The GoPro needs to Go Away!

[Matt Chevalier]

I put way to much faith in the GoPro when choosing to go with the SOLO, and I am regretting it the more I work with the footage in post.

Almost everything else about the SOLO is perfect, but at the end of the day the GoPro footage just doesn't cut it.

We need the ability for a new camera to be mounted. My mind's eye sees tapping into the SOLO's ARM processor to use as the camera's computer, and then just building a censor with lens mount into the gimbal that a lens could be mounted to. Idea being to loose everything but the lens and sensor and the rest be all internal.

(Please don't send me suggestions or ask for my settings in an effort to fix my go pro footage, its not me, I've just hit the limits of that particular camera, but thank you.)

If anybody else shares my feelings on the GoPro, let's make sure we are all heard by 3DR.

 

[FlexFanatic]

I put way to much faith in the GoPro when choosing to go with the SOLO, and I am regretting it the more I work with the footage in post.

Almost everything else about the SOLO is perfect, but at the end of the day the GoPro footage just doesn't cut it.

We need the ability for a new camera to be mounted. My mind's eye sees tapping into the SOLO's ARM processor to use as the camera's computer, and then just building a censor with lens mount into the gimbal that a lens could be mounted to. Idea being to loose everything but the lens and sensor and the rest be all internal.

(Please don't send me suggestions or ask for my settings in an effort to fix my go pro footage, its not me, I've just hit the limits of that particular camera, but thank you.)

If anybody else shares my feelings on the GoPro, let's make sure we are all heard by 3DR.

You asked that no one give you suggestions for GoPro settings but you made a statement about the GoPro footage not cutting it so what about the footage does not cut it? Is it the fisheye, white balance, etc?

The GoPro is used by a large amount of the consumer, prosumer, and even commercial areas so some additional information would be nice.

I'd say you're better off going with another entire platform as no telling who (if anyone) is working on 3rd party gimbals for the Solo plus you'll be looking at $400+ if one ever came out.

 

[pyrate]

this cracks me up.
If you spend over a grand on anything and dont do your research, you kind of have no one to blame but you.
Solo as a gopro platform was not a mystery

 

[Kevin Cain]

I'm with Matt; it would be nice if there was a better cleared path to use Solo with other cameras. So for as I can see, there's really no integrated gimbal solution for a camera other than GoPro -- or even examples of people coming up with their own working solution for mounting and moving other cameras.

Or am I wrong about that?

Personally, I don't need video, so I'm in a slightly different situation than Matt describes. I would like to use the Sony Alpha camera for 24MP stills, which 3DR has confirmed the Solo wil lift (~475g) while draining the battery a bit faster.

If there is a community of people using alternate cameras to shoot stills, or video, with the Solo -- I'd love to know. Clearly GoPro has been a marketing success and is suitable for a lot of informal uses, but I think most photographers would agree that despite the name, it was never intended as 'pro' gear.

 

[timzee]

We need the ability for a new camera to be mounted.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was an option in the future.
In the meantime I'm looking at mods like this?

 

[Steven Ackerman]

I wouldn't be surprised if this was an option in the future.
In the meantime I'm looking at mods like this?

I went with the 4.35mm instead of the 5.4mm. The tighter the FOV the more sensitive you will be to vibrations. The people at Peau Productions were very helpful and the service was very quick.

I haven't had a chance to fly with it yet though...

 

[Matt Chevalier]

Im looking forward to 3rd party companies developing for SOLO, after all that's what makes capitalism so great, it identifies a need and services it.

If anybody finds any companies or startups doing such a thing, please let us know so we can get behind them.

 

[Matt Chevalier]

I'm with Matt; it would be nice if there was a better cleared path to use Solo with other cameras. So for as I can see, there's really no integrated gimbal solution for a camera other than GoPro -- or even examples of people coming up with their own working solution for mounting and moving other cameras.

Or am I wrong about that?

Personally, I don't need video, so I'm in a slightly different situation than Matt describes. I would like to use the Sony Alpha camera for 24MP stills, which 3DR has confirmed the Solo wil lift (~475g) while draining the battery a bit faster.

If there is a community of people using alternate cameras to shoot stills, or video, with the Solo -- I'd love to know. Clearly GoPro has been a marketing success and is suitable for a lot of informal uses, but I think most photographers would agree that despite the name, it was never intended as 'pro' gear.

That's great news about the SOLO being capable of flying the Sony A cameras. I think everything is on the table and the possibilities are endless.

Ive become fascinated with the idea of gutting a real camera and loosing all the unnecessary weight (i.e. body housing, buttons, rubber, batteries, LCD screens etc.), and splitting what's left over between the external components (lens & sensor), and placing the rest of the computing power on the SOLO's existing A9 processor. The A9 is massively powerful, and hardly being used at all by the SOLO. LOL maybe even put solid state memory in the battery, so acquisition and recharge happen at once; not sure if the efficiency is really there in the end though. Anyway, it's all exciting stuff that can't happen quick enough. All I know is the GoPro has been maxed out. I'm not even sure smart phones like the iPhone 6s haven't surpassed the GoPro.

 

[Matt Chevalier]

My last post just got me thinking, "I'm not sure the iPhone 6s and other smart phones, haven't surpassed the GoPro". I've seen RAW, uncompressed footage shot on the iPhone 6, and I mean real RAW not GoPro raw.

Now that i think about it, GoPro must be fully aware of the technological capabilities today between hardware and software, and the growing use of drones and others alike by the professional community.

Obviously there will be a GoPro 5 soon. The question is, will they continue to produce consumer grade cameras with extremely conservative specs, or will they introduce a pro line that actually delivers a usable and controllable image. My guess is they won't, they are a consumer company and will continue down the path they've set.

 

[timzee]

Im looking forward to 3rd party companies developing for SOLO, after all that's what makes capitalism so great, it identifies a need and services it.

If anybody finds any companies or startups doing such a thing, please let us know so we can get behind them.

I spoke to someone from Black Magic in their booth at the recent Photo Expo in NYC and he said they were actively working with 3DR to develop ways to utilize their cinema camera on the Solo. No time frame offered but made it sound like they were getting close.

 

[pyrate]

i am betting someone will mount another camera, almost have to if Solo will be truly future proof