camera going crazy during flight

No mention at all about calibrating or re-calibrating.
 
Wolfiesden, I'm glad to see you mention the lens hood possibility... I ordered a few odds and ends a while back for my p3p from amazon (a lens hood being one) and had not tried it in flight until yesterday to see if it might actually make a noticeable difference on image quality.

First of all, I'll say that I had been hesitant to use it because it didn't even come with any instructions... I basically gave it my best guess as far as placement on the camera lens, and figured I was at least close to "correct"... also, I had to mount it after I powered on the p3p because I knew that it would not allow the camera to calibrate freely upon powering up... that didn't make me feel comfortable being that the humble was powered on as I was concerned about possibly damaging the motor, arm, etc.

Anyways, long story short, I didn't really notice much of a difference with it on while filming in flight BUT I DID however experience 2-3 times where the camera suddenly made an odd quick rotation movement that was a bit startling as I was over the ocean and at least 500' away from land... I thought it may have been the p3p making that movement as if it were being attacked by seagulls or something.

I quickly returned home where seagulls actually DID start giving close chase to it and removed the hood.

The next flight it was fine, short of a couple close encounters with a couple obviously unhappy seagulls haha.

I'm not sure if the one that I had just sucks or if they're even worth using but I'm sidelining the one I've got for now until I learn more about the idea.

I'm curious, why you suggested this idea to the OP. Have you had a similar experience?
 
Yes. I did. I had 3D printed one hoping to shield the red LEDs and glare from the lens. I flew with a brisk breeze on one outing and experienced periodic seizures during the flight. Once when it was within a few yards of me so I could visually see nothing was attacking it (like yours, my flight was over a lakeshore).

It occurred 5 times during the flight and every time it was heading into the wind at some angle. It didn't do it heading away from the wind or across the wind running downwind or directly into the wind. Only into the wind at various angles. The next battery, I removed the hood and flew in the same area with the same winds in similar directions and altitudes and experienced no seizures during that or any successive flight.

My conclusion was that when heading into the wind, it was acting like a scoop and likely the torque stress was overpowering the tiny stepper motors that work the gimbal. I presume when that happens, the software tries to reset and re-align the gimbal which makes it flop about as it catches the wind and overloads again. I tested it on the ground with the hood in place and only mild pressure on the outside edge was enough to cause the gimbal to reset.

I have not used it since.

That is, of course all speculation and conjecture as I have no controlled tests to prove it was the hood. However, it was enough to surmise what the problem likely was. The seizures had never occurred before this flight with the hood. And they have not occurred since that flight as I haven't used the hood since.

And, frankly, its benefit is rather dubious anyway given that the hood must allow for a lens with a fov of 94 degrees. With that, its not going to protect the lens much at all. From 90 left to 180 rear to 90 right, the camera body shields the lens. From 0 ahead to 47 left and right must be exposed so the lens can see to record video. So that leaves only from 47 left and right to 90 left and right for the hood to achieve any use at all. The longer the hood, the larger diameter it must be to stay out of the picture. This increases the surface area and likely would contribute to the issue. Conversely making it shorter requires less diameter and less surface area. But the smaller length also means it protects the lens even less. Its usefulness is in direct relation to its length. So the wind issues outweigh any derived benefit of having it attached.

There is, of course, certain circumstances where it benefits the shot. But you must decide whether the wind against it will be an issue or not. I just don't see that as being worth it. I don't pack it in the travel bag any longer.
 

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