A little Phantom footage goes a long way

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Been flying the Phantom for about a month now. First use in a "real" project and thought it added a lot of production value.

No FPV and not yet convinced I need the distraction. Please convince me.

http://youtu.be/nrGYkaiOSGw
 
Aside from the great cause and production aspects of your post, I'll talk about FPV. I belong to a RC club where we have quad & airplane FPV flyers. Besides fixed wing, I have a P2, r3-3d, GoPro and Fat Shark. My interest in quads is compelling video. NOW, I am still working on the best way to 'manage' my shots. ie, what is the camera seeing. Of course, the closer to your subject the more critical it is to be on target. As of today, I use a partner who looks through the FPV goggles and tells me what to do with the airframe and the camera tilt. I find it very hard to fly with just the gogs and taking them off & on is a problem because wear glasses. (3 things to deal along with my radio. The other day I dropped the radio spilling the batteries. Thx auto home!) I have tried 2 different monitors & neither are visible in sunlight. (Thus my apprehension with the Vision line.) A number of us are working at various stages of approaches and processes to find the most efficient way to manage aerial shots and still keep our gear returning to safety. I have not lost a P2 yet but have had some unexpected things happen at the field and thankfully not over water or unrecoverable terrain. I always practice new procedures and gear at the field where we have plenty of flat open ground. Hope this helps.
 
Nice video. Also a wonderful cause! Thanks for sharing.
 
Thanks for everyone's encouragement and thanks to this forum for schooling me on the Phantom. Phantom University (PU)!

bschaub, great perspective. Exactly my concerns with FPV. You are spot on using a partner wearing goggles to call camera composition. Safety AND quality control. I'm mostly a solo crew, so the goggle option is not going to work for me. Up until now I was leaning toward a monitor, but the issues you pointed out are giving me second thoughts. No monitor can compete with the sun.

So for now (this week anyway ;)), I'll continue to go with my instincts, get plenty of coverage and hope for the best. The bird and gimbal perform so well it's tough to get it wrong (unless I forget the gimbal is pointing straight down, or there's too much sun in the lens, or....).

Off to the cemetery to test my low altitude and obstacle flying skills!
 
Finally... At last... a video that really, really engages the viewer and tells a story. I actually forgot that much of the footage came from a Phantom and that's the way a film is meant to be. WELL DONE. It was also heart warming to know that the casualties of war earn respect for their sacrifice.
 
Speaking for myself only, as a photographer... 1, FPV helps me frame shots. End of story. 2, in situations where I've gotten a bit disoriented in a tight spot, it's a quick reference to getting myself turned around and oriented. And 3rd, and possibly most important to me... The iOS mini gives me the information I really need, like distance, elevation,speed, and where I am on the ground. It's the little things that have made me feel safer about flying. And it helps me keep an eye on battery level (so I know if I can go over there, and be able to make it back, etc), signal strength and if I remembered to press "record" on the camera. Lol. That HUD is the handiest thing, IMO.

I'd invest in FPV, personally. But... Just my opinion. :)
 
As for the "needing FPV". Im new to FPV as i have only had it a few weeks. but i have to say it ABSOLUTELY has helped me with videoing stuff. I went from getting maybe 5-6 GOOD 10 second shots per battery. To getting at least a good 4-5 min of video per battery. It is night and day difference. I know exactly what im shooting and how i need to fly to make it smooth. If i need to fly faster or slower....If i need to do a sideways slide shot. It leaves no questions while filming.
 
^^ This.
 
Very compelling arguments to consider FPV, chuddly and ThatRobbGuy (what is HUD?)! Yes, orientation is an issue when the Phantom gets a couple of hundred feet away. Maybe the wife will hold an umbrella for shading the screen on bright days ;).

Looking into an ImmersionRC 600mw Tx (if I can find it in stock somewhere), Black Pearl Rx/monitor, cloverleaf antennas and iOS mini. Cost is not a major concern but mounting everything possible internally on the Phantom is appealing. Also trying to keep the total weight down. Learning a lot from the FPV thread but would love to hear opinions from like-minded creatives about this set-up.

Fair Game, thanks for your kind words! For most working projects I do, Phantom footage will be more icing on the cake rather than the main attraction. Another (revolutionary IMHO) tool in my kit to help drive the story. Personal projects, however, are a different story! Lots of all-Phantom footage projects rolling around in my head since I got this thing. Can't make it stop. Would therapy help? :)
 
HUD: Head Up Display. Puts your telemetry on a screen in front of your eyes so you can see your data as you're flying. No glancing to a different screen.
 

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