Best HD Video Camera for Flight Videos

On 1/4/2013 7:05 PM, akiley wrote:



I think my GoPro2 has really excellent image quality. It's too bad
it doesn't have a tripod thread in the bottom like most cameras do.
I do not use the GoPro housing for cockpit shots. You can see my
suction cup mount in this video. The mount works well because it
also holds my bluetooth GPS for XCSoar. The mount is an open box I
made out of aluminum with velcro for friction. I can pull the GoPro
out quickly in flight and point it out the window for a shot, then
quickly slide it back in place in the mount. (I rent gliders only so
no permanent mounts)

One nice thing about the wide lens on the GoPro is that when you hold
it out the window and point it back at the glider, it looks like it's
6 feet away from the glider and you get a very dramatic shot. (when
in reality, it's only arms length) The original GoPro had a horrible
menu system. The 2 is not too bad.

This video below was shot with GoPro2. Notice the cockpit cup mount
with ball head and BT GPS that you can see when I hold the GoPro out
the window and point it back at the glider. BTW: When viewing in
youtube, if you don't hit the little gear icon and set the resolution
to 1080, it won't look sharp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHSXN...assCENqV2vyryg

Below are some still images. All the shots in the air were shot as
stills with the GoPro2 in still shot mode. Pretty impressive quality
I think.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/05jfyu7rgfaxec9/kVjWE6L2VG

Your GoPro video seems noticeably sharper than Sean's Replay video, and
I definitely prefer the wider angle of the GoPro. That's a bit
disappointing to me, as the Replay shape and size seems better.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

On Friday, January 4, 2013 8:05:35 PM UTC-7, akiley wrote:
On Friday, January 4, 2013 10:42:15 AM UTC-5, Bill D wrote:

I have no idea how it would be done but better video of instrument panels would be welcome. Most videos, most of the time, have the panel in shadow so the instruments are not readable.


The problem with panels is that they tend to be much darker than the surrounding scene. I've battled with this and find that shooting overcast or low light helps a lot as it reduces the brightness range so everything is more likely to fit into the (every) cameras limited capture range. Also with direct sun, if the sun is lighting the panel directly the shot looks good. When I edit, I often cut the scenes with backlight panel. I've also experimented in the past with graduated filters that darken the top of the image only, but it's difficult to do well. Also made a mask to brighten the panel in my video editor which works but is time consuming. A video camera that could shoot HDR would be the trick. Or video HDR in editing. It will come to the masses eventually.

Long ago I had reason to learn some motion picture matte-box tricks which might be adapted to this problem. If you positioned a neutral density gel in front of the camera lens with a cutout in the shape of the panel, brighter light from outside the cockpit would pass through the filter but the dim reflected light from the panel would not thus allowing the correct exposure for each. Gel filters are just thin plastic sheets of high optical quality available in a wide range of colors and neutral density "stops". Of course, matte-box tricks requires the camera to be securely mounted.

I haven't used the Replay, but I think it would be very difficult to look at two different videos, shot in different lighting and uploaded to youtube no less.... And be able to determine the sharpness differences. I'm a pro still photographer, and I would guess the Replay is probably as sharp. These little cameras interpret the raw data. It could be as simple as the Replay doesn't sharpen the image as much (digitally) in camera, so that the last bit of sharpening can be done in editing which gives the photographer more control. It's said that lighting can have a profound effect on perceived sharpness. I would look for side by side test results before making a discision.

My feeling about the wide lens is this. When you are watching a full HD video that is not panning right and left, up and down, the wide view lets the viewer look around, giving less tunnel vision. The down side is you can get some shots that look pretty goofy. In that case you can crop to 720p in your editor and it's less wide. Just my 2. ... Aaron

On 1/5/2013 9:13 AM, Bill D wrote:
On Friday, January 4, 2013 8:05:35 PM UTC-7, akiley wrote:
On Friday, January 4, 2013 10:42:15 AM UTC-5, Bill D wrote:

I have no idea how it would be done but better video of
instrument panels would be welcome. Most videos, most of the
time, have the panel in shadow so the instruments are not
readable.


The problem with panels is that they tend to be much darker than
the surrounding scene. I've battled with this and find that
shooting overcast or low light helps a lot as it reduces the
brightness range so everything is more likely to fit into the
(every) cameras limited capture range. Also with direct sun, if
the sun is lighting the panel directly the shot looks good. When I
edit, I often cut the scenes with backlight panel. I've also
experimented in the past with graduated filters that darken the top
of the image only, but it's difficult to do well. Also made a mask
to brighten the panel in my video editor which works but is time
consuming. A video camera that could shoot HDR would be the trick.
Or video HDR in editing. It will come to the masses eventually.

Long ago I had reason to learn some motion picture matte-box tricks
which might be adapted to this problem. If you positioned a neutral
density gel in front of the camera lens with a cutout in the shape of
the panel, brighter light from outside the cockpit would pass through
the filter but the dim reflected light from the panel would not thus
allowing the correct exposure for each. Gel filters are just thin
plastic sheets of high optical quality available in a wide range of
colors and neutral density "stops". Of course, matte-box tricks
requires the camera to be securely mounted.

Maybe a strip of LEDs could be placed on the overhang of the glare
shield, so the panel is always illuminated. Note that they are 12 volts,
and use can use as many as you need in groups of three:

http://tinyurl.com/aatdzkf

A clever person would use photo sensor aimed at the panel to turn off
the LEDs when they weren't needed.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

Long ago I had reason to learn some motion picture matte-box tricks which might be adapted to this problem. If you positioned a neutral density gel in front of the camera lens with a cutout in the shape of the panel, brighter light from outside the cockpit would pass through the filter but the dim reflected light from the panel would not thus allowing the correct exposure for each. Gel filters are just thin plastic sheets of high optical quality available in a wide range of colors and neutral density "stops". Of course, matte-box tricks requires the camera to be securely mounted.

Hi Bill, I've done a lot of this over the years with large format still (film) cameras up to 8x10 view cameras. The problem is these little video cameras have tons of inherent depth of focus such that you would see the edges of the ND gel pretty sharp even with the gel almost on the lens. This techniques depends on the gel being out of focus so that it blends in. It would also be difficult to get everything lined up with out a monitor. To solve this, there are a myriad of graduated filters on the market like Cokin, Tiffin etc. (ND on the top blending to clear on the bottom). It would not wrap around the panel like cutting a gel, but would make a more general effect that might work. Here is a plus for the Replay. Replay offers an adapter that facilitates the use of a filter. Might take some custom work to make a small graduated filter thought.

Good thoughts though. I have tons of old ND gels hanging around. I'm going to experiment a little. I might be able to mount a hinged graduated filter over the front of my GoPro mount.

A photographers job is always battling with real world light which can be 20 stops of range, and figuring out how to capture into the cameras 10 stop range. There are lots of solutions. Reflectors, HDR, supplemental lights to fill shadows, polarizing filters, graduated filters, waiting for different daylight, shooting overcast days, changing angle to the sun. Probably forgot a few. ... Aaron

On Monday, 31 December 2012 13:11:25 UTC-5, KiloKilo wrote:
I'm getting interested in taking some hd videos on XC missions ...

The Contour claims overlays for speed, elevation, and distance, as well as recording of GPS coordinates: http://store.contour.com/invt/1700

Here's a shot with motorcycles. I can't find that aircraft again. http://contour.com/videos/watch/slovakiaring-1--2

It must be done with software later.

It would be nice to give people files of intro flights.

On 1/5/2013 11:38 AM, akiley wrote:
There are lots of solutions. Reflectors, HDR, supplemental lights to
fill shadows, polarizing filters, graduated filters, waiting for
different daylight, shooting overcast days, changing angle to the
sun. Probably forgot a few. ... Aaron

A modified glare shield that doesn't keep the sun off the instruments.
Works for the camera - pilot, maybe not so much.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

Here is another video I have been working on...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMaTY1JtKEo

Going to post the full flight...

Part 2 is uploading now...

Sean

On Saturday, January 5, 2013 4:43:29 PM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 1/5/2013 11:38 AM, akiley wrote:

There are lots of solutions. Reflectors, HDR, supplemental lights to

fill shadows, polarizing filters, graduated filters, waiting for

different daylight, shooting overcast days, changing angle to the

sun. Probably forgot a few. ... Aaron



A modified glare shield that doesn't keep the sun off the instruments.

Works for the camera - pilot, maybe not so much.

--

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to

email me)

Does anyone have an example of a soaring video taken with a polarizing lens on the camera?

It's interesting how we never see most of those canopy reflections with our eyes. The reflections are there, but our brains filter them out and patch in something from the surrounding texture. I'd guess that something could hide behind a reflection and we would never know it.

On Friday, January 4, 2013 10:42:15 AM UTC-5, Bill D wrote:
I have no idea how it would be done but better video of instrument panels would be welcome. Most videos, most of the time, have the panel in shadow so the instruments are not readable.


Is this what you are looking for?
http://youtu.be/bGyVyBCw_no

Shot with a GoPro 2 this past summer in Parowan.
It was early evening so with the sun low and shining right in on the panel it comes out nice.

Randy