HOW small is a 1" camera sensor really?

[@DimitrisStravolemos]

Thank you for the great video dear Bo Lorentzen. Things are getting clear now.. about the drone's cameras

[@bophoto]

Thank you Dimitris, gotta admit that talking sensor sizes and sensor noise-base-line is a topic that give me a headache, there are so much confusing information to balance. :-)

[@darthphysics]

What is cool with you is that i learn every-time something ;) Thank you Bo ;)

[@bophoto]

Thank you sir.

[@INTELMAXELL]

So far you explain the "one inch" sensor the best....thank you :)

[@bophoto]

Thank you sir. :-)

[@TheKCflys]

Very understandable explanation of a confusing topic thank you for providing this information. Very well done!!!

[@ironboard6]

Great video..much better than the other ones you see on the tube...your more nerdy on cameras ...I love it..thank you...

[@toastedmangoflight]

love your reviews Bo!

[@bophoto]

WOW.. thank you sir. :-)

[@FRANLAC]

very interesting as usual. It's always informative. I did not understand everything.. Because my English is perfectible, but I understood the essential! it is thanks to you that I was the first, and I think, the only one or almost, in France, to have the Autel X-STAR since 2 Years, and now the Autel EVO. Thank you for your work very professional, I am really admiring!

[@bophoto]

Thank you sir. the EVO is an wonderful video quad, flies great and fantastic image quality.

[@jungha496]

Autel Evo and Mavic 2 pro both use Ambarella H2 as the image processor, which supports up to 4k 60Hz videos. Not sure if Mavic 2 pro's 4k 30Hz video limit is due to the higher 10-bit ADC. The evo may use ~9-bit ADC such that it can support 4k 60Hz videos. And therefore, the difference in the dynamic range should be mainly dependent on the ADC. As a reference, Kodak DCS-14n uses 12-bit ADC with a 36x24mm sensor size.

[@suzaquad]

are you sure Mavic 2 uses Ambarella H2? or any Ambarella? There are rumors DJI developed its own SoC.

[@jungha496]

No, sir. I got that information from some early online post, but actually no one can confirm it, and actually more people believe it's an Ambarella H3. And there are also people believing it's not an Amba soc as you mentioned.

[@natepate6117]

Always Always learn something so important from you that otherwise I would not ever even think about, but like I said Important, and very necessary for further development. Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@aliendroneservices6621]

"Slash". The word you're looking for is "over". One over 2.3 inch sensor.

[@bophoto]

LOL thank you, i normally do pretty well in english, but stuff like this, is clearly something I did not pick up going to school in Denmark. :-)

[@tonylorentzen]

Good video, Bo - and great explanation for those that have no idea about frame/sensor sizes.

[@bophoto]

thank you sir.

[@suzaquad]

Bo, any chances for dynamic range comparison or results are not very impressive to share?

[@bophoto]

Im so sorry, have been unable to record lately. The M2pro have better DR than the original, and is a great camera, but it feel LESS sharp, I will do a video on this as soon as I can. and also show everybody how to quickly do a test at home to check for this. the big reality is that the hasselblad color profile is amazing, the colors rocks, and even with less resolution the camera and video from it, is more competent than MavicPro (rev1) BEST to shoot HQ not wide view. :-)

[@suzaquad]

Thank you Bo! I really like my M2Pro, for sure it is better than the M1. The question is how we can compare M2Pro camera to Autel Evo for example (Evo - Mind Blown)? It is really interesting. Probably we will not see any fw improvements in fFOV until Phantom 5 premiere. If it is true that DJI not using Ambarella but its own SoC then hardware limitations may explain what they recently said about video image quality in fFOV.

[@bophoto]

Hmmm I was under the impression that they are using the Ambarella, can't imagine they spend the time and energy to develop a inhouse alternative. but just guessing here.

[@suzaquad]

It doesn't make sense to me either, but if you didn't see it yet, here quote from other forum: This is a portion from Ambarella stock investor earnings call...... "And as you can see from our weak Q3 guidance, weeks by revenue from these consumer applications to continue to be under pressure, reflecting lower demand for non-GoPro sports camera, the VR market remaining nascent, and the drone market leader, DJI, mostly using its own silicon solutions. "

[@ControlPro]

Great explanation Bo. Appreciate it very much!

[@jshrea]

Good job on your videos and showing the differences

[@HerbertLongrod]

Half.3 inch,easy.. Very good explanation Bo,great work as ever.

[@bophoto]

LOL a friend of mine who is a math geek told me it could also be expressed as 10/23 Personally i think 1/2.3 is like the nightmare of fraction and decimal lovers all wrapped into one. I forgot to mention the square measurements, as that really show the benefit of going up even a little in size.

[@techtiptricks]

Billy Kyle can tell you all about 1"

[@metatron2332]

Great explainment. longing for your next dynamic range comparison

[@JFearlessJourneys2112]

Bo, Excellent video! Thanks for the time and the Ipad drawings!

[@BL-zw5oi]

I usually just say that a 1/2.3 sensor = a sensor that is "a little smaller than a half inch" in size ... Nice video!

[@bophoto]

Thank you sir. actually just now I realized its almost exactly (almost) 3/5th ish.

[@BL-zw5oi]

HA! Who would have thought

[@ironboard6]

In a memo (dated August 30th) to retailers, DJI announces the End of Life for the Phantom 4 Pro/Pro+, Phantom 3 SE, Osmo, Osmo+, Osmo Mobile, Mavic Pro and Mavic Pro Platinum, that's a good thing really as the mavic is much better concept ..but this is not ruling out the p5p,..

[@bophoto]

agree. wow. surprised osmo+ and mobile EOL's guess the mobile direct did not sell that well.

[@silbay]

Bo Lorentzen obvious, the Osmo will be replaced by the M2 Pro sensor

[@suzaquad]

Thanks for great explanation Bo! Can confirm outstanding service from Frank at Carolina Dronz. Old good times with Walkera QR X350 and Tali H500 :)

[@bophoto]

+1 to that, Frank DO take good care of customers.

[@sirnapp1097]

Very didactic and easy to understand. Thanks.

[@bophoto]

LOL wait, i did not intend for it to be "didactic" But I must admit thinking about sensor sizes tend to give me a headache and loose focus. :-) so things did get a bit slow for sure.

[@tlsmoke23]

So Im not getting a 1" square sensor after all. Measured diagonally like a LCD television?

[@bophoto]

You are getting the AREA that was used to capture image on a 1" TV recording tube. But the ATUAL sensor diagonal is 16mm or about roughly 3/5th of a inch

[@relaxingnature2617]

They are sposeto be called "1 inch type" ..not "1 inch" ....all camera company's use the "type" designation but dji doesn't inform customers that they're 1in sensor is actually only about 1/4th of a square inch ....APSC is "1inch" 4x bigger surface than "1 inch type"

[@BlakeBowden]

Comparison of the Mavic 2 vs. Phantom 4 Pro in low light?

[@bophoto]

Basically the two should be quite alike in low light. I still have not figured out how to test their low-light performance reliably... so its easy to measure and compare... yet. :-)

[@davidelardo1160]

This makes me want to sell my Align, nope just kidding. For the tight spots, a second drone could be in the making. Excellent review. David

[@bophoto]

Thank you sir. Well thats exactly it, the 1" Mavic2pro don't hold a candle-stick to a X5 or a GH5 camera on a big bird. there is simply so much more real-estate to capture the same amount of pixels that you get a smoothness the small sensors just can't touch. whenever I look at images from big sensor cameras, thats what Im always coming away with, how they handle the color gradations and rendering of details, its a lot easier to focus a lens clearly on a larger sensor.. all the branches gets better definition on those cameras. keep the align and the GH camera. :-)

[@stuartsmith4532]

Great video as usual bo. In regards to a bigger sensor and low light. Can you adjust shutter speed to compensate for a smaller sensor?

[@bophoto]

Yes, to some degree you can. but the smaller the sensor are, the more native noise you will find in the system. and if you are shooting video, you can only reduce the shutter speed so much before you run into the frame-rate. Remember a sensor only really have one native ISO setting, all over ISO is created by boosting the sensor. thats why having a larger sensor, give you a sensor with lower native noise, so when you boost it to say 2000iso, you dont have a lot of native noise that will become visible at 2000. on pretty much all sensors, noise is invisible at the native low rate.

[@ebproduction2501]

nice video, nice tutorial where the 1" come from

[@ryerye700]

Looking forward to that next video

[@bophoto]

you and me both, its driving me nuts. :-)

[@Midi3e]

Hi there. I am still using the old inspire 1 for many shootings. It is a robust setup with good/great video quality. Now comes the Big But. The Mavic is such a joy to fly, compared to the inspire. Like a lory to a Porsche.Whenever the situation allows it I use the Mavic. Specially with flying in tricky situations like fly through a window or narrow path. IF the Version 2 delivers in picture quality it is a big winner. My customers mostly want memorable shoots first, perfect picture quality second. Ps. Keep on rocking, I like your videos specially because of your background in movies and tv. P.p.s i miss your lemonade drinking habits.

[@bophoto]

I actually still love my inspire1, though its kinda being replaced by the xDynamics EVOLVE for being by small m43 platform. I think the real question is, are you shooting X3 or X5 on that inspire, if its X3, the Mavic2pro should blow that away, the X5 should still look a bit better probably. at least different from the smaller sensor. but numbers wise, guessing the mavic2pro can out-number the X5 on the inspire.

[@Midi3e]

I shoot with the X5. What I hope for is that the mavic2 will be similar to the X5 or at least close to it. As always customers are way more impressed with the bigger drone, I guess size matters 😸 Can’t wait for your picture quality video.

[@Midi3e]

P.s. We live in phantastic times. So many toys to play with, my inner child is sooo happy.

[@uacl028]

Hey!!! I understood that. Thank you Bo.

[@DrDuu]

Well explained Bo! I expected more quality form the 1" sensor as I can see here on YT videos. I compare it with Sony RX100. For sure YT videos are compressed but in comparison to the new Zoom videos there is only a very little difference for daylight shots. And I have the HiRes Photo feature with 48bits on Mavic Zoom too. That was the reason for me to order the Zoom, to get more video features/effects because at night I need a single permission for each flight in Germany...therefore I do not fly or better I hardly fly in low light situations, I'm a good weather pilot ;-) Cheers DrDuu

[@bophoto]

Hey DrDuu, the 1" give exactly the benefit you see from the RX100 and other with that type sensor. but like you, I tend to think that most users will actually get more benefit from the zoom, how do you like the hiRez feature? *PS. its also not legal to fly at night in the US, so that kinda levels the playing field a bit.

[@Midi3e]

Our usual permission is to fly from sun rise to sunset. I guess the Hasselblad gives a much better image during these critical hours. Right now I am in Greece and I brought my trusty old inspire with me and I love the early morning flying over the still ocean. When the sun comes slowly out but still there is almost no difference between the sea and the horizon.

[@old_trapper]

just say "one over 2.3 ..."

[@bophoto]

:-)

[@solen1849]

So megapixels is the amount of image its picking up? I don't understand how you go from the phantoms 1 inch sensor to saying the 1 inch sensor is better on the mavic 2. Understood everything else very well thank you for the great video

[@bophoto]

both the Phantom 4pro and the Mavic2 pro have a 1" sensor - however the one on the Mavic2pro deliver better colors and also 10 bit video, its not just the sensor, this is also a matter of the processing in the camera on the drone. But the result is, you should get better pictures from the Mavic2pro than from the Phantom4pro. (its the same SIZE sensor, not identical features.

[@solen1849]

Ah ok thank you

[@hanneskuhnel3216]

Is this "tube" the same or also installed in the DJI P4P?

[@hanneskuhnel3216]

and is there a big loss compared to a normal 1" Sensor?

[@bophoto]

the P4p and the M2p have different models of 1" sensors. There are no other size for "normal" 1-inch sensor, this is the size which is referred to as 1-inch "class" or "type" sensor. a larger sensor would have to be something like the m43 sensor.

[@hanneskuhnel1971]

@@bophoto Thanks!!

[@hanneskuhnel1971]

For interest which Kind of modell ist installed in The p4p?

[@IngweMutliMediaProductions]

thanks enjoyed this so here is how you say the sensor size 1 and 2/3rds ;)

[@relaxingnature2617]

They are sposeto be called "1 inch type" ..not "1 inch" ....all camera company's use the "type" designation but dji doesn't inform customers that they're 1in sensor is actually only about 1/4th of a square inch ....APSC is "1inch" 4x bigger surface than "1 inch type"

[@AddyOverbeeke]

Hi Bo, Great job in the explanation. Yes, often modern day technology gets its roots from the past. Like the Roman Empire chariots set the standard for today's train rail widths. One important thing about the larger sensor cameras is that they most definitely have an advantage of letting in more light information for the sensor to process in low light situations, but that can work against the videographer/photographer if the camera's dynamic range limits are still not able to slow-down/reduce the overabundance of light information for the larger sensor. In that case the use of filters is required to reduce the overabundance of light information. Do I have that correct Bo?

[@bophoto]

Hey Andy, mostly right, actually the light is the same regardless of sensor size, we can manage that with ND filters / or aperture, however the larger pits on the bigger sensor will have a lower baseline noise level, so the images will be cleaner when doing long exposures at low light. or when boosting the ISO to a high number, with ISO you will see a higher useable ISO number from a larger sensor because the native sensor have less noise. Wait.. Trains and Roman Chariots? I need to google that.

[@AddyOverbeeke]

Thanks Bo, Appreciate the information and respect your knowledge. Maybe a myth about the train tracks? Seems to be a lot video and articles that state the reference to Chariot /wagon wear patterns being the same with as train tracks. Maybe it should be fact-checked. LOL. Have a great day Bo.

[@AddyOverbeeke]

Yeh.. I would believe that it was debunked. It is an urban legend like many others, but some have roots to the origin of a conception that makes a creative idea come to be. That's what engineers do, they improve upon existing or design new from a concept. Legends are born and become a story to tell. Ahhhh....... just messing with you.. I'm in agreement with you and stated the comment for fun. I got the reaction I expected. Engaging in fun comments for our drone community. Happy droning.

[@funKdatFPV]

I may have to sell my XSP and upgrade!

[@bophoto]

Well. lets do some dynamic range tests first and get a idea where the pro falls in the picture, Im guessing its safe to say it will beat the XSP and the EVO, but question is how much. probably not on a lot in terms of DR, but the 10bit DLOG video are hard to argue with.

[@silbay]

Bo Lorentzen at least there are Mavic 2 batteries and a company that doesn’t have one foot in the grave like Autel. BTW Autel come up with a permanent fix for the tilted horizon, or will it be a year late fix like the X Star update? LOL

[@muzikmon2267]

Captain drone did a really good comparison like you do with the MAVIC AIR in the MAVIC PRO use the same charge that you kind of did but he was trying to show us that they're the same exact sensor in both.. but overall the MAVIC PRO has a sharper lens and a lower aperture better in the light.. In real-world comparisons all being equal they could be sidered the exact same quality but the pro has more features when it comes to the camera.. The difference is the mavic air makes it's pictures very oversaturated Captain drone thinks they're trying to hide something.. You should look it up it's pretty interesting video...

[@bophoto]

Im familiar with that issue, that said, there is a flat-spot on the lower-third of the mavicPro gradient that should have been fixed, which is why tree-leaves and forest can tend to mush out. its easier to dial back saturation than replacing missing data in the gradient. sooo im sticking with preferring the AIR camera. overall though I prefer flying the Mavicpro to the AIR.

[@muzikmon2267]

@@bophoto When you put it on -1 sharpness that problem goes away.... it was supposed to be a noise reduction problem putting a - 1 shuts the noise reduction off.. What I understand the problem was supposed to be fixed with the firmware update I don't know when you did the test.. ;)

[@muzikmon2267]

@@bophoto the reason why I said it must be fixed because I haven't noticed that problem on any pictures I have ever took...

[@BenHayat]

I haven't had time to watch this yet, but who makes this sensor? Sony?

[@bophoto]

Sony

[@BenHayat]

Thanks, Best of both worlds.

[@StarCop97]

10/23 rds makes sense so it is probably wrong .... LOL

[@bophoto]

LOL well I just realized that the 16+5+5 makes it just slightly larger than 3/5th ish. but thats not as accurate as 10/23rd obviously.

[@daveeverett9341]

A full sensor size comparison here: goo.gl/images/wlRekg

[@Com4nd3r.]

This mavic is fake. Thx for realness

[@bophoto]

OK I think I know what you mean, actually the Mavic is not fake, its legitimately using whats called a 1-inch-class-sensor.. but I feel that for most users, this is rather misleading as most simply don't realize that the 1-inch reference really means its a 16mm sensor (not a 26mm) STILL its a much bigger and better sensor than what we did see in the original mavic. so a worthwhile step forward.

[@Com4nd3r.]

Its a step in the right direction. I have noticed ppl are mad couse only the lense is from hasselblad and the design. Sensor still Sony so ive heard