Here’s some early footage of the Nopah Range when I first got my drone. It’s too dark but forget about that for now.

The real problem is how the video deteriorates during quick movement and the way it shudders and stalls, especially at full screen. That’s not due to compression. I just realized this is the same problem I had when I got my camcorder. The problem is a slow media card.

Just like the Cannon, the ability to write data quickly to a card is the key to smoother motion. Any card will do for static photos, but you need a card that can write quickly to handle incoming video. Just too much data at once and continuously for a slow card to handle.

It’s often not capacity when it comes to a card, it’s how fast it can write. Don’t stick with a cheap memory card.

My Dji drone uses a micro SD card. They are smaller and don’t write as quickly as bigger cards. Top write speed seems to be 90 mbs compared to the card in my Canon which may be able to do 270 to 300. No matter.

The drone is only recording at 720p, not 4K. I just ordered a $40 micro sd card which should dramatically improve video card compared to the drone’s original card, a card selling on Amazon for eight bucks.

I may have just solved the fundamental problem I have had with my drone with a simple upgrade. Just like the Cannon.

If you want to see what the results are like with a faster card, look at this page.(internal link) This video of zooming in and out of a distant helicopter could never have been done with a slow speed memory card. There is also a better, longer discussion on that page about the speed of a memory card.

The new card improved my Cannon with a single purchase although I think that card cost a little over $200. The original card bought at the time of the camera also suffered from terrible video during motion, just as my drone does now. We’ll see what happens when I install the new card. I’m sure it will put new life into my old drone.

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