photos: P4P+ 20mp horizontal vs. Mavic Air 32mp stitched horizontal

ribjig · Nov 23, 2019

Does anyone own both?
Made direct comparison of photo quality, 20mp vs. 32mp stitched?
It would seem 32mp offers higher quality, but...???
What are caveats of using 32mp stitched horizontal function?
Does it shoot (25) images to stitch, or less?
(saw "stitching produces UP TO 32mp", is that only for spherical?)
Are DNGs stitched?
Is there a lot of ghosting or fake twins created when shooting
scenes including movement, say, traffic, ocean waves, etc.?
Thanks in advance.

PS. stitching function was added in P4P+ app update?
is it an update that has now been widely recognized
to be issue free? (am still using 4.2.6)

Meta4 · Nov 23, 2019

ribjig said:
Made direct comparison of photo quality, 20mp vs. 32mp stitched?
It would seem 32mp offers higher quality, but...???

The P4 pro is a far better camera with a sensor that is 4 times larger than the Mavic Air.
It has a controllable aperture so you aren't stuck shooting at full open aperture too.
If you compare single shots from both cameras, the P4 pro wins easily.

You are asking about comparing the image quality of a 20MP camera with a 1" sensor with a stitched multi-image panorama from a 12MP camera with a 1/2.3" sensor.
Do you realise you can also create large stitched panoramas with the P4 pro?
If you compare stitched panoramas from both cameras, the P4 pro wins.
Here's a (much reduced version of a) 76MP stitched panorama shot with a P4 pro.
At full size, it's a huge image with great quality.

If you want compact, easy portability the Mavic wins.
But if you are looking for photographic quality, the P4 pro is way ahead of the Mavic Air.

ribjig · Nov 23, 2019

Thanks.
Mavic Air is programmed to, AFAICT:
a. take all required photos in required orientation
b. stitch results to give final 32mp image
(automated = big time saver)
So the question is still how a single
horizontal from P4P+ compares to
auto-taken-auto-stitched 32mp horiz from
Mavic Air. It would seem latter beats on IQ,
but are there other factors about Mavic Air sensor
that yields lower IQ 32mp vs 20mp P4P+...?
Someone with firsthand experience knows...

JeffreyS · Nov 23, 2019

Meta4 has it right. I use a P4P and stitch frames regularly. I use the well proven techniques that work for using a dslr. I merge to panorama in Photoshop. I control each frame captured, the offset between frames and the stitching process. I do not use any automated routines in the drone. Example of a three frame image I made last week:

ribjig · Nov 23, 2019

Some prefer automated.
If it works properly.
regards.

JeffreyS · Nov 23, 2019

ribjig said:
Some prefer automated.
If it works properly.
regards.

True.

It's really more of how demanding you are of your image quality and what your level of experience and accomplishment is with post production.

chascoadmin · Nov 23, 2019

What are the dimensions of each images? Just because it is more pixels doesn't mean it's better if the 32mp is a larger image. For instance, I make panos with my P4P that are 16k-20k wide that are are 60-80 million pixels.

Meta4 · Nov 23, 2019

ribjig said:
Mavic Air is programmed to, AFAICT:
a. take all required photos in required orientation
b. stitch results to give final 32mp image
(automated = big time saver)

And your P4 pro can do that too.

ribjig said:
(automated = big time saver)

If you don't know what you are doing, it might be but I shoot a lot of panos and I do it myself because it's faster and gives me more flexibility.
You'll also get better images yourself than the autostitching in the drone will do.

ribjig said:
So the question is still how a single horizontal from P4P+ compares to auto-taken-auto-stitched 32mp horiz from Mavic Air.
It would seem latter beats on IQ, but are there other factors about Mavic Air sensor that yields lower IQ 32mp vs 20mp P4P+...?

Since both drones can produce automated panoramas the question should be to compare stills with stills or panos with panos.

DJimages.BiZ · Dec 17, 2019

I think this has ended the battle inside my head. I had a P34k sold it and bought mavic air. I love the compact and ability to through into a backpack. I am a DSLR shooter and struggle with photo quality of MA. I believe I would be happier with P4P there is a used one for sale around the corner he dropped to my price point with many extras.

I think I might be buying it.

chascoadmin · Dec 17, 2019

DJimages.BiZ said:
I think this has ended the battle inside my head. I had a P34k sold it and bought mavic air. I love the compact and ability to through into a backpack. I am a DSLR shooter and struggle with photo quality of MA. I believe I would be happier with P4P there is a used one for sale around the corner he dropped to my price point with many extras.

I think I might be buying it.

It has been really hard finding any P4P's and when I did the prices were really inflated like they were already classics.

You might be better off go for a Mavic 2 Pro with the Hasselblad camera.

Almost double what I bought mine for a year ago.

DJI Phantom 4 RTK

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DJimages.BiZ · Dec 17, 2019

chascoadmin said:
It has been really hard finding any P4P's and when I did the prices were really inflated like they were already classics. You might be better off go for a Mavic 2 Pro with the Hasselblad camera.

Almost double what I bought mine for a year ago.

DJI Phantom 4 RTK

DJI Phantom 4 RTK - DJI Phantom 4 RTK Visionary Intelligence. Elevated Accuracy. Upgrade your next mapping mission with the Phantom 4 RTK – the most compact and accurate low altitude mapping solution. Next Generation Mapping DJI has rethought its drone technology from the ground-up...

www.krinc.net

Then maybe I should ask the question on price? and maybe I should search the forum I am sure there is a thread... but I am here and typing now lol
so of course he said low hours and no crashes
2 batteries and all the fixings
has a nice lowepro backpack
2 sets of silent props
polarizing filter
$850.00
and he is almost walking distance from me...

chascoadmin · Dec 17, 2019

DJimages.BiZ said:
Then maybe I should ask the question on price? and maybe I should search the forum I am sure there is a thread... but I am here and typing now lol
so of course he said low hours and no crashes
2 batteries and all the fixings
has a nice lowepro backpack
2 sets of silent props
polarizing filter
$850.00
and he is almost walking distance from me...

Just my opinion, but buying used is dangerous. There are too many very sensitive components. I feel that buying from somewhere than I cannot get a warranty or return is out of the question.

DJimages.BiZ · Dec 17, 2019

chascoadmin said:
Just my opinion, but buying used is dangerous. There are too many very sensitive components. I feel that buying from somewhere than I cannot get a warranty or return is out of the question.

I understand but I buy EVERYTHING used, well not cloths or anything like that lol but all my fun stuff I do... Truck, boat, cameras, lens, and yes drones. Have I gotten burn.. yep but the amount of money I save out ways by far the money I have spent on a burn. I will not buy it unless I can test fly or they can test fly with me there. After he/she does test fly I ask to see his app with flights. I do this face to face.. They will not show me then they were lying and I walk. So far all I have seen are people that buy them, never use them and then sell them. Bought my first drone P34K for $450.00 and used it for 2 years and then sold it for $300.00. Took the $300 and bought a Mavic air for $600.00 I still have it and might sell it for probably close to $600 and get this for $850... if I wait until I am willing to drop like what $1800 for a new one with the extras... I will never get it. I wish the used Mavic pro 2 would come down but still too high for me... I will get this use it for a year or so sell it for $600 and by then the mavic 2 pro will be down in the 8-900's since something better will come out I am sure lol.

Sorry I started typing and probably went way too far lol but I completely understand where you are coming from and it is a gamble for sure.

chascoadmin · Dec 17, 2019

No doubt. I buy many things used or refurbished as well, but drones are not one of them since we use them for business purposes. Break a prop... you know, break a leg. ?

DJimages.BiZ · Dec 17, 2019

chascoadmin said:
No doubt. I buy many things used or refurbished as well, but drones are not one of them since we use them for business purposes. Break a prop... you know, break a leg. ?

Sorry yes if I was using for a business or a client was relying on me.. I would not buy used or I would have a back up at all times. I love flying them and doing photos for myself. I have not done the FAA course (yet) so all I can do is for myself. One day I will do the course lol

Tom45 · Dec 17, 2019

Image quality is more than just the number of pixels. As Meta4 states, the P4P sensor is far better. The P4P's larger sensor has better dynamic range and less image noise.

With good lighting you won't notice much difference in image quality between using a small sensor vs. a large sensor. But if the scene light levels range between quite dark and very bright, and you need to adjust exposures for highlights and shadows, the larger sensor will give much better results.

In a studio you can supply your own light and always have great lighting. With a drone you are stuck with the light that nature is giving you at any moment. Sometimes great light, but more often than not, the light won't be so great.

chascoadmin · Dec 17, 2019

Tom45 said:
Image quality is more than just the number of pixels. As Meta4 states, the P4P sensor is far better. The P4P's larger sensor has better dynamic range and less image noise.

With good lighting you won't notice much difference in image quality between using a small sensor vs. a large sensor. But if the scene light levels range between quite dark and very bright, and you need to adjust exposures for highlights and shadows, the larger sensor will give much better results.

In a studio you can supply your own light and always have great lighting. With a drone you are stuck with the light that nature is giving you at any moment. Sometimes great light, but more often than not, the light won't be so great.

I agree somewhat and have lacked in figuring out what exactly the OP has, but if it is both then yes the P4P is still superior to pretty much any prosumer camera out there. What I don't agree on is the number of pixels not mattering.

1) By doing as I advised you are focusing on a more isolated part of the subject thus picking up the actual light of that area which will represent a more accurate representation of actual conditions. One thing is that you do have to follow photography 101 and not shoot when lighting conditions are not conducive to a good image. One trick though is to manual focus, which manually meters and do so on the bottom third of the frame when the sun is not positioned well.

2) By increasing the number of pixels, particularly with RAW you are able to control the scene MUCH better and post-process out any flaws that might occur.

Tom45 · Dec 17, 2019

chascoadmin said:
I agree somewhat and have lacked in figuring out what exactly the OP has, but if it is both then yes the P4P is still superior to pretty much any prosumer camera out there. What I don't agree on is the number of pixels not mattering.

I don't think anyone has said that the number of pixels doesn't matter.

Given that stitching can be done with any camera, it is possible to get an image with enough pixels no matter which camera is used. But those pixels will have better quality from a larger sensor.

I don't think one question in the original post has been answered yet. Yes, scenes with movement can be a problem when stitching. Things that help:

1) Try to confine portions with a lot of motion to a single image of the panorama sequence
2) Take several shots for each image so that there will be more chances to have minimal mismatches between images.
3) Using the multiple shots in 2), do some cloning from the multiple shots into the final. For example, because of the small monitor for the drone, you don't realize until later that someone walked or ran through the image. With multiple shots you can clone out the person even though they are in every image. They just won't be in the same place in each image.

chascoadmin · Dec 17, 2019

Tom45 said:
I don't think anyone has said that the number of pixels doesn't matter.

Given that stitching can be done with any camera, it is possible to get an image with enough pixels no matter which camera is used. But those pixels will have better quality from a larger sensor.

I don't think one question in the original post has been answered yet. Yes, scenes with movement can be a problem when stitching. Things that help:

1) Try to confine portions with a lot of motion to a single image of the panorama sequence
2) Take several shots for each image so that there will be more chances to have minimal mismatches between images.
3) Using the multiple shots in 2), do some cloning from the multiple shots into the final. For example, because of the small monitor for the drone, you don't realize until later that someone walked or ran through the image. With multiple shots you can clone out the person even though they are in every image. They just won't be in the same place in each image.

Tom45 said:
Image quality is more than just the number of pixels. As Meta4 states, the P4P sensor is far better.

The number of pixels and proximity to the subject might be more important than we are giving credit for. A 20mp camera vs a 100mp will create completely different capabilities and the opportunity for less error.

1) I consider a panorama an image captured from a single viewpoint to simulate what a person would see from that point. What I am talking about here is an image using a planar motion that will turn a 20mp into a 100mp for that scene.
2) Great idea!
3) Those shots can also be used for histogram adjustment and batch editing.