DJI is the name in drones. They continue to push the industry forward with either more features or fuller-featured drones that are smaller and cheaper than before. The Air 2S is among the latest with specs that would require something with a “Pro” moniker before. This is still considered a more consumer drone, but it is entirely possible to get cinematic footage with it.
If you have dreams of getting gorgeous drone shots for your projects then Sebastian Savoy has a walkthrough on how to configure your DJI Air 2S for the most cinematic footage. There’s a fair bit you can do to get things looking just right.
A lot of the cinematic look comes from making sure you have the best color captured, which does affect dynamic range. Luckily, the Air 2S can actually capture in 10-bit color for rich capture.
Plus, in the Fly More Combo, there are ND filters so you can get a proper shutter speed that provides a good blur that matches traditional cinema cameras. An early note is that you should stick to manual over auto exposure for a cleaner, more professional capture.
Image Credit: DJI
Tip number 1 is to stick with a shutter speed that is following the 180-degree shutter rule. Or 1 / 2 x (frame rate). That means at 30 fps you should use 1/60 second. Use as low an ISO as possible and make sure you have the proper ND filter. If you are still too bright with maximum ND you can adjust the shutter speed, since you don’t want to blow out the image either.
For the color profile you should choose D-Log. It switches to 10-bit H.265/HEVC to capture the most detail in a small file. It’s your best pick for quality and an easy choice. You will need to grade it in post though.
To color grade this footage (using Adobe Premiere Pro) and get a pop of color you should head to the curve and add a nice S. This should bring in some good contrast. Then just head over to the saturation and bump it up until you get some rich colors. Feel free to throw a LUT on at this point too. It’s fairly easy to do and worth learning.
Do you have any of your own tips for working with DJI Air 2S footage?
[source: Sebastian Savoy]
Order Links:
- DJI Air 2S Drone (B&H, Amazon)
- Adobe Creative Cloud (B&H, Amazon)
- Adobe Premiere Pro CC (B&H, Amazon)
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