From the specification page

• HDR Mode
• Photo: HDR supported in Single Shot mode
• Video: HDR supported when shooting at 24/25/30fps
  
  What joke the 2 HDR modes do on gullible customers who buy their Dji product?
  
  Photo: HDR supported in Single Shot mode is limited to only 2/3 of stop bracketing (equalant to 0.7 f/stops) People who use HDR know that most software work best when the braketed exposure are 1.5 stops or more apart, I wonder whats the use of 2/3 of a stop bracketing?
  
  Video: HDR supported when shooting at 24/25/30fps HQ mode
  Video shot on any of these settings are only 8 bit Rec.709 & dont get recognized by any software as HDR video nor do these video show HDR capable dynamic range as seen in Air2s videos shot in HDR.
  
  Its kind of misleading specs which Dji is using to sell Mini 3 pro
  I bought it now finding it that HDR is not possible on this drone although 10bit D-Cinelike is possible.
  

Hi there. Thank you for reaching out. DJI Mini 3 Pro uses DCG HDR technology, which is different from standard HDR (stack technology). DCG HDR is an HDR technology for CMOS, which can capture details in dark parts without losing details in highlights, thus generating multi-exposure fusion video. This video has a higher dynamic range compared with ordinary video, but the generated file is not standard HDR footage. So after being imported into the color correction software, there are no obvious visual differences between the HDR video of DJI Mini 3 Pro and a high frame rate video with the same specification. You can adjust the exposure curve to see the differences in the dark part details. Thank you for your understanding and support.

DJI Paladin Posted at 3-29 02:43
Hi there. Thank you for reaching out. DJI Mini 3 Pro uses DCG HDR technology, which is different from standard HDR (stack technology). DCG HDR is an HDR technology for CMOS, which can capture details in dark parts without losing details in highlights, thus generating multi-exposure fusion video. This video has a higher dynamic range compared with ordinary video, but the generated file is not standard HDR footage. So after being imported into the color correction software, there are no obvious visual differences between the HDR video of DJI Mini 3 Pro and a high frame rate video with the same specification. You can adjust the exposure curve to see the differences in the dark part details. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Thanks for the explanation about DCG HDR never heard about this before but found the following info.



So what I now understand is that its increased dynamic range within 8 bit video but not a standard HDR video file which is why I was struggling in different software which were failing it to recognize it as HDR video file.

Will test how much it offers more than standard video file.

No it doesn't offer anything, if the final footage file is and SDR file...
Please DJI stop teasing us with history of DCG HDR and the story of not standard material...

The HDR in the Mini 3 Pro is not implemented and it does not work at all.

The dynamic range is limited by the 8 bit of the footage file... and 8 bit is and SDR as it always was.

You are advertising a function of the Drone that is not implemented... I'm really upset that I spent so much money for such a drone.
You are adminting by your self that there is no obvious differnce between 30 fps and higher FPS because they are not present...

Real HDR footage are much different from SDR footage... You should stop to advertise that drone as HDR capable...

Ranjan Posted at 3-29 03:53
Thanks for the explanation about DCG HDR never heard about this before but found the following info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Awv3KZQGyQ

You are most welcome. Please don't hesitate to reach us if you have other inquiries. Thank you for your valued support.

Hi All,

        I think there is some misunderstanding about HDR video and Mini 3 Pro. Mini 3 Pro is capable of true 10 bit HDR when using D-Cinelike color profile. In fact, it would record 10 bit HDR up to 60 fps , I personally do not use 30 FPS (HQ) mode , I shoot in D-Cinelike 60fps video. You may also want to switch your encoder in Camera settings to H.265 for that to work. The file produced will be D-Cinelike file which is in rec.709 color space with 10 bit color depth. (this is similar to D-Log, it is also rec.709 10 bit). You would then need to use color editing software such as Davinci Resolve, Adobe Premier Pro , Final Cut Pro to  export this video to rec.2020 HLG or PQ. Also D-Cinelike is de-saturated color profile, as a simple adjustment , you may want to bump up saturation when color grading in such video editing apps. Hope this helps.

Take care, Mike.

Mzp Posted at 3-30 02:46
Hi All,

        I think there is some misunderstanding about HDR video and Mini 3 Pro. Mini 3 Pro is capable of true 10 bit HDR when using D-Cinelike color profile. In fact, it would record 10 bit HDR up to 60 fps , I personally do not use 30 FPS (HQ) mode , I shoot in D-Cinelike 60fps video. You may also want to switch your encoder in Camera settings to H.265 for that to work. The file produced will be D-Cinelike file which is in rec.709 color space with 10 bit color depth. (this is similar to D-Log, it is also rec.709 10 bit). You would then need to use color editing software such as Davinci Resolve, Adobe Premier Pro , Final Cut Pro to  export this video to rec.2020 HLG or PQ. Also D-Cinelike is de-saturated color profile, as a simple adjustment , you may want to bump up saturation when color grading in such video editing apps. Hope this helps.

It's similar to HDR video on Action 3 which is not bad (and 10 bit) in fact.

But 10 bit does not means that the video are HDR... they have nothing to do with HDR. You are coding the information with better granularity... but the final footage is SDR, has a limited dynamic range... no matter what is not HDR!!!

Infact you can use 10 bits up to 60 FPS. In order to have an HDR footage the file must have "associated" a wider space like for example Rec.2020...

madao05 Posted at 3-30 04:56
But 10 bit does not means that the video are HDR... they have nothing to do with HDR. You are coding the information with better granularity... but the final footage is SDR, has a limited dynamic range... no matter what is not HDR!!!

Infact you can use 10 bits up to 60 FPS. In order to have an HDR footage the file must have "associated" a wider space like for example Rec.2020...

Hi Madao,

    Yes, but that is how almost all log profiles works. D-Log is also rec.709 , A-Log is also rec.709. It would be great if the drone had HLG, but it doesn't. While it does encode it in rec.709 , it's still doing a logarithmic curve with D-Cinelike encoding which you would need to process in color grading software such as Davinci Resolve and export in rec.2020 HLG or PG. I mean yes it is not HLG broadcast ready HDR, but it still encodes 10 bits and that does look great transcoded / exported in rec.2020 HLG profile. I export at 1000 nits in Resolve and it does not look any worse than Mavic 3 built in HLG. But you are right, it does not support direct HLG encoding, but does the D-Cinelike logarithmic curve in rec.709.

Take care, Mike.

4wd Posted at 3-30 03:47
It's similar to HDR video on Action 3 which is not bad (and 10 bit) in fact.

ah nice, I don't have Action 3 to be able to tell, but really love it on Mini 3 Pro, always film in D-Cinelike 10 bit.

Mzp Posted at 3-30 05:13
Hi Madao,

    Yes, but that is how almost all log profiles works. D-Log is also rec.709 , A-Log is also rec.709. It would be great if the drone had HLG, but it doesn't. While it does encode it in rec.709 , it's still doing a logarithmic curve with D-Cinelike encoding which you would need to process in color grading software such as Davinci Resolve and export in rec.2020 HLG or PG. I mean yes it is not HLG broadcast ready HDR, but it still encodes 10 bits and that does look great transcoded / exported in rec.2020 HLG profile. I export at 1000 nits in Resolve and it does not look any worse than Mavic 3 built in HLG. But you are right, it does not support direct HLG encoding, but does the D-Cinelike logarithmic curve in rec.709.

No, D-Log is not the same as Rec. 709. D-Log is a logarithmic color profile developed by DJI for its cameras, while Rec. 709 is a universal color space standard used for HDTV broadcasting and production.

D-Log is designed to capture a wide dynamic range in the image, allowing for more flexibility in post-production color grading. It compresses the dynamic range of the image into a logarithmic curve, which reduces the contrast in the midtones and highlights, but retains more detail in the shadows. D-Log is typically used for high-end video production, where the footage will be color graded and edited in post-production. Using D-log to Rec.2020 conversion will give you far more colors tonal range brightness in the output file.

On the other hand, Rec. 709 is a color space standard that defines the range of colors and brightness levels for HDTV broadcasting and production. It is a narrow color space that is limited to the colors that can be displayed on a standard HDTV, and is used for broadcast television, streaming services, and other video applications. Rec. 709 is designed to produce accurate and consistent colors across different displays and is often used for more casual video production.

In summary, D-Log and Rec. 709 are two different color profiles with different purposes. D-Log is designed for high-end video production, while Rec. 709 is a standard used for HDTV broadcasting and production.

"I export at 1000 nits in Resolve and it does not look any worse than Mavic 3 built in HLG."
DO you have specific workflow for Davinci Resolve 18, so I can try to convert D-Cinelike to HDR HLG/ HDR PQ or a youtube video showing the workflow.

I like the effect of the compressed dynamic range. It makes green foliage more dynamic. You can spot new growth on trees. You can tell Mini 3 footage from how luminous all the grass and trees are. Better than being dull, anyway. The Mini 2 makes everything look khaki. However, the dynamic range seems to get cut off in lower light, cloudy situations.

Zoooom Posted at 3-30 06:16
I like the effect of the compressed dynamic range. It makes green foliage more dynamic. You can spot new growth on trees. You can tell Mini 3 footage from how luminous all the grass and trees are. Better than being dull, anyway. The Mini 2 makes everything look khaki. However, the dynamic range seems to get cut off in lower light, cloudy situations.

I noticed the hard cut in both shadows and highlights as well. Looks like an artificial limitation.

Ranjan Posted at 3-30 05:26
No, D-Log is not the same as Rec. 709. D-Log is a logarithmic color profile developed by DJI for its cameras, while Rec. 709 is a universal color space standard used for HDTV broadcasting and production.

D-Log is designed to capture a wide dynamic range in the image, allowing for more flexibility in post-production color grading. It compresses the dynamic range of the image into a logarithmic curve, which reduces the contrast in the midtones and highlights, but retains more detail in the shadows. D-Log is typically used for high-end video production, where the footage will be color graded and edited in post-production. Using D-log to Rec.2020 conversion will give you far more colors tonal range brightness in the output file.

D-Log is log, DJI provides ACES and RCM IDTs for color management.
D Log-M is flat Rec709, same as D-Cine basically with slightly different color, comparing both Mini 3 Pro and Air 2S. Color management is a nightmare with these, trying to develop some IDTs at the moment.

Ranjan Posted at 3-30 05:26
No, D-Log is not the same as Rec. 709. D-Log is a logarithmic color profile developed by DJI for its cameras, while Rec. 709 is a universal color space standard used for HDTV broadcasting and production.

D-Log is designed to capture a wide dynamic range in the image, allowing for more flexibility in post-production color grading. It compresses the dynamic range of the image into a logarithmic curve, which reduces the contrast in the midtones and highlights, but retains more detail in the shadows. D-Log is typically used for high-end video production, where the footage will be color graded and edited in post-production. Using D-log to Rec.2020 conversion will give you far more colors tonal range brightness in the output file.

Hi Ranjan,

   Please read this post , it is from the days D-Log was first introduced , DJI rep goes into details how D-Log works and how it encodes in rec.709 color profile:

Please check this link at 10#, you will find a detailed explanation: https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... 6orderby%3Ddateline


To answer your question, D-Log , D-Cinelike are both encoding into rec.709 color profile, compressing certain number of steps of dynamic range into a smaller rec.709 color space using logarithmic curve, in Davinci Resole, for D-Cinelike you can select input color space rec.709 and output color space as rec.2020 or rec 2021 HLG ( you don't have to use color managed , just straight input and output) , then once you select those there will be a checkbox for how many nits of brightness you are planning to render at, I choose 1000 nits for my needs. Now in color section, you can adjust things like contrast and saturation and shadows , highlights , mid tones, at a minimum you would need to bump up saturation to 70+ or however you would like. Then you can choose Deliver and from there choose encoding profile as Main 10 and then just render it out and you can enjoy your HLG rec.2020 video after rendering is done. Hope this heps.

Take care, Mike.

But Guys… in post production we can do whatever we want but the drone does not produce HDR video…
You can choose how the brightness levels are coded linearly or logarithmically in the file to better describe a section of the histogram.
But if you save the file in a limited space the information outside of the space that you have chosen are lost.
So the file is SDR…

The drone should be advertised come SDR CAPABLE with D-cine profile…
But of course it would have a completely different appeal…

madao05 Posted at 3-30 07:23
But Guys… in post production we can do whatever we want but the drone does not produce HDR video…
You can choose how the brightness levels are coded linearly or logarithmically in the file to better describe a section of the histogram.
But if you save the file in a limited space the information outside of the space that you have chosen are lost.

Hi Madao,

     It is still considered as HDR capable imho. Autel Evo 2 Pro for example only supports A-Log 4k up to 30fps for capturing 10 bit log video and I believe it also encodes it in rec.709 container. The drone is also advertised as HDR capable. Most manufacturers actually encode logs in rec.709 container, but the fact that is captures 10 bit color, is what gives you the ability in post production to create HDR video. I did a search on google for "what is hdr video" and this is what comes up:

High dynamic range (HDR) video technology is the next great leap forward to reproducing what the naked eye sees in colors and in contrast between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks. HDR video is about recreating image realism from camera through postproduction to distribution and display.

( source ahttps://aws.amazon.com/media/tec ... 0dynamic%20range%20(HDR)%20video%20technology%20is%20the%20next%20great,postproduction%20to%20distribution%20and%20display.)

Take care, Mike.

P.S. If you try to create an HLG or PQ video out of an 8bit rec.709 file, such as if you take it from Skydio 2 "normal" color recorded file , you will immediately see banding in the sky and other areas where smooth color gradation is requires, you will also see loss of details in shadows and highlights, but yes you would still be able to create HDR video in post production from  8 bit video, it just won't look good imho.

Take care, Mike.

madao05 Posted at 3-30 07:23
But Guys… in post production we can do whatever we want but the drone does not produce HDR video…
You can choose how the brightness levels are coded linearly or logarithmically in the file to better describe a section of the histogram.
But if you save the file in a limited space the information outside of the space that you have chosen are lost.

Yep, it's just regular Rec709 with lowered saturation.

Mzp Posted at 3-30 06:30
Hi Ranjan,

   Please read this post , it is from the days D-Log was first introduced , DJI rep goes into details how D-Log works and how it encodes in rec.709 color profile:

D-Log: Actual Log, gamut and gamma are very similar to S-Log3/S-Gamut3.cine (Bt.709), same IDT works fine.
D-Log M: flat Rec709
D-Cinelike: same flat Rec709, crushed shadows and highlights (0-64 and 940-1024 are cut out)

D-Log M and D-Cinelike are a nightmare to work with in comparison to actual D-Log. Colors and the gamma curve are quite odd making colormanagement super hard to deal with shooting a non D-Log DJI drone.

What I really want to know is why DJI Paladin only has 318ft flight distance

55Media Posted at 3-30 11:05
D-Log: Actual Log, gamut and gamma are very similar to S-Log3/S-Gamut3.cine (Bt.709), same IDT works fine.
D-Log M: flat Rec709
D-Cinelike: same flat Rec709, crushed shadows and highlights (0-64 and 940-1024 are cut out)

Hi 55Media,

     This is because color range is limited in D-Cinelike and D-Log M, below is an example of D-Cinelike file 10 bit from MediaInfo:

Video
ID/String                        : 1
Format/String                    : HEVC
Format/Info                      : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format_Profile                   : Main 10@L5.1@Main
CodecID                          : hvc1
CodecID/Info                     : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration/String                  : 3 min 17 s
BitRate/String                   : 152 Mb/s
Width/String                     : 3 840 pixels
Height/String                    : 2 160 pixels
DisplayAspectRatio/String        : 16:9
FrameRate_Mode/String            : Constant
FrameRate/String                 : 59.940 (60000/1001) FPS
FrameRate_Original/String        : 59.000 FPS
ColorSpace                       : YUV
ChromaSubsampling/String         : 4:2:0
BitDepth/String                  : 10 bits
Bits-(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.307
StreamSize/String                : 3.50 GiB (100%)
Encoded_Date                     : UTC 2023-03-22 23:15:25
Tagged_Date                      : UTC 2023-03-22 23:15:25
colour_range                     : Limited
colour_primaries                 : BT.709
transfer_characteristics         : BT.709
matrix_coefficients              : BT.709
Codec configuration box          : hvcC

Because color range = limited, the 0-64 and 940-1024 are not encoded in H.265 . I suspect on Mavic 3 Cine ProRes it might be full color range, but not 100% sure.

Take care, Mike.

Hi MZP, DJI advertise also the DJI Mini 3 (not PRO) as HDR capable and the output file are only 8  bit...

HDR and the number of bits have no relation.

I would like to have an HDR video instead to create an HDR video in post production. If the original footage is a SDR video there is no way to recover the dynamic range lost.

madao05 Posted at 3-31 07:42
Hi MZP, DJI advertise also the DJI Mini 3 (not PRO) as HDR capable and the output file are only 8  bit...

HDR and the number of bits have no relation.

HDR video specification need the following to be fulfilled

    EOTF: SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ)
    Bit depth: 10 bit
    Color primaries: ITU-R BT.2020
    Static metadata: SMPTE ST 2086
    Color sub-sampling: 4:2:0 (for compressed video sources)

PQ10 refers to an HDR format that uses PQ, 10-bit and Rec. 2100 color primaries

So indeed HDR 10 & bit depth are related however the reply from Dji Representative says that using DCG HDR technique the sensor is not loosing the dynamic range as we thought instead its already capturing it however the final video its outputting is Rec.709 8bit.

As suggested by Mike (Mzp) I did try to convert the 10 bit D-Cinelike shot in Rec.709 into HDR BT.2020 & results look good in HDR 4k however I need to test this weekend how much dynamic range is the sensor capturing in reality.

Ideally HDR/HLG video would have been ideal like Air2s.
Extra step to create HDR is bit messy & prone to strange colors if not done correctly.

Sorry @Ranjan you are true, The number of bits of course and HDR are related.
What I wanted to say is that if a video is coded with 10 bits it does not mean that video is HDR.

So DJI implement correctly the HDR function as you advertise the Drone!!!

For those who use Premiere Pro, pay attention to the workflow described here:
DISCUSS: Rec. 2100 HLG HDR workflow
Works great for me.
Shoot in D-cinelike, and it will work out for you.  Even at 60FPS.  Looking at the rendered video on the scope, it IS indeed 10 bit (0-1023 levels of brightness), and it IS indeed using all of those 10 bits (no stairstepping on the waveform which would be indicative of 8 bits being artificially expanded to 10).
Uploading the Quicktime ProRes encoded file to the Youtubes is recognized as HDR and handled appropriately.

ok but that is just a conversion of an SDR clip into an HDR color space...

Bla, bla, bla...
It's simple for me!!! If my TV doesn't switch to HDR mode (While raising the brightness to be able to play real HDR content), it's not HDR!!!
So anyone saying this drone can do HDR videos, please shut up!!!
IT IS NOT HDR!!! It's a joke for £900!
I'm sending it back!!!

djkruper Posted at 5-28 10:37
Bla, bla, bla...
It's simple for me!!! If my TV doesn't switch to HDR mode (While raising the brightness to be able to play real HDR content), it's not HDR!!!
So anyone saying this drone can do HDR videos, please shut up!!!

Hi,

My TV switches to HDR mode.  
In the test video below, I think it looks good.  
I wouldn’t have used some of his settings in Davinci Resolve Studio.   And I would have edited things slightly different.  But that’s not important.  His test video looks good on my 4K TV. That’s what’s important.  

So after months of trying getting things right here is 10bit D-Cinelike converted to HDR,


Watch it on your iPhone 12/13/14 with full brightness or your HDR TVs & it will show you HDR, few clips I have graded less & few clips I have purposely graded more just to test how the shadow & highlights behave. Let me know your feedback so I will make revision of this video.

Will I shoot in D-Cinelike to get involved in extra work, extra time & extra cost of post production?
Well the answer is bit difficult right now as shooting D-Cinelike in daylight is a nightmere even with sun shades there is hardly any visbility on RC screen so most of the time I am flying blindly.

The additional workflow is bit messy & Resolve actually needs  expensive hardware capable of actual HDR signal along with HDR 1000 nits  monitor capable of hardware color calibration if one wants professional results.

Ranjan Posted at 5-28 21:29
So after months of trying getting things right here is 10bit D-Cinelike converted to HDR,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4g_392zTC4

HDR monitor 1000 nits is minimal....We have 4000 nits
Still, does not worth it, without HDR10 embedded data we cannot talk about true HDR.
For HDR you need a capable HDR10 camera, like Autel or other.
Cheers.

djkruper Posted at 5-28 10:37
Bla, bla, bla...
It's simple for me!!! If my TV doesn't switch to HDR mode (While raising the brightness to be able to play real HDR content), it's not HDR!!!
So anyone saying this drone can do HDR videos, please shut up!!!

Mr Grumpy.

I can't believe this thread. The quality of the video and photos are amazing given the size and power of the platform. Any footage is going to need editing before being published, that's part of the game. My last thought before pressing the buy now button was that this drone is €500 cheaper than the last video camera that I bought in 1988. That took 30 minutes of awful footage on aVHC tape. The €500 cheaper is in real terms no an adjusted for inflation figure. Anyone moaning that they've wasted their money didn't do the research they needed to do before buying. User error, the worst case of 1st World problems that I've ever seen.

Mzp Posted at 3-30 02:46
Hi All,

        I think there is some misunderstanding about HDR video and Mini 3 Pro. Mini 3 Pro is capable of true 10 bit HDR when using D-Cinelike color profile. In fact, it would record 10 bit HDR up to 60 fps , I personally do not use 30 FPS (HQ) mode , I shoot in D-Cinelike 60fps video. You may also want to switch your encoder in Camera settings to H.265 for that to work. The file produced will be D-Cinelike file which is in rec.709 color space with 10 bit color depth. (this is similar to D-Log, it is also rec.709 10 bit). You would then need to use color editing software such as Davinci Resolve, Adobe Premier Pro , Final Cut Pro to  export this video to rec.2020 HLG or PQ. Also D-Cinelike is de-saturated color profile, as a simple adjustment , you may want to bump up saturation when color grading in such video editing apps. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the explanation. That was very helpful.

djiuser_JZTDXPV9fzpA Posted at 7-27 21:23
Thanks for the explanation. That was very helpful.

Sure, you are welcome bud.

Take care, Mike.

DuRavary Posted at 5-30 08:34
I can't believe this thread. The quality of the video and photos are amazing given the size and power of the platform. Any footage is going to need editing before being published, that's part of the game. My last thought before pressing the buy now button was that this drone is €500 cheaper than the last video camera that I bought in 1988. That took 30 minutes of awful footage on aVHC tape. The €500 cheaper is in real terms no an adjusted for inflation figure. Anyone moaning that they've wasted their money didn't do the research they needed to do before buying. User error, the worst case of 1st World problems that I've ever seen.

we are not saying that the SDR videos recorded by this drone are good or not.
We are complain the missing feature of the HDR.
They advertise the drone as HDR capable instead is not.

A coincidente... in the new mini 4 pro they have implemented the HDR...
This things make me upset.

Ranjan Posted at 5-28 21:29
So after months of trying getting things right here is 10bit D-Cinelike converted to HDR,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4g_392zTC4

"shooting D-Cinelike in daylight is a nightmere even with sun shades there is hardly any visbility on RC screen so most of the time I am flying blindly."
Interesting point that could lead to a feature request.
On some cameras I use, when shooting a log profile, there are settings that can display "normal" gamma in the viewfinder. Such an option may be helpful on the RC, if it means you can actually see what you are shooting.