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Let's talk Canon cameras

Posted by Matt Gunn on June 7, 2013 at 6:37pm

Id love to get an idea what people are using for their aerial mapping Canon cameras. I have the Canon S95, which usis optical image stabilization (OIS). This means the lenses are floating and move around in a very finite level to adjust for your hand movement. This poses a big problem for aerial work when the vibrations are noticeable. The lenses literally vibrate and no amount of shutter speed can fix it. I get very poor results; most aren't keepers but sometimes they are depending on motor rpm. Ive tested this camera for years on many different platforms, tried every vibration reduction method and still get bad results.

 

So, I'd love to hear what you are using and how the results work.

Matt

UPDATE: Ive ditched the Canon s95 in favor of a Sony NEX-5R with an intervalometer app. Ill be using a Sigma 30mm lens.

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  • arga firmansyah December 8, 2014 at 3:18am

    I am using 450 sized quad running on APM 2.6 using a cheap Canon 2300 point and shoot camera to do photogrammetry after following step by step guide on flight riot. Result is great without any blur or underexposure.

    I am flying on 100 m Above ground with averagely 18Km/h horizontal speed.

    Series of photo taken first stitched using ICE and then doing 3d reconstruction using Visual SFM and CMVS.

    Fist trial, i was using ISO overides on CHDK as Canon 2300 doesn't have manual or semi automatic function (Aperture or shutter priority). I thought the ISO overides will force the camera to use higher shutter speed to generate a more steady picture, but i ended up with an overexposure photos. Then i re try using an auto function without any overides. The result is great.

  • Matthew Pitts November 28, 2014 at 8:42am

    Hi There, 

    I have just got hold of a canon SX260 which I'm planning to use for aerial mapping with a F450 running a Pixhawk.  

    I'm rather worried about the weight of the camera on such a small drone, but We'll see how long it fles. 

    I'm trying to figure out the best method for attaching the camera to the bottom of the F450.  I would really appreciate any suggestions. 

    T

  • João Marques October 27, 2014 at 2:03pm

    Matt Gunn how good is the intervalometer app from SONY in mapping the ground and do some photogrametry?

    I'm almost buying a a5000 and start using the app but i really need to know if the results are good, if it works using AUTO mode (Or any other mode) and if every single photo are focus. (i read some old posts regarding the app that says the app only focus the first picture and the next one are unfocus) :X

    Thank you!

    • David Locascio > João Marques October 27, 2014 at 2:06pm

      Joao,

      I've used the intervalometer app on a Sony NEX 5T. It was tricky to figure out a good setting, but I shoot RAW in manual with f/7.1-9, 1/500, and ISO 400-800 and have had great results. I simply set the manual focus for the first picture at infinity and then it works great.

      • João Marques > David Locascio October 27, 2014 at 2:31pm

        Hi David,

        But since i'm used to start shooting before the drone is in the air (Currently using a Canon SX260 with 3s interval between photos, 1/1000, ISO Auto, Continuous Focus) wont that Manual Photos shoot the first photo and the next ones gonna be unfocus?

        For example the first 10 photos taken are from the ground (0m) to the altitude desired (100m high).

        Can i see a photo from you Nex 5t to see how sharp it is?

        In attach is one taken today (very cloud and no sun at all).

        IMG_7771.JPG

        https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3702672967?profile=original
        • David Locascio > João Marques October 27, 2014 at 2:43pm

          So, how I focus is the following:

          Point the camera at a far off object (such as a tree outlined by the sky). Press trigger half way down. Turn focus ring until tree is optimally focused. Take picture. Now, the intervalometer has started with a focus of infinity.

          An important part of that is the aperture. A low aperture (f/8) has a much wider depth of focus than a high aperture (f/3.5). The downside is that the ISO and shutter speed must be altered accordingly.

          The attached picture was taken from around 400 feet. The difference in quality between the SX260 and NEX 5T is massive.

          3702770675?profile=original

          • João Marques > David Locascio October 27, 2014 at 2:52pm

            Holy crap man.

            I really hope the a5000 pictures quality (somewhere between NEX 3 and Nex 5) can be very close to that.

            So the trick to manual focus is so simple! lol! Thanks man.

            But is possible to shoot in AUTO or the results are worst than Manual?

  • Phill Simpson August 2, 2014 at 3:38pm

    I did some comparisons for the Canon S100, S90, and A2300 on my hex, you can find the results here: http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/using-aux-pins-as-relays-for-chdk...

    For those of you using the NEX 5N - how are the still images, what percent are without blurring? What is the weight of the camera plus lens?

    • Phill Simpson > Phill Simpson August 30, 2014 at 11:58am

      Here’s an update on my quest to find a camera that works well for panoramas taken from a hexacopter. My previous attempts with a Canon SD100, SD90, and A2300 were less than successful with lots of blurred images (in the case of the S90 and S100) and grainy images (in the case of the A2300). Those photos are documented on this thread: http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/using-aux-pins-as-relays-for-chdk...

      I tried several suggestions including removing four and eight of the twelve dampers on the gimbal with no apparent change in the results. So I went back to look at what non-IS cameras Canon made that might be suitable and I took a look at the Sony NEX 5N that many have reported success using. I purchased each camera used off eBay and I had very good success with both.

      The Sony NEX 5N is a 16.1 MP camera. I used the 16mm pancake lens on it which gave a 35mm equivalent of a 35mm lens. I measured a horizontal field of view of about 75 degrees, very similar to the FOV of the S100 and A2300.

      The Canon Powershot Elph SD900 is a 10 megapixel camera with a 35mm zoom equivalent of 37 to 111mm. The horizontal field of view at the 37mm setting is about 52 degrees. The result of this narrower field of view is that the pixels per degree is very close (65.5 for the NEX vs. 70 for the SD900) as can be seen in the small sections of the full frame photos that I attached.

      I took a lot of photos with both cameras and was very happy with the proportion of “good” images. I used 1/1000 second on both cameras and got less than 20% blurred photos from both cameras. Even those that were blurred were only slightly blurred. The attached photo was typical of the quality of the photos from both cameras.

      Here are some notes for each camera:

      Canon SD900

      1. The narrower field of view required 10 columns by 5 rows to get a 360 panorama from just below the hexacopter’s motors to the nadir. This translates to more time required, but the hex drew only 40 amps with the lighter SD900 compared to flying with the NEX which took 45 amps. For both cameras I was able to take off, capture the panorama, and land with about 30% of a 10,000MAH battery pack left (about 7 or 8 minutes in the air).
      2. CHDK 1.3 works well on it.
      3. The SD900 custom timer does not have the ability to do multiple shots with zero delay so you need to use the CHDK burst mode. With the shutter duration set for 3 seconds I was able to get 3 shots at each position.
      4. I tried using CHDK to set the focus to infinity but had poor results with blurred photos. I went back to automatic focus and the photos came out fine.
      5. There were several screws on the camera that I found loose after a few flights. I'm not sure if this was a result of vibration or the previous owner's attempt to fix a sticky zoom lever. I check and tighten them regularly now.
      6. You can do multiple exposures to post process into an HDR pano, but you'll need to use a CHDK script

      NEX 5N

      1. I was able to do the panorama using 8 columns and 4 rows.
      2. You cannot use both the multiple exposure setting and the remote control setting at the same time. When using the remote, multiple exposures have to be done with multiple shutter releases (too bad).
      3. I used the Flytron sLED v2 shutter release with very mixed results. The shutter is supposed to allow you to do either video or still photos. Starting and stopping video worked well. When I used the still shutter release function, the sLED sent a shutter release signal about every second and would not stop sending the shutter release signal when the PWM was returned to the center position. So once triggered, either manually or by the Pixhawk, the NEX just kept taking photos until the hex landed and I unplugged the battery. I’ve sent several emails to the manufacturer and have yet to receive a response or any help.
      4. With the NEX taking photos about every 2 or 3 seconds, all I had to do was pause the gimbal at each panorama position for a few seconds to get two or three (or more) photos.
      5. It’s impossible (for me) to accurately manually focus this camera. There are no focus markings on the lens and with a wide angle lens on a small screen you really can’t tell how good the focus is. It will allow you to selectively focus, so I set it to focus on the bottom center of the screen so that it would avoid the motors.
      6. With an APS size sensor I suspect it will do a better job at sunrise and sunset, but I haven't tried it yet.
      7. HDR is done "in camera" and produces one JPEG photo, that makes each exposure in a panorama unique and post processing into a panorama difficult.

       

      NEX 5N vs SD900 Test.jpg

      • Glen Thomas > Phill Simpson October 27, 2014 at 8:13am
        Hi guys
        S100 must not shoot slower then 1600...1000 is not enough but I gaurantee it at 1600 and is great for mapping because you can set the lense and remember for accurate mapping you do not want to be wider then 35mm pref 50mm
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