Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Okay, we may have got a teeny, tiny bit sensationalist with the title to this video but we have indeed exposed the truth about the DJI Neo's camera quality in our latest video and the results are indeed "shocking"! The DJI Neo has an excellent camera before you even consider the fact the drone costs $199. If you do consider the fact the drone costs $199 then say we attribute $100 to the drone portion of the Neo - that's $99 for the camera portion. It's insane...
That being said, as I say in this video, if a camera doesn't meet a certain threshold of quality, it's not worth $2 never mind $200. What is quite surprising is that the 1/2" sensor on the Neo produces an image that can be colour corrected extremely easily without deteriorating the image. Shadow recovery is eminently possible and can be used to powerful effect. As for the other discovery, the -2 sharpness trick you've probably heard about not only significantly softens the image (which is good), but it also reduces the contrast which is great given we are stuck with a contrasty Normal colour profile at the moment.
Yes, this is all a bit advanced for a 'beginner' drone but still, it's good to see what can be done with the gear.
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LOADS of you were asking how we edited the DJI Neo footage in our last video to give it a unique, non-Neo look.
We've just published a video showing the exact process you can follow to get the same results. Check it out!
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What do you think of DJI's latest drone, the DJI Neo?
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Hey folks! So good to be back on YouTube after a few months break. We have a LOT of videos coming up in the next few months - most of which are getting back to our roots of filming epic tutorials in the Scottish Highlands.
That being said, DJI sent us their new DJI Neo to test so we’ll have some videos on that coming out soon.
INITIAL THOUGHTS: Overarching thought is that even if this drone is not for you (it’s squarely aimed at beginners who have never owned a drone before), it is extremely exciting to see a 135g drone with this kind of functionality. Just think how far the Mini series has come since the original Mavic Mini came out. It had no obstacle avoidance, a wifi transmission system and 2.7K video. This DJI Neo already has 4K 30 and O4 transmission.
HYBRID DRONE: It’s very exciting that we now have a hybrid drone that serves as a camera drone and a fully functioning FPV drone. With the Avata series, you have to use the Goggles to fly that drone - you can’t fly it like a regular camera drone with the controller. The Neo is essentially a mini Avata that you DON’T need goggles to fly. Indeed, you can set it off to do quickshots WITHOUT even a controller and you can fly the drone using only your phone.
STABILITY: The Neo is remarkably stable for its size. It definitely feels more comfortable at lower altitudes but we got plenty of high altitude landscape shots with it. Where it excels however is close-proximity flying taking full advantage of prop guards and cinewhoop style airframe. You feel very comfortable flying it up close to things (and people).
EIS: The DJI Neo does not have a 3-axis mechanical gimbal. Rather it uses electronic image stabilisation like an action camera or Avata 2. It does a very good job of stabilising the footage except in the windiest of conditions.
DURABILITY: We managed to crash it repeatedly and saw it fall 50ft onto a solid wood floor. No damage - straight up in the air again.
IMAGE QUALITY: The 1/2" sensor produces a very good image. This sensor is the same size as the Mavic Air 2. Currently we only have 4K 30 and a very contrasty ‘Normal’ picture profile. DJI’s logic is clearly to not over-complicate things with more picture profiles but in our opinion, the baked-in Normal picture profile doesn’t do justice to the quality of the camera. Hopefully they will give us some more options in future even though the DJI Neo is ‘only’ a beginner drone.
NO OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE: I was worried about this at first. A drone with one-press quickshots that doesn’t have obstacle avoidance (apart from the downward sensor). A combination of the protective airframe plus the fact the quickshots are designed for close proximity put my mind at ease when flying this drone. This is not the kind of drone that will get away from you and before you know it, it’s 1000m away. It doesn’t have that kind of power so for its intended use, the lack of obstacle avoidance isn’t a problem.
PRICE: $199 for the drone only. You don’t need to buy this drone with a controller because phone control gets you 80% of the way there. Here is our affiliate link so you can check out the price in your region because the bundles are different between the US and Europe:
click.dji.com/ADUV27JNvOAgXdNi5aZi1Q?ch=launch-dji…
Is the DJI Neo a substitute for a Mini 4 Pro? No, absolutely not. DJI has kept this drone's functionality firmly constrained for its target market - beginners who have yet to buy a drone. At this price however, it is an astonishing product and quite frankly, we've had some of the most fun we've ever had flying drones with the Neo. If this is a glimpse of what DJI has up its sleeve for the next few years, the future is a bright one!
Curious to know what you think!
Videos coming soon!
Stewart & Alina
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We're having a major geek-out in today's video comparing the Mini 4 Pro's DLog M and HLG colour profiles. Sounds a bit dry? Nah! It's awesome!
I can't believe it's taken us so long to get on top of DJI's epic 10-bit Hybrid Log Gamma colour profile. In this video I make the case that HLG is a BETTER colour profile than DLog M.
Yup, all that stuff about shooting in the flattest colour profile to retain maximum dynamic range, detail in highlights and shadows etc...out the window!
Okay, it's a bit more nuanced than that as you'll see in the video but the outcome is the same - we are HLG converts!!
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Hands up if you remember the pointy mountain from our Drone Film Guide days!!
So good to be back in the Scottish Highlands with THREE drones. The Mini 4 Pro, Air 3 and Mavic 3 Pro. It made for quite a heavy backpack once you include the cameras as well!
I think you'll enjoy the latest video if only for the glorious shots of Scotland. I took the DJI Air 3 to the top of a mountain and completely overwhelmed it with the wind but it was worth it for the footage!
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TRIGGER WARNING! Today we published a video using Photoshop's generative fill AI to create matte paintings that we can overlay on our drone video to enhance our footage with Hollywood-esq CGI. Something that was previously available to only a handful of people is now available to all of us (who have Photoshop at least) and we think this is AWESOME!
Some people are very upset by this technology because it's not 'real photography'. In a photography context I can somewhat relate to that. In a video context - not really. Matte paintings have been used for decades to create sets in movies that were either too expensive to create in real life or simply didn't exist. Those matte paintings were eventually replaced with digital versions of exactly the same thing and that is precisely what we are now able to create ourselves with generative fill. Even the digital version of this technique has been around for 25-30 years so the only 'development' is that you no longer have to be a talented VFX artist to implement this in your work.
Surely that's the definition of progress?
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GREAT to see so many of you in the comments on today's video! Lots of familiar names!
We've got lots of videos coming soon because we've got a fair bit of catching up to do. DJI Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro videos are on the way and as you can see from this photo, we like to make sure these drones are tested properly! I think my legs are still recovering from this climb!
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VERY excited to say we are back on YouTube TOMORROW!
After a cheeky little 7 month break we are back with a ton of great content lined up. First things first, tomorrow we are looking at the artificial intelligence revolution that took place in our absence. Take a look at the two photos in this post. Can you tell which parts are real and which are AI generated?
Photoshop's generative fill is a game changer. Tomorrow we'll show you how to transform your drone photos with this incredible tool.
Why? Firstly, it's great fun. Seeing yourself at the top of a mountain or in some crazy location you couldn't reach is very good fun. Not all of us have the time, physical ability or good health to do these things for real so let's have a laugh and play around with some crazy photo edits.
However, the commercial application of this technique is very obvious too. This kind of image manipulation or digital art generation is nothing new - it's just now you and I can do it at the press of a button. In a followup video coming out shortly after tomorrow's video, we will show you how to use this technique to create matte paintings that we can overlay on our drone footage to create Hollywood style aerial video that incorporates this one-click CGI technique.
It's an exciting time so join us tomorrow as we kick off a new chapter with the channel!
Stewart & Alina
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Did we QUIT YouTube?!
LOTS of you have been asking as you've noticed we've not been making a whole lot of content lately. Where were the videos about the latest DJI drones, Insta360 cameras etc?
Well, we've not quit...we're just taking an extended break. It's been 4 months since our last video and for sure, we're missing making videos for the channel. That's good - the break must be working!
Is YouTube going to punish us for not posting regularly? Who knows...but being beholden to the algorithm is one reason why many creators quit YouTube. The fear of years of hard work building a channel going down the toilet if you don't continue to feed the machine with new content. THAT is when the fun stops - trust me!
In 2017 we started the channel with some drone tips. We had no expectations for the future. Rather, we wanted find a way of repurposing years of incredible drone footage captured while Alina and I were filming weddings. In doing so, we were able to share some expertise on YouTube and happily, things took off. We had no sponsors and no strategy for monetising the channel. It was a side-gig and it was fun.
So we'll keep on enjoying our time off YouTube for now, quietly thinking of new ways to bring some great videos to the party later in the year. We're looking forward to coming back stronger and better so we'll see you soon!
Stewart & Alina
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As a husband and wife team, we have spent the last 10 years creating every kind of video and photo content you can think of - from music videos to corporate promos to wedding films to YouTube videos! Let us show you how to get the very best results from your gear and how to edit your content for your audience.
Like you, we don't have access to top-tier, $100k Hollywood kit, so we learnt to stop making excuses and do more with less! Having been through this journey ourselves, we can confidently say that your gear is not a bottleneck in your creative endeavours so join us as we show you how to make the most of what you've got as you become a better creator.
Stewart & Alina