Unable to ingest DNG files from DJI Phantom Vision

[drjay32]

Kirk-

I got my hands on a DJI Phantom 2 Vision quadcopter, and they just added DNG RAW support. However, these files do not ingest (I get error messages during the ingest operation). JPEGs are transferred fine. Any thoughts on what to do?

-Jason

[Kirk Baker]

Jason,

I got my hands on a DJI Phantom 2 Vision quadcopter, and they just added DNG RAW support. However, these files do not ingest (I get error messages during the ingest operation). JPEGs are transferred fine. Any thoughts on what to do?

That's odd.  Can you share one of your sample DNG files?

-Kirk

[ron_hiner]

There is a DNG in here that you can play with.  I've got the same problem.  Phantom Vision DNG files won't ingest.   Just for the record, Phantom Vision DNG files did not publicly exist prior to Monday -- when DJI released the firmware upgrade. 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2pqjt7ty15p8td9/eBthldQ8a0

[ron_hiner]

Further, I think the ingest error message is incorrect:

The message I get is this:

"Error copying: /Volumes/NO NAME/DCIM/100MEDIA/DJI00013.JPG to: /Volumes/OWC1/master_photo_library/photos/2013/140122_dji/DJI00013.JPG"

but the jpg files seem to come in just fine... it's the DNG files that are ingested.

[dennis]

Hi Jason & Ron,

I took a look at the DNG that Ron posted.

Essentially this DNG has no thumbnail or embedded preview.  PM at least expects to see additional "SubIFD" or subsequent TIFF tables in a DNG that point to the thumbnail or a JPEG preview.  None exist and PM is calling this "unsupported format".  I will fix the code so that PM will no longer err on this but you will not be able to see any image of the DNG in PM directly from the copter (thumbnail will be black with red text for the filename indicating that no image is available).

For now I suggest you ingest JPEGs only and then use Adobe's DNG converter to convert the DNGs into a more copasetic DNG that includes a full size preview.  Then you can browse with PM.  The next update will at least allow you to ingest these DNGs without an error.

Ask the manufacturer to put a thumbnail (at least) in the file!  We have had problems with other camera manufacturers who write DNG files.  They are NOT the same kind of DNG that Adobe's DNG converter would create.  Unfortunately for the camera to write a thumbnail (uncompressed) it has to downsample the image, and to write a JPEG preview it needs some JPEG compression hardware, so this may be something that the manufacturer simply doesn't have available in their limited hardware flying around

I did notice some clipping in the sky (magenta specs).  This is pretty lame - it tells me they aren't properly clipping the green channel and it is wrapping around to 0.  So I'm not sure how much better quality you are getting with this "RAW" file.

HTH!

--dennis

[ron_hiner]

Thanks Dennis!

This is a cheap camera as far as cameras go... but it can fly! (You have say that last bit in Eddie Murphy's voice as Donkey from the movie Shrek -- http://bit.ly/1dYUDZB)

My copy of this camera is defective... the magenta spots are bad pixels on the sensor.  Every image has the same spots in the same place.

Good idea about using the jpgs.. but the jpgs out of the camera are so highly compressed that (in my mind anyway) they really are not usable.   Hence the excitement about the raw files capability released this week.

I'm returning my Phantom Vision -- so I don't need this issue fixed.   The 'raw' files are much better than the jpgs, but they are not as good as advertised.  I want a copter that can fly a real camera! 

[drjay32]

Thanks Dennis!