Hello DJI Team,

I've been experiencing some significant flickering in basically all of the footage I've taken on my Osmo Pocket 2, especially in fine details such as trees and grassy landscapes. I've seen several other posts and youtube videos reporting this issue, but so far, there hasn't been any response to address this properly. I've tried every possible setting combination I could, and still, the issue persists. I have tried shooting in both Battery Saving mode and HQ mode, and also various resolutios and framerates. Shooting in 2.7k seems to help reduce the effect, but the flickering is still present. The issue also seems to be more prominent in static shots, but I've also been noticing it in moving shots as well. It seems to be some issue with the bitrate or whatever internal video compression the Osmo Pocket 2 has. To me, this quality is pretty much unusable in its current state.

I've uploaded four different clips that demonstrate the issue I'm seeing. You can download and watch them below. In all four clips, you can see flickering/pulsating in the trees and distant mountain ranges. Is there a solution for this? I am seriously considering moving on from the Osmo Pocket 2 unless this issue can be fixed in a future update.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AXBT10uyJsTjC0mTf6rN1SV5I8cyF5mt/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16IX_o1i4oxygm7fM8STkbCbzXQcOWFBU/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CBJ_Z8Ohv7M591wM0GP6Ny12EV8uq9rv/view?usp=sharing


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oMwGw289mCB8Yb65NjBcl7ZS6P0kwPyF/view?usp=sharing


Here is a list of links to other threads and videos that are reporting the same issue. Some of the terminology changes per report, but the issue is the same.

https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=242052

https://forum.dji.com/thread-233809-1-1.html

https://forum.dji.com/thread-182688-1-1.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weTRqGD6l24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yccIcnk1XQA&t=9s

Any help with be greatly appreciated.

I’ve only looked at the first video, but I see the problem.

I played the video a couple of times, and concentrated on the far center (with a bit of haze?). In interesting parts, I did a frame by frame back and forth (Quicktime allows that in an easy way). I wouldn’t call it unusable, since most people will not notice, what a critical pixel peeper sees, alas, something is going on here ;-)

It is easier to see in the darker parts of the forest in the far.

To me it looks, as if you use auto-exposure; have you tried manual exposure (I don’t have the pocket 2 at hand right now to check). The exposure varies just a tiny bit from frame to frame, and it seems somewhat related to the shifts in light in the bright parts in the foreground. It’s just as if the Pocket 2 is capable of modifying exposure for each frame in 60fps in UHD mode - and also does it (since it can)!

If you use manual exposure, this should go away.

Another solution would be for DJI to add a video option to the exposure control - call it exposure smoothing - so that minor shifts in exposure are not acted upon immediately, and when acted upon it is done smoothly over a couple of frames (or someting like that).

The slight flicker may also indicate, that the individual exposure steps are set “too high” in the auto exposure algorithm to also be able to act quickly on large shifts in surrounding light (maybe also depending on fps setting?). Maybe it’s possible to let the amount of shift in exposure affect the modification speed (a kind of hysteresis, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysteresis) of the adjustment steps depending on the value for the previous frame, and if the inter-frame variations are tiny, no adjustments are done.

I see it as problem in the auto exposure algorithm.

Regards

Try manual exposure with ND filter to ensure 180 degree shutter rule & most probably you will not find that problem anymore.
If you shoot at 30fps your shutter speed should be 1/60sec, If you shoot at 60fps your shutter speed should be 1/120sec hence need an NDx32 or ND64 depending how bright your day is.

Thank you to both @Ranjan and kfh for responding. I means a great deal that you would take the time to respond, and I very much appreciate your willingness to help.

Unfortunately, this can't be the result of the Osmo Pocket 2's auto exposure or even an issue with my shutter speed, because I exclusively  shoot in manual mode and always use the 180 degree shutter rule. My apologies. I probably should have stated that in the initial post.

All these shots in particular were done in manual exposure mode with ISO set to 100.  The framerate was also  set to 60fps and shutter set to 1/120sec and I used an NDx16/32 depending on how bright things were that day.

This seems to be an issue with the way the Osmo Pocket 2 handles shooting video in complicated environments with lots of fine details in foliage and texture. Perhaps there is something going on with the Pocket 2 having some form of auto exposure even when set to manual, but I'm still more convinced this is some bug having to do with whatever codec the Pocket 2 uses for it's video.


These two examples show the issue a lot more prominently and it's pretty easy to see here that nothing else in the footage is jumping up in exposure. It's just the fine details in foliage and it pulsates to an ungodlily degree. I thought I was being a crazy pixel peeper too (LOL) but I've had the issue pointed out to me by others several times now.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16IX_o1i4oxygm7fM8STkbCbzXQcOWFBU/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oMwGw289mCB8Yb65NjBcl7ZS6P0kwPyF/view

I actually urge you to try shooting some footage of static trees or foliage in similarly lighting conditions, and I can just about guarantee all of you will find the same issue in your footage. The effect is especially bad in static shots with no camera motion. I feel like this is just one of those things that you don't notice at first, but once you see it you can never unsee it. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks to both of you for getting back to me. I hope someone from the DJI mod team actually responds to this as well, because this has been a problem that has been reported multiple times and I'm feeling discouraged that there has been no acknowledgement that this is a real issue.

Dcapo89 Posted at 6-6 13:03
Thank you to both @Ranjan and kfh for responding. I means a great deal that you would take the time to respond, and I very much appreciate your willingness to help.

Unfortunately, this can't be the result of the Osmo Pocket 2's auto exposure or even an issue with my shutter speed, because I exclusively  shoot in manual mode and always use the 180 degree shutter rule. My apologies. I probably should have stated that in the initial post.

I haven’t had time to look at your two, new examples, but have you tried, if switching between battery save and quality mode on the same target makes a difference? With quality mode you get less fine details, which may lower the "flickering effect" (I'm guessing here).

Have you tried 30 fps instead of 60 in the same situation? Reason being, that the Pocket 2 limit of approx. 80 megabit/sec (in my tests) will allow better handling of fine details in 30 fps.

I’ll look at your examples later today.

Regards

P.S. Addition: This link may explain the totally inacceptable reason. It is deemed "acceptable" by DJI. Especially this image is revealing: https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=233809&pid=2424619. I'm simply not going to waste my life on ANY future DJI products. This is a simple case of incompetent engineering, condoned by accountants and the token blind person, who's task it is to (re)view any decisions before approval ;-)

I decided to perform an experiment based on a recording 2160p/50fps of a static environment. File recording format data sheet can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lDUZpTuRCHggkCuSdewy4W54gSCtd5_8/view?usp=sharing
The resulting file is a 4 second cut. The first frame is the original, and all the following frames are the result of combining two original files. File 1 is original frame 0 to 3:49. File 2 is original frame 0 to 3:48 offset 1 frame. File 2 is subracted from File 1.

This should expose ’next to nothing’ in a perfect world. Alas, the world is not perfect, so what you see in frames 0:01 to 3:49 is “residual noise” caused by the one frame offset. Noise is not a constant, but ‘wiggles’ into different places on the sensor, as well as displaying different levels, which will leave a kind of faint “base noise level” in each frame. If nothing exceptional happens, this will be fairly constant, but this is NOT the case. Each 30 frames, the residual noise rises abruptly, gradually lowering over the following few frames. I have only subtracted frame 0 to 3:58 from frame 1 to 3:59. No level adjustment. No contrast adjustment etc. Just plain digital subtraction. Since there is no movement involved - at all - this should deliver "next to nothing" - except a faint more or less random noise.

Try starting single frame movements (easy in Apple QuickTime) from frame 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 etc.. to get a feel for what to look for.

In itself, nothing dramatic, EXCEPT that this should not happen at fixed intervals in a static recording with no movements at all! The effect can ONLY be caused by a constant 0.6 second periodic “interference”. It helps to view in a low(ish) light environment. This is a constant effect starting at each 30 frames in the 50 fps recording. The transition from frame 29 to frame 30 (or 1:09 to 1:10 or…) leaves no doubt, that something is happening (especially, compared to the most recent frames before the transition). The “sudden rise in noise” also affects the border area in the blown highlights (horizontally, left half, slightly above mid image).

The “effect” will be more dramatic - akin to abrupt exposure shifts - in "normal" recordings in the darker areas with movements (I.e. leaves and branches in a forest at some distance), as exposed by several videos posted in this forum on Pocket 2.

The result is:

Frame 1: Original environment.
Frames 2 to end of file: Each 30 frames, the residual noise rises abruptly (0:30, 1:10, 1:40 etc at 50fps).

Original ‘untreated’ subtraction file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n5Aw3BuU-2jNsFB8uYA8SWO0qL5DC-LA/view?usp=sharing

Enhanced noise levels file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AJGcCKKb3EwqxC5f4b2i7Q0ZsYXf3__l/view?usp=sharing

Each file has a duration of four seconds, and especially in the “enhanced” file, the effects of “highlight” pumping (period 0.6 seconds) is clearly visible.

A thorough discussion of the “design flaw” can be found here: https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=233809&extra=page%3D1%26filter%3Dtypeid%26typeid%3D765%26typeid%3D765

The flaw is admitted here: https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=233809&pid=2409396

Another view on the flaw can be seen here: https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=233809&pid=2424619

’nuff said ;-)

This is a clear design flaw. It may be remedied by firmware, but… if it will ever happen is anyones guess.

I think this can become a clear case of refund of full amount by (re)seller due to manufacturer design flaw established within two years of sale according to European consumer law, unless DJI gets their act together, and - quickly - releases a firmware update, that quickly remedies this flaw in performance.

Regards

P.S. The files will be removed from download on June 21, 2021.

I wonder when this, and the the other issues, will be fixed.
I'm surprised also that we have no words from DJI representatives since a long time.

Yes! Thank you @kfh for that detailed breakdown of your tests. That is the best and most comprehensive analysis of the issue I've seen yet. I will also not be bothering buying DJI products and will be warning my friends from buying them because of these issues and the complete lack of communication and support on their part. I'm keeping my Pocket 2 on the slight chance that they will fix it, but if it's not addressed in a few months I'm getting rid of the thing.
Thanks again for all your help and reassuring me that I'm not crazy a

Was there ever a resolution to this issue? I had my Pocket 2 delivered today and the first thing I noticed is flickering on a tree line and woodland against s blue sky!

None as far as I can tell... I decided to buy a new camera and leave the pocket 2 almost with no use... I know there's no such thing as perfect camera, but this one as some big flaws, and some simple things could be added for users to avoid using the mimo app... I breaks all the purpose of being pocket...