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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Red on Helicam

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Wendell Adkins

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I have been flying the Panasonic HVX200 on very large RC helicams for the last 2 1/2 years. These helicopters can also carry the Red camera quite easily. I am questioning whether or not it makes sense to invest in the Red camera if most people would consider close range aerial video to be "B" roll footage and so consider the current camera I use to be be sufficient. I would very much be interested in any thoughts you might have on this subject.

Thanks!

Wendell
 
Can you post a couple pics of your chopper?

IMO, this will be a growing business in the years ahead.
 
PROS
I think it makes perfect sense. For one thing, if shooting 4K, you could crop just 1/4 of the frame in post and still have full HD (any quarter you choose). That would give you a lot of latitude in your shots. In addition, if you need to do any motion stabilization in post, you'll have much better results starting with 4K progressive footage.

CONS
However, keep in mind you'll need remote focus (which adds weight), you'll probably need a matte box with rails for filters and you'll need to support the battery and perhaps the RED RAID. Finally, it could be weighty and expensive to solve the remote monitoring problem since no standard NTSC video out.

-shooter
 
I too would love to see a shot of your choppers. But if you still want to shoot from the heli with the b-roll mentality. It would make perfect sense to me to use the fixed lens 2/3 scarlet when it comes out (if you can wait a while). Just spec it light and use the red-mote to control the camera in flight. Although I still think you'll be getting amazing footage from the scarlet and have LOTS of room for image stabilization in post. I know this is posted in the Red One section, but it's my two cents. Just seems right to me.

-Josh
 
Thanks for all your input.

Here is a photo of one of the helis. It is just under 8 feet long and weighs 35 lbs. flying the HVX200. It has flown at this weight in very high density altitudes and still had plenty of reserve lift.

Wendell
 
Wendell Adkins said:
Thanks for all your input.

Here is a photo of one of the helis. It is just under 8 feet long and weighs 35 lbs. flying the HVX200. It has flown at this weight in very high density altitudes and still had plenty of reserve lift.

Wendell
Click to expand...

Ah, that looks so great! I would love to use one of those for some stuff I'm doing, but hiring someone is out of the question and buying one/ learning to fly is a long ways off. Very cool man, I envy you.

-Josh
 
As far as pulling focus with this rig- if you are on a wide angle lens, focused to infinity you should do ok. (Although having remote focus control would be nice. As well as having remote monitoring...) But bare bones you should be able to pull it off, as long as the Heli can lift up to 20 lbs. that should give you enough headroom for lift of the camera.

I would opt against a mattebox and filters for the type of heli you have. The matte box will create a lot of drag, and I wouldn't count on the filters holding in place. Instead I would go for the screw on threaded filters- they'll be lighter and more secure.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. It looks like a VERY cool rig, and I'm sure you can get some great stuff with it - I'm very envious. :)

BTW- if you want to see someone who has done something similar, this video was shot in 1080p with the 5D MKII and a tilt shift lens (So the focus plane is really wacky.): http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/2008/12/26/taking-off-jamie-obrien-project-day-one/#more-1744
 
BTW- where are you located? If in the Pacific Northwest I'd be happy to meet up and test it out with my Red.
 
Ryan,

Thanks for all the good advice. I am located in Dayton Ohio but we travel coast to coast on a phone call's notice. :biggrin: Do you ever work in the midwest?

I had been flying RC helicopters for 25 years but only got into flying these larger versions around 5 years ago while consulting for defense contractors at Wright Patterson AFB.

The helicopter started out as a production industrial model but is now so heavily modified it's really one of a kind (actually 2 of a kind as I have another just like it).

Here is an example of what kind of stability it produces -

http://www.vimeo.com/2638134

Thanks,

Wendell
 
Wendell Adkins said:
Ryan,

Thanks for all the good advice. I am located in Dayton Ohio but we travel coast to coast on a phone call's notice. :biggrin: Do you ever work in the midwest?

I had been flying RC helicopters for 25 years but only got into flying these larger versions around 5 years ago while consulting for defense contractors at Wright Patterson AFB.

The helicopter started out as a production industrial model but is now so heavily modified it's really one of a kind (actually 2 of a kind as I have another just like it).

Here is an example of what kind of stability it produces -

http://www.vimeo.com/2638134

Thanks,

Wendell
Click to expand...

Nicely done- thanks for sharing the clip. :)

I have done work in the Midwest before- but I do not have anything on a reoccurring basis.

If you happen to come out this way let me know and we can work out a test.
 
Hello Wendell

Nice stuff!.

I have used Flying Cam in the past and although they are rather expensive, their stuff also came out nice and the client was happy. I would be interested in how your RED one testing comes out for possible future projects. Flying Cam used a modified 35mm Eyemo camera with a 200 ft film load, which was about 2 minutes of shooting time...a 16gb CF card in the RED for 8 minutes of shooting time would be fantastic. And longer in the future as the CF cards capacities get bigger.

Please keep me in your email loop for the future...Larry at velocity dot tv

Thanks

Larry
 
We were able to get in some more flight testing this past week on the Red helicam. As usual we had some minor technical issues to work around (power lead obstructed tilt range, etc.) but overall things went very well. The helicopter has no trouble whatsoever carrying the camera and all the necessary accouterments.

We also were able to get some simply amazing shots from the Canon 5D Mark II from one of our smaller electric powered helis.

Wendell
 

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So your lifting with a 2 cy engine then? I guess that gives you enough lift to get a RED up..I don't think I could do it on the COndor I have with a single gas cy engine
 
Brilliant- glad to see it is working. :)
 
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