High Resolution, Manual Still Camera for Phantom?

[JonathanSippel]

Hello all,
This is my first post here on the forums. I'm a photographer, and I've been dreaming of a digital still camera I can put on the DJI Phantom that has manual control and decent picture quality (not to mention light enough to fly the copter safely). I currently shoot with a Gopro Hero 3 Silver (Not interested in the 1mp more Black edition) on my phantom, but I'm always disappointed by the quality of the photos I get at full resolution. I can hardly get a good quality picture at 5 megapixels after being brought down in photoshop. I need quality for my work. Secondly I would kill for manual control or raw files. Nothing's worse than having a blown out sky, or a black ground in JPEG files. I'm not interested in taking stills from videos or video modes at all for that matter.
Does anybody on here have experience with another camera that would work well with the Phantom that has nicer quality or manual mode?
Also, I've been seeing a few super-high-res camera phones, has anybody on here used one on a Phantom?
Thanks, and I look forward on hearing your thoughts.
-Jonathan
http://www.jonathansippel.com/js/aerials.html

 

[fizzviic]

I second the question. I'm not interested in the view from the tip of my non-existent surfboard. I want a camera with a "normal" or preferably moderate zoom lens for aerial work.

 

[halfpipe]

RX100 might be for you I use one under a phantom
also have a nokia 808 which I can use on the phantom

 

[fizzviic]

Thanks for the tip

 

[DeweyAXD]

I think your needs will be pushing the boundaries of what u can do with just the Phantom. Panasonic TZ40 is a great little cam and if u are really brave u 'could' even operate the shutter in real time via the very good ios or android app. I say 'could' because like the GoPro it works off wifi and i have noooo idea what its range or interference would be. Not clear on if it is time lapse capable and it sadly doesn't do RAW.
As a pro i'd not poo poo the Hero3 black.... 1 Megapixels is not the real extra feature on it, protune mode is and this gives you a much more managable photo for post production. Well worth borrowing one if u know a person with one and trying it just in case.

Assuming u have DSLRs already u maybe better off upping to a higher payload capable quad and mounting them. Gimbals for these get VERY costly as i'm sure you have seen but for stills i'm sure an f450 cold carry a Canon or Nikon + timelapse remote. Maybe not what u r looking for.

 

[JonathanSippel]

Hey, thanks for the responses.

RX100 might be for you I use one under a phantom
also have a nokia 808 which I can use on the phantom

The Nokia 808 is actually something I'm extremely curious about, could you by any chance post an image you took with it in pretty high resolution (Better yet, taken with a drone)? That would be extremely helpful to me.

Assuming u have DSLRs already u maybe better off upping to a higher payload capable quad and mounting them. Gimbals for these get VERY costly as i'm sure you have seen but for stills i'm sure an f450 cold carry a Canon or Nikon + timelapse remote. Maybe not what u r looking for.

I plan on it someday, though it's not an option for me right now. Thanks.

I think Johnathon needs to better understand the tools at his disposal because other folks are capturing great aerial images with Gopros.

Well that got my blood boiling a little bit. I know what I'm talking about. Now that that's aside, If you look closely at say..this shot:

, there is a lack of detail on everything that doesn't have a lot of contrast. Look at the trees along the bottom and the rock, all the space inside the main lines kind of blend together, also it's horribly un-sharp at the sides. I'm trying to keep a consistent quality to my work, and unfortunately the hardware can't keep up at this point.

 

[flyshasta]

Hey, somelittlebully,
Why not go to another forum? This is a forum that is meant for collaboration and helpful suggestions-not put downs. Come back when you grow up.

 

[JonathanSippel]

Ouch is right, I'm quite bothered actually. It's strange how words can be so powerful when you don't know who they're coming from. Try not to be so mean in the future.

Sorry to go off topic there.

I composite photographs a lot, when I shoot pictures in my studio, and photoshop the subject into the foreground of my gopro pics, the quality of the shots don't match.

 

[bumper]

Try not to be so mean in the future.

I am simply being factual.

That would be your opinion.

Didn't your mother tell you, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"?

It's called manners.

bumper

 

[rilot]

He has a point. The GoPro, even the Black (that I have) has way too much compression on it's stills. This means that the pictures can be muddy and lack detail. Also, there is no manual control of aperture or shutter speed. These are serious issues for a photographer.

A small point and shoot would be good to mount on the Phantom but we have the problem with weight. I can't think of a camera that takes better stills than the GoPro that weighs the same or less.

 

[runnerman]

What about a Nikon J1?

 

[fizzviic]

With all do respect, this is not the place for put downs and snarky remarks. Thank you for being adults, here.

As a former professional photographer, with a degree from a very prestigious institution and now retired, I also both admire and decry the current level of photographic technology available to us vis-a-vis the Phantom's load carrying abilities. My main problem with the GoPro is the extreme fish eye lens. Fine for the tip of your surfboard, but not so hot from any altitude. Reducing the field of view, so to speak, to a small area of the sensor is not the solution. What may look fine in an image here on your small monitor, falls apart if trying to enlarge it to say, 30 X 40 for an exhibition.

Just my two cents worth...

 

[diomark]

I'm using a Canon S95 on a tripod gopro mount.. works fairly well.. a bit front heavy though; I think I could benefit from putting the battery on the back somehow to balance it out..

 

[rilot]

How do you trigger the shutter on the S95?

 

[diomark]

I'm using a Canon S95 on a tripod gopro mount.. works fairly well.. a bit front heavy though; I think I could benefit from putting the battery on the back somehow to balance it out..

PS - here's a panoramic I took from my house.. (Note - I'm using the CHDK hacked firmware to ask the camera to take a pic every 2 seconds..)

Large version -
http://media.mvgals.net/forums/SFPanoramic.png

In comparison, here's the same shot from the GoPro -

 

[diomark]

How do you trigger the shutter on the S95?

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/S95 <-- using this software, i've got a script that takes a pic every x seconds.. fairly easy to setup.. -m

 

[halfpipe]

@JonathanSippel
the 808 is a high end camera with a 1inch sensor and has many shooting options capable of dslr quality
Have a look at http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/reviews/item/15005_Nokia_808_PureView_part_1_hard.php
Here is a picture I just took for you. its raining a bit and dreary

No video stabilization and the video geneally is average but for stills it is superb
Plus you might organize it so that you can call the phone to make a noise if you misplace the fantom.

 

[rilot]

@JonathanSippel
the 808 is a high end camera with a 1inch sensor and has many shooting options capable of dslr quality

Rubbish.
It's capable of low-end point and shoot quality. It can't touch a DSLR simple because of the optics.

 

[CameraGuy]

Ouch is right, I'm quite bothered actually. It's strange how words can be so powerful when you don't know who they're coming from. Try not to be so mean in the future.

Sorry to go off topic there.

I composite photographs a lot, when I shoot pictures in my studio, and photoshop the subject into the foreground of my gopro pics, the quality of the shots don't match.

The web is full of bullies, because they are faceless and anonymous. In the good old days, Moderators, and site owners used to actually police them. You would get kicked off a forum for inappropriate comments, or trolling like our friend here. Now, Mods and owners are more interested in increasing their number of threads, and members. I guess it is an investment decision.

It is unfortunate.

The camera I am considering is the Sony QX100. It is 165gm, and will fit under a Phantom in the traditional gimbals we are all using. It only shoots 1080p, but it is the same lens and sensor as the RX100, but about 30% off. Now, don't expect to put it in the water, or hit a wall, but it should be a great image.

It should ship in a couple of weeks.

D

 

[halfpipe]

the pixel peepers and snobbish large sensor / heavy optic know it all baffons seem to have found a new forum on which to posture, expound and bore
BTW the nokia 808 weighs a manageable 180 grams