This article goes through the photo settings that make the biggest difference in DJI Fly: file format, the 12 MP and 48 MP modes, exposure bracketing (AEB) and the exposure aids. The numbers come from the DJI Mini 4 Pro, because its manual and specs describe the photo modes in detail. Other models have similar menus, but the ranges and the number of frames differ, so check the specs of your drone.
What the Mini 4 Pro camera can do
Per DJI's specs, the Mini 4 Pro has a 1/1.3-inch 48 MP sensor, an f/1.7 lens and a 24 mm equivalent field of view. For photos:
- ISO 100-6400 at 12 MP, 100-3200 at 48 MP.
- Shutter speed 1/16000-2 s at 12 MP (plus 2.5-8 s as simulated long exposure), 1/8000-2 s at 48 MP.
- Photo modes: Single, AEB, Burst and Timed. There is also a separate Pano mode with Sphere, 180°, Wide Angle and Vertical.
- File format JPEG or DNG (RAW).
The spec sheet already shows that the 48 MP mode is more limited: lower maximum ISO, no 1/16000 s and no simulated long exposure.
JPEG or DNG
A JPEG is a finished image. The drone has already applied white balance, contrast, sharpening and compression, and you get a small file that looks good straight away. A DNG is a raw file. Adobe describes raw files as unprocessed sensor data: white balance is stored alongside the image rather than baked in, and you get to decide how the file is converted. Adobe lists the benefits as no JPEG compression artifacts, the ability to change white balance after the shot and 16-bit data for more detail. DNG itself is an openly published raw format, and Adobe describes it as widely supported.
In practice:
- JPEG if you want photos ready for the phone and do not plan to edit.
- DNG if you plan to edit, especially scenes with a bright sky and dark ground, or mixed light at sunset. White balance and highlights are where a raw file helps most.
The price is size and work. Adobe notes that raw files are much larger than JPEGs, so the card fills faster, and every raw file needs to be processed before you can share it.
The format is set in DJI Fly under Camera, in the camera parameter settings for Photo mode, next to aspect ratio and resolution.
12 MP or 48 MP
48 MP sounds like the obvious choice. The manual shows why it is not:
- No SmartPhoto. By default the Mini 4 Pro uses SmartPhoto in Single Shot. It combines scene recognition and HDR and takes several frames in a row, then merges them. DJI writes that SmartPhoto is not supported when the drone is moving or when you use 48 MP, and that image quality will differ.
- No digital zoom. The manual says digital zoom is only available for 12 MP photos.
- Narrower exposure range. ISO tops out at 3200 instead of 6400, and the fastest shutter is 1/8000 s.
Use 48 MP when you want to crop hard or print large, the light is good and the drone is hovering still. In the evening, in contrasty light or when you want the HDR processing in Single Shot, 12 MP is often the better choice.
When the HDR effect does not work in Single Shot
The manual lists cases when a Single Shot photo will have no HDR effect:
- the drone is moving, or unstable because of strong wind;
- white balance is set to manual;
- the camera is in Auto mode and you changed EV by hand;
- the camera is in Auto mode and auto exposure lock is on;
- the camera is in Pro mode.
So if you shoot in Pro mode or with manual white balance, do not expect the drone to handle a bright sky for you. That is the job of AEB.
AEB: bracketing for high-contrast scenes
AEB (automatic exposure bracketing) takes a series of photos at different exposures. On the Mini 4 Pro that is 3, 5 or 7 frames at 12 MP and 3 or 5 frames at 48 MP, with a 0.7 EV step. Five 48 MP frames were added by a firmware update: the release notes dated 21 December 2023 (aircraft firmware v01.00.0300, DJI Fly 1.12.4) list "support for taking five 48MP photos when using AEB and Burst Shooting".
The frames do nothing on their own. You merge them on a computer. In Lightroom Classic, Adobe's procedure is:
- Select the bracketed photos.
- Choose Photo > Photo Merge > HDR (Ctrl+H).
- Leave Auto Align on if the frames shifted between shots. Adobe says it is useful for handheld shots, and a hovering drone is closer to handheld than to a tripod.
- If moving objects (cars, trees in the wind, water) leave semi-transparent ghosts, use deghosting. Adobe advises starting at Low and going higher only if needed.
- Click Merge. The result is a DNG file you can edit like any raw photo.
A few habits help. Hover and wait a moment after the drone stops before you press the shutter. The manual's own case list shows that movement and wind ruin multi-frame processing in Single Shot, and the same logic applies when you merge frames yourself. With a 0.7 EV step, the darkest and brightest frames are 1.4 EV apart in a 3-frame series, 2.8 EV apart with 5 frames and 4.2 EV apart with 7. A scene with the sun in frame usually calls for the wider spread. The longer the series, though, the more time there is for something to move between frames.
Histogram and overexposure warning
A phone or remote screen is a poor guide to exposure, especially in sunlight. DJI Fly has two aids under Camera, General Settings:
- Histogram. The manual describes it simply: it lets you check whether the exposure is right. If the graph is pressed against the right edge, highlights are blown. If it is pressed against the left edge, shadows are black.
- Overexposure warning. Overexposed areas are marked with diagonal lines.
Turn both on. For photos you will edit, it is usually better to avoid stripes in the sky than to keep the shadows bright, because a raw file still gives you some room to lift shadows, while a white sky has no detail left to bring back.
To control exposure in Auto mode, tap the screen to set focus or spot metering on a chosen place. Then drag the icon next to the box up or down to change EV. Press and hold the box to lock the exposure. To unlock it, tap and hold the screen again or tap another area.
Sharpness
The manual lists situations when the camera may not focus correctly: dark objects far away, repeating patterns or surfaces without texture, shiny or reflective objects such as street lights and glass, flashing objects, fast-moving objects, fast movement of the drone or gimbal, and objects at very different distances in the frame. From high up, a lot of landscapes are exactly that: water, glass roofs, fields with a repeating pattern. If photos come out soft, try switching from AF to MF and use peaking. In MF mode the manual says objects in focus are outlined in red, and the peaking level sets the thickness of the outline.
Also keep the lens clean, and if you want longer shutter speeds in daylight, DJI's own advice is an ND filter.
Before an important flight
DJI's checklist for the camera is short and worth following:
- check camera settings before you take off;
- take a few test shots before the important ones to make sure the camera works correctly;
- do not remove the microSD card while the drone is taking photos or recording;
- power the drone off properly, otherwise camera settings will not be saved.
The manual also recommends taking photos in Normal or Cine flight mode and pushing the sticks gently.
Quick checklist
- DNG if you will edit, JPEG if you will not.
- 12 MP in poor light, in contrasty light and when you want HDR in Single Shot. 48 MP in good light while hovering.
- Histogram and overexposure warning on.
- High-contrast scene: AEB, 5 frames if the drone is steady.
- Merge the AEB series in Lightroom with Auto Align and deghosting if needed.
- Hover still before pressing the shutter.
- Soft photos over water or patterns: try MF with peaking.