AEB or not AEB

Ok daft question of the day time!

Can you use the AEB function on the mini 2 to take photos of a fast moving object like a train/car or would it not work due to the objects movement between each individual shot. It’s not something i ve tried. Only asking as I may have a chance to TRY to get some photos of the Flying Scotsman up here in Cumbria at the weekend. Sorry for showing my ignorance here!

I think this might the answer:

But I might be wrong… Interested to hear what others say.

Don’t forget Chris, you can record video at 30 frames per second, maybe film it and then pic a frame to use as a picture?

You could try this on random/normal trains in advance.

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This could be one of the shortest threads here if I have answered my own question :man_facepalming:. The Scotsman is traveling up the Settle to Carlisle line on Saturday and then over to Newcastle before heading down to Darlington.

You won’t be able to blend multiple exposures successfully if the subject is moving.
But you also only need to use AEB if you think the subject will have a high dynamic range.
Where AEB can be useful when shooting moving subjects is providing different exposures quickly so there’s more chance of one of the images being correctly exposed. Although if you’re shooting RAW there’s less benefit.

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Need to be close though as the cropping possibilities are low , at 4K the photo resolution is only 3480x2160

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Thanks @rhossydd. That makes sense, mate. I think shooting in RAW is probably the way to go if not shooting in video. :+1:

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Tempted to try shooting in 4k video but not sure how close I would need to get as @milkmanchris mentioned. Also my tracking skills to follow a moving object are not that great yet! Would love to capture it over the Ribblehead viaduct though but thats a bit of a trek for me for a Saturday afternoon.

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The Ribblehead Viaduct has been on my “to visit” list for a while, very tempted to take a drive up there tomorrow lunchtime now I know this. :+1:

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do it take a trip its a fantastic place for flying

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If the Scotsman is going over it, it will be rammed with train spotters and photographers, don’t be surprised to find some Karen & Kevin drone police folk, so be prepared for that, and i guess, just be at an position that isn’t going to spoil other people’s pictures from the land.

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I’ll scout the area on Google Maps, see if I can get a bit further away from the madding crowds and fly down towards it.

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I have only been there once myself. If I wasn’t so far away I would be tempted too. Just check the timings, mate. I know it going to be in Carlisle from
2pm to 4pm before leaving for Newcastle. :+1:

Obviously, to merge the images for HDR, the extent of the problem depends on the linear speed of the train across the frame (in term of pixels) - the slower the better - and the time between the first and last pic.

  • the slower the train the better … obviously
  • closer = faster, further away = slower

That leaves the time between first and last pic, and this had me thinking … does shutter speed impact this?

Quick set up at home - one indoors one out - watch with a sweep second hand (1/5sec ticks) - and what I discovered is that this just doesn’t make a jot of difference. Both versions have about a 2 sec time difference between 1st and 5th. (Mavic Pro).

Bright - outdoors - base exposure - ISO:100 f/2.2 1/1400sec

Pic 1
DJI_0130

Pic 5
DJI_0134

Indoors - dim light - base exposure : ISO:160 f/2.2 1/13sec

Pic 1
DJI_0121

Pic 5
DJI_0125

The above timing was when capturing both jpeg and RAW. If I had the patience, I’d try again with just RAW … but whilst it may be quicker (I actually doubt it), I doubt it would be quick enough to get it below 1 sec.

The above were from RAW - no processing other than crop.

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Interesting little experiment. I didn’t realise it took as long as 2 seconds for the 3/5 photos in AEB to be taken, irrelevant of the shutter speed. It doesn’t sound like much but i guess it would be enough to make merging the photos impossible on something like a fast moving steam train! I think I,ll play it safe and go for single shots in RAW (or possibly 4K video). Even then my photography skills are not the best but I,'ll give it go assuming I can get there!

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There’s two steam timed to go through Settle today

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I’m so lucky to only live 15mins away from Ribblehead viaduct and went up there the other week having had my mini for only a week. I managed to put this together from my visit.

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I’m hoping to get across to my local heritage railway weather permitting during a couple days of annual leave this week to practise capturing some steam trains so fingers crossed I’ll have some lessons learned as I seriously doubt on my first attempt I’ll have much of any decent footage/photos but I may surprise myself.

Please keep posts on topic, which in this case is about the use of AEB.

Thanks

The “Braunton” steam train came through here a couple of weeks ago so put the Mini 2 up.

:point_up:

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