Cannon S5 is...

[averagebrunette]

I've just entered the world of RC Heli's a few months ago and got a job at the LHS to learn as much as possible. One setup here has really inspired me to put together an AP bird. So i've picked up a Trex 600 electric and my hubby asked me what I wanted to x-mas. My reply was a good digital camera that I can suspend from my bird. So far the cannon has all the features i've been looking for but would like to hear from others as to what cameras you are using. I like the remote video setup so I can see exactly what the camera sees and plan on setting this up.

Just in case you are wondering who's setup really kicked this off it's our island friend bullaculla. :) I hope to have this all ready to start taking pictures by spring as it will take me a while to get everything together.

I have a DX7 taht will be controlling it, but plan on getting 9252 servos, 411 gyro, and an AP2000i. I'll also be ordering the askman camera mount. Will the stock motor be enough or should I be looking at upgrading?

Thanks in advance for your input,
--Jasmine

[Tonystott]

Jasmine, one of the most popular cameras for AP work is the Canon A640. There is now a Canon A650 which looks even better with 12MP and RAW, so I understand. You can feed live video out to your downlink transmitter, which is a great feature.

You won't go wrong with an Askman mount either!

[SeismicCWave]

The Canon S5 IS is a bit heavier. I like the A640 for the Trex 600. My new G9 just arrived and the pictures look really good on the ground. Unfortunately my URBI interface won't trigger the camera yet. Blip is working on it though.

[bullaculla]

Just in case you are wondering who's setup really kicked this off it's our island friend bullaculla. :) I hope to have this all ready to start taking pictures by spring as it will take me a while to get everything together.


Glad my setup gave you some motivation :o
I agree with the others, Although I haven't tried mine yet, the A640 seems to be an AP standard. Also, you can find the A640 pretty cheap these days. I bought a used one really cheap to use as back up. With the stock 600 and an Askman mount hauling an A640, you should be able to get some nice flight times.
Keep us informed :thumbup:

PM sent.

[averagebrunette]

My hubby will like it more too... it's cheaper. I see a A640 in my future :D Thanks a bunch guys. I'll be posting pictures once as soon as I can. Will be a few months to get the rest of the parts and i'm building an apache 450 at the same time.

--Jasmine

[Whirly-Girl]

Hi Jasmine...just saw this post when I was searching out some info for myself!

I too am putting together an AP ship...#2 for me. I'll be using a T-Rex 600 (aluminum frame) and I have a Canon A640 - which I love! I haven't done the "hacks" to it yet as my husband has been away on TDY for 5 weeks and I'm leaving that up to him to complete! I build stuff, but I don't like breaking it apart. :wink:

Anyway, it is cool to see another gal into helis...and it is even better seeing another that wants to give AP a "whirl" as well! :thumbup:

Jeanette

[crewchief]

Jasmine,
Just because everybody's using the same thing doesn't mean you have to. I'm having great success with the Canon S5 IS. I just added a Canon wide angle lens so I wouldn't have to fly out so far to get the larger 20 - 30 acre farms and ranches, and although there is a definite difference in weight and C.G., the T-Rex 600 has no problems at all lifting it. The S5 can also be remotely triggered through the USB port via Blip, although I'm currently using a servo. It's not an SLR but it's got a lot better light gathering capabilities with the 58mm lens than the pocket cameras. I just make sure I've got enough light to set the aperture priority to 1/1000 or faster at ISO 200 (thanks for the advice, guys), and everything comes out clean. I was previously using the Panasonic Lumix FX07, and the S5 is a huge improvement, and much easier to control. Here are couple of low-res proofs of some difficult shots from last week with the standard lens. These assignments helped convince me of the need to start using a wide-angle lens! Since I plan to go to a DSLR in the future, I figured the S5 is a good intermediate step.

[crewchief]

Here's my most recent D.I.Y. K.I.S.S. rig, with the wide angle lens attached. The camera is self-leveling, with a pre-set vertical tilt. The heli is actually more stable with the rig attached because it attempts to maintain the heli's center of inertia. Notice that the main external mass of the camera is tucked well up between the skids.

I have developed some simple trig-based flying techniques that guarantee framed shots, without the need for video downlinks, etc. I may go back to using a video feed in the future, but so far I've not found any need for it. About 95% of my shots are at a 22 1/2 degree angle for architectural, and 45 degrees for land/property. Once I've worked out the other variables, I just shoot a continuous series of frames on a pre-established vertical line, which is the only remaining unknown in the equation.

I depend on plat maps, Google Earth, Mapquest and a compass to set up the shots sometimes. It usually only takes a few seconds to work out the projection lines, and I can be done shooting before it used to take me to get all the video Tx/Rx stuff fired up. Plus I'm much more mobile to set up the next launch point. I shot this ranch from the next county road over using a map and a compass (standard lens), and I couldn't even see the property!

Just another data point for your consideration...

[averagebrunette]

Thanks Jeanette, we are a rare breed indeed :) I absolutely love these things. I shocked a few of the guys at the field this past weekend wth how well i've been flying both heli's and planes. I'm also tying to get their SO's more involved as it wuld be nice to have a few more chic's at the field.

Bruce, thanks for sharing your experience with the S5 IS. I haven't made my mind up yet and have been showing the hubby the features i'm looking for. One thing is we are on a budget and while the S5 is in our budget, we can get a 640 with lenses and filters for the same price. I also think it's super kewl using google maps and a compass to line up shots that you can't even see. It's like using a sextant for oceananic navigation instead of a GPS device.