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Recording In-Flight Video and Audio

There’s a company called Blackmagic Design that are producing some pretty cost effective pro cameras. They just released two new models at NAB. Although not as small as a GoPro, their new Micro Cinema Camera has Global Shutter, which eliminates all those prop, jelly and vibration problems we’ve had to suffer through for years. Global shutter is the cure all.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products

I tried a Canon HG10. Recording to hard disc stopped too often due to vibration. Occasionally the video went sickeningly wobbly. I think the image stabilising feature was settling on the prop blades at some RPM. I went back to a compact digital on movie mode.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

I agree with Lucius above. Even a cheap camcorder will totally outclass the Go-Pro type of camera on overall quality, lack of image distortion, etc.

However, to do a really great job of shots where the prop is in the frame, one needs a manual shutter control (1/80 usually does it, for 2400rpm) and I can’t find out whether the above model has that. In the past, manual shutter control has been used by Marketing Dept to separate “consumer” from “prosumer” and the relevant models used to start over £1000. The Canon Legria G10 is the one I have.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

When not mounting outside of the airplane, why not buying a regular HD Camcorder, such as Canon VIXIA HF R50 Full HD Camcorder? You usually get better optics, higher quality image processors, better sound, longer battery life (up to more than 60 hours), the same mounting accessories, since they have all a regular mounting shoe, and all this for the same price compared to action camera.

United States

So, for anyone wishing to go down this route of making videos of their flights, my recommendation would be to buy the non-GPS Virbs (£97) and a Bad Elf Pro GPS and use the tracks from the GPS. If you’re an aerobatic pilot you’d miss the G readout that the Virb Elite gives you, but for touring you can buy three cameras for the price of two and import the GPS track from the Bad Elf.

Spending too long online
EGTF Fairoaks, EGLL Heathrow, United Kingdom

Phew! Glad we sorted that out!

Spending too long online
EGTF Fairoaks, EGLL Heathrow, United Kingdom

Chris I goofed! When I first checked the position at N48 18 49.1 E4 15 35.6 it seemed correct so I thought I would check the earlier part of the video, taking off from Fairoaks.

I didn’t change E to W !! There is nowt wrong with the Virbs. I was never any good with Lat Longs!

Propman
Nuthampstead , United Kingdom

If I put the Lat,Long displayed on your Annemasse video, where you are taking off from Fairoaks, into Google Earth, you are nowhere near Fairoaks?

Well that’s weird. I must admit I don’t check the lat and long if the ground track looks good, and that shows up in the Garmin Edit software.

Because the cameras are being switched on and off and it takes a few minutes to get a good GPS lock, I run a Bad Elf Pro+ all the time and import the track from there. The Fairoaks-Annemasse video was the first time I’d used it for that purpose and the ground track was perfect the whole time.

I’ve thrown away the old files from that video, but this is a Google Earth view of my circuit at Fairoaks yesterday, using the track from the Bad Elf:

Grandmother sucking eggs, and all, are you sure you’re using the expected lat/long format in the other programs? I set up all my devices to display degrees and decimal minutes, but the Virb software displays degrees, minutes and seconds and Google Earth uses decimal minutes.

Spending too long online
EGTF Fairoaks, EGLL Heathrow, United Kingdom

Hi Chris,
Your solution makes sense i.e.dubbing the sound later. When I have done some videos in the past, I found that recording the sound on the camera never worked properly in that you couldn’t take out unwanted audio because it was on the video track. The Virbs look interesting but I am puzzled – If I put the Lat,Long displayed on your Annemasse video, where you are taking off from Fairoaks, into Google Earth, you are nowhere near Fairoaks? I also tried it for different parts of the video and your position did not correspond to the position shown on your GPS. Is this a problem with the Virbs? I await your answer before investing.

Propman
Nuthampstead , United Kingdom

I like the idea. Most of the time when I hear something interesting on the radio my camera is not running.
But if you capture it all on a voice recorder, you can just add it to the video later.

I have a GoPro 4 with the USB audio+power cable. Video editing can be a hobby on it’s own. Its very time consuming. Here’s a video of a flight over Spain on our way to Tanger, Morocco. Audio in Dutch unfortunately..



Last Edited by lenthamen at 20 May 12:16
19 Posts
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