DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

Strobe lights and photography

trevsdad

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2020
Messages
62
Reactions
54
Age
70
Location
Maryland
I’m about to fit a Mavic Air 2 with some Firehouse lighting, mostly to maintain VLOS. It occurs to me that a flashing strobe could show up in any photos that are taken. Is this an issue??
 
I’m about to fit a Mavic Air 2 with some Firehouse lighting, mostly to maintain VLOS. It occurs to me that a flashing strobe could show up in any photos that are taken. Is this an issue??
Two things to consider:
When you are shooting with the drone, how close is your subject?
What is the effective range of the strobe? (You have to pay big $$ for a photographic strobe that's useful at 10 metres).
 
Relative to the drone in which direction do you wish to mount the strobes to point?
From memory at least one of my drones offers the option to automatically switch off the forward facing LEDs whilst the camera is recording and possibly whilst taking photos too, so the must be some concern about stray light or reflections.
 
Two things to consider:
When you are shooting with the drone, how close is your subject?
What is the effective range of the strobe? (You have to pay big $$ for a photographic strobe that's useful at 10 metres).

perhaps you misunderstood my question. I’m not looking to use the strobe to illuminate a subject. The effective range is 3-miles and of course, I’ll be at a good distance from any subject. My worry is that the light leak will occasionally show up on photos.
 
perhaps you misunderstood my question. I’m not looking to use the strobe to illuminate a subject. The effective range is 3-miles and of course, I’ll be at a good distance from any subject. My worry is that the light leak will occasionally show up on photos.
Perhaps you didn't understand my reply.
You need a huge and very expensive strobe to light photos at only 10 metres.
The strobes people put on their drones are tiny and low powered.
How far away from your photo subjects is the camera going to be?

It's unlikely to have any effect unless you are only a few metres away and very few drone photos are shot like that.
 
I’m about to fit a Mavic Air 2 with some Firehouse lighting, mostly to maintain VLOS. It occurs to me that a flashing strobe could show up in any photos that are taken. Is this an issue??
Only if you are close to a solid surface... like the ground. Otherwise I have never seen any effect in images or video from ARC2s or ARC XLs mourned in @Aerial-Pixel mounts on legs, LG, or arms of my drones unless I was in dense fog... even at dusk... example below... check the landing.
 
Relative to the drone in which direction do you wish to mount the strobes to point?
From memory at least one of my drones offers the option to automatically switch off the forward facing LEDs whilst the camera is recording and possibly whilst taking photos too, so the must be some concern about stray light or reflections.

I’m inclined to mount them on the front or rear facing motor arms, or one on the belly. I want to make sure VLOS is possible when the drone is overhead.The lights that switch off...are they onboard the drone, or after marke?
 
Perhaps you didn't understand my reply.
You need a huge and very expensive strobe to light photos at only 10 metres.
The strobes people put on their drones are tiny and low powered.
How far away from your photo subjects is the camera going to be?

It's unlikely to have any effect unless you are only a few metres away and very few drone photos are shot like that.
So why do the front light switch off in the menu of my m2p so that the don’t cast a glow when the camera is used.

I wondered exactly the same thing, 2 bright flashing lights next to the camera I would have thought would show up in filming or picture taking. If they don’t is it because they are white not red ? Or is the no point in having the front red lights go off when the camera is running ?
 
So why do the front light switch off in the menu of my m2p so that the don’t cast a glow when the camera is used.

I wondered exactly the same thing, 2 bright flashing lights next to the camera I would have thought would show up in filming or picture taking. If they don’t is it because they are white not red ? Or is the no point in having the front red lights go off when the camera is running ?
Depends on proximity.., see my vids above.
 
So why do the front light switch off in the menu of my m2p so that the don’t cast a glow when the camera is used.

I wondered exactly the same thing, 2 bright flashing lights next to the camera I would have thought would show up in filming or picture taking. If they don’t is it because they are white not red ? Or is the no point in having the front red lights go off when the camera is running ?
If some of the light is directed toward the lens, you can expect to see some glow.
It's all going to depend on positioning and how wide an angle the strobes cover.
 
Only if you are close to a solid surface... like the ground. Otherwise I have never seen any effect in images or video from ARC2s or ARC XLs mourned in @Aerial-Pixel mounts on legs, LG, or arms of my drones unless I was in dense fog... even at dusk... example below... check the landing.

Good deal! thanks...nice tour of Sedona.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Thomas B
If some of the light is directed toward the lens, you can expect to see some glow.
It's all going to depend on positioning and how wide an angle the strobes cover.

Got it...thanks
 
Perhaps you didn't understand my reply.
You need a huge and very expensive strobe to light photos at only 10 metres.
The strobes people put on their drones are tiny and low powered.
How far away from your photo subjects is the camera going to be?

It's unlikely to have any effect unless you are only a few metres away and very few drone photos are shot like that.

(sigh!...) I'm not trying to light a photo with the strobe.
 
If you mount them on the front do so entirely temprorarily so that if you encounter stray light problems they and their attachments are easily removed. Belly mounting ----what about ground clearance? I have a reflector for the belly of an M2P/Z, in some respects it's a great idea but it needs landing extenders fitted to the drone to clear the ground.
 
  • Like
Reactions: trevsdad
If you mount them on the front do so entirely temprorarily so that if you encounter stray light problems they and their attachments are easily removed. Belly mounting ----what about ground clearance? I have a reflector for the belly of an M2P/Z, in some respects it's a great idea but it needs landing extenders fitted to the drone to clear the ground.

Not sure of ground clearance yet. Still waiting for delivery. Thanks!
 
Only if you are close to a solid surface... like the ground. Otherwise I have never seen any effect in images or video from ARC2s or ARC XLs mourned in @Aerial-Pixel mounts on legs, LG, or arms of my drones unless I was in dense fog... even at dusk... example below... check the landing.
Very nice flying at Cathedral Rock. I was there several years ago, (pre-drone owner). Jealous! I do have some very nice still images however. (one is mounted my wall). Flying was steady, careful, and respectful of the site. Loved the ending sunset and red-hued clouds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Thomas B
I’m about to fit a Mavic Air 2 with some Firehouse lighting, mostly to maintain VLOS. It occurs to me that a flashing strobe could show up in any photos that are taken. Is this an issue??
I have been using a top mounted LED strobe for all my night flying, I find that because of the relative cover/shade that the gimbal has, so far I have had no sign of light leaking from the strobe. However you can get light from the strobe bounced back from reflective surfaces
 
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
130,597
Messages
1,554,228
Members
159,602
Latest member
Tenakeetwo