Excited, and then Deflated
- Thread starter ragboy
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That is an excellent video. That isn't going to help any with encoding or bitrate issues, but if I can bump the quality by locking in the balance and exposure, then it may make the video more acceptable. I will do some more testing. I have watched several Captain Drone videos and they have been great.
Glad to hear in one sense that others acknowledge this isn't the best camera and needs some work. There is always some trade off isn't there? It is worth the effort for me to give it another shot since I so much loved the way the drone flew, and game me such a stable platform. It is true that I could get a Inspire or some other more professional drone, but doing everything the way we do over water and then traveling to many locations, I have to keep the replacement cost down. So far I have been pretty lucky, but when your best shot is 8 feet off of the water following a boat at close distance, sh*t happens. ;-)
I will report back how it goes, and hopefully feature some of that content.
Glad to hear in one sense that others acknowledge this isn't the best camera and needs some work. There is always some trade off isn't there? It is worth the effort for me to give it another shot since I so much loved the way the drone flew, and game me such a stable platform. It is true that I could get a Inspire or some other more professional drone, but doing everything the way we do over water and then traveling to many locations, I have to keep the replacement cost down. So far I have been pretty lucky, but when your best shot is 8 feet off of the water following a boat at close distance, sh*t happens. ;-)
I will report back how it goes, and hopefully feature some of that content.
In my opinion one should NEVER use automatic white balance because it will change depending on what is in the scene. Include lots of blue sky or snow and the camera will try to compensate by warming the scene. Similar concerns apply to auto exposure -- snow or overcast skies will make most cameras think that the scene is overexposed, and result in underexposure in an attempt to compensate.
Dramatically changing light conditions may mean having to rely on auto exposure (thankfully the current firmware has an EV setting to fine-tune the behavior), but you should never use automatic white balance. Either always set it for Sunny (my preference, to preserve the actual feeling of the light at the time of the recording), or use a custom white balance that is locked.
Dramatically changing light conditions may mean having to rely on auto exposure (thankfully the current firmware has an EV setting to fine-tune the behavior), but you should never use automatic white balance. Either always set it for Sunny (my preference, to preserve the actual feeling of the light at the time of the recording), or use a custom white balance that is locked.
Have you considered the Typhoon G with your GoPro? Best of both worlds for your application although things will appear farther away and more fisheye distortion. Trade-offs.
You are right that the 1080px120 is just a zoomed-in portion of the view at 4k. Therefore, when viewed at the same size, the detail suffers. Bandwidth.
Good advice about setting the WB and Exp before flying. Saves work in post. I use a white/gray standard and try to underexpose slightly (as seen on the screen).
PatR
Premium Pilot
There are a lot of Phantoms and Inspires sitting in the bottom of the ocean, and a few things costing 10x -25x as much. I know of a Gryphon Dynamics 900 mm with a Red and MoVi sitting off the coast of South Africa. Only you know what you can afford to lose
Many of the needed corrections have already been mentioned, but I will ask... did you even try 1080x60FPS
to see if the slower frame rate would improve your results? The CGO3 is a reasonable camera for the cost,
but it does have all the limitations of a 2/3 sensor and is known to not have that great of a dynamic tonal range.
Only the upcoming larger 1" sensor in the E50 will significantly change that.
to see if the slower frame rate would improve your results? The CGO3 is a reasonable camera for the cost,
but it does have all the limitations of a 2/3 sensor and is known to not have that great of a dynamic tonal range.
Only the upcoming larger 1" sensor in the E50 will significantly change that.
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I have more testing to do, etc. But I must have 1080/120, slo-mo is a huge part of what I do when filming surfing. As far as the comments about getting a red, or "this is a consumer camera so what do you expect?" etc, I am only comparing it to consumer cameras. The typhoon H is not a Spark or Breeze, it is def more on the end of Prosumer, or hobbyist. I don't think it is unreasonable that I expected quality in the same ballpark with the hero 4, phantom 3, or autel XSP. Its a good drone, but the camera is definitely lacking. I am hoping I can workout some settings, and a quick workflow so that the extra time and effort is worth it for me. Captain Drone did a good job of showing some good quick techniques with good return.
I know that the CGO3+ is not going to give me RED quality, or the quality of my Canon. Not expecting that.
I know that the CGO3+ is not going to give me RED quality, or the quality of my Canon. Not expecting that.
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Yuneec E50 Distortion Free Camera - All Glass 50mm Lens (H520, Typhoon H, H920+ Plus)
That E50x looks cool, can't wait to see it. If the quality is good, and it snaps on the H, I would be in for that. ;-)
That E50x looks cool, can't wait to see it. If the quality is good, and it snaps on the H, I would be in for that. ;-)
Oops, Typhoon G is based on the Q500, not the H. Big difference.
I could not find anyone who has successfully attached a GoPro to a TH. I'll bet it could be done. Use the ST16 to control the gimbal and use the GoPro app on an iPhone or whatever to see what the camera is seeing. Who's going to do the mashup?
PatR
Premium Pilot
The above was never suggested at all, only that we fly over water that which we are willing to afford to lose. If higher quality levels are desired perhaps upping the exposure level is required. That's all I was referring to. We should keep in mind there's a difference between action/sports cameras and most multirotor cameras as well, but some of what you desire is available on higher priced equipment. Another option might be to try and find a 3DR Solo. It's fast, stable, good flight time, reliable, programmable, and uses the Go Pro. If you can find a new one it will be bought pretty cheap.
Research your options based upon the needs, and review differences in capabilities prior to spending your money, not afterwards.
What do you know, I did have a reference video recorded at 1080p before updating my Typhoon H wandering on my files! 
It's the same location, so I tried to record similar takes (nothing cool, just one of my random casual flights). Obviously the lighting is different (also no oracle of seasons.. 6 months have passed between shots) Since we are all imaging enthusiasts, I hope we all can see beyond only the different light conditions.
Older flight was recorded with shutter speed and white balance on Auto, most recent video had White Balance Manual.
Same aircraft, same camera, same lens. No color correction at all; only edition performed was to match similar takes and, obviously, to split screen.
Left: Recorded on January 10, 2016 running Sept 1st 2016 Firmware -> Shutter + WB auto
Right: Recorded on July 28, 2017 running March 17th 2017 Firmware -> Shutter auto, WB manual (locked)
Not the best comparison, but I hope someone finds it helpful. Encoded at same bitrate of CGO3+ at this speed.. Hopefully youtube encoding wont impact too much quality..
Greetings!
It's the same location, so I tried to record similar takes (nothing cool, just one of my random casual flights). Obviously the lighting is different (also no oracle of seasons.. 6 months have passed between shots) Since we are all imaging enthusiasts, I hope we all can see beyond only the different light conditions.
Older flight was recorded with shutter speed and white balance on Auto, most recent video had White Balance Manual.
Same aircraft, same camera, same lens. No color correction at all; only edition performed was to match similar takes and, obviously, to split screen.
Left: Recorded on January 10, 2016 running Sept 1st 2016 Firmware -> Shutter + WB auto
Right: Recorded on July 28, 2017 running March 17th 2017 Firmware -> Shutter auto, WB manual (locked)
Not the best comparison, but I hope someone finds it helpful. Encoded at same bitrate of CGO3+ at this speed.. Hopefully youtube encoding wont impact too much quality..
Greetings!
Very frustrating to hear someone say that they have a lot of experience with video and then talk about auto settings. I do own a drone video company for real estate, golf courses, x-games, and for motoX. I would never use auto settings. I take into consideration my subject, light source, reflections, shading, wind direction, etc and use ND filters to maximize shutter and ISO settings. I use DJI Phantom 4 pro, DJI Inspire 2, and typhoon h920 plus , typhoon h. My choice of drone depends on what all of those earlier considerations were. I also would probably use 3 different drones simultaneously to get all of the shots, not just one ride along set 8 feet up and out. You are on a lake, use the sun properly as a friend and choose the direction of travel to compliment the subject (you). There are people that have played sports for several decades that aren't professionals. The right training and education separates the amateurs and professionals.
Lots of good suggestions from Avery, I realize for many people this is a part time pursuit or just a hobby but the waters get pretty muddy fast with the virtual zero respect a hobbyist has for how difficult it is to deliver meaningful and technically sound content when they approach it as "Ive got a drone now I'm going to shoot professional photos and videos". It reminds me a bit of when layout and design software was first introduced....everyone thought they could design their own work. On top of that some people charge $25 for an aerial photo and give news photos to outlets for free...when I taught a business practices of photography class I tried to instill in the attendees that low ball pricing was suicidal and if they didn't recognize that what they were producing was a valuable commodity than neither would anyone else. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts to being a good photographer or videographer and it's sad to see how low the bar goes down every day with those who think there are. Aside from receiving a just fee for their creative work a professional is constantly increasing their knowledge base and figuring out how to deliver the best content reliably on every assignment...not rotating a roulette wheel and hoping they got something "good enough".
PatR
Premium Pilot
I gave an hourly quote to someone the other day. I'm of the feeling it was a bit low since they jumped all over it. $100.00/hour per operator with travel and post work part of the billable time. That's for a long term contract averaging 10-14 hours per day per operator.
From my perspective that's a rate that provides minimum profit after direct labor and overhead expenses and then only if hourly volume is high. It's not possible for a single operator to make money at a straight $100.00/hour rate for just the time on set/location.
OTOH, I'm not a highly technical person, just one that spends a lot of time learning my equipment before attempting to create a professional level product. Because of that I suppose I don't know everything there is to know about something as soon as I have it in my hands. Only a true highly technical expert knows it all. In my mind nothing I produce is ever good enough. It can always be better and what I experienced today will help improve my product tomorrow. I don't ever blame my equipment unless the equipment experienced a component failure, at which time the equipment is removed from the shoot and replaced with another. What I use for equipment is determined by knowledge and experience with the equipment selected. If it's the wrong equipment for the application the fault is mine for making the wrong choice, not the equipment's. To make the wrong equipment choice clearly indicates I did not understand the equipment well enough to make a good decision. Total failure on my part.
Avery,
Thanks for your post. I've been sitting back hoping someone would speak up as you did.
My thoughts match Avery's pretty near exactly in his post. Although he's not someone I am familiar with he gained a lot of my respect in his post by noting that no one tool can do all jobs in the manner a job may require. Mickey, to me, is a known master of his trade, and to dispute him is foolhardy and establishes those that do so are in a defensive mode. Those that elect to dispute what he tries to teach them won't lose the debate but they'll certainly lose the respect of their more experienced, knowledgable, and talented peers.
From my perspective that's a rate that provides minimum profit after direct labor and overhead expenses and then only if hourly volume is high. It's not possible for a single operator to make money at a straight $100.00/hour rate for just the time on set/location.
OTOH, I'm not a highly technical person, just one that spends a lot of time learning my equipment before attempting to create a professional level product. Because of that I suppose I don't know everything there is to know about something as soon as I have it in my hands. Only a true highly technical expert knows it all
. In my mind nothing I produce is ever good enough. It can always be better and what I experienced today will help improve my product tomorrow. I don't ever blame my equipment unless the equipment experienced a component failure, at which time the equipment is removed from the shoot and replaced with another. What I use for equipment is determined by knowledge and experience with the equipment selected. If it's the wrong equipment for the application the fault is mine for making the wrong choice, not the equipment's. To make the wrong equipment choice clearly indicates I did not understand the equipment well enough to make a good decision. Total failure on my part.Avery,
Thanks for your post. I've been sitting back hoping someone would speak up as you did.
My thoughts match Avery's pretty near exactly in his post. Although he's not someone I am familiar with he gained a lot of my respect in his post by noting that no one tool can do all jobs in the manner a job may require. Mickey, to me, is a known master of his trade, and to dispute him is foolhardy and establishes those that do so are in a defensive mode. Those that elect to dispute what he tries to teach them won't lose the debate but they'll certainly lose the respect of their more experienced, knowledgable, and talented peers.
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For the best camera quality with yuneec you need to wait on to the E90 camera
But it seems that this camera will only work with the new Typhoon H520
PatR
Premium Pilot
I retired from the UAV career for three reasons; I wanted to go home and stay home, I was fed up with corporate BS, and I wanted to devote all my time to a small aerial business instead of only a little bit
. To retire from full time work with nothing productive to fill that time sees most die within a year of retirement. There's still too many fun things to do
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So about auto settings. I have tested with using a phone connected to the CGO3+ to lock in better settings. That helped a lot, but the 120fps quality is still subpar compared to other drones in the same price range, like the Autel XSP.
There is NO question locking in good settings gives much better results, but the environment can be a hinderance. When you are on a boat on the lake the way we are, and we can't hold up for too long, we have to get setup and shoot quick, you gotta go. Also, I don't always trust what I see on the phone or iPad screen as to what it is going to look like when I get it to FCPX. So most of the time if I am using a HERO for instance, and use auto, it looks great, and then the occasional artifacts you see while it "shifts" exposure or balance while filming, while annoying, are pretty subtle and handled fairly well. The CGO3+ does a very bad job with this, and others have definitely pointed that out.
So the question to me is if I can find a workflow with the H, where I quickly set lock in WB and Exposure without taking too much time, and also trust the decisions I make looking at the screen, while floating on the boat in sunlight. I did a test in our meadow (I live in the mountains on 26 acres) with an ATV in follow mode with my kids it felt good, 4k is gorgeous when set right, and I think I can live with the 120FPS. When I got the video to my mac, it was what I expected to see, after using my iPhone 7 to eyeball it and lock it in. Thanks to Captain Drone for some good tips on that, and then also the tip to switch to natural, that helped a ton. I will post up a short clip.
There is NO question locking in good settings gives much better results, but the environment can be a hinderance. When you are on a boat on the lake the way we are, and we can't hold up for too long, we have to get setup and shoot quick, you gotta go. Also, I don't always trust what I see on the phone or iPad screen as to what it is going to look like when I get it to FCPX. So most of the time if I am using a HERO for instance, and use auto, it looks great, and then the occasional artifacts you see while it "shifts" exposure or balance while filming, while annoying, are pretty subtle and handled fairly well. The CGO3+ does a very bad job with this, and others have definitely pointed that out.
So the question to me is if I can find a workflow with the H, where I quickly set lock in WB and Exposure without taking too much time, and also trust the decisions I make looking at the screen, while floating on the boat in sunlight. I did a test in our meadow (I live in the mountains on 26 acres) with an ATV in follow mode with my kids it felt good, 4k is gorgeous when set right, and I think I can live with the 120FPS. When I got the video to my mac, it was what I expected to see, after using my iPhone 7 to eyeball it and lock it in. Thanks to Captain Drone for some good tips on that, and then also the tip to switch to natural, that helped a ton. I will post up a short clip.
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