Focus Guide Walkthrough for the DJI Mavics, Phantoms and Inspire Drones

In this tutorial I show you all the various focusing settings and options inside the DJI Go app.

I also want to share with you how I nail focus every single time.

Check out my video tutorial up above or read all about how to do it down below.

If you have ever gotten soft footage, or you have had trouble setting focus, or maybe if you have struggled understanding the different focus modes, then this tutorial is for you.

 

In this drone tutorial you’ll learn the answers to the following questions:

  • What is the difference between the various focus modes: AF, M, and AFC inside the DJI Go app?
  • What is autofocus continuous, or AFC?
  • When should you use autofocus continuous?
  • What are some DJI camera drone focusing tips?
  • How to stop getting soft looking drone footage?
  • How to use the various focus modes inside the DJI go app?

 

So let’ get started.

AUTO FOCUS (AF)

The first way you can focus is using the default autofocus or AF setting.

The AF works just like the focus on a smart phone’s camera where you tap on something and it automatically focuses to the proper focal length.

If you have the volume turned up on your smart device, you will hear a beep which lets you know focus has been set.

One tip I like to recommend is setting your custom button one to always center focus.

To do this, go to the main menu by click on the three little dots on the top right-hand side of the screen.

Then go to the controller, there you will see C1.

I set center focus for the C1 button because it’s on the same side as my shutter button.

This means whenever I click the C1 button, whatever I am pointing the center of the camera at, that will come into focus.

This is why I always like to have the grid lines on, or the center point enabled.

You can set both of those by going to the camera settings menu on the right-hand side of your screen, just below the record shutter button.

It’s important to know that in AF mode, your focus can slip or it can change from an accidental tap.

To prevent this, you can walk and hold the focus by either switching to the exposure setting, or switching to the manual focus setting.

 

MANUAL FOCUS (M)

The next focusing option is manual focus or MF.

I like to use this when recording video, because it locks and holds the focus, ensuring my focus won’t slip or change automatically, or even by accident.

You can enter manual focus mode by clicking on the AF MF setting.

Once doing that, your setting square will turn to white and say MF.

To the right you will now see a little option pop up that will now scroll to focus.

This is represented by a flower that refers to the micro mode for shooting objects that are closer to the camera.

Then down below the infinity mode for objects that are off in the distance.

All you need to do is scroll with your finger until your subject is in focus.

One feature I like to turn on to help me with focusing is focus peaking threshold.

You can find focus peaking threshold by going to the camera setting menu, and then the gear icon.

I tend to keep mine at the high setting because it is more strict with what it thinks is in focus, and it’s less distracting.

Once you turn this feature on, your display will show red fringed lines around objects.

This really just serves as a visual indicator for what the camera thinks is in focus.

This doesn’t always work perfectly, but it can definitely help you figure out what is in focus if you have a small screen, or you have outside glare, or even if you are shooting in low light.

Don’t worry, those red lines won’t show up on your footage.

Now when you are in manual focus mode, I can’t tell you exactly what to scroll too, because this is all going to depend on how far away you are from your subject.

But finding a setting closer to the micro option is great for things that are close by. Setting your focus closer to the infinity option is great for subjects that are far away.

One tip to help you get more familiar with the scroll to focus option, is you can switch your drone to auto focus mode, then tap on your subject, then click back over to manual focus to see where the dial is, which means that is what the focus is set to.

 

AUTO FOCUS CONTINUOUS (AFC)

The last focusing option is autofocus continuous, or AFC.

To turn on this option, you need to go to the camera settings menu, then switch it on where it says, enable AFC mode.

AFC tries to make sure that the camera is continuously in focus.

Basically the camera will keep refocusing on the center automatically, so you don’t have to remember to keep tapping to focus.

AFC can be really helpful for beginners who are overwhelmed with all the focus settings, or who don’t want to constantly remember to tap to focus, or lock focus.

AFC can also be great for those who just want to snap photos, but it is important to remember that focus slipping issues can arise when you are recording video in this mode.

 

In closing…

Take the time to really understand the difference between shooting in auto mode, manual mode and autofocus continuous. There is nothing more frustrating than staring at your small little screen when you are out shooting only to find when you offload the footage onto your computer that you have soft looking footage or focusing issues.

Spending the time now to truly understand what is best and why will only help you to master focus when you are out flying trying to capture epic imagery.

 

Let’s connect!

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Also if you’d like to help this website grow, I would be grateful if you considered using my DJI, Amazon, or Adorama links whenever you do any online shopping. I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much in advance for your support in this way!

 


 

ABOUT AUTHOR
Dirk Dallas bio photo From Where I DroneDirk Dallas, also known online as @dirka, is the founder and curator of From Where I Drone, a website dedicated to inspiring and teaching drone pilots how to create better aerial photos and videos.

 

 


 

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