#11 HD keycam on MiniProtos (450)

[SidewaysLS4]

Look out big $$ aerial videographers...the $40 spycam is coming up in the rear view mirror quickly!

Some ghetto-graphy testing....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAtRCiRyWr0[/ame]


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyPPgxcDMjE[/ame]


High-Tech mounting...

[SidewaysLS4]

One more with smoother flying. A little wildlife photography to start, then a bit of seeing what's happening in various backyards, and at 2:12 I believe that someone is peering out the window at the ghettobird

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOmDs3vne40[/ame]

[Raptor620]

The video is really good for a little key cam, where did you get it?

[Copter64]

I got one of those #11 keychain cameras but on mine I always get the bad Jello Effect from all of the helicopter vibrations. Your video looks very smooth that is nice. also yours sounds quieter, mine has very loud engine noise.
Good job on the mounting, I guess I'll have to try that to see if it makes a steady picture.

The video is really good for a little key cam, where did you get it?

You can buy them on eBay just make sure you are getting a true 720p HD #11, there are many variations some are up-scaled from low resolution. There are instructions and video's online about flashing the firmware to remove the timestamp from the image.

[Copter64]

I got one of those #11 keychain cameras but on mine I always get the bad Jello Effect from all of the helicopter vibrations. Your video looks very smooth that is nice. also yours sounds quieter, mine has very loud engine noise.
Good job on the mounting, I guess I'll have to try that to see if it makes a steady picture.

The video is really good for a little key cam, where did you get it?

You can buy them on eBay just make sure you are getting a true 720p HD #11, there are many variations some are up-scaled from low resolution. There are instructions and video's online about flashing the firmware to remove the timestamp from the image.

I use mine as a hat-cam, recording everytime I fly just incase something good or stupid happens. it works good for that just tape it to the brim of your hat.

[SidewaysLS4]

Mine's from ebay...hxelepro360. Check out this thread, loads of info on these things...

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1362692


I've tried 'soft' mounts, I think they are the cause of vibrations allowing the cam to move independantly of the aircraft. Nailed down to the battery is waaay better than my soft mount efforts. Re the noise...the MiniProtos is all belt drive, no gear noises. Really quiet bird

[RocketSled]

Originally Posted by SidewaysLS4

I've tried 'soft' mounts, I think they are the cause of vibrations allowing the cam to move independantly of the aircraft.

I agree. You need Mass to dampen the high frequency vibrations common in a heli. A soft mount lets the camera move around, and it's mass is small, so it can move a lot. The heli itself is much heavier, rigidly mounting the camera to that Mass means the excitation has to move the entire heli before it can move the camera.

When I first bought one last year, I did my initial playing around with a keychain spycam mounted with velcro to the underside of the frame, and the results were poor. Then I machined a mount from ABS that locks on to the canopy, and the video quality improved significantly.

[pril250]

Although this camera is a great improvement on the non-HD spycam, if you watch the video full screen mode you will still notice the jello effect, I guess more dampening is needed. Nice smooth flying though

[RocketSled]

Originally Posted by pril250

Although this camera is a great improvement on the non-HD spycam, if you watch the video full screen mode you will still notice the jello effect, I guess more dampening is needed. Nice smooth flying though

Alas, with these small cameras, there's no getting rid of the jello effect completely. It's a function of the way they work, progressive scan not shuttered. If the camera moves, it causes an offset between the video wherever it happens to be in the scan. Simply panning the camera quickly will do it, even if rigidly mounted to a solid surface. Objects moving quickly enough in the frame will do it, too, even if the camera is stationary.