- Joined
- Jun 14, 2015
- Messages
- 1,553
- Reaction score
- 837
- Age
- 124
Hey guys, I haven't been around for awhile because I've been fiddling with some other drones for the last 8 or 9 months. I still love the Solo, but it's getting pretty old at this point.
I just wanted to stop by to vent a little bit about how difficult it is to get get a nice clean image out of all the DJI cameras I've been testing (the P4 and now the Mavic). They suffer from both smearing (oil panting effect) AND over sharpness (which causes aliasing, and flickering). It's damn near impossible to achieve the right balance. There is also a huge problem with banding (moire effect).
It is possible to get it dialed in, but you've really got work at it, and you need to tailor your settings for the subject matter you're shooting. Very annoying. The problem is in DJI's implementation of h.264 compression. Their algorithms are just plain crap compared to the Hero 4 Black. DJI's X5R is amazing when you shoot RAW, but it's compressed h.264 footage is just as crappy as the P4 or the Mavic. Oh, and it costs $5 grand.
So in my opinion, if you are still flying the Solo, or if your a new Solo owner, and you're looking at some of the new drones out there with envy, be careful what you wish for.
The Solo + H4 Black + Smart shots is still hard to beat in terms of image quality and complex camera movements. Throw in Solex and a good rectilinear lens from Peau, and the Solo is absolutely an excellent piece of kit. More than a worthy competitor.
Just my two cents.
(And happy new year everybody)
I just wanted to stop by to vent a little bit about how difficult it is to get get a nice clean image out of all the DJI cameras I've been testing (the P4 and now the Mavic). They suffer from both smearing (oil panting effect) AND over sharpness (which causes aliasing, and flickering). It's damn near impossible to achieve the right balance. There is also a huge problem with banding (moire effect).
It is possible to get it dialed in, but you've really got work at it, and you need to tailor your settings for the subject matter you're shooting. Very annoying. The problem is in DJI's implementation of h.264 compression. Their algorithms are just plain crap compared to the Hero 4 Black. DJI's X5R is amazing when you shoot RAW, but it's compressed h.264 footage is just as crappy as the P4 or the Mavic. Oh, and it costs $5 grand.
So in my opinion, if you are still flying the Solo, or if your a new Solo owner, and you're looking at some of the new drones out there with envy, be careful what you wish for.
The Solo + H4 Black + Smart shots is still hard to beat in terms of image quality and complex camera movements. Throw in Solex and a good rectilinear lens from Peau, and the Solo is absolutely an excellent piece of kit. More than a worthy competitor.
Just my two cents.
(And happy new year everybody)