Any way to trigger remote flashes from Mavic 3 Pro?

[Ed Hurst]

I sometime use offer-camera flash, triggering them using Godox devices to synchronise the flashes with the shutter. Is there any way at all to do this from a Mavic 3 Pro in the air (assuming that range isn't a distance)? It would be no good to trigger the flashes from the drone controller, given that there is some latency from controller to drone; the flash needs to be synchronised with the actual firing of the camera in the drone.

 

[Rockowe]

Wow - thats quite an ask ...
... but not impossible...
But you will need to be creative...

So Let me understand this properly - You want to shoot from the Drone -...
The Subject and Flash Device (with Godox receiver) will be LOCAL on the ground...
If so...
Two ideas come to mind...

1) There are devices ie: like the fishing drop line that are triggerred by turning on the drone lights.
You could somehow attach the Remote COntrol for the FLASH to one of these devices - such that When the lights are toggled - so also will the camera take the Pic.
I know that the Mavic 3 PRO automatically switches OFF the Arm lights when Videoing OR when taking a PIC.
That woiuld be the Cue.
So... you would need to change the trigger - that instead of being triggerred by an ON led - it is triggerred by an OFF LED condition-
That most likely can be tuned on the Fish line Drop.

Then You will need to synchronise the the Photo flash in some way...

2) Another Option would be to modify the FLASH remote control with a Light sensor attached to a Foot of copper flex wire to the ARM light.
... so instead of a PUSH button, replace the Switch so it triggers on a Negative light (ie when it goes off)
... Then take off (with the lights set to on for night flying) - then...
... Take the Pic (the LED's will Auto switch off instantaneously), => the Remote Light sensor will be triggerred => the remote will send the Wireless command to the FLASH Receiver... (all of this when you click the Shoot button - on the Drone Remote controler)

Quite clever actually - ... (if I say so myself)
Nice for Weddings... or Portraits

... so thats what I mean by creative... (in my head) ...
Anyone got another Idea ?

 

[Exphantomflyer]

He's asking, if im reading it right, that when he presses the camera button on the remote ( or the app) that a flash unit on the ground will trigger.

Now from a non technical aspect you are talking about somehow wiring the button on the remote in someway to make the flash happen.

My only suggestion is to fit a button to the controller that you can press that triggers the flash and press that at the same time as pressing the remote button, it may take a few tries to get the timing right dependant on the delay but even then the app just shows a representation of the camera taking a picture so it may not be taking the picture as the shutter opens.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Questions
1) Is an Mavic 3 camera able to respond quickly enough to compensate for the additional light ?
2) At a guess you would be doing this with camera tilted downwards. Also at guess, the flash would be mounted on the top of the drone, bottom mounted it might interfer with sensors etc. on the bottom of the drone.
Assuming so, can you arrange for the flash to have a variable tilt ? Which would probably need to be set prior to flight.
3) What is the weight of the weight of the flash ? I my experience they are not light-weight things.
Given that it will probably mounted fairly far forward the front motors are likely to be turning appreciably faster than normal and therefore loading the 'front' ESCs quite a bit. This will apply through out the flight.
Will this additional load be a risk to the front ESCs?
4) Assuming the flash will be mounted on thr top of the drone and forward will the flash mask the GPS reciever in the drone?

 

[Rockowe]

He's asking, if im reading it right, that when he presses the camera button on the remote ( or the app) that a flash unit on the ground will trigger.

Now from a non technical aspect you are talking about somehow wiring the button on the remote in someway to make the flash happen.

My only suggestion is to fit a button to the controller that you can press that triggers the flash and press that at the same time as pressing the remote button, it may take a few tries to get the timing right dependant on the delay but even then the app just shows a representation of the camera taking a picture so it may not be taking the picture as the shutter opens.

This is a Good Option - if you and the subject are at the Same Place.

 

[Rockowe]

Questions
1) Is an Mavic 3 camera able to respond quickly enough to compensate for the additional light ?
2) At a guess you would be doing this with camera tilted downwards. Also at guess, the flash would be mounted on the top of the drone, bottom mounted it might interfer with sensors etc. on the bottom of the drone.
Assuming so, can you arrange for the flash to have a variable tilt ? Which would probably need to be set prior to flight.
3) What is the weight of the weight of the flash ? I my experience they are not light-weight things.
Given that it will probably mounted fairly far forward the front motors are likely to be turning appreciably faster than normal and therefore loading the 'front' ESCs quite a bit. This will apply through out the flight.
Will this additional load be a risk to the front ESCs?
4) Assuming the flash will be mounted on thr top of the drone and forward will the flash mask the GPS reciever in the drone?

I understood that the FLASH would be on Terra Firma as well as the Receiver...


A flash on the Drone - would be Heavy and also cause a Miriad of Complications...

So for the Remote on the Drone or on the CONTROLLER and the Subject and Flash close together...
- I assume the Drone Camera should be SET Manually --- The Shutter would need to be relatively Quick - and the Aperture relatively small - ie Viewing a darkewr image in the VIDEO

 

[Ed Hurst]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on this so far. Perhaps I should provide more details of the set-up I have in mind.

I am imagining taking a flash-illuminated picture of a passing train. The flashes are set up on lighting stands on the ground, to provide the effect I am looking for. They are attached to remote, radio flash triggers. The flashes are away from where I am standing and also some way distant from the camera. Usually, when I am using my terrestrial camera, the other end of the flash triggering system is attached to the camera's hot shoe or PC socket. When the shutter is fired in the camera, the radio signal from the triggering system fires the remotely-positioned flashes quickly enough to synchronise with the camera's shutter. I am looking for a way to get the Mavic 3 Pro to do the same. Triggering the flashes to synchronise with pressing the shutter button on the drone controller won't achieve this - because there is a lag between activating the button on the controller and the shutter firing on the drone. So the camera radio trigger would have to be released by the drone's shutter actually firing, not by the shutter button on the controller.

The exposure and focus on the drone would be manually pre-set, so auto-exposure and AF settings etc. would not be an issue. I would not release anything slowly, as all this would have to be fired and synchronised with the passing of a train. The flashes and the drone will all be some way away from me and from each other.

Ideally, I was hoping for a way to wire the remote flash trigger directly to the drone, as if it were attached to the camera I use on the ground. But I'm not aware of that being an option.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Uum you mention flashes, plural, as if you are hoping to take multiple it's of one train. How quickly do your flashes recharge and how long are your trains?

 

[Ed Hurst]

Uum you mention flashes, plural, as if you are hoping to take multiple it's of one train. How quickly do your flashes recharge and how long are your trains?

All the flashes would be fired simultaneously. Although there's more than one flash, they'd be triggered at the same moment as the train passes. This method works well with terrestrial cameras; one trigger on the camera can set off multiple flashes positioned remotely in a pre-set-up way. It would be nice to think I could do the same with the drone...

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

All the flashes would be fired simultaneously. Although there's more than one flash, they'd be triggered at the same moment as the train passes. This method works well with terrestrial cameras; one trigger on the camera can set off multiple flashes positioned remotely in a pre-set-up way. It would be nice to think I could do the same with the drone...

I know that it is possible to fire multiple flashes simultaneously.
But I was, indirectly, asking if you are trying to take multiple photo of the same train as it makes one trip past the drone?

If so then the recharge time of the flashes' becomes a relevant concern.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

Trying to sync multiple flashes to a drone would be a PITA. Can you get away with powerful video lights that stay on or you can remotely activate right before opening the shutter? I would require a dedicated setup for power and such but it all depends on how willing you are to get the shot. The equipment could also be rented from a equipment rental place it need be...just a thought.

 

[Ed Hurst]

I know that it is possible to fire multiple flashes simultaneously.
But I was, indirectly, asking if you are trying to take multiple photo of the same train as it makes one trip past the drone?

If so then the recharge time of the flashes' becomes a relevant concern.

Just the one shot

 

[Ed Hurst]

Trying to sync multiple flashes to a drone would be a PITA. Can you get away with powerful video lights that stay on or you can remotely activate right before opening the shutter? I would require a dedicated setup for power and such but it all depends on how willing you are to get the shot. The equipment could also be rented from a equipment rental place it need be...just a thought.

That may be the only way, but it would require very powerful continuous lighting. If I can use flashes, that would be my preference. Its being a PITA I can live with; but is it even possible?

 

[Arnold LeVine]

Ed. If you set the Mavic shutter to 2secs or even up to 8 secs, you could easily sync your godox trigger manually during the long exposure. Assuming it's dark night, your fstop would be set to the exposure of the strobes. Even with the long exposure, the actual shot would be determined by the strobes 1/1000 of a second, would freeze the train and eliminate any camera movement.
Just a thought.

 

[Ed Hurst]

Ed. If you set the Mavic shutter to 2secs or even up to 8 secs, you could easily sync your godox trigger manually during the long exposure. Assuming it's dark night, your fstop would be set to the exposure of the strobes. Even with the long exposure, the actual shot would be determined by the strobes 1/1000 of a second, would freeze the train and eliminate any camera movement.
Just a thought.

Thanks Arnold. I have thought about that too but there's a problem with that approach: the train has some bright elements on it (headlights, open fire hole door - because it's a steam engine, etc.). These elements would look blurred with a long exposure, leaving a trail, alongside the sharp, frozen scene lit by flash.

 

[Arnold LeVine]

Well, it could end up being a cool effect. only actual shoot will tell.
Also, you could practice knowing just how long your lag time is, and getting real good at syncing your strobe, maybe getting your drone shutter speed down to a half second or so?
Be sure to post results for us to see.

 

[Rockowe]

Wow - thats quite an ask ...
... but not impossible...
But you will need to be creative...

Option
2) Another Option would be to modify the FLASH remote control with a Light sensor attached to a Foot of copper flex wire to the ARM light.
... so instead of a PUSH button, replace the Switch so it triggers on a Negative light (ie when it goes off)
... Then take off (with the lights set to on for night flying) - then...
... Take the Pic (the LED's will Auto switch off instantaneously), => the Remote Light sensor will be triggerred => the remote will send the Wireless command to the FLASH Receiver... (all of this when you click the Shoot button - on the Drone Remote controler)

Quite clever actually - ... (if I say so myself)
Nice for Weddings... or Portraits

... so thats what I mean by creative... (in my head) ...
Anyone got another Idea ?

Again I refer to My option 2 above - ...
Being one of the ways to trigger an Immediate Response.... with No delay