Missing Solo App Festures

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So I am a new user here, as well as a new Solo operator. There are 3 features that is missing from the Solo app, and wondering what are people's work around.

1. Switching from Video to Images. When flying, you can't switch from recording video to taking pictures. Only way to do so is manually switch it from the GoPro itself.

2. Changing GoPro settings. Well if I wanted to record in 1080p @ 60fps, then decided to start some 4K recording, I have to land the Solo and manually switch the settings on the GoPro again.

Even though 3DR highlights of the Solo was those 2 features. I contacted 3DR asking when the app will be updated with these features and they don't know. There is an update in October but that's for the Gimbal and not the app features.

3. Previewing what you recorded or took a picture of. So I want to use this for aerial photography, and I want to be able to view the photos I have taken. Right now I have to, land the Solo, take out the GoPro, take out the SD Card, insert the SD card into the tablet, view pictures. Then if I need to retake some, I have to put everything back together and repeat the process. If I could view them as the drone is up in the air, I could see if the pictures need to be re-taken right then and there.

Any thoughts on these 3 app features that are missing.
 
So I am a new user here, as well as a new Solo operator. There are 3 features that is missing from the Solo app, and wondering what are people's work around.

1. Switching from Video to Images. When flying, you can't switch from recording video to taking pictures. Only way to do so is manually switch it from the GoPro itself.

2. Changing GoPro settings. Well if I wanted to record in 1080p @ 60fps, then decided to start some 4K recording, I have to land the Solo and manually switch the settings on the GoPro again.

Even though 3DR highlights of the Solo was those 2 features. I contacted 3DR asking when the app will be updated with these features and they don't know. There is an update in October but that's for the Gimbal and not the app features.

3. Previewing what you recorded or took a picture of. So I want to use this for aerial photography, and I want to be able to view the photos I have taken. Right now I have to, land the Solo, take out the GoPro, take out the SD Card, insert the SD card into the tablet, view pictures. Then if I need to retake some, I have to put everything back together and repeat the process. If I could view them as the drone is up in the air, I could see if the pictures need to be re-taken right then and there.

Any thoughts on these 3 app features that are missing.
Welcome Nick,
If you have Tower (Android Only), you have a great deal of power at your disposal and the ability to switch on the fly from photo to video on the fly as well as take a picture and start/stop recording.

Changing at least some of GP settings is supposed to be coming in an update as early as Monday.

As far as the ability to preview what you have already taken and wanting it from the Solo? That's a new one.

And changing resolution of a video on the fly; while that should be possible with a future update, I always thought that a given shoot/project would be in a specified resolution start to stop and not mix. I thought that made it easier and flow better in post.
 
When asked about a feature to change the GoPro settings, they replied back with not knowing when it would be coming out. They even said it won't be in this October update, as that will only be for the Gimbal issues.

I have Android, and I will check out "tower" see how well it works. Thanks for the heads up on that.
 
Welcome Nick,
If you have Tower (Android Only), you have a great deal of power at your disposal and the ability to switch on the fly from photo to video on the fly as well as take a picture and start/stop recording.

Changing at least some of GP settings is supposed to be coming in an update as early as Monday.

As far as the ability to preview what you have already taken and wanting it from the Solo? That's a new one.

And changing resolution of a video on the fly; while that should be possible with a future update, I always thought that a given shoot/project would be in a specified resolution start to stop and not mix. I thought that made it easier and flow better in post.

I agree. Having used GoPro's extesively since the first model, I still don't understand why people would want to change these fundamental things in flight. A protune tweak possibly, but resolution or FPS? I just don't get it.

I would also add that I don't personally find replaying video while the bird is in the air very practical, as you are burning battery. I am generally able to know if I got "the shot" by looking at the video while I am shooting, but if there is doubt, I shoot again..More is better.. But that's just me...

If replay is important to how your process though, you can use IOS, in which case videos can be saved in your camera roll, and you can play them back for review immediately from there.

Welcome and good luck!!
 
I agree. Having used GoPro's extesively since the first model, I still don't understand why people would want to change these fundamental things in flight. A protune tweak possibly, but resolution or FPS? I just don't get it.

I would also add that I don't personally find replaying video while the bird is in the air very practical, as you are burning battery. I am generally able to know if I got "the shot" by looking at the video while I am shooting, but if there is doubt, I shoot again..More is better.. But that's just me...

If replay is important to how your process though, you can use IOS, in which case videos can be saved in your camera roll, and you can play them back for review immediately from there.

Welcome and good luck!!
The play back would be solely for images not videos. As yes while you can watch the tablet when recording, I find the need to keep my eye on the drone itself as I like to have a visual of it at all times and what it is doing. But that is just me, just glancing down at times on the screen to make sure it is in the shot.
 
The play back would be solely for images not videos. As yes while you can watch the tablet when recording, I find the need to keep my eye on the drone itself as I like to have a visual of it at all times and what it is doing. But that is just me, just glancing down at times on the screen to make sure it is in the shot.
One of the things I am using a LOT is the Cable Cam. This allows me to let the copter fly itself during shots, while I concentrate on the camera work. This doesn't cover everything, but in practice it is covering a great deal.

I use it so much I have assigned it to the A button. I assign Manual to the B button just in case I lose GPS.
 
The play back would be solely for images not videos. As yes while you can watch the tablet when recording, I find the need to keep my eye on the drone itself as I like to have a visual of it at all times and what it is doing. But that is just me, just glancing down at times on the screen to make sure it is in the shot.
I'd suggest you train yourself to watch your recording and not the drone. You need to look at your monitor to frame and monitor your shots. Looking at the drone is not helpful for filming, it just serves to reassure you that you are still flying and haven't dropped from the sky. Looking at the monitor will provide you with that reassurance, will allow you to frame shots, and in time, you'll adjust to looking down and not up, and be able to tell with some accuracy where you are in the sky relative to what you are viewing on the ground.
I went from early drones with no video feed, so you only watched the drone, to the current drones which have live feed - it was very difficult to change my habit of tracking the drone in the sky and instead watch the video feed.

Good Luck and welcome to the list.

Edit: And for those times you do look up and after a few panicked seconds that seem like minutes, realize you have no idea where the drone is because you have lost sight of it - use that RTL button until you are back in sight...done that a few times. :cool:
 
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I agree. Having used GoPro's extesively since the first model, I still don't understand why people would want to change these fundamental things in flight. A protune tweak possibly, but resolution or FPS? I just don't get it.

There are plenty of use cases for switching resolution and frame rate while in the air.

If your final delivery is in 1080P, then your going to shoot 4K/30fps most of the time, but for certain subjects you might want to get a few takes at 2.7K/60fps.

In both instances you'll be down sampling to 1080P in post. Sure the 2.7K won't be quite as nice, but it will still be very nice. If you need some whip pans in the shot, or your shooting water falls, waves on the beach, or any fast motion subject, then the 60fps could be worth the step down in quality just so you can get smooth slow motion in post.

BUT you don't always know that before you shoot. Sometimes you can aggressively slow motion 4K at 30 using software that frame blends well. Sometimes you think it will work but it doesn't. So it's always nice to shoot a few takes at different frame rates.
 
This month's release improves GPS, the video link range (noticeably) and the gimbal. It has one minor GoPro feature, if you power off the battery the Solo will now send a power off message to the GoPro.

GoPro functionality was being aimed for November, hopefully that's still the case.

There's a rumour from the UK Solo Facebook group which I consider credible as it's been discussed as a desirable idea with 3DR in the past, which is the ability to save and reply a shot, so for example you could set up a shot to cable cam along a railway track to capture a passing steam train. To save your battery you could then land, wait for the train and execute the move when it arrived.
 
This month's release improves GPS, the video link range (noticeably) and the gimbal. It has one minor GoPro feature, if you power off the battery the Solo will now send a power off message to the GoPro.

GoPro functionality was being aimed for November, hopefully that's still the case.

There's a rumour from the UK Solo Facebook group which I consider credible as it's been discussed as a desirable idea with 3DR in the past, which is the ability to save and reply a shot, so for example you could set up a shot to cable cam along a railway track to capture a passing steam train. To save your battery you could then land, wait for the train and execute the move when it arrived.
How about the Solo-controller link?
 
There are plenty of use cases for switching resolution and frame rate while in the air.

If your final delivery is in 1080P, then your going to shoot 4K/30fps most of the time, but for certain subjects you might want to get a few takes at 2.7K/60fps.

In both instances you'll be down sampling to 1080P in post. Sure the 2.7K won't be quite as nice, but it will still be very nice. If you need some whip pans in the shot, or your shooting water falls, waves on the beach, or any fast motion subject, then the 60fps could be worth the step down in quality just so you can get smooth slow motion in post.

BUT you don't always know that before you shoot. Sometimes you can aggressively slow motion 4K at 30 using software that frame blends well. Sometimes you think it will work but it doesn't. So it's always nice to shoot a few takes at different frame rates.
Just like other cameras, I group shots based on setup, and really never change fundamentals shot to shot. If I am thinking slo mo for later, I just go to the max frame rate for the resolution for the whole setup including those shots and stay one step up of the final render to retain flexibility in post.

But to each there own. :)
 
Just like other cameras, I group shots based on setup, and really never change fundamentals shot to shot. If I am thinking slo mo for later, I just go to the max frame rate for the resolution for the whole setup including those shots and stay one step up of the final render to retain flexibility in post.

But to each there own. :)
Yeah but you lose a lot of quality going to higher frame rates on a GoPro. It's very noticeable. Meantime, in Premiere and Final Cut, you can now get very smooth slow motion from a 30fps source using optical flow blending... sometimes, but not always; it depends on a lot of variables that are hard to account for on the fly (pun intended). So it's good to have a backup shot at 60 even if the quality suffers. Unfortunately as things stand right now, you've got to land, remove the GoPro from the gimbal, adjust settings, and take off again.
 
Yeah but you lose a lot of quality going to higher frame rates on a GoPro. It's very noticeable. Meantime, in Premiere and Final Cut, you can now get very smooth slow motion from a 30fps source using optical flow blending... sometimes, but not always; it depends on a lot of variables that are hard to account for on the fly (pun intended). So it's good to have a backup shot at 60 even if the quality suffers. Unfortunately as things stand right now, you've got to land, remove the GoPro from the gimbal, adjust settings, and take off again.
In reality, I just don't, and i doubt i will start.

I often slow things down just a tad in post when going for the cinematic feel, but I just don't change things that often in the camera once I get going. I generally try to keep my frames up in the resolution I am using anyway, and don't have problems. I suppose it depends a bit on how and what you video.

Like I said, to each their own. In the end, do what works for you.
 
Yeah but you lose a lot of quality going to higher frame rates on a GoPro. It's very noticeable. Meantime, in Premiere and Final Cut, you can now get very smooth slow motion from a 30fps source using optical flow blending... sometimes, but not always; it depends on a lot of variables that are hard to account for on the fly (pun intended). So it's good to have a backup shot at 60 even if the quality suffers. Unfortunately as things stand right now, you've got to land, remove the GoPro from the gimbal, adjust settings, and take off again.
I presume most or all of the video y'all are shooting is going to be sent & viewed over the Internet? If so, with so many viewing devices out there, does all this really make a noticeable difference?
I'm new to this so I really don't know.o_O
 
I presume most or all of the video y'all are shooting is going to be sent & viewed over the Internet? If so, with so many viewing devices out there, does all this really make a noticeable difference?
I'm new to this so I really don't know.o_O
I actually shoot in 4k most of the time. Only on rare occasions to I do anything else, and that is generally because I need a high frame rate not available in 4K.

I render it down to what is needed. 4K video rendered to 1080 actually looks better. As is discussed here.

RedShark News - Why everyone should be shooting 4K - even for HD delivery

The only downsides to this is that 4K takes more space, and needs to be edited on a healthy machine. If you have those (and aren't doing slo mo etc.) I truly believe 4K W 30 is a good setting for most things if you aren't doing advanced editing, and gives you a ton of options if you do post processing.
 

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