RC helicopter aerial photography

[Oracheski]

I'm looking to get into some remote control helicopter shooting - mostly video, with some still shooting as well. Anyone have any experience with it?

I'd like to have something that can carry a camera. Something like a T1i or T3i, or maybe I'd trust the Mark IV to it once I gain some flight proficiency

I considered the Draganfly SAVS, but don't know anyone with hands-on time with one.

[Izzy]

Why kill a DSLR doing this?

GoPro Official Store: Wearable Digital Cameras for Sports

With helos it is not a matter of if you crash but rather when you crash. Besides they are not meant to fly with a load on them. I have one I killed the rotor head on still sitting in my closet. $500 for the head so it has gone to the back burner. Might never get fixed.

[Oracheski]

I'm considering a GoPro as well, but the quality difference on stills is pretty big still.

Something like this setup is amazing.

[candleman]

errr. there are plenty of Helos MORE THAN capable of carrying a t3i, heres one with a 5D and moveable gimbal.

I flew RC Helis for several years, now as a hobby i fly RC gliders and a couple of powered planes.
this weekend i'm competing in an endurance competition.. *fingers crossed* pretty excited.

Starting out in RC Helis?
1. buy a Dx6i(minimum, I'd go for a Dx8) and Phoenix flight simulator.. practice practice practice
2. buy a cheap co-axial heli for about $100 and fly that until you can land on a teacup and hover nose-in.
3. get another cheap Heli (Walkera 60 or HoneyBee King) then learn to repair it when you crash.
4. spend about 3k on a decent sized RC machine and an FPV set.... Trex700 minimum, and get flying
you dont want Nitro because the gasses will settle on the lens.. you really want an electric machine.


check out and ask questions on RCGroups:
Aerial Photography - RC Groups

also check out these guys... with the mounted 5DMK2
RC Helicopter Camera Gimbals : PhotoShip One Online Store, Camera Gimbals, RC Helicopters, RC Accessories

my friend is an RC Heli instructor for a local RC shop, he has done some filming work on similar machines.

[Oracheski]

Thanks for the tips

[Oracheski]

Picked up a HD Key Cam I saw on the Aerial Photography forum and a low-end RC helo to do some proof of concept work. If it works out well, I'll be looking at higher end equipment. Thanks again for the links.

[Aegea]

+1 on what Candleman says. Flying RC aircraft is not an intuitive thing for most people, and that goes 10x for helos. If you don't fly RC already, expect a learning curve that will be measured in months and years, not days and weeks.

Oh, and RC flying is addictive and can be expensive. Cameras and lenses are expensive too, but they don't often crash or self-destruct ...