You still may want to consider using Protune. The files are captured at a much higher bit rate, they are not as compressed as much. The benefit is giving you considerably more exposure latitude. Darks will have more detail and lights will as well. If you don't want the hassle of color grading you can still use the GoPro color option. This will give a basic color grading with the higher bit rate. It really is a win. File sizes will be higher so if you have a smaller card that could be an issue.
Photography question about the use of filters
- Thread starter richnat
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2016
- Messages
- 3,920
- Reaction score
- 2,623
Are you sure? I used to have ProTune on and everything set for auto, and I don't recall seeing a difference in file size. If that's the case, I will go back to it. Where is that documented?
P2P, If you look at the recording time available on the small LCD screen on the camera with Protune off and then set Protune on you will see a big difference in the time available to record.
GoPro Hero 4 Spec Sheet said:
I also find that bright areas tend to be less washed out (have more detail) when Protune is turned on, as if a wider color gamut is being used (similar to "raw" images from a good DSLR camera). This allows HDR software to make details visible which would otherwise be inaccessible. Example:
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2016
- Messages
- 3,920
- Reaction score
- 2,623
I'm currently happiest with the shutter on auto, ISO 400, color flat, White balance native, and contrast on low with a ND 32 Filter on a sunny day. Having Protune on is the way to go in my opinion. Then play around with the post stuff. Gopro studio is good for this and I'm trying to learn Adobe Premiere 15
P2P, the data recorded is at a higher bit rate and uncompressed. Logic says that gives you larger file size. It is mentioned in many articles found on the web with a simple Google search. My file sizes also are a dead give away. The other thing you might notice is reduced battery life. The recording at higher settings come at a cost. I do run a 6 hour battery for many of my time lapses and in Protune I've seen reduced battery life. On my Solo it doesn't matter because my GoPro battery charges.
I've seen a lot of posts about folks not wanting to upgrade the firmware on their GoPro 4's to version 5. I think that is a large mistake. The advantages gained are way better than the only thing that is lost and that is auto power on. I find it rather simple to just power it on before anything else so its ready to go when Solo fires up. I find it more important that the GoPro shuts down with Solo which it does with the new firmware.To each is own though.
You gain the following in this improved version of Protune found in the newest firmware;
1. Ability to lock your shutter speed in Video Mode - this is the single biggest improvement with the new firmware. You can now lock your shutter speed at the fps plus three additional settings up. This also allows you to now lock your ISO giving you manual control over your shots. Auto shutter only allows and ISO lock down to 400 ISO. In manual shutter lock you can lock ISO all the way down to 100 ISO. That is big especially when shooting in bright daylight.
2. Linear mode - eliminates fisheye and gives you one less step you need to accomplish in post.
3. ISO limiting in Photos - This limits your upper and lower ISO limits which gives you more control over shutter speed again.
There are many more things that are not as applicable to drone work but if you use your GoPro for other work they have some added features that are very beneficial. So bottom line if you are want the absolute best from your footage you need to shoot in Protune and take manual control over the GoPro. As I mentioned in a number of posts back if you are happy with your footage keep shooting auto everything and have fun. If you want to get the absolute most from the GoPro you need to take control and spend some time in post processing! Do whatever makes you happy!
I've seen a lot of posts about folks not wanting to upgrade the firmware on their GoPro 4's to version 5. I think that is a large mistake. The advantages gained are way better than the only thing that is lost and that is auto power on. I find it rather simple to just power it on before anything else so its ready to go when Solo fires up. I find it more important that the GoPro shuts down with Solo which it does with the new firmware.To each is own though.
You gain the following in this improved version of Protune found in the newest firmware;
1. Ability to lock your shutter speed in Video Mode - this is the single biggest improvement with the new firmware. You can now lock your shutter speed at the fps plus three additional settings up. This also allows you to now lock your ISO giving you manual control over your shots. Auto shutter only allows and ISO lock down to 400 ISO. In manual shutter lock you can lock ISO all the way down to 100 ISO. That is big especially when shooting in bright daylight.
2. Linear mode - eliminates fisheye and gives you one less step you need to accomplish in post.
3. ISO limiting in Photos - This limits your upper and lower ISO limits which gives you more control over shutter speed again.
There are many more things that are not as applicable to drone work but if you use your GoPro for other work they have some added features that are very beneficial. So bottom line if you are want the absolute best from your footage you need to shoot in Protune and take manual control over the GoPro. As I mentioned in a number of posts back if you are happy with your footage keep shooting auto everything and have fun. If you want to get the absolute most from the GoPro you need to take control and spend some time in post processing! Do whatever makes you happy!
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2016
- Messages
- 3,920
- Reaction score
- 2,623
All of that is wonderful stuff. But is very difficult if not impossible to use on a drone. The camera has no iris control. So the only way to use fixed exposure is with the use of ND filters absent an adjustable iris. You cannot adjust or change a filter in flight. And you are stuck with only the fixed steps of filters. So unless the lighting is exactly what it needs to be to match up a filter with a shutter speed, you get an image that is too dark or washed out. It can be useful on the ground where you can mess with it to get it right. You can't do that in flight.
Linear cuts the FOV way down, barely any different than plain old medium FOV to begin with. Not something that excited me very much.
Linear cuts the FOV way down, barely any different than plain old medium FOV to begin with. Not something that excited me very much.
I do hope folks take the time to go back to previous posts in this topic. For most users auto mode is going to work just fine. My previous posts point that out numerous times. For those trying to squeeze the absolute most out of the tiny sensor on the GoPro, manual will be something you want to experiment with.
I have and continue to shoot in manual with great success. If you are familiar with shooting in manual mode with a camera there is nothing here that will be that different. Locking the shutter speed is the number one thing you can do for both video and still shots. Each mode requires completely different settings. The GoPro is well equipped to handle those different settings. It has a light meter just like any modern camera and it does a very credible job with aerial work. In fact it has two metering modes! In manual control it still has an ISO limit which allows for the camera to make exposure adjustments as it floats ISO with a fixed shutter. I think of that as a shutter priority mode, perfect for video work with changing light conditions.
Its even easier when we don't have to worry about aperture because the GoPro has a fixed one (F/2.8). So there are really only two things you have to set to get very nice results. Shutter speed and ISO. You can adjust your exposure compensation in the camera menu while flying in both the Solo app and Solex. Solex in fact puts the exposure compensation on the main screen. You can very easily change settings “on the fly” should you feel the need to do so. I rarely do because I deal with it in post processing.
Filters, which was the original question asked here, present no problem with exposure settings. Of course it makes sense to use darker ND filters as the conditions get brighter because even ISO 100 and the GoPro fixed aperture of f/2.8 will get you higher shutter speeds than double your chosen frame rate. That can produce jello and appearance of shake due to more frames being shot. Dawn and Dusk I don't use any filters it keeps ISO lower (less noise in low light) with a fixed shutter speed.
Shooting stills especially with a pano mode will give your stitching software the best chance of success if shot in manual mode. You do not want exposure changing from shot to shot. Shooting at the lowest possible ISO setting is a must with the small sensor in the GoPro to get the least noise free results. You can even lock ISO (photos) as I mentioned in a previous post or just set a limit (video). The newest firmware gave you all those possibilities.
One of the times I would almost always use auto is shooting a time lapse with Solo. Light conditions can change with partly cloudy conditions or at sunset. If you are taking a shot every 2 seconds or 5 seconds it gives you no chance to change settings on the camera so auto does a decent job.
Linear mode removes all barrel distortion, medium FOV still has a small amount of distortion present. Personal preference but I like the straight lines and slightly narrower view of Linear mode. Unfortunately Linear is not available in Photo mode, that is a downside. Again folks should use what works for them.
I have extensive experience in photography going back to the 70's (with cameras that had no built in light meter) and professionally for over 10 years. I have been involved with aerial photography from airplanes going back over 25 years as both a pilot and photographer. I've used the GoPro in many of those ventures and it works extremely well for a $400 camera. Its an even better tool with the new firmware which is the point of my previous post. The loss of power on is not even a consideration for me compared to all the improvements.
Manual is not for everyone, in fact most folks here maybe. I am particular, I can see the difference so I chose to go a more labor intensive route even when flying just for fun. Many may not see much difference between squeezing every drop of quality from manual and auto modes. Do what works for you and lets you enjoy your Solo, but please do understand the GoPro works just fine in manual mode from a drone or an airplane.
I have and continue to shoot in manual with great success. If you are familiar with shooting in manual mode with a camera there is nothing here that will be that different. Locking the shutter speed is the number one thing you can do for both video and still shots. Each mode requires completely different settings. The GoPro is well equipped to handle those different settings. It has a light meter just like any modern camera and it does a very credible job with aerial work. In fact it has two metering modes! In manual control it still has an ISO limit which allows for the camera to make exposure adjustments as it floats ISO with a fixed shutter. I think of that as a shutter priority mode, perfect for video work with changing light conditions.
Its even easier when we don't have to worry about aperture because the GoPro has a fixed one (F/2.8). So there are really only two things you have to set to get very nice results. Shutter speed and ISO. You can adjust your exposure compensation in the camera menu while flying in both the Solo app and Solex. Solex in fact puts the exposure compensation on the main screen. You can very easily change settings “on the fly” should you feel the need to do so. I rarely do because I deal with it in post processing.
Filters, which was the original question asked here, present no problem with exposure settings. Of course it makes sense to use darker ND filters as the conditions get brighter because even ISO 100 and the GoPro fixed aperture of f/2.8 will get you higher shutter speeds than double your chosen frame rate. That can produce jello and appearance of shake due to more frames being shot. Dawn and Dusk I don't use any filters it keeps ISO lower (less noise in low light) with a fixed shutter speed.
Shooting stills especially with a pano mode will give your stitching software the best chance of success if shot in manual mode. You do not want exposure changing from shot to shot. Shooting at the lowest possible ISO setting is a must with the small sensor in the GoPro to get the least noise free results. You can even lock ISO (photos) as I mentioned in a previous post or just set a limit (video). The newest firmware gave you all those possibilities.
One of the times I would almost always use auto is shooting a time lapse with Solo. Light conditions can change with partly cloudy conditions or at sunset. If you are taking a shot every 2 seconds or 5 seconds it gives you no chance to change settings on the camera so auto does a decent job.
Linear mode removes all barrel distortion, medium FOV still has a small amount of distortion present. Personal preference but I like the straight lines and slightly narrower view of Linear mode. Unfortunately Linear is not available in Photo mode, that is a downside. Again folks should use what works for them.
I have extensive experience in photography going back to the 70's (with cameras that had no built in light meter) and professionally for over 10 years. I have been involved with aerial photography from airplanes going back over 25 years as both a pilot and photographer. I've used the GoPro in many of those ventures and it works extremely well for a $400 camera. Its an even better tool with the new firmware which is the point of my previous post. The loss of power on is not even a consideration for me compared to all the improvements.
Manual is not for everyone, in fact most folks here maybe. I am particular, I can see the difference so I chose to go a more labor intensive route even when flying just for fun. Many may not see much difference between squeezing every drop of quality from manual and auto modes. Do what works for you and lets you enjoy your Solo, but please do understand the GoPro works just fine in manual mode from a drone or an airplane.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2016
- Messages
- 3,920
- Reaction score
- 2,623
ISO100, 1/60, 4K30, was washed out, way too bright even with ND16 or ND32 filters. And with the fixed exposure, it was unable to adjust when the shot moved between bright sun and shadows. How are you compensating for this in flight with nothing more than the EV Comp??
What type of conditions? How fast were you panning? Snow or not? Which metering mode? There are so many variables involved its hard to say. If panning fast the light meter on the GoPro is not the fastest to react, maybe a second to adjust exposure. It doesn't sound right what you experienced. I have seen with the software in GoPro you occasionally have to change ISO modes fixed or locked and back again to get the camera to react. Maybe that is what happened? It actually did just that to mine when I grabbed it to try see how mine reacted. I actually experienced the same thing you did with a completely blown out preview. I changed modes in ISO and it started working as expected.
The first thing I would check is the metering mode. Generally the evaluative meter that is default is very good at its job. On occasion with large changes from shadow to light you might find spot meter to work better for you. I use it in certain light conditions and spot meter works very well.
Here is a fast test to show you what I see in your scenario. The first shot is ISO mode locked and ISO limit 100. I used only an ND8 on mine. I used my phone and just screen grabs of the preview so you could see the difference. It looks as expected.
The second is ISO mode locked and ISO limit 800 again with the ND8 installed.
You may want to let the ISO float a bit. Try setting ISO mode to Max and then set an upper limit of say 3200 ISO and see if that helps with your bright to dark issues as well. If I had more snow I might adjust EC down maybe a stop. If I had more background or sky I might remove EC. By using ISO limit not ISO locked and setting an upper limit you might like the results better with large changes from dark to light. Its semi automatic in that mode and doesn't require as much attention to EC. But you are still controlling your shutter speed.
The first thing I would check is the metering mode. Generally the evaluative meter that is default is very good at its job. On occasion with large changes from shadow to light you might find spot meter to work better for you. I use it in certain light conditions and spot meter works very well.
Here is a fast test to show you what I see in your scenario. The first shot is ISO mode locked and ISO limit 100. I used only an ND8 on mine. I used my phone and just screen grabs of the preview so you could see the difference. It looks as expected.
The second is ISO mode locked and ISO limit 800 again with the ND8 installed.
You may want to let the ISO float a bit. Try setting ISO mode to Max and then set an upper limit of say 3200 ISO and see if that helps with your bright to dark issues as well. If I had more snow I might adjust EC down maybe a stop. If I had more background or sky I might remove EC. By using ISO limit not ISO locked and setting an upper limit you might like the results better with large changes from dark to light. Its semi automatic in that mode and doesn't require as much attention to EC. But you are still controlling your shutter speed.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2016
- Messages
- 3,920
- Reaction score
- 2,623
The first shot is ISO mode locked and ISO limit 100. I used only an ND8.
The second is ISO mode locked and ISO limit 800 again with the ND8 installed.
The second is ISO mode locked and ISO limit 800 again with the ND8 installed.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2016
- Messages
- 3,920
- Reaction score
- 2,623
I'll try it again this weekend. I think I had it locked on ISO100 but it was so long ago, I could be wrong.
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2017
- Messages
- 316
- Reaction score
- 54
- Age
- 62
- Location
- Waverly, NE
- Website
- www.macswebs.com
But linear mode isn't any help (and probably something to be avoided) if you have a camera with a flat lens installed I would guess. Doesn't firmware v5 also add some issues with digital zoom? With the new firmware, how do you avoid digital zoom? Does the camera inform when digital zoom is or would be used?
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2017
- Messages
- 316
- Reaction score
- 54
- Age
- 62
- Location
- Waverly, NE
- Website
- www.macswebs.com
Optical zoom is when the lens (optics) is used to see objects far away up close. This is why a 5mm lens brings objects closer in view than a 2mm lens.
Digital zoom is when the computer looks at a portion of the sensor but makes that portion full size in view. This effectively zooms in, but as you zoom in the resolution gets worse and worse since you are only seeing an increasingly smaller portion of the sensor.
***EDIT*** Okay, I'm an idiot. While trying to find out more about this I found that the digital zoom process is something done in post, not in the camera. That actually makes more sense now that I think about it. Duh.
Last edited:
Actually, some older point and shoot digital cameras do just this. As well as most smartphones. Rule of thumb -- if the lens doesn't move while zooming, it's a digital zoom.
Similar threads
New Posts
-
-
Free Music / SFX Resource for Your Videos - Over 2000 Tracks- Latest: Eric Matyas
-
-
-
