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Helicopter shoot
I am shooting a corporate on HDV and the job entails a helicopter shoot. The helicopter is equipped with a gyro stabilized gimball system and the output on the camera attaced to the gyro is SDI. The helicopter company have a digibeta recorder.
I’m wondering is what is my best option in recording the helicopter footage. Should I record on Digibeta and then up convert in FCP to HDV or is there some way of recording the footage HDV directly from SDI. I have the JDV GY HD 101e camera.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Mick Ruane
Galway, Ireland -
9 Replies
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[Mick Ruane] “Should I record on Digibeta and then up convert in FCP to HDV or is there some way of recording the footage HDV directly from SDI. I have the JDV GY HD 101e camera.”
Shoot HDV then use either the AJA Kona 2 or the AJA Kona 3 to capture via HD-SDI to either Uncompressed HD or DVCPro HD for the edit.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.comDirector, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.comNow Posting “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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Walter,
Thanks for your help but maybe I didn’t make myself clear. The camera is attached to the gyro. It will not be my camera but the helicopter company’s one. The output from their camera is SDI. Is it possible to take the SDI output from their camera and record in HDV on my camera? Is it possible to record HDV from a SDI input?
Mick Ruane
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You definitely didn’t make yourself clear. From your first post you said “I’m shooting a corporate on HDV”. That would imply you are using a HDV camera to shoot. If you are using the helicopter camera and it is equiped with a Digibeta machine it would seem most likely that the camera on the gimbal is a standard def camera with an SDI output connected to the digibeta deck. Maybe you need to talk to the chopper company and see if they have the capability of shooting in HD. Or check out a company like this.
https://www.coptervision.com/ -
[Mick Ruane] “The output from their camera is SDI. Is it possible to take the SDI output from their camera and record in HDV on my camera?”
Doubt it. I don’t think very many cameras, if any, come with an SDI video input. Output yes, input no.
What you’ll need if you want to record to HDV is a recorder and connect the helo’s camera to the deck. Or better yet, rent a Panasonic AJ-HD1200A and record to DVCPro HD for a better codec for editing.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.comDirector, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.comNow Posting “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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[walter biscardi] “What you’ll need if you want to record to HDV is a recorder and connect the helo’s camera to the deck. Or better yet, rent a Panasonic AJ-HD1200A and record to DVCPro HD for a better codec for editing.”
That makes sense. Thanks for your help.
Mick Ruane
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[Mick Ruane] “The helicopter is equipped with a gyro stabilized gimball system and the output on the camera attaced to the gyro is SDI. The helicopter company have a digibeta recorder.”
Record with their kit, 16:9 SD then convert the tape. If it is an SD camera only then you aren’t going to lose anything.
wescam? ultramedia? Tyler 🙁
If anything is going to go wrong equipment wise, it will go wrong in a heli. If it is all their kit, they have to make it work.
You do not want to be parked up somewhere fiddling with menus burning money, trust me.Quite apt timing as today I edited some of the most stunning heli footage on the Volvo Ocean Race 🙂
Peter
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It sounds like the small nose piece configurations that use a small remote camera you can aim and control from the cockpit (rather than the big ones for film that shoot from inside). Some of these could be 4:3 ratio so you may want to check. Regardless of the format and ratio if their remote cam set up is gyro-ed it would be hard to top what it can do unless they would let you rent a similar sized HD remote cam and swap cameras. Panasonic has the AK-HC900/910 cameras that would bolt on or Sony HDC-X300 is a small remote. All are HD-SDI output. You would need to address monitoring if you could rent one and swap it in as well as getting a suitable deck for recording.
If using their camera and digibeta deck you could tap into the sdi loop through or component out to an HDV deck or a 1200a and keep the digibeta as back-up. AJA makes some sdi-hdsdi converters too. At $1000.00+ per hr. back-ups are cheap.
You can always pop the door off (if is not the sliding type) and shoot with your camera off your shoulder if things get too complicated. If you can fly low enough where you have to shoot, that could work as good as anything as long as you don’t stick the camera out in the wind or need closeups.
I would arrange to go and see their camera set-up or get the specs on what model camera and deck they have asap. Hey, is there a salesman lurking from within your body? Why not convince the helicopter company to upgrade to an HD set-up? You might even get a commission!
“everything is broken”
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Thanks all for the info.
Mick Ruane
Galway, Ireland -
it sounds like a flir system. generally they have a 720×480 output, tho’ i know they’re working with eurocopter on an HD version. last i heard they tested it on an implosion outside portland, OR-USA. either way the flir systems are one-piece units, i.e. cameras are not interchangable.
for what it’s worth, since DV/SD is the best your gonna get, stay digibeta and use tape to crop your viewfinder for 16×9. at least you’ll stay away from a long GOP in editing.
good luck.
e. eric johnson iii
eric@lillcreates.com
lill creates: founder/executive producer
Water Channel: producer/virtual set operator
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