How wide is too wide?

lobstermash

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I picked up a bargain earlier this week - I got two new lenses for the Sony 1/3" cameras for $8 delivered, including a 2.8mm (115 degree FOV) and a 2.1mm (150 degree FOV) lens.

They arrived today, and thinking I'd probably get the best performance out of the 2.1, I fitted it first and focussed it up. My FPV setup is a Bixler with a ply canopy, with a pan/tilt camera mount at the front of this. I've got the GPS just under the camera and the FrSky antennas poking out of the nose at 90 degrees (thanks for the inspiration on the antennas, Paul!).

With the standard lens, I can't see the nose, let alone the GPS module. It is a little squinty in low light. With the 2.1, there's a lot more light to the sensor, such that the room looks like daylight rather than fluoro lit. However the FOV is so wide I can see the nose and GPS module and wires, and the outer looks distorted (like with GoPro footage).

Swapping this for the 2.8, I can see the tip of the nose, the edge of the GPS and the antennas. I can live with this, although I'll probably move the GPS out of the way.

I'm curious about other people's experiences with wide angle lenses in flight. Does the really wide FOV make you focus on the middle and the outer becomes like your normal peripheral vision? Or is the lower FOV more pleasant to view and the extra vision best achieved with pan/tilt?
 

UndCon

UndCon
I have several lenses from 90 to 170 degrees

170 gives such wide view that almost everything gets bent
I mostly use 120 degrees.

A few days ago I got a shipment of lenses from securitycam2000 @150 degrees

http://www.securitycamera2000.com/p...-lens-2.1mm-for-CCTV-Camera-F2.0-Cam-150.html

I will try them on my cameras (3 brands) to see how they are.


As a sidenote - I don't need larger lens - the cameras are so bright I can continue flying when others pack their gear :D

the 150 (120 on a 1/3) will be nice to try after sunset
 
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lobstermash

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Yeah, I've got my spare lenses in my FPV box to swap over as needed. It's truly amazing how much more light you get from a wider angle lens.
 

lobstermash

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The lenses screw in and out, so I stick the goggles on and keep screwing it in until the picture goes clear. When I'm happy, I put the screw back in and it holds it tight.
 

lobstermash

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I flew with the 115 today. It was pretty darn good. I had some fogging issues, but once I'd resolved that it was a really good, clear picture.