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Quad and Hexa copters
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  • 2013 demo reel shot exclusively with the GH3 and hacked GH2.

  • Some crazy flying skills in this video, it's a DIY frame with bare essentials.

  • I filmed all aerial shots between snowboarding to this coming movie. All aerialshots with hacked GH2 720 50p

  • The hexacopter is able to take video footage while soaring in the air and creeping across the ground.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24712136

  • Here's a review of the new dji phantom 2 camera v the gopro hero 3+

  • @mrbill this comperition is not valuable IMO. Its like compere cameras footage shout in different settings and condition.

    This is my demo shout on GP3 with DIY gimbal http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/8889/intro-video.-showreel#Item_3

  • Just wanted to put a note in for the surprising durability of the DJI Phantom and my decision to stay with the system rather than buying a bigger copter, in the form of an amusing anecdote from the last week.

    I bought a phantom back in June with a Partner for a Valvoline Gig. Bought an LX7 also and jury rigged it to body with decent results for video...nothing like a gimbal but at 60FPS I've put 15-30 seconds of aerial footage into every professional video I've shot since. I had messed with the GoPro, but was resistant to it as I wanted better quality for an indie cinema project I'm working on in the jungle. On a trip up there, however, the LX7 fell into a puddle from a 100' and even though it worked again after a few days, I found the footage I'd shot on the substitute GoPro 3 to be better than usable when intercut sparingly with GH2 stuff and de-fished and graded. From then on, with increasing awareness of the Zenmuse Gimbal, I've been pretty GoPro focused.

    My partner knocked the copter around pretty hard and grew scared of flying it. I'd been surprised by the ease of use since day one and pushed forward, with a few mishaps but nothing that stopped the thing. It has a truly surprising reach and flexibility. After being in the states for a month, I came back to find it in pretty bad shape, and last week on a trip out to the ranch for Thanksgiving, decided to open it up completely and clean it, epoxy cracked plastic, replace screws, etc. The frame is definitely vulnerable to cracking around screws on impact, and upon repeated openings and closings of the case after such damaged has been sustained. However, a little caution and a little gaffer's tape later and the thing was flying like never before. I got really into GoPro 3 photo-only this trip with stunning results.

    However, the morning of the second day after a couple of flights way out to hell and gone, I was coasting back over the lawn, then pool and freakishly caught my thumb on the edge of the controller as I turned to respond to someone's question. I killed the throttle from about ten feet up and it hit the pool about a foot from the edge, quickly falling to the bottom even as I gunned the motors to try and catch it before it hit. I immediately jumped in the pool and pulled it out and disconnected the battery. I also immediately pulled every screw, opened the case and propped it up in the very hot sun to dry, but I honestly expected it to be as dead a doornail. About eight hours later, I carefully put everything back together, re-taped and everything started up and revved up but it wouldn't take off. I checked and checked the propellers and throttled up until I thought it would explode, but it wouldn't take off. Finally I noticed the DJI symbol was sideways...I'd screwed the symmetrical case back on in the wrong direction, and though I'd been putting the props in the correct place for their symbols they were not in the correct place to achieve lift. Fixed their position and away it flew...I'll swear better than before. Tested the heck out of it, no problem.

    That evening, something possessed me to fly it at night, admittedly a bit tipsy, but all was going well until power simply cut out...as I was coming back over the swimming pool. Dove in, got it, did not open it all the way, just the doors and flaps and set it aside. One of the power wires in the Phantom had broken earlier and was disguised/still stuck to the terminal under tape I'd placed to reinforce it. Must have vibrated out of contact. Next morning I got up, opened the whole copter, let it dry in the sun again. Pulled up some youtube tutorials on how to solder and found an iron down in the solar power plant. Fixed the battery terminal, put it all back together and tried to fly. Had a bit of ghost in the machine nonsense with one engine, though I got off the ground and landed fine. Took the props off, ran it at high idle for a whole battery, and flew the living daylights out of it for the last several days in a variety of conditions, no problem, no repeat of freakish water accidents, despite multiple rivers and oceans. (I've previously flown over surf in high winds, all sorts of pools, etc, never a problem except for this bizarre 24 hours.)

    The Gimbal has now fallen to half-price ($369 plus a $60 upgrade kit for the main board). Back in January I had a $5,000 hexa-copter on pre-order for awhile but they never got the build or parts together so I bought the Phantom for meantime practice and the Valvoline shoot. The official gimbal was not in wide release at that time. I have recently considered buying a whole new phantom kit with pre-installed gimbal or one of the expanded ready to fly $3,000 phantom options we see out there (better props, motors, bigger batteries, etc.) Tonight I'm ordering the gimbal and a new $50 body shell and screw kit. As I grow more comfortable inside the thing I think I can handle the swap over and install. I can't believe how tough this copter is, with the plastic being the only 'weak' point (thing has taken some pretty epic beatings), and now, noticing how cheap it is to replace, I hope to see it keep right on trucking.

    The way I see it the small cameras will keep getting better, and the copter tech will keep getting cheaper. I don't care how skilled a pilot one is, it seems like shit CAN happen with these babies, and I like my chances better with a rebuildable craft that is replaceable for less than $500 than an expensive beast. Obviously they are not waterproof and I've heard stories that don't match my experience but this thing truly amazes me as far as durability. I've seen gimbal footage first hand and am looking forward to mine as a tool for everything from broadcast commercials to indie cinema.

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  • It seems like falling copters soon will be quite common and usual

  • Quadrocopter failsafe algorithm: Recovery after propeller loss

  • Shot entirely on GH2 and GH3.

  • Amazing...

  • Chinese brushless gimbal for gopro hero 3 black on hexacopter DIY . First try.

  • We are very excited to announce that with a firmware update, the Phantom 2 Vision will be able to capture and store pictures in Adobe DNG raw format in-camera. The update will be released in late December.

    http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2013/12/dji-phantom-2-quadcopter-to-add-dng-support.html

  • Phantom FC40

    image

    Functions:

    1. Multiple control modes: GPS flight mode and ATTI flight mode
    2. Selectable manual flight mode and Failsafe activation
    3. Intelligent orientation control (IOC)
    4. Enhanced Failsafe mode
    5. Low voltage protection

    Built-in NAZA-M V2 flight control system (GPS, compass, receiver), available software configuration and online upgrade and Flight propulsion system.

    5.8GHz Transmitter

    • Working in 5.8GHz frequency bandwidth with a maximum communication distance of 500m
    • 6-channels
    • Quick remote controller mode switching via PHANTOM RC Assistant Software: Mode1, Mode2
    • Selectable compliance versions: FCC, CE

    Equipped with DJI FC40 Camera

    1. User friendly smartphone App for First Person View (FPV)
    2. Light weight 2.4G Wi-Fi camera with 720p/30fps HD video, maximum communication distance 100m
    3. 10x digital zoom function while in FPV
    4. Digital low latency live preview
    5. Camera control and capture via mobile device
    6. Capture images and record video while flying
    7. In-phone album synchronization

    http://www.dji.com/product/phantom-fc40/

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  • Real Nice !

  • Few episodes of using hexacopters in Gold Rush (Discovery), I think they are using Sony NEX as cameras