X5 issues HELP!

Simonjamesalec · Nov 8, 2015

Hey guys. First time on the forum.

My name is Simon Finlayson

I just bought a X5 for my Inspire 1.
I’ve been looking forward to it for some time. Planning on getting the OSMO as well as a few other bits, but really really need to get this sorted first.

Sadly, I’ve had nothing but trouble with the X5. Here is a video of an example of the biggest problem. It seems to never want to stay completely still. In the video below, I place it down on the balcony and as you can see, the camera just keeps moving back and forth slightly. It’s only ever the yaw that’s doing it. Even in FPV it’s still wobbling back and forth. They gimbal is tight (although it makes some nasty noises sometimes) and seems to be in full control, but it’s always wandering back and forth a tiny bit in every setting including ‘free mode' even when standing completely still. I have the C1 button set to reset yaw and snap the camera forwards - the camera knows it’s out of alignment because sitting on a desk it will wander out and I’m constantly pushing the “reset yaw” button and it’s constantly snapping back. At the end of the video below I put in what I think may be the problem? The compass? this is a video of my controller when my drone is sitting on my desk not near anything metal and the compass settings are all over the place. I have a lot of time flying my x3. I know that when flying, the yaw will sometimes soften movements with the camera to make it look smoother. The x5 seems to be doing this on one side SOMETIMES and never on the other. I’ll move the stick to yaw left, and the camera will sometimes jerk to the right first as if it’s compensating the wrong way. It’s VERY blatant when it happens. It never happens though when I’m using the touchscreen to control the camera, so it’s working, but I’m limited to flying to a point, hovering, and then looking around which makes for pretty boring footage. When in a steady pan, it will occasionally just put in a big inconsistency. Again, I have plenty of experience with the x3 - never a problem. Since the yaw will not keep still filming is hard enough, but for stills, long exposures, exposure bracketing and HRD shots are virtually impossible. I got the upgrade purely to improve evening/nighttime shots. I have tried recalibrating the compass and this didn’t improve the issue. This seems much like a hardware issue to me.

Next I need some help with what are likely my shortcomings,

I’m also having huge trouble focusing it. Do I have to calibrate it every time I swap batteries? Put on the camera? Turn on the drone? or just once out of the box? Sometimes when I calibrate, it will only focus on things 5m away, other times over 20m. Once, when the ‘range’ of the focus was very long (it was manually allowing me to focus from 0.5m-20m+) I would bring the focus down on the lights at night, until they would get smaller and smaller trying to get them into focus, until they would be getting bigger again (focusing past them?). They were never in focus - I couldn’t get it. I spent an hour! The autofocus wasn’t happening at night on the buildings.

I was hoping for better performance in low light. I thought I was doing something wrong, but I had a photographer come and use his camera along side mine, and my X5 is coming out so grainy that it’s about the same as my iPhone. I was trying to get video of city lights at night from far away. No matter what I do I can’t get rid of flicker and graininess. I tried both anti-flicker settings, locking the all the settings so the ISO is not constantly adjusting… Don’t know what to do. I’m seeing some peoples footage is amazing at night so I’m assuming I’m doing something wrong with the settings or focus?

One last thing. Does the app do the HDR shots and blend them on the app, or does that have to be done in post production every time?

So:
Yaw wobble? Compass problem?
Graininess and fliker at night?
calibrate focus?
HDR setting?

HELLLLLLP!!!!

Kind regards,
Simon.

Alastair · Nov 8, 2015

The movement is ever so slight but there nonetheless. The acceleration and compass appear normal to me however, the gyroscope value should be 0.00 when stationary. Yours is, 0.01. Not saying this is the cause but definitely worth checking out.

Element · Nov 9, 2015

I noticed the subtle movement on mine as well. Infuriating to say the least. My gimbal is shot though, RMA in progress, so perhaps that's the issue.

Regarding calibration, you need to focus on a high contrast object 50m away when calibrating (according to several threads).

Have you set AE-lock as well for your night shots? Solved my flicker problem.

Simonjamesalec · Nov 9, 2015

Element said:
I noticed the subtle movement on mine as well. Infuriating to say the least. My gimbal is shot though, RMA in progress, so perhaps that's the issue.

Regarding calibration, you need to focus on a high contrast object 50m away when calibrating (according to several threads).

Have you set AE-lock as well for your night shots? Solved my flicker problem.

Hi there. Thanks for your reply.

Yeah was trying to calibrate the focus on things 50 meters away, but in the dark. I eat trying it on the city lights and it just wasn't gonna happen. So "maybe it doesn't work in the dark?" Says my friend. Well maybe it better since that's the reason I got it. I did find the AE-lock and tried locking it as well but didn't help much.

Sucks about your gimbal. So yours was doing the same? Yeah this just won't do!! I can't take any long exposures with it at night which is what I need it for! I think it's gonna have to go back. I'd prefer to keep it, but hell, only if it works properly.

Element · Nov 9, 2015

You just need to calibrate it in the day and then you should be good to go at night. Also, use the manual focus controls to get the shot you want at night if all else fails.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Still, the subtle movement and sway of the gimbal is strange. No idea what that could be from.

Simonjamesalec · Nov 9, 2015

Element said:
You just need to calibrate it in the day and then you should be good to go at night. Also, use the manual focus controls to get the shot you want at night if all else fails.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Still, the subtle movement and sway of the gimbal is strange. No idea what that could be from.

Cool thanks. Will calibrate during the day. And that's sufficient even after packing and unpacking? No need to calibrate again?

Element · Nov 9, 2015

You should only be required to calibrate it the one time with each lens.

Figbar · Nov 10, 2015

I would think that if you have movement in your camera/gimbal that calibrating would be tough, given the movement. This is obviously the first thing you need to deal with...I'm sure you have reinstalled your gimbal/camera? Hate to say it, but it may be you have a defective unit.

Simonjamesalec · Nov 10, 2015

Figbar said:
I would think that if you have movement in your camera/gimbal that calibrating would be tough, given the movement. This is obviously the first thing you need to deal with...I'm sure you have reinstalled your gimbal/camera? Hate to say it, but it may be you have a defective unit.

Hey. Thanks for your reply. Re-installing the camera? I haven't done that yet. And idea how one might do that? .Apparently I can recalibrate all the sensors as well. Going to try that in a bit.

Figbar · Nov 10, 2015

There is a video DJI put out...one of the few "how to" videos they have provided...that shows you how to install the X5 and the new mounting board...I upgraded my Inspire 1 and found this very to be great help. Part of this video just shows the gimbal and camera going into place properly. Don't know if this will help...certainly recalibrating everything is worth a try. I am very pleased with my X5...wonderful quality. Good luck. DJI should be able to help you out if nothing works.

Simonjamesalec · Feb 8, 2016

Thanks. I'll give that a try. I've done the imu calibration, perfectly level etc. And compass calibration many times. But perhaps not that meticulously. I'll try it.

Thanks for your help.
Simon.

windwardbound said:
Try Recalibrating the IMU. Make certain that the location is perfectly level and do not move the machine until it is complete / finished. Try-removing and reinstalling the camera. Do a compass calibration. Always do the compass calibration moving the unit in a anti-clockwise rotation ,moving yourself in a circle not the unit. Hold the unit in the center of the circle. Rotate the unit anti-clockwise first as level as possible and when instructed, pointing nose at the ground. Mine takes about two 360deg turns to complete both level and pain ting towards the ground nose down. The GO app never tells you if the compass calibration is OK or not. It always tells you to calibrate each and every flight! It never tells you it was done right or not it just goes away on the screen. Anyway, hope this helps.

The Editor · Feb 8, 2016

windwardbound said:
Always do the compass calibration moving the unit in a anti-clockwise rotation ,moving yourself in a circle not the unit. Hold the unit in the center of the circle. Rotate the unit anti-clockwise first as level as possible and when instructed, pointing nose at the ground. Mine takes about two 360deg turns to complete both level and pain ting towards the ground nose down. The GO app never tells you if the compass calibration is OK or not. It always tells you to calibrate each and every flight! It never tells you it was done right or not it just goes away on the screen. Anyway, hope this helps.

The direction of rotation makes no difference on a calibration.
You can always check your calibration simply by monitoring mod values.
Once you have a good calibration - leave it, you will not need to do another one unless you travel to another part of the world where the declination is significantly different.