The image below demonstrates an issue with exposure when taking 360 panoramas with a Mavic Air.  This image was stitched by the Go4 app.  Certain shots of the sky and grass are way off, so off that MS ICE and DJI Media Maker cannot stitch the image.

Are you using manual settings ie exposure/iso?  This is the only way for a sucesfull pano.  If not auto will just change per shot and the results will look like yours.  What I do is be in manual(iso 100) point camera highest and set ev to 0.  Then move camera down about half way and start pano.  

SparksBird Posted at 2018-6-14 11:42
Are you using manual settings ie exposure/iso?  This is the only way for a sucesfull pano.  If not auto will just change per shot and the results will look like yours.  What I do is be in manual(iso 100) point camera highest and set ev to 0.  Then move camera down about half way and start pano.  

[view_image]

Exactly, I would suggest shooting only in manual when doing panos. Additionally, changes in white balance settings could ruin your pano, so set correctly white balance and don’t use auto white balance.

MWitarsa Posted at 2018-6-14 12:00
Exactly, I would suggest shooting only in manual when doing panos. Additionally, changes in white balance settings could ruin your pano, so set correctly white balance and don’t use auto white balance.

Yes good point.  All of my settings are manual.  I typically have my white balance between 6300-6700 during the day.  It is always manually set.  

I believe part of what you are seeing in the top frame is prop shadow, and the built in software made it worse.  Attempting to blend it into the shot.

Have you looked at the singles?  Do you see as much black in individual images?  If not try importing the jpgs into microsoft's ICE program or Adobe's Lightroom.  Ice is free but only works on windows.

You will need to take out the props in the individual images, most easily done with a tool like Content aware, in Photoshop CC.  

Props showing are by far the single largest issue with any drone pano when it looks up.  

On my MPP or P4 P4 pro when using the pano setting, the drone takes over the gimbal, it makes no difference where you put it, i.e. pointing down a bit to help keep the props out.

I do a lot of panos, but mainly manually shoot them, and stitch them in Lightroom.  If you have prop shadow, it really needs to be taken out before you stitch.

Paul Caldwell

paul2660 Posted at 2018-6-14 12:12
I believe part of what you are seeing in the top frame is prop shadow, and the built in software made it worse.  Attempting to blend it into the shot.

Have you looked at the singles?  Do you see as much black in individual images?  If not try importing the jpgs into microsoft's ICE program or Adobe's Lightroom.  Ice is free but only works on windows.

I've made many panoramas, check out my Skypixel page.  I've never had them turn out like this.  I do fix the color balance and believe pano shots lock the exposure on the first pic when using a Mavic Air.  I use ICE all the time to stitch images.  These shots were so bad that ICE would not work.  I've never had prop issues on any of my panoramas.

Make sure you're not using a polariser as well. That'll cause uneven banding

SparksBird Posted at 2018-6-14 11:42
Are you using manual settings ie exposure/iso?  This is the only way for a sucesfull pano.  If not auto will just change per shot and the results will look like yours.  What I do is be in manual(iso 100) point camera highest and set ev to 0.  Then move camera down about half way and start pano.  

[view_image]

I see your example is not a 360 pano.  I agree with the manual exposure lock however I believe the Mavic Air locks the exposure on the first shot.  I've only noticed this issue since the last upgrade to GO4. (4.20)Here is the previous shot taken with exactly the same settings and stitched in ICE.  Notice the uniformity of the grass.  (Sky has been filled to to the zenith overwriting the original)

gnirtS Posted at 2018-6-14 14:09
Make sure you're not using a polariser as well. That'll cause uneven banding

No additional filters were used.

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 2018-6-14 14:19
No additional filters were used.

Perhaps it no longer locks the exposure since the last update that you have noticed.  Did you notice the exposure changing during the shots?  I know mine was not a 360 but a 180 but have never had an issue as I always use manual settings as I do not trust auto especially doing pano's.  You can assign a button to lock exposure just before taking the pano, maybe try that?  It seems that it is not locking the exposure at all.  

SparksBird Posted at 2018-6-14 14:31
Perhaps it no longer locks the exposure since the last update that you have noticed.  Did you notice the exposure changing during the shots?  I know mine was not a 360 but a 180 but have never had an issue as I always use manual settings as I do not trust auto especially doing pano's.  You can assign a button to lock exposure just before taking the pano, maybe try that?  It seems that it is not locking the exposure at all.

Didn't notice if the exposure was changing as it was very bright out and I left my hood at home.
I have not seen the exposure lock for the Fn or C button customization for the Mavic Air.   The Tx has a lot less features than the Mavic Pro Tx.  (no buttons on the bottom, no wheel on the right side, no mini joy stick)

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 2018-6-14 15:19
Didn't notice if the exposure was changing as it was very bright out and I left my hood at home.
I have not seen the exposure lock for the Fn or C button customization for the Mavic Air.   The Tx has a lot less features than the Mavic Pro Tx.  (no buttons on the bottom, no wheel on the right side, no mini joy stick)

You will only be able to use AE Lock if shooting in Auto.  Manual of course will be locked to what you set it to.  

This video shows that you can AE lock whether it be the Spark, Pro, Air.  

After much tweaking I managed to get the top pano to stitch in MS ICE.  Corrected the exposures first.  A very strange stitch however.  The horizon looks perfect but the lines on the field are really messed up.  Maybe the painters were drunk.

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 2018-6-14 17:32
After much tweaking I managed to get the top pano to stitch in MS ICE.  Corrected the exposures first.  A very strange stitch however.  The horizon looks perfect but the lines on the field are really messed up.  Maybe the painters were drunk.https://www.skypixel.com/photos/torus-field?utm_source=copied&utm_medium=PCWeb&utm_campaign=share&sp=0

LOL perhaps they were.  I have found sometimes when I would use MS Ice it also would do the same exact thing.  In fact sometimes parts of the image would be blurry.  When I would use DJI Media Maker to stitch the exact same pano it would do it correctly, all of the lines lined up and no blurry parts at all.  I find MS Ice to be inconsistent.  

Try to stitch that same one in Media Maker and see if they line up.

SparksBird Posted at 2018-6-14 17:40
LOL perhaps they were.  I have found sometimes when I would use MS Ice it also would do the same exact thing.  In fact sometimes parts of the image would be blurry.  When I would use DJI Media Maker to stitch the exact same pano it would do it correctly, all of the lines lined up and no blurry parts at all.  I find MS Ice to be inconsistent.  

Try to stitch that same one in Media Maker and see if they line up.

Tried Media Maker three times with slightly different corrected images and it failed each time.  I'll put the pics back on the SD card and see if the drone can do a better stitching job.
Well that did not work

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 2018-6-14 18:21
Tried Media Maker three times with slightly different corrected images and it failed each time.  I'll put the pics back on the SD card and see if the drone can do a better stitching job.
Well that did not work

Sorry to hear

I have a much bigger problem, my panoramas look WAY worse. Some of my pictures are completely black and some are correctly exposed when I do panoramas. And yes, I use manual settings.

See here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8jhil ... r894TgQLIL1cRa?dl=0

And if you check this thread:

https://forum.dji.com/thread-144560-1-1.html

You will see the same problem. The guy there got his drone replaced by DJI. I made a thread, too but noone replied so I didn't get confirmation by DJI even though I'd like to send my drone in, too.

saviour Posted at 2018-6-14 21:08
I have a much bigger problem, my panoramas look WAY worse. Some of my pictures are completely black and some are correctly exposed when I do panoramas. And yes, I use manual settings.

See here:

Interesting.  On this day I shot 12 spherical panoramas.  Only one of them had the variable exposure.  Used the same settings for all of them.   I'll have to test some more tomorrow if the weather holds.

Yeah I gotta do some more panoramas as an evidence. I want DJI to swap my drone. Panoramas would be such a great feature for aerial views but I just can't use it right now.
I've also gotten many stitching problems where I have an extrem blurness where the picutres are stitched together.

saviour Posted at 2018-6-14 23:19
Yeah I gotta do some more panoramas as an evidence. I want DJI to swap my drone. Panoramas would be such a great feature for aerial views but I just can't use it right now.
I've also gotten many stitching problems where I have an extrem blurness where the picutres are stitched together.

I made 6 panoramas today and they were perfect.  Did notice on the first shot of the pano which is straight forward a yellow box pops up in the center of the screen and it locks the exposure.  Also made a very interesting blended pano today.  Follow this link.
Blended Panorama.

saviour Posted at 2018-6-14 23:19
Yeah I gotta do some more panoramas as an evidence. I want DJI to swap my drone. Panoramas would be such a great feature for aerial views but I just can't use it right now.
I've also gotten many stitching problems where I have an extrem blurness where the picutres are stitched together.

Hey,

seems I also have this issue
ALsocontacted DJI, you already recieved a reply?

I honestly didn't contact them yet because I haven't had that bug lately. Tell me when and what they answer you please!

saviour Posted at 2018-6-23 23:20
I honestly didn't contact them yet because I haven't had that bug lately. Tell me when and what they answer you please!

Just imported the photos in lightroom and let lightroom made the panorama. That went OK so I would expect its a software thing.

Talking about the software, what I noticed is I have never gotten success in making one good panorama shot. You can see where the pictures are stitched together on every panorama because they are extremely blurred on the edges of the individual pictures.

So refreshed the firmware today for all batteries…..still same issue :S

GuLe Posted at 2018-7-13 11:50
So refreshed the firmware today for all batteries…..still same issue :S

Are you locking the exposure?  It is a must for a successful pano.  Apparently and this is a software issue the AC takes the picture too fast between shots not giving time for the exposure to adjust correctly.  So why it is a must to keep exposure locked or else you will get this effect.  Hopefully DJI fixes this in a future release until then just lock EV.

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 2018-6-14 17:32
After much tweaking I managed to get the top pano to stitch in MS ICE.  Corrected the exposures first.  A very strange stitch however.  The horizon looks perfect but the lines on the field are really messed up.  Maybe the painters were drunk.https://www.skypixel.com/photos/torus-field?utm_source=copied&utm_medium=PCWeb&utm_campaign=share&sp=0

How did you post this 360 shot to the thread?

Asainz320 Posted at 2018-7-13 12:23
How did you post this 360 shot to the thread?

I have a tutorial that shows how.  Here is the link
Posting a 360 pano.

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 2018-7-13 15:24
I have a tutorial that shows how.  Here is the link
Posting a 360 pano.

Thanks for your kind sharing

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 2018-7-13 15:24
I have a tutorial that shows how.  Here is the link
Posting a 360 pano.

Awesome! Thanks man!!!

I have the same issue. I use the DJI Go4 app to stitch.  I haven't figured out how to use other software yet.  

TX99517 Posted at 2018-7-13 20:05
I have the same issue. I use the DJI Go4 app to stitch.  I haven't figured out how to use other software yet.  
https://www.skypixel.com/photos/5a5dc457-e9f2-478a-81d3-a5ee8dde98cb

Nice place to fly.  Stitching is a bit off but the exposure good.

Hummingbird.UAV Posted at 2018-7-13 20:32
Nice place to fly.  Stitching is a bit off but the exposure good.

Yeah, it happens more often than not.  Not sure how to fix that.  I haven't figured out how to stitch the images off the SD card yet.  Still learning things.

SparksBird Posted at 2018-7-13 12:01
Are you locking the exposure?  It is a must for a successful pano.  Apparently and this is a software issue the AC takes the picture too fast between shots not giving time for the exposure to adjust correctly.  So why it is a must to keep exposure locked or else you will get this effect.  Hopefully DJI fixes this in a future release until then just lock EV.

How do I lock it then, does the (in this case horizontally pano) not lock it in the beginning before starting first exposure (from 9 in total)?

GuLe Posted at 2018-7-13 23:54
How do I lock it then, does the (in this case horizontally pano) not lock it in the beginning before starting first exposure (from 9 in total)?

No it does not.  Will be an option to lock it but the best way it to just use manual settings and set ISO 100 and manual exposure.  Point to the highest point in the sky and make sure your EV is 0 then move camera half way down and take pano.