What to buy to video with?

[Rokcrln]

Good morning all,
I'm new back into the sport and getting my 9yr old active in RC as my dad did with me many, many moons ago. I'm wanting to start doing video flights ( not fpv just video and post to rewatch ). I want to know what are you all using to video with ether from the ground or the air? I have several planes built and many more on the list and I also have a Chroma drone with GoPro mount for some in air video but at last I don't have a GoPro yet. Will a GoPro work well for all the above or are their better options out there to look into? Recently my son used my iPad to video a maiden on an Edge 540 but he was zooming a bit and had a hard time tracking my far less then superb non crashing skills. If GoPro is a decent way to go can you link to an iPhone or iPad for in flight video so say when I'm flying the Chroma and my son is flying his TT I could follow him during flight and see what I'm filming?

Thank you for your time and advise, I have another one of those annoying birthdays coming soon and my wife is asking about a gift and though this might be the time for this.

Here is our maiden of flight and video for a good laugh but if you get motion sickness beware!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SKdCi4K0n1M

Kevin
Winters CA.

 

[PsyBorg]

Nothing wrong with your flying mate. You got some skillz.

There are so many options for cameras and RC these days there is no one size fits all. Go pros are awesome cameras for sure and the new session 5's are on my list of "If I could only afford it" for sure. What type and size you get will be based on what aircraft you fly. To put a go pro on that one in your video would totally kill flight performance.

I started out with a simple 720 p "Dice" camera I got off of Nitroplanes.com which could be a lighter option. Then since I wanted better video (not that there is anything wrong with the dice cam) at 60 fps for the race quads I got a fifty dollar vivitar gopro wannabe from Walmart. That way when I kill it I wouldn't feel so bad. I have already crushed the back view screen on it but it still functions and records fine and it is on my quad any time it is in the air. There is also the runcams which are flatter and lighter then go pros and have respectable resolution and features in the mid range price area.

What you decide to get will depend first on your air frames you wish to mount them on then on your budget.

It is nice to have videos and all that but it does add in a new level of "Work" to the hobby once the bug digs in deep.

 

[Rokcrln]

Thank you I will look into a few of those. Mainly what I'm looking for is a ground camera but maybe one I could use with the Chroma drone for flight video of other planes. I'm not wanting to strap it to a plane and watch cockpit flight but keep it on the drone and be able to stream what it is seeing for better video of the plane I'm following if that makes sense.

Kevin
Winters Ca

 

[cranialrectosis]

The problem with HD streaming is compression time.

Digital compression takes time. The better the video you are transmitting and the faster you fly, the more likely you are to notice.

I get that you aren't looking for an FPV cam but you are looking at similar issues if you stream. You are going to be about a second behind.

I fly FPV with a highres SD cam and put the GoPro on the copter at the same angle. This way I can see what the HD cam sees without having the lag time of HD digital compression. I put a wedge of foam under the GoPro 4 Session and strap it on in such a way that when I hit trees, the camera ejects. I protect the lens with a layer lens. The foam and weight of the GoPro Session keeps the jello down. I am unable to eliminate jello with a Mobius and I don't recommend it as a flying cam (makes a great hat cam though).

If you watch how FliteTest shoots video of other craft from a drone, it is most likely in a similar fashion. The lag of streaming in HD may cause you to miss shots.

One last thing to remember. If you use something like a GoPro or Mobius with an SD card on a flying machine, put a strip of tape over the SD card slot. It is amazing how fast and how far those tiny little cards can eject themselves in a crash and they are a PITA to find. :black_eyed:

 

[PsyBorg]

hehe thats a fact jack.. Somewhere out in the corn are two nearly brand new 16 gig cards that have been ejected upon crashing before I started to do that tape routine.

As for trying to capture video flying a quad behind a plane that will be nearly impossible to do LOS. Any wifi down link will be way to slow for you to even line up shots the way you are talking about doing it. It would be best to get a cheap all in one FPV kit like the ones eachine sells or even one of the mini FPV combos off the FT store to fly with then get a cheap gopro knock off from Walmart like I did and get your higher resolution video that way.

 

[Rokcrln]

Ok that's is all great advise. I think I will get the session5 for filming and an FPV for tracking. This way for now I can hat mount the 5 for ground footage and pick up the FPV later for when my son is taking off and landing on his own so I can FPV/film from above. Yes I'd like to get the kind of footage that FT does during there flight shots.

Now time to start looking for FPV gear! Boy these $2 planes sure get expensive
Thanks again.

Kevin
Winters CA.