P3 Standard still image quality

[kevnbety]

Hey guys. I'm new to the site.

I've had a P3S for about a year now, and for the most part, I love it. However, I must say that I am very disappointed with the image quality of the stills it produces. They all seem soft. Almost out of focus, or something. So much so, that I've pretty much stopped taking stills with it, and used it simply for video (which looks great). Now, in all fairness, I'm used to looking at stills from my Canon 80D DSLR, so my standards are a bit high.

My question is, am I expecting too much out of the camera on an entry level drone? Or am I doing something wrong? Or could there be something wrong with the drone?

Also, I am shooting the stills in .DNG format, and using Photoshop Elements to edit them.

Here's an example image: NS M42

Thanks for any input you can offer.

 

[Philltayl]

Your standards are a bit high. The P3S camera is a 'budget' model with a fixed aperture and fixed focus.

You cannot compare it with any 1/2 decent DSLR.

 

[kevnbety]

LOL! That's what I was afraid of.

I've seen so many images shot with the P3P that are absolutely tack sharp, and look as if they came out of a DSLR. I know it's a completely different camera, but I was just thinking "there can't be THAT much difference can there?" But I guess there is... Sad face...

 

[skyacramer]

Yeah I’m a little disappointed in the image quality, however I have had a few good photos and I think it’s just a matter of getting it perfect. Filters is a big part of it

 

[arizonahuskerfan]

A lot of the photos from the P3S online (including mine) have been run through Photoshop or even the built-in photos app which comes with Windows. You can color correct, sharpen and do wonders with lighting enhancement in Photoshop. This photo was taken with my P3S and corrected in Photoshop. I took this a couple of weeks ago in Sedona, Arizona. I wish I had the before correction photo handy to show you, but don't. But this shows you the amazing things which can be done with Photoshop. However, for anyone that is not willing to spend the $$ for Photoshop, the Windows "Photos" program in Windows is wonderful and does some of the same basic things. It is free with Windows.

 

[octantman]

Lightroom is a much less expensive program than Photoshop that is easy to learn to use, if the free software does not suit you. Starting with a RAW file (be sure to turn that function on) you can draw a lot out of an otherwise dull photo and make it quite nice.

 

[Chrislaf]

Hey guys. I'm new to the site.

I've had a P3S for about a year now, and for the most part, I love it. However, I must say that I am very disappointed with the image quality of the stills it produces. They all seem soft. Almost out of focus, or something. So much so, that I've pretty much stopped taking stills with it, and used it simply for video (which looks great). Now, in all fairness, I'm used to looking at stills from my Canon 80D DSLR, so my standards are a bit high.

My question is, am I expecting too much out of the camera on an entry level drone? Or am I doing something wrong? Or could there be something wrong with the drone?

Also, I am shooting the stills in .DNG format, and using Photoshop Elements to edit them.

Here's an example image: NS M42

Thanks for any input you can offer.

I also have a P3S as well as two Nikon DSLRs with a number of lenses. My favourite lens is my tack sharp 14-24mm that I use for landscapes and night photography. If I was to compare the image quality of my shots from my Nikons to the camera on my P3S, there is no doubt the Nikons would win hands down every time. However I can get my P3S in positions that I could never get my Nikons unless I rented a pilot and airplane for big $$$$. So yes, I do think you are expecting too much from and entry level drone and as other posters have said you can do a lot in Photoshop or some other similar app to improve your photo as long as you shoot in DNG format.

For me I know there are drones that can shoot better quality photos (P4P and Inspire), but photography is a hobby for me so spending a paycheque or more on a drone with a better camera is not an option for me right now since there is still lots for me to learn and I can't fathom crashing an expensive drone due to a temporary lapse in judgement or lack of skill. I also don't think the difference in image quality across the P3 line is that great. There may be a slight difference since the P34K and P3P use a Sony sensor rather than the Panasonic in the P3P but it's probably negligible.

 

[iflyp3s]

Hey guys. I'm new to the site.

I've had a P3S for about a year now, and for the most part, I love it. However, I must say that I am very disappointed with the image quality of the stills it produces. They all seem soft. Almost out of focus, or something. So much so, that I've pretty much stopped taking stills with it, and used it simply for video (which looks great). Now, in all fairness, I'm used to looking at stills from my Canon 80D DSLR, so my standards are a bit high.

My question is, am I expecting too much out of the camera on an entry level drone? Or am I doing something wrong? Or could there be something wrong with the drone?

Also, I am shooting the stills in .DNG format, and using Photoshop Elements to edit them.

Here's an example image: NS M42

Thanks for any input you can offer.

Hi all,

I too own a P3S and love the shots and footage I get out of it. From experience, DNG shots almost always turn out either too soft or under saturated, but that's why it retains all of the light information so you can change these in Photoshop or Lightroom.

I am one of the rare people who shoot with the JPG+RAW function, which does take an astronomically long time to take the picture but gives me a sharp JPG to preview on my mobile device and a soft DNG one to work with.

The P3S camera does almost no processing with DNG pictures because it is slightly less powered than say a P4P. That's why a DSLR's DNG files will look slightly better as they can work with it a bit, even though RAW pictures are under processed overall.

Nothing wrong with your P3S....the picture you took actually isn't too bad! Try shooting non-important pictures with JPG and see if they look better. If they do, then everything is fine.

Good luck!