Multirotors - HD Camera Options

Doing some research for a few months, it looks like GoPros are the intro HD video camera for multirotors. For about $750 you can get a decent gimbal and GoPro setup.

Now it seems like a lot of people complain about the wide angle of the GoPros for amateur cinema use, and I personally agree. So I've been looking at other popular setups.

The Sony NEX models seem like the next best bet. For about $1500 you can get a decent gimbal / camera setup that allows for interchangeable lenses. This seems to be really popular, but other than cost I don't understand why, since Canon and Nikon are much more popular for amateur cinematography.

So when I look for a gimbal for my Canon 5D Mark III, they start at $3k for anything worth while. Huh?! Why so much?

So what I'm getting to, and the discussion I'm attempting to widely provoke, is why Sony NEX instead of Canon / Nikon? Or am I just looking in the wrong spots for Canon 5D Gimbals? I'd love to have a more professional look than the GoPro, but I'd much rather use my Canon setup than buy an entire Sony
 

tombrown1

Member
A hacked Mark iii is miles ahead of the nex. Bmpcc, gh3, and mark iii are all great choices. Zenmuse for miii is cheaper than 3k right?
 

I agree, the Mark III is a much better camera. But handheld 2 to 3 axis gimbals for the Mark III are about $2k, and all the gimbals I can find for multirotors are about $3200-$5k.

If you know of any decent gimbals for the Mark III under $1k I would love to hear about it!
 

RotoTwit

Member
There is currently a 'fire sale' on the Canon EOS M (APS-C sensor same as NEX), about $300-350 with a lens. (It is essentially a Rebel T5i/650D but small & mirrorless like NEX)

It and the 22mm lens (smallest lens) weigh about 1lb or .5kg.

I have EOS M/22mm and run Magic Lantern (Canon enhancement) which enables 2 things that are nice, 1. can increase the bit rate to give better H.264 HD video (depends on card speed - I get up to 130mbps - 3x more than std - seems smoother) 2. Can do a sensor crop (uses the center part of sensor-still Full HD) which gives smoother video, little/no aliasing and moire, but it does a 3.5x crop (ie 22mm lens = 60-80mm lens - not so wide anymore)

The gimbals are weight so the smaller the cam, the smaller the gimbal needed, weight is everything!

Magic Lantern (ML) also works VERY well on Canon 5DIII (ML originally developed for it), and many other Canons. 5DIII also has RAW capability via ML, and is very good pro level video! Lots of post processing though!!

Maybe the preferred Nikon is the '1' system, it has good video, has a smaller 1" sensor (same as Sony RX100/RX10), and are smaller cams - several models 1J, 1V, etc. The other very good video cam is the D5200.

Sony is known for good video but as others say the BMPCC/GH3/5DIII are the top video cams, but ALL are heavier than the EOS M (except BMPCC), or Nikon '1' system cams.

It takes a very large/strong expensive copter to carry a 5DIII, easily a $3-4k copter unless self built, but a pro level result!

Good Luck!
 


RotoTwit

Member
That sounds like a great solution! Any gimbals you could recommend for the Canon EOS M?

I believe anything that a NEX could fit would work. EOS M is 4.3x2.6x1.3 inch size, 10.5 oz no lens but battery/etc.

There seems to be lots, but use care that you get a complete sys not parts, but 2 axis are quite a bit cheaper/lighter than 3 axis. Which means you have to choose before take off the angle of cam but with FPV would not be too much of an issue probably - just fly well or return and change angle! 3axis also means more elec control/telemetry. $ no object get 3-axis. Or buy 3axis but only use 2 until need arises. Simple is nice. You need a gimbal that fits the copter frame too, non trivial!

Just an example gimbal:

http://xaircraftamerica.com/collections/xaircraft-accessories/products/xaircraft-2-axis-gimbal $259

2/3 axis for 5DIII is $500+.

http://www.foxtechfpv.com/tarot-5d2-gimbal-p-965.html

See the diff mounting?

Personally I think a velcro 'attachment' sys is best rather than a 'hard' setup (plastic/metal brackets) since you may want to try multiple cams, many gimbals have hard frames for HDPro so somewhat limiting w/o mods their usefulness.
Also a zoom lens may need to be velcroed to hold position, whereas a P&S zoom cam would not, fixed lens no issues but focus.
Also, I would use velcro to attach to copter if possible, makes removal quick/easy/flexible, the first gimbal above could mount to many copters, the 5D one would NOT.


Good Luck

PS: If you are a clever DIYer, you could use the same gimbal off copter for vid use, add handles/frame use same controller & a battery, could use same FPV sys too!
 

tombrown1

Member
There is currently a 'fire sale' on the Canon EOS M (APS-C sensor same as NEX), about $300-350 with a lens. (It is essentially a Rebel T5i/650D but small & mirrorless like NEX)

It and the 22mm lens (smallest lens) weigh about 1lb or .5kg.

I have EOS M/22mm and run Magic Lantern (Canon enhancement) which enables 2 things that are nice, 1. can increase the bit rate to give better H.264 HD video (depends on card speed - I get up to 130mbps - 3x more than std - seems smoother) 2. Can do a sensor crop (uses the center part of sensor-still Full HD) which gives smoother video, little/no aliasing and moire, but it does a 3.5x crop (ie 22mm lens = 60-80mm lens - not so wide anymore)

The gimbals are weight so the smaller the cam, the smaller the gimbal needed, weight is everything!

Magic Lantern (ML) also works VERY well on Canon 5DIII (ML originally developed for it), and many other Canons. 5DIII also has RAW capability via ML, and is very good pro level video! Lots of post processing though!!

Maybe the preferred Nikon is the '1' system, it has good video, has a smaller 1" sensor (same as Sony RX100/RX10), and are smaller cams - several models 1J, 1V, etc. The other very good video cam is the D5200.

Sony is known for good video but as others say the BMPCC/GH3/5DIII are the top video cams, but ALL are heavier than the EOS M (except BMPCC), or Nikon '1' system cams.

It takes a very large/strong expensive copter to carry a 5DIII, easily a $3-4k copter unless self built, but a pro level result!

Good Luck!


You can get 130mbps on eos m? That's insane. Can you get video out on it? Just wondering why more people don't use it.
 

RotoTwit

Member
Compressed H.264 video, peaks just a bit higher. This is with a 60/80 MBps SDHC UHS-I sandisk, don't know if this is the ultimate, supposedly the cam's SD writer is 40MBps (320mbps) but the encoder/DIGIC5/etc has to spew out the bits. ML allows RAW but I have not been able to get that working on my EOS M, others have - don't know what the issue is for me. But the RAW post processing is a PIA, so I would not use it anyhow.

To get analog video out, like a NEX (any hdmi out cam), you must use something like this, unless you can handle mini-hdmi out and downscale it:
http://www.rcshutter.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=90

This is using the Magic Lantern software, which is a simple unzip to load onto the SD card, then you do a f/w 'update' which sets a boot flag, then it always boots ML after Canon f/w. Very easy to 'un' install ML (reset boot flag-done), absolutely NOT 'permanent' like GH3/2 f/w hacks or Nikon hacks. There is a infrequent focus freeze, have to
pull battery to reset.

PS: It seems the fire sale bottom is over, but still can be had for $350-18-55mm (I paid $305-22mm, Newegg had it for $279 - 18-55mm), maybe just a Xmas rise and after new year a new decline?

BTW: For stills use, (ML has an intervelometer if that is sufficient) I think the only way to remotely take a shot would be via an IR sensor trigger to the front of EOS M (mount it on copter facing cam), there is no port for trigger on cam - a PIA!! They sell them at the above site and I assume elsewhere.
 
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