The Digital Ecosystem: Aerial Photography—Camera Copters Ready for Takeoff

The Digital Ecosystem: Aerial Photography—Camera Copters Ready for Takeoff

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Today we take our cameras out of our pockets and move them about at arm’s length as we try for the best angle. Tomorrow we might instead set the camera aloft, getting angles that would otherwise be far out of reach.

Aerial photography used to be exclusively the realm of a few expert photographers who booked time on planes or helicopters and hobbyists who wedged the lightest cameras available into remote-controlled planes.

While RC vehicles in the past were difficult to control, recent advancements in flight controllers and aircraft stabilizers let any of us easily pilot a plane or copter. The field has quickly evolved to large expensive copters that carry aloft heavy DSLRs as well as much smaller flyers that get a GoPro hundreds of feet up in the air. And they’re not just for shooting outdoors: one videographer flew his inside the New York Public Library . . . with advance permission, of course.

Keep in mind the activity isn’t without its dangers. An enthusiast flew his camera up to a bride and groom posing for dramatic wedding pictures—and they got a lot more drama than they’d hoped for when the pilot aimed poorly and the chopper chopped up the groom’s face a bit.

From Paparazzo to Phantoms and Parrots
Does a pocketable drone model under license to manufacturers that could retail for less than $100. Called the MeCam or the Paparazzo, it is billed as a “self-video nano-drone” that launches from the palm of a hand and hovers. It streams 1080p video to a phone or tablet, and it is controlled with voice commands or can be set to follow and video a subject.

If you want to do it yourself now, there are “toy” quadcopters weighing less than 100 grams that can carry a tiny “keychain” camera. They are less than $50, but users can’t direct the camera angle, and the picture quality isn’t exactly at a premium.

However, two companies are leading this nascent market with ready-to-fly solutions: China’s DJI and Paris-based Parrot.

The latest quadcopter from DJI boasts image stabilization, has a longer Wi-Fi range and flies twice as fast. It can now even shoot in 25-mph winds. The Phantom 2 Vision+ drone comes with a 14MP camera that captures smoother 1080p video with new, three-axis image stabilization to correct pitch, roll and yaw. With an app and mobile device, the chopper’s 700-foot-range Wi-Fi will show users what its aerial camera is capturing as it happens. It also shows the copter’s distance from the operator and its battery strength (a charge is good for 25 minutes). From the ground, users can adjust the camera’s angle independent of the copter. The drone also has GPS. The Phantom 2 Vision+ drone retails for $1,299.

The company says its “advanced aerial systems are easy to use and allow users from professional cinematographers to consumers to create beautiful aerial photos and videos.” The flying solutions “empower people of all skill levels to take to the skies and capture images that were once out of their reach,” DJI adds, and it builds on its “expertise in flight control, gimbal control and stabilization.” dji.com

Parrot also improved its drone camera. The new Bebop quadcopter captures Full HD video, which can be viewed live by the operator on the ground. Built-in GPS can keep the Bebop hovering in place. The live viewing requires an optional extra device, called the Skycontroller. The drone works with mobile phones and tablets, as well as virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift. Also improved is the still image quality, with a 14MP camera and a 180º fisheye lens. The camera can also be panned and zoomed while in flight.

If you’re worried about the damage a small flying blade can cause, the new model’s rotors stop spinning on contact with anything solid and are made of softer plastic than previously.

Pricing for the new model isn’t announced yet, but Parrot’s simpler drones start at around $300. parrot.com

For tens of thousands of dollars, there are larger and fancier copters, with more than four rotors, which can carry high-end film equipment, stabilizers and elaborate controls.

Legal Limitations
Today in the U.S. it’s illegal to use remote-controlled quadcopters and drones for professional photography and videography. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that more than 7,500 small, unmanned aerial vehicles will be flying in the national airspace in the next five years. According to the FAA, an operator of radio-controlled aircraft can mount a camera on it and shoot video for his or her personal use—but if the same person flies that aircraft and then tries to sell the video, or uses it to promote a business or accepts payments from someone else to shoot the video, that would be a prohibited commercial operation.

For professionals, the FAA recently announced it might streamline its process for issuing permits for filmmaking, utilities inspections, farming and other low-risk operations, Bloomberg reported. “With the first regulation allowing commercial drone flights at least a year away, the FAA is looking at ways to grant approvals for limited applications before then.”

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International estimates the unmanned aircraft industry will generate 100,000 jobs and $82 billion in economic impact once the FAA begins approving commercial operations. Bloomberg added: “So far, the agency hasn’t granted any approvals for commercial flights in the U.S. as it weighs appropriate safety standards for construction of drones and qualifications of pilots.”

In the meantime, the Federal ban isn’t stopping pros entirely. Shooters are getting around the ban on commercial use by flying and taking pictures for free. They then sell only the finished, edited results of those flights and charge for the postproduction work instead.

While personal use is allowed today, even that is being restricted. For example, the National Park Service recently prohibited use of drones in Yosemite National Park. “The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones) are prohibited within park boundaries,” the NPS bulletin states. “The use of drones within the park boundaries is illegal under all circumstances. . . . This applies to drones of all shapes and sizes.”

NPS adds that Yosemite has experienced an increase in visitors using drones within park boundaries over the last few years: “Drones have been witnessed filming climbers ascending climbing routes, filming views above treetops and filming aerial footage of the park.”

Why the ban? Not so much safety, which might have been your first guess as mini copters are in effect flying blades, and so can injure anyone they impact in a crowded environment. No, NPS says it’s because “drones can be extremely noisy and can impact the natural soundscape. Drones can also impact the wilderness experience for other visitors creating an environment that is not conducive to wilderness travel . . . Additionally, drones can have negative impacts on wildlife nearby the area of use, especially sensitive nesting peregrine falcons on cliff walls.”

That’s a good point. Who wants every peaceful moment outside interrupted by a buzzing remote-controlled helicopter with a camera aimed at you?

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