Aerial Imaging

Geoimages · Nov 24, 2017

David Boulanger said:
How do you plan on triggering the camera?

Sony Trigger App or intervalometer...still working on it.

David Boulanger · Nov 24, 2017

On that camera the App is on your smart device and not on the camera I believe. This will cause problems. Intervalometer will work. Personally I would spend a little extra on the 5100 and have a camera with a bigger sensor, interchangeable lenses, App on camera, and ARW photos. only 40 grams more than Gopro and Gimbal.

jxo · Dec 7, 2017

David Boulanger said:
...Personally I would spend a little extra on the 5100 and have a camera with a bigger sensor, interchangeable lenses, App on camera, and ARW photos. only 40 grams more than Gopro and Gimbal.

David: I picked up the 5100 and its a surprisingly good little camera (from someone who shoots Canon 5d4s). I am curious about how to configure it on the Solo.
1. how does the HDMI output work? are you getting a good FPV video feed to your tablet via Solo app or Solex?
2. is the video feed upside down?
3. is there an orientation setting on the Sony somewhere to adjust for the upside-down installation-- either for the FPV monitoring or the actual images taken?
4. do you/can you turn off the Sony's LiveView on the back of the camera?

anxious to see how this works. Panorama and HDR could be fun with this. Will shoot RAW and do some pixel peeping soon in LightRoom to see how this camera can perform.

Have some ideas on remote triggering-- will post as I try.

thanks,
Jim

David Boulanger · Dec 7, 2017

jxo said:
David: I picked up the 5100 and its a surprisingly good little camera (from someone who shoots Canon 5d4s). I am curious about how to configure it on the Solo.
1. how does the HDMI output work? are you getting a good FPV video feed to your tablet via Solo app or Solex?
2. is the video feed upside down?
3. is there an orientation setting on the Sony somewhere to adjust for the upside-down installation-- either for the FPV monitoring or the actual images taken?
4. do you/can you turn off the Sony's LiveView on the back of the camera?

anxious to see how this works. Panorama and HDR could be fun with this. Will shoot RAW and do some pixel peeping soon in LightRoom to see how this camera can perform.

Have some ideas on remote triggering-- will post as I try.

thanks,
Jim

HDMI output is fine via Solo or Solex app. Video feed is upside down but on Solex you can flip it . Sony pictures will come out right side up even though the video feed is upside down. The live view on the camera will turn off when you plug the Solo's HDMI cable into it. It will then show up on your smart device video feed. I think there is a way to disable it but it has never bothered me much.

I think you will be very happy with it.

jxo · Dec 7, 2017

thanks David. the support here is great. looking forward to playing with it.

jxo · Dec 13, 2017

David Boulanger said:
HDMI output is fine via Solo or Solex app. Video feed is upside down but on Solex you can flip it . Sony pictures will come out right side up even though the video feed is upside down. The live view on the camera will turn off when you plug the Solo's HDMI cable into it. It will then show up on your smart device video feed. I think there is a way to disable it but it has never bothered me much.

I think you will be very happy with it.

David: before asking the broader group, do you know if the Solo board has extra power sockets/outlets that can be tapped to power other devices? Am looking at a small camera remote device (for the Sony a5100) that needs either battery power or cabled to the Solo for juice.

just_bruce · Dec 13, 2017

jxo said:
David: before asking the broader group, do you know if the Solo board has extra power sockets/outlets that can be tapped to power other devices? Am looking at a small camera remote device (for the Sony a5100) that needs either battery power or cabled to the Solo for juice.

You'll want an accessory bay breakout board. Battery voltage available on some pins there.

David Boulanger · Dec 14, 2017

jxo said:
David: before asking the broader group, do you know if the Solo board has extra power sockets/outlets that can be tapped to power other devices? Am looking at a small camera remote device (for the Sony a5100) that needs either battery power or cabled to the Solo for juice.

Yes. A breakout board or physically solder wire to the main board.

jxo · Dec 15, 2017

David Boulanger said:
Yes. A breakout board or physically solder wire to the main board.

thanks to both of you. Can you link me to any further details on getting and installing a breakout board. being lazy but will search.
thanks again.

David Boulanger · Dec 15, 2017

Breakout boards seem to be unavailable at the time. Otherwise I would buy 5.

jxo · Dec 15, 2017

David Boulanger said:
Breakout boards seem to be unavailable at the time. Otherwise I would buy 5.

why would you need 5? are the boards just to enable powering of ancillary devices?

David Boulanger · Dec 15, 2017

jxo said:
why would you need 5? are the boards just to enable powering of ancillary devices?

I have five Solo's

jxo · Dec 15, 2017

David Boulanger said:
I have five Solo's

Duh, Am experimenting with some longer range remote triggering devices. Hopefully I can return all the favors with some useful feedback.

jxo · Dec 15, 2017

is this the source?

3DR Solo Accessory Breakout Board

jxo · Dec 15, 2017

And what are headers? am not modifying my '69 Chevy.

David Boulanger · Dec 15, 2017

jxo said:
And what are headers? am not modifying my '69 Chevy.

Headers would be the pins you would find on like pwm 6,7,8. for servo wires.

jxo · Dec 19, 2017

David Boulanger said:
HDMI output is fine via Solo or Solex app. Video feed is upside down but on Solex you can flip it . ...

Is there a Solex setting to flip the image on the tablet or do you just physically flip the tablet?

Thanks David.

David Boulanger · Dec 19, 2017

jxo said:
Is there a Solex setting to flip the image on the tablet or do you just physically flip the tablet?

Thanks David.

Solex has a box you click which will flip the video feed but not the telemetry data.

John Githens · Mar 13, 2018

jxo said:
thanks to both of you. Can you link me to any further details on getting and installing a breakout board. being lazy but will search.
thanks again.

@jxo Thanks to tips from James at gentles LTD in the UK, I can now offer a procedure for triggering a Sony a6000 shutter during mapping/survey missions, using a gentWIRE-FOCUS 21MS Shutter Controller and RC7 on a v3.0.0 Solo with the stock black cube. You would not need a breakout board, however you would need to be comfortable with opening a Solo and soldering to three pads, one of which is tiny. You will also need to reach some comfort level with using Mission Planner to assign "RC7" parameter values and "Camera Gimbal" values. Details about opening a Solo and soldering to the pads can be found on other threads on this forum. I've tested with Survey missions developed in Tower.

(BTW, the 21MS has a variety of features, and can also be used in several ways to interact with a Sony NEX-5N, including as an intervalometer without interfacing with the camera's IR sensor.)

This site apparently won't accept the file type, so send a PM with your email address, if you want a copy of the procedure.

Robpower · Mar 14, 2018

I started with a Panasonic lumix tz110 on my solo with a fixed mount and using intervalometer to take images. I have changed that set up to a Nikon J5 mirroless with a 10mm F2.8 lens, 1 inch sensor 20Mb, raw files and have added a servo and a new mount so I can tilt the camera using the paddle on the solo controller. I use a ribbon type HDMI cable from the camera to the solo HDMI connection.

I am happy with the camera (I shoot Nikon pro level gear D850, D800, D750 and F2.8 lenses for my other photography work)

I am using the standard solo software, next step is to go to open solo 3 and add a trigger control, probably a little servo. Here are a couple of updated pics of my new updates.