I think the single most annoying function with the I3 is the fact that even on autofocus the drone will not focus automatically on a moving subject or even the closest object to the center of the screen, instead you have to touch the screen which creates a breathing effect with the lens and focus that you can't really use as far as footage.
When is DJI going to give us a better autofocus option, they have spotlight pro tracking abalities so why can't they enable simple autofocus so i don't have to keep tapping the controller screen?

Continuous autofocus has never been possible with any of the Inspires. Is not an advertised feature. It's not suppose to automatically focus. Most cinema cameras also don't have continuous autofocus. This system is designed to either touch to focus with a near middle aperture or have a dedicated focus puller.

ScooterC5 Posted at 10-4 18:38
Continuous autofocus has never been possible with any of the Inspires. Is not an advertised feature. It's not suppose to automatically focus. Most cinema cameras also don't have continuous autofocus. This system is designed to either touch to focus with a near middle aperture or have a dedicated focus puller.

Well it has the ability to track a moving target with spotlight pro.  If it can detect moving objects then why is it so hard for the I3 to include an option that keeps the target on autofocus without requiring the pilot to touch the screen in order to focus?  Listen, I'm not the only I3 owner that wants this feature.  DJI needs to get with the times and include this upgrade in a future firmware

Josephsmith Posted at 10-4 19:54
Well it has the ability to track a moving target with spotlight pro.  If it can detect moving objects then why is it so hard for the I3 to include an option that keeps the target on autofocus without requiring the pilot to touch the screen in order to focus?  Listen, I'm not the only I3 owner that wants this feature.  DJI needs to get with the times and include this upgrade in a future firmware

Continuous Autofocus is also not a feature on most high end ground cinema cameras. One of the drawbacks to continuous autofocus is the occasional 'hunting' where the focus goes in and out which can ruin shots. Of course there are some scenarios where it would be nice to have the feature. As of right now, not a single DJI drone or any other drone I know of has this feature.

I think that the I3 is a multiple-operator drone and that a focus puller and a second camera operator are a part of the required team. Unless you are using Spot-Light Pro, this is an exception. It's a full filming production platform, and I often revert to the Mavic Pro 3 for footage

Lemon Twist Posted at 10-20 01:18
I think that the I3 is a multiple-operator drone and that a focus puller and a second camera operator are a part of the required team. Unless you are using Spot-Light Pro, this is an exception. It's a full filming production platform, and I often revert to the Mavic Pro 3 for footage

You are right about that but have you ever tried flying with a co-pilot on the I3? It's not easy, very frustrating.  Also, the I3 tends to put out dull dim images and for that reason I am also referring back to my mavic 3 pro cine which is a real shame.  Hopefully the zenmuse 10x is a much better camera that won't blow out shots as easily

Josephsmith Posted at 10-20 18:59
You are right about that but have you ever tried flying with a co-pilot on the I3? It's not easy, very frustrating.  Also, the I3 tends to put out dull dim images and for that reason I am also referring back to my mavic 3 pro cine which is a real shame.  Hopefully the zenmuse 10x is a much better camera that won't blow out shots as easily

All our footage is with a separate camera person, we use headphone to communicate and the camera person calls the shots. It did take getting used to, I agree. But I do think this is how the drone is designed to be used.

826 Raw Posted at 10-23 03:26
All our footage is with a separate camera person, we use headphone to communicate and the camera person calls the shots. It did take getting used to, I agree. But I do think this is how the drone is designed to be used.

Believe me I get it, but they should keep in mind that this drone will be flown by a single operator more often than with a co-pilot.

With that in mind, when you are filming sports and it’s time to zone in on a car or a moving person, the camera by default tends to focus on the background which is great for scenic shots but the shot is ruined because the person or car comes out blurry.

I found a impractical solution to deal with this, a human with three arms and three hands instead of two… the third arm and hand to tap the screen on the subject while the other two hands are busy trying to follow the car of person.

Listen, we’re not asking for much here.  DJI needs to put out a firmware that gives the pilot more options when it comes to autofocus.  I want the autofocus to focus on the closest moving thing that comes into view.  This is essential for sports footage

ScooterC5 Posted at 10-18 15:07
Continuous Autofocus is also not a feature on most high end ground cinema cameras. One of the drawbacks to continuous autofocus is the occasional 'hunting' where the focus goes in and out which can ruin shots. Of course there are some scenarios where it would be nice to have the feature. As of right now, not a single DJI drone or any other drone I know of has this feature.

This isnt some Arri. Sony FX9, Burano, Red Raptor, etc they all have AF

JJungPhoto Posted at 10-23 20:44
This isnt some Arri. Sony FX9, Burano, Red Raptor, etc they all have AF

And I guess it isn't a mavic 3 either because the mavic 3 doesn't have this issue.  When you fly up to someone, they don't appear blurry like with the I3 forcing you to tap on the controller screen to get it to focus on that person.

Maybe my main issue is that I'm flying with a 50mm lens 90 percent of the time?
Maybe the 24mm doesn't blur the moving option without manual focus as much?

The I3 case and built 10/10
The stability and flight capabilities more similar to a mavic 3  8.5/10
I3 Low light capabilities 10/10
I3 image in sunrise, sunset conditions 10/10
I3 image getting vibrant ocean blue colors like the mavic 3  3/10  (I've only found one video demonstrating vibrant colors on YouTube using the I3 and I'm wondering how he was able to get that shot without blowing out his image

I3 controler signal 8/10
I3 battery life 5/10
I3 autofocus options  2/10

Bottom line, The biggest issue with this drone which can be easily updated with a firmware is the lack of autofocus options for I3 operators trying to get sports footage

Josephsmith Posted at 10-24 19:00
And I guess it isn't a mavic 3 either because the mavic 3 doesn't have this issue.  When you fly up to someone, they don't appear blurry like with the I3 forcing you to tap on the controller screen to get it to focus on that person.

Maybe my main issue is that I'm flying with a 50mm lens 90 percent of the time?

For me autofocus is no needed option in 99% of my jobs and I would turn it off anyway. Why? Because AF will never know what to focus on.
A reason why there is a job called focus puller. I see AF great for close up situations with people involved. If it works really good. Otherwise I prefer to be self or someone else, in charge.

MF is the way most highend productions work. Even these days.

You might want to try to close the iris further down, so you get less deptht of field.
With a iris of 8 even on the 50mm it should work pretty well for you.

As for your ratings.. I would rate it totally different and different things are more important to me.
I'd prefer 5 min less flight time but getting a C2 instead of C3 certified drone. Any shot is planned anyway. So flight time is not really often a problem for cinematic shootings. But hey, I'm comming from a history, in the early days, where 5 min flight time was great and standard.
I also see other ratings different. But I don't want to spoil the AF thread with ratings. I guess this would be better placed in a own thread to keep it on topic here,  

JJungPhoto Posted at 10-23 20:44
This isnt some Arri. Sony FX9, Burano, Red Raptor, etc they all have AF

Arri does not have AF. Except you use a UDM‑1 (external ultrasonic devivice) on it. Most Arri jobs got a focus puller involved.
Sony has AF, but in higher productions even there will be a focus puller in most cases.
Red is working on AF. But its still in beta.


Most cinematic cameras are still MF these days. And if they got AF it only gets used in very specific situations.
Would AF be cool on the I3? If it works good and does not mess up every 5th shot, yes. But I would probably still deactivate it in most situations.

Hi there, currently, Inspire 3 only supports AFS in autofocus, no other options are available. I will take note of your feedback for the engineers for their notice. Thank you for your attention.

Josephsmith Posted at 10-23 16:26
Believe me I get it, but they should keep in mind that this drone will be flown by a single operator more often than with a co-pilot.

With that in mind, when you are filming sports and it’s time to zone in on a car or a moving person, the camera by default tends to focus on the background which is great for scenic shots but the shot is ruined because the person or car comes out blurry.

I agree, with you, you're are right in what you say. I have raised this with DJI before and the answer I got was not the best. My work around was to shoot in F8+ and regularly tap the screen to focus (not are a crucial time). Or use Spotlight Pro. As said I often use my Mavic 3 Pro instead......