X5 Auto Exposure Flickering

Guy Smilez · Nov 12, 2015

doctordrone said:
I just got word from DJI Support (I shipped it back to them on 10/30, they received it on 11/2, this message is from today 11/11):

We have received your unit in our repair department and have inspected the issue. We will be replacing your unit with a new X5 due to the malfunction on the camera. You will not be charged for this replacement. Unfortunately we do not have the x5 in stock due to the product being brand new. We are awaiting a large shipment to arrive but have not yet gotten an exact date. As soon as they arrive I will have your unit sent to logistics and shipped out immediately. I do apologize if this has caused any inconvenience to you. Let me know if you have any further questions.

I have two hopes; 1) The issue has been identified and fixed on new production; 2) The ship(ment) arrives tonight! Meanwhile, I will use the "ole standby"... P3P. Shot this with it last week. I wonder what it would have looked like with X5!?!

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Thank you for the update. I want to send mine in since the issue is either the same of similar to yours. I just dont have a back up. I wonder if i could ask them to send the new unit when available then ill send the unit with issue.

doctordrone · Nov 12, 2015

They might do it only if you pay for the replacement up front, then they could issue a refund when they receive yours. You could ask.

doctordrone · Nov 13, 2015

doctordrone said:
I just got word from DJI Support (I shipped it back to them on 10/30, they received it on 11/2, this message is from today 11/11):

We have received your unit in our repair department and have inspected the issue. We will be replacing your unit with a new X5 due to the malfunction on the camera. You will not be charged for this replacement. Unfortunately we do not have the x5 in stock due to the product being brand new. We are awaiting a large shipment to arrive but have not yet gotten an exact date. As soon as they arrive I will have your unit sent to logistics and shipped out immediately. I do apologize if this has caused any inconvenience to you. Let me know if you have any further questions.

I have two hopes; 1) The issue has been identified and fixed on new production; 2) The ship(ment) arrives tonight! Meanwhile, I will use the "ole standby"... P3P. Shot this with it last week. I wonder what it would have looked like with X5!?!

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Got another email today that my new replacement X5 is being shipped today!! Thanks DJI!

Steven Powter · Nov 13, 2015

doctordrone said:
Just bought the Inspire Pro from Drones Plus Silicon Valley after owning and loving 2-P3P's and a P2V+. Great bird to fly, but I was disappointed with the Auto Exposure mode on the X5. It doesn't have a smooth transition when the exposure changes. It jumps, almost flickers. We did some tests in manual exposure mode, and it did fine. We were hoping DJI had a firmware fix in the works, but when I talked to them yesterday, they told me to send it in so they can test it on the bench. He suggested it could be the ISO chip, or possibly an aperture problem. I understand they need to test it in a controlled environment, but after dropping $6k on the package less than 2-weeks ago (3 batts; gimbal operator remote; 180watt charger and charging hub), I hate to ship off the camera and be without its use for up to a month. Anybody else experience this flickering exposure?

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..I had the same auto exposure issue.. mine was a lot worse than yours... i kept testing it.. and.. it settled down after awhile and works fine now.. i use the auto exposure to get a reading before i switch to manual ...

FinesAerial.com · Nov 15, 2015

Hi,

New x5 owner.

I have been using a Sony a7r on an s1000+ for video but a client wanted 4k, so I got the x5.

The flicker with A or S mode exposure is really a bummer. Sure you can get around it with M mode, but my A7r doesn't have anything at all like this.

Hope it is a firmware fixable thing.

doctordrone · Nov 15, 2015

wingnutaerial.com said:
Hi,

New x5 owner.

I have been using a Sony a7r on an s1000+ for video but a client wanted 4k, so I got the x5.

The flicker with A or S mode exposure is really a bummer. Sure you can get around it with M mode, but my A7r doesn't have anything at all like this.

Hope it is a firmware fixable thing.

I'll let you know later this week... My X5 replacement from DJI should be here Tuesday.

Guy Smilez · Nov 21, 2015

doctordrone said:
I'll let you know later this week... My X5 replacement from DJI should be here Tuesday.

and? I'm about to send mine in... did you have to send the inspire with it? they recommended me to send everything

doctordrone · Nov 21, 2015

Guy Smilez said:
and? I'm about to send mine in... did you have to send the inspire with it? they recommended me to send everything

No, just pack the camera in the plastic box it came in, and pack that well in a slightly larger box. I asked and received a pre-paid fedex shipping label from DJI. But here's the bad news.... The replacement they sent me did the exact same thing, even though it was from a "new" batch.

Guy Smilez · Nov 22, 2015

I narrowed mine down to it flickering only when im iso 800+. anything iso 400 and below seems to be usable

FinesAerial.com · Nov 22, 2015

Guy Smilez said:
I narrowed mine down to it flickering only when im iso 800+. anything iso 400 and below seems to be usable

I think it is iso dependent as well. I haven't looked for a cutoff, but it is much more pronounced at higher iso's / dark scenes.

I've found that shooting Manual and setting the iso so it cannot change fixes things. Not a "solution", but it makes the camera usable until a fix comes out.

Doctordrone - that's a real bummer. I opened a support ticket with dji 6 days ago with no reply yet. Maybe they are just not answering any more flicker questions until they figure something out?

Rjja · Nov 23, 2015

How to focus manually on x5?

Element · Nov 30, 2015

Rjja said:
How to focus manually on x5?

You can focus right within the app once you switch to MF. There's also the option to purchase the wireless follow focus system (once available).

Rentakill · Mar 22, 2016

Figbar said:
I have the X5...I'm so busy with my "real job" as an editor/producer, I have not had enough time to fly and shoot. I did get out the first evening I had it, and am basically blown away by the quality. There was another guy who shot a bridge in NYC who posted some night footage...he said he was at iso 800 and that helped guide me. But I am really not up to speed on this camera system.

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4k - 30 fps
iso - 800
aperature - around 4 / 4.5
shutter 1/30
color - classic
landscape

I wish I had time to do a video on this system, but unlike others who are doing initial comparison videos, I really don't feel qualified to give definitive advice on this camera. I can't wait until someone who knows his/her stuff does a good, informative video on the overall do's and don'ts with this camera. My stuff looks in focus to me, but I'm not really sure that I'm doing the lens calibration properly.

That footage was beautiful, yet to shoot any nigh footage. Thanks again