What is the best approach to get a smooth rotation video at altitude?  Using the controller sticks work, but can be a bit jumpy.  I'd like to find an approach that moves very slowly in rotation and does so in some automatic fashion.  Maybe takea 1 minute or more to rotate 360 degrees while as a fixed position.

Is there an easy way to do this?

POI - it is a little backwards and isn't at a totally fixed position, but the camera does end up doing a smooth pan through 360 degrees and if you want some movement then you can simply reverse away from the POI, often looks best if you reverse slowly away as you are rotating to give a spiral movement.

Haven't tried POI yet, but if I remember right from the tutorials, it also allows you to pick the rotation (as in clockwise or counter-clockwise), as well as the speed of the rotation.

Ice Viper Posted at 2017-4-5 05:41
Haven't tried POI yet, but if I remember right from the tutorials, it also allows you to pick the rotation (as in clockwise or counter-clockwise), as well as the speed of the rotation.

Yes, you can go slow or fast in either direction while simultaneously using the sticks to alter height and distance from the rotation axis (POI).

The only thing wrong with it in this situation is that you will be looking across the POI with the rotation axis at the POI, you can't quite get the aircraft on the rotation axis, but in most cases that is not a big issue, you can get very close to the rotation axis if you wish using the sticks to move towards it.

POI might work well.  Normally it uses a focus point on the ground, which shows just one place.  If one could set the altitude for the POI spot to be just below the drone altitude, then that might work.  That would point it slightly down with a slow rotation, which should be good.

I am wondering if changing the sensitivity of the "Yaw" control might allow the stick to be used in turning the Phantom on it's center for a 360 degree video.  If you reduced the yaw control sensitivity movement of the stick would send less directional change to the Phantom.  Let us know if it works....  I'm to chicken to try it.

set up poi , smallest diameter , turn phantom to look out instead of looking in  , start recording

DroneGuyEd Posted at 2017-4-5 06:12
POI might work well.  Normally it uses a focus point on the ground, which shows just one place.  If one could set the altitude for the POI spot to be just below the drone altitude, then that might work.  That would point it slightly down with a slow rotation, which should be good.

On the P4, and I assume the P3 and P4P, the POI does not control the tilt of the camera, you can easily point it at the horizon, or straight down as you prefer.   

A pan in active track will control the camera tilt and keep the subject in the centre.

So if I understand correctly you would ideally wish the aircraft to stay in a fixed position at altitude and rotate 360 degrees whilst filming?
I have not tried that particular manoeuver but I'm just wondering if it can be done in the Litchi mission hub and set up as a mission, as there is an option to rotate the aircraft and you can select the number of degrees (in this case 360).
Maybe another Litchi user has tried this?

Don't put your thumb ON the stick.  Put your thumb next to the stick.  Just rest it next to the base of the stick and push up against it.  You may find you have a significantly more consistent force on the stick this way.

Actually you can go to your Go APP.  Look for the setting for left rudder and change it down to say 20.

This will slow the rotation and make for better rotation. Also the control sticks unscrew so you can make them taller. The taller the stick the more you have to move them when using the top of the stick. Also change the Gimbal tilt speed o 20 as well. Makes a nice difference.  I often fly my done at high max heights and altitudes.

In this video I was able to do slow rotations to follow traffic.  

This video I was a max height to get above the clouds.  Rotation was done carefully as well.  Sometimes its easy to rush as there sometimes can be delay on the sticks to the drone responding.

I posted a POI video, check it out

Flying-Monkey Posted at 2017-4-5 11:15
So if I understand correctly you would ideally wish the aircraft to stay in a fixed position at altitude and rotate 360 degrees whilst filming?
I have not tried that particular manoeuver but I'm just wondering if it can be done in the Litchi mission hub and set up as a mission, as there is an option to rotate the aircraft and you can select the number of degrees (in this case 360).
Maybe another Litchi user has tried this?

Yes its best to use Orbit  if you use Litchi and yes you can set that as one point on your mission.
You can set the speed from 1° /sec to 10°/sec and heading out or in.
The pano setting and way points mission is the reason for me to have Litchi.

JackA Posted at 2017-4-5 07:19
I am wondering if changing the sensitivity of the "Yaw" control might allow the stick to be used in turning the Phantom on it's center for a 360 degree video.  If you reduced the yaw control sensitivity movement of the stick would send less directional change to the Phantom.  Let us know if it works....  I'm to chicken to try it.

Probably a drastic decrease would not be ideal, but a little tinkering wouldn't hurt.

The suggestions others have provided are good options to try, it would be whatever makes you feel more comfortable.

Orbit or POI seems the best approach.  Will try both tomorrow..  Have a PH4 coming later in week for more tests.

What I am looking for is a slow moving rotation video of city areas.  A fixed position or nearly fixed would work fine, as both should show the area...as long as rotation is very slow and not jumpy.

G_Sig Posted at 2017-4-5 16:22
Yes its best to use Orbit  if you use Litchi and yes you can set that as one point on your mission.
You can set the speed from 1° /sec to 10°/sec and heading out or in.
The pano setting and way points mission is the reason for me to have Litchi.

I can never seem to get Orbit to work in Litchi with my android Nexus 7 II tablet.
POI in Dji Go works fine for me though.

Litchi orbit allows you to set the camera facing away from the selected center point. the settings will also allow you to get a very slow rotation.

I'm having the same issue and will try some of these suggestions, thanks!  I would really be great though if DJI Go and/or Litchi just had a "rotate" mode.  One click and it starts rotating at a user-entered speed.   Seems like there would be a lot of value in adding that feature and seems like it would be relatively easy to implement!

I think the POI is the smoothest way to make a 360 rad vid.

Have you tried tripod mode? I got some very good stable rotation video with the finer stick settings of that mode. (Dons flame proof suit to protect from seasoned veteran pilots disdain for tripod mode)

Jeff

Jerkman Posted at 2018-1-28 15:27
I'm having the same issue and will try some of these suggestions, thanks!  I would really be great though if DJI Go and/or Litchi just had a "rotate" mode.  One click and it starts rotating at a user-entered speed.   Seems like there would be a lot of value in adding that feature and seems like it would be relatively easy to implement!

Absolutely !
Actually the small Tello has that very feature but it's still nowhere to be seen on a Mavic/Air/Spark...

G'day, Im new here, but I also wanted to do the 360 degree of city scapes... the best way I found was , as they said in this thread, use POI, I had the camera pointed straight at the ground, and set the POI, then raised the altitude to where I was comfortable, set the circular motion to .5 metre (about 3 feet for you) and changed the camera to the horizon. Then started the 360 panorama video and let it run... works great!