Magicam

[David Drew]

Hi

I have a Magicam mounted underneath my Swift and get very good pictures except that I get a sort of 'wobble' up and down the picture. Difficult to explain, but it's like a slow Mexican wave up and down of the picture that varies with headspeed. I don't think it is vibration as the camera is solidly mounted but I am guessing some sort of interference from the ESC or motor.

Anyone had this with a Magicam?

Cheers

[dillwhacker]

Definitely mechanical vibration - I get it to some extent with every heli / camera combination.
Generally referred to as the 'Jello' effect.

[David Drew]

Jello sounds like it!

Can it be reduced?

[tomatwalden]

You need a dampening system to remove the jello effect. (very soft) FBL mounting pads go some way, but I think dampened gimbals (like on the 350QX) are the real solution.

Expensive though ...

EDIT: Here's the results from an 808-keychain cam strapped onto the boom of my G500 with FBL dampening pads to soften the jello effect.

[dillwhacker]

Tom's vid is pretty damn good TBH from a heli. It's much easier to isolate on a quad, as the little props produce less vibration and at a higher frequency.
It's an interference effect. The camera takes 50 pictures a second. If the heli vibrates at 49 wobbles a second, then you get a slow ripple moving through the video at one wobble per second.
Try to isolate the camera my mounting it rigidly to a hefty chunk of something, then mounting that something to the heli with a soft flexible attachment like gyro pads or foam rubber etc.
Takes a bit of trial & error TBH.

[David Drew]

There is hardly any effect on Tom's video. Mine is much worse.

The mount is the standard Magicam mount stuck under the battery tray of the Swift using the standard stick pad. i think I'll try a pad/metal block/pad solution.

Thanks for all the info

David

[Zeeflyboy]

Another thing that can help is a neutral density filter over the lens...

[dillwhacker]

Another thing that can help is a neutral density filter over the lens...

That's interesting.....not sure my brain cell can figure out why that would be...
Does it make the camera use a longer 'shutter speed' or something that softens the wobbles?

[Zeeflyboy]

Exactly, it slows down the shutter speed or should I say virtual shutter speed rather... The result is a more natural motion blur and no/less rolling shutter effect or "jello".

Fairly common fix for the go pro actually, you can google rolling shutter (or jello) and ND filter for more info.

[dillwhacker]

Exactly, it slows down the shutter speed or should I say virtual shutter speed rather... The result is a more natural motion blur and no/less rolling shutter effect or "jello".

Fairly common fix for the go pro actually, you can google rolling shutter (or jello) and ND filter for more info.

Interesting, thanks Mr. Zee.
Shutter speed is a strange thing at 50 FPS - quite distracting I think when it is very fast, gives a horrible stuttery effect on the TV because there is no motion blur as you say.
TBH I prefer video to have each frame blurred to 1/50 sec.
Idiotic TV producers use it I think because they believe it makes the footage look more 'impressive'. I find it irritating.
Thanks, nice one.

[David Drew]

Exactly, it slows down the shutter speed or should I say virtual shutter speed rather... The result is a more natural motion blur and no/less rolling shutter effect or "jello".

Fairly common fix for the go pro actually, you can google rolling shutter (or jello) and ND filter for more info.

Wonder if there is one for the Magicam....Google here I come!

[tomatwalden]

Bear in mind that the "rolling shutter effect" is different from the "jello effect".

Rolling shutter = visual artifact caused by different frequency of shutter speed against rotor speed. (gives a curved blade look)
Jello = "wobbly" visuals caused by vibrations.

I doubt an ND filter therefore will improve the Jello effect ...

[Rossoroth]

awesome video tomatwalden