Autel Evo II Pro V2 neewbie

[AussieCate]

Good day to you all.
I've come to the orange side after my Yuneec Typhoon H suffered catastrophic damage after what is presumed to have been a bird strike.
I've got the fly more combo and since late June racked up 10, 10 and 9 discharges on each battery.
I'm using my android phone as the screen but the glare frustrates me to a T. Then there's weird dulling or brightness in the image I'm viewing so I'm never sure if the manual settings are too light or dark.
IYHO what platform is best as a screen for the remote? My budget does not go as far as the V2 remote, nor other all in one options.
I'm flying in Australia and travel often up and down the East coast and always on the lookout for new flying buddies.
All tips and suggestions gratefully accepted.
Two recent images
Cheers.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

birds rarely if ever strikes drones and bring them down. ymmv
look into tripltek tablets; that's what i fly with when the smart controller is not compatible. excellent brightness.

 

[AussieCate]

birds rarely if ever strikes drones and bring them down. ymmv
look into tripltek tablets; that's what i fly with when the smart controller is not compatible. excellent brightness.

ymmv????? and as per above my budget doesn't run to the smart controller LET ALONE the tripltek. It would like to but at the moment it doesn't.
Regarding the YTH ... the guru's analysed the flight data - it was a new battery, maiden flight fully charged - with no spikes indicating battery issue. It was NOT pilot error as I was photographing at the time and stationary about 10m in front of me. I believe the guru's.
Thank you for your input all the same.

 

[Brock Inspector]

Good day to you all.
I've come to the orange side after my Yuneec Typhoon H suffered catastrophic damage after what is presumed to have been a bird strike.
I've got the fly more combo and since late June racked up 10, 10 and 9 discharges on each battery.
I'm using my android phone as the screen but the glare frustrates me to a T. Then there's weird dulling or brightness in the image I'm viewing so I'm never sure if the manual settings are too light or dark.
IYHO what platform is best as a screen for the remote? My budget does not go as far as the V2 remote, nor other all in one options.
I'm flying in Australia and travel often up and down the East coast and always on the lookout for new flying buddies.
All tips and suggestions gratefully accepted.
Two recent images
Cheers.

There are a bunch of settings for Explorer and options with screen devices plugged into the Autel Standard Controller that can improve the view. The highlight warning "zebra bars" are an essential setting to not blow out highlights. The dynamic range of the EVO II Pro sensor is simply great, but the Auto Exposure mode is biased toward overexposure. I use Manual settings almost always. If you're shooting mostly stills and using RAW (particularly if bracketing with 3 or 5 shot AEB merge sequence, in Manual RAW+JPG) it's relatively easy to get a very usable still photo exposure. Experimenting with RAW + JPG setting and the drilling down through Styles menu will also show real-time changes in the view on your device screen. Where the view gets tougher is JPG-only or Video, which compress the DR so much that when you're not blowing out the highlights in a high contrast situation (sunrise, sunset pointed toward the sun for instance) it can be difficult to read into the shadows. 10-bit LOG setting--requires setting video encoding to H.265 first-- will help with the capture, but can be hard to see on the screen. There isn't a one-setting fits all solution.

It can be a challenge to find the right viewing setup. A phone with an IFS or OLED screen with the brightness cranked all the way up can help. (Many phones and tablets will only hit maximum brightness with the screen set to Auto. Blocking the ambient light sensor that adjusts this by installing a lens shade can create a problem. Wearing a black t-shirt and standing while the shade and having this sensor read your shirt as the ambient light will darken the screen).

 

[GFields]

Good day to you all.
I've come to the orange side after my Yuneec Typhoon H suffered catastrophic damage after what is presumed to have been a bird strike.
I've got the fly more combo and since late June racked up 10, 10 and 9 discharges on each battery.
I'm using my android phone as the screen but the glare frustrates me to a T. Then there's weird dulling or brightness in the image I'm viewing so I'm never sure if the manual settings are too light or dark.
IYHO what platform is best as a screen for the remote? My budget does not go as far as the V2 remote, nor other all in one options.
I'm flying in Australia and travel often up and down the East coast and always on the lookout for new flying buddies.
All tips and suggestions gratefully accepted.
Two recent images
Cheers.

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama, welcome to the forum!

I use the Tripltek 8 pro for all my drones

 

[albertly]

I live in Israel. As you may guess sunlight is real problem in my region. No matter what screen I use 600 nits or 1200 nits, sun always wins.
However I've found ultimate solution for the problem:
0.67US $ 32% OFF|Foldable Head Umbrella Hat Anti-rain Anti-uv Outdoor Fishing Caps Portable Travel Hiking Beach Fish Tackle Iscas Pesca Rain Gear - Fishing Caps - AliExpress

 

[herein2021]

Good day to you all.
I've come to the orange side after my Yuneec Typhoon H suffered catastrophic damage after what is presumed to have been a bird strike.
I've got the fly more combo and since late June racked up 10, 10 and 9 discharges on each battery.
I'm using my android phone as the screen but the glare frustrates me to a T. Then there's weird dulling or brightness in the image I'm viewing so I'm never sure if the manual settings are too light or dark.
IYHO what platform is best as a screen for the remote? My budget does not go as far as the V2 remote, nor other all in one options.
I'm flying in Australia and travel often up and down the East coast and always on the lookout for new flying buddies.
All tips and suggestions gratefully accepted.
Two recent images
Cheers.

I use an old iPad Mini from 2016 with a glare protector on it. I have shot hundreds of commercial and personal projects with it and it has survived every drone I have owned from DJI and now Autel.

I live in FL USA so sunlight is a real problem here as well. The screen is definitely difficult to see in direct sunlight especially with the glare protector installed and when shooting with a LOG profile, but that's why I avoid direct sunlight. I always find a tree/building (preferred), shade from my car (if possible), and sometimes I use my own shadow (least preferrable but it does work).

As far as telling if you have the proper exposure, you should not use your screen to do that, no screen will tell you the proper exposure as accurately as the histogram. As long as I can see the histogram I can get proper exposure; relying on screen brightness will guarantee you the wrong exposure nearly every time since screens aren't calibrated to exposure they are just a best guess controlled by the brightness controls of the device.

If you don't already know how to read a histogram, learning how to read it (takes about 20min of Googling) will ensure you can nail the proper exposure manually with any camera and any lighting condition regardless of the screen brightness.

 

[AussieCate]

I use an old iPad Mini from 2016 with a glare protector on it. I have shot hundreds of commercial and personal projects with it and it has survived every drone I have owned from DJI and now Autel.

I live in FL USA so sunlight is a real problem here as well. The screen is definitely difficult to see in direct sunlight especially with the glare protector installed and when shooting with a LOG profile, but that's why I avoid direct sunlight. I always find a tree/building (preferred), shade from my car (if possible), and sometimes I use my own shadow (least preferrable but it does work).

As far as telling if you have the proper exposure, you should not use your screen to do that, no screen will tell you the proper exposure as accurately as the histogram. As long as I can see the histogram I can get proper exposure; relying on screen brightness will guarantee you the wrong exposure nearly every time since screens aren't calibrated to exposure they are just a best guess controlled by the brightness controls of the device.

If you don't already know how to read a histogram, learning how to read it (takes about 20min of Googling) will ensure you can nail the proper exposure manually with any camera and any lighting condition regardless of the screen brightness.

Thankyou very much for your input. I've loathed using the histogram on the screen as my brain finds it too much going on but after yesterday's session I'll be working with the histo from now on. Same same as looks ok on the screen but way too dark with brought over. Images coming.

 

[Brock Inspector]

The Sony sensor in the Evo II Pro has a phenomenal dynamic range. Preserve your highlights and you can shoot most scenes without fretting exposure if shooting in RAW or LOG. Histogram as an overall guide can be useful at a glance. But relying on it may not prevent you from clipping highlights, especially in a scene with a high brightness range. (Bringing up the shadows to the detriment of highlights is not the solution). That's where zebra bars are more useful.

 

[herein2021]

The Sony sensor in the Evo II Pro has a phenomenal dynamic range. Preserve your highlights and you can shoot most scenes without fretting exposure if shooting in RAW or LOG. Histogram as an overall guide can be useful at a glance. But relying on it may not prevent you from clipping highlights, especially in a scene with a high brightness range. (Bringing up the shadows to the detriment of highlights is not the solution). That's where zebra bars are more useful.

IMO the histogram is better than zebras; I've tried them all, below is how I rank them and for what purpose...the below list and order is just my personal preference:

VIDEO

1. Wave Form Monitor (WFM) - without a doubt this is truly the best tool to use when shooting video especially LOG footage, it will show you the entire DR of the sensor and it adjusts based on the LOG curve in use. The problem is most cameras do not offer the WFM for some reason. The other nice thing about the WFM is it will translate exactly into the WFM in the NLE when it comes to post processing so you can use the same tool throughout the video's entire workflow.
2. Histogram - the histogram is nearly as good as the WFM, it will also show you the entire DR of the sensor and it will also adjust based on what color profile you are using. For video, the histogram is not as good as the WFM because it does not map to IRE values so it is not as useful when exposing for skin tones. With drones however, since drones are typically high up and not near people, you are simply exposing the entire scene so skin tones aren't really that important. Also, within your video editing software, you typically use a WFM for color grading not the histogram so now you have to translate the histogram values into WFM IRE values
3. Zebras - Zebras are OK for exposing a scene, but they do not show you the entire DR of the sensor, they only show what the highlights are doing. When exposing a scene, I like to know if I am clipping the blacks as well and by how much. With the histogram I can deliberately choose to make the highlights a priority (such as during a sunset) but I still want to see how much I am clipping the blacks to decide where to strike a balance. For things like real estate where sometimes it is strongly backlit but the property is the priority, then I can use the histogram to prioritize the mids or shadows at the expense of the highlights. Zebras would not show at all what the mids or lows are doing.
4. False Color - This one is great for skin tones but doesn't really apply to drones since drones are typically too high up and too far away from humans for skin tones to matter as much. Not to mention this one most cameras do not have either. Falso color also needs to be turned on and off because you can't shoot with it on. In a studio setting or locked down setting that's fine, but in fast paced environments like events, sports, even weddings, there's no time to fiddle with things like this.

PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Histogram - For photography the histogram is the only thing I use for exposure. It has all of the benefits of using it for video with the added benefit that it is also the tool you typically use in post processing images so it translates directly from the screen output to the post processor. A final benefit of the histogram is that literally every modern camera has it. My newest mirrorless cameras even display it in the viewfinder, something the DSLRs didn't do, so the histogram is without a doubt the most useful exposure tool out there.
2. Zebras - For photography, like for video zebras only show over exposure. If you are prioritizing highlights for something like a sunset and want to be absolutely certain nothing is over exposed in the sky, then zebras would be useful; however the histogram shows the same information but also shows the lows. One benefit zebras have is they are easier to see in most situations on a screen vs the histogram. A final downside to zebras is that they are simply distracting; in slow moving environments you have time to turn them on and off, in fast paced event work it could be a different story.

Thankyou very much for your input. I've loathed using the histogram on the screen as my brain finds it too much going on but after yesterday's session I'll be working with the histo from now on. Same same as looks ok on the screen but way too dark with brought over. Images coming.

Its really not bad, where people go wrong is when they overload the screen with multiple exposure tools and then try to process all of the input at once when taking a picture or shooting video. A better approach is to learn one or two tools very well and only use them when composing and taking a shot or shooting video. For me that tool is the WFM if the camera offers it or the Histogram when it doesn't. I ignore the exposure meter (horribly inaccurate most of the time or set improperly) and the screen's display (not calibrated, too reliant on the screen's settings).

Speaking of the exposure meter, many cameras have them and they are usually only good at getting you close to the right place for exposure. The problem with exposure meters is they can be quite deceptive on what exactly they are telling you. Depending on the settings and the camera, the exposure meter could be prioritizing the highlights, prioritizing the shadows, showing you exposure for whatever is in focus, showing you an average of the entire scene, etc.

With exposure meters you really need to dig into the settings to figure out how they are set and those settings could change without your knowledge (by someone else or accidentally) which could ruin a future or present shoot. I have worked side by side with photographers who had their exposure meters set wrong and they had a lot of work ahead of them trying to recover those highs or lows.

 

[Sherifftruman]

I live in Israel. As you may guess sunlight is real problem in my region. No matter what screen I use 600 nits or 1200 nits, sun always wins.
However I've found ultimate solution for the problem:
0.67US $ 32% OFF|Foldable Head Umbrella Hat Anti-rain Anti-uv Outdoor Fishing Caps Portable Travel Hiking Beach Fish Tackle Iscas Pesca Rain Gear - Fishing Caps - AliExpress

I’m a home inspector and on really hot, sunny days I use that exact umbrella hat and it works. Keeps my iPad cool and lets me see it while inspecting the exterior and lets me fly the drone without tons of glare too. I’ve used in it light rain situations also.

 

[Brock Inspector]

IMO the histogram is better than zebras; I've tried them all, below is how I rank them and for what purpose...the below list and order is just my personal preference:

VIDEO

1. Wave Form Monitor (WFM) - without a doubt this is truly the best tool to use when shooting video especially LOG footage, it will show you the entire DR of the sensor and it adjusts based on the LOG curve in use. The problem is most cameras do not offer the WFM for some reason. The other nice thing about the WFM is it will translate exactly into the WFM in the NLE when it comes to post processing so you can use the same tool throughout the video's entire workflow.
2. Histogram - the histogram is nearly as good as the WFM, it will also show you the entire DR of the sensor and it will also adjust based on what color profile you are using. For video, the histogram is not as good as the WFM because it does not map to IRE values so it is not as useful when exposing for skin tones. With drones however, since drones are typically high up and not near people, you are simply exposing the entire scene so skin tones aren't really that important. Also, within your video editing software, you typically use a WFM for color grading not the histogram so now you have to translate the histogram values into WFM IRE values
3. Zebras - Zebras are OK for exposing a scene, but they do not show you the entire DR of the sensor, they only show what the highlights are doing. When exposing a scene, I like to know if I am clipping the blacks as well and by how much. With the histogram I can deliberately choose to make the highlights a priority (such as during a sunset) but I still want to see how much I am clipping the blacks to decide where to strike a balance. For things like real estate where sometimes it is strongly backlit but the property is the priority, then I can use the histogram to prioritize the mids or shadows at the expense of the highlights. Zebras would not show at all what the mids or lows are doing.
4. False Color - This one is great for skin tones but doesn't really apply to drones since drones are typically too high up and too far away from humans for skin tones to matter as much. Not to mention this one most cameras do not have either. Falso color also needs to be turned on and off because you can't shoot with it on. In a studio setting or locked down setting that's fine, but in fast paced environments like events, sports, even weddings, there's no time to fiddle with things like this.

PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Histogram - For photography the histogram is the only thing I use for exposure. It has all of the benefits of using it for video with the added benefit that it is also the tool you typically use in post processing images so it translates directly from the screen output to the post processor. A final benefit of the histogram is that literally every modern camera has it. My newest mirrorless cameras even display it in the viewfinder, something the DSLRs didn't do, so the histogram is without a doubt the most useful exposure tool out there.
2. Zebras - For photography, like for video zebras only show over exposure. If you are prioritizing highlights for something like a sunset and want to be absolutely certain nothing is over exposed in the sky, then zebras would be useful; however the histogram shows the same information but also shows the lows. One benefit zebras have is they are easier to see in most situations on a screen vs the histogram. A final downside to zebras is that they are simply distracting; in slow moving environments you have time to turn them on and off, in fast paced event work it could be a different story.

Its really not bad, where people go wrong is when they overload the screen with multiple exposure tools and then try to process all of the input at once when taking a picture or shooting video. A better approach is to learn one or two tools very well and only use them when composing and taking a shot or shooting video. For me that tool is the WFM if the camera offers it or the Histogram when it doesn't. I ignore the exposure meter (horribly inaccurate most of the time or set improperly) and the screen's display (not calibrated, too reliant on the screen's settings).

Speaking of the exposure meter, many cameras have them and they are usually only good at getting you close to the right place for exposure. The problem with exposure meters is they can be quite deceptive on what exactly they are telling you. Depending on the settings and the camera, the exposure meter could be prioritizing the highlights, prioritizing the shadows, showing you exposure for whatever is in focus, showing you an average of the entire scene, etc.

With exposure meters you really need to dig into the settings to figure out how they are set and those settings could change without your knowledge (by someone else or accidentally) which could ruin a future or present shoot. I have worked side by side with photographers who had their exposure meters set wrong and they had a lot of work ahead of them trying to recover those highs or lows.

TL/DR. Histograms are typically based off high compression jpgs (at least on other Sony sensors) and cannot be relied upon as accurate indicators of clipping. Enable the zebra stripes OE indicator while you've got a histogram up on the screen and compare them if you need confirmation. Push an exposure to the right of the histogram in any situation with a bright highlight and notice how the zebra catches the clipping long before the histogram spikes

 

[AussieCate]

IMO the histogram is better than zebras; I've tried them all, below is how I rank them and for what purpose...the below list and order is just my personal preference:

VIDEO

1. Wave Form Monitor (WFM) - without a doubt this is truly the best tool to use when shooting video especially LOG footage, it will show you the entire DR of the sensor and it adjusts based on the LOG curve in use. The problem is most cameras do not offer the WFM for some reason. The other nice thing about the WFM is it will translate exactly into the WFM in the NLE when it comes to post processing so you can use the same tool throughout the video's entire workflow.
2. Histogram - the histogram is nearly as good as the WFM, it will also show you the entire DR of the sensor and it will also adjust based on what color profile you are using. For video, the histogram is not as good as the WFM because it does not map to IRE values so it is not as useful when exposing for skin tones. With drones however, since drones are typically high up and not near people, you are simply exposing the entire scene so skin tones aren't really that important. Also, within your video editing software, you typically use a WFM for color grading not the histogram so now you have to translate the histogram values into WFM IRE values
3. Zebras - Zebras are OK for exposing a scene, but they do not show you the entire DR of the sensor, they only show what the highlights are doing. When exposing a scene, I like to know if I am clipping the blacks as well and by how much. With the histogram I can deliberately choose to make the highlights a priority (such as during a sunset) but I still want to see how much I am clipping the blacks to decide where to strike a balance. For things like real estate where sometimes it is strongly backlit but the property is the priority, then I can use the histogram to prioritize the mids or shadows at the expense of the highlights. Zebras would not show at all what the mids or lows are doing.
4. False Color - This one is great for skin tones but doesn't really apply to drones since drones are typically too high up and too far away from humans for skin tones to matter as much. Not to mention this one most cameras do not have either. Falso color also needs to be turned on and off because you can't shoot with it on. In a studio setting or locked down setting that's fine, but in fast paced environments like events, sports, even weddings, there's no time to fiddle with things like this.

PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Histogram - For photography the histogram is the only thing I use for exposure. It has all of the benefits of using it for video with the added benefit that it is also the tool you typically use in post processing images so it translates directly from the screen output to the post processor. A final benefit of the histogram is that literally every modern camera has it. My newest mirrorless cameras even display it in the viewfinder, something the DSLRs didn't do, so the histogram is without a doubt the most useful exposure tool out there.
2. Zebras - For photography, like for video zebras only show over exposure. If you are prioritizing highlights for something like a sunset and want to be absolutely certain nothing is over exposed in the sky, then zebras would be useful; however the histogram shows the same information but also shows the lows. One benefit zebras have is they are easier to see in most situations on a screen vs the histogram. A final downside to zebras is that they are simply distracting; in slow moving environments you have time to turn them on and off, in fast paced event work it could be a different story.

Its really not bad, where people go wrong is when they overload the screen with multiple exposure tools and then try to process all of the input at once when taking a picture or shooting video. A better approach is to learn one or two tools very well and only use them when composing and taking a shot or shooting video. For me that tool is the WFM if the camera offers it or the Histogram when it doesn't. I ignore the exposure meter (horribly inaccurate most of the time or set improperly) and the screen's display (not calibrated, too reliant on the screen's settings).

Speaking of the exposure meter, many cameras have them and they are usually only good at getting you close to the right place for exposure. The problem with exposure meters is they can be quite deceptive on what exactly they are telling you. Depending on the settings and the camera, the exposure meter could be prioritizing the highlights, prioritizing the shadows, showing you exposure for whatever is in focus, showing you an average of the entire scene, etc.

With exposure meters you really need to dig into the settings to figure out how they are set and those settings could change without your knowledge (by someone else or accidentally) which could ruin a future or present shoot. I have worked side by side with photographers who had their exposure meters set wrong and they had a lot of work ahead of them trying to recover those highs or lows.

Such in-depth information. A HUGE thank you. It will take some time to digest this.

 

[AussieCate]

The Sony sensor in the Evo II Pro has a phenomenal dynamic range. Preserve your highlights and you can shoot most scenes without fretting exposure if shooting in RAW or LOG. Histogram as an overall guide can be useful at a glance. But relying on it may not prevent you from clipping highlights, especially in a scene with a high brightness range. (Bringing up the shadows to the detriment of highlights is not the solution). That's where zebra bars are more useful.

I've been using the histogram but still have difficulty seeing the gram on the screen because of the background. I constantly move it around and have quickly gotten used to watching the bars as I dial the triangle up and down, relying more often the exposure reading in the bottom menu. Of course I make allowances for the darker areas and over expose for the shadows and underexpose the brightest areas then merge in post.
I've not spent too much time looking but does this V2 do auto bracket exposure? I've seen the HDR option for video and I've used that - haven't edited them yet.

 

[herein2021]

TL/DR. Histograms are typically based off high compression jpgs (at least on other Sony sensors) and cannot be relied upon as accurate indicators of clipping. Enable the zebra stripes OE indicator while you've got a histogram up on the screen and compare them if you need confirmation. Push an exposure to the right of the histogram in any situation with a bright highlight and notice how the zebra catches the clipping long before the histogram spikes

I have shot with tons of cameras, handheld, cinema, drones, etc, never had a problem with identifying clipping in the histogram. Zebras will typically appear to catch clipping sooner than the histogram because they are usually not set at 100%, they are usually set at 80% or 90% which of course is before the histogram's 100%. Additionally, zebras when filming video do not compensate for LOG profiles vs the histogram which does.

I do 100% agree though that zebras are typically easier to see than the histogram especially in bright light. For photography if all you care about is the highlights then zebras will definitely be easier to use than the histogram.

I've been using the histogram but still have difficulty seeing the gram on the screen because of the background. I constantly move it around and have quickly gotten used to watching the bars as I dial the triangle up and down, relying more often the exposure reading in the bottom menu. Of course I make allowances for the darker areas and over expose for the shadows and underexpose the brightest areas then merge in post.
I've not spent too much time looking but does this V2 do auto bracket exposure? I've seen the HDR option for video and I've used that - haven't edited them yet.

The histogram is definitely not easy to see on the screen, I have that problem with all of my cameras but you get used to it. Most of the time you really don't need to push the exposure anywhere near highlight clipping territory unless you are shooting a sunrise or sunset. As long as you get a good exposure on the histogram with the entire DR of the scene contained within the histogram then you will have a perfect exposure every time.

It does get a little complicated when shooting scenes that exceed the DR of the camera (sunrise, sunset, backlit, deep shadows), but depending on what in the scene is important to you, the histogram can definitely get you in the right ballpark.

Personally, I am not a fan of mixing brackets with drone photography, the drone platform simply isn't stable enough to create commercially viable results IMO. They will look fine on a cell phone screen, but fall apart for prints and commercial work so I don't use brackets at all while in the air. Living in FL (no mountains or snow) combined with the DR of the EVO II, I rarely shoot subject matter that exceeds the DR of the sensor.