A DJI drone camera that shows a black, white or odd-looking image is usually not broken. A black view is most often a lens cover, gimbal protector or lost video link. A white view is overexposure from manual camera settings in bright light. Stripes are DJI Fly's overexposure warning. Remove anything over the lens, set exposure to Auto, reset the camera settings in DJI Fly, and restart. If the image is still wrong, it's a camera fault for DJI.
Black camera view
- Something over the lens. DJI lists the lens cap, an ND filter and the gimbal protector as causes of a dark or black image.
- No video signal. If the screen is black and DJI Fly shows no image transmission, the problem is the link, not the camera. See DJI no image transmission signal.
- Dark scene. DJI Fly may warn that ambient light is too low.
Why is my drone camera white?
That's overexposure. DJI explains that shooting toward bright sun, or starting in dim light and then flying into bright light with manual settings, lets in too much light. Switch the camera to Auto exposure, or lower ISO and shutter time. If you shoot manual video in daylight, an ND filter helps. DJI Fly's Overexposure Warning draws black and white zebra stripes on bright areas; they don't appear in the footage. Turn them off under ··· > Camera > Overexposure Warning.
Sideways, tilted or upside-down image
- Vertical mode. The Mini 3 and Mini 4 Pro physically rotate the camera 90° for True Vertical Shooting. Switch back to landscape in the camera view.
- Gimbal out of position. After a knock or a startup on uneven ground, the gimbal can sit at the wrong angle. Restart on flat ground and run ··· > Control > Gimbal Calibration > Auto. See DJI gimbal not level.
- Gimbal stuck. A gimbal protector left on at power-on causes "gimbal stuck" warnings. See gimbal motor overloaded.
Camera won't take photos or record
DJI's help center gives three causes: an incompatible or faulty microSD card, camera settings that block capture, or a camera fault. Format the card in DJI Fly (after saving your files), try another card from DJI's recommended list, and reset camera settings under ··· > Camera > Reset Camera Settings. Details are in DJI drone not reading the SD card.
Model notes
- DJI Neo and Flip: these connect to your phone over Wi-Fi in app mode. A frozen or black view often clears by closing DJI Fly and reconnecting. Both have a minimum focus distance (0.6 m on the Neo, 1 m on the Flip, per DJI), so a subject held very close looks soft.
- DJI Mini 3: focus is 1 m to infinity. Remove the gimbal protector before power-on.
- DJI Air 3: it has two cameras. If one view looks wrong, switch cameras in DJI Fly to see whether only one is affected, and note which for DJI support.
- DJI Avata 2: check the camera view in the goggles, and run gimbal calibration from the goggles menu.
Odd colors
DJI lists firmware errors, camera settings, a phone that can't decode the video correctly, and camera damage. Update the firmware, reset the camera settings, and play the original file from the microSD card on a computer. If it looks normal there, the issue is your phone.
When it needs repair
If the image is still black, white, striped or tinted after these steps, or the problem began after a crash, read DJI camera or lens error and start a repair.
Related guides
- DJI QuickTransfer not working: fixes
- DJI Return to Home not working: settings to check
- DJI Flip QuickTransfer not working: fixes
- DJI Mic 2 receiver output not working (no audio to camera or phone)
- DJI Mic Mini not working with the iPhone Camera app? Here's why
- DJI Mini 3 QuickTransfer not working: fixes
Not sure which to pick?
Tell us what you'll fly and your budget. One of our drone pilots will reply with a recommendation.
Buying drones for a business, agency or store? Get wholesale pricing →
