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Mini Zoom Lens for H !

No glue? You're sadly misinformed I posted pictures three days ago of my removal of the stock lens with one shot showing how heavily glued the lens is...solution is to apply Isopropyl alcohol which makes it brittle then chip it off...I used dental pick...
 

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Funny, but mine has NO GLUE ! and screws right off! So I am not "SADLY" misinformed my friend!! maybe lucky ! never had a camera drone with a glued on lens and still don't ! I have had them have a lubricant seal, but not glue! So if yours is glued fine, but maybe others are not, or I am just one in thousands that isn't ;)
 
Funny, but mine has NO GLUE ! and screws right off! So I am not "SADLY" misinformed my friend!! maybe lucky ! never had a camera drone with a glued on lens and still don't ! I have had them have a lubricant seal, but not glue! So if yours is glued fine, but maybe others are not, or I am just one in thousands that isn't ;)

That's quite interesting reguarding "no glue" I've been in touch with several people who are doing this mod and everyone except you had heavy glue/ paste thanks for correcting me regarding your own experience. So the lens was changed by exchanging mounts with lens intact? Sometimes the plastic mounts for various vendors differ...that would be easiest way of course if they match of changing the lens...modifying my GoPros I ran into that problem of plastic bases not being compatible. Look at the first picture on my post and you will see how heavily glue is applied...what did they use to keep it from coming unfocused on yours?
 
I see that on your pictures and I see what you mean, mine just has a silicone type lube/film around it. It is not wet, but did not require and excessive force to dislodge? May be a defect? Now you got me concerned it will shift? never did before
 
Eventually vibration could cause it to do so, one rather simple solution which many of us used with GoPro mods was to wrap the thin white plumbers tape around the threads...another is to use an O ring. Again I apologize and it's great you've informed me of this as I've already noted it in my other post about how to do it.
 
Eventually vibration could cause it to do so, one rather simple solution which many of us used with GoPro mods was to wrap the thin white plumbers tape around the threads...another is to use an O ring. Again I apologize and it's great you've informed me of this as I've already noted it in my other post about how to do it.
No problem at all!, so do you think the glue yours has, is more for stability or air/moisture tight? I better take mine off and put some plumbers tape on it?
 
Okay so I was right then? You DO have to remove the housing and exchange it for something that holds this? So that does NOT simply screw on like the PolarPro ND filter?

I am confused. i:)i

All I am saying is that of I have to do surgery on my camera it is not for me. i:)i
 
Okay so I was right then? You DO have to remove the housing and exchange it for something that holds this? So that does NOT simply screw on like the PolarPro ND filter?

I am confused. i:)i

All I am saying is that of I have to do surgery on my camera it is not for me. i:)i
Yes you're level of confusion or perhaps my inability to explain the process clearly leads me to believe you're better off not doing this yourself.
 
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This is just my opinion of course but I want to mention that since this is a prime lens and only zooms what the H can do nativity you don't gain much. It is not enough FOV zoom over the original to be worth altering the lens housing if you have to. If it is simply a filter replacement this point is moot.

You are shooting in 4K so you can just zoom the image a bit in post and will get the same results. The data is there. 4K has a lot of resolution so you would not miss much. I have done this to shoot wider then zoom in on parts to look like it was shot at different zooms and angles.

You can also shoot in the highest 4K resolution, called DCI which is 4096 x 2160 and scale it down to UHD-1 which is 3840 x 2160. That will give the appearance of a slight zoom.
 
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This is just my opinion of course but I want to mention that since this is a prime lens and only zooms what the H can do nativity you don't gain much. It is not enough FOV zoom over the original to be worth altering the lens housing if you have to. If it is simply a filter replacement this point is moot.

You are shooting in 4K so you can just zoom the image a bit in post and will get the same results. The data is there. 4K has a lot of resolution so you would not miss much. I have done this to shoot wider then zoom in on parts to look like it was shot at different zooms and angles.

You can also shoot in the highest 4K resolution, called DCI which is 4096 x 2160 and scale it down to UHD-1 which is 3840 x 2160. That will give the appearance of a very slight zoom.


What we are talking about here is a lens with a different focal length not a "zoom". If you installed a 3.9mm lens your field of view would become 82 degrees this is quite a difference form the stock lens which has a FOV of 98 degrees, many of us use these cameras for stills and for things which need to be photographed with the least amount of distortion. Yes if you're just shooting 4 K video and then cropping it you can arrive at similar results...but that requires an overall decrease in resolution both for stills and video when most of us already think the camera needs more resolution thus the desire to modify the lens which gives you a less distorted image without having to sacrifice resolution is a reasonable solution.
 
But it does more for the camera than just change the focal length, It improve quality of stills for many shots!
 
But it does more for the camera than just change the focal length, It improve quality of stills for many shots!
It sure does improve the shots and video, architects don't want distorted views of their structures nor do real estate brokers, plus a smaller field of view eliminates props in shots and it causes less flare when shooting towards the sun (which I try to avoid but it's sometimes necessary).
 
It sure does improve the shots and video, architects don't want distorted views of their structures nor do real estate brokers, plus a smaller field of view eliminates props in shots and it causes less flare when shooting towards the sun (which I try to avoid but it's sometimes necessary).
I agree!
 
What we are talking about here is a lens with a different focal length not a "zoom". If you installed a 3.9mm lens your field of view would become 82 degrees this is quite a difference form the stock lens which has a FOV of 98 degrees, many of us use these cameras for stills and for things which need to be photographed with the least amount of distortion. Yes if you're just shooting 4 K video and then cropping it you can arrive at similar results...but that requires an overall decrease in resolution both for stills and video when most of us already think the camera needs more resolution thus the desire to modify the lens which gives you a less distorted image without having to sacrifice resolution is a reasonable solution.

Agreed that it is not a "zoom" lens, it is a prime, I was keeping it basic for non camera guys. It looks "zoomed" compared to the native H's image. That is why some call it a zoom.

Also yes you do lose some resolution if you zoom in on the image in post but it would not really be that much overall. You would hardly notice it in video for the difference between the "mini-zoom" and native FOV.

I am talking video here not stills. 4K for video resolution is very high. To me this camera is NOT a (good) still camera even though it can take stills.

Photography is not my area, to me this is a video platform. I am an amateur videographer, not a photographer. Different skill set. i:)i

For the record I am not saying not use this or buy one. What I am saying is that, for video, it is not worth tearing the original lens apart if that is required. I don't think you will gain enough.

Then again if you are good at that stuff and can do it it certainly can't hurt to have different lens. I am not adverse to this lens.

I am just saying that if you do only video and want a more "zoomed" image, you can do it is post easier and get very similar results.

Hope I am explaining myself correctly.
 
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Agreed that it is not a "zoom" lens, it is a prime, I was keeping it basic for non camera guys. It looks "zoomed" compared to the native H's image. That is why some call it a zoom.

Also yes you do lose some resolution if you zoom in on the image in post but it would not really be that much overall. You would hardly notice it in video for the difference between the "mini-zoom" and native FOV.

I am talking video here not stills. 4K for video resolution is very high. To me this camera is NOT a (good) still camera even though it can take stills.

Photograpy is not my area, to me this is a video platform. I am an armature videographer, not a photographer. Different skill set. i:)i

I've been involved with photojournalism for over 45 years, with photos in Life, Time, Newsweek etc., I've taught photography and video for drones at the college level and I've collaborated on a documentary nominated for an Academy Award, but every day I learn new things on great forums like this. (www.michaelkienitz.com) my drone website is woefully in need of update but it is at www.idroneon.com
 
I've been involved with photojournalism for over 45 years, with photos in Life, Time, Newsweek etc., I've taught photography and video for drones at the college level and I've collaborated on a documentary nominated for an Academy Award, but every day I learn new things on great forums like this. (www.michaelkienitz.com) my drone website is woefully in need of update but it is at www.idroneon.com

Agreed. BTW as you posted your response I added a bit to the end of my post above.

Congrats on your career BTW. I wish I could have done more like that. Life just did not turn out the way I wanted. Got stuck in a career that in the end is not what I wanted to do. Too late for me.

I consider myself jack of all trades. I know at least a little about a lot of things but don't consider myself an expert in anything.

Now all I have are small projects here and there. I always feel you can learn more everyday.
 
Agreed. BTW as you posted your response I added a bit to the end of my post above.

Congrats on your career BTW. I wish I could have done more like that. Life just did not turn out the way I wanted. Got stuck in a career that in the end is not what I wanted to do. Too late for me.

I consider myself jack of all trades. I know at least a little about a lot of things but don't consider myself an expert in anything.

Now all I have are small projects here and there. I always feel you can learn more everyday.

I enjoy your Frank Zappa quote, I was indeed lucky to be able to pursue a career I've enjoyed which has enriched my life...as a war photographer for 10 years I was luckier than some of my photojournalist friends who never made it back...the ability to do photography and video with drones has been simply marvelous late in my career.
 
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I've been involved with photojournalism for over 45 years, with photos in Life, Time, Newsweek etc., I've taught photography and video for drones at the college level and I've collaborated on a documentary nominated for an Academy Award, but every day I learn new things on great forums like this. (www.michaelkienitz.com) my drone website is woefully in need of update but it is at www.idroneon.com
 

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