crap stills from phantom cameras

[crashmaniac]

Just saw on the DJI forum someone post a comparison a shot taken with a phantom 3 pro camera standing on a bench & a cheap fone camera. the camera shot was 100 times more sharp and colourful ! I wonder how hard it would be to put the mobile fone camera into a phantom or gopro ? The cheap one clearly ate both the phantom and a gopro IMHO DJI should take note, their cameras certainly do not give clisp clear professional images !

 

[Meta4]

Just saw on the DJI forum someone post a comparison a shot taken with a phantom 3 pro camera standing on a bench & a cheap fone camera. the camera shot was 100 times more sharp and colourful ! I wonder how hard it would be to put the mobile fone camera into a phantom or gopro ? The cheap one clearly ate both the phantom and a gopro IMHO DJI should take note, their cameras certainly do not give clisp clear professional images !

Looks like you dredged up a post that's 7 months old.
It doesn't prove much though.
Perhaps the guy had a bad camera/lens example.
And he gives no data to let you know how much of the original image you are looking at
Shot was taken into RAW, 3:4 ratio and then the center piece was cut out in PS.
Not much is known about the comparison image either.
Was it really shot with a cheap phone or something else?
How much of the image are we looking at?

What is known is that most P3s have a camera that isn't as good as a Nikon D800 or a Canon 5 MkIII
However it is possible to get quite good results with it and it goes a lot of places a big SLR will never go.
If everyone got pictures like the example above, DJI wouldn't be selling many Phantoms.
Here's an example of the kind of quality that's easily achievable:

 

[alokbhargava]

P3A camera may not be excellent but the example shown in OP's post is not a true case.

 

[Gary M]

I've taken better stills with my Standard. Something has to be wrong with the camera for the pic in op. This by far isn't perfect but that is most likely blameable on the newbie photographer (Yours truly...) But here's what I took with it just this evening.

 

[robinb]

 

[4wd]

You only need look at the link to flickr in my sig to see some good Phantom 3 photos.
Admittedly it helps if you are familiar with using a decent editing program, as results off camera can be variable especially in lower light.
There's no doubt some are being sent out with less than perfectly aligned lenses though

 

[JamesG2571]

I took this with my p3a!

Used litchi to take the pano and photoshop to create the little planet.

I only notice a problem with the phantom images when you zoom in on them.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[crashmaniac]

Nice shipping images & very nice panos too, interested though l like all your work it's very good, but then we are only seeing it on screen which can deceiving, Phantom cameras do excel if you are only wishing have website use & similar to postcard size stuff really ? what are the sizes you list, small, medium, large, X large etc ? I chose original size and it was full of grain & fairly unsharp on screen, similar to other shots I have seen on here when viewed full size or 100%. Was I looking at a raw or unconverted shot ?

 

[Meta4]

but then we are only seeing it on screen which can deceiving, Phantom cameras do excel if you are only wishing have website use & similar to postcard size stuff really ?

If you have a large monitor look at this: Shipping - Above & Beyond Photography
There's nothing deceiving about it at all. It looks fine at full screen on a 27 inch 4k monitor and is suitable for much more than postcard or website use.

 

[crashmaniac]

, But here's what I took with it just this evening.

nice subject Gary, but do you really think this is sharp, I cannot see much sharpness really, but hey, could be my old eyes. I think there must be some differences in the camers builds that came out from Phantom, hence the reason I've mounted a SONY RX100II on mine. 20 mega pixel real sharpness & clarity IMO

 

[Meta4]

nice subject Gary, but do you really think this is sharp, I cannot see much sharpness really, but hey, could be my old eyes. I think there must be some differences in the camers builds that came out from Phantom, hence the reason I've mounted a SONY RX100II on mine. 20 mega pixel real sharpness & clarity IMO

The Sony RX100 is a great camera and I'd love to be able to fly it.
But bolting one under a Phantom, I wouldn't be able to take the photos I do.
Being able to see what the camera's seeing with no appreciable lag and be able to fly the distances a stock P3 can go are critical for my photography.
With a RX100 slung under a Phantom, you lose the ability to view and compose, you lose performance and flight time.
All photography is a compromise and for my purposes the P3 is an acceptable one but dangling an RX 100 isn't.

 

[crashmaniac]

Meta4, yes you get some nice images, guess have one of the good Phantoms with a good camera or you know a few tricks, in post. lol You can quite easily view & frame the shots just as you do with the phantom, granted it may not be able to travel so far as you stay, but depends what you need I guess ?

If Phantom or GoPro would put a Sony 20 mega pixel sensor in a camera they would rule the world !

One day maybe, Phantom 5 or Go Pro 5 ?

Here is a shot by a guy who mounted like me, his Sony RX100, zoom in & compare with your cameras.

 

[crashmaniac]

Sure you can go for a huge multicopter that will carry a DSLR but the great thing about a Phantom is it's size & no restrictions like a big craft. Now with the new motor power they can lift a RX100 II quite easy

 

[nookly]

I was having similar problem - turned out to be sharpness settings i DJI GO. I was watching various videos about recomended camera settings and they were suggesting lowering sharpness for shooting video to avoid aliasing effect. While it's good in videos, shooting stills with these settings gives awful results and i suggest that you check it.

 

[crashmaniac]

If you have a large monitor look at this: Shipping - Above & Beyond Photography
There's nothing deceiving about it at all. It looks fine at full screen on a 27 inch 4k monitor and is suitable for much more than postcard or website use.

Ok, like I said looks good on a website or computer screen, but when you bring the DPI up to offset 4colour book printing requirement eg. 300, the image max size drops to approx 6"x4" mate ? 12 mega pixels from a tiny 1/2.3" sensor like that is used in the phantom, you are not going to get much of an enlargement with detail.

 

[Meta4]

Ok, like I said looks good on a website or computer screen, but when you bring the DPI up to offset 4colour book printing requirement eg. 300, the image max size drops to approx 6"x4" mate ? 12 mega pixels from a tiny 1/2.3" sensor like that is used in the phantom, you are not going to get much of an enlargement with detail.

Looks good full screen on a big monitor but can only print 6x4? Yeah right! 6x4!!!

 

[Crawdaddyjc]

the first pic in that comparison looks like he failed to remove the plastic lense cover that is on the camera when the phantom ships.

i have had some very nice pics with the p3a. the ones that didnt turn out or were blurry was from shooting while in motion. but i have found that if im not moving and take my time to frame the subject- my pics turn out quite nice.

 

[crashmaniac]

Looks good full screen on a big monitor but can only print 6x4? Yeah right! 6x4!!!

yeah 6"x4" inches ! for 4 colour offset magazine work, that's it !
blow your shot up to 100% and look at it, fine at 72 on your computer, look at your print original size as shown in sizes dropdown on your site, it's as blurry as ?

 

[Gary M]

nice subject Gary, but do you really think this is sharp, I cannot see much sharpness really, but hey, could be my old eyes. I think there must be some differences in the camers builds that came out from Phantom, hence the reason I've mounted a SONY RX100II on mine. 20 mega pixel real sharpness & clarity IMO

Well, like I said, I'm a newbie at this. I know the shot is far from perfect but whether that is due to equipment or inexperience I really couldn't say.. That was taken during a Litchi mission getting video. So it was just a quick "stop here and get a quick still shot while I'm here" thing. No settings or set up, just shot it in auto. Plus it isn't edited yet either, that may help.

 

[crashmaniac]

No one is saying all Phantom cameras are bad, just some as stated by many posters on this site. One day hopefully soon, one of the makers either DJI or Gopro will get sony's 20 mega pixel sensor into their cameras & we will all be happy. Sort of think that DJI know about the poor cameras but are happy to leave it that way for the consumer market. They are specialising mainly now with quality high end camera product like the new X5 with interchangeable lenses & larger platforms. just look at their marketing for the new Phantom 4, it is all about how anyone can fly it, shots of yourself running, surfing, even driving — ready to share everywhere. That & Osmo, is pure consumer gimmickery !