Jump to content
UltravioletPhotography

Drones


Cadmium

Recommended Posts

Well, anyway, then I found this video, showing a first flight... (by experts, I might add, ha!)

It kind of had me on pins and needles... I think this setup is fairly expensive, so you don't want to crash it. Would take a lot of experience to learn to fly this thing, it looks like to me anyway.

Not sure it would support my D850 + 8mm fisheye + RG715 filter, maybe though.

He he he...

 

Anyone here done any drone photography? UVIR, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), or anything else?

Link to comment

That drone shouldn't crash -- expensive mishap -- but reality bites and I never have talked to a drone operator that entirely had avoided crash incidents.

 

I would probably start with something less exotic/expensive myself.

Link to comment
eye4invisible
I think it would be safer to do a full spectrum conversion on a cheap drone and find some way of attaching a small filter to it, than to risk a DSLR. I suspect the modern coated lenses in drones would be useless for UV, but IR would most likely be possible.
Link to comment
enricosavazzi

A few years ago I did some investigation into using a GoPro action camera for UV imaging. It turns out that the model I tested has no (strong) built-in UV- and IR-cut filter. The actual UV- and IR-cut filter is a coating on the rear element of the lens. I had some success in using legacy small-format movie lenses (mostly for super-8 and 16 mm film) and small UV-pass filters. The UV response was limited mostly to the 380-400-ish nm band.

 

http://www.ultraviol...__fromsearch__1

 

Although not very cheap, it is certainly cheaper, sturdier and lighter than a DSLR.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...
WiSi-Testpilot

Today I made a first UV flight with my DIY multicopter. I use a full-spectrum Sony A 6000 with the SELP1650 lens and this UV filter:

SP2 UV-400N

http://www.optic-mak...missionskurven/

The camera is simply mounted at a tilt-servo without damping. Shutter (half-press & full-press), zoom and tilt is controlled via radio-control.

The values of the pictures are 1/10s (car), 1/20 (landscape), f3.5, ISO-4000. When the sun came out, the batteries were empty. I swapped the colors RGB -> BRG to enhance the intensity.

In order to improve the result I need next to more sun a gimbal, a better filter and another lens.

Tomorrow a sunny day is expected...

Best regards,

Wilhelm

post-210-0-73327600-1537995848.jpg

post-210-0-49435400-1537995860.jpg

post-210-0-29017100-1537995887.jpg

post-210-0-18511400-1537995900.jpg

Link to comment
Did you white balance the images? These look very tinted. Anyway, you are definitely getting some results! You will need to optimize your setup to get faster exposure time I think. The motion blur is significant here. I think the lens would be the first thing to change. Also that filter is not passing much, although the blocking of IR looks fine.
Link to comment
WiSi-Testpilot

Andy, I made no white balance, because the image consists of blue and red only, see the screenshot. The choice of the colours is arbitrarily, I think.

 

@all, which light weight lens for Sony e-mount do you recommend?

Best regards,

Wilhelm

post-210-0-21754800-1538002490.jpg

Link to comment

Typically we make our images white balanced and the reason you can't do that here is because your lens/filter isn't passing light far enough into the UV (to sufficiently low wavelength, I mean). You are only getting a tiny bit of the UVA near 400nm, I think. For a lens, you should consult our sticky and use one of the recommended lenses there. They are old manual lenses, so don't expect autofocus or stabilization. There are NO native lenses that pass significant UV for Sony. I use the Novoflex Noflexar for 35mm and metal EL-Nikkor 80mm/5.5 for 80mm. You should look into either a filter stack such as UVIR Optics sells (Cadmium of our forum), or a Baader U or Straightedge U. Straightedge may have some benefit for faster exposure. To see how a UV image with white balance can look, check out one of the flowers, like this:

http://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/368-laburnum-alpinum-scottish-laburnum/

Link to comment
WiSi-Testpilot

Cadmium, thank you.

In the future I will mount the A6000 with a gimbal on the copter shown below. Currently a thermal camera and the Sony RX0 are attached. In the picture together with the small DJI Mavic the thermal camera and a Vis/NIR camera are mounted. Two images with results are shown too.

Best regards,

Wilhelm

post-210-0-51617300-1538033720.jpg

post-210-0-10830000-1538033741.jpg

post-210-0-01981000-1538033757.jpg

post-210-0-45576600-1538033770.jpg

Link to comment
WiSi-Testpilot

That's my last picture for now (1/6s, F/4, ISO-4000). Interesting is the pattern on the grass of our airfield.

Now I will improve the equipment.

Best regards,

Wilhelm

post-210-0-81952100-1538081886.jpg

Link to comment

Oooh, that is a very nice shot. It is possible to use the SmartDeblur software (version 2.3) to extract some additional detail from that:

post-94-0-25912600-1538087183.jpg

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...
WiSi-Testpilot

I would like to shorten the exposure time to reduce the motion blur. Therefore I bought a Sony SEL 16mm 2.8 (SEL16F28) pancake lens via e-bay. It is very light and has only 5 elements. For testing purposes, I took two pictures with my lenses. I had held the UV filter in front of the new lens, because the threads are different. As expected, the pancake is much better for copter applications than the SELP1650 with 9 elements. Now I will order a Venus filter when it is available again.

Best regards,

Wilhelm

 

DSC01808 (1/13s, F/3.5, ISO-3200) (SELP1650)

post-210-0-70977800-1539969838.jpg

 

 

DSC01807 (1/60s, F/2.8, ISO-800) SEL 16mm 2.8 (SEL16F28)

post-210-0-90298100-1539969877.jpg

 

With the pancake the image contains green too, compared to #10.

post-210-0-27774000-1539971445.jpg

Link to comment
WiSi-Testpilot

I'm afraid that I get problems with non-e-mount lenses on the copter. Therefore my next steps are another filter and a gimbal. Furthermore the pancake is light and seems good for NIR above 900 nm.

 

Question: what values would you expect for the picture above with a good UV lens and a Baader U filter?

Thank you.

Best regards,

Wilhelm

Link to comment
I don't own a Baader myself, so I'm not sure. My usual exposure times are similar to the above but I get a lot more color. I am using S8612 1.5mm + UG11 2mm though.
Link to comment
WiSi-Testpilot

Your filter combination seems to me to be comparable to the Venus filter.

For applications on the ground I want to buy a good UV lens. However, currently I have no experience with adapters for e-mount. For instance, is it possible to use the Novoflex Noflexar 35mm with e-mount?

Best regards,

Wilhelm

 

DSC01752 (1/500s, F/3.5, ISO-100) (SELP1650) Green.L 760 nm

Low quality, need a gimbal.

post-210-0-76892600-1540022451.jpg

 

Golden October, DSC01710 (1/800s, F/3.5, ISO-100) (SELP1650) Green.L 760 nm

post-210-0-41151800-1540022480.jpg

Link to comment

My filter combo is nowhere near as good as a Baader for exposure. I’m losing at least half a stop I think.

 

I have a Sony and a Noflexar and I use them all the time. Fotodiox makes a whole line of adapters for E-mount that work fine.

Link to comment

For applications on the ground I want to buy a good UV lens. However, currently I have no experience with adapters for e-mount. For instance, is it possible to use the Novoflex Noflexar 35mm with e-mount?

 

The Noflexar 35/3.5 was made originally in Exakta, M42 and F-mount with flange focal distances, respectively, of 44.7, 46.5 and 45.46 mm. The FFD for E-mount is 18mm. So any adapter will be an extension and not require any glass elements.

 

Just as one example of what is available, here is a link to the Fotodiox "F-mount lens to E-mount body" adapter: https://fotodioxpro....ducts/nikf-snye

 

Novoflex and Fotodiox are two adapter brands which are well-made. There are many other choices. If you buy a less expensive adapter from Ebay, do be sure to thoroughly check that it fits well and does not warp the body mount or have any leaks.

 


My filter combo is nowhere near as good as a Baader for exposure. I’m losing at least half a stop I think.

 

That's not really much to worry about at all, methinks. Particularly if your filter set cuts IR well.

Link to comment

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...