I’ve been testing the Mini 3 Pro, trying to figure out why my photos lack detail, clarity, and sharpness. I don’t expect perfect images from a small sensor, but it’s like every tree in the photo has a soft, blurry look, almost like a Monet painting. At first, I thought it might be a sensor issue or maybe condensation, but nothing’s adding up.
Yesterday, I tried shooting video, and surprisingly, the video looked much sharper and clearer than the photos. Now I’m wondering if HDR might be causing the issue. I remember similar results with my iPhone years ago—using HDR created a slight blur due to a delay in captures. Could the Mini 3 Pro be having a similar problem?
Anyone know if this could be HDR-related? If so, are there any workarounds like using faster shutter speeds or switching to manual settings? Also, could cold weather be affecting HDR on this drone? Warmer days seem to give me better results.
If you’re shooting in 48 MP, try switching to 12 MP instead. The quad Bayer sensor can sometimes mess with details, especially around trees. And yeah, don’t zoom in too close on these shots—looks better at a distance!
Nico said:
Makes sense that a drone, which isn’t totally still in the air, might need a quick exposure time to avoid blur in photos.
Thing is, I tried 1/200 and 1/1600 shutter speeds, and the results weren’t that different. I ran another test with all settings in manual, fast shutter speeds, and used the physical shutter button instead of the one on the RC screen. Also tried 12 MP and 48 MP settings, plus some panos and bracketing. This has been so frustrating that I bought a refurbished Air 2S to see if the bigger sensor might help!
@Drew
HDR might be the only issue. ISO was below 200, and all photos were in bright daylight. Today I used only the physical shutter button and didn’t touch the RC screen for focus. I have a DSLR background, so maybe picking a focus point from high up isn’t even necessary. I’ll check the results soon.
First, using the physical shutter button on the RC and letting the drone select the focus point worked much better. I’d been trying to pick a focus point on the touchscreen, which might have been causing the camera to refocus every time.
Second, wind seems to be affecting the 48 MP mode. In tests today, even with a 10-15 mph breeze, the 12 MP photos looked great, but 48 MP photos had softness, especially around the edges. In the 12 MP shots, everything was sharp across the frame.
TL;DR: Using the physical shutter button, letting the drone pick the focus, and sticking to 12 MP gave much better results. Wind also seems to mess with 48 MP photos.