DJI Phantom 3 jittery video

Discussion in 'DJI Drones' started by ljnapier, Feb 14, 2016.

  1. ljnapier

    ljnapier New Member

    Dec 5, 2015
    6
    2
    1
    Male
    I have had my Phantom 3 Professional for a couple weeks. From day one the video has been "jittery" in spots. I believe the gimbal is moving when the drone is moving. (The video is OK when hovering.)

    Does anyone have any suggestions on how to stabilize the gimbal?
     
  2. Jonathan

    Jonathan Drone Expert
    Crew

    Aug 31, 2013
    1,302
    104
    63
    Male
    Drone Aerial Photographer
    York
    Stupid question, but have you removed the little piece of foam from between the camera and the body? Just checking, you probably did.
     
  3. ljnapier

    ljnapier New Member

    Dec 5, 2015
    6
    2
    1
    Male
    Yeah. I took that out. I emailed DJI asking for help. Still waiting on a reply from them.

    Maybe the gimbal is just defective.

    Thanks for the suggestion.
     
  4. Jonathan

    Jonathan Drone Expert
    Crew

    Aug 31, 2013
    1,302
    104
    63
    Male
    Drone Aerial Photographer
    York
    Have you tried lowering the shutter speed, using an nd filter? And also check for cracks underneath the motors on the body, where the screws connect the motors and where they connect the two halves of the body together.
     
  5. ljnapier

    ljnapier New Member

    Dec 5, 2015
    6
    2
    1
    Male
    I have switched from filming in 4K to 1080; from 24 fps to 30 to 60. Switched out the SD card. Although I knew it wouldn't matter, I even switched the propellers. No luck.

    Never considered possible cracks underneath the motors. So, I just checked them. Everything looks fine.

    If DJI doesn't reply to my email to them, I will just return the drone to Best Buy and look to buy a different one. Do you have a suggestion for one that films in 4K, and you haven't heard a lot of complaints about it?
     
  6. mixedinkey

    mixedinkey New Member

    Feb 15, 2016
    12
    6
    3
    Male
    You need to get your shutter speed to around double that of your frame rate eg. 24p = 1/48 sec
    60p = 1/120 sec
    You will need ND filters to help you achieve those shutter speeds most of the time.
    Are you using the right settings in your editing software?
     
    Sara likes this.
  7. ljnapier

    ljnapier New Member

    Dec 5, 2015
    6
    2
    1
    Male
    I'm using Cyberlink Power Director 14 (their latest version) video editing software. We have exchanged multiple emails.

    I have reached the point that I'm fairly confident it is a mechanical problem. The gimbal or camera is somehow moving just enough to make the video shake/jitter as the drone is flying. The video is crystal clear and solid as a rock when the drone is hovering.
     
  8. mixedinkey

    mixedinkey New Member

    Feb 15, 2016
    12
    6
    3
    Male
    Can you post a video and your camera settings for the video?
     
  9. ljnapier

    ljnapier New Member

    Dec 5, 2015
    6
    2
    1
    Male
    Posting my video settings: Is there a way to download them, or would I just write them down and then write them into a post?
     
  10. Jonathan

    Jonathan Drone Expert
    Crew

    Aug 31, 2013
    1,302
    104
    63
    Male
    Drone Aerial Photographer
    York
    What are you setting your shutter speed at, it's the only thing you haven't mentioned? That can make a huge difference.
     
  11. mixedinkey

    mixedinkey New Member

    Feb 15, 2016
    12
    6
    3
    Male
    Upload a video to YouTube and post the link here so we can see what you are seeing.
    Make sure you upload the full quality eg. 1080p, 2.7k etc.
    Also by the sounds of things you are flying with the camera set to auto which will cause a multitude of video problems under certain conditions.
    In auto mode the shutter speed is usually way to high which causes a stutter type effect.
     
    Sara likes this.
  12. ljnapier

    ljnapier New Member

    Dec 5, 2015
    6
    2
    1
    Male
    I want to thank everyone for their interest/advice. But I went to Best Buy this morning, and they swapped drones with me.

    I brought it home, downloaded all of the updates, charged the batteries and remote, and took the drone out for a flight. The video is not jittery at all. So, whether I am right or wrong, I will assume there was something wrong with either the gimbal or camera on the other drone.

    I am very happy with the new one. Thanks again.
     
    mixedinkey and Jonathan like this.
  13. Jonathan

    Jonathan Drone Expert
    Crew

    Aug 31, 2013
    1,302
    104
    63
    Male
    Drone Aerial Photographer
    York
    That's awesome! Now you can make some great videos. :)
     
  14. mixedinkey

    mixedinkey New Member

    Feb 15, 2016
    12
    6
    3
    Male
    Cool, good luck.
     

Share This Page

About Drone Minds

Drone Minds is a forum for users of all types of drones and all skill levels..read more