Hello DJI community.

Before we begin, I'd like to say that this Mavic Mini is very easy to fly and does a great job except for the following issue. When recording at any video setting (1080, 2.7k, 30fps, 24fps, 60fps, Anti-flicker Manual/Auto, Exposure Manual/Auto, Shutter Speed Manual/Auto, etc.) there is a flicker that is sometimes noticeable when looking at the video but always noticeable when watching the waveform or Lumetri Scopes. I have done a lot of research and have heard about the GOP compression issue that happens every 8 frames. I do not believe this to be the same issue because this "flicker" happens exactly every 30 frames and when video is recorded at 60fps the flicker happens twice a second. In the video below you can see the Lumetri Scope for some footage I shot. You can see the flicker or pulsing on the bottom levels (darks) and the timecode below shows that it happens once a second.

Flicker footage inside Premiere Pro CC

I have tried a variety of fixes suggested on the web for the flicker associated with Mavics. Copying the clip, pasting on top, moving it 1 frame over, and lowering the transparency. Didn't work. Adjusting the Field Options or trying Anti-Flicker in Premiere Pro. Didn't work. Also tried the Flicker Free plugin and it didn't fix it.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Really don't want to send this drone back but now that I have seen the flicker it is hard to ignore it.  My first day with this drone was amazing and I'd like to keep shooting!



Thank you in advance.

Sorry. The link didn't work. Here is the video file of the flicker footage.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=11ChnHWUyRyLVVcdaX9ijvZQHZ_huSf5x

Isara Posted at 5-23 16:00
Sorry. The link didn't work. Here is the video file of the flicker footage.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=11ChnHWUyRyLVVcdaX9ijvZQHZ_huSf5x

Is that raw footage that the scope is showing that pump? Looks like a keyframe issue to me.

Ex Machina Posted at 5-23 16:18
Is that raw footage that the scope is showing that pump? Looks like a keyframe issue to me.

Thank you for the reply. It is raw footage imported into a Premiere Pro project with the same settings as the file.

Isara Posted at 5-23 16:24
Thank you for the reply. It is raw footage imported into a Premiere Pro project with the same settings as the file.

Do you see the same pumping/flicker when playing the original video file before importing?

Ex Machina Posted at 5-23 16:28
Do you see the same pumping/flicker when playing the original video file before importing?

Yes. The pulsing/flicker can be seen when not imported. When playing the .mp4 file from the sd card, using either windows media player or VLC, there is a flicker in the dark areas that happens every second.  If it happened every 8 frames then it would probably be the GOP compression issue. But this happens every 30 frames, exactly. I hope it is just a simple camera setting that can fix it but I've tried every different setting, and combination, nothing seemed to fix it.

Isara Posted at 5-23 16:39
Yes. The pulsing/flicker can be seen when not imported. When playing the .mp4 file from the sd card, using either windows media player or VLC, there is a flicker in the dark areas that happens every second.  If it happened every 8 frames then it would probably be the GOP compression issue. But this happens every 30 frames, exactly. I hope it is just a simple camera setting that can fix it but I've tried every different setting, and combination, nothing seemed to fix it.

When you shoot at 24fps does the bump still happen every 30 frames or does it change to every 24? My guess is that it would be every 24 frames, and that the Mini is hard-wired to generate a keyframe at the selected frame rate cycle, maxed at 30 frames to manage data throughput.

I guess one way you could test this is to generate your own keyframes in your video editor, say one every 15 secs, and see if you see the same thing in your waveform display at that new interval.

Ex Machina Posted at 5-26 09:08
When you shoot at 24fps does the bump still happen every 30 frames or does it change to every 24? My guess is that it would be every 24 frames, and that the Mini is hard-wired to generate a keyframe at the selected frame rate cycle, maxed at 30 frames to manage data throughput.

I guess one way you could test this is to generate your own keyframes in your video editor, say one every 15 secs, and see if you see the same thing in your waveform display at that new interval.

Thank you for trying to help. Really do appreciate it. Been testing the Mavic Mini the last few days. Adjusting the settings and trying every different combination. Then resetting the drone and using factory defaults. Every video clip has the 1 frame flicker and it happens every 30 frames, no matter if it is recorded at 60fps or 24fps. Premiere Pro is not the issue because the flicker is noticeable when playing the clips outside Premiere. Very strange. A friend of mine has the exact same drone . He sent some raw video from his Mavic Mini (1080, 29.97fps) and his footage does not have the flicker. I am now 100% certain that my Mavic Mini has an issue.  Will return it.  Thank you again for trying to help.

Isara Posted at 5-26 20:36
Thank you for trying to help. Really do appreciate it. Been testing the Mavic Mini the last few days. Adjusting the settings and trying every different combination. Then resetting the drone and using factory defaults. Every video clip has the 1 frame flicker and it happens every 30 frames, no matter if it is recorded at 60fps or 24fps. Premiere Pro is not the issue because the flicker is noticeable when playing the clips outside Premiere. Very strange. A friend of mine has the exact same drone . He sent some raw video from his Mavic Mini (1080, 29.97fps) and his footage does not have the flicker. I am now 100% certain that my Mavic Mini has an issue.  Will return it.  Thank you again for trying to help.

Huh. Good luck with it and let us know how it goes!

The only thing I might suggest if you haven't already sent it back is to recalibrate the gimbal -- maybe it's unrelated to the camera stack at all but instead an oscillation in the gimbal control mechanism.

Cheers!

Isara Posted at 2020-5-26 20:36
Thank you for trying to help. Really do appreciate it. Been testing the Mavic Mini the last few days. Adjusting the settings and trying every different combination. Then resetting the drone and using factory defaults. Every video clip has the 1 frame flicker and it happens every 30 frames, no matter if it is recorded at 60fps or 24fps. Premiere Pro is not the issue because the flicker is noticeable when playing the clips outside Premiere. Very strange. A friend of mine has the exact same drone . He sent some raw video from his Mavic Mini (1080, 29.97fps) and his footage does not have the flicker. I am now 100% certain that my Mavic Mini has an issue.  Will return it.  Thank you again for trying to help.

Hello,

Did you solve your issue? Seems I have the same issue with my new DJI mini 4 pro drone.

djiuser_sA5IaqJ66KVb Posted at 1-7 08:29
Hello,

Did you solve your issue? Seems I have the same issue with my new DJI mini 4 pro drone.

For me, the solution was to return the drone. The next Mini I bought (a Mini 2) didn't have the flickering issue. Surprised the newer Mini 4's would have this problem. Good luck and happy flying!

Isara Posted at 1-8 05:25
For me, the solution was to return the drone. The next Mini I bought (a Mini 2) didn't have the flickering issue. Surprised the newer Mini 4's would have this problem. Good luck and happy flying!

Hi
I discussed the case with DJI support and they told me that I should send the drone to service.
I will do this.

You had a problem with mini 1, right? You returned it to the shop and bought mini 2, right? Or the mini 1 was replaced?

djiuser_sA5IaqJ66KVb Posted at 1-8 06:06
Hi
I discussed the case with DJI support and they told me that I should send the drone to service.
I will do this.

I returned the Mini 1 and got my money back. Then years later bought a Mini 2. No issues.

Hi there! Firstly, I appreciate your detailed feedback on the Mavic Mini. It's great to hear that you've had a positive experience overall, except for the flicker issue during video recording. I watched the footage you shared, and the pulsing on the Lumetri Scope is indeed noticeable.

It's unfortunate that the common fixes haven't resolved the problem for you. Have you considered reaching out to DJI's customer support? They might provide specific insights or potential solutions. Additionally, exploring online forums or communities dedicated to drone enthusiasts might yield valuable suggestions from others who may have faced similar challenges. hire the social media team like https://www.media-fast.com/ to create the catchy post. Happy flying!