A video using the Phantom 2

[Shrimpfarmer]

I have not posted here for a long time as I stopped making videos for a while. Thought this may be of interest to anyone wanting to get some aerial shots. The Phantom is so easy to fly and the results can really add to the finished result.

Good to see the forum is still going strong.

[momoffduty]

Wow, great filming! Good to see you post and welcome back! The shots were so smooth, did you stabilize in post? Song was very nice too. What is the name?

[Shrimpfarmer]

Wow, great filming! Good to see you post and welcome back! The shots were so smooth, did you stabilize in post? Song was very nice too. What is the name?

Hi there. Thanks.

Only one small clip had stabilisation and that was when it hovered above the gun. The quadcopter has a gimbal that does a pretty good job. The song was Shadows Fall by a group called the Proclaimers.

[Steve Grisetti]

I'm green with envy! What gorgeous video you've shot!

[Ron Hunter]

Beautiful video! Those aerial shots were awesome. Did your Phantom 2 come with the gimbal? Are you able to watch the GoPro footage in real-time during flight? Can you control the GoPro angle in flight?

I really want one of those copters!!

[Dave McElderry]

Wow that's great! Is that a toy or a business tool? The weather looked perfect too. I'm curious about the rotor showing up in the video occasionally. Why some times but not others?

[momoffduty]

I really want one of those copters!!

I think you are officially sidetracked, again.

[Shrimpfarmer]

The gimbal came with the quad. Its a Gopro filming and that also allows me to see a first person view on a 7" monitor attached to the control transmitter. The camera can be tilted but is best used just to frame the shot as the gopro's fisheye lens does not look good during the tilt. The rotors show when the quad is in fast forward flight. I could fly backwards and then the props cannot be seen. I can also film in 2.7K and zoom the image for 1080p output without loss of quality which is another way to lose the props. For me this is a fascinating toy but many people use them as part of a business.

[sidd finch]

That was some really nice video. Those gimbals make the footage look like it is on glass. Well done

Sidd

[Ron Hunter]

I really want one of those copters!!

I think you are officially sidetracked, again.

Yes I am!

[Shrimpfarmer]

I really want one of those copters!!

I think you are officially sidetracked, again.

Yes I am!

Well if you ever decide to get one I can give you the benefit of my experience of what to buy and more importantly what to avoid !!!

[Ron Hunter]

Thanks for your kind offer! Please share your experience now because I don't think I will wait too long before I get one of those.

It is a bummer that the Phantom 2 is setup for the Hero 3 camera. I have a Hero 2 so I don't know if that can be made to work.

Another question I have is "how often will I use it". Of course you can't answer that for me but I'm curious as to how often you use yours. It will be cool to fly the Phantom 2 around our yard, but you can only do that so many times. I'm wondering where else I would use it. And since there has been some question about the legality of flying these things, I'm apprehensive about taking it to a public place (like a park) and flying/filming there.

[Shrimpfarmer]

I bought mine to use on trips. I am retired so I get to travel and fly a lot. I also fly most weekends with another Phantom Pilot who is also into movie making.

From reading the forums I see that your FAA just lost an important case that sought to restrict the use of these quads. Here in the UK their use is permitted with certain restrictions.

There are 2 versions, the Phantom Vision which comes with a camera and the Phantom P2 which uses a Gopro. There are other quads but I know little about them except to get anything heavier than a Gopro in the air will cost a lot more money. It only works with a Gopro 3.

I own both the Phantom Vision and a Phantom 2 so I have a good grasp of both machines. I started with the Vision, became unhappy with the unstable video due to its one axis gimbal and so switched to the P2 which has a 2 axis gimbal. I do not recommend anybody to buy a Vision.

So if you were to buy a P2 then you would be wise to buy one with full first person view abilities. This means you will see what the camera sees as well as vital information such as your flight battery level, a course indicator back to your take off point, height and distance to the quad. This flight information is overlayed over your video feed by a device called a mini IOSD. Many vendors do not include this. The recorded video does not have this information, just your live feed.

So you need a Phantom 2, with a Zenmuse Gimbal (For the Phantom 2 - they also make one for the Phantom 1). A mini IOSD. A video Transmitter to send the camera view from the quad and a video receiver to display the video which is normally attached to your control unit. All this equipment is often packaged together and several US companies will assemble and test it all for you.

If your good with a soldering iron you can build them yourself and there are some excellent Youtube videos showing you how its all put together. If not then get someone to build it.

You don't have to build the quad but you do have to take the top off to wire up the Mini IOSD, the video transmitter etc.

Now many people can't face all of that and they opt for the Phantom Vision which is sold as a ready to fly solution which you pair with your Iphone or Android device. The Iphone provides the screen. However, nice as that seems its flawed. The main reason is that the camera on the Vision is rather disappointing. The camera is most unlikely to be upgraded whereas the Gopro is often upgraded. You can put a gimbal on the Vision however they are expensive and not worth doing as your trapped with a poor camera.

If you want to dive in deep with more reading I recommend visiting phantompilots.com I post there as Shrimpfarmer.

[Peru]

A little late to the discussion, but...

Wow! That was terrific.
I'm glad to see that you're back at Muvipix.

[Ron Hunter]

Thanks shrimpfarmer for that excellent explanation! I also appreciate your discussion of the differences between the Vision and Phantom 2.

How much did your Phantom 2 setup cost, may I ask? I see the Phantom 2 with gimbal for $900 on Amazon, but I presume that does not include the video transmitter or display unit that attaches to the remote control.

Today I saw an "Ultimate" Phantom 2 kit from DSLR Pros for over $3000! I'm a believer in the adage, "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission", but I don't know if I have $3000 worth of forgiveness from my wife!