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technical => photography => Topic started by: Sasquatch on October 22, 2014, 06:22:59 pm

Title: Drones
Post by: Sasquatch on October 22, 2014, 06:22:59 pm
Anyone have any experience with these?  Any recommendations?

A friend of mine had a DJI for his gopro, and is now looking at the Airdog. 
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Paul B on October 22, 2014, 06:35:12 pm
No but they've recently been banned in all American National Parks without a permit I believe?

Also, you need a license to fly them and sell the results in the UK (I also believe). The first person in the UK was prosecuted for using a drone and not complying to regulations when he crashed it near a naval base.

There's a guy who turns up on some of the construction sites I visit and flies his drone around and then turns up at the office and tries to sell us the results.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: tomtom on October 22, 2014, 06:52:26 pm
DJI phantom2 has a damn good looking gimbel...
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Sasquatch on October 22, 2014, 08:45:53 pm
No but they've recently been banned in all American National Parks without a permit I believe?

Also, you need a license to fly them and sell the results in the UK (I also believe). The first person in the UK was prosecuted for using a drone and not complying to regulations when he crashed it near a naval base.

There's a guy who turns up on some of the construction sites I visit and flies his drone around and then turns up at the office and tries to sell us the results.
We'll be shooting/flying outside of national parks, and not in the UK, so hopefuly no issues there.  I flew the DJI, and while I did crash a couple times, it was remarkably easy to fly overall.  the biggest issue was when you were far away it became difficult to tell the front :)

DJI phantom2 has a damn good looking gimbel...
Indeed, and my friend is debating between the DJ2 and the Airdog.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: fatdoc on October 22, 2014, 09:22:35 pm
If you want to use one for making outdoor vids of sports / climbing... Speak to Neil Hart..


Oh... Amd I really want one... His films are MINT

Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Sasquatch on October 22, 2014, 11:26:38 pm
Is he on the forum?
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: shurt on October 22, 2014, 11:31:02 pm
Saw one of these in Maplin today called Phantom. £369 mind. Bloke in the shop said it was the same one that partially started the riot at the football recently with the flag etc. They do look cool...
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: andy_e on October 23, 2014, 09:37:15 am
Is he on the forum?

neil h (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=2017)
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Wood FT on October 23, 2014, 11:00:37 am
Saw one of these in Maplin today called Phantom. £369 mind. Bloke in the shop said it was the same one that partially started the riot at the football recently with the flag etc. They do look cool...

I looked at it in Maplins too. If there was anyway they could make it quiet I would sell some stuff and get one, as it is I just can't stand how noisy they are and would feel a mighty prick filming anything other than re-shoots midweek with no one around. Imagine being on something hard/necky and you've got this thing going ape shit near you. Aside from that it's rather selfish - someone had one at Malham a few weeks ago and you can imagine what a racket that made....


/jealousy
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: tomtom on October 23, 2014, 11:06:01 am
I don't think the phantoms are that noisy.. I've been buzzed by one at Widdop a few weeks back and at BBG W before... didn't bother me to be honest. Me and the drone flyers bored looking GF exchanged a 'boys toys' look of semi exasperation* and I carried on looking shit on Fight on Black..


*I'd love to play with one :)


More sherioushly - we've looked into getting one at work for low level aerial photography, and for making 3d maps using structure from motion methods.. In the UK the major disadvantage of heli drones is that its windy here.. and whilst they do OK in wind - they can struggle. Also - for what we were interested in - you can get just as good results from a better res still camera and a 5-10m portable tower (like a big pole)...
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Wood FT on October 23, 2014, 11:13:14 am
I don't think the phantoms are that noisy..

The only two drones I've seen in the wild have been Phantoms, admittedly at venues which may exacerbate the noise (Malham and Stennis Ford)
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: tomtom on October 23, 2014, 11:15:48 am
:) to be fair you can hear people farting from the other side of Malham cove...
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Wood FT on October 23, 2014, 11:18:17 am
Sport climber diets make that a less impressive feat.

Also, I reckon you've just got good ears that can shut out sounds you don't like, i.e. Hull accents.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Durbs on October 23, 2014, 11:28:53 am
Lifted off the Beeb, via CAA:

Unless CAA permission has been granted the pilot cannot:

Fly over or within 150m (492 ft) of a congested area
Fly over or within 150m (492 ft) of an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons
Fly within 50m (164 ft) of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft
Fly within 50m (164 ft) of any person

Last-one bolded, as that's pretty far away to not cause an offence, especially for climbers mid-way up a cliff, so anyone being "buzzed", the pilot is being naughty.

Still want one, but I'm awaiting my Panono in 2015, so shan't be getting one.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: lagerstarfish on October 23, 2014, 11:29:45 am
In the UK the major disadvantage of heli drones is that its windy here.. and whilst they do OK in wind - they can struggle.

use a kite on the windy days
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: tomtom on October 23, 2014, 12:08:20 pm
In the UK the major disadvantage of heli drones is that its windy here.. and whilst they do OK in wind - they can struggle.

use a kite on the windy days

Yeah  - thats been done too...
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: fatdoc on October 23, 2014, 12:10:07 pm
Is he on the forum?
Neil hart / neilh / maisonbleau should get u contact on here, fb or Google
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: lagerstarfish on October 23, 2014, 12:23:24 pm

Also, you need a license to fly them and sell the results in the UK (I also believe).

I wonder whether "financial gain" includes shooting footage for a film that is to be sold?
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: tomtom on October 23, 2014, 12:25:17 pm

Also, you need a license to fly them and sell the results in the UK (I also believe).

I wonder whether "financial gain" includes shooting footage for a film that is to be sold?

I'm sure that SharpeFS could ensure that LagerStarfish Productions International (inc, tm) doesnt make any profit...
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: SA Chris on October 23, 2014, 01:08:12 pm
Or you can build your own...

http://makezine.com/projects/wavecopter-a-waterproof-quadcopter/ (http://makezine.com/projects/wavecopter-a-waterproof-quadcopter/)
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Sasquatch on October 23, 2014, 05:02:20 pm
Thanks All!

Good info.  I've had a play with the DJI and I found the biggest limitation to be the flight time, especially with a gimbal (7-10minutes depending on wind). 

I'll get in touch with Neil and see what he thinks.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: SA Chris on October 24, 2014, 08:51:59 am
7-10minutes depending on wind

Is that all? Must be a bit of a worry filming something like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cof9eHf7VCI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cof9eHf7VCI)
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Sloper on October 27, 2014, 04:23:31 pm
Lifted off the Beeb, via CAA:

Unless CAA permission has been granted the pilot cannot:

Fly over or within 150m (492 ft) of a congested area
Fly over or within 150m (492 ft) of an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons
Fly within 50m (164 ft) of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft
Fly within 50m (164 ft) of any person

Last-one bolded, as that's pretty far away to not cause an offence, especially for climbers mid-way up a cliff, so anyone being "buzzed", the pilot is being naughty.

Still want one, but I'm awaiting my Panono in 2015, so shan't be getting one.

That's an extract from the Air Navigation Order (No2) but from memory, I'm not sure that the ANO 2 applies to drones and given how fuckign tedious aviation law is I've no intention of going to the sources to check, and before you say punter you can shove the Warsaw Convention into the darkness too.

On a more helpful note, I can't see that using a small drone <35m at the crag is going to be an issue, liability insurance might be worth having though.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: chris20 on October 28, 2014, 01:16:26 pm
They were reviewing drones on the gadget show last night http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-gadget-show/episodes/episode-7-408 (http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-gadget-show/episodes/episode-7-408) It's the first thing they did so you don't have to watch too much  :shit: Watching a firework display from one was pretty cool
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: erm, sam on November 04, 2014, 09:55:38 am
Hopefully not too late but the film maker guy I know said to buy a DJI Phantom2. Most developed and most popular for a reason.. He of course has some sort of much more complex grown ups drone but for a first drone he strongly recommended the above...
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: DubDom on November 27, 2014, 12:48:01 pm
http://www.kooltoyz.co.uk/3dr-iris-quadcopter-gimbal.html (http://www.kooltoyz.co.uk/3dr-iris-quadcopter-gimbal.html)

This looks excellent.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Fadanoid on November 28, 2014, 12:33:28 pm
I have just bought the phantom vision 2 + for photogrammetry purposes, and turing the images into 3d point clouds. As soon as I got it in the air though I imagined flying it around the plantation.

If anyone is thinking of getting one, you will need at least 3 or 4 batteries and maybe access to a car inverter as you really only get about 15-20 mins flight time.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: tomtom on November 28, 2014, 12:40:09 pm
You using sfm for that? Be interested to see how the camera on the phantom2 works for that... Using the stills?
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: tomtom on November 28, 2014, 12:41:51 pm
Oops - prob best continued off line :) ok to dm you about this? T
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Fadanoid on November 28, 2014, 05:07:53 pm
yes no worries PM me. I can show you a vid of our test flight and stitch today.

Shocked at how good the point cloud is!
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: duncan on December 01, 2014, 08:35:19 am
John Middendorf is making Quadcopter kits (http://porta-quad.com/). $80 until 15 December.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Wood FT on December 01, 2014, 09:57:15 am
 :bounce: cheers Duncan
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: cheque on December 09, 2014, 12:07:01 pm
I'm hoping that the inevitable post-Christmas dronefest will lead to an Ebay bonanza later in the year as people lose interest in them/ crash them and sell up.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on December 09, 2014, 02:43:48 pm
...or some kid gets hurt and they get banned, or some idiot flies one in a flight path (again, but worse, meaning the plane has to divert). Cue "IT'S DRONE-AGEDDON!!©" type headlines and an immediate ban.
Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Jaspersharpe on December 09, 2014, 02:56:19 pm
Yep. I expect that it's only a matter of time.
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