12MP v. 48MP? - What Should You Use? - Mini 3 Pro Comparison (Camera Chart)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 มิ.ย. 2024
- The DJI Mini 3 Pro is equipped with a quad bayer sensor allowing it to utilize its sensor as a 12MP or 48MP sensor. In this video we put the two sensor setting types to the test complete with side-by-side video and photos. You will see the same camera chart we have been using in our other comparison videos.
Download Full Quality RAW Images and Video
12MP: www.dropbox.com/sh/bu46gcuhc8...
48MP: www.dropbox.com/sh/su52qbwik9...
00:00 Introduction
00:18 Quad Bayer Technology
01:05 How We Captured the Data
02:06 Image Comparison
12:13 Outro
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~~ Show notes go here ~~ - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I think the take away for me was that if you need to bump the ISO much beyond 200 keep the 12 MP. If you have bright daylight conditions and can roll with ISO 100 and wider aperture you can use the 48 MP.
Yep, that's a good summary. Maybe even up to ISO 400.
@@PilotInstitute Interesting. From watching the video, I would have thought you'd put the dividing line at 800 or even 1600 iso. Which one of the tests caused you to drop it to 200/400?
You can't change the app aperture on the mini 3 pro😅
can't i just keep the iso at 100 in 48 and just change the shutter speed to ontrole the exposure?
The dji mini 3 Pro takes 12mp shots with 12 bit raw and 48mp with 10 bit raw. Is the extra resolution at 48mp worth it over say 12mp shots at 12 bit raw, upscaleed in Lightroom to 24mp, given that 24mp will allow for prints at pretty much any size?
I hope they add AEB in 48MP mode in a patch. Also i hope they add a pano sequence that produces raws without doing stitching. What we want is the pano automation, we don't care about trying to make the drone do the pano stitching. I mean. that's an important capability to retain as well...
It looks like to me, and not really unexpected, is the 48 MP is the actual true RAW and the 12MP "RAW" is being processed and more like an iPhone's "RAW" pictures mode where you keep the 10bit data. The 48MP mode reminds me a lot of what is expected in noise when I still used my Lumia 1020 (which I think is sitting in my desk with my Zune)
Super useful info here, looks clear when to use 12 v 48 now. thanks!
That’s a really handy comparison. Thank you.
Very interesting and informative video, thank you for filming this.😀
This has been truly helpful. Im sure about getting the Mini 3 but these provided more insights.
Great tests and comparison. Thank you.
Thanks for this informative content! I found the image quality of Mini 3 a huge improvement from the Mini 2. It's good to know about it further.
Thank you so much for the comparision!
Superb video, very very useful to a new Mini 3 operator. Thank you
Impressive Details we have to know when using this Drone !!
Thx. a lot for the testing - very informative 👍
So much apreciated. Thank you
Impressiv. Really looking forward to receive mine.
Great comparison. Question regarding the image sensor. I've read a lot of discussion on this image sensor. Most concur with your statement of 12MP being upscaled to 48, but some believe the opposite is true, that it is the same 48MP sensor used in iPhone 14. Please see the included link to manufacturer's description of it as 48MP capable of producing faster fps using 4-cell binning to reduce file size to 12MP. I'm convinced, through extensive experimentation with both modes, that it is a true 48MP sensor, which DJI has crippled it's use by under-powering this drone and uses the quad-binning to get AEB and continuous shooting only with the smaller 12MP files. I get fantastic results manually shooting 48MP exposure brackets, it's a pity the Mini 3 Pro doesn't have the processing power to handle the files with AEB. Please check this link and tell us what you think -- is this its 48MP sensor? www.ovt.com/products/ov48c/
I've seen impressive night footages from the Mini 3, any recommendations for low light shooting?
Great testing, you made it very clear what the difference is between 12 and 48 MP. To me the conclusion was if you go higher than 800 ISO stick with the 12MP as there will be aa lot less noise.
Very well done, very professional. 👍
Great video, thank you so much!
Great vid, just got a Mini 3 firmware upgrade and it's now got 48MP, wanted to understand the pros/cons
Great video. So helpful.
Great video! Thanks.
This is fantastic, thank you so much.
Thank you for the video👍🙏
thank you for the great video ! that helps a lot what too choose
Very interesting comparison. I wonder what happens if on use the stack method with the 2 different MP setting. The one where you get several images in a burst then bring them in PS as layers and make them in Smart Objects and stack them as a mean. Supposed to enhance the images.
I think you're talk about Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) and creating HDR photos. You would end up with much more dynamic range with that method. Sharpness would not necessarily be increased.
Hi thank you for your break down of the parameters of this drone. Being a novice, how would you decide between 12 & 48 mega pixels what setting to go with when doing videos or photos?
12 vs 48 is only available in photos. I would recommend using 48MP unless you plan to use higher ISO settings.
Thank you so much!
Thank you for this. Is there any reason you can't shot 12mp and use the Photoshop enhance mode to bring up the resolution?
As far as noise and higher ISO. same as my Sony A7S and low light. 12.1 MP with a full frame sensor can't be beat. Big MP on the image sensor is why vs many small ones. this was the video I was looking for. Mainly going to use it in low light. So mini 3 it is. Thanks
I wonder if the 10-bit update has changed these results?
Good job! I compared the air 2 at 48 mp to my Nikon D850. With lots of light there was very little difference in the amount of detail. There was a small amount of difference in noise. In lower light, the difference was dramatic in favor of the Nikon as you would expect. So if you feed the small sensor on the mini 3 lots of light you can get amazing images. Unless you're printing large prints or cropping dramatically, 12 mp is really all you need. Thanks for your report.
Even 20 years ago my Canon D10 at 6.3mp would make great poster sized enlargements with simple bicubic resizing in photoshop. This megapixel envy that everyone gets hung up on won't ever effect most peoples prints unless like you say they are cropping in hard.
Exactly!
rubbish.....D850 has a far superior sensor!!
@@no15minutecities have you tried the test I described? If not, take a few minutes and try it for yourself.
I read somewhere that the mini 3 Pro uses a omnivision ov48c sensor.. Is it possible that the 12mp is binned, thus effectively making the pixels larger in the 12mp, improving the signal to noise ratio?
The result of comparison makes me think twice before I choose 48 over 12. 12mpx looks sharper without enlarging the photo while 48mpx caught lots noise in shadow area. It can be soft after denoise which is wasted 48mpx. 48 might be good choice make day time shots with large prints needed. Night or Dawn is on par with 12mpx... thanks for the comparison!
The 48 megapixel captures more, especially at lower ISOs. I'm considering switching from an Air 2S to Mini 3 for photogrammetry to get more detailed models and textures
@@lalljp Depends on how large the sensor is… big pixel good at enlarge and crop. Denoise make details gone away.
You may consider to shot 5-7 frames @48mpx and then make stacking using photoshop. It helps to eliminate noise without any detail loss. if your scene is not too dynamic, of course.
It would be useful to emphasis what 'Dual Native ISO' means. There are basically two hardware 'gain/amplifiers'; the first set at a base of 100 ISO (zero gain)and the second 4 stops above ISO 100 being set at base 1600 ISO(zero gain). You do mention it; but it is a fleeting mention (something happens...)
We talk about that some more in our full review. But thanks for the good summary.
No but why is this the best review for photographers so far
I really appreciate you creating this novel content! I have been trying to do the same thing to dial everything in but what with the filming, the downloading, the rendering, the export, the viewing/comparison, limited battery etc... it's overwhelming! The m3p is amazerful, but limited.
In your other tests against Nano and AIr 2s you always used 48 mp stills? Would be interesting to go back now and show the better of those against the other 's as difference between those high ISO's is massive! Talk about going out and making more work for yourselves :-) I'm really interested in your M3 comparison when ready, could be quite telling! Thanks for ALL this great work!
Check this out. This is the files for the 12MP Mini 3: www.dropbox.com/sh/2oej7gyj16fqwde/AADQSZaZ28sN898hDnId9LoCa?dl=0
And here are the files for the Nano+ www.dropbox.com/sh/dqhn5vs3mxbmj70/AACQg6G6zmbnRiMTK1QcgFC-a?dl=0
The mini 3 Pro is far less noisy at high ISO than the Nano+. The JPGs in this folder came from the RAW files for both cameras.
@@PilotInstitute Wow! That is incredible! Like I say M3 comparison will be fascinating. I guess the issue with the artifacts between lines is not something you will come across very often (subject with repeating lines like that) but something to be aware of. This begs the question though. If they could make a sensor with this design but same size as the M3 sensor what crazy level of detail would they achieve? Thanks again really interesting.
Thanks!
as expected, but thanks for showing
Have you tested the difference in the 48 against the 12 with super resolution added form LR ?
Can a 48MP quad bayer sensor have 48MP resolution? The answer is NO!
In a Quad Bayer sensor, the different color pixels are farther apart than in a normal 48MP sensor.
Therefore, despite what the marketing claims, it is impossible to achieve effective resolutions of 48MP. (Effective, is when detail and resolution match.)
Rather than an image equivalent to that made with a standard 48MP sensor, with a quad bayer we will get photos with better detail than with the 12MP sensor, but the 48MP images will basically be a digital artwork, i.e., larger files with many more pixels (but relatively moderate increase in detail).
So it will be better defined than a classic 12MP sensor, but much less than with a classic/real 48MP sensor.
Totally agree! And even at 48MP I still see color artefacts at some contrasty edges. E.g. mud at 10:38 has unexpected colors in several random places, especially in the top left corner of the crop. I think DJI is going wrong way with their latest products (Mavic 3 with ridiculous telelens module, now - Mini 3 with quad-sensor and huge noise reduction), claiming 'numbers' but not 'quality'...
@@KingofDreamzzz oh come on how can you expect a flying camera at this wieght and price point to be way better. It is an amazing camera for the price and the way it flies. Get your dlsr camera to fly and handle and have the same features as the mini 3 and see what that would cost
Can you do this comparison with Air 2 vs mini 3?
Thanks lot
The file sizes in 48mp are much larger (higher resolution)... that should eqaute to better options for enlarging photos to print I would have thought.
What does low light video look like at ISO 1600 and higher?
Please test the noise reduction in video mode. It seems that in 4K30 and below, the noise reduction make the image very mushy at 800 iso and above
Noise reduction mode?
Would 48mp produce a better blown up photo or not, thanks
Where did you get those cool little arms for the Mini 3
We 3D printed them.
The lowlight capabilities is insane!
Great video. I just got my 3 today and I cannot find how to get to the 48 mp photo setting. Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks.
Click on the photo/video selector in the right and middle of the screen and find the photo mode then you will have a submenu for 48MP.
@@PilotInstitute OMG too obvious, haha. Thank you.
The worst part for me is that it seems in 48mpx we can't use AEB....right? this for me the most inconvenient of the mini three as a photograper. And I would ask if We can do an automatic panoramic of 3 pictures with gimbal in vertical mode. If we shoot in vertical mode , 12mpx mode, 5 AEB shots per shot with 3 pictures in vertical could be fantastic.
Correct, AEB is only for 12MP. Also, no pano in vertical mode.
Top of my wishlist for firmware update would be AEB in 48MP. I'm having great success doing it manually, for high dynamic range sunrise/sunset images, but it's slow and cumbersome to first wait several seconds for each image to process before taking another several seconds to manually change exposure. I've requested this from DJI but I suspect the reason it's only available in 12MP is limited on-board processing power.
What is the max shutter speed length of the Mini 3 Pro? I know the manual says 2 seconds, but I think that's a mistake
What makes you think it is a mistake?
@@noncompliance4100 Every other Mini, even the original and the SE have had a 4 second shutter. All the Airs, even the original have a 8 second shutter. The last drone with a 2 second max shutter goes back more than 5 years to the Spark.
@@michael5G Ah okay, I've seen someone scrolling through the settings and it looked like 2 sec was the longest. Maybe longer shutter will get implemented in an upcoming FW?
@@noncompliance4100 I asked DJI support and they said it's very likely going to see a change with FW update. I doubt it's a limitation of the camera, instead I think DJI doesn't want people taking >2 second exposures on a drone because most turn out very blurry with movement. That would suck because once in a while you can still get great shots with longer exposure times
12MP is the sweet spot and we can see that smartphone maker stick to it for a long time until the Chinese phone maker make a hula about the higher pixel and IPhone,Samsung goes along with it, more than that is usable if you gonna make a banner or doing CSI
How does the image quality of the Mini 3 compare to the Mini 3 pro @ 12mp? Do they use the same sensor?
We don't have one to test just yet. But it does have the same sensor so we expect similar results.
@@PilotInstitute I hope they have not introduced more limitations in performance in addition to removing 48MP.
@@PHOT0GUY 48 is back :)
To me its quite obvious why the 12mp have less noise. Thats the whole point of Quad Bayer - use 4 x pixels to gather light.
Are you guys selling your 3D printed mini 3 pro stabilizer legs? If not: Opportunity...
No we are sharing the STL for free.
the 48 MP fotos are only 24MB Size, is this correct?
is there a file size difference between the 12MP and 48MP
Yes, big difference. 97MB vs 18MB for RAW and 14MB vs 5MB for JPEG.
How can you check in your drone for camera specification? I got a repaired drone DJI but I don't know whether they sent me 12 MP or 48 MP one.
12 MP or 48 MP is your choice in the settings.
"At the end of the day, the rule to change your ISO in photography is straightforward (at least for landscape photographers): leave your ISO setting at its lowest and only change it when you are targeting a specific shutter speed for your photo when you can’t change your aperture." [Visual Wilderness]
So the way I am looking at it is just leave the ISO at 100. especially seeing as the mini 3 pro is fixed at f1.7. I really can't see a reason to change the ISO. If it's a night shot ya have a 1.7 aperture so ya got good low light shots to start with soooo??? If ya want long exposures for light blure/traces ND filter. ISO really as far as I can see for the mini 3 pro is irellevent - I'm no pro so please correct me if I am wrong, which I probably am.
That said, wasn't ISO a sensitivity rating for film? for me in this day and age it's pointless... it's not like you get one chance to take the shot and ya gotta get choose the film with the right iso and get the shutter speed right. under expose a touch and deal with it in post. it's not like ya gonna take the shot and develope it and go oh shit... got it wrong. like i said, under expose a touch and bang it in lightroom and up the exposure there. obviously if you over expose it ya fkd but still.
and whether or not the quality of the image is neglagible to start with, it won't be if you need to blow the image up past say A3.
ooooo that's an idea! get closer than ya need to be for the shot and shoot multiple shots and create a massive stitched image in lightroom... *runs off to do that and pint a massive poster*
Hey bro, Does the Mavic 3 pro 70mm lens has the same performance as Mini 3 pro? Since they are operated on the same CMOS and Mavic 3 pro 70mm lens also has an option of 12mp and 48mp.
No, completely different images. The 70mm on the 3 is attached to its own sensor and has its own lens so it’s much better quality. No digital zooming.
thanks bro@@PilotInstitute
But why it has an option of 12mp and 48mp, just to save disk space? I just got my Mavic 3 pro last week.@@PilotInstitute
I always shoot 12MP because it`s better for post processing. You can`t bring up the shadows very much in 48MP or it gets very grainy.
48mp file save to 93.5mb so very noise, i think 12mp very good for mn3
Iso is just signal amplification.
Unlike film where the was an actual media sensitivity involved, with sensors is only signal strength. When you increase the ISO you are only amplifying the signal, and that will ALWAYS generate noise. The higher the MP, higher the amplification noise, because of the individual photo-sites involved.
so HOW do you switch between 12 and 48 MP? I can't find that anywhere.
In the menu of choice photo type, in DJI Fly.
Will the mavic 3’s ever receive the 48 megapixel ability?
Not sure!
Since it had a firmware update the Mini 3 also shoots in 48 mp raw files now btw .
How do you switch between 12 and 48 mega pixel?
It's in the menu on the right side, SINGLE vs 48MP.
You should specify whether you’re speaking about video or still images. It’s confusing. I’ve always understood the 12 was for video and the 48 for stills. No?
No. Photos can be done at either 12MP or 48MP. Videos are done at whatever setting you choose. 4k is roughly 12MP, 1080 is a lot less.
It's still a 12mp sensor regardless of which mode you use. The quad bayer effective 48mp seems to have more contrast. I can definitely say my 30mp mirror less camera has much better image quality than my 108mp phone camera. So megapixels means nothing really.
It’s not a 12 mp sensor. It could be thought of as one considering its default behaviour is to bin the 4 pixels into one but it is in fact a 48mp sensor.
I noticed that 12mp had far less noise and artifacts then the 48 mp has,it’s sometimes so bad that even lightroom isn’t able to fix that 😐
It's a 48 mega pixels Chinese version
I found 48 creates nasty noise pretty much in all darkish areas
After 13 minutes of your video I still have question: "What Should I Use?"
DJI auto noise reduction is the responsible for this lack of noise when you change the ISO.
Next time consider using a shot that is outside close to a group of tall buildings at 45 degree angles. Lots of vertical and horizontal mullions close together on those buildings can challenge many camera lenses, Moiré effect. Think of it as a real world torture test a drone pilot is likely to want to shoot.
We unfortunately don't have any of those nearby and easily repeatable over time with many different drones. But it is definitely a good torture test!
@@PilotInstitute You can try a iron fence at a distance. Another good test is night shots of street lights especially yellow ones. The pixels can go wacky and is a major thing Lightroom's enhanced DNG attempts to fix.
Also can you image stack in post? I don’t see why you can’t just take 10 of the same shots and stack them to get more details in photoshop? Obviously the camera would have to be able to take a burst
I am hard pressed to believe, because nothing changes, that at 12 mp your ISO, no matter what you are setting it to, is not changing. That it is, in fact, fixed at one ISO. IMHO.
It is changing. Slightly. We did the test twice, with two different software updates. We’ve been doing this a long time, this is not an error.
So there is no 48MP sensor right? That means you can easily achieve this or better in post
You don't even split the screen the same content on both sides? Hard to compare.
Uhm, yes we do, the entire presentation is side by side.
@@PilotInstitute Umm, I don't think so th-cam.com/video/vNTaPt9TKFw/w-d-xo.html