I have a 5dmk2 and ever time put it up i get blurry video granted i am just putting it on P and flying. what settings to you guys suggest for better quality video. cause even when i try and clean it up through motion/mercallli the quality is still bad. Like my Vis com Prof always said "bad base. bad final" so im looking for better ways to improve my base.
Could you post a link to a short sample of the video, Jei? Is the blurriness caused by vibration, focus, or what? Andy.
Well I have done stuff that was suggested on other threads checked the rotors balanced the props (which ironically made the video worse...imop) I remember readin a few years ago that there is a minimum frame that people film on when in helicopters (though that just may be photography shutter speed). ill post the raw vids of the tests today when they finish uploading
Just a thought. is any one filming at 60fps. is so there is my problem. the 5dmk2 cant film at that speeds its max is 30fps.
I use a Canon CX760 at 60fps -- not quite sure why the frame rate would be the problem -- it shortens the effective shutter speed and might open up the lens a stop or two, but should not affect the sharpness of the image. Hence the question: is the lack of sharpness motion blur, focusing, or something else? Andy.
Hi Jei, For the 5D I tend to keep the shutter around 1/125 and adjust the ISO and variable ND to keep the Aperture in the sweet spot (f5.6-11ish) Hope that helps Tabb
Raw vid of the latest flight Andy, I dont believe focus is the issue ( my first flight i ever did i flew with bad focus so before every flight i focus to infinity {50mm prime lens}). Im just trying to reduce motion blur to help my stabilization program which crashed every time i ran this latest video through it. The reason i bring up frame rate is that he higher the frame rate less blur in the video. if i remember correctly 24fps is standard film which allows for blur to give a more natural flow. the 5Dmk2 films at 30fps which isnt much faster than 24fps so i am under the impression that if i film at higher frame rates it will reduce the blur giving my stabilization program (motion) a better reel to work with and also giving me more options for post production. Tabb, I shall try those settings in the morning. Thanks
I watched the video at 720p. It looks like vibration in the 30-60 hertz range which is most likely being communicated from the frameset (hub/booms/motors) rather than the Radians. I presume the Radians were powered up and in Stabilized Slew Mode? Gary: what's your take? Andy.
Jei as Andy said check all the props and motors for balance. I typically shoot on aperture priority because I don't want a camera changing both shutter speed and aperture, to many variables. Also it appears that the focus is way soft. The 5d clips I have seen are usually tack sharp. How are do your still photos and video look on a tripod or stationary? And if you are using manual focus most lens tend to focus past infinity so if you simply rotate the focus as far as it will go towards infinity you will usually pass the last point and go soft. Easy to see this. Put the camera on a tripod, let AF focus it for you on a distant object, the see if you can still turn the focusing ring manually. Or watch it on live view.
Jedi, I would say your blurriness is almost all due to the vibration in the frame. If you've balanced the props then I'd say its in the motors. With the copter powered off, spin the motors by hand. Do any of them sound different? That's a quick and easy way to find bad bearings. For SLR settings, what Tabb said above. I always shoot on full manual. Fps do matter if your shooting faster subjects, such as cars, but for most situations 30 fps is all you need. Shutter speed is your main concern. With SLRs in normal shooting (as in on the ground, little movement) the standard is to set the shutter speed to 2x your frame rate... So 30fps=60 on the shutter. Now this usually won't work on multirotors because we are never static. Slower shutter speeds create smoother video but blurrier images, same as in photography. However, faster speeds yield crisp and clear image but you get a choppier almost stuttering video. I use 1/125 at the low end and for faster subjects ill go up to 1/400. Once the shutter speed is set, configure aperture, ISO, and don't forget white balance. Everything on manual. Aperture I usually set in the F8-F10 range. ISO is best on settings close to multiples of 160.. So 160, 320, 640. Use the lowest you can get away with. On sunny days, shutter at 1/125, F8, ISO 160, you will need a ND filter. The ND will restrict the amount of light entering the lens and allow you to run these settings. On Canons at least, I believe shooting video in aperture or shutter priority modes is actually no different than in full automatic. Effectively for video there is no aperture or shutter priorities. Your either full manual or full auto. A good source of info on shooting video with DSLRs is http://philipbloom.net/
Jei: I realize this is an afterthought, but do you get sharp video from the camera when you're NOT flying? Gary: I agree that the basic video looks soft -- I was starting with the presumption that the resolution had been dropped down for uploading to the web -- or was it really that soft in the original, Jei? Andy.
Ill try all these in the morning (weather permitting). I couldn't do any flight tests due to bad weather. i also just came upon this thread http://forum.freeflysystems.com/index.php?threads/how-to-align-the-motors.312/ with hoe Joe aligns his motors. does any one have the measurements to machine that tool. No I usually get sharp images its the same camera. i use for my photography. but on the next test flight ill make sure to check the focus.
I also use some electrician's PVC tape on the lens barrel to make sure it's not changing focus -- and, of course, put it on manual focus. Andy.
OK after a call to quadrocopter i have been enlightened to a few things (or at lease this is what i have gotten out of the conversation) I have to get the varying strength vibration o rings. (for a lighter camera do you go for the black strength or mix em) Until the previous has been sorted out. Shooting with the 50mm lens it too long for smooth video. so im going to try and fly with a 12-24mm sigma lens.
Had a slight break in the weather today and did a quick flight while the wind and rain was low. 17 mph wind 5dmk2 sigma 12-24mm (12mm infinity focus). video encoded at 60 fps Much beter video. thanks guys
Just need to fina a good post program that wont crash when i try to stabilize. so far motion isnt doing so well
And lots of RAM and the fastest gazillion core processor you can find. If the lights don't go out in the neighborhood when you turn it on you need more.....