Is there a good lens hood out there for the P3P camera?

[43k]

Anyone found a good lens hood for the P3P camera?

A good lens hood often has the shape of a petal in order to not be in frame while at the same time shade as much as possible.
Something like this but for the P3P camera:

 

[msinger]

I found I didn't need one with an SRP lens filter installed. I flew when it was pretty sunny out and saw no prop shadows in the video.

 

[43k]

Adding more glass, filters etc in front of the camera lens normally increase the sensitivity to direct sun light. So that is not a solution in my case.

 

[msinger]

normally increase the sensitivity to direct sun light

Interesting point of view. I always thought lens filters were supposed to decrease the light.

 

[43k]

Interesting point of view. I always thought lens filters were supposed to decrease the light.

To understand what a lens hood is and why it is important that you use a lens hood, please watch this:

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[43k]

Interesting point of view. I always thought lens filters were supposed to decrease the light.

Yes, they do, but if you don't understand why you get more washed out imagery or sun flare when adding any glass or filters to your lens, please read up on this subject on some good photography site. Google is your friend.

 

[spankybear]

I have see some 3d printed ones on ebay... that looked kind of ghetto

 

[43k]

I have see some 3d printed ones on ebay... that looked kind of ghetto

Yeah, I saw them too.
But even if they look rough they might do their work, though.
This is why I'd like to know if anyone has tested and found some good ones.

 

[Jon Goetsch]

Will the extra weight not affect the gimbal workings


Www.aquamarines.co.za

 

[taroh]

Side light from the sun damages footage only if direct sunlight is shuttered by props. This causes strange flicker, so (1) clean up front of the lens (UV filter), (2) be careful not to fly/shoot in that angle. If the sun is within the angle of view lens hoods are useless, and if "constant" side light, P3 camera is not so bad for lowering contrast.

I have designed lens hood for 3D printer:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:854297
feel free to use it if you have. I didn't design it as the "flower blossom" shaped, because of simplicity and strength (flower blossom shaped is defined by intersection of cylinder and pyramid-shaped angle of view. Pyramid-shaped angle of view is enough to cut-off side light).

BTW, I recently don't use this lens hood. ;-) Because if adding only one gram of thing, the "jello" effect on footage becomes worse. The P3 gimbal is not high powered, and lens hood especially receives downwash and causes more vibration of camera.
On top light time (around 10-14 o'clock), body hood is effective to avoid flicker by the props: no additional weight to camera. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:890374
In the morning or late afternoon, I don't use any hood - anyway the sun will goes into frame of view, and props don't chopper the light so slight sidelight effect is not terrible.

 

[msinger]

Google is your friend

What's Google?

 

[fpsmatt]

I have one of those so called ghetto looking 3d printed hoods off ebay and its nice. I took flat paint to the inside to knock down the sheen. Ebay #281765640955. It wont work if you add filters though since the filters outter casing is thicker. Also i dont get a gimble overload warning.

 

[witold]

Infinity Hobby has them.

I actually have some of their Gopro hoods and accessories and plan to pick up a hood for P3 as well. They are well made carbon fiber an bit of plastic. Not some crappy 3d printer job.

 

[fpsmatt]

What's crappy about them? If you had a 3D printer and you realized how easily you could make small items with them. You wouldn't be calling them that. Mine works just fine and it stretches to fit over the entire lens covering so I don't get recurring rubbing areas over time and it goes right back into a tight fit once I've cleared most of the aluminum body. Nothing crappy about it to me, Ive been a photographer for 15 years and flying everything RC for 9. I think its pretty badass you can make something like this in a few minutes at half the cost and light enough that it doesn't bother the gimble. Just because your buying something that says Carbon Fiber doesn't mean its the best. Your just wasting extra dollars to see a checkered pattern in my eyes. Unless your using it for a prop. If the weight is correct, it holds it form and does its job without breaking it's a go for me. $4.00 with a lens cover and it's considered innovative. Not crap.

"They are well made carbon fiber and a bit of plastic. Not some crappy 3d printer job." what do you think the 3d printer is printing material with toilet paper shavings?

 

[43k]

Side light from the sun damages footage only if direct sunlight is shuttered by props

No, not only.
It damages imagery even if it does not pass through the props, resulting in washed out images, low contrast, and flare. Exactly as for any camera. The P3P camera is not immune to this, as some seem to believe.

And yes, if the light also passes through the props you absolutely get a hell of a lot of interference and flickering.

Again, read up on how hard light hitting the front glass and filters of any camera always causes washed out images and flare in varying degree. The amount of negative effect depends on the quality of the glass and filters, and the surface coatings. But it is always there. The only remedy for this is a good lens hood.

 

[43k]

I have one of those so called ghetto looking 3d printed hoods off ebay and its nice. I took flat paint to the inside to knock down the sheen. Ebay #281765640955. It wont work if you add filters though since the filters outter casing is thicker. Also i dont get a gimble overload warning.

Ah, that one looks really good, exactly what I was looking for.
I'll get one and try it out.

Thanks Matt

 

[fpsmatt]

After I wrote that response I took a grinding stone like the one attached to my 2nd ghetto- 3D printed hood. (I bought 2 incase I left one at home when I keep it out of the case.) I like the results better than when I used my flat black paint modeling paint. So I have eliminated the need to clean or throw away a brush by using the dremel. Its now just as dull as a felt lined canon lens hood. It even feels similar to the touch as the felt. I put my dremel on low speed and worked till I got the effect I wanted. Took less than a minute to do.

FILTERS:
I have these as well if anyone cares. You can't use the hood with them but I like them.
http://www.amazon.com/PolarPro-DJI-Phantom-Filter-3-Pack/dp/B00WMJDPZ4
and yes the polarizer filter has been correctly put into the glass so it takes the reflections off a horizontal path. Ex.. House windows. Cars windows and wet areas around pools you wont completely rid of a reflection but I have gotten nice results from it. Shoot when its sunny so you can still keep a low ISO and get the sharpest pic possible. They dont give me a gimble warning either. If you do get one slow your gimble movement down dont panic and recalibrate with it attached. That's just typical server behavior if you did happen to get a error.. Also I use a tiny tiny bit of the same oil I use for my fishing rods on the threads. SUPER TINY BIT. any small word you can associate with the amount to use.. It not only helps with the threading but it helps block out any bad crap. I usually wipe it and redo it every time I take them on and off. OCD maybe but I take care of my stuff. The glass on the filters I could add that they are pretty thin and still allow you to retain sharpness in the photo or video.

 

[taroh]

No, not only.
It damages imagery even if it does not pass through the props, resulting in washed out images, low contrast, and flare. Exactly as for any camera. The P3P camera is not immune to this, as some seem to believe.

And yes, if the light also passes through the props you absolutely get a hell of a lot of interference and flickering.

Again, read up on how hard light hitting the front glass and filters of any camera always causes washed out images and flare in varying degree. The amount of negative effect depends on the quality of the glass and filters, and the surface coatings. But it is always there. The only remedy for this is a good lens hood.

I basically agree P3 camera don't have enough multi-coated glass. I also enjoy photographing, and bothered with side/backlight always. But, not like an usual camera, I cannot shadow the lens using my hand or any board, it's on the sky, so I decided to enjoy the contrast lowers. Flying upwards, the sun shines and flare/ghost (halation)/red dots (CCD inner reflection) coming into the frame - it's a kind of poetic.
Moreover, I've tried this 3 month many many way to cover the lens, and had a result that lens hood causes "jello" (on footage; still pics are OK). So the "body lens cover," or nothing - trade off against flare.

 

[fpsmatt]

Recalibrate after attaching it. I havnt gotten any jello'ing

 

[Ottawa Aerials]

I basically agree P3 camera don't have enough multi-coated glass. I also enjoy photographing, and bothered with side/backlight always. But, not like an usual camera, I cannot shadow the lens using my hand or any board, it's on the sky, so I decided to enjoy the contrast lowers. Flying upwards, the sun shines and flare/ghost (halation)/red dots (CCD inner reflection) coming into the frame - it's a kind of poetic.
Moreover, I've tried this 3 month many many way to cover the lens, and had a result that lens hood causes "jello" (on footage; still pics are OK). So the "body lens cover," or nothing - trade off against flare.

You sound like someone who knows the camera side of things. Do you know how to get rid of the stuttering cloud movements you see sometime. The cloud shadows on the ground that look jittery. I was on 4k 30fps and it's obviously a frame rate issue but is there a way to avoid it. I feel like it's more than a shutter speed change