[TheOtherCliff]

@JDL:  Your videos are so smooth.  I don't see a gimbal.  Is that the RunCam image stabilization doing that?  Post-processing?

Is image stabilization available in all the RunCam recording cameras (2, 2-4K, 3, Split, 5, etc.)?

Thanks!

[jdl]

I have a pitch/roll gimbal on the MiniTalon and it makes a great job. But most of my videos come from quadcopter flights, no gimbal there.

Aside from making my best to fly as smooth as possible, I do software post-processing with proDAD Mercalli.

AFAIK only this Runcam camera (Runcam5 Orange) has EIS. But I find this inbuilt video stabilization to be inefficient and even harmful.

There is a new and somehow exciting functionality introduced in the latest Runcam5 Orange firmwares: ​an automatic generation of .csv file with gyroscope data that is saved to the MicroSD card. This allows for direct post-processing stabilization with the gyroflow https://elvinchen.com/gyroflow/  (similar to ReelSteadyGO for GoPro cameras).

This project is still under development and looks quite promissing. However, at its present state (gyroflow 0.3.0-beta), the results I've got trying to stabilize video footage from my flights with gyroflow are definitely inferior compared to proDAD Mercalli. On the other side, Mercalli v5 costs almost $300 now, against $0 for gyroflow 0.3.0 ...

[TheOtherCliff]

Thanks!  I just read that the image stabilization can cause a jerkiness in yaw and there was a recommendation to turn it off.

It looks like RC5 has image stabilization but RC2-4K has WiFi (on/off and a useful app), microphone, "sudden power loss video save" and selectable FOV that RC5 doesn't have.  At least that is what the two Amazon listings say.  That makes it sound like the RC2-4K is the better one for me.

Are there any FPV HD recording cameras that can do low light?

[jdl]

Thanks!  I just read that the image stabilization can cause a jerkiness in yaw and there was a recommendation to turn it off.

Definitely, EIS should be turned off for flight footage!

It looks like RC5 has image stabilization but RC2-4K has WiFi (on/off and a useful app), microphone, "sudden power loss video save" and selectable FOV that RC5 doesn't have.  At least that is what the two Amazon listings say.  That makes it sound like the RC2-4K is the better one for me.

RC5 Orange has better sensor and optics and offers very good lens distortion correction that gives better results compared to applying a lens distortion correction in post-processing.

RC5 has a mic, too.

WiFi is useful but I find the RC5 Orange configuration method (2D barcodes) more convenient and fast.

Sudden power loss is unlikely to happen with RC5 Orange as it has an inbuilt battery. RC2-4k can be used without battery (for weight saving) on external power, so a "sudden power loss" here is much more likely to happen. Haven't tested this feature of RC2-4k as I use it with both a battery and external power.

RC2-4k has a quite decent SD video out that can be used for FPV. I'm not sure if RC5 Orange has it?!


I personally prefer using RC2-4k on a plane and feel RC5 Orange is better suited for a quad.

Are there any FPV HD recording cameras that can do low light?

No idea. Haven't seen anything that seems satisfactory yet...

[TheOtherCliff]

I've got an RC5 and 128GB SDXC coming.  This one will mainly be used with quads.  I will make a TV-out/power cable from a spare micro USB cable.

Any ideas about remote control cables (or adapters) that they don't seem to make any more?  I've seen a reddit post linking to instructions to make a video/still adapter with start-video/take-picture.  I wonder if something could be done with the BetaFlight code that talks to the cable to do full menu traversal plus camera mode / start.

RC5 USD $117.69 including tax and shipping
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124264445945

Sandisk 128GB SDXC U3 160MB/s USD $20.21 including tax and shipping
https://www.ebay.com/itm/272254710339

[jdl]

I suppose the RC5 Orange may output TV-out through its microusb port, if properly set.

However I doubt it can be remote controlled to start/stop video or take pictures (I'm unaware it's capable of recording still images). I recall it is RC2-4k the one that has such features.

I'm curious to read this reddit post about the video/still adapter, there might be useful info there!

[TheOtherCliff]

I can't find a reddit post right now, but here are two ways to control it.  1 - electronically close the button contacts, 2 - make a partial remote control cable

(This page links to another that describes #2)
https://diydrones.com/group/arducopterusergroup/forum/runcam-2-remote-trigger-hack

About the remote control for RunCam 5, I may be thinking of the tv-out cable which works with many different runcam models including RC5.

[TheOtherCliff]

Update:
I can't find the reddit post at all (and it may have been about the other cable), but the aforementioned post links to the important post (make a partial remote control) and also describes electronically closing the main button.

https://diydrones.com/group/arducopterusergroup/forum/runcam-2-remote-trigger-hack

About the remote control for RunCam 5, I may be thinking of the tv-out cable which works with many different runcam models including RC5 but banggood has a specific page called "runcam 5 remote control adapter" that you get from Google when you just search for site:banggood.com runcam remote control.  It is just click bait.

[jdl]

Right! A nasty practice of their.

User manual of RC5 does not mention neither taking still pictures, not remote control capabilities.

According the manual, TV-Out is supported.

[TheOtherCliff]

Yea, note that my search just said "runcam remote control" (without quotes, no mention of the number 5), but they returned the banggood page "runcam 5 remote control adapter".  It might even be google using my past search history or "liked searches".

If expense is a primary concern, it looks like ordering directly from shop.runcam.com may be the best price.  It is the typical list price, but free shipping and for non-VAT countries at least, no tax.  Probably coming from China, et. al.

I went ahead and ordered an RC2-4K and some cables from them.  I paid an extra USD $3 to get tracking.

[jdl]

I've got my last Runcams and accessories directly from their site (runcam.com) and have no complaints.

Both Runcam2-4k and RC5 Orange capture great quality videos. I'd only wish they had a little better HDR at sunset conditions, flying directly towards the sun (although I don't have any GoPros for comparison). For their price of approx. $100 I'm more than happly with what I get from them.

[jdl]

The Ropotamo Estuary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ropotamo



GepRC Mk4 7" / Revolution FC / LibrePilot / Runcam5 Orange