Posted by Richard Crowley on 10/18/06 05:12
"Powell" wrote ...
> I'm interested shooting a video segment from a J3 Cub. I
> need a vertical shot and one looking forward and down
> over a designated course. In order to have a stable
> platform I'm considering fabricating a box slung below
> the aircraft.
Hanging things of mass on properly "tuned" bungee cords
appears to be a functional way of vibration/movement
isolation. But hanging something outside the fuselage
down in the slip-stream would seem to be extremely
problematic. Don't suppose you can make a hole in the
floor? :-)
> Question: Is this doable? Can the vibration be dampened
> enough for a stable shot, particularly the vertical shot at
> near maximum zoom.
Of course, there are commercial camera stabilizer
platforms which will likely do what you are asking.
But they likely cost as much (and weigh as much) as
the Cub.
I've read DIY camera stabilization solutions which
involve things like hand-holding the camera and
sitting on a big inflated inner-tube, etc.
But asking for "near maximum zoom" with anything
less than a full-blown active servo stabilization
solution doesn't seem reasonable to me. All the
recomendations I've read call for full wide zoom
when shooting from a moving vehicle unless you
have active stabilization/optical lens correction.
You could experiment with your camera in a car
over a bumpy road, etc. to see how good its built-
in image stabilization capabilities are.
> Is there software available which
> can help stabilize vibration induced picture jitter?
Yes, but I wouldn't count on it unless you have alredy
proved that it will do what you want.
> Is there a better approach to this problem or an equipment
> source or DYI plans for this specialized application?
> Budgeting less than $300 for equipment or materials used
> in fabricating camera mounting.
You might get away with that if you have a lot of time
and access to the aircraft for experimentation. But it
seems dubious to me for a one-shot opportunity.
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