Drones have become a very popular way to capture video, but many people are disappointed with the quality of the footage that they get. If this sounds like you, then you might be wondering why your drone footage looks grainy. The answer is not as simple as it seems! There are eight reasons for this issue and we will go into detail about each one in the following paragraphs.
Your drone footage may look grainy due to the following reasons:
- Incorrect Camera Settings
- You are Taking shots in Very High Altitudes
- Windy Conditions Blowing into the Camera Lens
- Use of an Incorrect Lens
- Flying the Drone too Slow or Fast
- There are Too Many Bright Objects in Your Frame
- Your Subject is Moving Quickly Across the Lens
- Bigger Megapixels
Let’s look at these issues in detail:
Incorrect Camera Settings
If your camera is not set to the best quality for capturing video, then this can be a reason that you are getting grainy footage. If it’s on 720p or 1080p, but yet still looks blurry and choppy – that might mean that there is something wrong with how high of resolution your drone’s camera is shooting in. If you are not getting the best quality footage, then it might be a good idea to try switching your camera settings in order to see if this is what’s causing your problems.
If there isn’t enough light on your drone footage and it becomes dark – that can also cause grainy video. Try increasing the amount of light or using more vibrant color to help make the video look better.
You are Taking shots in Very High Altitudes
If you are taking shots in very high altitudes, then this can also be an issue if there isn’t enough light getting up into your drone’s camera lens. This is because the higher you go, the less sunlight will hit your camera sensor and it just won’t capture as much light.
Windy Conditions Blowing into the Camera Lens
If you are using your drone in a very high wind, then this too can cause grainy footage – especially if it’s blowing directly into the camera lens! It’s best to keep your drones away from any strong winds that might be able to interfere with their movement and motor.
Use of an Incorrect Lens
Another reason why your drone footage might look grainy is because of the lens that you are using. If it’s a very wide-angle, then this can cause distortion in your video which will lead to blurry images and lots of grain – so try zooming out on your shot!
Flying the Drone too Slow or Fast
If you’re flying too slow or fast while capturing drones, then that too can cause grainy footage. The best speed to fly your drone while shooting video is somewhere between 25-35 mph – any faster than that and you risk the chance of not getting a stable shot or worse crashing!
There are Too Many Bright Objects in Your Frame
If there are too many bright objects in your shots, then this too will make it look like there’s lots of grain in your footage. Try to get away from anything like that – it’s best not to fly near the sun or if you are going for a nighttime shoot, try and find some lights!
Your Subject is Moving Quickly Across the Lens
Another reason why grainy drone footage might happen is because of how quickly things move across the screen. If this happens while filming, then there’s going to be a lot of distortion and it will make your video look blurry. To avoid this, try lowering the shutter speed on your drone when filming so that things don’t move as fast across the screen!
Bigger Megapixels
Last but not least, if you have too many megapixels for the size of your camera sensor then you might also have a problem with grainy footage. This is because the bigger your megapixels are, then it will require more light to capture an image – which means that you might need to adjust some of your camera settings in order for this not to happen!
If you’re not getting the best quality footage from your drone, there are a few reasons for this. This article has provided some insight on how to avoid grainy video by adjusting settings or flying at different speeds.
