DJI O4 Air Unit Professional Changing An Motion Digicam On FPV Drone?

What’s up, guys? Welcome again to a different video. Immediately, I’m actually excited as a result of now we have the brand-new DJI O4 Air Unit Professional going up in opposition to an precise motion digicam, which is the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional. I’ll put them to the take a look at in opposition to one another and see whether or not the O4 Professional can really exchange an actual motion digicam in the case of FPV. I’m actually excited for this one. Hopefully, you might be as nicely. Let’s get began immediately.

Evaluating the Footage

Now, let’s study the footage actual fast, as now we have each cameras aspect by aspect. First, now we have the O4 Air Unit Professional on the left, after which now we have the Osmo Motion 5 Professional on the precise.

Handbook Digicam Settings

For starters, I started flying with guide digicam settings. I attempted making the clips look nearly as good as doable through the use of guide settings. The footage was recorded in 4K at 50 frames per second within the D-Log M shade profile, with a shutter pace of 1/100 and an ISO between 100 and 800. I selected to not lock the ISO as a result of I’m passing via some darker areas and needed the cameras to regulate accordingly. I’m not likely certain what the white stability was, but it surely was the identical on each cameras.

I turned off the stabilization as a result of I needed to make use of Gyroflow to stabilize each photographs later in put up, after which I graded the photographs. I remodeled the D-Log M footage to Rec.709, utilized my very own LUT to each clips in precisely the identical approach, and at last added some sharpness in put up. As I by no means use the built-in sharpness, you’ll see how the photographs look earlier than grading after which after grading.

From what I’m seeing on the screens proper now, with out actually pixel peeping an excessive amount of, I believe they’re neck and neck. In some areas, the O4 Air Unit Professional appears to be like a tiny bit higher than what we see on the Osmo Motion 5 Professional. I’m purposely flying in direction of the solar in some elements so you may see how the cameras adapt when the daylight is immediately hitting the lens. The glow from the solar appears to be like very related. For this situation, the place now we have sturdy pure daylight, it’s actually arduous to see which one is healthier as we leap towards the subsequent take a look at.

Computerized Digicam Settings

The entire following footage was shot in automated digicam settings—all the pieces set to auto: the white stability, shutter pace, ISO, and built-in stabilization. If you happen to don’t wish to cope with shade grading and stabilizing your footage, that is what you may anticipate from each cameras.

Right here, the O4 Air Unit Professional has a barely hotter picture, and when the solar shines immediately on the digicam, it produces much more glow. In the meantime, the Osmo Motion 5 Professional footage appears to be like a bit uninteresting and flat, though the colour was set to 10-bit Regular. I wasn’t actually anticipating it to be that desaturated, however each nonetheless look nice. Personally, it’s not one thing I might use for FPV as a result of the picture is much less vibrant and fewer interesting to me. These small issues—like locking your digicam settings, shade grading your footage, and including sharpness later in put up—actually go a great distance in making your footage look significantly better. That’s why I’m a giant advocate for at all times capturing in D-Cin, shade grading your footage, and never counting on the digicam’s auto settings. The built-in stabilization continues to be good, however aspect by aspect, that is what you get straight out of the digicam.

Low-Mild Comparability

Right here’s the place you’ll see the largest distinction. This footage was shot proper after sundown. You may nonetheless see the orange glow on the horizon, however the Osmo Motion 5 Professional has significantly better high quality. You may see extra element, and the sharpness is on one other degree. That doubtless has to do with how the Osmo Motion 5 Professional’s processor handles the info. Regardless of the O4 Air Unit Professional having virtually double the bit price—round 115 Mbps in comparison with 66 Mbps on the Osmo Motion 5 Professional—it doesn’t essentially yield higher high quality. The processor within the Osmo Motion 5 Professional is doing numerous work, supplying you with a greater closing picture to work with. Earlier than and after grading, it appears to be like noticeably higher on the Osmo Motion 5 Professional.

So, for those who’re capturing in darker instances when there’s much less gentle, you’ll see the largest distinction right here. In vibrant and sunny circumstances, like within the earlier examples, you may’t actually discover a distinction. However in low gentle, it’s fairly clear. Once more, I used precisely the identical digicam settings on each cameras, graded them the identical approach, however the outcomes are completely different.

Professionals of Utilizing the O4 Air Unit Professional

For FPV, a couple of issues are vital. Let’s begin with the professionals of ditching your motion digicam in favor of solely utilizing the O4 Air Unit Professional.

1. Efficiency Enhance: The very first thing you’ll discover whenever you take away your motion digicam is the massive efficiency increase. Not having to cope with a further 200 grams or so on high of your body will make your drone really feel like a rocket. The elevated pace, agility, and smoothness will probably be very noticeable. In FPV, each gram issues, so this makes a large distinction.
2. Improved Picture High quality: Even earlier than, the O3 Air Unit was nice, however now it’s superb to see how shut it’s to an precise motion digicam. The standard is extraordinarily related, as demonstrated by the examples on this video. With a single digicam that additionally gives your FPV feed, the footage is recorded onto the built-in reminiscence or an SD card, and the standard might be actually spectacular—particularly in vibrant, sunny circumstances.
3. Handbook Settings and Submit-Manufacturing: Combining guide digicam settings, D-Log M, and Gyroflow, you’ve all the pieces you want for a jaw-dropping FPV video. My private LUTs work nicely with D-Log footage, so you may simply remodel the look of your movies.
4. Peace of Thoughts for Dangerous Photographs: For these riskier, extra exact photographs, it’s much more pleasing and fewer tense to not fear about a further three- or four-hundred-dollar digicam on high of your drone. You solely fear concerning the drone itself. This lets you try extra daring maneuvers, probably making you a greater pilot.

Cons of Utilizing the O4 Air Unit Professional

1. Redundancy: Having a further digicam is usually a lifesaver in lots of situations, akin to incorrect settings, corrupted recordsdata, or failing to document. A second digicam gives priceless backup if one thing occurs to your essential footage.
2. Body Compatibility: Relying in your body, you may see props in view. If you happen to use a dead-cat-style body, you may not have this difficulty in any respect. However on sure X frames, you may expertise it. The O4 Air Unit Professional’s lens stands out greater than the previous O3 Air Unit, so in some circumstances, you’ll see props. A small zoom-in throughout put up can clear up this, although.
3. Visibility in Locked Settings: If you happen to lock your digicam settings for the most effective picture high quality, you may face visibility points going from vibrant to darkish areas. You may permit a variable ISO or shutter pace, or simply cope with restricted visibility. It’s a trade-off when utilizing one digicam.
4. Body Price Limitations: You may wish to fly with a better body price for smoother feed within the goggles, however that’s much less cinematic. Taking pictures at 50 or 60 fps is an efficient compromise, particularly if you wish to sluggish the footage down by 50% on a 25 fps timeline.

Ultimate Verdict

So, can the O4 Air Unit Professional exchange an motion digicam? For 99% of individuals, completely sure. The O4 Air Unit Professional can function a improbable motion digicam for FPV with no actual want to connect anything. Even for industrial functions, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, particularly if you understand how to stabilize and shade grade.

For a lot of, together with me, it will get rid of the necessity for a separate motion digicam, encouraging extra flights and riskier, extra inventive photographs to get these super-nice outcomes. I hope you loved this comparability between the Osmo Motion 5 Professional and the DJi O4 Air Unit Professional. It’s been an actual pleasure making it.

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