The DJI Mini 2 SE is at present the most effective customary GPS drones round this value level.
It’s a budget-friendly drone that’s inexpensive to many, and it’s a low barrier for many individuals simply moving into the drone passion.
This mentioned, as a result of the Mini 2 SE is a less expensive drone, there are lower-quality parts inside it, together with the digicam, which isn’t the very best within the class.
Nonetheless, picture and video high quality may be drastically improved if you happen to don’t shoot with the Mini 2 SE in auto mode.
For this goal, I need to share with you the very best guide settings for capturing images with this drone that can make a dramatic distinction.
DJI Mini 2 SE digicam – what do we all know?
The digicam discovered behind the DJI Mini 2 SE just isn’t a high-end one with massive CMOS and excessive video or picture decision. In reality, it’s the reverse – it’s some of the budget-level cameras present in a DJI drone these days.
With a CMOS dimension of just one/2.3 inch, that is the equal of the sensors discovered behind DJI FPV and DJI Mini 2 drones. And that’s not so much.
In reality, it’s fairly small, and the pictures and movies taken with DJI Mini 2 SE are beneath common for right this moment’s extra trendy drones.
With the bigger CMOS of a digicam, whether or not we’re speaking about drones, telephones, or skilled DSLR cameras, the extra gentle the sensor can seize in a shorter interval, the higher the picture dynamic vary, much less noise (grain) on low-light or evening images, and total, pictures of a better high quality.
On prime of that, the DJI Mini 2 SE has a low ISO higher restrict of 3200 for each pictures and movies. With ISO, you enhance the sensor sensitivity to gentle and digitally brighten the picture at the price of inducing picture noise, which helps seize low-light and evening images.
The brilliant facet is that the DJI Mini 2 SE digicam is mounted on a 3-axis mechanical gimbal, leading to easy video footage and sharper images, particularly in increased wind circumstances.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE Digicam High quality (With Footage)
Finest picture settings for DJI Mini 2 SE
Let’s take a deeper take a look at the Mini 2 SE digicam high quality for pictures. We understand that the sensor dimension and ISO usually are not the one downsides; this drone can seize pictures at solely 12 Megapixels.
As I discussed, it’s a bit beneath common however respectable sufficient for social media. Nonetheless, it’s not good if you happen to’re trying to seize skilled pictures, particularly to print.
So, let’s take a look at what we will change when it comes to picture settings to seize the very best pictures throughout a particular time of the day.
Daylight Pictures
In case you need to catch some pictures together with your DJI Mini 2 SE throughout the daytime, we’ve the benefit of the sunshine being at its peak, so the pictures shouldn’t be grainy so long as we hold the ISO at 100.
Even with this, the shutter pace is quick sufficient to snap clear pictures even in increased winds.
However we shouldn’t go away these settings on auto. Due to this fact, right here’s what we advocate to alter when it comes to digicam settings.
Full Solar & Overcast
- ISO: Locked at 100
- White Stability: Auto or 5600K
- Shutter Velocity: Auto
The solar might be vivid sufficient to flood the sensor with daylight, and we’ve to lock the ISO at its minimal worth, which is 100. On this case, the images can have the bottom noise because the sensor gained’t want to boost its sensitivity to collect extra gentle.
If we go away the white stability on Auto Mode, that’s okay, however remember that this digicam’s white stability gained’t be as correct to supply the precise colours you’re seeing with your individual eyes.
Throughout sunny days and even when overcast, the picture temperature must be set at about 5600K for greatest replica. However if you happen to really feel your images are colder or hotter than the surroundings you seize, then alter the “Kelvin” temperature accordingly.
The upper this goes, the hotter the picture will look (orangey), however the decrease you set it, then the colder the picture will look (blue-ish).
The shutter pace must be left on auto as you seize pictures, and there’s no want to regulate it for any motive.
» MORE: Drone Pictures Final Information
Mornings and Evenings (low-light)
- ISO: Lock it between 100 and 400. Go increased provided that wanted.
- Shutter Velocity: Depart it to auto
- White Stability: 3500K to 4500K for dawn or 5600K for an overcast morning.
Pictures captured throughout dawn and sundown will undergo a bit due to the small dimension of the picture sensor and poor dynamic vary, which is the distinction between highlights and shadows and the way a lot element the digicam drone can seize.
Whereas the dawn solar will look okay, the bushes and buildings’ shadows and blacks will largely look washed-out and present a little bit of noise.
This may be mounted in post-processing, and naturally, relying on the surroundings, many morning or night images taken with the DJI Mini 2 SE could possibly be epic.
Nonetheless, not all of them. And right here’s what you need to do to enhance your pictures taken with this digicam drone throughout mornings and evenings.
Firstly, attempt to hold the ISO at its lowest worth.
This is probably not the very best strategy if it’s an overcast morning or it is extremely early and there’s not sufficient gentle. On this case, you’ll have to manually alter it, however I say not more than ISO 400, or your picture can have an excessive amount of noise to be usable.
In case you set ISO to the bottom worth, then the shutter pace must be left on auto mode. The shutter pace will drop considerably (most likely to values between 1 second and 1/100 seconds, however can range) to let extra gentle come into the digicam sensor.
You may also create HDR images in Lightroom by capturing three footage of the very same surroundings however with totally different publicity values – underexposed, usually uncovered, and overexposed; that could possibly be the reply when you have a big distinction in dynamic vary in your pictures (shadows too darkish and highlights too vivid).
As for the white stability, that’s a bit tough. Throughout sunrises and sunsets, you’ve a really heat picture that may be tougher to duplicate. Generally, the auto mode will do exactly wonderful, however you’ll have to seek out the right values relying on the surroundings perspective (hotter, colder).
» MORE: DJI Mini 3 Professional in Low Mild (Defined for Newbies)
Evening pictures
- ISO: Lowest worth to get a correctly uncovered picture
- Shutter Velocity: Slowest shutter pace to get a pointy picture
- White Stability: Auto
Throughout the evening, the digicam behind your DJI Mini 2 SE poses an actual problem to really {photograph} one thing good.
I imply that as a result of the picture sensor is so small it would fail to collect sufficient gentle to seize footage with little or no noise. And that’s an unlucky reality.
Your greatest strategy right here is to closely edit the pictures you took throughout evening flights with this drone in packages like Lightroom or Photoshop. That can take advantage of distinction in citing the picture high quality.
As for the RAW pictures captured, they may largely look noisy. It is going to be tough to seize something of top quality.
Nonetheless, let’s see what we will do to at the very least enhance slightly the digicam high quality when capturing images with this drone throughout the evening.
The ISO will go haywire if set on auto. In reality, it would go to its most worth to compensate for lack of sunshine. Let’s attempt to keep away from that.
Really, it might be greatest to experiment with totally different values like ISO 400, 800, 1600, and so forth and see which might be the very best to seize a picture (on the lowest worth) the place the shutter pace just isn’t so sluggish that it’s getting you blurry pictures.
So, the shutter pace will decelerate so much. This drone digicam is ready to take long-exposure pictures of as much as 4 seconds with its digital shutter pace.
Which means if the circumstances are okay and no wind is current, your drone ought to be capable to hover stably, and the picture you are taking must be crisp. However it’s not at all times the case.
Due to this fact, shutter pace must be adjusted manually on this case. Begin with half a second, 1 second, and drop down and see if, altogether, with the guide ISO, you’re in a position to get any respectable uncovered picture.
Nonetheless, keep in mind that the digicam behind the DJI Mini 2 SE just isn’t meant for use for evening pictures, and also you’ll battle to get any respectable ones, at the very least not adequate for skilled use.
» MORE: Can You Fly the DJI Mini 2 SE at Evening? (Defined for Newbies)
Finest video settings for DJI Mini 2 SE
Now, we’re largely trying right here for the very best picture settings to your Mini 2 SE. However perhaps on the similar time, you need to seize some B-rolls for a YouTube video or gorgeous surroundings.
On this case, the values you’ll want to use for capturing movies with this drone might differ from nonetheless pictures.
So, what do you’ve to remember?
The identical guidelines apply if you need to file movies with the Mini 2 SE – hold your ISO on the lowest worth to keep away from getting picture noise.
Nonetheless, the ISO additionally must be adjusted (if wanted) with the intention to set the proper shutter pace.
For cinematic content material and the very best video settings, you’ll at all times should set the Shutter Velocity to double the framerate you’re filming with this drone (or the closest worth).
As an illustration, if you happen to’re trying to movie in 2.7k at 30 frames per second, your shutter pace must be 1/60. In FullHD at 60 frames per second, the shutter pace should be across the 1/120 worth.
Now, as a result of throughout the daytime, there might be lots of gentle coming into the picture sensor, even with ISO at minimal, the video might be overexposed – that’s why it’s essential to make use of ND filters to scale back the quantity of sunshine that comes into the Mini 2 SE digicam sensor.
If, throughout the daybreak or nightfall, and even at evening, you don’t get a correctly uncovered video when setting the shutter pace to double the framerate, then you must alter your ISO manually to match the scene’s brightness.
In videography, you need to by no means go away all of the settings on auto, it doesn’t matter what drone you’re filming with.
» MORE: Finest Picture/Video Enhancing Apps for DJI Drones
The way to enhance your DJI Mini 2 SE pictures
As an expert photographer, I’ve captured tens of hundreds {of professional} pictures utilizing my DSLRs, drones, and telephone.
Drone pictures just isn’t that tough. Though capturing pictures in several circumstances with the digicam behind DJI Mini 2 SE could also be difficult, usually, if a couple of guidelines are adopted, then you may count on to see fast enchancment.
Attempt to hold the ISO on the lowest values
The very first thing can be to NEVER increase the ISO until it is advisable to.
All the time hold it on the minimal worth for this drone, which is 100.
If the shutter pace just isn’t quick sufficient to seize low-light images and also you’re struggling to get both correctly uncovered pictures or sharp pictures due to extended publicity values, then it’s time to enhance the ISO little by little.
However by no means earlier than.
» MORE: What Is Drone Pictures? (Defined for Newbies)
Publish-processing your pictures is essential
Seize in RAW and never JPEG. You’ll have to edit your images in post-processing software program like Lightroom.
With RAW, the picture information just isn’t burned into the image and can permit you to tweak a couple of settings, equivalent to lowering noise, growing the sharpness if wanted, exposing the picture appropriately (brightness and publicity), including or eradicating shadows, colours, and a lot extra.
Consider me after I say that there might be a major distinction between an edited and a non-edited {photograph} taken with the DJI Mini 2 SE – and the above pictures are good examples.
» MORE: Finest Enhancing Software program for the DJI Mini 2 SE
Choosing the right climate circumstances
It might solely be logical to imagine that you simply aren’t flying your drone in dangerous climate circumstances, as it will have an effect on the drone’s flight and might even injury the drone if it rains.
But when it’s windy, your images will undergo so much, particularly if you happen to’re capturing pictures in low-light circumstances. And right here’s why.
All drones have a wind resistance degree. As an illustration, the DJI Mini 2 SE has a degree 5 wind resistance with most winds of 10.7 m/s. Even decrease winds may be troubling if you wish to seize images.
Throughout windy occasions, the drone will try to self-stabilize so much, and it will be unable to hover altogether easily. Even with the 3-axis gimbal straining to stabilize the digicam when captured in low-light circumstances, it’s not sufficient to maintain the digicam in precisely the identical place for a second or two.
Because of this your pictures might be blurry and never sharp in any respect.
If it’s a bit windy and also you need to seize pictures throughout full daylight, that must be okay as a result of the shutter pace might be instantaneous, and it’ll take just a few microseconds to seize the picture.
» MORE: Finest Climate Apps for Drones (You Must Set up)
Shutter Velocity values
When capturing pictures together with your DJI Mini 2 SE, until you’re on the lookout for nighttime images, the shutter pace gained’t matter that a lot to set it manually.
That’s why auto mode must be wonderful.
Simply in case you battle to seize any sharp pictures (due to the long-exposure values we talked about earlier and wind), then enhance the ISO a bit for the shutter pace to change into quick sufficient to seize clearer pictures.
Aside from that, auto mode is okay in pictures – however not when filming with this drone.
White stability
The white stability is a fancy setting, and it’ll take a while to know it totally. That’s why the auto white stability must be okay if you happen to’re a really newbie in pictures and also you’re merely trying to seize a couple of pictures together with your brand-new Mini 2 SE.
The colour temperature, which is measured in Kelvin, goes from decrease values, which mirror very chilly pictures, to increased values, that are hotter pictures.
If the ambient shade you observe outdoor is colder (e.g., sunny day, overcast throughout the day), then it is advisable to enhance the white stability to increased values for the pictures to change into barely hotter, or they may look method too chilly (blue-ish).
If it’s morning or night and also you observe a surprising orange sundown, it is advisable to lower the white stability values (to colder) for the picture to have a correct shade. In any other case, the images might be method too heat.
The auto mode isn’t a nasty factor on this case. In reality, I’d advocate protecting the white stability on auto more often than not and manually modifying it provided that your Mini 2 SE images are too heat or too chilly.
However bear in mind, you too can readjust this in post-processing.
» MORE: Drone Pictures: Newbie’s Information to Getting Began
Conclusion
The DJI Mini 2 SE is a unbelievable drone. Don’t get me fallacious, for its value, it is without doubt one of the greatest available on the market when it comes to pictures and filming.
However you do should keep in mind that the digicam has a small sensor and isn’t meant for skilled pictures or filming.
That’s why adjusting a couple of settings manually will enhance your images drastically. Furthermore, post-processing your RAW pictures will take these to the subsequent degree, nearer to professional-grade images.
However if you happen to haven’t bought this drone but and are on the lookout for one to seize the very best pictures, I recommend you decide a drone with a a lot bigger digicam sensor.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE vs. Mini 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Alternative)
