Evo Pro 2 Focussing query

[Autelpilotsnumpty]

OK. So I checked my initial images and flight video and compared it with the latest ones.

The initial shots show a left hand side blur in video and stills using firmware 2.3.3 and no calibration other than compass.

I then did a controller and gimbal calibration.

Every video and stills shot show a right hand side blur from then on.
I upgraded to 2.5.0.

Blur still on right and straight flight drift to right was added to the list of issues. Yaw drift was not fixed.

After about 10 minutes of flight drifting to the right with straight flight was better but about the same as 2.3.3.

I have done another gimbal calibration indoors and controller calibration.

I will do another test this morning to see if this is a gimbal issue.

 

[Autelpilotsnumpty]

Autel and the reseller replied. The Reseller had already sent out a new Evo II Pro, before I sent my one back. Waiting for it to arrive today hopefully. Autels response was they needed me to do a test shell script.
As I had already sent my drone back I could not assist.

So I am hoping third time ia a charm, and this one will be, 'The One'.

One thing Autel did mention was, they were in testing for the drifting firmware fix for firmware 2.5.0.

So with any luck, my new drone will come and be perfect and Autel will fix the drift with firmware 2.5.5

 

[Autelpilotsnumpty]

So......
......The new drone came. I unpacked it. The communication cables were missing but everything else was intact.

I did my usual shooting indoors in the kitchen routine. I did manual focusing from close up to infinity. With the first drones I had 3 corners were pin sharp, just one corner soft. The other had a permanent right hand side soft zone. The new one is like a tilt shift. You'd get one side in focus and the other side would be soft, then vice versa. Even at higher shutter speeds, lock gimbal set on, higher f stops, nothing made a difference.

Then I took it out for a flight. Drifting slightly to the right and yaw rotation.

So I upgraded straight to 2.5.11.

The new firmware made the drifting much less. Still had a tiny bit or rotation when shooting straight down but so much better than before.

So I took 20 odd shots while hovering starting at f2.8, then ramped that up to f11.

Out of the 20 at f2.8, they were nearly all sharp, but in different places. Some had the majority of sharpness, were sharp, except for the left side which was blurred. So, if I focused on the left side, the right side would go soft.
Then went from f2.8 to f11. It only mildly made a difference to the edge sharpness but the softness was still evident.

The video footage was the same.

Whilst the centre looked OK up to one edge, the other would be soft.

Weirdly when I shot in the kitchen, whilst the drone was on a hard flat surface, the gimbal movement was quite significant between shots. When zooming in it looked like it was struggling to keep everything smooth, flicking this way and that.

I must post screen recording of this as it is something to see.

I have done more gimbal calibrations than I care to mention and also compass and control calibrations. No difference.

So I have now moaned to the reseller, again.

Either the resellers supplier has got a bad batch of drones, I'm too fussy and edges softness is normal with drones. Though my DJIs or Parrots did not do that. Or I am just unlucky.

At this point I feel like giving up on drones altogether.
Either way this one needs to be returned. Again.

Wife now thinks I am just moaning and should live with it. Hmmm.

 

[Autelpilotsnumpty]

Last I heard from the reseller was 5 days ago saying they would send out some communication cables. Nothing arrived. Contacted Autel 5 days ago and have not heard a peep from them either.
Meanwhile I'm testing the camera and everything setting to no avail. Soft left hand side on video and stills. At f2.8 onwards. Humph.
Been up since 2 am with video testing in the kitchen in Standard mode, D log, playing around with lots in final cut pro, davinci resolve and playing with post sharpening, vs, in camera sharpening.

Came to the conclusion, I am just patching an issue I should not have.

Asked for a replacement from the reseller one last time.

 

[Autelpilotsnumpty]

Just heard back from the reseller. They have told me to wait for Autel to come back to me. Hmmm. Been waiting a week for a reply from Autel. Nothing. Hmmm.

 

[Autelpilotsnumpty]

Still nothing from Autel.

 

[Tufargon]

Emailing them during these times is not the best way. You need to call them.

 

[Autelpilotsnumpty]

Finally got a response from someone suggesting I calibrated stuff, even though I told them I already calibrated stuff. Oh well. At least its a response. Now returning drone.

 

[Autelpilotsnumpty]

Last chance saloon for Autel. I did something counter-intuitive and have given Autel one last chance and ordered another AE2P from a completely different reseller. I did this figuring the last reseller and the supplier had a bad batch and all I was doing was ordering from a bad batch.
If this new one also has focussing issues I'm finally done with Autel. Finger crossed.