Optimal setup

[Claus Frederiksen]

Hi guys,

Quickly - what do you do to get an optimal setup and stable flight? Ex. props balancing, the new gyro for Hero 2/3 (... anyone has a link to where to actually get it). Stabilising software in the edit etc.

Personally I find that putting a small pice of ND filter in front of the Hero 2 lens in the Go Pro house, helps A LOT on jello/rolling shutter. They come in 3 types: 03, 06 and 09. 09 Is hard - but necessary on a sunny day.

But I would REALY like to know where to get the gyro for the DJI and Hero 2.

 

[Adam]

Hi guys,

Quickly - what do you do to get an optimal setup and stable flight? Ex. props balancing, the new gyro for Hero 2/3 (... anyone has a link to where to actually get it). Stabilising software in the edit etc.

Personally I find that putting a small pice of ND filter in front of the Hero 2 lens in the Go Pro house, helps A LOT on jello/rolling shutter. They come in 3 types: 03, 06 and 09. 09 Is hard - but necessary on a sunny day.

But I would REALY like to know where to get the gyro for the DJI and Hero 2.

Hey Claus,

If you are referring to the new DJI Zenmuse Direct Drive Camera Gimbal for GoPro, DJI hasn't released any details yet. I have a feeling we will hear something next week from the NAB Trade Show in Las Vegas. I will post details here as soon as I get them. An earlier post by DJI stated that the 2-axis would be available in April and the 3-Axis later this summer.

As far as stable flight it sounds like you are on the right track already - balance props, software (Mercalli is popular, both as a standalone program and as a Plug-In for certain video editors), but it seems a camera mount is really key. There are a number of solutions, from sorbothane to Wire Rope Isolation (NoMoJello.com)

I haven't used an ND filter but the results on YouTube look excellent.

 

[Claus Frederiksen]

Adam,

That's very good advise - and very nice info. Thanks...

 

[Claus Frederiksen]

Still struggling...

The DJI Phantom it self, is very much "alive" when flying! Very shaky and unstable video :| - I have seen some "out of the box" and fly, videos on YouTube etc. And they look stunning. Why is it, that I cant get that? What am I doing wrong?

I have brand new Gaupner props, "nomorejello" mount etc. It helps, but not like "out of the box" and fly videos

 

[pwright]

The DJI Phantom it self, is very much "alive" when flying! Very shaky and unstable video :| - I have seen some "out of the box" and fly, videos on YouTube etc. And they look stunning. Why is it, that I cant get that? What am I doing wrong?

Then you have something seriously out of balance. Buying Graupner props does not guarantee balance. Have you checked them? What about the motors?

As a simple test, go out with your Phantom and start it up. Before you take off, stand over it looking down while bringing up the throttle slowly and watch the arms. Try different throttle positions but be careful not to launch it into your face. Is one or more of them wobbling/vibrating? With an out of balance prop you can see the arms flexing just like an out of balance tire on a car can be seen to move up and down when driving next to it.

You can take the props off and do it again to see if one of the motors is way out of balance but that you don't have to do outside.

 

[FangsCPO]

Still struggling...

The DJI Phantom it self, is very much "alive" when flying! Very shaky and unstable video :| - I have seen some "out of the box" and fly, videos on YouTube etc. And they look stunning. Why is it, that I cant get that? What am I doing wrong?

I have brand new Gaupner props, "nomorejello" mount etc. It helps, but not like "out of the box" and fly videos

Take your props off and get her started on a table. If you can give it full throttle and it stays right where you placed it, then your motors a good to go. If the motors were off balance, the vibrations would make the phantom vibrate right off the table. Also keep in mind that when you fly in GPS mode, the GPS is constantly making adjustments so that will also cause a shaky video. Don't let it get to you. As someone posted previously, the Phantom is not for professional looking videos. Some of those videos have been processed through some very expensive software to make them look really good. Also, some of these guys are really great pilots with steady hands. It just takes practice. Good Luck!

 

[Perfdavid]

Still struggling...

The DJI Phantom it self, is very much "alive" when flying! Very shaky and unstable video :| - I have seen some "out of the box" and fly, videos on YouTube etc. And they look stunning. Why is it, that I cant get that? What am I doing wrong?

I have brand new Gaupner props, "nomorejello" mount etc. It helps, but not like "out of the box" and fly

. Also keep in mind that when you fly in GPS mode, the GPS is constantly making adjustments so that will also cause a shaky video. Don't let it get to you. As someone posted previously, the Phantom is not for professional looking videos. Some of those videos have been processed through some very expensive software to make them look really good. Also, some of these guys are really great pilots with steady hands. It just takes practice. Good Luck!

I could not agree more with Fangs. Trial, error, and lots o' practice.
A lot of what you see is post production. I use iMovie but some of the awesome vids are using final cut. They are stabilizing the video, reducing the real time speed to give it a more dramatic effect, etc.

You will find that your answer is in the form of a blend of all of these complimenting each other.