Comments

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  RPM August 6, 2015 at 8:06pm

  @Mike T I am very interested in knowing this as well. Looks like the dual solo mounts are sold out so that means... something. I wonder if the fixed mounts account for the forward lean of solo while it's flying? If you find out more please post a blog. Cheers!
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  Mike T August 6, 2015 at 7:13pm

  Has anyone used these MAPIR cameras for NDIV mapping? Any possible issues ? I noticed they are just hard mounted, does anyone find a gimbal produces better results, or just allow enough overlap to alleviate any distortion?
  
  http://www.mapir.camera/collections/cameras
• RG August 4, 2015 at 3:07pm

  What would be a good equipment for NDVI + IR + Regular photo all in one so that i do not have to fly again and again for same area
• Jakob Schmidt August 4, 2015 at 2:08pm

  Heck I have some Long Wave Infrared cameras coming under $600 complete with f/1.2 lens. They are going to vineyards in drought areas so they can measure the stress on their grapes from the drought.

  What camera would that be?
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  Vega Tech Group LLC August 3, 2015 at 2:26pm

  GoPro's, again consumer grade cameras, not real good quality stuff, a bit over priced if you ask me for what you get. But hey, they have a marketing machine!!

  The Long Wave Infrared cameras would be excellent for firefighters, especially locating hot spots, people, wire inspection, in the field looking for animals that could be in danger, people in danger in areas that may be in a fire wake.

  There are uses in Ag for the LWIR cameras, but most is in the Visible and Short Wave Infrared(400-1700nm).

  Sure lets talk, send me a direct email:    kdbusto@vegatecgroup.com

  I will reply to set up a time and date.
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  Martin Bellomo August 3, 2015 at 2:15pm

  Ok, now the problem is allmost the standard. I would say Vega is right, maybe you are reachiching the lifetime of your sensor.
• Moderator

  MarioSpeedwagon August 3, 2015 at 2:15pm

  Well if you have some recommendations for replacements <$1k, I'd love to look into all of them. I've been spending all afternoon looking at the adapted GoPros, JUST because I want something that is very durable.

  I'm not dealing with people that are willing to spend much for NDVI, and only 9% of them have the equipment in place to take advantage of shapefiles and management zones.

  Basically, I'm building the platforms to be used for firefighting....the agriculture side is just to generate a little revenue for the few people in the area that will take advantage of it. If the service is popular after next year's growing season, I'll make more of an effort to get better sensors.  
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  Vega Tech Group LLC August 3, 2015 at 2:08pm

  The camera doesn't have to cost $15K, unless you are doing something much more advanced, for example FOPEN.

  Many of these cameras are under $1000, the lenses $200-300 each. Filters are cheap any more, unless you like Semrock or some other highend, high quality manufacturer of filters?

  Edmund Optics sells the cheap stuff and it is not bad quality.

  I had some Chinese USB3 cameras in here for $500 each. I just got an excellent camera from a US manufacturer for $580 with a grade 1 sensor.

  Heck I have some Long Wave Infrared cameras coming under $600 complete with f/1.2 lens. They are going to vineyards in drought areas so they can measure the stress on their grapes from the drought.

  Sure if you want to do some real R&D, I have cameras over $100K, but that is not what you are doing.

  I have a great project going using a new lens I designed for 400-1700nm. The lens weighs <8gms. My partner in the military project is using it on a Raptor Photonics Owl & a UTC CSX camera. The plan is to replace the PVS 14 in the military with something smaller, lighter and more powerful for Day/Night vision.
• Moderator

  MarioSpeedwagon August 3, 2015 at 1:47pm

  Vega, lets not forget the name of the website you're on right now. Most of us would go for a $15,000 camera if it was in our price range and wouldn't bother with modifying consumer grade sensors. 

  Hopefully I'll be able to acquire a true multi spectral in the future, but it's not in the cards right now. I am looking at something more rugged than the s100, though. 
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  Vega Tech Group LLC August 3, 2015 at 1:25pm

  OK, you have to realize what you have there, a consumer grade camera with the cheapest of everything. A cheap grade 3 sensor with a lot of bad pixels, if it has a mechanical shutter, ditto for this too, as well the lens. I probably could carve out a better lens out of the bottom of an old glass coke bottle.

  If you have done thousands of shots so far, I would say, if it has one, the mechanical shutter is wearing out. If not, the sensor is heating up and is malfunctioning. I have seen both problems when cheap sensors and shutters are placed in environmental chambers, heated, cooled, thousands of images taken.

  Buy Grade 2 or better sensors, most are found in industrial cameras such as those from TeleDalsa, Imperx, ISG Cameras, AVT, SICK, Quest Innovations, Basler, Point Grey, etc. The same for the mechanical shutter, buy industrial grade.

  If this is just a hobby, buy another Canon.

  Sure this stuff is more expensive than what you are using, but in the long run you won't have the problems you are having now and it will last a very long time, trouble free. Industrial grade mechanical grade shutters will last millions of cycles, not less than 50,000 in any of the off the shelf consumer cameras you may buy.