I notice the Temperature Range of the Camera is quoted as being between 0*C and 40*C. Does that mean we can expect problems at temperatures below Zero? {:3_41:}

Sensors  work normally between 0 to 40*C environment temperature all the time.
But when you use inspire in  -10*C, the temperature of the sensor will rise from -10 to maybe 10*C because of the inner heating.
The camera will consumption 8 watts power in total  which will transfer to heat.
The sensor will not work normally when temperature between -10 to 0*C. There will be some color issues according to the sensor spec.
After that, the temperature will go up to 10*C, the sensors will work normally again.

tao.zhao Posted at 2014-11-22 23:16
Sensors  work normally between 0 to 40*C environment temperature all the time.
But when you use ins ...

Thanks for that explanation, tao.chao, it makes sense that this is internal camera temp, not environmental limitation. This is probably why the camera is reported to have an internal fan, to keep sensor temp within the 0-40 deg C range at higher temps.

Do you know if the fan is running all the time, or does it only run when sensor temp requires it?

I will check that.
You are welcome.

tao.zhao Posted at 2014-11-22 23:16
Sensors  work normally between 0 to 40*C environment temperature all the time.
But when you use ins ...

Hi Toa.Zhoa, thank you for the reply.
Just to "clarify", my understanding is that after initial "warm-up" the internal Camera Chip will achieve an operating temperature above the Ambient Air Temperature (say -10*C for example) but within the Normal Operating Temperature of the Camera Chip. (0*C to 40*C)

What size filter fits the camera?  

hmerkel@gci.net Posted at 2014-11-24 05:12
What size filter fits the camera?

Not sure yet, but i read somewhere that DJI included a ND filter with the standard package.

rbendjebar Posted at 2014-11-23 00:00
Thanks for that explanation, tao.chao, it makes sense that this is internal camera temp, not envir ...

The fan will run when inner temperature over 30 *C.
I just verified that.

hmerkel@gci.net Posted at 2014-11-24 05:12
What size filter fits the camera?

We will release two kinds of filter at least. UV and ND,

Filters should be  within certain weight.

We will announce the filter spec later.

tao.zhao Posted at 2014-11-24 11:06
The fan will run when inner temperature over 30 *C.
I just verified that.

Thanks for the explanation. It would seem that the camera will operate in temps below 0 deg C, as long as the camera is kept warm (above 0 deg) before launch.

Yes, exactly.

I will be in Lake Tahoe this week and doing some flying and shooting.  The temps are to be between 22 and 36 degrees F so it will be a good test of the Inspire Camera.  I will also be flying between 6500 and 8900 feet AMSL.  That will test the motors and props at high altitude.  I am confident that all systems will work as well as they have here in Las Vegas.

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-11-24 13:12
I will be in Lake Tahoe this week and doing some flying and shooting.  The temps are to be between 2 ...

Lake Tahoe is I believe at an average surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m) above mean sea level.
I calculate that for every 100 feet increase  in elevation above the Lake's surface the temperature will drop by 0.1944*C (0.35*F)
The temperatures you have quoted (22*F and 36*F or minus 5.5*C and 2.2*C respectively) are quite normal for this time of year here in Scotland, so it will be interesting to hear how you get on.
Do you have any means of recording/displaying the "in-flight" temperature, if so it would be interesting to see how it compares with my theoretical temperature/altitude gradient calculation!
For example @ 400' and surface air temp. of minus 5.5*C  (22*F) the "in-flight" temperature would be in the order of minus 6.27*C  (20.714*F)

Have a safe Flight.
                                   Regards, Les.

LesGB Posted at 2014-11-26 08:54
Lake Tahoe is I believe at an average surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m) above mean sea level ...

Thank you.  I have an anemometer and will be able to check surface temps but no way to check on the craft.

Hi!

I'm about to get my Inspire by Christmas hopefully. Already have a Phantom, and have been doing FPV with a GoPro, anti vibration mount, OSD, TX, RX, etc. So the RTF Inspire should be a great help making things simpler and better integrated, meaning less setup time and more time in the air.

However, I need to know two things. First, what power is provided to the camera? Second, what video interface is expected out of the camera?

I will sometimes mount a FLIR thermal infrared sensor instead of the camera to do building insulation inspection, at night, in winter. It's much quieter and cheaper than flying in with a real chopper and my Fluke TiS, and less risky than climbing onto rooftops on snow and ice.

So before I go ahead and order an expensive sensor and lens I need to be sure which interface I need to use. Analog video, 1-wire LVDS, 2 wire LVDS, CMOS, RS232, API, etc. I want to use the provided gimbal if possible and just have the option of a different camera. If needed I will buy a spare gimbal and camera to have both options (original camera or thermal) field mountable.

This would also prove invaluable to help locate and rescue lost pets, children, people in the forest or mountains.

I could look at the signals out of the camera to figure out what's what, but this is just taking more time.

Any help is welcome.

Thanks
Eric

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-11-26 11:20
Thank you.  I have an anemometer and will be able to check surface temps but no way to check on th ...

Ed, IF you strap a Flytrex core 2 on it will give you the temperatures with virtually no great weight addition

johnkilcline@gm Posted at 2014-11-28 06:48
Ed, IF you strap a Flytrex core 2 on it will give you the temperatures with virtually no great wei ...

Sorry, but I cannot strap a non-DJI product on this craft.  As an employee it would not be right.

you can regard it as a piece of test equipment! lol

DJI engineering can, I can't.  

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-11-26 11:20
Thank you.  I have an anemometer and will be able to check surface temps but no way to check on th ...

Hi, Have you managed your planned "test flight" yet and if so I would be interested in the outcome/results etc.

                          Thank you, LesGB.

Yes.  Here is a short clip showing the Inspire and the gimbal/camera output.  8500' with winds at 17+mph on the surface.

http://youtu.be/uGqbKEM_fRw

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-2 00:21
Yes.  Here is a short clip showing the Inspire and the gimbal/camera output.  8500' with winds at 17 ...

Hi, thank you for the reply. The Video "clip" looks clear and steady. What was the "ambient air temperature" at the time. Although you say you were @ 8500' (I assume ground level) approximately what elevation was the Inspire above ground level?
I can then calculate the "In-flight temperature", although from the quality of the Video this was clearly not an issue.
I assume you allowed the Camera Temperature to "Stabilise" prior to "take-off"!
Incidentally have you or anyone tested the "Flight Stability" with the failure of a Propellor and/or Motor?
Regards, LesGB.

LesGB Posted at 2014-12-2 06:42
Hi, thank you for the reply. The Video "clip" looks clear and steady. What was the "ambient air te ...

Tahoe was very warm.  When we were at the Mt. Rose meadow the temp was about 40F.  The Inspire did not exceed 20m.

I hope to never have to try to land with only 3 motors.  My experience is that if a motor on a quad goes dead, the quad falls.  Yes I have heard that someone has an algorithm that allows you to land while the copter spins like a mad man.  I have not seen it nor tired it.  I have had a motor die on a Hex and that was not an issue.

The lowest temp that I flew at was 33F at ground level and I was up about 40m as it was snowing.  The winds were light and variable.
Here is an processed clip from CG Photo of that flight.  You can see the snow flakes flying.

http://youtu.be/ZT9zExGcbn8

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-2 09:11
The lowest temp that I flew at was 33F at ground level and I was up about 40m as it was snowing.  Th ...

Hi Ed

When you did the cold weather camera test how long was the camera outside for?
Did the camera get a chance to get below freezing before you flew it ?
In other wards did you just take it out of warm location fly it around for 20 min and go back inside
Just want to no more details about your flight test in the cold  
Thx  

I set the Inspire on my deck for about 20 minutes before going out to fly.  As I stated, the temp was 33F at ground level.  I am not sure what it was 60+m up.

eric.zucker Posted at 2014-11-26 16:12
Hi!

I'm about to get my Inspire by Christmas hopefully.  Already have a Phantom, and have been do ...

Eric,
Look at this;
http://youtu.be/XBe5ZUXNky8
Maybe we will make one for the Inspire too.

Are there any plans to upgrade the camera in the future? the 12Mp camera is great, but I'd wondered if there was any intention to develop an 18 (or more) Megapixel DJI camera that could replace the 12MP one in the future?  The features sheet seems to imply that the gimbal is designed with this in mind, but I wasn't sure if DJI would do that themselves, or open it up to other camera manufacturers instead.

The camera quality will be a big make or break feature of the Inspire. Doing a Google search, already we are seeing complaints about the compression of the video, similar to the Vision Plus, which makes most of the video unusable for commercial purposes. DJI please fix this camera so that we don't get overcompressed unusable video (horizontal compression lines).  

sam@asbuilt.co. Posted at 2014-12-10 12:01
Are there any plans to upgrade the camera in the future? the 12Mp camera is great, but I'd wondered  ...

Going from 12 to 18 MP would not do much good because the sensor would be more crowded with pixels - and therefore gather less  light per pixel.

This is why Apple uses a 8MP camera in the iphones even though they could purchase an 18MP or higher sensor for about the same price.

DJI has stated that the Inspire is tuned for video production. If you really want to get better still pictures, you can do it for much less money by using a Phantom 2 and a Ricoh GR or similar camera. The lens and the large sensor on that cam will beat anything DJI can make for this gimbal and camera pod.

Does anyone know what the size of the image sensor will be?  and the size of the pixels?

pdigirolamo@rig Posted at 2014-12-16 04:31
Does anyone know what the size of the image sensor will be?  and the size of the pixels?

Please visit the DJI Inspire 1 spec sheet. It has all the information you need