GH2 in a Hexakopter

Hey I've been trying to find the cheapest way to get aerial video. I found a way! It's a bit sketchy, but I've gotten some sweet footage with a GoPro undermounted to an AR Drone. The whole story below!
 
Interesting stuff, Chad. That step-by-step video is really helpful. I bought a GoPro for some shoots that didn't happen, so this might give me a reason to start using it.
 
There were a couple of cute kids, one in particular who came up while I was making this video. I heard this faint "What are you doin'!!!" getting louder near the beginning of this video. This 4 - 5 yr olde came running up asking questions. Really cute.

And if you are super serious about this, but can't afford something big enough to carry a DSLR, there's this XPro Helli company making the "XP1" designed for a Gopro with filmmakers in mind. Pricey, but not as much as Microkppters. 2,400.00 for a RTF filming machine, 4 lipos, charger, camera mount, custom frame, big motors & blades... Effin sweet. They did all the research for me! One s arriving at my door tomorrow:

No jello. The AR Drone is pretty dang cool, but there is jello, and apparently more jello with the new GoPro Hero2. But if you want perfect images you gotta pay... Still, I'm not selling my Drones. I have a whole AR Drone playlist on my YouTube page.
 
Ever since I saw this thread I've been reading up on multi-rotor helicopters, and I think I found the ultimate one built so far that can handle the GH1/GH2. These guys built one called the Flexacopter.

The thing is a work of art. The wire cable vibration isolation system is really trick. Here is the thread (it's 10 pages long). Lots of pictures and videos.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1519474


 
Elvis Deane said:
Interesting stuff, Chad. That step-by-step video is really helpful. I bought a GoPro for some shoots that didn't happen, so this might give me a reason to start using it.
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Unfortunately the mount for the GoPro that Chad promotes is now unavailable as Daniel at www.etfett.com may still be taking orders but he is not delivering. If you can actually get a reply to your email he does apologise & give a refund & promise to send you a mount for free but I am still waiting & have been waiting over 6 weeks. I just found another guy who ordered on 6th October who is still waiting over 11 weeks later. I don't know what the problem is as for one I cannot get a reply to my emails but warn anyone who is thinking of ordering a camera mount to think again. It's doubly frustrating for me as I bought the AR.Drone & GoPro purely for aerial work & without the camera mount it's pretty useless to me so I am out of pocket over £600 ($900).
 
Can anyone recommend me a good hexi flyer in L.A.
I have a potential desert sport car spec shoot happening in a few days.

PM if interested or have a lead for me.

Thanks!
 
nigelbb said:
Unfortunately the mount for the GoPro that Chad promotes is now unavailable as Daniel at www.etfett.com may still be taking orders but he is not delivering. If you can actually get a reply to your email he does apologise & give a refund & promise to send you a mount for free but I am still waiting & have been waiting over 6 weeks. I just found another guy who ordered on 6th October who is still waiting over 11 weeks later. I don't know what the problem is as for one I cannot get a reply to my emails but warn anyone who is thinking of ordering a camera mount to think again. It's doubly frustrating for me as I bought the AR.Drone & GoPro purely for aerial work & without the camera mount it's pretty useless to me so I am out of pocket over £600 ($900).
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It's even worse than I thought. I have just heard from yet another person who has been given the runaround for 3 months & still not received the camera mount. I also realise that I am out of pocket the equivalent of over $1000 because aside from the drone & GoPro I also purchased spare lipo batteries & the R/C modification.
 
Can you use the gopro surfboard mount with the gopro housing to the same effect? It seems like a pretty simple mount to attach. You could either bolt or pop rivet it on.
 
visugeek said:
Can you use the gopro surfboard mount with the gopro housing to the same effect? It seems like a pretty simple mount to attach. You could either bolt or pop rivet it on.
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It's the weight of the housing that's the issue. With an AR Drone you must keep the weight down.
 
nigelbb said:
It's even worse than I thought. I have just heard from yet another person who has been given the runaround for 3 months & still not received the camera mount. I also realise that I am out of pocket the equivalent of over $1000 because aside from the drone & GoPro I also purchased spare lipo batteries & the R/C modification.
Click to expand...

The guys 3D printer broke, and he's getting the runaround from the company he bought it from. He's looking into a "Shapeways" option, where they print the design. So if you could please stop the badmouthing. You got your money back. The issues are being resolved. You don't buy this stuff "for a shoot" anyway. This has a steep learning curve, and you shouldn't have a shoot on the books until after you learn to fly. You've put the cart before the horse here. You have every right to complain for your order problems, but the issues are being fixed mate.
 
visugeek said:
Can you use the gopro surfboard mount with the gopro housing to the same effect? It seems like a pretty simple mount to attach. You could either bolt or pop rivet it on.
Click to expand...
It would be too heavy. The AR.Drone is ultralight & mostly expanded polystyrene foam. To fly a GoPro on it you need to take it out of the protective case otherwise it would be too heavy. You certainly couldn't bolt or pop rivet anything to the fragile frame.

The upside to the lightweight & fragility of the AR.Drone is that it is very safe even if it were to plummet out of the sky & land on your head. Alternative multirotor machines are much heavier & pose a risk when flown around people.
 
Chadfish said:
The guys 3D printer broke, and he's getting the runaround from the company he bought it from. He's looking into a "Shapeways" option, where they print the design. So if you could please stop the badmouthing. You got your money back. The issues are being resolved. You don't buy this stuff "for a shoot" anyway. This has a steep learning curve, and you shouldn't have a shoot on the books until after you learn to fly. You've put the cart before the horse here. You have every right to complain for your order problems, but the issues are being fixed mate.
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Sadly I am not clairvoyant & as I got no response to my emails I had no way of knowing what the problems were/are. Finding other people who have also been let down was doubly worrying.

I just got an email from Daniel this morning saying that he would be sending me two mounts & that I would receive the tracking number later today. If this is indeed the case I shall be delighted. If Daniel had communicated better previously there wouldn't have been any need for badmouthing.
 
Cool, I just found this thread. here's what i've been up to, I pretty much try to copy what jeff from gravity shots does... not nearly as good though ;-) I'll soon have new subject matter in a few weeks though
 
llbr22 those videos are awesomely stable and nice quality. What sort of system do you use? I have a GH2 but couldn't find anything good to fly it and the quadcopter I have is not strong enough.

Can you share what is the rig/ flying system you are using as I am deeply interested to get one just like yours!!!
 
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