DJI Phantom 3 Standard camera workable with Sony Vegas?

[Angelo Mike]

For anyone who’s interested, I got the DJI Phantom 3 Advanced and test edited and rendered some footage, and it worked fine. You can put it in an mov or mp4 container, and I guess it’s a fairly standard H.264 codec. I didn’t fly it, I just turned it on in my room, and even in low light the 1080p camera quality (and the camera is TINY) is decent.

Another thing to note is that I had to do a firmware update that took about 25 minutes on the drone itself. Even though there’s a PDF that says it will turn its lights off and stop beeping when it’s done, it doesn’t. So I let it go another 20 minutes or so before I realized I could turn it off. And I tried endlessly to update the firmware on the remote control only to see that, apparently, the reason I couldn’t update it is because it doesn’t need it.

There’s still some challenges with just getting it functional (I didn’t even try flying it, and the camera didn’t stream live to my phone as it’s supposed to). Trying to actually fly this thing is going to be the real challenge, along with general management of it. It’s a pretty delicate device. But so far I’m glad I went through with the decision. I’d much rather deal with the more advanced, easier to use drones in the future.

[John Rofrano]

Thanks for getting back to us. Given the choice of MP4 or MOV should should definitely shoot MP4 if you are editing with Vegas Pro. Good Luck with it!

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Angelo Mike]

Thanks for the info, I would have mindlessly left it on MOV.

However, another issue came up, which now makes me realize I should have researched this a lot more carefully. I live by DC, where we have about a 15 mile no fly zone around the city in every direction. The Phantom 3 won’t even start its propellers within the no fly zone. Meaning I’d have to find a place where I can safely test this, in good conditions, with its approximately 20 minute battery, when I have no experience even starting it in proper. Even after I get the second battery, that’s only 40 minutes, and that’s if I’m in a safe space and good weather. I don’t even know where I’d find such a space anywhere near by.

So, right now this whole decision has turned out to be a bust. I have to talk to the company I’m working for about what to do from here, because they don’t seem aware that I cannot fly this within the no fly zone.

[Danny Hays]

Wow! The only way to do that I think would be to jam the control frequency between the hand controller and the Phantom. Does the controller even see and connect to the Phantom? Have you gone outside the no Flyzone see if the motors will start? If the controller sees the Phantom I think it may be a problem with the units.

Danny Hays
Samples of my Work can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ErnestDaniels/videos?view_as=public

[Angelo Mike]

Yes, the controller connected to the phantom. I was able to move the camera with it and had my DJI GO app running on my phone.

Even if I could operate it, I would never fly it in a no fly zone.

[Danny Hays]

I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t want to do that myself. But I can’t understand how the starting of the motors only could be disabled. I watched a comparison video between the Phantom 3 and the 3DR Solo, and the Phantom 3 clearly won. But the gimble was not available for the 3DR yet. Even if it was, too many fly away problems with the 3DR as of now.
https://youtu.be/MapiklR_9qg

Danny Hays
Samples of my Work can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ErnestDaniels/videos?view_as=public

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