DJI Mavic Air 2S - First Impressions

Just for fun I took a closer look at the first image you posted. Here's an odd thing - in RGB the green channel never gets lower than about 35 or 38 in pixel values (but red and blue DO get down close to 0). If you use something like Photoshop "Levels" or "Curves," setting green pixel values from about 35 down to 0, that overly-green foliage becomes more normal.

 

From that point the tree shadows still look too weak to me. So I would pull down the overall "Curve" in the low areas. For example, pull a pixel value of about 25 down to about 12 or so. I actually made this be part of an overall "S" Curve which crosses at about 75 (the upper part bulges slightly up). The color then becomes much too strong, so desaturate to taste.

 

I think you'd find these changes much improved over the original. But the real issue, aside from the poor tonal response, seems to be the failure of the green channel to go low enough. I have no idea why this would happen; it really shouldn't (this is not a result of white balance settings). Maybe there's some setup information in your camera manual?

Thanks for the comments, but the issue I initially pointed out is not one of poor tonal response. The problem is that in some images, greens have too much of a yellow cast, not that they are too green. For example, look at the bottom tree foliage in this one, which is raw read into LR with no adjustments;

 

 

That color would have been reasonable in May, but not at the end of July.

 

Having now gone over a bunch of drone images taken under different circumstances, I'm pretty much convinced that Ed was right that this is just a poor AWB result. I do have a few images where tweaking the green in the calibration panel also helps. The problem is resolved, I think.

Edited December 13, 2021 by paddler4

Raw images with a wide dynamic range often look faded compared to their processed versions. This is the unprocessed version of an image I posted above. The advantage of RAW imaging is that you have the latitude to do considerable processing. I used AuroraHD to process this image.

 

Right. The faded appearance was therefore not a concern for me. I'm used to it. My concern was solely color rendition, particularly yellow-green

Just as a demo, here's what happens using the sequence I described. (If color is too weak, probably cuz I desaturated too much in the last step.)

 

The major change, in my view, was due to the green channel not having any values below about 30 or 35, or so. I used a "Levels" control to drag it down near zero.

 

The white balance is essentially unchanged, as evidenced in the rectangular white things on the right. As I said before, I have no idea why the green values didn't go lower - it seems like they should have.

 

 

Below is the original, the first one in post 22, above.

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Bill C

Now that we're in the three-day interlude between Winter and Summer, I'm finding a few more things to photograph in Illinois. A familiar place is Apple River Canyon SP, in northeast Illinois. It's beautiful in the fall (see above), but not bad this time of year either.

 

I decided to add a more sophisticated controller, the new DJI RC Pro. It has a built-in screen, bright enough to use in sunlight, and more ergonomic controls. The original controller needs a smartphone for control and viewing, only visible in the shade. The controller also works with a Mavic 3, and probably more models as time goes by.

 

One of my friends bought a rack that allows him to use an iPad rather than a phone with the standard controller and says it's a big improvement. I haven't tried it yet.

It's hard to see the details on an iPhone. However they're generally brighter than an iPad. The controller is somewhat awkard to use with an iPad attached, but it helps to use a neck strap. I went through three versions, and found this one worked best for an 11" ipad. Used in once.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095Y9F751/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

thanks

A farm in western Massachusetts this week:

 

Finally, i got it. As an aerial photographer, I was looking for a compact yet powerful drone and the Mavic Air 2S ticks all the boxes from this page. The build quality is solid and the design is sleek. The improved obstacle avoidance sensors provide a much smoother and safer flying experience compared to my previous drone. The image and video quality is top-notch, thanks to the 48 MP camera and 4K 60fps video capability. The battery life is impressive and the longer flight time gives me more opportunities to capture the perfect shot. The upgraded remote control also has an improved range, making it easier to fly in challenging conditions.

On 1/31/2023 at 1:18 AM, ozzey said:

Finally, i got it. As an aerial photographer, I was looking for a compact yet powerful drone and the Mavic Air 2S ticks all the boxes from this page. The build quality is solid and the design is sleek. The improved obstacle avoidance sensors provide a much smoother and safer flying experience compared to my previous drone. The image and video quality is top-notch, thanks to the 48 MP camera and 4K 60fps video capability. The battery life is impressive and the longer flight time gives me more opportunities to capture the perfect shot. The upgraded remote control also has an improved range, making it easier to fly in challenging conditions.

Glad you like it--I like  mine--but to keep things straight for others: the camera on the Air 2S is 20 MP, not 48 MP. (I consider that an advantage.) see https://www.dji.com/camera-drones?site=brandsite&from=homepage