How does the DJI X5 compare to the original X3? Check out these clips
Post updated January 2018: Forking out the best part of £2,000 on a new camera for the DJI Inspire 1 took some doing. I expect many people like myself, are wondering if buying the DJI X5 was or is worth it?
I tend to get buyer's remorse for a time when making large purchases. The X5 and Olympus Zuiko 12mm lens were no exception. However, the fact that the Olympus 12mm lens also fits my Panasonic GH4 (and now Lumix GH5) is a bonus).
After all, the Inspire 1 with X3 camera already produced lovely video quality when used in the right way. Note: not into direct sun as the dynamic range isn't too great on the X3. And the stills aren't that great. Good, but not great.
After a two week wait for the weather to settle, I finally got out flying the Inspire 1 and X5. I was lucky to get some glorious sunshine and still air for a real test.
Loving Care
What I noticed is that the DJI X5 needs a bit of TLC compared to the X3 with regards to:
…as well as how you fly the Inspire 1 with the X5.
The X5 and Olympus Zuiko 12mm lens has a much narrower view than that of the X3 camera. Because of this, you need to be careful of a few things and I suspect the DJI 15mm lens will need even more forethought and planning.
Beware when turning or panning your UAV or gimbal during a shoot with a wide angle lens such as with the X3. Any effect in the footage is not very noticeable due to the wide field of view.
However, when using a narrower lens such as the Olympus 12mm or DJI 15mm, you might notice a difference and may experience a juddering of the footage.
This can be amplified if you use the wrong (or less compatible) shutter speed. Try to shoot a shutter speed twice the speed of the frame rate. For example, a frame rate of 25p = shutter speed 50th/sec.
And slow down your pans/turns. I may even start shooting NTSC for a faster frame rate of 30fps.
DJI X5 sample video
Anyway, here is the 1080p version of my flights this week using the X5 and Olympus Zuiko 12mm at Vimeo (for less compression). You may notice:
- 1Some juddering in fast panning shots
- 2Some out of focus footage (as I fly directly over the pier)
- 3Exposure fluctuations in the last clip as I fly up beside a number of bushes/trees*
*I shot in auto-exposure by mistake
The footage has been edited with some levels adjustments, sharpening and brightness/contrast. It was output at 50mbps (for 4K footage, see the YouTube video after)…
To see the 4K footage, check out the YouTube video below but I don't think it fairly represents the actual footage.
Sample photos from the DJI X5
I'm also very happy with the 16mp image quality from the X5 stills compared to the X3. I think they will more than suffice for my clients. Shooting RAW is a must until you really get the hang of the camera.
Please note, these images have been reduced in size and saved at 46% quality for web.
160th/sec, f6.3, ISO 100
200th/sec, f5.6, ISO 100
50th/sec, f6.3, ISO 100
50th/sec, f5.6, ISO 100