Z3 camera - very disappointing...

[Donnie Frank]

Anyone else here try the Z3 camera? My neighbor wants to sell his for $500, so I thought I'd try it out. I find the gimbal too unstable for cinematography, and the overall image quality too "soft" for still photography. Anybody else had a similar result?

Regards,

Donnie

 

[IrishSights]

Anyone else here try the Z3 camera? My neighbor wants to sell his for $500, so I thought I'd try it out. I find the gimbal too unstable for cinematography, and the overall image quality too "soft" for still photography. Anybody else had a similar result?

Regards,

Donnie

DJI never billed as cinematography camera in fact they went to reasonably lengths to say that its zoom wasn't designed for video. I use it for roof inspections, great tool for that job. Image quality is ok for me.

 

[Donnie Frank]

DJI never billed as cinematography camera in fact they went to reasonably lengths to say that its zoom wasn't designed for video. I use it for roof inspections, great tool for that job. Image quality is ok for me.

To my discredit, I never read the poop sheet on this camera. As I said, it was my neighbors. So I just attached it and took some photos and some video. Glad to hear DJI recommends against using this for cinematography. Not in a hundred years would I bring this thing to set.

 

[Reno775]

From your experience you would not even recommend the Z3 for still pictures?

 

[TruGreen]

I'll buy the Z3 from your neighbor. I have mine and am happy with it over the X3

 

[Donnie Frank]

From your experience you would not even recommend the Z3 for still pictures?

Correct. At full zoom the photos were very soft. They might be good enough for utility inspection, but I would think not. I would want the ability to digitally zoom in post. If the photo isn't sharp, digital zoom because an exercise in futility.

 

[Donnie Frank]

I'll buy the Z3 from your neighbor. I have mine and am happy with it over the X3

Can you post a photo at full zoom? I'll entertain the possibility that maybe something is wrong with my neighbor's Z3.

Here's an unretouched .jpg at full zoom. Notice how soft it is? I also have the .dng versions, which are no better focus-wise. I believe these were shot in D-Log with sharpness, brightness and contrast all set at zero. Adding sharpness in post just induces other artifacts.

 

[TruGreen]

Correct. At full zoom the photos were very soft. They might be good enough for utility inspection, but I would think not. I would want the ability to digitally zoom in post. If the photo isn't sharp, digital zoom because an exercise in futility.

did you have the Z3 firmware installed on your inspire?

 

[TruGreen]

Can you post a photo at full zoom? I'll entertain the possibility that maybe something is wrong with my neighbor's Z3.

Here's an unretouched .jpg at full zoom. Notice how soft it is? I also have the .dng versions, which are no better focus-wise. I believe these were shot in D-Log with sharpness, brightness and contrast all set at zero. Adding sharpness in post just induces other artifacts.

View attachment 17884

this was a height of 1640ft straight up, (I know not legal but wanted to test the zoom)


this is fully zoomed in from the same 1640ft, all camera setting are pretty much stock auto, no editing to either picture

 

[Donnie Frank]

did you have the Z3 firmware installed on your inspire?

Well....it's impossible to answer that question. The Inspire doesn't have "Z3 firmware" per-se. The Inspire has its OWN firmware, as does the Z3. That said, the Z3 had the latest firmware, and the Inspire has v1.08. Because DJI doesn't really publish any real data regarding FW versions, I can only speculate that the drone FW is drone-specific, and the camera FW is camera-specific. In other words, I'm pretty sure drone FW doesn't affect the camera's ability to focus. But who the hell knows? If you talk to any DJI lemming, they will INSIST that you have to have the latest versions of all FW and software, even at the peril of the drone. They have literally zero experience, and merely read from a script. So I would NOT invest too much confidence in what they purport. That said...

My neighbor said he experienced some of the same softness issues I experienced, but I haven't seen his photos.

It would be interesting to see what others are experiencing. If available, I would like to see full zoom Z3 photos from some of the other users.

 

[TruGreen]

Well....it's impossible to answer that question. The Inspire doesn't have "Z3 firmware" per-se. The Inspire has its OWN firmware, as does the Z3. That said, the Z3 had the latest firmware, and the Inspire has v1.08. Because DJI doesn't really publish any real data regarding FW versions, I can only speculate that the drone FW is drone-specific, and the camera FW is camera-specific. In other words, I'm pretty sure drone FW doesn't affect the camera's ability to focus. But who the hell knows? If you talk to any DJI lemming, they will INSIST that you have to have the latest versions of all FW and software, even at the peril of the drone. They have literally zero experience, and merely read from a script. So I would NOT invest too much confidence in what they purport. That said...

My neighbor said he experienced some of the same softness issues I experienced, but I haven't seen his photos.

It would be interesting to see what others are experiencing. If available, I would like to see full zoom Z3 photos from some of the other users.

ill take it off your neighbors hands and throw a finders fee into your pocket. got paypal just message me an let me know

 

[Dr. Ifly Drones]

I think the intended purpose of the Z3 was to take zoom pictures from as closely as possible to the intended target. So, the evaluation of the zoom on distant objects isn't really a valid test of it's purpose. Show us some pictures of a single bolt head fully zoomed from 10' away. The Z3 is intended for industrial uses not, cinematography or even general photography.

 

[Dave Pitman]

@Donnie Frank I think @Dr. Ifly Drones has a good point and it is what came to my mind when I saw your example photo. The zoom on the z3 is particularly slow at f 5.2. You probably had a reasonably slow shutter speed and that will equate to some motion blur that will degrade sharpness.

It was not designed to give you a wide range of focal length for nice photography. It was made to deliver up close shots keeping the drone at a safe distance. You would be better served by an x5 for general photography.

 

[Dauntless]

Hey guys what’s up?
Is that Z3 Available ?

 

[Scoobywrx05]

Anyone else here try the Z3 camera? My neighbor wants to sell his for $500, so I thought I'd try it out. I find the gimbal too unstable for cinematography, and the overall image quality too "soft" for still photography. Anybody else had a similar result?

Regards,

Donnie

What are you comparing it to per say? The x3 or the x5r? My z3 blows my x3 out of the water. I have posted some 4 k footage here on the forum and never heard any bad replies that the video was terrible. The picture with the soft out of focus mountain s, I’ve never had and image look that bad out of mine. It’s not a x5 and definitely not a x5r by any means.

 

[madgadget]

My experience with the z3 although short, 7 / 13 min flights last summer, convinced me not to buy it. I'll add the subject matter was not industrial or inspection. What got the shot was a gh3 w/nikkor 50mm 1.4 on a speed booster @ f8. I'll look in my cloud but overall sharpness was not the issue. Noise, artifacts, and as noted VIDEO performance. That said ymmv

 

[breyeilers]

We've been looking at the Z3 for our roof inspection work but from what I've been reading some people recommend going with the X5 and a zoom lens over the Z3. That's the direction we're leaning, the sample stuff I've seen of the Z3 just isn't sharp

 

[Chipdji]

I have a Z3 and have no complaints. Better than the X3.

 

[Donnie Frank]

We've been looking at the Z3 for our roof inspection work but from what I've been reading some people recommend going with the X5 and a zoom lens over the Z3. That's the direction we're leaning, the sample stuff I've seen of the Z3 just isn't sharp

The Z3 has a 1/2.3" sensor and takes 12 megapixel photos. For inspections, I would use the P4P with a 20 megapixel camera and a 1" sensor. You won't see so much advantage from the larger sensor, but you'll see a huge advantage with the 20MP images. The P4P also flies longer and is more stable. You can purchase a used P4P for less than the cost of an X5 (which also takes 12MP photos). For "inspections," megapixels are king.

D

 

[TruGreen]

The Z3 has a 1/2.3" sensor and takes 12 megapixel photos. For inspections, I would use the P4P with a 20 megapixel camera and a 1" sensor. You won't see so much advantage from the larger sensor, but you'll see a huge advantage with the 20MP images. The P4P also flies longer and is more stable. You can purchase a used P4P for less than the cost of an X5 (which also takes 12MP photos). For "inspections," megapixels are king.

D

X5 is 16MP stills