Phantom 2 + Dronexpert RX100 kit + DJI iOSD-mini

[Bigbells]

Your detailed chronicling of your adventures, Peter, is going to cause me to buy an RX100 camera, I think. I claim to be someone who flies strictly recreationally but I cannot help but be drawn in by clearly superior picture resolution. Your pictures make it pretty obvious that the RX100 is a much more capable camera than the GoPro or the PV2 camera.

How I'll mount it, though, is still an unknown. Why is it that it can't be mounted to a gimbal designed for a GoPro? Is it simply that the camera is too big for that? (I've never seen a GoPro or an RX100 in person so the answer is not obvious to me.)

 

[AllanVB]

The clever bit of their mount is the FPV bit - you would think that after all that effort they would get the lo-tech plastic bit right. How many others on here are seriously considering buying this mount (or want to fly a RX100) ?

I bet there are scores of people who would want to get an RX100 in the air if the price was right. Dronexpert haven't learned the first rule of successful retailing, "You need to offer the right product, at the right time, at the right price and the right price is a price your potential customer is prepared to pay". (Back in the day I worked for almost nine years in management with Marks & Spencer when they were recognised as the best retailer in the world. Yes OK, it was a long time ago!).

The second rule of successful retailing follows from that, and it's, "You're far better off selling thirty widgets at £100 each than three widgets at £200 each."

Oh, and the third rule is, "You CANNOT advertise one thing and deliver something different." Hmmm, on second thought perhaps that's not a rule of retailing, perhaps that's the law

Because of the way it's constructed and mounted, this platform is perceived as poor value for money yet it does the job perfectly. So, for very little more effort given over to design and presentation and with a reduction in price, it could look great value for money and would be in great demand. And don't forget that the monitor is a DVR too (Dronexpert don't even make mention of that fact in their marketing!)

I have been watching your story on the RX100 and Dronexpert. I too, have a RX and would like to get it in the air - but for now, Dronexpert will not be on my list for buying a platform. Sorry you had to experience this pricey piece of plastic.

 

[pault]

[...... . I mean it still works and using the RX100 gives fabulous images (and I expect I will demonstrate at the weekend) great video too; but the mount could be a lot better, without too much extra thought and for just a 2% cut in profit. And, frankly, for the money, it should be done a lot better.

......

It is all down to you Peter to show people what quality aerial photography looks like and convince them to fly a RX100.

No pressure

 

[stereojet]

I'm sure Peter will produce the goods.

This guy made a diy setup for hanging a similar quality compact on his Phantom:

http://skypixel.org

And he works for DJI.

 

[AllanVB]

I'm sure Peter will produce the goods.

This guy made a diy setup for hanging a similar quality compact on his Phantom:

http://skypixel.org

And he works for DJI.

E Cheng and Keri (Rotorpixel) started Rotorpixel.com together....small world...

 

[Peter Evans]

Your detailed chronicling of your adventures, Peter, is going to cause me to buy an RX100 camera, I think. I claim to be someone who flies strictly recreationally but I cannot help but be drawn in by clearly superior picture resolution. Your pictures make it pretty obvious that the RX100 is a much more capable camera than the GoPro or the PV2 camera.

How I'll mount it, though, is still an unknown. Why is it that it can't be mounted to a gimbal designed for a GoPro? Is it simply that the camera is too big for that? (I've never seen a GoPro or an RX100 in person so the answer is not obvious to me.)

You're right, in terms of picture quality, the GoPro and the P2V cameras are just not in the same league. Despite its relatively tiny size the RX100 is giving me images that are as near as dammit as good as those from my old Nikon D2X and my current D300. OK, so we all know that technology has moved on but, hey, nine years ago a D2X was a must have camera for any serious photographer (so much so that it became the first digital camera to be authorised for use by the UK police and armed services), and it still produces great images in favourable lighting. Likewise, I currently produce excellent A3 prints from my D300, a camera I'm still using for both my current projects. I haven't yet printed an RX100 image but I just know that they will be equally as good.

As to mounting an RX100 in a gimbal designed for a GoPro; yes, the RX100 is too big for that. It would be like trying to fit a sidecar built for a motorcycle to a pushbike.

So, mating the RX100 to the Phantom 2 is the issue. Well, actually no, that in itself is not an issue; you can mate the two quite easily. Just fix the camera with a tripod screw to the regular DJI bracket and let it hang upside down beneath the Phantom, and I know of people who have done that.

The problem for serious photography comes with the two fundamental questions I started out asking myself:

How can I see what the RX100 can see, in order to compose my shots?
And, when I've composed my shot, how do I fire the shutter at just the right moment?

And the only place I could find with the answer to those two questions was Dronexpert. And they know that, They have NO competition, and therefore I believe that they feel that they are safe in adopting a 'take it or leave it' attitude with regard to both pricing and customer service.

 

[pault]

That really is a glowing tribute to the RX100. I have got a D200 and some nice glass to go with it so if it comes close to that i will be extremely happy. I think I cannot resist any longer and will get a RX100 and then wait to see how to mount it (or maybe wait a few days and see what the Vision+ is like)

 

[chensiyuan]

Am just a little surprised not that many have tried a NEX 3 and pancake setup, which is barely 300grams. With the intervalometer app that solves the triggering issue. Having shot with the GP3 setup sans FPV it's possible to do nice panos without FPV, though of course nice vids would be quite impossible.

 

[Mactab]

Hi Peter, sorry just catching up with this after being away for the last couple of days on a shoot.
I don't really know what to say! Fair offer from one party whereas Dronexpert are acting like they have improved the product by substituting cheap plastic for the CF.
Its obvious that the system works as your images demonstrate - Are DE so stupid as to not realise that if they had supplied the product as advertised and to a high finish quality they they would have had interested buyers banging on their door to buy on the basis of your review? (maybe not to the same extent as Rotor pixel but probably 50 units or more?)

To my mind they should build another one as advertised, CF, correct cabling, leg extensions, decent monitor etc beautifully put together and send it to you for review at no charge with an apology (you can send the first one back to them on receipt) and then perhaps the orders will roll in for it.
DE seem to have shot themselves in the foot on this one especially asking you to pay postage to return it for repair!
They can pull this back in their favour if they think about it.
Otherwise a bit of reverse engineering may be called for........

Cheers for now

Paul

 

[Peter Evans]

Studiosport have asked Dronexpert to build a platform made from carbon-fibre and ship it to them. In the meantime, they will send me a free shipping label.

When the CF mount arrives at Studiosport, they'll call me and, using the shipping label, I'll send back my whole kit, Phantom, RX100 platform and iOSD-mini. On receipt, Studiosport will wire and fit the new mount with the iOSD-mini, test it, and then ship the whole kit and caboodle back to me, for free.

 

[AllanVB]

Studiosport have asked Dronexpert to build a platform made from carbon-fibre and ship it to them. In the meantime, they will send me a free shipping label.

When the CF mount arrives at Studiosport, they'll call me and, using the shipping label, I'll send back my whole kit, Phantom, RX100 platform and iOSD-mini. On receipt, Studiosport will wire and fit the new mount withe iOSD-mini, test it, and then ship the whole kit and caboodle back to me, for free.

Wow... great service from Studiosport. If I were in Europe, I would give them my business. Let us know how it works out.
Thanks

 

[stereojet]

That's good to hear Pete.
Studiosport sound fantastic to deal with.
Keep us posted.

 

[pault]

Quite often companies provide product (for free) to very active members of forums. As this is the premier Phantom forum any company should give their eye teeth for a favourable review by a professional photographer. Fingers crossed Peter gets a hand built masterpiece to review.

 

[Mactab]

Course they should - as it's real world users who can either make or break a product especially if the user/ product is being followed closely on a product forum. If nikon can send me a D800E to try ( it had to go back eventually of course) then DE could have supplied a review system to Peter. Unfortunately it backfired on them as they supplied a shoddy item which was then reported on.
Studiosport seem to be the honourable company here and are trying to make good. Good on them!!
However will DE supply all systems to the 'new correct' spec or is Peters going to be a one off?

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

This is better news. I look forward to your review of the new rig. I think the fact that you were about to publish your in-depth assessment that things have started moving.

I just saw a post about this rig on FB with people asking for comment. I linked them straight to this thread! Your right folks the power of the purchaser still counts for something on forums like these.

 

[pault]

......

I just saw a post about this rig on FB with people asking for comment. I linked them straight to this thread! Your right folks the power of the purchaser still counts for something on forums like these.

Just like Peter's comments yours must have been deleted as it is not showing up in my fb in the RX100 section. The last comment was dated sometime in Feb.

Maybe you put it in another section. Am using a mobile version of fb and am not too sure how it works !

 

[Bigbells]

I'm sure Peter will produce the goods.

This guy made a diy setup for hanging a similar quality compact on his Phantom:

http://skypixel.org

And he works for DJI.

Unless I missed something on the page, the camera attachment gizmo that E Cheng made can't correct for aircraft motion, although it appears to have user-controlled tilt capability. http://skypixel.org/post/75196946200

 

[Peter Evans]

OH-OH! Weird camera behaviour when connected to the Dronexpert mount

I was out this morning, testing the video stability of the rig and I encountered a major problem. The video recording stops after 3 minutes! I tried it three times and each time, after exactly 3 minutes, the video stopped :shock: Normally, the RX100 can record up to 29 mins and 59 secs of continuous video before the recording stops.

So I came back to the house to investigate and sure enough I found that, with the Dronexpert HDMI plug inserted, the recording stops after 3 minutes. With no HDMI plug inserted, there's no problem, the camera behaves normally and records for the full half-hour. (Perhaps the Monty Python team have been involved somewhere here - "Do you want a three minute recording or the full half hour?" :lol: )

So wondering why this would be (and clutching at straws really) I decided to see what would happen if I started recording without the camera being connected to the Dronexpert platform and then inserted the HDMI plug whilst the camera was still recording. Et voila! Success. It was fine; it recorded as normal and ran for just over 10 minutes until I stopped it.

So now I have to relay that news back to Studiosport (I don't think Dronexpert want to talk to me anymore) and see if they can discover whether this is normal behaviour for this rig, or if there was some minor ****-up when Studiosport wired in the iOSD-mini.

If it is normal behaviour that you have to start the video recording before you insert that HDMI plug, then Dronexpert should tell everyone that in their instructional video. By the way, on that point, there are NO instructions provided with the mount, just the little manual for the monitor. I know there is the problem of language but that's not an excuse for a product priced at a tax inclusive figure of over 1000 euro. (1) English is the international language and (b) there are a myriad fluent English speakers in Holland; I have several good Dutch friends both here and in Vlaardingen (near Rotterdam) and I'm always amazed at how good their English is.

Just recharging batteries before I go out again. You definitely need three Sony batteries as well as three for the Phantom!

I'll say one thing, it stops me getting bored

 

[stereojet]

I'm sure Peter will produce the goods.

This guy made a diy setup for hanging a similar quality compact on his Phantom:

http://skypixel.org

And he works for DJI.

Unless I missed something on the page, the camera attachment gizmo that E Cheng made can't correct for aircraft motion, although it appears to have user-controlled tilt capability. http://skypixel.org/post/75196946200

Similar limitations to Dronexpert mount...and it probably doesn't break on landing.

I wish someone would churn those mounts out.

 

[Bigbells]

I'm sure Peter will produce the goods.

This guy made a diy setup for hanging a similar quality compact on his Phantom:

http://skypixel.org

And he works for DJI.

Unless I missed something on the page, the camera attachment gizmo that E Cheng made can't correct for aircraft motion, although it appears to have user-controlled tilt capability. http://skypixel.org/post/75196946200

Similar limitations to Dronexpert mount...and it probably doesn't break on landing.

I wish someone would churn those mounts out.

I don't think that SkyPixel's mount has correction on any axis. It has user-operated control of the tilt, like that which is found on the P2 Vision, but the tilt does not automatically compensate for tilt of the aircraft.

The DE mount is a gimbal that has motorized correction of tilt axis and roll axis. It's an entirely different animal from SkyPixel's one-off camera mount as far as I can tell.