I took the Phantom 3 Standard out today and the footage looks a bit blurry to me. Is that just a symptom of the dull weather, or is my video out of focus? Here is a rough edit of the video I took:

The camera seems a lot sharper on closer objects, as seen in this screenshot, taken from when I took off: Image Link

Does this look normal, or should I send it back to be fixed? It should still be under warranty.

There seems to be some jello in the video. Perhaps your props need to be balanced?

You removed all foam from the gimbal? There is a small block of foam, placed behind the gimbal, when they ship the Phantom 3.
Be sure to clear that out, before flying. If you have already done that, then, I would guess the props might be the cause.

If you hover the drone a few meters away, but at your eye level, do you notice any minor shake or quiver of the drone, overall?


RedHotPoker

I can't see any foam on or around the gimbal, although I don't remember removing any either. Where would I look?

And how do I balance the props? Although I've tried holding the drone in my hands and the footage was still blurry on far away objects, whilst close up objects were sharp.

It is not really possible to give an objective opinion of your camera's quality from an edited clip uploaded to Youtube. Best to post a short section of original un-edited material to Dropbox, then we can look at it and give an opinion.

The blurriness in the video I posted is pretty identical to the raw footage as I barely edited it, but here's a short Dropbox clip: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/34307165/DJI_0002.MP4

Just noticed that YouTube really went to town on "stabilizing" that video I posted. Apologies for that. Best to look at the panning shots in the video only!

Goafer Posted at 2017-3-11 16:50
I can't see any foam on or around the gimbal, although I don't remember removing any either. Where would I look?

And how do I balance the props? Although I've tried holding the drone in my hands and the footage was still blurry on far away objects, whilst close up objects were sharp.

If you hold the drone, with the camera facing away, you would see the small white foam block, at the back of the gimbal, if it was still there. It's possible you bought a refurbished drone, and that piece of foam may have been removed already. If it was ever there at all.

The clear plastic gimbal guard can also be inadvertently forgotten as well. Just be sure the gimbal is free from any obstruction, before you start the motors.

You can't balance your props without a prop balancer, like the DuBro prop balancer. Because you need to find which ones are out first. They would be balanced by using tiny pieces of scotch tape, or even a small brush of clear nail lacquer. But you need to find which side is out, in order to bring them back in balance.


RedHotPoker

It should have been a new drone, as I bought it from a reputable high street shop, rather than online. I did remove the gimbal guard and I can't see any sign of the foam block. Maybe I removed it and forgot.

I'm still not sure if the gimbal is causing the blurry video though, as I still get the same results if the drone is stationary on the floor without the props spinning. Things that are up close are pretty clear, whilst things in the distance are blurry. Is there any way to calibrate the focus?

If you can acquire a proper prop balancer, it may help you alleviate that problem, if there is one.

https://dubro.com/products/tru-spin-prop-balancer
Call around to any of your local hobby shops, or order one online.


RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-3-11 17:19
If you can acquire a proper prop balancer, it may help you alleviate that problem, if there is one.

https://dubro.com/products/tru-spin-prop-balancer

He's saying that the video at a distance is not as sharp as close up.  Even with the motors shut down and the bird is sitting still.  It's not the props causing his problem.  It's possible the lens has shifted position sometime during shipment.  I would contact DJI support and discuss this with them.  You may have to send it in for repairs or could possibly exchange it at the store you purchased it from if it has not been too long.  

WD9EON Posted at 2017-3-11 17:28
He's saying that the video at a distance is not as sharp as close up.  Even with the motors shut down and the bird is sitting still.  It's not the props causing his problem.  It's possible the lens has shifted position sometime during shipment.  I would contact DJI support and discuss this with them.  You may have to send it in for repairs or could possibly exchange it at the store you purchased it from if it has not been too long.

Yes, but that wasn't demonstrated in the video. Which is what I am going by. ;-)


Certainly, send it in, for repair or replace the drone, if that's even an option.
These tiny cameras are so very basic, there isn't much that can go wrong with them.
Unlike my Nikon D800.  Hope a fix is found and he can get back to enjoying his investment.


RedHotPoker

That's what I've meant. I'm fairly sure it's not the props, as I've taken them out of the equation and still got the same issues. I did  bit of research into the jello effect and I did see that vibrations in the gimbal could also lead to it. I've checked the gimbal and it's not vibrating, so that's not it either. The photo in my first post highlights the issue best, as the grass up close is nice and clear and the trees in the distance are blurry.

I could exchange it at the store and I am quite tempted to. I may just send it back to DJI and have it repaired though instead, as a new unit could also develop a fault as it seems a few people have issues with focus too.

Also, thanks for the help guys. Much appreciated! I'm pretty new to drones and aerial RC stuff in general, so I don't really have any idea what to expect. I am in to photography though, which has made me super fussy when it comes to image quality. I just wasn't sure if I was expecting too much from these little cameras!

Goafer Posted at 2017-3-11 17:41
That's what I've meant. I'm fairly sure it's not the props, as I've taken them out of the equation and still got the same issues. I did  bit of research into the jello effect and I did see that vibrations in the gimbal could also lead to it. I've checked the gimbal and it's not vibrating, so that's not it either. The photo in my first post highlights the issue best, as the grass up close is nice and clear and the trees in the distance are blurry.

I could exchange it at the store and I am quite tempted to. I may just send it back to DJI and have it repaired though instead, as a new unit could also develop a fault as it seems a few people have issues with focus too.

Sending it in, is always an option. But there is no guarantee you will get the same drone back.
Quite often DJI, will simply send you a back refurbished drone, with no explanation.
I would feel far more confident, returning it, and getting a new drone, in a sealed box.

But the ultimate decision is always yours.
If it were me, it would be exchanged for a brand new unit, and you as I, would start over, from the beginning, of this adventure.

Good luck, with which ever avenue that you choose to travel.


RedHotPoker

Yeah, I think I'll take it back in tomorrow or Monday and exchange it. I've still got a few days before the 30 day return policy is up.

Goafer Posted at 2017-3-11 17:46
Also, thanks for the help guys. Much appreciated! I'm pretty new to drones and aerial RC stuff in general, so I don't really have any idea what to expect. I am in to photography though, which has made me super fussy when it comes to image quality. I just wasn't sure if I was expecting too much from these little cameras!

You should take it back to the shop and get a new one.

This is from my P3S Phantom

I don't think that's jello - it looks like dropped frames to me. This is usually caused by using a slow SD card.

Which begs a question for Goafer: Is that the stock SD card which came with your P3S, or did you put in a larger one? And if it's an aftermarket SD, what speed is it?

Beyond that, I agree that your camera appears to be a bit myopic. If you aren't queasy about taking sophisticated, expensive gadgets apart and performing light surgery on them, you could take the front cover off the camera to get access to the lens barrel and turn it to refocus it.

Or alternatively, you could just send it back to DJI for warranty work.  :-)

John Smith Posted at 2017-3-11 18:12
I don't think that's jello - it looks like dropped frames to me. This is usually caused by using a slow SD card.

Which begs a question for Goafer: Is that the stock SD card which came with your P3S, or did you put in a larger one? And if it's an aftermarket SD, what speed is it?

'I don't think that's jello - it looks like dropped frames to me. This is usually caused by using a slow SD card.'

You are correct, it is not jello but rolling shutter movement artefacts. However, an MPEG stream cannot drop frames, if the card is too slow it simply stops recording.

I'm not too worried about taking it apart, but I don't want to void the warranty. I'll probably just take it back to the store and get a new one. I already had gimbal issues (now fixed) and now camera issues. I think I'll try my chances with a new one, rather than repair this one again.

The SD card is the one that came with it, an 8GB SanDisk Ultra. Doesn't say the speed on it, but I'd assume it was good enough if it came with it.

Goafer Posted at 2017-3-11 19:31
I'm not too worried about taking it apart, but I don't want to void the warranty. I'll probably just take it back to the store and get a new one. I already had gimbal issues (now fixed) and now camera issues. I think I'll try my chances with a new one, rather than repair this one again.

The SD card is the one that came with it, an 8GB SanDisk Ultra. Doesn't say the speed on it, but I'd assume it was good enough if it came with it.

I think you are making the best choice.
There is no reason that you should ever have to repair a brand new drone. None.

Return that faulty unit, for one that works as you would expect it to...
Wishing you much better luck with a new drone that has no faults.
Please report back your findings with the next model. Pretty sure that you will be more satisfied.


RedHotPoker

Geebax Posted at 2017-3-11 19:12
'I don't think that's jello - it looks like dropped frames to me. This is usually caused by using a slow SD card.'

You are correct, it is not jello but rolling shutter movement artefacts. However, an MPEG stream cannot drop frames, if the card is too slow it simply stops recording.

@Geebax: "However, an MPEG stream cannot drop frames"

We aren't talking about streamed data, we're talking about the data that gets transferred directly from the sensor to the SD card.

I think you're thinking of the video which gets streamed from the camera to the display on your controller.

@Goafer: "8GB SanDisk Ultra. Doesn't say the speed"

You have to know what you're looking for.  :-)

On the label, look for a partial circle (kind of like a "C") with a number inside it. Any number less than 10 will be troublesome. The 10 means it's a "class 10" card which is suitable for recording HD video.

Another classification has recently been developed know as "ultra high speed", or "UHS". Since this nomenclature is new, it's actually deemed "UHS-1", and I guess it's supposed to supplant the current class ratings, I don't know. But for now, "UHS-1" and "Class 10" are equivalent, and you can look for either mark on your SD card.

John Smith Posted at 2017-3-11 21:31
@Geebax: "However, an MPEG stream cannot drop frames"

We aren't talking about streamed data, we're talking about the data that gets transferred directly from the sensor to the SD card.

The information coming out of the image processing section of the aircraft is indeed a stream of data, in fact two streams, one low resolution that is sent via the radio link to the RC unit, the other is recorded continously to the SD card. The MP4 video format is in the form of a continuous stream of data going to be written as a file on the card, it does not break the information up into frames, therefore it cannot simply drop frames in order to keep up with the speed of the card. This is why, if the card is not fast enough, it simply shuts down the recording process, because there is no buffering mechanisms to take up the slack. Camera systems that record video in the form of individual frames, such as CinemaDNG have the option to drop frames in order to keep up with slow cards, but normal MP4 systems do not.

Yoiu are correct about the labelling of SD cards, all these tags like 'Class 10' and 'UHS-1' are designed to tell the propective customer that the card will meet their requirements, but are mostly meaningless. You have to dig down and find out if the manufacturer actually specifies the Sustainable Maximum Write Speed, because that is the only accurate measurement of whether a card is fast enough for the job. SD card manufactures are known to push figures like high read speeds that mean nothing, or not publish write speeds at all. Lexar are very good at that, they brand their cards as '1000X' which sounds really fast, but in reality Lexar cards are apallingly slow at writing.

I always advise people to buy Sandisk Extreme or Extreme Pro series cards, as they have been proven over a long time to be fast enough to write reliably. The Sandisk Ultra series would appear by its naminmg to be the 'ultimate' in speed, but in reality, it is much slower than the Extreme or Extreme Pro series. Even Sandisk are guilty of writing misleading sales pitches.

Some weird stuff going wrong in that video. I'd try changing the memory card and see if that has any effect. Also, don't let YouTube "stabilize" your already edited video if it has transitions in it. The result will be messed up (learned that the hard way).

DroneSmeg Posted at 2017-3-11 23:55
Some weird stuff going wrong in that video. I'd try changing the memory card and see if that has any effect. Also, don't let YouTube "stabilize" your already edited video if it has transitions in it. The result will be messed up (learned that the hard way).

The SD card is recording a digital signal, it has no effect on the quality of the image. But you are quite right about Youtube's stabilising software, it sucks big time.

Goafer Posted at 2017-3-11 17:02
The blurriness in the video I posted is pretty identical to the raw footage as I barely edited it, but here's a short Dropbox clip: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/34307165/DJI_0002.MP4

I just took a look at the short clip you posted on Dropbox and it only appears to be available as a viewable clip, not a file that you can download. So I saved a copy of it and it looks awful. BUT, it is only 15.3 Megabits persecond, so that is not surprising that it looks like crap. Can you upload a section thaty has not been cut or edited in any way, because that looks to be your problem?

That section I put on Dropbox was straight from the camera. No edits or cutting involved.

And I checked the memory card and it has a big C with 10 inside it on the front. It was ok for my first flight, so I'm guessing it's up to the job.

No-one seems to have mentioned this yet..................... why don't you just place it on a flat surface and take a still, distance photo....... looks like you could easily do that from the area you're filming in.  If it's still blurry,  doesn't this almost certainly, confirm the camera is faulty?

Goafer Posted at 2017-3-12 01:28
That section I put on Dropbox was straight from the camera. No edits or cutting involved.

And I checked the memory card and it has a big C with 10 inside it on the front. It was ok for my first flight, so I'm guessing it's up to the job.

Yup! Class 10 is good to go!!  :-)

That photo/still in my first post was landed, or at least identical to when it was.

Anyway, I have returned the drone now and have had my first flight with the new one. The footage is way better than I expected when I originally bought the drone, so I'm super happy with it, although I am now wary of things breaking!

I'll post up the new footage once I've edited/uploaded it. Thanks again for the help guys!

Goafer Posted at 2017-3-12 13:11
That photo/still in my first post was landed, or at least identical to when it was.

Anyway, I have returned the drone now and have had my first flight with the new one. The footage is way better than I expected when I originally bought the drone, so I'm super happy with it, although I am now wary of things breaking!

"I have returned the drone now and have had my first flight with the new one"

In one day???  DAMN you work fast!!!  :-)

Needless to say, congratulations, and you gotta be a happy camper now!!

Looking forward to seeing your new and greatly improved videos!  :-)

Goafer Posted at 2017-3-12 13:11
That photo/still in my first post was landed, or at least identical to when it was.

Anyway, I have returned the drone now and have had my first flight with the new one. The footage is way better than I expected when I originally bought the drone, so I'm super happy with it, although I am now wary of things breaking!

So there are two of us smiling today? Hahaha

I'm happy you chose the high road, and decided against tinkering. That was wise.

Atleast now that you have something to compare the first video to, you can see the difference, clearly.


Enjoy that new drone, as it should have been from the beginning. Congrats.


RedHotPoker

Don't forget that you have a fixed appiture lens that's reasonably fast meaning wide open. This will obviously give you a very shallow depth of field. Meaning it's always going to fail at focusing extremely well from close up to infinity and everything in between. They do this to allow for the fastest shutter speed possible which in turn helps eliminate blur. I think the focus is a bit out as normal drone photography/ film would be from an infinite focal plane (landscape). To get true sharpness throughout the entire image such as your screenshot image you would require a much smaller appiture such as f22 and significantly slower shutter speeds thus allowing motion blur into each frame. Unfortunately we can't have if all on a camera that's so small. Just imagine how small the sensor in the camer is and how much extrapolation is going on to get 2.7k / 12mp images from a sensor that probably only is 1mp in size if that? Not to mention other issues like glass / lens quality etc.

Don't get me wrong though, I love my p3standard and the imagery I get from it considering the price of the unit. To put into a professional imagery perspective though this whole unit cost me less than 1/5th of any of the Nikon lenses I have in my camera bag and about 1/18th of my camera (body) only.

Just my two bobs worth!

Oh, definitely. I think I'm quite realistic with my expectations of the camera (I shoot photography too), but it was when I landed that I noticed that the focus was way too close and everything further than a few feet was far too blurry.

Happy now though, especially after the image has been sharpened a bit in post.