Post by clipper453 on Oct 18, 2007 8:41:40 GMT 1
Hi guys,
As you may have seen in some of my other posts, I am using a standard ultra-compact digital camera, the Sony DSC-P100, for my aerial videos.
www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sony/sony_dscp100.asp
The nice thing about it is that it takes high quality 640 x 480 video at 30 fps. (The compression it goes through when uploading to YouTube doesn't do it justice.) Also, with a 1 GB memory stick installed, the camera has more video capacity than I can stay in the air with my SC. The camera weighs 6.3 oz (180 grams), but the SC flies fine with an 8-cell battery installed. I've even been able to do loops with the camera installed, which you can see in the video below:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g84_9Ssp3oc
Below are pics of my camera setup. It essentially consists of 4 zip-ties. Two of the zip-ties are connected together, in order to be able to wrap around the entire fuselage (one long zip-tie could replace the two). I wrap those two ties around the fuselage at the approximate center of gravity. Then I just mount the camera upside-down to the bottom of the plane using two more zip-ties, which are routed through the first set of zip-ties. I mount the camera upside-down so that I have access to the camera controls, then I just rotate the video 180 degrees in Adobe Premiere Elements.
In my mind, here are the pros and cons of this set up:
Pros:
Cons:
In conclusion, it's not an ideal set-up, but it does the trick for me. If you've got a similar digital camera lying around that you don't mind using as a sacrificial lamb, it might just work out for you.
Going forward, I would like to find a way to use the X-Port control to trigger the shutter on the camera so that I can take aerial photographs in addition to video. (Anyone got any suggestions on how to do that?)
- Clipper453
As you may have seen in some of my other posts, I am using a standard ultra-compact digital camera, the Sony DSC-P100, for my aerial videos.
www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sony/sony_dscp100.asp
The nice thing about it is that it takes high quality 640 x 480 video at 30 fps. (The compression it goes through when uploading to YouTube doesn't do it justice.) Also, with a 1 GB memory stick installed, the camera has more video capacity than I can stay in the air with my SC. The camera weighs 6.3 oz (180 grams), but the SC flies fine with an 8-cell battery installed. I've even been able to do loops with the camera installed, which you can see in the video below:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g84_9Ssp3oc
Below are pics of my camera setup. It essentially consists of 4 zip-ties. Two of the zip-ties are connected together, in order to be able to wrap around the entire fuselage (one long zip-tie could replace the two). I wrap those two ties around the fuselage at the approximate center of gravity. Then I just mount the camera upside-down to the bottom of the plane using two more zip-ties, which are routed through the first set of zip-ties. I mount the camera upside-down so that I have access to the camera controls, then I just rotate the video 180 degrees in Adobe Premiere Elements.
In my mind, here are the pros and cons of this set up:
Pros:
- Excellent video quality (640 x 480 @ 30 fps)
- Simple attachment method (zip ties)
- Inexpensive if you already have a similar camera lying around (I had just upgraded to a Canon SD850IS, so I was no longer using the Sony).
Cons:
- Adds significant weight and drag to the plane.
- Must use an 8-cell battery and run at higher throttle than usual.
- Camera more fragile than other flash-based models (although mine has been through several hard landings and one severe crash without any ill-effects).
In conclusion, it's not an ideal set-up, but it does the trick for me. If you've got a similar digital camera lying around that you don't mind using as a sacrificial lamb, it might just work out for you.
Going forward, I would like to find a way to use the X-Port control to trigger the shutter on the camera so that I can take aerial photographs in addition to video. (Anyone got any suggestions on how to do that?)
- Clipper453
