5D CMOS Rolling Shutter problem on Helicopter

No electronic stabilizing, I was told that the stabilized lenses don`t work well in video mode.

Thanks, I will try out "The Foundry" plugin on the clip.
 
newimaging said:
No electronic stabilizing, I was told that the stabilized lenses don`t work well in video mode.
Click to expand...
Did the person who told you that specialize in flying DSLRs on remote-control helicopters? Because the only way you'll know is to ask someone who's actually done it, or to try it yourself.

I think basically you've got the wrong product for the job, the 5D is a CMOS camera and it's going to give you problems, and vibration is the worst-case scenario for a CMOS sensor. The image stabilization might help to tone it down. If you can fly it again, I highly recommend you trying with and without image stabilization so you can compare. I suspect it will help, but it'd be great to see someone actually run the comparison back to back so we know for sure.
 
We have found the 5D to be extremely intolerant of high frequency vibrations. The best approach is to use an FFT spectrum analyzer to identify and reduce the offending vibration sources to a point below the level that excites the CMOS sensor. Then all you have to do is not bump or look at the helicopter funny as to risk disturbing its state of cosmic creaminess!
 
Geez, an electric helicopter had enough power to carry a 5D, impressive. Would you know the make and model of the electric helicopter?

Is it an X8?
 
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Canon 5d Footage

Canon 5d Footage

Getting great footage from the 5D requires an extremely high level of tuning to be done on the helicopter and that requires someone who has tons of experience with helicopters and knows how to tune one. By tuning one I mean every part on the machine has to be dial indicated to very tight tolerances and then all rotating parts have to be balanced extremely well. Then you need a pilot who can fly extremely smooth and a three axis, gyro stabalized camera mount that is tuned to perfection. I may have left a few things out like the fact that all the planets have to be in perfect alignment.

I do not have any footage from my 5D on my website right now. I have two events I'm filming with the 5D before the end of March. I will have some videos on the site from the 5D shortly after. I did shoot a bunt of aerial stuff for the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerse last summer. They are running all new commercials right now. If you are in an area of the country that is getting those commercials you will see a lot of aerial footage from a 5D with the 24 mm 1.4 lens. You can also go to their website to view all of the footage. They have several video clips. Go to this address:
http://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/Media/default.html and click on the Video Tab. The main video that comes up will have quite a bit of our stuff as do most of the videos on the right hand side of the page. Hint, all of the low altitude beach shots with the beach umbrellas and the chase scenes through downtown Myrtle Beach chasing two girls on Scooters. In the bottom video on the right hand side titled "Beach House Giveaway" all of the scenes of the white multi story beach house was filmed by me with the 5D. There are also a lot of higher altitude Aerial Video scenes in these commercials that was done from a full scale helicopter. All of the 5D footage is as it came out of the camera, minus being converted to 29.97 for broadcast. On clip had to be stabalized as I had to hover just a few inches off the ground inside a pool fense and the turbulance from the rotor wash was terrible. I had to ease the helicopter forward slowly and then climb straight up once I reached the edge of the pool.

I did see one thing that was very disturbing to me in you video and that was that you flew over the two girls that were sitting in the chairs, at low altitude, while they were looking the other way. These things are extremely dangerous and being that it is a helicopter, they are never 100% reliable. I have no problem flying over a few people as long as they are made fully aware of the risks and they are briefed on what to do if I were to yell "I have a Problem". I also would not fly over somone at such a lot altitude as there would be no reaction time. Good news, you video actually looks much better than most that I have seen using a 5D.

Electric helis like mine, with a three axis mount typically weigh in around 27 to 28 pounds, but they are capable of lifting much more if needed. I can carry a stripped down Red One no problem. Electric helis at 30 pounds like mine, equiped properly can fly at 14000 feet. The only real down side to electric helis is the shorter run times. My machine will sit in a hover at 100 degrees F for 12 minutes. If I am cruising the whole flight at 10 to 40 mph it will cruise for 20 plus minutes. The ideal power plant for this application is a turbine powered machine, but they are extremely expensive, extremely complicated and extremely loud. For any job that I have been on run time has not been an issue. Most aerial shot that would be taken with an R/C chopper only last a few minutes. An electric powered machine that is fulled by a Barillium Sphere or Dilithium Crystal would be the cat's butt. Somehow I don't think I will live long enough to see that day.

Most every R/C helicopter being used by the very few professional that do this is mostly custom made stuffor at the very least, highly modified. There are some turn key pakages out there, but none of them will deliver anywhere close to acceptable footage from a 5D or probably any other camera for that matter right out of the box. Like they say "If it was easy, everybody would be doing it".

Wayne Mann
www.HeliCamHDmedia.com
 
IS Lenses

IS Lenses

Sorry, I forgot to ansewer the question about IS Lenses. I have flown my 24-105 IS many times with and without the IS turned on. If I was going to be filming an event and the camera was going to be pointed pretty much in the same direction all the time, I might would use it. I do not like the way it performs when panning the camera mount or when making a turn with the helicopter.

Long story short, it will NOT fix any vibration problems in the helicopter that is getting to the camera.


Wayne Mann
www.HeliCamHDmedia.com
 
Hi Chip,

I have a good friend that owns an Exec 90. I have been up in it a couple times....only because I know him and trust his building skills, plus he does some work for RotorWay. Your example was $39,000. I assume that you have found some Bank Repos for a whole lot less. Having flown in this type and Robinson's R-22s and 44s I can tell you that they have some serious two per rev harmonic thumps going on. You will probably have to spend a fortune for a camera mount that is good enough to handle that vibration.

We do not try to replace the services that full scale helicopters provide. Our whole nitch is being able to get down very low and somewhat close to subjects which allows us to get some very creative shots. Also set up time with an R/C Helicopter is minimal once we're on set and if the powers that be don't like the shot it is quick to try the shot from many different perspectives as opposed to having to resetup the equipment, whatever that may be, to try the shot from a different perspective.


Wayne Mann
www.HeliCamHDmedia.com
 
Ohh I agree! I just can't believe how expensive they are getting these days, nothing better than a little heli to put in the back of your production vehicle for a quick shot.

One of my companies is an aviation business, I buy and sell rolls royce allison 250 series turbine jet engines that power bell jet rangers, md500's etc. and a few jet rangers / md 500 helicopters over the years. I thought about selling the turbine conversions at one time for rotorways, not much money in it though. I almost bought a turbine exec 3 years ago to keep in my back yard for fun. Good times :)
 
Our large twin cylinder gas powered helis are some of the smoothest in the business yet I doubt that the 5D would be happy riding on one. I have never tried as these machines are primarily used to carry the Red and modified 35mm motion picture cameras. Using some very sophisticated equipment however we have been able to get excellent raw, unstabilized video from this camera on our electric models as shown in this recent commercial work that was aired during Super Bowl XXXXIV -

http://www.uakron.edu/im/online-new...910756&crumbTitle=Sneak peek at Super Bowl ad

I agree 100% with Wayne about not flying over persons who aren't part of the crew/talent that have not been briefed on safety/emergency procedures. The average person is oblivious to risks that they are unknowingly being exposed to and it is up to a responsible operator to protect the general public's safety.
 
Just to get the girls issue and safety out of the way. Everybody was briefed before the shot. The whole shot was setup just for the helicopter, and the whole set shut down for it. Once of the girls sitting there is a full scale helicopter pilot also, she flies when not modeling.
I take safety very serious, and with these remote controlled things there is Allways a risk involved, and we try to minimize it.
We do have a few gassers too, and are working on finishing a turbin for a RED platform. I was strictly wondering, since this shot was on the small electric we have if the 5D is extra sensitive, since our other camera setups don`t have this problem with the helis. Also, how much different is the RED with senistivity to vibration.
I assume that an extra 10lbs helps a lot with some of the vibration, just based on mass alone.
 
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