Good camera for aerial photography - with remote zoom functionality

[Jake]

Hi guys, as the subject suggests, i'm looking for a camera that i can remotely control the zoom from the ground via the Tx. (i know stabalisation will be an issue but humour me)

Does anybody ave experience of doing this. I'd like to keep the camera as light as poss so was thinking Sony Nex size, but i can't find any info about remote zoom control on these, so i assume it can't be done.

In which case i guess we're talking DSLRs.

Anybody know of a setup that would do what i'm asking?

Thanks.

 

[DennyR]

It depends on how much you want to zoom. A large amount has many problems with vibration and tracking the camera smoothly, it requires digital object tracking and the technology to achieve this is quite close but nothing that I know of is commercially available yet. The level of accuracy with brushless gimbals is not good enough to mechanically steer the camera, so I would say that your best bet is to create your small zooms with the software in post. If you don't mind lifting a monster then the results with Sony's Balanced Optical System is not bad.

 

[Stacky]

About a year ago I saw a video from Holger Buss (Mikrokopter) with some zoom footage. I cant find the video at present but hopefully someone else remembers it.
edit: found it.

 

[mikenmel08]

That is awesome

 

[RC Rotors]

Panasonic AF100 has some kool features that you can control via radio.

 

[hexa]

Gh3 with a power zoom lens.

 

[Bowley]

work backwards and check out Gentzoom for compatible camera and pick one of those, plenty of them.
LANC controls zoom also.

 

[gentled]

Unfortunately there are no current production cameras that can smoothly zoom with gentLED - ZOOM. The LANC OPTION will work with a camcorder but not a dslr. We are working on some new ideas but for now the options are limited. Sorry!

 

[Maverick]

Hi guys, as the subject suggests, i'm looking for a camera that i can remotely control the zoom from the ground via the Tx. (i know stabalisation will be an issue but humour me)

Does anybody ave experience of doing this. I'd like to keep the camera as light as poss so was thinking Sony Nex size, but i can't find any info about remote zoom control on these, so i assume it can't be done.

In which case i guess we're talking DSLRs.

Anybody know of a setup that would do what i'm asking?

Thanks.

Try the Sony HDR-CX410

I saw this, and was very impressed : http://youtu.be/XcxpKVE5LOU

check out his other videos, for how to make the remote zoom, using a servo - very neat.

I've just ordered a Sony HDR-CX410VE from Amazon, so looking forward to trying it out, with the B.O.S.S. lens. It seems like just a smaller version of the popular CX730/CX760, using slightly smaller sensor, but its nearly half the weight...

 

[RC Rotors]

You can also go this route. assembly comes with a clutch system so it wont ruin your stops.