I've been flying my Mavic _far_ more than my Phantoms. This past week I've made it a point to get back to my Phantom 4 and this past weekend I even flew my Phantom 3 through 4 batteries. I know comparisons have been done when the Mavic first came out but I'd say, hands down, the quality of the P3 and P4 camera is so much better than the Mavic. Don't get me wrong, the Mavic photos and video are good... just not as good as the Phantoms.
Phantom camera vs Mavic
- Thread starter tcope
- Start date
dirkclod
Premium Pilot
I got both and tend to agree with you but nothing ya can't fix in post .
Well almost . I mean ya can put lipstick on a pig but ya still have a pig right
Little humor there
I have to make myself fly my Phantoms now and wish that camera on the mavic was as good but me no pro so it don't really matter with my stuff .
Well almost . I mean ya can put lipstick on a pig but ya still have a pig right
Little humor thereI have to make myself fly my Phantoms now and wish that camera on the mavic was as good but me no pro so it don't really matter with my stuff .
Well crapola.... I thought the P3 and the Mavic had basically the same camera. I was literally waiting for the Platinum to arrive to add it to my Business fleet to replace my P3P.
While the P3 camera doesn't compare to the newer P4P camera it does a good job but I'm not sure I'm willing to risk any "Reduction" in quality. My goal is to spend less time in POST and it sounds like the MP might be counter conducive to that goal.
@dirkclod and @tcope can y'all elaborate on what exactly isn't "as good as" the P3? I've got to pump the brakes and do some more research.
While the P3 camera doesn't compare to the newer P4P camera it does a good job but I'm not sure I'm willing to risk any "Reduction" in quality. My goal is to spend less time in POST and it sounds like the MP might be counter conducive to that goal.
@dirkclod and @tcope can y'all elaborate on what exactly isn't "as good as" the P3? I've got to pump the brakes and do some more research.
dirkclod
Premium Pilot
Well like I said I'm no pro and what I get is good enough
for me. And hey I cant get 5 battery's and my tx in a case
this size. Not to even mention the signal the mavic has.
for me. And hey I cant get 5 battery's and my tx in a case
this size. Not to even mention the signal the mavic has.
I fully understand (and agree with) your point. The portability and range on the MP is amazing for sure.
I'll probably get it anyway but if I can see an image quality issue I might just relegate it to FUN flying and keep the P3P as my work horse.
dirkclod
Premium Pilot
Well I just shoot in auto and if your camera savvy you can do way better than I do. Your in mavic and have seen in photos what it can do. Me I don't have much subject matter here so
like I said it's good enough for me. Just grabbed this from app cache . Some have great scenery me have I water fall
like I said it's good enough for me. Just grabbed this from app cache . Some have great scenery me have I water fall
I wonder if you have a bad Mavic camera/lens. I have the P4 and Mavic, and I cannot consistently see much difference between the two in terms of image quality. The P4 has a slightly wider field of view, but they use the same sensor if I recall correctly. I'm shooting RAW + JPEG, and there are many times when the RAW provides significantly better results on both platforms.
I've looked at the specs for the P3, P4 (non pro) and the Mavic and they appear to have the same specs (sensor, shutter, etc.) for the most part. A difference is that the Mavic has a smaller field of view. Some have liked this, some have not.
I can't say at this time why the photos and video look better on the P3 and the P4 but it could be that field of view. The shots I was looking at were larger landscape views.
I will probably take them both out this Friday and capture video and photos from all at the same time and then compare again.
That would be awesome. Let us know how it turns out.
Do you shoot in Auto or Manual modes usually?
I usually shoot in auto but many times this really washes out the colors. I find that it also changes the colors a lot depending on the shade/sun. Now I've ben changing it over to "sunny" most of the time and this seems to help a lot. On the P3 and P4 I'm running ND filters. I'm not on the Mavic. All have the same issue.
The 4 Advanced and 4 Pro have a larger sensor. While most of the size increase is used to add pixels (and should thus provide better crops) Iirc, some of the size increase was used to lower pixel density (which should reduce noise and increase low light performance).
Phantom 4:
Camera
Sensor 1/2.3” CMOS
Effective pixels:12.4 M
Lens FOV 94° 20 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.8 focus at ∞
Phantom 4 Advanced:
Sensor 1’’ CMOS
Effective pixels: 20M
Lens FOV 84° 8.8 mm/24 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.8 - f/11 auto focus at 1 m - ∞
Phantom 4 Pro:
Camera
Sensor 1/2.3” CMOS
Effective pixels:12.4 M
Lens FOV 94° 20 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.8 focus at ∞
Phantom 3:
Sensor 1/2.3” CMOS
Effective pixels: 12.4 M (total pixels: 12.76 M)
Lens FOV 94° 20 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.8 focus at ∞
Now, I'll be the first to say that I don't know what "1/2.3" is. Also, in typical DJI fashion.... TERRIBLE product naming! I thought their Phantom 3 names were bad. They make the 4's just as bad,
From what I can find, the camera is the same in the P3P and the P4, which is the two that I have. So in my case I'm using the same camera on the Phantoms and a different camera on the Mavic. After some searching, it looks like the Mavic uses the same sensor as the P4. However, we know the field of vision is narrower. Perhaps this is why I think photos and video looks better on the P3 and P4.
Meta4
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The odd sensor size names are an industry standard and go back long before DJI was formed.
The non-standardized fractional-inch sensor sizing labels such as 1/2.5-inch Type and 1/1.7″ Type confusingly refer to antiquated 1950s-1980s vacuum tubes.
The field of view doesn't make one lens better or worse, just different.
A pro photographer has a bag of different lenses for different subjects and situations.
The Phantom and Mavic cameras all have very wideangle lenses and the differences in viewing angle don't make much difference.
ps ... the P4 pro and Advanced have the same camera. You have the wrong data above for the P4 pro.
I beg to differ in that the field of view does make a difference. Since the my P3 and P4 have the same sensor and it's mainly the field of view that differs from the Mavic, I'd say that it's the only difference I'm really seeing. It could also be the processing of the jpg. I'd think they use the same processing but I don't know for sure. I can only say that the video I see from the Phantoms as compared to the Mavic look much better. I should compare them side by side and I think I'll do this. Tonight I'll add some photos to this thread that I already have.
Yes, I mixed up those with the Phantom 4.
Meta4
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Yes, there's a (small) difference.
And what difference there is, is trivial when the camera is as mobile as a drone.
But it doesn't make one better or worse than the other and has no bearing on how "good" an image is.
If one viewing angle was better for everything, all cameras would have that lens.
FOV definitely makes several differences. But 4mm difference in focal length isn't going to appreciably better or worse for aerial or landscape photography, IMHO.
I have lenses costing more than a current phantom that breathe way more than 4mm. Occasionally annoying at most.
I have 4 DJI drones. The P3 STANDARD, the P4P+, the infamous M.P. , the Spark. I own a small business and at times use 2 of my drones for work ( construction) and I like using the M.P. more because it has some zoom whereas the Phantom and spark don't. The field of view changes in between video and pictures . And like I said I can zoom in if I need to get farther back. I love flying all of them, just think M.P is better for work. Phantoms great for higher winds, Sparks great when you want to open box and fly, and M.P. And spark are easy to transport on the fly. And M.P. And Spark are ruff, can take alot and still be fine, phantoms are super fragile. Which makes no sense cause they cost more, I'm guessing that there's another reason why they aren't made more sturdy. Like DJI having after sales
My Mavic was a refurbished drone & I was wondering if there was a problem with my camera as well. My, relatively, inexpensive P3 standard takes much better pictures & videos straight out of the camera. I don't want to & frankly should not have to spend time & money in post to get a passable image. My pocket camera takes better video than my Mavic & requires no or very minor post production.
Since getting the Mavic, I literally have pages & pages of notes & spreadsheets with every conceivable combination of setting, & still have substandard videos. I love my Mavic, my favorite toy. It is a great drone with(in my experience) a less than great camera.
Since getting the Mavic, I literally have pages & pages of notes & spreadsheets with every conceivable combination of setting, & still have substandard videos. I love my Mavic, my favorite toy. It is a great drone with(in my experience) a less than great camera.
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