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Quad and Hexa copters
  • I am personally very interested in using small m43 cameras on this things.
    Can be used for documentaries then you need plans of big structures from above or
    want to show details of real huge things.
    But never actually tried this.

    Example of usage:

    550D and special module to follow target.
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  • This could solve a lot of robberies... Just attach a Follow ME to the crook and let the copter chase 'em! With live video out it could be broadcast right away.
  • I have checked it out and the mikrokopter is the platform of choice right now. If you are handy with DIY and I am talking about some advanced stuff like SMD soldering you can build a very nice platform for around 2k.

    They have GPS navigation, video down linking, you can program a predefined flight path, the list goes on.

    This is a personal UAV, and its starting to get a lot of attention so if you want one get them while you can. I bet they will be illegal as soon as some dick head straps a bunch of C4 to one.

    Check them out over here:
    http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/MikroKopter
  • Pretty cool, nice little DIY project for me some day :)
  • I am also very interested in this. Most of what I have seen, including microkopter has varying degrees of instability. The best videos come from quadrocopter (around 45k) and cinestar (10-15k) although I am not sure if they are like this out of the box.

  • Thats one impressive copter.
  • Hello everyone,
    I work in a film production company that uses GH2s on octocopters as well. Our first octocopter came from a company called service-drohne that produces here in Germany. They are REALLY expensive, but they work perfectly out of the box. Currently, we are working on our own octocopters which are bigger and more stable. The largest version can carry up to 12 kilos and has a very nice giro-stabilized 360 degrees cam mount. I can post some footage of that monster soon ;) right now, it is still in the testing phase.
  • Does anyone have such a thing and found good way to downlink the live view during film mode? We built a hdmi-fbas converter, but the downlink is not as stable as we would like it to be.
  • What are good HDMI downlink solutions to comtrol the framing? There is not much on the market by now ...
  • Well, so far there are only two options I think. Either you convert the hdmi signal to s-video and stream it or you install a small camera with s-video out that films the VF or the LCD of the cam in use.
  • Sorry, I mean hdmi to composite FBAS
  • That is what we use!
  • the eye3 looks amazing (ever more when you consider the price). I seriously can't wait to see the results/user review for this!

  • wow this eye3 sounds very promising and it looks like the project will be a go. I will wait and see what early adopter say if the project is a go. Thanks for sharing VK

  • This seems like a no brainer. Would love to here critique from members with experience.

  • a lot of people are using gopros on the ar parrots. i've yet to see any instance where the combo is used professionally, but the potential is there, parrot v2 is coming out soon, and the gopro2 is out.

  • that eye3 looks amazing, There is a lot of talk of autopilot, gps, waypoints (you can go without autopilot as well), and I wonder what actual control the autopilot will allow for. Ideally, something like the AR parrot would be well suited for many needs, where it is self stabilizing but allows full control of movement.

    Throw a gyro stabalized pan/tilt camera mount, and you should be able to mount any number of cameras/motion cameras on this!

    very excited.

  • Sorry, guys, but I have lot's of experience with this stuff and can tell you that Eye3 is a load of Bull$hit. There are no shortcuts and it doesn't come cheap, period. It takes a lot of time to learn how to properly fly and tune these copters, which are barely a couple years old in development. I can guarantee if you have no or little experience flying RC heli's (not planes, very different) you WILL take this thing out and crash and do major damage to your gear, (which since you didn't build, have no idea how to fix) and potentially cause property damage and/or injury. These are NOT 'robots', contrary to how many times she said the word in that video. It is a computer that stabilizes the craft, but you MUST know how to fly. To say a beginner can easily do it is a laugh, and outright irresponsible, IMO. Secondly, the proper tools are very expensive to get professional results taking video. Minimum $10k. I have spent over triple that and still have more to go. It's a full-time job. The other monkey wrench is that if you live in the USA, there are regulations coming from the FAA which will make it illegal without the proper certificates and licenses $$$, and it's already a grey area, with many operations being shut down. There are already regulations in the UK, Australia, Canada, and a few other countries. Having over 20 years experience in RC planes, 8 years in heli's, I wouldn't recommend anyone try to use these copters for professional video, unless you have a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of drive. If you just want to fly around a field and get some videos from a cheapo copter, by all means, go for it. it's fun. But if you're expecting pro results from something like the Eye3...no way that's going to happen.

    Here's my demo, after building and tuning the heli for a year.

  • It will happen. Just like Military fighter planes couldn't be stable without computers. I think some clever programmers will design stabilization and flight assistance. So your $700 Gh-2 can be flown with less of a chance of crashing it. I think there is a pretty big hobby market for a "SEGWAY" type copter that is crash resistant.

  • @yeehaanow

    Something in this things makes guys with old helicopters expirience oppose them :-) I think it is stabilization software and a way this things fly. As flying RC heli or plane is real skill. Takes big time. And this things introduce inflation. But they'll be highly popular anyway soon.

  • @yeehaanow Well i think you where beginner also while ago ?! Technology helps a lot, i think the Eye3 is promising and lot cheaper than some others with same features ...

  • @yeehaanow i need your "lights"!!! Can you inform me what do you suggest for helicopter maximum 1000 dollars cost? without the rc controller. Need it for the Gopro. I have only 2 month experience, so i still learning with small models. And i live in Europe, Greece, so no restrictions by the law (yet!!!)

  • @yeehaanow, thanks for the info but I will wait and see what early adopters of the eye3 say. With all the backer of the project, I think it's a go and I will wait and see what they say. Also I'm waiting on the FAA "rules" considering that for the past 5 plus years, a guy in my neighborhood regularly flies is RC planes and helicopter just less than 100m from a Federal court and police station and I am yet to see any person tell him to stop.

  • Something a bunch of people are having success with is the DJI NAZA F450 quadcopter. The kit is $450 plus radio, batteries and charger. That would bring you up to about $1000. Plus you need a camera mount. I'm in the process of building one based off that controller right now. I don't think the standard kit will lift a gh2 comfortably but mine will :) Do lot's of research before buying. Rcgroups.com multirotorforums.com helifreak.com for starters. My whole point is not to expect pro results without paying your dues and a whole lot of money.