Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I just bought my first drone and have lots of questions, both about drone photography in general and specifically about my drone which is a Xiaomi Mi drone. Looking forward to whatever assistance you can give.
Want to say this upfront: I am primarily using the drone to film my vacation house, which is situated in a rather scenic location, and my family's activities there. My closest neighbor there is 300' away so there is a lot of space cushion. Where I live regularly in SF bay area, Xiaomi software already designates it as "no fly zone" so I cannot even fly it over my neighbors.
Here is the result of my 1st flight; take a look, then I have a few questions:
1. I use a Kingston 32GB speed 10 micro SD card. The camera stops recording after 1 minute or so and I have to keep re-starting recording. Online comments suggests formatting the card, which I did and still have same problem. What might be the next options including buying another card. And if can only buy another card, is there a better card for this purpose?
2. Your comments on any aspect of the footage is appreciated.
3. Personally I find the image output a bit dull, compared to other Mi drone footages I have seen online. The video was taken at about 9 am, with full sun starting to get intense and casting darker shadows. What can be done to improve the picture quality, or produce the same video quality as other?
4. It is Are there any rules/laws about power lines? After the first flight I reviewed footages on computer, and found that at one point I flew over some powerlines (maybe 100' above). What can you share about powerline issues?
Now some specifics about the Xiaomi drone, if you have insight:
5. The Xiaomi Mi drone claims to be able to fly as far as 2km. I did not dare try that, and kept it within about 500' and within line of sight. If I push it to the limit, what are the chances that it will lose contact/control and just disappears?
6. Same question about the height. If I fly it to the max 1500' altitude limit, what are the potential things to look out for?
7. This drone seems to be able to take pretty strong wind, without needing any manual adjustment from me (and the camera even compensates to remove any disturbance in video!) So within the same wind condition that it has been tested, can I assume it will be OK and not be blown away? I have read that people lose drones due to the wind.
Chances are that he is flying toy models without GPS.
Most modern drones over a certain price range (say about $150-200+) have GPS and know where they are. They can find their way home and in most cases you can see exactly where they are on a google or apple map. It's like "find my iphone" - on your smart device!
Units without GPS will tend to get blown away in the first breeze - I've lost at least a dozen myself.....these are tiny, lightweight, cheap drones.
If you have something in-between (homebuilt, etc.), you can attach a tracker to it which has both GPS and also some use the cell network. Brand names are Marco Polo, Trackimo and others.
Hope that helps.
Thank you! I will pass this along to him on Nextdoor.
I just bought my first drone and have lots of questions, both about drone photography in general and specifically about my drone which is a Xiaomi Mi drone. Looking forward to whatever assistance you can give.
Want to say this upfront: I am primarily using the drone to film my vacation house, which is situated in a rather scenic location, and my family's activities there. My closest neighbor there is 300' away so there is a lot of space cushion. Where I live regularly in SF bay area, Xiaomi software already designates it as "no fly zone" so I cannot even fly it over my neighbors.
Here is the result of my 1st flight; take a look, then I have a few questions:
1. I use a Kingston 32GB speed 10 micro SD card. The camera stops recording after 1 minute or so and I have to keep re-starting recording. Online comments suggests formatting the card, which I did and still have same problem. What might be the next options including buying another card. And if can only buy another card, is there a better card for this purpose?
2. Your comments on any aspect of the footage is appreciated.
3. Personally I find the image output a bit dull, compared to other Mi drone footages I have seen online. The video was taken at about 9 am, with full sun starting to get intense and casting darker shadows. What can be done to improve the picture quality, or produce the same video quality as other?
4. It is Are there any rules/laws about power lines? After the first flight I reviewed footages on computer, and found that at one point I flew over some powerlines (maybe 100' above). What can you share about powerline issues?
Now some specifics about the Xiaomi drone, if you have insight:
5. The Xiaomi Mi drone claims to be able to fly as far as 2km. I did not dare try that, and kept it within about 500' and within line of sight. If I push it to the limit, what are the chances that it will lose contact/control and just disappears?
6. Same question about the height. If I fly it to the max 1500' altitude limit, what are the potential things to look out for?
7. This drone seems to be able to take pretty strong wind, without needing any manual adjustment from me (and the camera even compensates to remove any disturbance in video!) So within the same wind condition that it has been tested, can I assume it will be OK and not be blown away? I have read that people lose drones due to the wind.
1. Most drones are touchy as to the exact card used. It's not about the speed - other things are involved. DJI has started actually publishing lists of cards that work! I had problems with my Spark until I ordered two of the exact cards specified. So chances are that it is an SD problem. Of course, it could be bad firmware, etc - but that would be known by the maker and mentioned on Forums (try RC Groups).
2. When I have a second I will look.
3. Video is a real art and science. In brighter sun, ND filters and certain settings should be used. Chances are many of the videos you see have been fiddled with in post-production (editing). Even iMovie has some nice tools to change the look of the Video, including "auto". Try different resolutions and fps. Personally, I often use HD (not 4K) and sometimes 60fps. It depends on the exact model.
If the drone has manual settings, these will work better with video because "auto" tends to adjust the light too much.
One suggestion I can give is to practice in a smaller area with the video settings - don't try to do your masterpiece while fiddling.
Note - I am not a video pro, but I can do stuff like this even with an older machine. https://vimeo.com/187107900
Note - there are bad lenses and sensors - have a pro or good photog look at some of your still photos (take some samples with a lot of different colors and textures in them) and see if it is sharp end to end.
I have to admit - I do mostly stills...probably because I am lazy (less editing - and, actually, more views from others since it requires less of a commitment).
You drone is probably "fixed focus" which means the camera is similar to a Yi where the focus is only one setting.
Also, always try replacing the props - it may take some vibration out.
The Golden Hour is by far the best time to take good video: https://www.droneflyers.com/drone-ae...e-golden-hour/
I've never flown a Xi, but some comments.....
You should be able to easily get 1 km out of it in a clear area. It is probably programmed to return to home if it loses connection - make sure you set the RTH high enough to avoid obstacles. You may be able to make or buy an "antenna focus" assembly that gives more range.
FAA Guidelines and all other rules spec that you fly no higher than 400 feet. You may be able to cheat by 100 feet here and there if you need a quickie pic - the figure is above ground level, so if you are flying from a valley you can keep going up those hills or mountains as long as you are 400 feet straight down to land.
It is unlikely to be blown away in anything up to 18-20 MPH winds - but winds can vary at altitude, so if the weather calls for gusts of 25-30 or even 25+, I usually don't fly or else I fly quite close in .
When one flies over your house with a camera, how much do you have to lead it? And do you have to yell "Pull!"?
If you are an excellent dove hunter you may have some chance. While the drones used by commercial operators like realtors and TV stations are the size of a TV tray, your annoying neighbor's is only about 8" in diameter.
If you are an excellent dove hunter you may have some chance. While the drones used by commercial operators like realtors and TV stations are the size of a TV tray, your annoying neighbor's is only about 8" in diameter.
Since this is a photo forum, I feel it is in bad taste to discuss the committing of felonies and firing guns at registered aircraft.
I can't force you to stop...but please.....CD is one of the few places left where a decent convo can be had without hearing about guns/guns/guns.
Since this is a photo forum, I feel it is in bad taste to discuss the committing of felonies and firing guns at registered aircraft.
I can't force you to stop...but please.....CD is one of the few places left where a decent convo can be had without hearing about guns/guns/guns.
Thanks in advance.
First of all you should have posted this after the person who brought up the idea, not me.
Second, TIA went out years ago. "You're welcome"
Is attaching a GPS tracker into the drone really necessary? Just wondered.
No, the GPS in modern drones is quite good and almost never malfunctions.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
