Fesfly

I'm waiting for the carbon fiber blades to arrive. I have flown several times with the camera mounted as above, in video mode - it has the shakes real bad but is still cool when I manage to hover for a while. I only have low altitude still pics and it doesn't look good due to vibration - again I hope new stiff rotors will work better. The weight makes it hard to manage the DF as it oscillates quite a bit and the flight time is reduced by 40%-50% (using 1320 batteries). Never the less I am still going to give it another go when the new rotors arrive - while these new plastic rotors work, they flex too much with the weight, not only causing stability issue but reducing their life as well (after several flights they stay warped and need to be replaced).

Sky High

festusflyer, I don't know what you mean by warped. Could you post some images of your warped plastic rotors? If they are just curled up at the ends, that's ok. If you don't want them, send them to me! I have flown with the older white rotors, the CF rotors and these new plastic ones and the plastic rotors are the best so far.

Fesfly

I will post some pics later. Not only do the ends curl up - if you lay the blade down on a flat table you will see the it is warped. I would send you my old blades but I found by applying light (very light) heat you can reshape them flat so I will keep them for indoor use.

vi360

So is the final verdict... not practical to fly digital cameras with the DF and we are stuck with SAVS captures. OR, maybe with better motors and rotors it might be ok?

Fesfly

I wouldn't say that, I did manage to take about 30 videos and 50 shaky pictures...imo: I think you need to experiment with isolating the camera from vibration, you could take many shots and a few may turn out without vibration (as others have proven here). When using Ti the experience is much better.

You need to be a good pilot, when you crash the likely hood of broken parts is greater - parts are relative to flight time vs fixing. Fixing the camera (which are 200-300$) can make for an expensive crash, they were not design to slam into the ground at 30mph. So a broken component on the camera (like my lense) would like result in purchasing a new one, unlike the DF itself which is modular and parts are cheap. I have had one fatal crash when the DF lost power in flight, damage 2 CF rods, 2 motor mounts, one canon camera lense bent (camera still works but lense won't collapse).

The rotor blade flexure in flight needs to examined - a good, cautious pilot could compensate (I can't). Carbon blades reduce this issue, (I'm told, still waiting for mine).

vi360

For vibration control what about hanging the camera under the DF on a damped gimbal/ball mount or hung from a rubber diaphragm so it can tilt but damped. Doing that gets the center of gravity lower but centered still. Then use the chop stick leg extention.

Sky High

[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4684024/tm.htm]Here[/link] is thread demonstrating success with a still camera mounted on the DF. He wouldn't talk about the mount but you can see the shadow in one of his videos.

You guys don't know what your missing by not checking the other pages in this forum. There is alot of info about all kinds of different ideas that have been documented here.

vi360

I have read the other pages. But people are keeping thier cameras and mounting secret, except Clement. I am throwing out ideas that maybe these others are doing.

Fesfly

I've been shopping around for a new camera...and noticed there are a few new models on the market that feature antivibration technology - advanced MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer technology.

I have read/been diggin through the past post here and there is a lot of great experience but I saw no mention of these. I can't recall the model now maybe olympus (5.3oz) can be dropped, is shock resistant and water proof to 10 feet (incase you want to take your DF over water). It also doesn't have a telescopic lense that can be bent...and has this new function.

I suspect in a few months there will be more out there that are lighter and have these anti vibration functions.

vi360

I'd like to fly this Panasonic Luminix DMC-FX07 camera on a DF.... Widescreen 16:9 (854x480), image stabilization, Lica lens and 7 megs at 4.5 ounces. Then use a KAP RC shutter servo to trigger it with... make a super-light, damped, uni-joint mount for isolation. Adding a Black Widow video RC transmitter would be even nicer and totally over weight. In the hands of a great pilot and a good editor, the results would be amazing. Rather cheap too... DF $850, $21 servo and $290 camera (maybe wrap that expensive camera in some bubble wrap, scary).

Kaarlo von Freymann

Hi,
Maybe I am late with my answer, but you might be interested in putting a Robbe HeliCommand in your T-Rex. My company (we make aerial targets) has bothe a T-Rex and a Logo 20 equipped with it since 4 weeks and so far we think the unit does a good job. Wind gusts make it pump but not tilt. The price is also ok because you save the gyro which is incorporated. It does not work with the infrared horizon like 2 heli stabilzers we have CoPilot and Stabilizer, but with heading hold gyros and a PC mouse type optical sensor. Close to the ground it will keep both the Logo and the T-rex right on the spot, but that function does not work above some 6 feet, but the leveler does. Put "Robbe de" into Google for more info and a video.
Kaarlo von Freymann Helsinki Finland