Do DJI’s existing camera lenses work with the Zenmuse P1 sensor?
Which lenses work with the Zenmuse P1?
** 2023 Update - DJI has pushed a firmware update to the P1 this year that supports the use of the 24mm DL F2.8 LS ASPH Lens. We recommend the 24mm lens to any surveyor looking to get the most efficient workflow from the M300/350 and P1 sensor.
Short answer: The lens must have “DJI Enterprise” engraved on the side to deliver survey-grade accuracy with the Zenmuse P1 and M300 RTK.
DJI has two “variants” of each of their camera lenses that are almost impossible to distinguish from one another. The “X7 variant” and the “P1 variant.” DJI initially designed the older X7 variant to be used with the X7 camera body. While it functions appropriately with the P1 sensor in almost every way, it has some issues with camera calibration and shutter timing, preventing it from producing the survey-grade accuracy that we demand from our hardware. Therefore, surveyors should avoid it. The newer P1 variants address these issues. However, it is not yet available in 24mm or 50mm focal lengths. Aerotas is very excited about the 24mm lens for the P1 and M300 RTK because it will allow you to cover considerably more land without sacrificing accuracy.
What lenses work with the DJI P1 sensor?
According to DJI: The P1 currently supports three industry-specific lenses. The lenses of the P1 are optimized for surveying and mapping scenarios, including optical parameter writing, lens performance recording, and reminders. Lenses with other DL mounts can take photos and videos manually when installed on the Zenmuse P1 camera but cannot support surveying and mapping. DJI states that “The P1 supports 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses with industry-specific DL mounts. Only use lenses engraved with the "DJI Enterprise" logo to produce survey-grade accurate results.”
What does that mean?
Even though DJI already makes DJI branded and manufactured DL mount lenses (DJI DL F2.8 LS ASPH Lens), these lenses are not designed explicitly for the P1. We refer to these lenses as the “X7 Variant” because DJI originally created them for the DJI X7 camera body, which is compatible with the Inspire 2 or M200 Series V2 aircraft. These X7 variant lenses can attach and interact with the P1 camera. However, because of some nuances in the shutter timing, it cannot produce survey-quality results.
So there are two versions of the same lens?
Yes. And we agree that this is really strange and confusing. The P1 variant has “DJI Enterprise” engraved on the side of the lens, while the X7 variant simply has nothing in that area. The two lenses are otherwise identical and even share the exact same name and description (i.e., DJI DL 24mm F2.8 LS ASPH Lens). Currently, DJI sells X7 variants of all three lens focal lengths (24mm, 35mm, 50mm), but they only have the 35mm focal length of the P1 variant available. There is not a firm ship date for the 24mm and 50mm focal length P1 variants.
The lens on the left is a P1 variant of the 35mm lens. The only distinguishing factor is the “DJI Enterprise” logo. The lens on the right is an X7 variant and will not produce survey-grade accuracy.
P1 Variant / DJI Enterprise Lenses
24mm (not yet available for purchase)
35mm (comes with the P1 and available now)
50mm (not yet available for purchase)
X7 Variant / Zenmuse X7 Lenses
Available now for use with the X7 Camera and Inspire 2 or M200 Series V2. These lenses will not produce survey-grade accuracy with the P1 and M300 RTK. See the Zenmuse X7 Lens Set.
16mm (available now)
24mm (available now)
35mm (available now)
50mm (available now)
Does the X7 variant work with the P1 sensor?
No, at least not for surveying purposes. The lens will fit onto the camera body, and the camera will be able to take pictures and can even run a complete autopilot mission. The drone will even appropriately calculate the flight pattern’s overlap based on the new focal length of the 24mm lens. However, in processing the images, a skilled photogrammetrist would be able to notice the distortion in the images and offsets caused by imperfect timing between RTK geotags and image geolocation.
So how much error would I see if I used the X7 variant?
When processing images with the X7 variant of the 24mm lens, we noticed up to 0.5’ of error, while the P1 variant of the 35mm lens was showing 0.1’ error. The total accuracy of the X7 variant of the 24mm lens was below that of a Phantom 4 RTK and produced much lower quality survey results than expected.
Should I buy the X7 variant or wait for the P1 variant of the lens?
You should NOT purchase the X7 variant of the DJI lenses for the P1 sensor. Our recommendation is to only buy lenses or sensors from trained and educated hardware resellers as the incredibly confusing naming conventions and labeling can easily lead to confusion and shipping the wrong product.
If you would like to discuss the P1 and M300 RTK, Aerotas is here to help. Please contact us for pricing or with any questions you have.
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Contact us anytime at (949) 335-4323, or support@aerotas.com