Top 7 Video Settings to change on the DJI Mini 3 Pro

Want to shoot better video on your DJI Mini 3 Pro? Change these settings.
DJI Mini 3 Pro Getting Started Course: jeradhillcourses.com/dji-mini...
MotionVFX mLUT: jerad.link/motionvfx
ND Filter Set: jerad.link/djimini3profreewellnd
Micro SD Cards I Use: jerad.link/sandisk512v30microsd
Micro SD Card Holder: jerad.link/cardmicrosdholder
DJI 3 Pro Fly More Kit: jerad.link/djimini3proflymorekit
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Get New Video Updates: jerad.link/gearandlightupdates
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Gear I Use to Make Videos: jerad.link/videoproductionkit
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Resolution
2:38 - Frame Rate
5:24 - Tip: Pro Mode
6:50 - Manual Exposure
9:55 - Manual ISO
11:02 - Tip: Exposure Metering
13:54 - White Balance
16:15 - Camera Settings
20:10 - Bonus Tips/Settings
👋👋
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⚠️⚠️ Disclaimer:
The content of this video is intended for viewers ages 13+.
Gear & Light (Jerad Hill) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

[@Goldchucker1]

There are any number of you tube videos on this subject. I found yours to be very easy and helpful in first setting up my mini 3 pro. The human eye can only see so much. My 76 year old eyes aren't getting any better. LOL You give a basis to start from not promoting "Your way or the highway". Thank you. Respectfully, Chuck

[@Mike0193Azul]

Thanks so much for the in depth lecture especially explaining every codec and setting on what they're for and what they do! 💚

[@thedronedownunder3919]

Thank you for this tutorial. I'm a Mini3 owner and having someone explain the fundamentals in such an easy way is a relief.

[@vegasvideoguy]

Jerad, terrific tutorial/explanation. As a long-time pro photographer, I knew everything you were talking about. But, in relation to drone photography, this has to be the "gold-standard" of explanations.

[@TMaekler]

The batteries should de-charge no matter where they are stored. You should get the same de-charging effect when you store each one on its own, plugged or unplugged. These batteries begin de-charging lastest three days after charging and will go down to 50-60%. The only way to prevent them starting to de-charge after storage is to re-plug them into the charger or the drone and check their charging status. Checking will reset the de-charging pause and you'll keep them fully charged that way. The idea of smart batteries is to keep them half charged during storage and only fully recharge them the day before use. So the trick to keep them charged is meant to be used only if you charged them but move the filming day for only a few days and don't want them to start the de-charging cycle.

[@James-kj7ek]

Awesome video man! Great explanation on everything. Really helped me out.

[@AndrewMage]

Amazing lessons in the world of light and color👁‍🗨! Thanks for setting recommendations, as it shortens my time in figuring out the optimal adjustments

[@SmartMeditationFilms]

Thank you!!! I liked and subscribed!

[@peterneumann6848]

Really appreciated your tutorial. Clear & precise. Thank you.

[@davehunt9817]

Excellent information. Thanks for sharing.

[@mattwebster5698]

Definitely the best video I've seen for video settings on this drone. 👏 Great and very informative. Thanks. Subscribed and liked 👍

[@MrPrime-mt8dd]

Absolutely great video! A beginner like me is finally able to understand all these settings and ready to have some real fun 🤩 thank you🙏

I've seen a lot of videos, but few of them provide as much logical and coherent information as this one. Everything you say fits together, eg framerate vs data rate. Great. Thanks for the enlightenment! I don't sign up for subscriptions, I was happy to make an exception here.

[@KonAir972]

The best video out there explaining the various shooting settings on a DJI Mini 3 Pro.

[@behemedia7222]

I learned so much in this video. You explain things so clearly. I feel much more prepared to get better footage. Thanks so much. New sub.

[@DougGriggPhoto]

thank you for this video. very helpful

[@danieljeffries6430]

This is a very informative Video I’m actually waiting for My Mini 3 pro to arrive and didn’t know where to start and I got a lot of good Tutorial information from you that I subscribed and been watching a lot of your Content I’m gonna also order the ND filters and hope to jump start a Drone Business in the Near future keep up with the good work. Thanks

[@leadsled213]

Awesome video.... Definitely looking forward to the Mini 3 Pro photography video... That's my main interest!

[@sohandesilva6470]

Brilliant explanation on drone settings, mate. All new drone pilots should watch this if they are serious about video. As a film maker, I got so frustrated by hiring drone pilots who mostly just fly on Auto settings. Most of those shots were unusable for me because of the constant change in exposure and white balance. A lot of the movement was jittery as well because of the varying shutter speeds. In the end I just went out and bought a drone and stated capturing the drone footage myself. I never shoot on Auto. Your video is a really good explanation on how to capture excellent quality footage not only on the Mini 3 but most other drones as well. Nice work.

[@elmahdichaker1207]

Thanks for your all advises specially storing batteries in charging Dock 👍🏼

[@seal-nowweretalking6753]

You’re awesome. By far the best doing these kind of tutorials in my opinion. Please keep up the exemplary work. Thank you.

[@donaldmayfield9159]

Great tutorial! Will try this setting soon on my Mini 3 Pro!

[@anydayaerial]

Great Video very helpful . thanks man my videos are going to look so much better now that I watched this and have ND filters.

[@eugenesayles7160]

Amazing pro-tips! I'm kinda intimidated of the camera's pro mode but at least now I'm learning more about it!

[@erdemergaz6987]

Packed with very useful info 👍

[@alrozanski8352]

Excellent video, just purchased a mini pro 3 and this tuning video was just what I needed. Now I know why I was getting washed out video

[@GustavoAguiar15]

Nice and complete review. Thanks

[@airbornesurveys8134]

Great tips, thanks for sharing.

[@johngreene5660]

Very good. Thank you. At last somebody explaining the 8th wonder of the world to a beginner...exposures.

[@leewinter28]

Absolutely amazing video! Just getting started with this drone and these are excellent tips. I use the Freewell ND Filters with my Sony Digital camera and they are amazing. Just used your link to order the Freewell kit for the Mini 3 Pro from B&H. I am going to check out your video on making $ with the drone too! Thanks!

[@lasseboberg]

Very good video, I learned a lot

[@rutgerdezeeuw]

Such a good explanation, thanks!

[@garymorris6819]

It's like I took a crash course on cinematic drone filming with this! Thanks!

[@SubaStar24]

What an amazing explanation of fps! I needed thing big time and no one seems to explain it like you did there! Bravo!! And thank you!!!

[@ditchauto]

Thank you!

[@BadBuddhaPhotography]

thank you very thorough, and informative

[@freddy0192]

Really good explained

[@Josh-vm5se]

Great tips!! Thanks a lot :)

[@gaetanproductions]

Great, well presented info Jerad, thanks :)

[@danielharris3827]

LOVE the flag in the shot @ 17:30!

[@flyingcatsofthesalishsea.]

Your the best mini 3 pro online help, thanks

[@DanBlake3rd]

Another reason for H.265 is that Resolve 18 won't import D-Cinelike profile if encoded with H.264.

[@hfxdronepilot9022]

thank you....great video

[@dankurydotcom]

nice job! Thanks

[@D3RPZILLA]

Great vide, thank you :)

[@farhangani2534]

what? so the batteries charge eachother just being connected to the charging case? This is so useful information! Thank you!

[@Fiebs93]

Great summary ❤

[@flipnap2112]

thanks for the review. im curious as to your experience with transferring videos and quality. mainly wondering about "air transfers" VS direct USB plug from airframe into laptop VS popping the SD card directly into laptop. Mostly concerned about getting the 10 bit footage to carry over. Someone mentioned you have to use H265 in order for Resolve to read the D-cine profile (but I havent tried this yet). I have a few other unrelated video apps where the quality is indeed reduced if I send the video by air, its strange but its there. Thanks for the vid!

[@packfadly]

Thanks!

[@GoTravelPlanet]

Fantastic tutorial

[@MrDavidcarp]

👌🏿brilliant👌🏿 🎥📷🚁

[@gshots4307]

thanks man👌👌

[@lexfennell]

Thanks for this, after watching so many on this subject, i think the penny has finally dropped. (I actually get it) This and and the one I watched on hero 10 accessories got you another subscriber and cost me a few hundred dollars. That's cash spent with confidence. Thank-you.

[@ditchauto]

Thanks Lex!

[@geoffankrett7012]

Put a small fan if front of the mini 3 pro while it sat there keeping air flowing through the vents. It totally stops overheating

[@HelpCloud]

Great pace and explanation. I will have to give these a shot (pun intended)!

[@Dartheomus]

Great video!!! This was a fantastic explanation, and your results speak for themselves! I just got my Mini 3 Pro, and I've been struggling with dynamic range even when shooting D-cinelike. I will have to try under-exposing more, and hopefully I don't get too much noise in the ground shots. You mention *.mov being a "better" format. Do you see a noticeable difference there? Also, for a scene with a lot of trees, where do you keep your histogram centered? Do you ever use a color chart? Finally, what LUT do you recommend for grading the cine-like? Thanks and keep up the nice work!

[@flipnap2112]

I think MOV for the most part is about compatibility not quality (though there may be minor differences you probably wont notice them). and the dynamic range is from the camera its using. no settings will help with dynamic range. ND filter or polarizer will be your best friend though for squeezing the most from this camera. obviously setting your exposure will help to ensure you dont crush either the blacks or whites, but you cant adjust the dynamic range.. thats from the bit depth. 8 bit VS 10 bit for example. for the trees I would say whatever is the most important part of the shot. I would also suggest davinci resolve for post work. its extremely flexible to held in color grading and spot cleanup

[@luchomartell3047]

good for you

[@davidbkelly]

I place a small fan in front of the drone while copying files or updating firmware, it could stay on all day.

[@Davidvrjsullivan]

5.48 backwards reveal side shot seemed blotchy, was that something happened in post or connection from the RC signal?

[@seal-nowweretalking6753]

Thanks

[@brynmorgan1513]

The email newsletter link isnt working? Great video

[@jonasimpe]

Great video thanks! Were you got the info that .mov has better quality than the .mp4. As far as I can find there the same but only a diferent container.

[@ditchauto]

Has to do with available bitrates.

[@santiagoalvarezv]

Nice video! Do you have another video to focus on settings to have the best still photos?

[@ditchauto]

That is coming in the next week or so. I have a getting started guide video I’m working on now.

[@jeremyleonbarlow]

The best way to color correct footage is to include a calibrate or x-rite style color checker and white balance card on your footage at the beginning of every shot. If you do that and you bring the footage into Resolve, the software will correct it in post.

[@myonedaytrips]

Do you mean like I have to put a white sheet of paper in front of the camera before recording? Or at the beginning of a recording? Or what do you mean exactly? Thanks

[@jeremyleonbarlow]

@@myonedaytrips I mean using an actual color accurate color checker card and color accurate white balance card.

[@myonedaytrips]

@@jeremyleonbarlow using it how? I'm a dummy, don't even know what those cards are 😂

[@tonysimek]

Really appreciate your very solid presentation on these settings!! Nicely delivered! There are professional drone training schools that do not know how to present this as elegantly.

[@kurtzFPV]

Thanks. Very helpful video. Is that a vintage Apple Lisa or Macintosh behind you?

[@ditchauto]

Yes, it's an Apple Mac M0001 128k

[@myonedaytrips]

I'm making my first videos on mini 3 pro and it's quite difficult to find the right settings so that the sky and what's on the ground are captured well. For now I can either make it capture the beautiful sky and all the details or the ground but then the sky just becomes white. Not sure what I'm doing wrong 😳

[@polyplay6314]

Very helpful video. Thank you =) Just a little hint: 24 fps is the limit from which the eyes perceive movements as fluid. Of course, our eyes recognizes 60 fps to be much smoother than 24 fps. But we are used to the 24 frames from the cinema. The 24fps come from the old days when film material was very expensive. TV shows do not run at 30 fps, but at 50 fps (PAL) or 60 fps (NTSC) interlaced. I would never work with 24 frames, because most devices (PC monitors, smartphones etc.) run at multiples of 30fps (60Hz, 120Hz ...). So 24fps could result in problems, because they have to be converted to 30/60/120 by the device.

[@gustavengman]

So that's why my footage looks stuttery...

[@roadtripmitch]

I believe "Stupidity Flare" is the proper term, lol. Great Job! Safe and wonderful travels!

[@ditchauto]

🤣

[@halisdabai]

awesome video, you are incredible. i will be following you for more tips. concerning batteries, lithium batteries are made to discharge deliberately to strengthen the life span, not discharging them will reduce the life span. you can do more research. once again thank you

[@ditchauto]

Thanks! I understand how they discharge but I have never had DJI batteries discharge completely. They usually stabilize with at least 15% left and that takes a week or more. This was happening over night. I should probably make a video about it.

[@MrDogtown22]

You don't get smooth motion blur when using Yaw at 24fps

[@Asimplelife1]

Once fully charged, I turn my batteries around in the charger so the contacts aren't touching (if that makes sense)....

[@DaveSlamGSS]

My video has so much garbage on there like shutter speed and color temp etc.... how do I make it so it doesn't display all that crap? Thanks!

[@Sakatland]

Wait, if you set the exposure manually and then adjust the EV, isn't it changing the settings (ISO/Shutter) you just did manually to different values?

[@tauritaal]

MP4 vs MOV doesnt matter. Its just a video container. Quality is the same for both.

[@gregspahr641]

I use AF (auto focus) for both Still Shots and Video. Still Shots: Is there any advantage of touching the screen on the RC controller to identify the subject I want in sharp focus? Video shooting: If I touch a subject on the RC controller screen (set focus) as one of the key elements to have a sharp focus, would this lock focus and not allow AF to work for the remainder of the video sequence?

[@ditchauto]

It's best to tap the screen to set focus. The focus range on these drones is not much and more similar to a smartphone but the software does a lot to try and make sharp what you intend to have sharp via the tap. I usually just tap once but I believe a tap and hold will lock focus.

[@YellowRoseDrones]

New subscriber here. I've always believed in using ND filters on my drones. One of the problems I've had is when I'm tracking a moving object, like a bicycle Rider, it's so easy to have it blur out, to the point where you cannot see who the rider was, especially if the bicycle is crossing the camera view, not approaching it directly. Can you make some recommendations for shutter speed, etc., in such a situation? Presume sunny daylight for lighting conditions. Thanks for providing such an easily understood presentation. I just added the Mini 3 Pro to my fleet.

[@ditchauto]

I haven't tested this completely but I think the drone needs a slightly higher shutter speed for tracking. I've had issues with tracking when I'm down at 1/50 but no problems up at 1/120.

[@YellowRoseDrones]

@@ditchauto I think you're correct

[@flipnap2112]

ive had this issue as well with shooting regular cinema cameras and trying to motion track in post for matching 3D objects. its a bit advanced, but you could shoot in a higher frame rate and then do a 2d motion blur in post. theres some good software out there for it. if you wanna go extreme you could do a 3D motion blur in fusion (in resolve.) It uses vector node feeding an optical flow node. gives an almost perfect camera like motion blur.

[@elzbietaziomek5815]

Hi Jerad, I played with my drone, movies captchered de-cinelike couldn't be process in neither Pinnacle24 nor Davinci. They appered as black with small red drops or lines. The normal goes perfect. Both originals were good in media player as vlc. Do you know why?

[@ditchauto]

That is odd. Never heard of that happening before. Make sure you’re shooting in matching frame rates and if problems continue I’d try different memory and then a different drone.

[@Aly-nq9ot]

But i saw a tutorial the guy said he is recording in log format with this drone.🤔

[@theNEWTful]

I’ve noticed shooting into the sun gives a purplish hue which is very difficult to remove.

[@ditchauto]

These small sensors struggle with direct sun. It's better to avoid it if at all possible. A circular polarizer lens will help some.

[@MattFreestonePictures]

It's confusing and I get why people say that shutter speed should be "two times" or "double" the frame rate, but actually it's half! 1/50th SS is half the frame rate duration of 25fps. I guess this might seem like semantics but it is more helpful to know what's actually going on: your shutter is open for half the time between each frame in order to get the correct motion blur - which is why it's called the 180 degree shutter rule, back from when cameras had mechanical shutters!

[@rajramjit1755]

Elephant in the room: battery runs out while getting all the settings right.

[@jimihendrix4376]

How many times did you stop and start do to overheating?

[@ditchauto]

My Mini 3 Pro has never overheated.

[@chcomes]

my problem with nd filters is i have to decide if video or pictures, as 1/50 is a bad shutter speed for sharp pictures :-(

[@ditchauto]

Very true. That's why I usually use an ND16 which lets me shoot video at 1/160 or so. Not as smooth for video but better than a 1/2500 shutter speed.

[@HDBnB1]

What should you expose d cinelike to? +1?

[@ditchauto]

I usually go a little overexposed. I'll talk more about this in an upcoming video.

[@jeangoupil8129]

If you are exposing for the sky, i would like to know how to edit in Davinci Resolve to bring back the underexposed low light on ground.

[@ditchauto]

You could do it with a linear mask and limit the exposure to the ground with that mask. I don't use Resolve much so I'm not sure how to do it though I know it's possible.

[@flipnap2112]

most important is to make sure youre not crushing blacks or whites. theres no recovery possible, its just missing information. and Jerad is correct, using a linear mask or magic windows is a way to manipulate and isolate exposures in the color grade section.

[@patrickarseneault7407]

nice video but would have been better if you kept your camera zoomed in on the controller and not in and out all the time. made it hard to keep up what you were showing

[@ditchauto]

Noted. I have a full review of the drone coming soon with additional tips and will have better video of the RC when showing it.

[@gregspahr641]

Blurry KZbin Footage: I capture video as MP4, H264, color "normal", 4-k, 30-fps, adjust ND filter and ISO to get SS to 1/60, 1/120, 1/180, White balance "auto". I have tired editing in FinalCut Pro 10.6.3 and PremierePro 2022, and output footage as .MOV and .m4v. The KZbin footage is blurry, any suggestions? Perhaps a different video editor that can work with the DJI file better...?

[@ditchauto]

Is the blurriness motion blur or lack of sharpness such as a soft image?

[@gregspahr641]

@@ditchauto soft image does not look like motion blur. I think I will just post my drone videos to the SmugMug site. Videos look crisp there. Thank you! Looking forward to watching additional videos you post on your channel.

[@runermeister]

Dude, is that a Mac Plus in the background??

[@qc4ev3r]

Apple Mac M0001 128k

[@Andyrewk]

I learned a lot from this video though it bothered me that the brightness is blown out from the scenes of you using the controller and You can’t read all of the text…

[@untouchablelah]

Where is the video where you talk about which video editor to use?

[@ditchauto]

Coming soon along with a full review of the Mini 3 Pro.

[@jefish]

White Balance Top Tip: Even when in Auto Mode, you can go into Settings > Camera and choose a manual color temp. I think this is a bug, and I hope they never fix it. ;)

[@ditchauto]

I saw that and thought something must be wrong. I haven’t checked it since the latest software update though.

[@ORGANIZEDCoNfUsioN]

Man I wish I watched this before I had my first flight. Got great footage but its all choppy from bad settings.

[@Randuski]

You shouldn't store the batts in the charge case, but the batteries are designed to discharge for safety reasons. It discharges like 20% every 24 hours. Don't charge your batts unless your flying the next day. They don't like being stored at 100%

[@honeyband1597]

Really? thanks for the info brother

[@MrAntongm]

That never happened with my batteries. I’ve always stored them in the charging case and they have never discharged 20% in 24 hours. However, it’s normal for a fully charged battery that they discharge to 50%, this has nothing to do with the charging case, but is functionality of the smart battery.

[@tonybucca5667]

I use a Laptop cooling fan under my Mini 3 Pro when I'm transferring files to my controller or phone...$5 well spent!

[@ditchauto]

Good idea!

[@GrendalTheBeasty]

If you're using 24 fps, you are wrong. Basically every screen on earth is running at least 60 fps and while 30 fps is workable since it's 1/2 the screen refresh rate, 24 fps will stutter and there is nothing you can do to change it due to the mismatch. Otherwise good info but that 24 fps crap needs to go back to the 1920's where it belongs.

[@vonheise]

Some KZbin videos are jerky and very blurred due to poor shooting habits. I have experience but to keep my video sharper, I try to shoot in 30 to 60 fps, and have heard some professional videographers say that 60 fps is becoming the standard for better drones and cameras. I personally don't like the degree of motion blur in 24 fps, but that is more personal preference than a right or wrong choice. I don't know if hour video at the 5:50 mark in your presentation is slowed down or not, but I can see the jerkiness of the slow frame rate, which to me is disconcerting.

[@eprohoda]

helloo-Thank you!professional uploading~ talk you later.

[@unusedTV]

mov is no higher quality than mp4, it's a different wrapper around the same video data.

[@markuskreissl7416]

It's not true what you tell in the frame rate section. The bit rate yout get out of this files is always the same in all frame rate settings: it is 8 bit! The only setting, where you get a higher bit rate is when shooting in D-Cinelike, then it's 10 bit. What changes from 30 fps ("HQ") to 48 fps and beyond is the dynamic range used to record the files. DJI uses a HDR-alike mode for the lower frame rates, which obviously can't be deliverd for the higher ones.

[@bushmanphotos]

I found the battery comments very confusing because out of the literally hundreds of other Mini 3 Pro youtube reviews no other reviewer has mentioned it. I'm not sold on motion blur at all. It makes it impossible to grab decent stills from the video feed unless the drone is hovering. The whole point of this drone is fast and easy to deploy and carry and constantly changing ND filters is just a pain. Personally I can't see much difference at all unless it's a polarising filter. There are all sorts of reasons people don't want motion blur from drones. Not every video is meant to be a cinema blockbuster. Search & Rescue for example want as much detail as possible. I use my drones to find rock fishing platforms and animal tracks and I constantly want sharper and more detail and I hate blur... but I still like a pretty gliding video and that is perfectly achievable without ND filters.

[@flipnap2112]

I believe he was talking about matching cinema "type" of look. this could be confusing to people without much camera experience or why they would want it. there is no need for an ND if youre shooting automatic and dont need motion blur.