RichJ53 Posted at 2015-4-9 12:25
Hi Jim,
How large are your LOG files as compared to other formats? just wondering about how much s ...

Hey Rich, the LOG files don't take any more space, it's more about protecting all of the tonal variations in the image by making it intentionally low contrast and low saturation.   

So think of it more as a conservative color palette rather than a file format or CODEC.    Whether you shoot LOG or NORMAL the file type and size will be exactly the same.
Now, when you leave DaVinci you will change the file/CODEC type and your resulting file will be much larger, possibly 3 - 6 times larger.   This is because h.264/MP4 is highly compressed and not good for editing/mastering, it is generally only used as a delivery format.   But camera makers like to provide small files and aren't usually worried about getting the best quality, so use it as an acquisition format.   

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-9 11:12
Absolutely.   It's actually quite simple in the end.  ISO locked at 100, ND on, use shutter to go  ...

I've been flying but not to much shooting. OK on the fixed Aperture considering that the camera is fixed at Infinity. The weather is starting to break here in New England finally so we should have some color soon I hope? Right now everything is Blah!

Incredible colour!  I miss Bondi & Australia!  Awesome work.

rodger Posted at 2015-4-9 23:02
I've been flying but not to much shooting. OK on the fixed Aperture considering that the camera is ...

The fixed aperture makes it faster to change other settings on the fly and yiu're right about infinity, but it would be nice to be able to change it as we could use it to control light and wouldn't need to increase the shutter speed.

New Tutorial on controlling LUTs
http://youtu.be/8AGYI3U5fLA

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-10 04:37
The fixed aperture makes it faster to change other settings on the fly and yiu're right about infi ...

True my friend, but, it would be more expensive and probably challenging to most. On the focusing that is.

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-10 08:02
New Tutorial on controlling LUTs
http://youtu.be/8AGYI3U5fLA

Another great Tutorial, really, thanks for sharing!

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-9 13:06
Hey Rich, the LOG files don't take any more space, it's more about protecting all of the tonal vari ...

Hi Jim,
Thank you for taking the time to clearly explain this to us (me). Greatly appreciated!

rodger Posted at 2015-4-10 08:05
True my friend, but, it would be more expensive and probably challenging to most. On the focusing  ...

Hi Rodger,

Yes, would be more expensive as it would have to be physical, can't be electronic as that's already covered in ISO and shutter.

But since it's fixed at f/2.8 it already has the shallowest DOF, which is the most challenging for focus.   
So being able to close it down would have ZERO effect on focus as it would only get deeper as you stopped down towards f/16, but imagine how great it would be to cut out 5 stops of light with the aperture alone!

All it would do is control light and that would be a great tool in the battle against both overexposure and jello.

RichJ53 Posted at 2015-4-10 08:11
Hi Jim,
Thank you for taking the time to clearly explain this to us (me). Greatly appreciated!

All good buddy, any time!

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-10 08:20
Hi Rodger,

Yes, would be more expensive as it would have to be physical, can't be electronic as tha ...

Spot on Jim, but the cost an changes in the program would be immense. We can't seem to get it right with what we have now. I cn\an only hope that the Inspire users don't get thrown aside! If that is where we end up I for one will be out of using DJI for anything! Maybe it is time to move on!

rodger Posted at 2015-4-10 09:19
Spot on Jim, but the cost an changes in the program would be immense. We can't seem to get it righ ...

I have a feeling they will come out with a new, higher end camera for the Inspire.   I don't expect them to alter the existing one.   The app could sense the new model and have any further settings necessary.

Nice video. I had a great time over the cliffs at Garie Beach (Royal National Park). Sadly I'm still editing the videos from my Inspire 1 but I hope to post on Skypixel soon.

monsirto Posted at 2015-4-10 14:12
Nice video. I had a great time over the cliffs at Garie Beach (Royal National Park). Sadly I'm still ...

I see you're up my way!   Do get to Sydney's North Shore ever?   If so we should get togeether and do some shooting.

Wow, lovely colors, and I love the haze in the second shot and how it diffuses more and more as it goes back.   Look forward to seeing a finished piece!  

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-10 04:37
The fixed aperture makes it faster to change other settings on the fly and yiu're right about infi ...

Very true, now you are showing your creative side   

Very nice footage Jim.  I wish I had your talent.  I've been watching your tutorials, which have been a huge help.  Thanks for taking the time to help the rest of us newcomers.

We've only flown our Inspire 1 twice now.  The aerial footage looks great on the iPad 3 when it's connected to the Inspire 1.  However, once we download the MOV files and play them on Quicktime, they look grainy and the playback stutters.  We are trying to figure out why this is happening.  Any thoughts?

mary@wcecivil.c Posted at 2015-4-10 20:11
Very nice footage Jim.  I wish I had your talent.  I've been watching your tutorials, which have bee ...

Playing 4k video on underpowered device? my guess

mary@wcecivil.c Posted at 2015-4-10 20:11
Very nice footage Jim.  I wish I had your talent.  I've been watching your tutorials, which have bee ...

Hi Mary, thanks for your kind words!

The stuttering playback is because highly compressed 4k footage is difficult for computers to play unless they are really powerful.  This is why it's sometimes a good idea to color correct before editing and at the same time transfer the footage to a CODEC (cinoression type) that's easier for the compute to play.

The graininess is often a sign that you may have underexposed the footage.  If it's beyond grainy, more like a bunch of XXXXXX in highly detailed images it's more likely that you're seeing compression artifacts and you are filling something too complex for the camera.  

Make sure to use the exposure tools I show in the first tutorial, they are your best friend for exposing correctly.

All the best,

Jim

rodger Posted at 2015-4-10 20:03
Very true, now you are showing your creative side

Heh, thank you my friend!

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-10 20:33
Heh, thank you my friend!

Jim,
Do you know if there is such a thing as a "dial in" ND filter? in 37mm
I got CPL and ND9  in Japanese optical glass they are heavy but the footage is fine. I guess by using a heavy filter i maybe straining the gimbal wee bit.

anyway would be nice to have a "dial in" ND filters (if there is such a thing) just like CPL

Thanks i love your videos and your online manner and transparency and willingness to teach

arun

Love to hear other folks are nervous when flying potentially 'fatal' shots. I was having a panic attack at this attached shot, flying over water to 'peer over' a local dam.

arunmehta Posted at 2015-4-10 20:46
Jim,
Do you know if there is such a thing as a "dial in" ND filter? in 37mm
I got CPL and ND9  in  ...

There are but heavy. Singh-Ray Filters. Bob may make one for you in the size you need. Will be a bit pricy though. You could also use a Gel but it would have to be very tight and maintain a flat surface or you will have a bit  of distortion. Jim my have some tricks up his sleeve also.

ChadAustin Posted at 2015-4-10 20:54
Love to hear other folks are nervous when flying potentially 'fatal' shots. I was having a panic att ...

Nice shot, we all get nervous doing things like this, it is not just you my friend.

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-10 20:33
Heh, thank you my friend!

What fun would it be if we did venture out there. Some times that is when you catch a once in a lifetime shot that you didn't even plan. Then again you can think it all out and it just doesn't happen. At least Digital doesn't cost a fortune like Film did.

Great video man! I don't have my Inspire 1 yet, but I have already learned so much from this site! Can't wait to pick mine up and start shooting. For me this is going to completely change how I do my photography work and add in the whole new element of "unrestricted" video and photography movement. I really hope they keep supporting this platform with upgradeable cameras or support for third party cameras as well. If not, the S1000 would be a nice platform as well.

Keep up the great work and thank you so much for the tutorials.

AWESOME FOOTAGE! Thank you for all your help. I have learned a lot.

Hi Jim,

I'm having real issues with aliasing when shooting with sharpness 0. What is your secret? Or is my camera faulty?

AirborneNinja Posted at 2015-4-17 06:42
Great video man! I don't have my Inspire 1 yet, but I have already learned so much from this site! C ...

Thanks Ninja!   You're going to absolutely LOVE it!  The freedom and creativity it opens up is awesome.   

I've spent years shooting from the ground and worked with camera cranes, dollies and steadicams but never had as much fun and it's never been as easy as shooting with the Inspire.   

The idea of just showing up anywhere with this thing I just threw in the back of the car and getting the shots is incredible.  

So have fun with it and post some clips when you get it!

All the best,

Jim

aknauer@xtra.co Posted at 2015-4-18 05:31
Hi Jim,

I'm having real issues with aliasing when shooting with sharpness 0. What is your secret? O ...

Aliasing can be hit and miss.  If you're shooting grass or something with tons of fine detail like gravel, it doesn't take much for a shot to be ruined.

Did you see my troubled footage tutorial?  I have some shots from the same location and some are glorious and some are beyond awful, due to aliasing.

Proper exposure plays a role since having to raise luminance levels during editing can bring out the worst in an image.

Can you post some stills or short clips of the problem?  Does happen a lot or just on fine detail?

Jim

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-18 05:53
Thanks Ninja!   You're going to absolutely LOVE it!  The freedom and creativity it opens up is awe ...

I can't wait! Unfortunately it will be a year before I am able to get it and play around. I am deployed right now and while photos are allowed on the majority of the base, I don't think it would go over too well haha.

AirborneNinja Posted at 2015-4-18 08:45
I can't wait! Unfortunately it will be a year before I am able to get it and play around. I am dep ...

Sounds like a good way to get an Inspire shot down!   

Hi Jim,
Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I put a whole series of samples with different settings in my dropbox today. This is after the FW Upgrade. I'm convinced the sharpness settings have been changed in the Update. Where -1 was already very soft before it's now more like -3, and even that is still sharper. But the setting is in finer increments. All Exposures were at EV 0
The aliasing I had with previous settings was also very noticable on rooflines, corrugated iron roofs and the like.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/90nit ... 3Q2sZz9m1C1cpa?dl=0

The flying is rip, sh.. and bust to get as many tests out of one battery, but I think it tells the story.

aknauer@xtra.co Posted at 2015-4-18 15:16
Hi Jim,
Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Are you sure you meant aliasing and not artifacting?   There is no way the compression would be able to keep up with that scenery at those speeds so your tests just reconfirm that.

Have you tried it in "normal" circumstances?   

I know exactly how to make the camera fail and am careful not to overstimulate it.

Great video Jim. I am learning a great deal from your posts, many thanks. I have learnt recently to take spare underwear aswell as spare batteries for cliff shots!!! And stay away from the edge whilst wearing FPV goggles!
Can I ask if you think Final Cut Pro X would be a good investment or something else?

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-18 18:28
Are you sure you meant aliasing and not artifacting?   There is no way the compression would be ab ...

Here is a link to a file with settings 0,0,0 in custom, shot prior to the latest FW update.
Just uploading now. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qy7ts ... jmUKJsmFqlbDHa?dl=0
These are normal circumstances - and there is a lot of aliasing alongt he roflines, fences etc.
I was getting a lot of this in the other scenery even at low speeds.

In the Dropbox Playback Stream it looks more like artefacts indeed. The raw file looks quite different.
Thanks again

Another great job Jim, great composition, exposure, and content! Please keep them rolling my friend. We all appreciate your talent, experience and input my friend.

rodger Posted at 2015-4-21 08:39
Another great job Jim, great composition, exposure, and content! Please keep them rolling my friend. ...

Thanks Rodger, always good to hear from you!

Dave E Posted at 2015-4-18 19:47
Great video Jim. I am learning a great deal from your posts, many thanks. I have learnt recently to  ...

Hah!  I know what you mean Dave.

Regarding Final Cut Pro x, it's difficult to say.   If your only use is Inspire footage for fun it's probably overkill, not to mention expensive.   As a powerful professional editing tool it's invaluable and worth 10 x what they charge.   

If you spend some time learning the free version of DaViinci Resolve then you can make your clips look amazing and cut them together with something that costs a lot less, like Premiere Elements or even iMovie.

jimhare Posted at 2015-4-21 16:32
Hah!  I know what you mean Dave.

Regarding Final Cut Pro x, it's difficult to say.   If your only ...

Hi Jim. From my research and your comments, Final Cut Pro seems to be the dogs doodahs. My wife has offered to treat me so I think I'll  take her up on the offer. No doubt she has her eye on a new pair of shoes which she'll just slip into conversation over the next few days!!

By the way, from experience, 3 x TB 48's are apparently the equivalent in brownie points to a pair of Jimmy Choo's and a handbag!!!! ..............................Go figure???
Thanks again Jim.

Dave E Posted at 2015-4-21 18:11
Hi Jim. From my research and your comments, Final Cut Pro seems to be the dogs doodahs. My wife ha ...

Heh, who could argue with that logic?!!!  

Sounds great, I'm sure you'll love it, plenty of power in there.

All the best,

Jim