DJI Mavic recommended camera settings

General Discussion
1

I’ve experimented with both Auto and Manual camera settings with my Mavic, but getting inconsistent results - often dark and/or blurry.

Can someone recommend best practices for setting camera settings with the Mavic and Drone Deploy.

Thanks
Chris

2

I had read similar issues. Read some solutions like this oneMavic Pro: ISO and focus issue

I flew my first DD mission few days ago. I planned my flight at 250’ agl, so before I opened DD app I flew up to 250’, and used the tap to focus, then changed camera to manual and landed. Never shut the drone off, just turned controller off and back on and went to DD app and flew without any issues. Had good images and made a decent maps.

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3

ONLY with iOS I start with DJI Go 4 and fly up to the height I set in DD, camera down and center focus then switch to MF. Now just press the Home and start DD and proceed with the flight plan with my Mavic in mid air. So far that’s the only way I managed to good results. with Android, there is no way I could ever get good consistent results.

mleecline, just wondering if you are using iOS or Andoid? Thanks!

4

Thanks for the feedback guys!
Just ran a test in twilight, worked great.
I’m using IOS

Here is the process I’m going with:

  1. In DroneDeploy, turn off Automatic Camera Settings

  2. Run DJI Go first to set camera settings

  • Shutter: 200 or higher to reduce motion blur

  • Style: Standard or Landscape (to preference)

  • Color: none or True Color (to preference, D-Log or Cini are two flat)

  • Histogram: ON to help adjust lighting

  • Fly with DJI Go to DD project height, and point the camera down
    – AF: Tap to set Autofocus to a ground point
    – MF: Switch to Manual Focus to eliminate refocusing during the flight
    – ISO: Set to to achieve good brightness (e.g. histogram centered)
    – White Balance: Sunny, Cloudy, or Custom (not AWB)
    – Style: Landscape or Standard
    – Color: None or True Color

  1. Fly to a safe location.
    Switch to the DroneDeploy app and connect
    Run the mission
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5

I’m using Android. I haven’t tried switching to DD in midflight yet.

6

Good info. Thanks for the sharing.

7

Will try your procedure for sure! Hope that they come up with solutions for these problems soon. I just ended my DD subscription because of unreliable maps. As a corn and soybean grower I cant afford to spend the time and money and never be sure if deviations in my maps are bad camera settings or indeed a problems in a field.

Thanks for the info!

8

Do you think if I do everything, but start DD in mid air it will work? It seems ok to me. I would takeoff and set the camera to manual, the focus, ISO, white balance, style and color. Then, I would bring the drone back to the home point. Without disconnecting, I would lunch DD, turn off the Automatic Camera Settings and start the mission. The only difference is to not lunch DD once already in the air. Thanks!

9

Only way to find out is to try it. I turned off Automatic Camera Settings in Drone Deploy before setting the camera settings in DJI Go. That way, no chance for DD to change the settings when I switch back from DJI Go to DD. I don’t think returning to Home makes any difference. It’s just saves time and battery to switch over from DJI Go to DD in the air, near the start point of the mission.

10

Thank you. I was just afraid to make the switch in the air. I tought DD could mess up with the flight height. Anyway, I will try both ways and post what I find out.

11

The Shutter settings are usually done through thumb rule in which the shutter is the inverse double of your frame rate. For example, if you are having a frame rate of 30fps then shutter should be of 1/60s. For more less and light exposure, it’s better to keep it much closer with 2x and moving within the range of 1/60s to 1/50s is preferable. Mavic Pro is very easy to use with little practice and learning on how to handle as compared to many other drones with camera.

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