GH2 Possibilities are endless...Octocopter with Panasonic GH2

I'm thinking the GH4k will be an ideal camera for aerial now. The ability to pull stills from the video as well as a believe it has composite video built in… Pretty slick either way. Nice footage. This is the way to go over a go pro I believe, unless money is the main concern.
 
So let me get this straight, you built your own octocopter? Do you have a lot of experience flying RC stuff previous to this?

Where does one get started learning to build and fly/shoot one of these things and are they expensive?

I've heard it takes a special stillset to fly and shoot these things, like a steadicam operator is a specialty trade. But it's one I would love to have under my belt since I love the footage I see from these things. But I don't even know where to start.
 
roxics said:
So let me get this straight, you built your own octocopter? Do you have a lot of experience flying RC stuff previous to this?

Where does one get started learning to build and fly/shoot one of these things and are they expensive?

I've heard it takes a special stillset to fly and shoot these things, like a steadicam operator is a specialty trade. But it's one I would love to have under my belt since I love the footage I see from these things. But I don't even know where to start.
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First of all, to the OP, great footage. You have obviously worked on this and have a well-tuned platform :)

It is something that has gotten easier with multirotors but still is not "easy" by any means. In the helicopter days it was much more scary flying a helicopter with a 5-foot or more rotor span. With multis they are much easier to fly in many ways but flying takes skill that needs to be acquired. Orientation, reaction to sudden adverse conditions, having a bail-out plan, and just a general "smooth on the sticks" approach is of the utmost importance regardless of new gimbals.

There are kits that can be built or packages that one can buy that are ready to fly but the first option is the cheapest route. There is way too much info out there to provide much along the lines of simple answers but I will say one thing. A DJI Phantom with a GoPro is a great way to get your feet wet without a huge money risk. Then once you have mastered flying that quad (and can fly smoothly specifically for footage) you can move on to more expensive rigs that will lift better cameras and provide better footage. There are RC forums with many experienced operators that can provide TONS of useful info but it can be a bit daunting in that there is so much material to read.

It is something that, once started, becomes quite addictive :)
 
R Hudson said:
First of all, to the OP, great footage. You have obviously worked on this and have a well-tuned platform :)

It is something that has gotten easier with multirotors but still is not "easy" by any means. In the helicopter days it was much more scary flying a helicopter with a 5-foot or more rotor span. With multis they are much easier to fly in many ways but flying takes skill that needs to be acquired. Orientation, reaction to sudden adverse conditions, having a bail-out plan, and just a general "smooth on the sticks" approach is of the utmost importance regardless of new gimbals.

There are kits that can be built or packages that one can buy that are ready to fly but the first option is the cheapest route. There is way too much info out there to provide much along the lines of simple answers but I will say one thing. A DJI Phantom with a GoPro is a great way to get your feet wet without a huge money risk. Then once you have mastered flying that quad (and can fly smoothly specifically for footage) you can move on to more expensive rigs that will lift better cameras and provide better footage. There are RC forums with many experienced operators that can provide TONS of useful info but it can be a bit daunting in that there is so much material to read.

It is something that, once started, becomes quite addictive :)
Click to expand...

R Hudson is spot on! Its not easy. Do your own research, find your path and you'll get there. I do recommend when you get into these heavy lift octocopter, build it yourself! Don't have another company do it for you. Mix match parts, flight controllers, motors, props, etc. Quoting myself from page 1, "Your build and experience is the key for a safe and reliable setup."

I agree its very addicting! :D
 
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