I see different answers around the web on this.
Is it possible to adjust the aperture on the camera?
If not, do you guys think it will be possible later with a software upgrade?

This is a feature that is very important. Adjustment of iso and shutter is great, but yo really need to control the aperture.

The aperture on this camera is fixed.  You adjust exposure with the ND Filter, shutter speed, and ISO.

AcesAreWld Posted at 2014-12-24 01:49
The aperture on this camera is fixed.  You adjust exposure with the ND Filter, shutter speed, and IS ...

Just checked the draft of the manual, that is out. It says that you can adjust the aperture. So... What is correct?

The draft of the manual is rather off, and parts of it are just copied from other models like the Phantom. The lens is fixed at f/ 2.8.

Sadly, manual aperture control may not available on the Inspire 1's initial launch camera.  It is geared toward video, and aimed to compete with the GoPro Hero 4 Black's cheap fixed aperture offering.  While the Inspire 1 offers higher 4K resolution and a far superior lens, DJI probably decided to forego besting the Hero 4 Black in exposure control for cost reasons.  All of the RAW photos posted online from the Inspire 1 beta units show f/2.8 aperture in the metadata, so I'm fairly certain the shipping units will be a fixed f/2.8.

That's only an issue for this video oriented initial launch camera, however.  DJI has hinted strongly that other solutions will be forthcoming, and I can only assume that a still photography camera with a much larger sensor and full exposure control (to include aperture) is in the works.  The quick release form factor of the camera begs for more sophisticated solutions from not only DJI, but aftermarket manufacturers.

As the most important camera control for photographers with even a rudimentary grasp of exposure, aperture control is the best use of the Camera Settings Dial, and is in fact a feature of the controller.  From page 34 of the draft manual:

Turn the dial to quickly adjust camera settings such as ISO, shutter speed, and aperture without letting go of the remote control.

My take is that while manual aperture control will in fact be available using the Camera Settings Dial, we'll have to wait a bit for manufacturers to come out with an Inspire 1 compatible camera capable of variable aperture settings.  

ultraturtle, you are making me drool just thinking about a bigger sensor and aperture control..that would be sweet. i would like to see a FLIR camera as well among other things.

Now we don't have the function to adjust the aperture.
And yes the lens is fixed at f/2.8.  

DJI-Autumn Posted at 2014-12-24 16:35
Now we don't have the function to adjust the aperture.
And yes the lens is fixed at f/2.8.

Just so we're all on the same page, folks: Aperture refers to the lens opening. An Aperture of f/2.8 means that 1/2.8ths of the available light passes through the aperture (an aperture of f/8 means 1/8th of the light, and so forth......). a fixed aperture means that it is not adjustable, so the only way to control exposure is through shutter speed or ISO.
Class dismissed! Tomorrow, class, I want you to come back with the answer to the following question: Why is it important to have aperture control when the objects you are photographing or filming are almost always at infinity? (Hint: It isn't)
@ultraturtle - don't confuse aperture priority mode in photography with variable aperture control. Auto exposure and exposure adjustments with a fixed aperture lens just use shutter speed and auto ISO as the variables.

Ok I am having an issue with blurry images! I usually have the camera settings set to auto as I assumed that this would work and get a focussed shot. However since doing photography of properties for example. I have noticed the images have a slight blurry throughout the entire image so non of it looks in focus (foreground or background). I have to take the raw file and drop it into photoshop and sharpen the image to bring it slightly back to focus! why is this? i have tried numerous iso and shutter speed settings yet still getting out of focus shots! i am not using the NV filter that came with it (spare filter). what general settings would suffice to get a clearer shot? i used a phantom vision 2 plus before this and the stills were better quality than the inspire 1 and that shouldnt be happening! would appreciate any help from any of you please!

Thanks,
Rossco

rossco Posted at 2015-3-13 20:15
Ok I am having an issue with blurry images! I usually have the camera settings set to auto as I assu ...

Settings wont change an out of focus camera. You need to send sample images to DJI and get the camera replaced.

rossco Posted at 2015-3-13 20:15
Ok I am having an issue with blurry images! I usually have the camera settings set to auto as I assu ...

Your lens may need calibration, which for this camera may just mean a focus adjustment.  Haven't looked into wether or not this could be a user fix or not.

an aperture setting of 2,8 is not done for landscape photography

kgarrison@gmail Posted at 2015-3-14 10:03
Settings wont change an out of focus camera. You need to send sample images to DJI and get the cam ...

It will if the shutter speed is too low and the camera is moving...   But I agree, if all the photos are slightly blurry it's more likely  something is wrong with the camera.

rbendjebar Posted at 2014-12-25 05:13
Why is it important to have aperture control when the objects you are photographing or filming are almost always at infinity? (Hint: It isn't) ...

Good info but the conclusion that you don't need adjustable aperture for infinite depth of field isn't quite accurate.   To higher the aperture the sharper your image will be.  Ever compared f/16 to f1./8?   It's not only the DOF that changes, when the aperture is wide open light bounces around and creates a haze that isn't present when it is closed.

So there is a very real argument that an adjustable aperture would be great, even though it doesn't affect depth of field.
Having said that, my personal view is the lens and sensor are far too small to worry about such things.   

I have lenses that cost more than the entire Inspire + camera and that's when you start sweating the small stuff!   

rossco Posted at 2015-3-13 20:15
Ok I am having an issue with blurry images! I usually have the camera settings set to auto as I assu ...

With the copter on the ground, take a picture and see if it is in focus or not.  That will eliminate any motion blur that you might be seeing.

Some here are a bit off in your understanding of the aperture. It stands for focal ratio.

In general terms, the F stop, 2.8 in this case, is the ratio of the lens focal length to the diameter of its opening.  (Where you measure the diameter is tricky in some lenses.)  

So if a lens is 50mm long and has an opening of 25mm it will be f2 which stands for 1/2. If the lens is 50mm long and has an opening of 12.5mm it will be 1/4 or F4.

F2 lets in half the light of f1.4  
F2.8 lets in half the light of f2.
F4 lets in half the light of f2.8.  
F5.6 lets in half the light of f4 and 1/8th the light of f2.
It is a logarithmic scale not a fractional scale.

A lens with a very small focal length such as the one on the Inspire will have extreme depth of field even at f2.8.  These tiny lenses generally do not have adjustable diaphragms as stopping the lens down will cause diffraction which degrades the image. (Diffraction is an entirely separate subject based on the fact that light has particle and wave values. These waves bend or "diffract" when they cross the edge of an aperture.)  

So in this case f2.8 probably gives the best possible quality for this lens design and certainly has adequate depth of field considering you are shooting aerials with it.  ND filters are the way to reduce the light that enters the lens.

rbendjebar Posted at 2014-12-25 05:13
Just so we're all on the same page, folks: Aperture refers to the lens opening. An Aperture of f/2. ...

I just wanted to clarify a bit of what I take to be incorrect information.  F-Stop is an expression of the ratio between the diameter of the iris opening and the focal length of a lens (distance between film/sensor and optical convergence point in the lens).  f8, for example, means that the focal length is eight times the width of the iris opening.  Or, put another way, the iris opening is 1/8 the focal length.  

F-Number is expressed as N = f/D, where N is the F-Number, f is the focal length, and D is the diameter of the iris opening.  The most accurate way to express f-number is as a ratio, 1:2.8 for example.
edit:  I just saw someone else touched on this.  Sorry to be redundant.

rbendjebar Posted at 2014-12-25 05:13
Just so we're all on the same page, folks: Aperture refers to the lens opening. An Aperture of f/2. ...

I know this is older than dirt this post but its been true forever so while you are teaching, I thought I would  help your lesson out a little.

Aperture, Iris, or even "hole where light gets in the camera" are interchangeable.

The benefit of having a small aperture or I should say a "high level aperture stop" such as 22 (which is a pinhole) will get you the greatest detail but you also need to hold the shutter open for longer so that you can get enough light for an image.  Of course you can also boost ISO but remember that you want to get the best picture you can while usually using the least amount of ISO as possible unless you are going for a specific (i.e. super contrasty look).



So the reason the consumer/prosumer/enthusiast DJI Phantom 3 is fixed at 2.8 is because that's about generally where you want to be for pretty much all of the settings that we do have control over.  It's good for cinematic, it's closed enough for sharpness with a quick shutter speed and low ISO. etc.

Also, the terminology (and the reason I am giving this, especially in an old thread but I read this and saw a couple things I wanted to add) is important.

If you STEP UP or "STEP UP YOUR APERTURE" or "GO UP ONE STOP" and terms like these, it means you go to the next f-stop and IT IS NOT ARBITRARY. It is a mathematical equation and it is the same as every camera you will use  The amount you can open and close the aperture depends on the camera (for example we get zero range but we are at 2.8 so lets use that as  a barometer).

If you go up a stop from 2.8, you will be at an f-stop of f/2.0 (wider), what you will be doing is letting in EXACTLY 2x the amount of light as 2.8, then if you went down another stop you would be a f/1.4 you would be doubling the amount of light again, then f/1.0 which is pretty much all the way open and then 0 which would be open.  Of course this is theoretical because in reality it's infinite.  You would never actually close it if you use ratios and fractions of the stops which some really expensive cameras allow you to do.  If you look up the math on f-stops, I don't care how smart you are, you will get your mind blown.

Just remember this rule.  Stepping up (or opening up the iris, otherwise called aperture) is by going down, 2.8/2.0/1.4/1 and then going the other way, logically, if we are DOUBLING the light coming in by going lower in number buy open in reality, the other way going from f/2.8 to f/4.0 is CLOSING the aperture (iris) and letting half the light in which gives you better detail but you must figure out a way to make up for the missing light which is up to you as an artist to do. With a flying machine, you would be hard pressed to get a picture at f/22.

From the 2.8 of the Phantom, the next stop closing the iris would be f/4 (cutting the light in half), the f/5.6 (halved), f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22.

And there you have it.  A very detailed explanation what an f-stop really is and what it means to you.  2.8 is a very nice average but I have still cameras that cost me LITERALLY 3x more than the whole Phantom (Maybe even more).

Put it this way, I've had video cams hooked up to my S1000 that if it fell from the sky my first words would be "How is the camera".

Your addition was very good about Apertures....