DJI Flip Camera Settings for Epic Photography

All the reviews I have seen about the DJI Flip focus on close-range vlogging and tracking

I have been using this drone for over a month and am impressed by its capabilities for videography and even more for photography considering its affordable price

In this article, I will drive you through all the camera settings needed for photography

Other related articles you might find interesting:

DJI Flip Photography review
DJI Flip video quality and features

Using a Remote Controller

The DJI FLip can be used autonomously but only for close-range footage. A smartphone or tablet can also control it. However, the options for photography are in this case minimal

To get the most out of its photo capabilities a remote controller is needed to access DJI Fly app. I use the RC2 controller with a built-in screen. Another option is the RC-N3 connected to a smartphone or tablet

There are three locations where we can control the behavior of the Flip for still images:

In the settings
In the main Photo/Video menu next to the shutter
In the exposure window

Settings

Let’s start with the settings. The menu is context-sensitive, in other words, the settings are not the same in video or photo mode. So we choose Photo in the Photo/Video menu before tapping on the three dots on the top right of the scree. Now the menu relates to Photo

Safety Tab

In the first tab, Safety, we can set the Obstacle Avoidance Action. The Flip can only detect obstacles in front of the aircraft. When taking photos I activate the detection by choosing the option Brake

Scrolling down to the bottom, open the Advance Safety Settings to choose the behavior in case of signal loss

The option Descend must be avoided, as the aircraft could land on someone’s property, in bushes, or on a lake. In most cases, I set it to Return to Home, unless when flying indoors, under trees, or in confined spaces, in which case it is better to choose Hover

Control Tab

Let’s move to the Control tab

In Gimbal Mode we have a choice between Follow and FPV modes. Most of the time keep it on Follow, but if we switch to FPV, the aircraft will lean sideways while turning, like a real plane. This gives us the chance for some unusual creative photos

Further down we find Gimbal Calibration to be used when prompted by the app, but we can also access Manual to adjust the horizon orientation if it is slightly slanted

Camera Tab

Most of the features for photography are in the Camera tab

The first option is File Format to save the photos in JPEG, RAW, or both formats

Then we can select the Image Size:

In 4:3 we get the full resolution of the sensor, 4032×3024, slightly more than 12MP
In 16:9 we get a version cropped to fit the traditional 4k landscape video format

I always choose 4:3 as it gives more options for reframing or cropping

Further down we can select the Resolution between the real one of 12 MP, or the 48 MP mode

It is now possible to apply the 48 MP modes to AEB images and Panorama

The quality of the 48MP photos with DJI drones has constantly improved over the last few years and the ones made with the Flip are excellent in all light conditions. The only downside is that the file are demanding in terms of computer resources

The next option toggles the Histogram on and off. I keep it always on, as the histogram is the main tool I use for exposing. I leave some space between the last bar to the right and the right edge to avoid overexposure.

Overexposure Warning is another tool for exposure. It overlays white stripes on the overexposed areas. I never use it, as I find it distracting

Further down it is possible to Overlay Gridlines. I generally use the one in the middle to apply the rule of thirds

With drones, we often have the horizon line in the frame. Rather than having it in the middle, it is more interesting to divide the scene into thirds and have it either on the higher or lower third

On other occasions, especially for top-down shots, we might want a symmetric framing, in which case the same overlay helps position the subject

Photo/video menu

We access the Photo/Video menu via the icon above the shutter on the right of the screen

On the menu on the left, after the Single shot, there is an icon for Automatic Exposure Bracketing with a choice of 3, 5 or 7 useful in high dynamic range situations. I often keep it on to make sure to have an image perfectly exposed

The next option is Burst to take several photos in quick succession, useful for sport and action to catch the perfect moment

Timed Shot takes several images at a specific interval in seconds, useful for stop motions or freehand selfies after hiding the remote controller

In the right part of the menu, we access the different shooting modes:

Photo

Video
Mastershots
Quickshots

Hyperlapse
Panorama

To the left of the shutter, there are two buttons. The one at the top toggles between normal size and 3 times zoom. We can drag to zoom progressively from 100 to 300%.

Further down there is a button to toggle between Auto and Manual Focus.

Exposure Window

The exposure settings are in the lower part of the screen to the right

In Auto mode the exposure is set by the software, we can only adjust the EV value for the overall luminosity. I prefer to set the value at -0.3 to avoid overexposure

When the camera moves, the exposure values are modified to maintain a constant luminosity, but the individual values for ISO and SS are not shown. This is one of the reasons why I suggest using manual exposure, as we want to control these values

By tapping on the icon at the bottom right, we access Manual mode, labeled Pro. Then, tapping on the area of the values to the left opens the window for exposure

In photography, there are three parameters for exposure:

ISO
Aperture
Shutter Speed

but with the Flip, like most other prosumer drones, the aperture is fixed, so we have only two values to deal with

We can set the values for ISO and Shutter speed independently. The MM value at the bottom cannot be modified, as it displays the luminosity resulting from the values chosen above compared to the optimal exposure computed by the software

In this window, there are two Auto buttons for ISO and Shutter Speed. We can set one of the two values as Auto

Let’s say we want a fixed value for ISO, 100, to get the best possible image quality. We set ISO to 100 and Sutter Speed to Auto. When the luminosity varies, only the value for Shutter Speed changes to maintain the correct luminosity, leaving the ISO at 100. Notice that the value MM has now turned into EV, for Exposure Value and it can be modified

On other occasions, we might want a constant value for Shutter Speed. So we select the desired value and set the ISO to Auto. As the luminosity increases or decreases, only the ISO varies

Both values can be set to Auto. It is very much like using Auto exposure but in this case, we can visualize the values for ISO and Shutter speed

The exposure settings are sticky for each photo or video mode

Let’s say that I am shooting single photos, I set the exposure and take some shots, then I decide to take five bracketed photos of the same scene. The exposure values will be the ones used the last time a bracketed image was taken, so I need to expose again, the same applies to other modes like panorama or Hyperlapse

It would make more sense to maintain the latest exposure value for any mode, to match the current light conditions

By tapping on the icon at the lower left, we access other options

The White Balance can be set to auto, in which case the value will adjust automatically as the luminosity changes. I prefer to keep it on manual and I generally set it to around 5500 kelvins

Further down we can choose the photo format, the aspect ratio, and the photo resolution. Finally, we can check the storage space left in the SD card and in the internal memory