Waypoint is the most powerful and flexible intelligent mode on DJI prosumer drones. The Mini 5 Pro introduces a few new features for this outstanding functionality
In this article, I will show you all you need to know to make the most ot this excellent tool and explain why beginners and casual users should learn how to use it
Other related articles you may find interesting:
- Mini 5 Pro Point of Interest
- Mini 5 Pro Spotlight
- Mini 5 Pro Color Profiles
- Mini 5 Pro MasterShots
- Mini 5 Pro Photography
Waypoint Missions
Waypoint works by creating missions based on several points. For each point, the aircraft position, its elevation, and the camera orientation are stored in memory. The system manages the transition between points with precision, supporting the smooth execution of advanced maneuvers
Each mission can be saved in memory to be used in various light conditions, in different seasons, with other exposure values or color profiles
Waypoint missions can be created on-site by flying to each point or remotely using the maps. I will show you only the first method, as it is faster to set up and yields better results because we can visualize each point. It is also safer, as we can spot any surrounding obstacles
Creating a Mission
We access Waypoint mode by the icon on the left of the screen, just above the one for takeoff. For videography, it is preferable to have only a few points, generally no more than four. For simple moves, two points are sometimes all that is needed
I want to show this village on the foothills of Mount Etna in Sicily and then descend and move to the left, while the camera rotates to the right and tilts up to reveal Mount Etna
The first step is setting the exposure. Since the shots will alternate between the ground and the sky, it’s best to use manual exposure to prevent sudden changes in brightness
I fly to the right of the village at medium altitude, frame the central square, and press the C1 button on the controller to set the first point (or the fn button if using the RC N3 controller)
I then fly to the left, rise to the maximum altitude, advance, and tilt down the gimbal for a top-down view of the center of the village. An alternative way to add a point is to open the small window on the lower part of the screen and tap the plus sign next to the previous point
Then I fly backward and to the left while lowering the altitude, rotate the camera, and adjust the gimbal orientation to frame Mount Etna. I set the third and last point here.
We can now adjust the global settings of the mission by tapping on the three points to the right of the window. I increase the global speed to around 9 m/s
We can specify the action to take at the end of the flight and in case of signal loss. In this case, I leave them on RTH. On other occasions, if obstacles are present on the scene, it is better to set them to hover
Finally, we can choose the start point. I choose to start at the first point, while on other occasions it might be preferable to start from the last point to save battery time
The top of the window shows the resulting duration in seconds, the distance between the first and the last point, and the number of points. I tap the arrow on the left to return to the main window. We can now save and name the mission by tapping on the small icon on the left
I tap Next on the right of the window and then Go. The aircraft moves to the first point and starts the mission. As you can see, the movement is perfectly smooth and the transition between points flawless
Many users tend to use too many points, thus creating abrupt transitions. Better results are obtained by using only a few points
The light conditions are horrible and we can hardly see Mount Etna, but it is not a concern as the mission is saved and we can perform it in better conditions
Modify a Mission
On top of Mount Etna, there are often interesting cloud formations, so I would like to modify the gimbal tilt in the last point to include a larger portion of the sky.
To modify one or more points of a mission, tap the point. The small window shows a series of values relative to that point, including altitude, speed, camera orientation, gimbal tilt, gimbal roll, and zoom level
I select Gimbal Tilt and turn the value up by a few degrees
In the same window, you can also set a Camera Action at that point or have the aircraft hover for a specified number of seconds. When filming, set the camera action to Start Recording at the first point and Stop Recording at the last.
The map on the lower left of the screen shows the path of the mission with the different points.
I can wait for better light conditions and retrieve the saved mission. We are just after sunrise with nice soft shadows, and the extra tilt of the gimbal shows some interesting clouds above Mont Etna
Waypoints or Spotlight
Waypoint is so powerful that for many years was reserved for the flagship model of DJI line
Here you can see a series of moves made with no more than three points that can also be achieved using Spotlight. Some may ask why should we choose to use Waypoint. Well, there are two main advantages
The first one is to repeat the same mission in different conditions, with other exposure values or color profiles, in other seasons, or when the missions has to be repeated several times, like in the case of a sports event or for a building site
The other reason to use Waypoint is that a mission can be fine-tuned by modifying the parameters for each point until we reach the perfect flawless move
It can also be used to perform a dolly zoom. The Gimbal Roll is a new feature for DJI lightweight models and can be applied to a Waypoint mission
Using More Points
On rare occasions, we may need missions with more points, for example, to follow the progress of a building site or to track a sports event
In this case, I want to follow this narrow road with a top-down view for a cycling event, to repeat the same route for different competitors
I enter Waypoint mode and position the camera with a bird’s-eye view over the path to set the first point
Then I set a point about 20 meters before each turn, another one at the turn, and a third one 20 meters after to achieve a smoother transition. I do the same for each twist of the road. After three turns and eleven points, I can save the mission
In the resulting clip, the transition at the turns is very smooth, but I would like to increase the speed. I would also prefer a closer view, but I cannot lower the aircraft’s altitude due to surrounding obstacles
A new feature of the Mini 5 Pro is the Med Tele mode, for a 2x zoom with limited loss of resolution. It can be applied to a Waypoint mission. I tap the first point, select the zoom icon, and increase the value to 2x. I can then apply the same zoom value to all the points forming the mission
Finally, I increase the overall speed of the mission. Now I am happy with the result and I can wait for the competitors to arrive