I am having a problem seeing my screen while in the sun. I do have a sun cover but it’s still hard to see. I have an iPad mini2 and the screen isn’t very bright. For those that have the mini4 can you see in the day ?  I know the mini 4  has anti-reflection screen and the 2 doesn’t  I could get a faster ipad A10 for close to same price as mini4 but the screen is not as bright.  Crystal sky is out of the question for me $$.  I know this question has been asked billions of times but I know technology changes.  I’ve  tried standing in the shade when I can find shade and that does help ,some   Can somebody let me know the best iPad screen for day time that’s not too  expensive  ?  Thanks so much !!!

You are getting schooled in the class of drone 101.


Yes, the Sun. Bummer, looking at your device screen.

There are hoods, or buy matte screen film.

See: www.Ghost-Armor.com

Best to get your camera settings in order, in the shade, or inside your vehicle. Before stepping into the light.
I tend to keep my eyes on the drone mostly. Yes, but I do have Lume Cubes on my drone, to reacquire VLOS immediately. Particularly after glancing down to the iPad Air2 screen.


RedHotPoker

I find a shady tree is always a good place to fly from.

I have a large black bath towel that I put over my head and my Tablet.  It looks kinda odd, but it take all of the reflection away.

A shady tree is a great idea sometimes I can’t find one   I guess my question would be is an iPad mini 4 worth it and better as far as brightness then iPad min 2  ? Would I notice that much of a difference in brightness between iPad 2 and 4 ? Thanks !!!

RedHotPoker Posted at 2018-8-30 17:48
You are getting schooled in the class of drone 101.

Yes, the Sun. Bummer, looking at your device screen.

I do have a sun hood and it does help some. I have taken lots of classes in  photography  And understand  it. I have a canon 5dm3 dslr. But with out see the exposure on the screen , it’s hard to discern   I can always look at setting and know it should expose Correctly . I just need a brighter screen

Sayhelloforme Posted at 2018-8-30 20:03
I do have a sun hood and it does help some. I have taken lots of classes in  photography  And understand  it. I have a canon 5dm3 dslr. But with out see the exposure on the screen , it’s hard to discern   I can always look at setting and know it should expose Correctly . I just need a brighter screen

I use Auto camera setting a lot. Haha


Yes, it’s very frustrating. Not being able to make normal adjustments.

Or even see if your camera is over exposed, because the glare is too bright.

What are you using for your primary device right now..
The iPad Air2 Cellular, is an awesome device to pair with a DJI drone.
I found the iPad Mini too small for my liking, but their prices are decent right now,

RedHotPoker

Sayhelloforme Posted at 2018-8-30 20:03
I do have a sun hood and it does help some. I have taken lots of classes in  photography  And understand  it. I have a canon 5dm3 dslr. But with out see the exposure on the screen , it’s hard to discern   I can always look at setting and know it should expose Correctly . I just need a brighter screen

Aloha Hello,

     Like Jordan posted, using a towel or other dark cloth cover can block out most bright sunlight.  In hot weather, a dark material, like used for dark drapes for daytime sleeping, would be cooler than a towel.  It could get hot under there.

     In my case, I would make a thin cardboard viewing tunnel like Hoodman Aviator Hoods;

https://shop.hoodmanusa.com/category-s/149.htm

I am sure there are less expensive ones but that is the idea you are looking for.  Maybe a member can direct you toward a less expensive version.

     To see if they would work, you could make a testing version our of a Soda / Beer 12 pack box of thin cardboard (it is very light).  Sodas often come in a 12 pack of two six packs end to end.  That long tunnel would give you a good idea of what you need and whether it will work.  Look at the Hoodman design to see how it could be done.  Just taping something together will help you see what you need.

     Hope this helps!

Aloha and Drone On!

There's a guy in sky pixel (I think it's YiChen) who used to use a coat. Looked a bit weird and provided you don't get arrested could be an easy fix. Otherwise recommendCetaceans beer box solution. Doesn't matter what it looks like if it works

You've probably already done this, but make sure your device brightness display is turned all the way up.

This subject comes up often (look for Sunshade threads). In fact the problem with most sun hoods is the angle at which you look at the screen; most are at 90° and will show your reflection. To understand the problem, have a look at the PadHat sunshade made by HOODIVISION. You can make a decent one yourself quite easily. Now, let's be clear, on bright days you will still be best off under some shade with one of these. If you want to do serious work in bright sunlight, you need a full hood. As Cetacean posted, have a look at the Aviator hoods at  HOODMAN.
Have fun & good flying!

Cetacean Posted at 2018-8-31 01:14
Aloha Hello,

     Like Jordan posted, using a towel or other dark cloth cover can block out most bright sunlight.  In hot weather, a dark material, like used for dark drapes for daytime sleeping, would be cooler than a towel.  It could get hot under there.

Yes indeed, it does get a little warm under there.  You also need to wear a hat to support the towel/material.  Otherwise, in windy conditions, you have to keep adjusting it so you can see.  It is a little awkward, but it really works great.

johnsr Posted at 2018-8-31 03:44
This subject comes up often (look for Sunshade threads). In fact the problem with most sun hoods is the angle at which you look at the screen; most are at 90° and will show your reflection. To understand the problem, have a look at the PadHat sunshade made by HOODIVISION. You can make a decent one yourself quite easily. Now, let's be clear, on bright days you will still be best off under some shade with one of these. If you want to do serious work in bright sunlight, you need a full hood. As Cetacean posted, have a look at the Aviator hoods at  HOODMAN.
Have fun & good flying!

Good gosh, those things are expensive!

All of the suggestions above are good ones. It is something we all struggle with. One suggestion I didn't see was using a large umbrella. I have even seen hats with a small umbrella attached to the top. I don't think you will find any mobile device that will be what we all want out in the sun. With that being said, I have never had the chance to see the Crystal-sky one DJI has. It is supposed to be really good, but very pricey. The hoodman shields are real good, but the are pretty long, and it looks like your looking into a tunnel...……..but you can see the mobile device perfectly. They are just a little cumbersome in my opinion, Best of luck finding what works for you.

RicardoGray Posted at 2018-8-31 07:53
All of the suggestions above are good ones. It is something we all struggle with. One suggestion I didn't see was using a large umbrella. I have even seen hats with a small umbrella attached to the top. I don't think you will find any mobile device that will be what we all want out in the sun. With that being said, I have never had the chance to see the Crystal-sky one DJI has. It is supposed to be really good, but very pricey. The hoodman shields are real good, but the are pretty long, and it looks like your looking into a tunnel...……..but you can see the mobile device perfectly. They are just a little cumbersome in my opinion, Best of luck finding what works for you.

Aloha Ricardo,

     The DJI Sunshade for the CrystalSky High Brightness (or Ultra) is a very interesting design (5.5 and 7.85 inch).  I made one myself along the same lines and it works real well (I have the Brightness).  Here is the DJI Store link.  The photos show how the sunshade is made to fit on the front so you have unobstructed access to the ports, and buttons, on the sides;

https://store.dji.com/product/crystalsky-monitor-hood?vid=40291

     This is a really good design.

Aloha and Drone On!

Cetacean Posted at 2018-8-31 15:26
Aloha Ricardo,

     The DJI Sunshade for the CrystalSky High Brightness (or Ultra) is a very interesting design (5.5 and 7.85 inch).  I made one myself along the same lines and it works real well (I have the Brightness).  Here is the DJI Store link.  The photos show how the sunshade is made to fit on the front so you have unobstructed access to the ports, and buttons, on the sides;

Yeah that looks nice Cetacean. I also made something similar for my Nvidia shield, but of course the shield is not near as bright as the crystal sky monitor right? I also have one of the Hoodman's shades. Like I mentioned it really works good, but kind of cumbersome. But you can definitely seen my tablet very well. Kind of like looking down a long tunnel.

RicardoGray Posted at 2018-8-31 15:55
Yeah that looks nice Cetacean. I also made something similar for my Nvidia shield, but of course the shield is not near as bright as the crystal sky monitor right? I also have one of the Hoodman's shades. Like I mentioned it really works good, but kind of cumbersome. But you can definitely seen my tablet very well. Kind of like looking down a long tunnel.

Aloha Ricardo,

     Did you see my earlier comment to use a 12 pack soda box for two soda six packs end to end to test the viewing tunnel idea?  I only come across them rarely, but next time,  I am going to snag one to see how it works.  I really have no need for one, but my creative side cannot let the idea go!

Aloha and Drone On!

Thanks for all the replies. The tunnel box and hood is a good idea. I am using a p3p. What kind of device do you use.  Since no one mentioned a difference between the mini4 and mini 2, it does seem no matter what device I use, I’ll still have the same problem. Unless  Crystal sky of course. I fly a lot around  Virginia Beach oceanfront and we don’t have trees on the beach for shade.  

RicardoGray Posted at 2018-8-31 15:55
Yeah that looks nice Cetacean. I also made something similar for my Nvidia shield, but of course the shield is not near as bright as the crystal sky monitor right? I also have one of the Hoodman's shades. Like I mentioned it really works good, but kind of cumbersome. But you can definitely seen my tablet very well. Kind of like looking down a long tunnel.

Aloha Ricardo,

     Yes, the nVidia Shield K1 is a special case.  I bought a non-reflective screen protector for mine and it still reflects too much.  My old sunshade for it was thicker, so I just made another one out of the lighter cardboard used for beer boxes.  It works much better and is much less cumbersome.  

     BTW, I just use 1.5 inch tape for the clamp area so it does not force the nVidia Shield K1 out where it can fall out because of less clamp grip.  Between the nVidia and the clamp is just 2 tape layers facing each other so there is no stickiness.  The clamp grips good now.

     Another technique that makes it look nicer (more crisp) is to use Painter's Tape for each joint.  It paints over well and if you leave a space as big as the thickness of the cardboard between pieces of cardboard, it bends very well and does not distort the cardboard at all.  It looks professional - go figgah!

Aloha and Drone On!

Sayhelloforme Posted at 2018-8-31 16:35
Thanks for all the replies. The tunnel box and hood is a good idea. I am using a p3p. What kind of device do you use.  Since no one mentioned a difference between the mini4 and mini 2, it does seem no matter what device I use, I’ll still have the same problem. Unless  Crystal sky of course. I fly a lot around  Virginia Beach oceanfront and we don’t have trees on the beach for shade.

Aloha Hello,

     Virginia Beach does have a boardwalk, are there locations you can go under the boardwalk for shade?  Be sure to watch out for illegal behavior, they make movies and write songs about that!  

     You are right, you will need a sunshade solution.  Measure the sides of your iOS devices so you have an idea of what you need (I only use Android).  Also, are ports accessed on the sides?  You will need to allow space for them.  The diagonal measurement often used for screens only gives you enough information for identification, not usability.  

     Even CrystalSky screens (Android) can have visibility issues, but all visibility issues can be solved with the right design.  Look at that nice DJI design for the CrystalSky sunshade noted above in Post #15.  

     When you need a portable shady spot, do not forget the Pup-Up Canopy.  The 8X8 and 10X10 sizes really help reduce the brightness so sunshades work better.  They can also keep you cooler in the sun.  Unfortunately, it is more to cart around.

     Hope this helps!

Aloha and Drone On!

Cetacean Posted at 2018-8-31 17:04
Aloha Hello,

     Virginia Beach does have a boardwalk, are there locations you can go under the boardwalk for shade?  Be sure to watch out for illegal behavior, they make movies and write songs about that!  

Thanks Cetacean. In Virginia Beach we do have a concrete boardwalk but it’s impossible to get under by design. That is at the northern part of Virginia Beach. I live at Sandbridge which is part of the city of Virginia Beach but way south of the main tourist beach. On our beach here at Sandbridge, we have no boardwalk or trees. We only have houses here on the beach.
I was just wondering if getting the iPad mini 4 would make viewing better than the mini 2. Or is there a brighter screen that is about the same price that is an android or other version ?
We are going to the mountains of North Carolina this weekend and I’m taking my drone to get some awesome video and photos while my family is there. Should be a fun trip.
Thanks again for everyone’s input.
Maybe someone who came from a mini2 to a mini 4 could give me some guidance

Sayhelloforme Posted at 2018-8-31 19:13
Thanks Cetacean. In Virginia Beach we do have a concrete boardwalk but it’s impossible to get under by design. That is at the northern part of Virginia Beach. I live at Sandbridge which is part of the city of Virginia Beach but way south of the main tourist beach. On our beach here at Sandbridge, we have no boardwalk or trees. We only have houses here on the beach.
I was just wondering if getting the iPad mini 4 would make viewing better than the mini 2. Or is there a brighter screen that is about the same price that is an android or other version ?
We are going to the mountains of North Carolina this weekend and I’m taking my drone to get some awesome video and photos while my family is there. Should be a fun trip.

Aloha Hello,

     From my experience here on the Forum, there will be almost no benefit from any iOS setting without spending an arm and a leg.  Hard to beat the Sun!  There are other ways we have outlined for you and I am sure you will figure out something.

Aloha and Drone On!

Sayhelloforme Posted at 2018-8-31 19:13
Thanks Cetacean. In Virginia Beach we do have a concrete boardwalk but it’s impossible to get under by design. That is at the northern part of Virginia Beach. I live at Sandbridge which is part of the city of Virginia Beach but way south of the main tourist beach. On our beach here at Sandbridge, we have no boardwalk or trees. We only have houses here on the beach.
I was just wondering if getting the iPad mini 4 would make viewing better than the mini 2. Or is there a brighter screen that is about the same price that is an android or other version ?
We are going to the mountains of North Carolina this weekend and I’m taking my drone to get some awesome video and photos while my family is there. Should be a fun trip.

Aloha Hello,

     Today was as good day.  I flew my P4 and P4 Pro and took a photo of them on the picnic table.  The P4 Pro has a CrystalSky Display and I use the nVidia Shield K1 with my P4 and P3 Pro.  (I do have a Samsung Galaxy TabPRO that is a back-up for the P3 Pro.)



     It is not hard to make these sunshades.  The left is the CrystalSky (High Brightness) and the right is the nVidia Shield K1.

Aloha and Drone On!

If you like to knit... ;-)
https://www.instructables.com/id/Laptop-Compubody-Sock/



Buy a few Skeens of wool, and let your fingers do the stitch one, pearl two...

If it’s good enough for a laptop, just scale it down, to your iPad Mini and RC...


RedHotPoker

When all else fails, I  have one of these.
Portable pop up room.

RedHotPoker Posted at 2018-8-31 22:58
If you like to knit... ;-)
https://www.instructables.com/id/Laptop-Compubody-Sock/

That would be awesome on a sunny summer day in Charlotte.

BobUnplugged Posted at 2018-9-1 04:13
That would be awesome on a sunny summer day in Charlotte.

Yes, bring ice and a portable cooling fan...


RedHotPoker

I have the iPad mini 4 and yes it's kind of hard to see but I don't know how it compares to the mini 2.  I think you can adjust the screen brightness but I have not tried that yet.

Christine96 Posted at 2018-9-1 11:30
I have the iPad mini 4 and yes it's kind of hard to see but I don't know how it compares to the mini 2.  I think you can adjust the screen brightness but I have not tried that yet.

Unless you buy one of the crystalsky monitors, you won't notice much of a difference between the various ipads or any tablet for that matter...I bought a hoodman....It is pretty easy to set up and it blocks 95% of the sunlight so you can see the screen with no problem at all.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BLR ... 47571_t1_B078N4JK4Q

fansb1fe1104 Posted at 2018-9-1 15:40
Unless you buy one of the crystalsky monitors, you won't notice much of a difference between the various ipads or any tablet for that matter...I bought a hoodman....It is pretty easy to set up and it blocks 95% of the sunlight so you can see the screen with no problem at all.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BLRL4D2/ref=psdc_3347571_t1_B078N4JK4Q

I agree that the Hoodman is the best thing you can use, and it will handle any level of brightness you can throw at it.  It is just a little front-heavy, just make sure your mount is tight.  The front part with the printed logo can be removed for not-so-bright days or if you have an audience that wishes to view the screen as well.  The only criticism I have of it is that one of the straps that hold it to the iPad mini runs across the volume buttons, potentially muting the audio and preventing spoken warnings.

Can’t you leave its audio volume turned up?

I wear Parrot wireless Bluetooth headphones when flying now...
The Lume Cube LEDs are also adjustable through their Bluetooth app.

RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2018-9-1 21:13
Can’t you leave its audio volume turned up?

I wear Parrot wireless Bluetooth headphones when flying now...

The strap crosses the "volume down" button on the side of the iPad, so it's constantly depressed.  This also enables the "mute" function.  I should just unstitch the strap and sew it in a new position.

endotherm Posted at 2018-9-2 01:56
The strap crosses the "volume down" button on the side of the iPad, so it's constantly depressed.  This also enables the "mute" function.  I should just unstitch the strap and sew it in a new position.

That’s a poor design fault then. Hopefully you can figure out a way to correct that malfunctioning hood.


RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2018-9-2 08:02
That’s a poor design fault then. Hopefully you can figure out a way to correct that malfunctioning hood.

The sweater Idea is  hilarious   But an awesome idea. I will be using the sun shade and also getting the iPad mini4 so when I move up to p4p or the M2 I won’t have to buy another iPad. Thanks to all for the ideas.

Sayhelloforme Posted at 2018-9-2 13:26
The sweater Idea is  hilarious   But an awesome idea. I will be using the sun shade and also getting the iPad mini4 so when I move up to p4p or the M2 I won’t have to buy another iPad. Thanks to all for the ideas.

Yes, it’s more in the light of fun than sun defence, for your serious drone flying use.

In fact it would likely interfere with your rc stick movements.


Glad you figured out which IPad you’re buying, and looking forward to seeing some of your pics and videos.


RedHotPoker