Flying at night
- Thread starter nate1911a1
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Yip im a nite owl,get some strobes to help with los(line of site)or if it gets lost,just like daytime really no silly buggers watch out for unlit trees and powerlines and other aircraft and the odd night birds.awsome pics and vids flying in sunset hours,(not here it winter),have fun
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I would not fly at night in an area you haven't had the chance to explore during the day: too many structures and obstacles you won't be able to see in the dark. Powerlines in particular become almost invisible, and even if you see them against the sky, you won't know how close/far they are.
Having said that, flying at night is beautiful and not any different or more difficult than flying with daylight. The LEDs of the P3S do an excellent job for orientation, I never felt the need for something more.
Just be aware that the P3S's camera sensor gets VERY noisy at high ISO:
- for still shots, suggestion is to go manual and increase shutter speed in order to keep the ISO low. On a calm night, P3S is so stable that you can take decent shots even with 1-2s shutter speed. I've seen people pushing it even higher, but images start to get blurry. Always take a few shots from each position, so you can pick the best one.
- for videos, it's a bit of a lost battle. Shoot at 2.7k and 24fps: resizing to 1080p will reduce a bit the ISO noise, and 24fps will allow for slower shutter speed. If you're flying over an illuminated area, you can try going manual and set the ISO to 1600 (if I recall correctly the max is 3200, but don't quote me as I'm not near my P3S to check). Fly very smoothly, with large and controlled turns, and avoid panning altogether.
Lastly, you might want to use a lens hood or turn off the front LEDs (from DJI GO) as they cause a red halo to be visible in the photos/videos, especially when the camera is level.
Having said that, flying at night is beautiful and not any different or more difficult than flying with daylight. The LEDs of the P3S do an excellent job for orientation, I never felt the need for something more.
Just be aware that the P3S's camera sensor gets VERY noisy at high ISO:
- for still shots, suggestion is to go manual and increase shutter speed in order to keep the ISO low. On a calm night, P3S is so stable that you can take decent shots even with 1-2s shutter speed. I've seen people pushing it even higher, but images start to get blurry. Always take a few shots from each position, so you can pick the best one.
- for videos, it's a bit of a lost battle. Shoot at 2.7k and 24fps: resizing to 1080p will reduce a bit the ISO noise, and 24fps will allow for slower shutter speed. If you're flying over an illuminated area, you can try going manual and set the ISO to 1600 (if I recall correctly the max is 3200, but don't quote me as I'm not near my P3S to check). Fly very smoothly, with large and controlled turns, and avoid panning altogether.
Lastly, you might want to use a lens hood or turn off the front LEDs (from DJI GO) as they cause a red halo to be visible in the photos/videos, especially when the camera is level.
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I really enjoy night flights. Went up approx. 350' the night of July 4 and took some pretty cool fireworks pics.
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Not true, check the FAA Guidelines for recreational use, there's no mention to night flying being prohibited. And even for commercial operators (Part 107), it's not illegal... I believe they simply need a waiver.
Under part 107, I can fly for 30 min before sunrise and for 30 min after sunset with appropriate anticollision lighting. Later does require a waiver and several have been approved. Hobby fliers have no restrictions here in the US.
I'm going to give this a go the next baseball game with fireworks!!!
Before someone asks....No, not over the stadium!! I live about 2 miles from the minor league stadium.
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