Got this mail from Dronebase:

"The image fidelity of the Mavic Air when in JPG mode is unacceptable in quality. The way the camera averages out the lux and contrast values to create a JPG makes them grainy, soft and generally not of high enough quality for our needs. We also cannot accept RAW image files because it does not alleviate the issue."

Is this something DJI is going to fix with a FW update?
If so, who will be contacting Dronebase.com so we can start using the Mavic Air for commercial work?


Please note, they also said:
"The Mavic Air can be used for getty and other client missions including real estate. It will also be fully compatible with Aircraft in iOS in the near future."

Will DJI PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE respond to this issue!

Did you play around with the profile settings yet?
And if that won't work, RAW is the way to go.
Convert to jpeg afterwards

But still, you are shooting with a very tiny sensor and a small plastic lens.
Never mind the marketing.
You know this won't give you 'pro' pictures.

I might agree with you accept DroneBase states:

"Must own and operate a DJI Phantom 3, Inspire 1 or an equivalent/better drone"

Link:  https://dbpilots.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002059171

As far as i can tell the Mavic Air camera uses a newer version of the same size sensor (1/2.3) as Phantom 3 and Inspire 1.  
It also has more pixels 4056×3040 vs 4000×3000 and a higher bit rate (100mps vs 60mps)

So this is simply an issue with how the Mavic Air renders JPG files.

rockface Posted at 2018-4-12 12:17
I might agree with you accept DroneBase states:

"Must own and operate a DJI Phantom 3, Inspire 1 or an equivalent/better drone"

Based on defining acceptable drones as the P3 and I1 - these were the state-of-the-art camera drones back in 2015... Perhaps they need to revisit their definitions as the Mavic Air does have a superior camera to the P3P.

A CW Posted at 2018-4-12 12:23
Based on defining acceptable drones as the P3 and I1 - these were the state-of-the-art camera drones back in 2015... Perhaps they need to revisit their definitions as the Mavic Air does have a superior camera to the P3P.

Makes me think exactly the same... someone needs to make some new research...

rockface Posted at 2018-4-12 12:17
I might agree with you accept DroneBase states:

"Must own and operate a DJI Phantom 3, Inspire 1 or an equivalent/better drone"

DJI's Mavic Pro JPG renders have improved dramatically since release, but I still prefer working with the RAW files most of the time. DroneBase won't accept RAW files (would be silly of them to do so) but as Montfrooij writes, you can give them higher-quality JPGs by starting with the RAW file versions in a suitable photo editing app.

Montfrooij Posted at 2018-4-12 11:33
Did you play around with the profile settings yet?
And if that won't work, RAW is the way to go.
Convert to jpeg afterwards

And if that won't work, RAW is the way to go.

Based on what original poster wrote from Dronebase ''We also cannot accept RAW image files because it does not alleviate the issue.''; it is going to take more than going with RAW.

First of all who is Dronebase to make such a statement and why should I or anyone else listen to them? Thank you for clarifying.

Wachtberger Posted at 2018-4-12 12:52
First of all who is Dronebase to make such a statement and why should I or anyone else listen to them? Thank you for clarifying.

Dronebase is a drone operator network.  and you are right, I wouldn't listen to them either, I would target my own client base and not be dictated to by a middleman.

Really easy to batch edit the raw files into really good jpg files if that is your concern.  Takes very little time.

Wachtberger Posted at 2018-4-12 12:52
First of all who is Dronebase to make such a statement and why should I or anyone else listen to them? Thank you for clarifying.

From what I gathered DroneBase is a tech company that engages drone pilots to provide drone photography and videos  for their clients and or for their own projects.  DroneBase pays drone pilots per
pano missions and or for client missions.  For pano missions the pilot turns in the pictures/video and DroneBase checks it out and if they meet with their requirements than they pay the drone pilot.

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 2018-4-12 12:45
And if that won't work, RAW is the way to go.

Based on what original poster wrote from Dronebase ''We also cannot accept RAW image files because it does not alleviate the issue.''; it is going to take more than going with RAW.

I agree that it might not solve the problem.
It is just the best you can get out of the Air's sensor.

Hmmmm no, as stated previously the Mavic Air photos are unacceptable in Jpeg form. This is nothing more than a software engine issue and can be addressed.  There is NO reason why the jpeg's and Video settings cannot be improved with the engine. In time to come the people that think the photo's and videos are good now are going to be completely blown away. There is more than enough resolution to play with. Just wait and see. (IMHO)

Montfrooij Posted at 2018-4-12 23:03
I agree that it might not solve the problem.
It is just the best you can get out of the Air's sensor.

From reading Dronebase's response not even a RAW photo taken by Mavic Air is acceptable.  Doubt they would even take a RAW photo from Mavic Pro P.  When you start reading Dronebase's requirements, it looks like they want pictures from DJI's pro line.   Maybe I got wrong take away?

At same time, when I read what they were paying by way of Getty, it did not seem worth it.  Unless you already had professional drone, collecting dust.   Chances are if you have a professional drone, you got your own business, and can make far more money.

A CW Posted at 2018-4-12 12:23
Based on defining acceptable drones as the P3 and I1 - these were the state-of-the-art camera drones back in 2015... Perhaps they need to revisit their definitions as the Mavic Air does have a superior camera to the P3P.

I don't know about that superior camera with the lens barrel distortion I see in virtually every video shot with the Mavic Air.

It’s a lot better than the P3P - which I owned.

A CW Posted at 2018-4-13 03:56
It’s a lot better than the P3P - which I owned.

I wouldn't know, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be content with the image distortion of the Mavic Air if you'd owned one.

Is it really that bad? Doesn’t sound too good.

M2Wair Posted at 2018-4-12 15:24
Dronebase is a drone operator network.  and you are right, I wouldn't listen to them either, I would target my own client base and not be dictated to by a middleman.

Thank you!

Silver Surfer Posted at 2018-4-12 15:44
From what I gathered DroneBase is a tech company that engages drone pilots to provide drone photography and videos  for their clients and or for their own projects.  DroneBase pays drone pilots per
pano missions and or for client missions.  For pano missions the pilot turns in the pictures/video and DroneBase checks it out and if they meet with their requirements than they pay the drone pilot.

Thank you for the explanation.

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 2018-4-12 23:32
From reading Dronebase's response not even a RAW photo taken by Mavic Air is acceptable.  Doubt they would even take a RAW photo from Mavic Pro P.  When you start reading Dronebase's requirements, it looks like they want pictures from DJI's pro line.   Maybe I got wrong take away?

At same time, when I read what they were paying by way of Getty, it did not seem worth it.  Unless you already had professional drone, collecting dust.   Chances are if you have a professional drone, you got your own business, and can make far more money.

My read is that DroneBase doesn't accept RAW files, which makes sense because a RAW file is just that -- raw data -- that needs to be processed in a photo editor.

It would be like asking a stock photo agency to accept undeveloped film.

Kevjones1959 Posted at 2018-4-12 23:30
Hmmmm no, as stated previously the Mavic Air photos are unacceptable in Jpeg form. This is nothing more than a software engine issue and can be addressed.  There is NO reason why the jpeg's and Video settings cannot be improved with the engine. In time to come the people that think the photo's and videos are good now are going to be completely blown away. There is more than enough resolution to play with. Just wait and see. (IMHO)

On a re-read of the original post it does appear that DroneBase is claiming that even with editing MA RAW files the overall grainy/softness is still unacceptable. Grain or noise can be somewhat addressed in post, but the softness, which others have noted on the forums, is possibly due to the lens. If that's the case, then a hardware solution would be required.

I run an aerial photography/videography business here in Australia and I use the inspire 2 and x5s as the minimum quality for commercial work across all industry. I have used a p4p a few times, but would only tend to use it if conditions didn't allow for the i2.  I get a lot of enquiries through where the customers would specify a minimum of a p4 and many that won't even accept that. I hope that is of some help.

I mean, if you want to be that way about it, then why not set the "minimum" at an Aerigon with an 8k camera & anamorphic primes?

Umm convert the raw files..  what photog is shooting in just jpeg? Lol  of course they don't want you to upload your raw files. They want your finished, and color graded jpegs, that you created from the raw files
..