testers and employees.....

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-5-8 09:14
Happens to me - it happened during two flights (out of 8) and multiple times in one flight.
It seem ...

Thanks a lot, I've had it do it about the same number of times (not multiple times in one flight though). I also have 8 flights logged

Were you also recording 4K video at the time of camera reboot?

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The tilted horizon is really annoying. Might be especially bad when yaw'ing - perhaps especially if the chopper is tilted because it is fighting the wind.

I am experimenting with using the FPV/FOLLOW toggle (connected to the C2 button) and the "LOOK DOWN - LOOK AHEAD" toggle (on C1 button). At least putting it in FPV might reset the level. Let me hear your experiences if you give it a try.

Would be great to hear from DJI - regarding both issues!

I was not recording at all when my total dropouts occurred - so I think it's unrelated to the camera actually taking pics - of course, the camera is active at all times through the lightbridge FPV.

So far none of my video is really useable due to the sloping. I thought it was fixed with the IMU calibration - it actually was.....but I think it came back again. I'll have to calibrate again and see if that fixes it.

FYI, I see you are from Denmark!
I visited twice and was the USA importer for the HS Kedler Tarm boilers which are made in the village of Tarm.
http://www.hvidesande.com/ln-int/hvide-sande/tarm
I was in Denmark the year they won the world cup (against Germany, I think?) - My daughter (16 ) got drunk for the first time that day...with her new Danish friends.

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-5-8 10:44
I was not recording at all when my total dropouts occurred - so I think it's unrelated to the camera ...

I am annoyed with the horizon-tilt as well. Did you try my suggested workarounds?

The shot can be saved in the editor - removing the tilt. There is a bit of quality cost/cropping. But it is doable, and with 4K, there is room for it I'd say. But it is annoying.

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-5-8 10:48
FYI, I see you are from Denmark!
I visited twice and was the USA importer for the HS Kedler Tarm boi ...

Excellent   I've been to the states a number of times - and also went to business school in California. I have driven coast to coast - both north and south (a circle).

Oh yes, European Champions, the glorious summer of '92

Haha, yes, the drinking culture is a bit more liberal in Denmark. Or at least, not as hypocritical as in other places ;)

I know HS Tarm boilers well.

FantomDK Posted at 2015-5-8 11:19
Excellent   I've been to the states a number of times - and also went to business school in Cali ...

I have noticed some issues with horizon tilt in my first video as well.  Hopefully a fix is coming.

scott7161@gmail Posted at 2015-5-8 13:33
I have noticed some issues with horizon tilt in my first video as well.  Hopefully a fix is coming ...

Full IMU calibration does seem like it has made the problem less prevalent (also calibrating the gimbal cant hurt). But I'm not completely sure.

You can try switch PAL /NSTC, then you'll be prompted that camera will restart, then you can see a blue screen appears, that is the camera restart.
In your case I think that is the video transimission issue but not camera. The video signal is weak at that time, how far was the aircraft?
I've reported the setting bug.

DJI-Autumn Posted at 2015-5-8 16:11
You can try switch PAL /NSTC, then you'll be prompted that camera will restart, then you can see a b ...

Thank you.

In what situation might it be beneficial to entice the Phantom to restart the camera by toggling NTSC/PAL? When this has happened, the camera appeared to restart itself and work again for the rest of the flight.

I would say that times (at least two times) it has happened for me, it was within 10-20 meters of the P3Pro at low altitude of a few meters, pointing the transmitter towards the P3. The signal ought to be perfect.

DJI-Autumn Posted at 2015-5-8 16:11
You can try switch PAL /NSTC, then you'll be prompted that camera will restart, then you can see a b ...

Autumn,
The video drop out has been when the Phantom 3 is VERY closer to me - sometimes only 50 feet. It has nothing to do with distance.

I think it is in software because it only happens once in a while.

Mine has been doing the same thing.

Yep loss of connection is happening multiple times on my p3 to iPad Air 2. Even happens when warming up in my lounge. It's not the iPad as I use that on my inspire and it's not the new iPad cord as I've tried 3. It's definetly a glitch that needs fixing.

The tilt can be calibrated to level in the gimbal settings.

tchavalas@panos Posted at 2015-5-10 05:49
The tilt can be calibrated to level in the gimbal settings.

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abrister Posted at 2015-5-9 05:02
Mine has been doing the same thing.

Did yours do it when you were close to the Phantom (in air) or was it far away?

Could it be aggravated by being close to the Phantom? Rather than being far (weak signal)?

FantomDK Posted at 2015-5-10 11:28
?

I was just commenting that the camera roll can be calibrated.  I think you mentioned the camera was not level?   Maybe I misunderstood your comment.  I was just pointing out there is a way to adjust the camera roll in the settings.  

As for the other issues... I am sorry.  Hope you find a solution soon.

I experienced the same thing. The Phantom 3 P was at about 350 alt. and 800m away when I lost the video signal and the pilot app told me that it lost connection. I just disconnected the USB plug from the RC and re-connected it one second later and it worked out well. After 2-3 seconds my iPad was back online.

tchavalas@panos Posted at 2015-5-11 00:50
I was just commenting that the camera roll can be calibrated.  I think you mentioned the camera was ...

Yep, I know there is such a setting. How useful it is, I'm not so sure, except for creating a tilt on purpose (which is possible for some special artistic scenario I guess).

But for adjusting the tilt when it goes out of whack, I don't think it would work very well. Because the tilt usually fixes itself or levels out after a bit of flying (or toggling camera up/down and FPV-mode on/off). In you can made it level, then I guess it would just be tilted the other way when it had corrected itself

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-5-9 04:58
Autumn,
The video drop out has been when the Phantom 3 is VERY closer to me - sometimes only 50 fe ...

Maybe a temporary EMI resource pop up?  If the video signal dropped out frequently and continiously at a very short distance. I'll suspect a faulty Rx.
I'll go check whether it related to the software, but I believe that the later firmware will optimize the video transmission./

FantomDK Posted at 2015-5-11 03:18
Yep, I know there is such a setting. How useful it is, I'm not so sure, except for creating a tilt ...

This is correct!
Using the gimbal roll adjustment does not fix the horizon problem - because, as Fantom says, the gimbal decides on it's own to level out after a while.

See this video - tilted at first, then straight......in the first minute or so.

DJI-Autumn Posted at 2015-5-11 15:52
Maybe a temporary EMI resource pop up?  If the video signal dropped out frequently and continiously ...

It seems to always be tilted to the left (when the tilt is there).

This is super annoying. It looks terrible.

DJI needs to reassure us there is a firmware/software fix on its way?

It is horrific to see all those videos posted - almost all of them with tilted horizons. Full IMU calibration only seems to fix it partially.

This is troubling news.  My Phantom 3 arrives tomorrow.  I am hoping my IMU does not suffer from this issue.

So is there any consensus at to which direction it's always tilted?   Right or left?  Maybe if it's consistent it can be corrected in a software update?

droneflyers.com Posted at 2015-5-11 21:48
This is correct!
Using the gimbal roll adjustment does not fix the horizon problem - because, as F ...

Interesting... Some are tilted left.  Some are tilted right.  It does not seem to be consistent from shot to shot.  (Nice video though.)

I suppose this is all the more reason to shoot in 4K.  You can crop slightly & rotate the horizon in post and still get beautiful 1080P footage.

Perhaps the camera roll adjustment can be used to temporarily level each shot as well.

tchavalas@panos Posted at 2015-5-12 01:36
Interesting... Some are tilted left.  Some are tilted right.  It does not seem to be consistent fr ...

Look at these videos. 1080p firmware 1.1.8. android app,  Nexus 9. Horizon is tilted left. I have same grey screen issue. Signal lost no video picture but flight control work normaly. I realize my Nexus 9 cache memory was full.. Tuhat might by reason why I have grey screen.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCMKSdKE4Vny-2F8djt_v6Qg

ReppocMike Posted at 2015-5-14 16:10
Look at these videos. 1080p firmware 1.1.8. android app,  Nexus 9. Horizon is tilted left. I have  ...

Mike, my fellow Scandinavian

I have not experienced the camera shut-off since the one I reported here. Running Firmware 1.1.9 now.

PS: Nice videos from the Land of the Thousand Lakes!

FantomDK Posted at 2015-5-24 07:57
Mike, my fellow Scandinavian

I have not experienced the camera shut-off since the one I reporte ...

Hi PhantomDK,
Thanks when I have more free time I will send more videos from Finland.
Actually I just at moment in Vildbjerg, near Herning. So I have same Danish experiences.

I had the same problem yesterday with losing video feed, loss of signal but still maintained full control also when I was recording my video would freeze up and stop the recording. Couldn't get more than a couple seconds of film before it would freeze up and stop. I have class 10 card 64gb card and I am filming 1080@60, the past 10 flights had no problems, then this one flight happened and went all crazy. Now the flights after it I had no trouble.

I have noticed that my horizon isn't level either, tried messing with gimbal roll didn't seem to help much.

I am having the same problem with a new camera for the Phantom3 andanced. I did as sugested and changed from NTSC/PAL and it kind of gave the same symptoms. I powered the copter down and restarted it.
The camera would only power up. for a few seconds. I had to power cycle it a few times before it would stay on. I noticed that when it was recording in 4k it would record for less than a minute. I tried 720 and it seemed to work better but still crashed the camera.