Dear All,
I was using Cannon S100 previously for mapping purpose with CHDK, 1/2000 shutter speed, IS turned off and focus set to Infinity but still get around 50% blurry image.
Now I will use Sony Nex 5n camera on Flatmap1 gimbal with 16mm stock fixed lens and IR triggered from APM for more ground coverage and quality image (hope so..)
Please share your Nex 5n camera setting (Auto or manual or shutter priority?) and any experiences, pros & cons using Nex 5n for mapping purpose.
Let me start from what I was reading from some forum (forgot the link):
Sony Nex 5 series Camera Setting for Mapping:
- Mode: Aperture Priority (by Krajst)
- ISO: 400 or 800 (by Krajst) (if you want faster shutter speeds, you'll have to increase your ISO) check: http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Your-Digital-Camera%27s-ISO-Setting
- White balance: Daily/Sunny or Cloudy (by Krajst)
- Sharpness: infinity (but it is tricky with 16mm lens so I use auto (by Krajst)
Recommendations:
- IR Shutter from Hobbyking (by iskess)
- Use high speed SD: SANDISK EXTREME PRO SDHC SD 16GB, 95MB/s (by iskess)
Pros:
- More pixel compare with S100 = More ground coverage
- Fixed lens 16mm = less blurry image result
- ??
Cons:
- Heavier compare with S100
- No GPS onboard
- Nex 5n Time between shutter > 2 sec = S100 faster < 2 sec (if you need to fly really fast)
- ??
I will update first page regularly that may be useful for others.
Many thanks in advance for your contribution.
Waladi
Replies
Anyone tried mounting the camera on top of the wing and shooting down through it. How would this affect the flight characteristics?
It might be a simpler method of mounting.
@Wolfgang, did you think about going up to a 5000mAh 4s batteries to increase your flight time or even 2x5000 mAh?
Thanks.
Hi Waladi
I've similar questions moving from Canon SX260 to Sony NEX-5.
Like to sum up and please correct me where I'm wrong.
My profile is for a SkyWalker
- 15m/s
- 100m altitude
- Sigma 30mm (intended)
main points for me
model
-5T for low weight, app loadable and reasonable costs
min shutter interval (using a >90MB/s write speed SD)
mentioned here ~1/s for jpeg
What is the max speed for RAW?
interval trigger
I can't see the point why the app with delay and trigger interval time
isn't sufficient? Get rid of what I don't need later on.
power consumption
Can't remember where I saw this but 900 pics/charge in practice?
shutter speed
I would like to go for a fixed high shutter speed priority like discussed
here already. Seems that RAW and post-processing is the consequence.
By my profile when should I expect to get rid of any blur? My feeling
is going for 1/2000s or even more.
thanks for all the valuable info found in the forum already
Wolfgang R.
I finally modified my Nex5n since IR trigger failed several times during mission and sometime it is trigger the video, not the photo, also using Stratosnapper to trigger it directly from Pixhawk.
But we are talking about camera setting.
On some clear day, I would use shutter trigger and set manual ISO to 200 or even 400, let the aperture managed by the camera.
On couldy day, I prefer to use manual setting with following thumb rules:
1. Shutter should faster than 1/1250
2. Aperture set to minimum 5.6 since my stock 16mm lens will give blurry edges more with lesser value.
3. Play with the ISO and manual focus, test it on the ground by shoot an object at some distance with my flight height.
I occasionally have to turn off the Auto focus and viewer/result photo viewer after taken the picture (forgot what is the menu name).
Regarding your questions:
I don't know RAW speed shutter and I never flown that fast and required 1 sec trigger because I'm using multirotor.
imho it's useless to take so many pictures (example: interferometer) and sort it afterward because s MP geo tagging tools will found discrepancies between photos and CAM message number, then it will "refuse" to geo tag the pictures. And don't forget the longer time to process the image if your computer is an average household spec.
I don't know about the power consumption, on my Nex5n, one full charged batteries will last for more than 3 x 25 minutes flights.
Hope that help
Hi Waladi
thanks for the additional information.
I'll hope that I can go for open aperture with the Sigma 30mm.
Regarding the intervalometer.
As I'm going for large area coverage with a plane
more than 95% of the pictures are useful. Only the
pictures within turns need to be dropped.
For now I'm concentrating on collecting pictures and
do not care so much about post-processing. Friends of
mine do some 3D modelling and yes a home computer isn't
enough. But I hope this scales better over time.
Concerning the geo tagging I did assume that a low number
of GCPs assigned to pix in the stiched image would be
sufficient. But I have to learn what's going on in this
area.
Wolfgang R.
If the geotagging process and post processing is not problem then I think more pictures are better for quality map (or not..)
I am working with an Engineering student at KU to develop a product for drones. Would you be open to answering a few questions about your drone(s)?
Thanks
Sure thing, feel free to email me at dlocascio@tenboair.com
After some pretty serious testing I use the following (for a NEX 5T with 19mm Sigma, but pretty much the same)
DMF or manual focus
f/8 - f/9
1/800 or faster, depending on sun conditions
ISO 400-800
RAW only
Aperture is the most important - I was having loads of issues with bad focus, and having a smaller aperture gives you a much larger depth of field. I set the focus on a far off object before I take off. I haven't had any issues with ISO 800 in sunny or partly cloudy conditions, although shadows will have a bit of noise. I switched to shooting RAW and will never go back - you can do so much to the pictures after you take them, and even without editing Lightroom exports cleaner, sharper JPGs than the camera does. This also allows for lens corrections, adjusting exposure, eliminating ISO, changing color balance... I had issues where if it became cloudy during a flight, my settings would be off. However, you can just bump up the exposure and change the color balance so all your images are matched if you shoot in RAW.
I also find that the 19mm Sigma lens takes better pictures than the 16mm pancake, and it is cheaper. It is a bit longer by a bit, but not much.
I've also just been shooting with the intervalometer but am going to start using an IR trigger soon. It's really easy to GPS tag your pictures after the fact, and the flight controller GPS is probably better than the S100s anyway. The Canons aren't even worth messing with, IMO, the NEX 5 takes way better pictures, and requires far fewer to cover an area.
Hi David,
what is the max frequency for RAW (which SD-card)?
Do you know the power consumption?
thanks
Wolfgang R.
I gather from your post that you are in full Manual, and that you compensate for the shadows by using RAW and post production. Have you had poor success with Aperture Priority?
I agree that the 16mm pancake stinks. I had a terrible time with it. I switched to the 30mm Sigma and it works great. I haven't tried the 19mm, but after your recommendation I will look into it.
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