I work for a local municipality and they have purchased a Mavic 2 Pro and want me to film the fireworks display this Saturday (July 6th). I am working with the fire chief and etc. to be in a safe area away from civilians. Any advice on settings with the Mavic 2 that would be different than the original Mavic Pro? I have flown a Pro in the past, but I've never tried to video anything at night and I haven't fully acquainted myself with this larger sensor on the Mavic 2 or its potential capabilities in these sorts of low light to suddenly great amounts of light settings.
Filiming Fireworks
- Thread starter bethward12
- Start date
Bobvt
Well-Known Member
From everything I have read, it seems as though ND filters weren't necessary with the original Mavic Pro, but I watched a video about turning some sort of camera setting off so the camera/drone itself wouldn't enter avoidance mode if bright lights struck it.
Olav van Gerven
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2019
- Messages
- 613
- Reactions
- 742
- Age
- 65
The biggest challenge for the camera will be the constantly chaging lightconditions. Assuming there will be almost no natural light, I would not need any ND-Filters. Maybe you have an chance to make a kind of try flight thursday or friday so you get a little more info about the light conditions. The higher your ISO will be the more "noise" you will have in your footage.
Another problem might be that the focus is not reacting fast enough to the popping up lights. I don't know, but if you can use "fixed focus" set on an average distance, that might solve the problem.
Another problem might be that the focus is not reacting fast enough to the popping up lights. I don't know, but if you can use "fixed focus" set on an average distance, that might solve the problem.
I have a photography business and have just recently gotten involved in the drone scene, so the ISO settings was one of the things I was concerned about. I haven't done very much video work in the past, especially not to this degree. Any advice concerning FPS and shutter speed? Also, does the Mavic 2 have adjustable aperture and would that be something that should be altered from the 2.8 to create greater depth of field?
Olav van Gerven
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2019
- Messages
- 613
- Reactions
- 742
- Age
- 65
Shutterspeed twice the FPS (so if FPS = 30, SS = 60). Since you use an extrem wideangle, the aperture will not have much effect on the DoF. Use the time untill saturday to get familiar with the videofunctions of the drone and as the batteries are re-charging, you can start editing some of the testfootage to get familiar with the software you use to edit.
EDIT: Maybe a sidenote, but it might be a good idea to have a written permission with you in case a LEO shows up and does not believe your word that you have permission to be and fly where you are flying. Communication during big events is not always perfect (to say it carefully)
EDIT: Maybe a sidenote, but it might be a good idea to have a written permission with you in case a LEO shows up and does not believe your word that you have permission to be and fly where you are flying. Communication during big events is not always perfect (to say it carefully)
Last edited:
johnmeyer
Well-Known Member
Use manual exposure to avoid the auto-exposure "pumping" in reaction to the brightness at the moment of the explosion.
There are hundreds of posts in photography forums about f-stop, ISO, and shutter speed settings for both still photos and video when filming fireworks. Just use Google to find them.
Back in the day (1960s), when you bought a roll of film from Kodak, there was a flyer in the film carton which included suggested settings for fireworks. You might also search for that because Kodak really did a good job researching things like that.
There are hundreds of posts in photography forums about f-stop, ISO, and shutter speed settings for both still photos and video when filming fireworks. Just use Google to find them.
Back in the day (1960s), when you bought a roll of film from Kodak, there was a flyer in the film carton which included suggested settings for fireworks. You might also search for that because Kodak really did a good job researching things like that.
I was tasked last year to video the British Firework Championships. The footage below was taken with a Yuneec H520 and E90 camera, so the Mavic 2 Pro has the same size sensor, so is good in low light. You would want to turn off autofocus and set manual focus to infinity. Depth of field is not an issue with a Mavic 2 Pro, so f stop around 2.8 - 4. Shutter I had at 1/60, iso 1600. This year I'm planning to video the same competition using my Mavic 2 Pro, remember to turn off the front leg leds.
I'm working directly with the fire chief in the town and work for the town hall, so I'm hoping I will be good to go! Laws in VA allow for local fire chiefs and police to issue command on drone flight and etc. thank goodness.
Olav van Gerven
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2019
- Messages
- 613
- Reactions
- 742
- Age
- 65
The problem starts at the second that any LEO on scene is either not informed or not able (willing?) to check what you say. Better Safe then sorry (that's what my father told me about girls too).
Any recommendations of altitude and distance to fly at? We have an arranged area for me to fly but it's only about 150 ft away from the launch site of the fireworks and from what I understand they can shoot anywhere between 400 and (what I was told) 1,000 ft high.
johnmeyer
Well-Known Member
I posted this a few days ago in another thread about fireworks, but here it is again to show you how, if you don't mind the risk to your drone, you can fly up into the fireworks:
Prismatic
Well-Known Member
Yeah, 150 feet (45m) is mighty close to major fireworks! The air bursts will be far larger than your field of view, but moreover, your drone may get hit by falling shell casings and/or burning material at that range.
To get a nicely framed shot, you'll need to be much farther away, on the order of 10 times your current planned distance. And at that range, your drone won't risk being a casualty of the festivity! As for altitude, the video above (thanks @KevWaite!) suggests something on the order of 400', so as to place the action within the surrounding cityscape.
Disclaimer: My personal experience filming fireworks last year with my Mavic Air was what they call "a learning experience", and I may (or may not) do better this year. So my advice is worth every cent you paid for it! ?
Olav van Gerven
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2019
- Messages
- 613
- Reactions
- 742
- Age
- 65
Sorry, Law Enforcement Officer. One of the guys/girls/not clear people that carry a gun and tell you what to do and don't do.
Jet skier
Well-Known Member
HoozierDroneDaddy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2017
- Messages
- 1,040
- Reactions
- 725
- Age
- 72
FYI. Also be aware of requirements for flying at night. Daylight Waiver, Safety Requirements, etc. LEO and the Local authorities don't have the authority to approve or exempt you from FAA requirements. Only suggesting you CYA.
Racin8de
Well-Known Member
We all know the rules, makes no sense to me why you have to remind flyers
Olav van Gerven
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2019
- Messages
- 613
- Reactions
- 742
- Age
- 65
To me, it makes sense. The OP suggests, that the person on question has no or almost no experience in droneflying. To point out that there are more regulations to be watched makes sense then.
Besides that, sometimes things make no sense to one and a lot to the other.
Similar threads
DJI Drone Deals
New Threads
-
-
Air 3 Above the Danube – From the Wachau to Bratislava
- Started by sven_D
- Replies: 0
-
-
-
Can't Download GO 4 App- Started by Steve LaBranche
- Replies: 4
Forum statistics
