I have been struggling with jittery drone footage for a while now. I thought buying nd filters to help me get the correct frame rate would work, yet it hasn't.
It would be much appreciated if someone could help me.

Please navigate to this example:

For the above footage:
- I used a Mavic 2 pro in positioning mode
- The video was natively taken at 4k 24fps
- The footage was taken in Dlog-m in h.265 codec
- The footage is completely unedited and ungraded
- I used a Polar Pro nd32 Polarising filter
- My manual camera settings were:
  shutter: 50
  iso: 100
  aputure: 4

Notice how the footage is first choppy, then after 4 seconds becomes jittery throughout.Why does this occur?

What framerate did you render your footage in?
Or is this a raw file that is uploaded straight from the SD card to Youtube?

Montfrooij Posted at 12-3 00:57
What framerate did you render your footage in?
Or is this a raw file that is uploaded straight from the SD card to Youtube?

I uploaded the file to premiere to cut down the size and immediately exported it at the same frame rate of 24fps. Do you want me to link the untouched (unshortened) raw file instead?I can also link more examples. The effect is particularly noticable when I start panning.

Checkmate1941 Posted at 12-3 01:23
I uploaded the file to premiere to cut down the size and immediately exported it at the same frame rate of 24fps. Do you want me to link the untouched (unshortened) raw file instead?

It is know that editors can cause problems.
So to rule out that, it might be the best starting point.
Not that I suspect it will, but just to be sure!

Montfrooij Posted at 12-3 01:25
It is know that editors can cause problems.
So to rule out that, it might be the best starting point.
Not that I suspect it will, but just to be sure!

Raw File:

Impressive footage - what computer are you using to edit the H.265 file?

Try doing the same in h264 its much more forgiving when you edit.

Thank you for the comments, but note that the editor and my computer are irrelevant as these are raw files.
It is happening in camera, so to speak.

If the footage doesn’t look jittery to you it is because you are watching it on too small of a screen.
I’m using a 32inch 4K monitor where the effect is painfully obvious.

Does anyone know why this is happening?

Checkmate1941 Posted at 12-3 01:45
Raw File: https://youtu.be/hrJ5oXPDo0o

Do you notice the difference?
I don't see stuttering now.

Checkmate1941 Posted at 12-3 01:45
Raw File: https://youtu.be/hrJ5oXPDo0o

PS, I've also checked on my 4K screen again.
This file is looking much much better than the previous one

Montfrooij Posted at 12-3 02:49
Do you notice the difference?
I don't see stuttering now.

Yes I do still see it especially when passing the rocks. What size screen are you viewing it on?

Checkmate1941 Posted at 12-3 02:53
Yes I do still see it especially when passing the rocks. What size screen are you viewing it on?

Sorry, I was a bit unclear.
I agree that the choppy-ness in the first part of the image is gone, but the jittery-ness still remains.
I’ll send a link to a video where I am panning to make this more clear.

Checkmate1941 Posted at 12-3 01:23
I uploaded the file to premiere to cut down the size and immediately exported it at the same frame rate of 24fps. Do you want me to link the untouched (unshortened) raw file instead?I can also link more examples. The effect is particularly noticable when I start panning.

To me, panning is a slow and smooth left to right or right to left camera movement from a fixed position. This is a classic cinematic technique. Your scene is the drone moving straight ahead with camera facing left 90°. 24fps may be too slow for this type of shot. Try at 30 or 60fps with corresponding shutter speed of 1/60 or 1/125.

Hi,
Both videos looks jittery to me. Try with 30fps or more or pan slower.

Here is another example. The Jitter is very noticeable at the end of the video. All the settings were the same as the previous.

Could easily be compression artefacts. The M2 really shows it with high speed sideways flight. The 2nd clip also has very very rapid movement.

gnirtS Posted at 12-3 19:09
Could easily be compression artefacts. The M2 really shows it with high speed sideways flight. The 2nd clip also has very very rapid movement.

It has nothing to do with the compression, it is a limitation of the sensors rolling shutter mechanism. It happens on every rolling shutter sensor, all you can do is try to minimise it by using a higher frame rate and slowing the shutter speed with ND filters. Oh, and trying to avoid using fast pans.

Geebax Posted at 12-3 19:18
It has nothing to do with the compression, it is a limitation of the sensors rolling shutter mechanism. It happens on every rolling shutter sensor, all you can do is try to minimise it by using a higher frame rate and slowing the shutter speed with ND filters. Oh, and trying to avoid using fast pans.

Thank you.
Two questions:
1. I was using a Nd32 to get a 1/50 shutter speed at 24fps in 4K
What setting would you suggest?
2. Do all consumer DJI drones have rolling shutters?

Checkmate1941 Posted at 12-3 21:07
Thank you.
Two questions:
1. I was using a Nd32 to get a 1/50 shutter speed at 24fps in 4K

Answer 1: You could use 30 fps if you like, you are not constrained to 24 fps, especially if it is going to YouTube. That would lessen the effect. But primarily, try not to use pans, they are troublesome.

Answer 2: All DJI cameras use a rolling shutter, in fact you can almost count on two hands the number of cameras that employ a global shutter (which does not produce this effect). Virtually only pro cameras costing many thousands use global shutters.

Geebax Posted at 12-3 21:17
Answer 1: You could use 30 fps if you like, you are not constrained to 24 fps, especially if it is going to YouTube. That would lessen the effect. But primarily, try not to use pans, they are troublesome.

Answer 2: All DJI cameras use a rolling shutter, in fact you can almost count on two hands the number of cameras that employ a global shutter (which does not produce this effect). Virtually only pro cameras costing many thousands use global shutters.

I really appreciate your help, at least now I know that it isn’t faulty equipment causing it.

I found this website which was very helpful in providing methods to reduce footage jitter.

https://photofocus.com/photography/technique-tutorials/becoming-a-better-drone-videographer-reducing-jitter-in-your-drone-footage/

Checkmate1941 Posted at 12-4 01:32
I really appreciate your help, at least now I know that it isn’t faulty equipment causing it.

I found this website which was very helpful in providing methods to reduce footage jitter.

Hi Checkmate and many thanks for providing the link. It has certainly very useful information about jittery videos which I have saved for future reference.