Comment by JB on November 17, 2012 at 6:09pm

"What camera could be smaller while still  providing 10 MP, 1080p video at 60 fps all while packing an amazing wide angle lens?"

I understand that this was rhetorical, but I would actually like to hear some answers to this question.

The reason being, I am building a tailsitter and where the camera will be mounted inside a transparent nose cone. I really have no need for the camera's enclosure which just adds weight.  Presumably I could just dismantle a GoPro but it would be easier/cheaper if I could buy equivalent or better electronics/lens etc. without buying this whole compact camera.  The other main reason I don't want to just mount the whole GoPro inside the nose cone, aside from weight, is that the lens is off-centre.  I'm trying to ensure that parts are placed symmetrically within this UAV to simplify balancing the CG, and I'd like the lens to be in the centre.

I'd appreciate any links to equivalent products that come without the "bulky" enclosure, or don't have the lens mounted asymmetrically.

Comment by Michael Johnston on November 17, 2012 at 6:54pm

reply to Jean-Baptise...

would this be a contender? I have no experience with this device but a colleague recently provided the link.

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11418

A quick search in DIYD provided this example of it being used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfYotVK4x7A&feature=player_embedded

MJ

Comment by Will Snodgrass on November 17, 2012 at 7:15pm

The inside of a Gopro isnt much smaller then the case, and its 3 circuit boards stacked and soldered together. the lens is on the first board and the CCD on the second. So taking one apart wouldn't get you very far im afraid.

I still can't believe the resolution on the GoPro 3 black. I mean I don't know what you would play it on.......

Wiki Ninja Comment by Gary McCray on November 17, 2012 at 8:01pm

2.7K & 4K are professional Cinema movie formats used in the motion picture industry.

1080 P (Normal HD is actually often used for documentaries and TV video), 2.7K and more commonly now 4K is commonly used for actual movie theater production. The GoPro's 4K frame rate of 15fps is to slow for most cinema uses but the faster 2.7K could certainly be useful. That having been said for most actual movie applications, these days for ruggedized use a 10+ pound, $20,000.00+ RED camera is what is commonly used as a minimum.

The real value of the GoPro is the fast 1080P which makes television production useful action sports shots from helmet and vehicle mounts really easy to do. The uses for RC planes / multicopters are just a bonus.

Comment by JB on November 17, 2012 at 8:21pm

Thank you for that info, Will.  Also, thank you Michael for those links.  That is essentially what I am looking for, but unfortunately the demo videos don't look anywhere near as great as the video produced by the latest GoPros, so I'll keep looking.

JDrones Comment by Jani Hirvinen on November 17, 2012 at 8:34pm

Will you should have a bit smaller mount :)

Take a look: GoPro mount

Btw we are bringing soon on market this new camera that we have been working with manufacturer almost a year. 

Specs as follows and price will be around 140-16USD:

1. Image Sensor： 1/2.5 CMOS

2. Effective Pixels：5.0 Mega Pixels

3. Lense : fixed focus, f=3.35mm,angle of view=142°

4. Exposure Control: Auto Exposure

5. White balance: Auto White Balance

6. Recording System

Photos: Format: JPEG

Pixels: 2592×1944

Single continuous shooting: Take 3/5/10 photos per one shooting

Auto continuous shooting: Take one photo every other 3/5/10/30/60S

Video: Format: H.264 video compression

Size : 16:9 1920×1080（30fps）

4:3 1440×1080（30fps）

16:9 1280×720（60fps）

16:9 1280×720（30fps）

Video section:（5/10/15/30min optional）

Quality/Bitrate:（High, Medium, Low）

7. Memory: High speed Micro SD card(TF card) up to 32GB

8. Output and input interface

Multifunction interface：AV out, USB(Compatible with standard MINI 5Pin USB plug)、DC input

Audio channel: Mono

USB 2.0 high-speed communication

Lens wire to PCB board interface: 5pin-1.25(12V input、Ground、Video output、Audio output、Control input)

9. Dimensions：37×37×31mm(Do not contain lens and prominent part)

10. Weight: 60g (not including memory card)

11. Operation temperature：-10~60℃

12. Power input: DC 12V/0.5A

Comment by JB on November 17, 2012 at 9:31pm

These GoPro cameras have an IR filter on the lens, don't they?  So for FPV at night, using IR LEDs for illumination, one would need to replace the lens?

What if I wanted to fly during the day and night without switching the lens between flights.  Is there any way this is possible?  Ideally I would like to be able to fly between high and low light environments by just turning the IR LEDs on and off.

Comment by Jonathan Price on November 17, 2012 at 10:10pm

Regarding Jean-Baptiste's question, FoxTech sells the HoryzonHD Full HD 1080p FPV camera V2 which has video quality equal to the Hero 2 in a more flexible and aerodynamic form.

There are some even smaller recording cameras which have the same nominal specs as the Hero, such as the HD Wing Camera II, but the video quality of these tends to be noticeably worse than the Hero cams.

Comment by Jonathan Price on November 17, 2012 at 10:16pm

Regarding IR illumination for night flying, that's a really creepy thing to do. Don't do that. People will justifiably think you're a pervert and we'll all look bad. Use a powerful white LED instead, such as found on this quadcopter.

Comment by Will Snodgrass on November 17, 2012 at 10:58pm

Actually flying in complete darkness would be pretty cool, I doubt you would need to change lenses to take advantage of it, although that may help get the most out of it. And as long as your not flying around people (which you shouldnt be doing anyways) I think the Pervert police will leave you alone.

Jani: the mount I was using on the  quad I just sold was almost Identical to that one...(it had the 2 holes rather then the plate and a different tray) only I payed twice that for it! If anyones looking for a mount, I would highly recommend you pick on of those up.  Roll and Tilt stabilization is really  you need with a quad, for yaw you just rotate the quad (unless you want the legs in the pic) Let me know if you want someone to test out that cam for your! ;)

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