Shooting Panoramas With Dji Mavic Pro: Tips And Tricks

how to shoot in pano dji mavic pro

The DJI Mavic Pro offers a range of features that enhance the panoramic photography experience. These include a three-axis gimbal, advanced flight modes, and intelligent shooting options. The Mavic Air's panoramic mode, also known as the Pano function, provides various aspect ratios, such as 3×1, 3 × 3, and 180°. To capture panoramic images, users can employ techniques such as manual panning, using a telephoto lens, adjusting exposure settings, and utilizing stitching software for post-processing. The drone's small size and manoeuvrability make it ideal for capturing unique perspectives and wide-angle views that transform ordinary scenes into captivating panoramic visuals.

Characteristics Values
Shooting mode RAW or RAW and JPEG
Stitching software Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Adobe Bridge/Camera RAW, PTGui
Exposure settings Underexpose images to bring out shadows
Bracketing 3 or 5 image bracketing
Overlap 1/3 overlap between shots
Shooting height Lower to the ground, but still above eye level
Shooting direction Horizontal or vertical
Aspect ratio 3x1, 3x3, 180°
Shooting technique Manual panning, telephoto lens, adjusting exposure settings

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Use the built-in Pano feature

The DJI Mavic Air has a built-in Pano mode, also known as the Pano function, which allows you to capture stunning panoramic images. This feature provides various aspect ratios, such as 3×1, 3 × 3, and 180°.

To use the built-in Pano feature, follow these steps:

  • Ensure that you are familiar with the menu system before taking off. This way, you can easily navigate the settings while your drone is in flight.
  • Once in the air, hover for a few seconds to level your drone.
  • Yaw to the beginning of your panorama, which can be on either the left or right side, depending on your preference.
  • Check your exposure settings. Consider underexposing your images slightly, as this will make it easier to bring out the shadows during post-processing.
  • Depending on the lighting conditions, you may want to use the 3 or 5 image bracketing feature to capture both highlights and shadows in your panorama.
  • Activate the Grid function in the DJI Go app (found in the Photo/Video Menu under the Tool section) to ensure proper overlap between images. You should aim for about a one-third overlap.
  • Rotate or yaw your drone, ensuring that you don't move up, down, forward, or backward.
  • Continue shooting your images, maintaining the one-third overlap between shots.
  • At the end of your panorama, you can tilt the camera up or down to capture more sky or ground, respectively, and make your way across again, creating two rows of images.
  • Stitch your images together using software like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or PTGui.

Remember that the built-in Pano feature may require more post-processing, but it yields a much more detailed image with less distortion and better tonality. The end result will also be of higher resolution.

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Shoot manually in brackets

When shooting a panorama with a DJI Mavic Pro drone, you can shoot manually in brackets. This technique requires more post-processing in Lightroom or Photoshop but yields a much more detailed image with less distortion and better tonality. The end result is also much higher resolution and can be printed much larger.

To shoot manually in brackets, you can choose to shoot a vertical or horizontal panorama. For a vertical panorama, you will be shooting from one end of the panorama to the other in a zig-zag. Choose whichever side you want to start from. Shoot a vertical set of 3 photos looking the same direction and only change the tilt before yawing. You can do a set of 4 or 5 as well, but depending on what's in your foreground, this may introduce distortion. You'll need one shot in each vertical set to be at 0°, this photo should be in the middle of your set. You can use the gimbal degree indicator to help with this.

For a horizontal panorama, you can shoot a much wider-angle image than would otherwise be possible with a single 28mm lens on the Mavic 2 Pro. You can also use the three centre images to achieve a vertical pano or portrait image.

To create a panorama, you will also need stitching software. You can use Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Adobe Bridge/Camera RAW, or PTGui.

Before shooting, you should turn off auto mode and lock your exposure and white balance. Make sure you are shooting in RAW, not jpg. Ideally, your ISO will be at 100, and your shutter speed should be set to at least ~1/250 so that there won't be any motion blur when it exposes for the shadows. Having the sun behind clouds will also help immensely.

You can also use the AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) feature in DJI Go to ensure you get the perfect shot every time. AEB is the process of taking multiple shots of the same image with different exposure settings.

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Use stitching software

To capture a panorama with the DJI Mavic Pro, you will need to use stitching software. This is because the drone does not have a rotating lens, so you can only stitch images together or crop a single frame. Stitching software will allow you to create a seamless panoramic image from multiple individual shots.

There are several software options available for stitching panoramas, including Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Adobe Bridge/Camera RAW, and PTGui. Some users also recommend Hugin, a free and open-source software with automatic photo positioning and HDR correction. However, it doesn't accept raw files directly; they must be developed first. Another option is Panovolo, which is affordable and reportedly yields better results than Lightroom Classic.

When shooting for a panorama, it's important to ensure you have sufficient overlap between shots to facilitate smooth stitching. Aim for about a one-third overlap. Additionally, always shoot in RAW or RAW + JPEG mode to have the .dng file available for more advanced post-processing.

After capturing your images, you can use the stitching software to combine them into a panorama. This process can be quite straightforward, but it's important to remember that software may struggle with stitching if there are many moving objects in your images. For example, stitching images of rough seas can be challenging due to the constant movement of the water.

Overall, shooting panoramas with the DJI Mavic Pro involves using stitching software to combine multiple images into a seamless panoramic view. With the right software and techniques, you can create detailed, high-resolution panoramas with your drone.

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Shoot horizontal panoramas

Shooting horizontal panoramas with the DJI Mavic Pro drone can be a simple process, but there are some tips and tricks to getting the best results. Firstly, you don't have to choose your format right away; you can change the menu options in flight, so you can vary your approach as often as you like. However, it's a good idea to get to grips with the menu system while on the ground so you know what you're doing when you're up in the air.

When shooting horizontal panoramas, you can create a wide-angle image by combining nine images in a 3x3 grid formation. This will give you a much wider angle than a single 28mm lens on the Mavic 2 Pro. You can also use the three centre images to create a vertical panorama or portrait image.

Before you start, make sure your drone is hovering and level. Then yaw to the beginning of your panorama—this can be on either the left or right side. It's worth noting that panoramas don't always have to be taken high in the sky; being lower to the ground can also provide a nice view.

To ensure proper overlap between images, activate the Grid function in the DJI Go app (Photo/Video Menu, under the Tool section). This will help you keep enough overlap, which should be about one-third. Only rotate or yaw your aircraft and avoid moving up, down, forward, or backward.

You can also experiment with different exposure settings. Slightly underexposing your images can make it easier to bring out the shadows in post-processing. Depending on the lighting conditions, you may want to use the 3 or 5 image bracketing feature to capture both highlights and shadows in your panorama.

Finally, don't be afraid to get creative with your horizontal panoramas. You can try shooting at different heights and using leading lines to direct the focus to a certain area.

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Experiment with exposure settings

When taking a panorama with the DJI Mavic Pro, you are exposing the film plane to a wide range of different light values. This can result in parts of the image being over or underexposed. To avoid this, experiment with different exposure settings.

One way to do this is to use manual exposure settings. Set your camera to manual focus mode and focus on your point of interest. Then, set a single exposure that covers the important elements of the scene and lock it in. This will ensure that the exposure remains consistent throughout the panorama.

Another technique is to slightly underexpose your images. This can make it easier to bring out the shadows in post-processing, allowing for more detail in the final image. You can also try using a telephoto lens, which can help to flatten out distortion and add deeper distance compression.

Additionally, consider using a lower ISO setting to reduce motion blur. For landscapes, a shutter speed of 1/60 of a second should be sufficient. If you're shooting in bright light, consider using a circular polarizing filter to reduce reflected light and improve the image quality.

Finally, experiment with different shooting heights. Shooting at a higher altitude can help capture tall buildings or mountains in the distance, while staying lower to the ground can also provide interesting perspectives.

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Frequently asked questions

The horizontal pano option is recommended for shooting panoramas with the DJI Mavic 2 drone. This allows you to shoot a much wider-angle image than would be possible with a single 28mm lens on the Mavic 2 Pro.

Always shoot in RAW or RAW and JPEG mode so you have the .dng file available for post-production work.

Use stitching software like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or PTGui to create your panorama.

Slightly underexpose your images as it is easier to bring out the shadows in post-processing than to calm down the highlights.

The Mavic Air's Pano function, also known as Pano Mode, provides various aspect ratios, such as 3x1, 3x3, and 180 degrees.

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