I made a universal joint to hang the camera from this afternoon.  Initial tests hovering in the back garden look promising with none of the original vibrations.  However, because I only had a battery at a little over 50% charged from this morning, the voltages were all a bit low resulting in a critical voltage warning & the aircraft landing at 48% battery, so I didn't get chance to take any test shots.  But, that highlights another potential problem to watch out for in future.  I need to be sure to have a full charge & let the battery warm up before making an ascent with the extra load.

SVTRay Posted at 2016-4-3 02:36
You're correct. You could always pick up a Phantom 3 Standard  and static mount a camera to that l ...

Or one of these http://store.dji.com/product/pha ... ional-aircraft-body

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-4 02:32
Or one of these http://store.dji.com/product/phantom-3-advanced-professional-aircraft-body

It may come out the same or better buying a complete P3S if you plan on buying a RC. You can buy a PS3 complete for $400-450 shipped. Then you can sell the camera and gimbal around $200. So you get a P3S with RC, Battery, and charger for around $200-300.

SVTRay Posted at 2016-4-3 20:32
It may come out the same or better buying a complete P3S if you plan on buying a RC. You can buy a ...

Actually, that's a very good point. Also, the P3S is 64g lighter so will be better placed to cope with the extra weight.  I'd just be a little concerned about the maximum control range, which is only 500m in the UK (CE spec).  I take it the P3P remote won't connect to the P3S?

SVTRay Posted at 2016-4-4 05:32
It may come out the same or better buying a complete P3S if you plan on buying a RC. You can buy a ...

Yes, but why would you sell the camera and gimbal. The additional camera is not hooked into the aircraft so without the original camera you will have no idea what you are framing.

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-4 05:20
Actually, that's a very good point. Also, the P3S is 64g lighter so will be better placed to cope  ...

I don't honestly don't know about the RCs to be honest. Isn't the updates different for a P3P and PSP?

Geebax Posted at 2016-4-4 06:26
Yes, but why would you sell the camera and gimbal. The additional camera is not hooked into the ai ...

I'm not the one looking at phantoms without a gimbal or camera...just mirky suggesting the cost of one could be about the same as buying a complete P3S. If he doesn't want or need the camera/gimbal, he can sell it to offset his cost.

Another test today with the setup below, which I made in my garage out of scraps of aluminium.  The camera is free to pivot in 2 axes, forward-backwards & side to side.  The aircraft flies smoothly & manages about 8 minutes before the battery voltage meters all turn yellow at around 55% remaining power.  The only problem that needs to be solved now is to reduce vibration transmission from the P3 to the camera to allow slower shutter speeds.  I've managed to get a sharp-ish image down to 1/30 sec but only one out of about 200 images.  The slowest practical shutter speed at the moment is around 1/500 sec before camera shake becomes a problem.

Here's the best image so far.

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-7 23:38
Here's the best image so far.

Really following this practical example closely.  Nigel you are getting close with your rig I can see.
My choice of the RX100 is that it has in built 5 axis stabilisation, rotation about all 3 axes and up/down and left right shift as well, obviously this stabilisation has nowhere near as much articulation as the gimbal on the P3 but maybe enough to get a sharp shot at 1/500?
This is a P3P shot, but it is losing definition at A3.  And that is the image size I'm aiming for.
BTW where are you located in UK.  I'm in East Anglia, Norfolk.

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-10 17:39
Really following this practical example closely.  Nigel you are getting close with your rig I can s ...

I'm in Warwickshire, although most of my photography is done in the Lake District or Scotland, which unfortunately means battery life could be a major issue in winter especially.  I've ordered some DJI mounting dampers & anti-drop pins so will be redesigning the fixing bracket.  Hopefully that'll give me a higher percentage of keepers.  I'm also working on reducing the bracket weight from 90g.  If it works reasonably well it leaves the door open for better cameras in future as well.

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-8 06:30
Another test today with the setup below, which I made in my garage out of scraps of aluminium.  The  ...

Nicely done.

Here is another menthol you could try. It was done for a smaller go pro sized camera but maybe you can scale it up a little for the RX100?

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-10 22:49
I'm in Warwickshire, although most of my photography is done in the Lake District or Scotland, whi ...

Thanks for that Nigel.
My progress: have just bought a Sony QX100 from ebay, and I will use the parts that a previous poster used to mount this to my P3P.  It weighs just 179g with battery, has the same 20Mp Sony Exmoor sensor as the RX100, with optical steady shot, and can be controlled by wifi from a smart phone, but what the range will be I have yet to discover.  In a few days I hope to be flying this rig and will post some feedback to this forum.  Wish me luck.  How are your efforts working out.

mikeLmedic04 Posted at 2015-10-31 20:41
The other camera that aught my eye is this

http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cam ...

Hi Mike,
Just bought the Sony Qx100 as you suggested.  Won an eBay bid.
I will have to do a lot of experimentation in the next few days as I get my rig modified and do some trial flights, but thanks for the steer to this camera, it is quite a bit lighter than the RZ100 and a whole lot less expensive too.  I'll keep anyone else who is interested posted on any success or otherwise that I have.  
There is another UK guy on this thread, Nigel who is flying a small camera under his P3 so this my get quite interesting as we progress.  Cheers.

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-12 20:48
Thanks for that Nigel.
My progress: have just bought a Sony QX100 from ebay, and I will use the pa ...

Yes, good luck, I'll be interested to see how you get on.  I was looking at the QX series, but I want an APS sensor which means interchangeable lenses.  Not a problem in itself except Sony don't really have any good wide angle lenses in a pancake design other than the 16mm f/2.8, which isn't that good.  I tested the wifi link on my Fuji & it only works up to 30 metres so isn't much use.  I'm happy to let it shoot away on the intervalometer though so not a problem.

I've just received most of the parts to improve my mount, including some DJI damping rubbers & aluminium & titanium fasteners to reduce weight as much as possible.  Hopefully I'll get to test again by the weekend.

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-12 22:12
Yes, good luck, I'll be interested to see how you get on.  I was looking at the QX series, but I w ...

There is a distinct lack of information on the software available for the QX100.  I'm obviously interested in the intervalometer app, but I can't find out if this needs the wifi to be in range, or whether you can program the camera to take say 200 shots at 5 second intervals, then fly it out of wifi range, and for it to continue to take the shots.  All a bit of experimentation required.  

I did investigate the QZ1 but it relies on each lens to provide stabilisation, and few of the E series lenses do not have this feature.  Lovely to have the APS C size sensor, but this is a first attempt at the moment for me, so I'm not going to spend hundreds on it just now, but 20MP image is what I have been asking for.

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-13 10:37
There is a distinct lack of information on the software available for the QX100.  I'm obviously in ...

The best part is it doesn't really matter which camera you use to start with.  Once you've got a working mount it'll be easy just to try different cameras.  Ebay makes it cheap to test as well.

I think that I have bought the wrong camera in the QX100.
I am almost certain that the intervalometer app needs wifi to operate, and my initial tests suggest that 50 metres is about the furthest away from the camera where my iPhone will connect to the QX100.
My thought were that the App would program the camera, then control the camera in flight, but this appears not to be the case.
I am still awaiting delivery of the mounting plate and universal joints, so I have not flown with the rig, yet.

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-14 15:24
I think that I have bought the wrong camera in the QX100.
I am almost certain that the intervalomete ...

It's a shame they left so much out of it.  After all, it's only software.  Just looking at the specs it doesn't shoot RAW either, which is odd, but then again, it's aimed at iPhone users so not really a surprise.

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-12 20:48
Thanks for that Nigel.
My progress: have just bought a Sony QX100 from ebay, and I will use the pa ...

Here's my MkIII version ready to go.  Total weight is now down to 412g, so the mount itself is only 72g.  Hopefully I'll get some decent weather tonight to test it...

Things are looking a bit better now with more than half of my images sharp at around 1/120 sec.  There's still a bit too much rotation of the camera so I need to find a way to damp it down a bit.  Here's the best so far...

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-17 00:31
liningiv Posted at 2016-4-12 20:48
Thanks for that Nigel.
My progress: have  ...

Nicely done.

I doubt if it helps much but you can buy carbon fiber stock sheets and cut/drill them to replace some of your aluminum pieces. You can also buy carbon fiber kits. I picked a carbon fiber kit for about $100.

SVTRay Posted at 2016-4-17 02:21
Nicely done.

I doubt if it helps much but you can buy carbon fiber stock sheets and cut/drill th ...

Yes, I looked for some CF on ebay, hoping for some offcuts or something but didn't manage to find anything useful at a reasonable price.  Titanium screws & aluminium nuts & washers helped though, although they were mainly used to avoid causing problems with the compass.

How does the CF kit work?  Doesn't it have to be baked in a vacuum, or will it cure under normal temperatures?

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-17 16:56
Yes, I looked for some CF on ebay, hoping for some offcuts or something but didn't manage to find  ...

The kit I bought cures over night under normal temps.

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-17 00:44
Things are looking a bit better now with more than half of my images sharp at around 1/120 sec.  The ...

Beautiful image Nigel.
It looks like your rig is a great success, well done.  460 g sounds very heavy, but it works!

I have been forced down the route of mechanically firing the shutter via the shutter button, so I am devising a way of doing this using Arduino and a simple servo.  But like you say any rig I do devise can be used with other cameras.  So I'll continue.

Still waiting for parts to be delivered, so nothing to show at the moment.

Keep up the communication though, as it is really inspiring!

Looking on the net, there are radio remote shutter releases with ranges up to 150 Metres that might be a way to fire the camera.

SVTRay Posted at 2016-4-18 02:36
The kit I bought cures over night under normal temps.

Cool, looks easy enough.  I reckon, for my purposes I'd be better buying pre-formed sheets & just cutting out the shapes I want, the same as with the aluminium parts.

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-18 21:07
Cool, looks easy enough.  I reckon, for my purposes I'd be better buying pre-formed sheets & just  ...

Oh sure, thats why i mentioned buying some pre-made sheets and cut/drilling to your needs. I bought this kit in the interest in science more than anything else.

SVTRay Posted at 2016-4-18 16:39
Oh sure, thats why i mentioned buying some pre-made sheets and cut/drilling to your needs. I bough ...

I have just ordered some flat pate and 90 degree angle carbon fibre, and from that am quite confident that I can make all that I need, and a lightweight solution.  I'm up to something like 250g for camera, battery, vibration absorbing mount, Arduino, and servo, just a few screws and the DIY bracket to factor in.

I have tried the set up indoors, and have found the the camera can interfere with the compass, so I may have to lower the camera to prevent this happening in flight.

Still waiting for a few components to arrive, then I can start to fly, maybe another 10 days.

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-18 22:53
I have just ordered some flat pate and 90 degree angle carbon fibre, and from that am quite confid ...

You might want to invest in aluminium or titanium fasteners to avoid upsetting the compass.  I tested my camera against my iPhone compass & it upset it when it was within 2-3 cm, but further away & it was ok.

I managed a 12 minute flight today with the battery level getting down to 27% on landing.  The "propulsion output limited..." warning appeared 20 seconds before landing.

I've reduced the number (to 4) & stiffness of the damping rubbers to see if I can get lower shutter speeds but it's made no difference.  Tomorrow I'll try again, but in ATTI mode, as I have a feeling the aircraft correcting itself against the wind is probably the biggest cause of camera movement.

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-19 05:53
I have just ordered some flat pate and 90 degree angle carbon fibre, and from that am quite confid ...

I was gonna say you can find stock carbon pieces in different shapes like 90 degree angles etc. Anyhow, sounds cool for sure, snap some shots when you're done.

Hmm...I've seen a very sight improvement in hit rate in ATTI mode but it's difficult to be sure.  I'm getting about 50% good images at over 1/100sec shutter speeds.  In-camera image stabilisation would be a big help.  I may also look at a Ricoh GR for its lighter weight.

Geebax Posted at 2016-4-18 09:52
Looking on the net, there are radio remote shutter releases with ranges up to 150 Metres that might  ...

I searched forever to find remote shutter releases, but nothing will interface with the Sony QX100 that I am trying to fly.  Very frustrating that Sony have limited this camera entirely to using with a WiFI only control such as a phone or tablet.  
Hence me turning to the Arduino driving a servo to fire the shutter at intervals.
The camera giving 20Mp with steady shot, Zeiss f1,8 lens and weighing only 170g with battery is what persuaded me to try this camera.  There is another model: QX1 which has a APS sized sensor and interchangeable lenses, so if I get good results from the QX100 I may try the higher spec QX1 for it's RAW capability.

nigelw Posted at 2016-4-19 23:33
Hmm...I've seen a very sight improvement in hit rate in ATTI mode but it's difficult to be sure.  I' ...

Hi Chaps.
Well I have a working camera system with interval shutter release, controlled by an Arduino.
I mounted my Sony to the Carbon shock absorbing plates and mounts that I have bought and made.  And attached the whole lot to the P3P.  See photos.  (Arduino not fitted).
Then I took off, seemed to be sufficient power, but the motors were working hard, but immediately the whole thing oscillated up down, left right and fwd back by about 10 - 15 mm.
No compass warnings, It did not wander or do anything unexpected except the oscillations which was enough for me at the moment.  So I hand caught it and was quite relieved to get it back safely.
The camera with battery and shock absorbing mount weight 245g.
Sorry, can't attach any .jpegs to this post.  Gives me an error, no legitimate files uploaded????

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-24 16:02
Hi Chaps.
Well I have a working camera system with interval shutter release, controlled by an Ardui ...

I'll try to attach the photos to this one.

Today I removed the shock absorbers and mounted the camera direct to the airframe - undercarriage.  Stable flight, but within 1 minute I was getting warnings about "Propulsion system output limited to preserve battery", and a red voltage reading on battery voltage despite battery being fully charged.  
So I have decided to walk away from this project.  Really don't want to risk losing my P3P, its too much fun.  I'll stick with the 12Mp images.......
Good Luck Nigel.

I jjust received this item, it might change the whole story: http://www.redsharknews.com/prod ... a3d827fda3-74644569

Geebax Posted at 2016-4-27 00:03
I jjust received this item, it might change the whole story: http://www.redsharknews.com/production/ ...

Looks like it will weigh a lot more than the 180g Sony that I was trying to fly.
Nigel is flying a rig of over 400g, but after my experience with 250g and all of the errors the P3 was sending back it is my opinion that the risk of losing the Phantom is too great, particularly flying over water.
I guess the Matrice or bigger craft is needed, and then you are into serious money, and it has to be for business, not fun anymore.
But maybe you will prove otherwise?  
Good luck Geebax.

liningiv Posted at 2016-4-27 18:18
Looks like it will weigh a lot more than the 180g Sony that I was trying to fly.
Nigel is flying a ...

It weighs 210 grams with battery but without lens. That is still pretty impressive, and it has the same sensor as the GH4 so it will be very capable. But I won't be flying it, can't afford one.

Just thought I'd add this here for future reference...