Does this video look right?

[PatR]

That’s the exact reason Vimeo exists. You never really know what you’re receiving from YouTube, YouTube auto degrades resolution to match your internet speed, and there are often big differences between what YouTube was given and what they ended up streaming. Vimeo is always very, very close in delivery to what was obtained, and if your internet speed is slow the video buffers until it can be delivered in large enough segments to view.

YouTube is for instant gratification, hit counts, and eventual ad revenue. Vimeo is for film makers that deliver high quality product and insist on maintaining that quality for various purposes.

 

[Old Fart]

In the old days, it would have been contributed one or more of your blades being out of balance. I would tend to lean in that direction.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

In the old days, it would have been contributed one or more of your blades being out of balance. I would tend to lean in that direction.

Definitely... again, with my own use of this lens, the additional magnification will make apparent any slight vibration... prop balancing is an absolute must when using the Peau 8.25mm, to minimize that factor.

[EDIT, for clarity]

Prop balancing alone, will not remove enough vibration to significantly improve video output, but it is a good practice to remove as many vibration sources as possible... if intending on using a longer lens for photographic inspections.

 

[PatR]

Balancing props won’t even come close to stabilizing the image obtained with longer focal lengths. You’ll be trying to fix the wrong component.

Anyone that has used aerial cameras with variable focal lengths knows that more zoom delivers less image stabilization. The more an image is magnified the more effort the stabilization system has to expend to correct for motion. At high magnification levels a gimbal, even with additional electronic stabilization, cannot effectively mitigate the effects of small movements.

I’ve used aerial cameras with mechanical-lossless and digital zoom levels up to 100x. Well before the digital zoom feature is entered the image requires a highly specialized secondary computer to “massage” the imagery to render it functionally useful for viewing. People can experience the issue with a hand held camera. Set the camera up to shoot using the stock lens at 1/30 of a second. Take a couple pictures holding the camera as still as you can. Now remove the stock kit lens snd install a 300mm or greater lens. Don’t change the shutter speed and take a few pictures of the same subject while fully zoomed in. I’ll quickly wager your 300mm+ image won’t be as good as it was with the kit lens. And you didn’t have to balance the props to find that out[emoji6]

Anyone taking single frame images runs into serious problems as some ultra high end stabilization methods require multiple frames to generate an “averaged” image clear enough to use. Grabbing any single frame from the footage provides a terrible picture.

The stabilization employed by Yuneec products is designed to function correctly only when using the factory equipment at factory focal lengths. Anything outside of those alters the vibration frequency harmonics and/or weight tolerance the system was designed to deal with.

 

[NorWiscPilot]

To my knowledge there is no stabilization used in Yuneec cameras... I have used the stabilization program offered by Mercalli

Mercalli V4 SAL

I do not know that recording at 1920x1080 would help, as that basically further crops the 4K area to HD.

As far as my reference to high shutter speeds... the following only applies when you are using the camera for photographs, not video. Settings for optimal photos are not the same settings for optimal video. The shakiness that is apparent in the video is caused by a slight amount of movement between the camera and the subject.

In a still photo the same shakiness will make the photo appear blurry at slow shutter speeds... (for example the video shutter speed of 1/60 that TyPilot mentions above). However not using ND filters when shooting photos, produces high shutter speeds of 1/1000 or 1/2000... shutter speeds in this range will completely eliminate that blur by reducing that exposure timeframe and "freezing" the image.

Excellent example, sir!

 

[Rubik]

Everything you've read here about the limits of the TH gimbal with a "telephoto" lens is true. Try running a section of your shaky video through a stabilizing software. I've been on the hunt for a good post stabilizer. My trusty PowerDirector 16 lets me down in this area. Try DaVinci Resolve (free version). There are a couple of tutorials on YouTube showing how to find and use the stabilizer function. I've found that it does an excellent job, especially minimizing the dreaded rolling shutter effect. I'm also giving Mercalli V4 SAL a try (trial version).
One more thing. Since no stabilization software can correct motion blur recorded in a frame, you can make your 4K video easier to correct in post by using the highest shutter speed available (and lowest ISO possible). That means, no ND filter. This way each frame will have minimal motion blur.
Update: I just compared DaVinci Resolve and Mercalli V4 stabilizers on a shaky hand-held video of mine. Mercalli won.
Update 2: I just compared again on an TH aerial timelapse. DaVinci was much better. So, it depends.

 

[jcommstudios]

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I shot this footage today with the setting you recommended...I am still not sure I have it right...BTW, the darkest ND filter I have is the 8, I will look into getting a 16 later.

TW

@Texas_Willie ... The 8.25 is known for the magnification exploiting any shake or movement the H makes. After much research I went with the 3.97 which looks great, has the same color profile settings as the original lens and although has a tighter FOV does not amplify the shake of the drone itself. Someone mentioned the Mercalli 4 stabilizer. I have used it since version 2 for both camera and drone footage. It will settle down the shaking but you will also sacrifice some video quality as it pushes the image out to eliminate the shake and any borders. I use it rarely and only with problematic footage. You should get good results with stills but everything I have read and the videos I have watched comment on the need to stabilize the footage with the 8.25.

 

[Rubik]

@Texas_Willie ... The 8.25 is known for the magnification exploiting any shake or movement the H makes. After much research I went with the 3.97 which looks great, has the same color profile settings as the original lens and although has a tighter FOV does not amplify the shake of the drone itself. Someone mentioned the Mercalli 4 stabilizer. I have used it since version 2 for both camera and drone footage. It will settle down the shaking but you will also sacrifice some video quality as it pushes the image out to eliminate the shake and any borders. I use it rarely and only with problematic footage. You should get good results with stills but everything I have read and the videos I have watched comment on the need to stabilize the footage with the 8.25.

See my Update 2 above.