Lens Hood Problems

[Valentiaman]

Following a discussion with @Darren Gahan I invested (only €15 with postage) in a lens hood for my P4A.

This is the hood.

I've had 1 test flight with it and technically, the images look good. They are sharp and flare free, although the light was far from contrasty.

However, it did present some problems. The hood is made of a strong plastic and it feels light (I haven't weighed it). But, when attached to the drone's camera (with filter attached) the hood touches the ground and the camera jams. I had to launch the drone from my hand to avoid this.

When airborne, the drone lost some height while hovering after take off and I had to push the left stick now and then to maintain height. It's worth mentioning that it was a windy day, and I'm not sure if this was a factor (the drone did not yaw with the wind though).

Also, the camera drops down while in flight, now and then, before correcting itself.

Can these issues be expected? Did I waste my money, or should I spend a few more euro on some landing gear, to keep the hood off the ground?

Stephen

 

[Vertical]

Sounds like you need to balance the gimbal with a small weight on the back of the camera.

Attach a coin with a sticky pad or something secure like that - when balanced the camera should rest level as it does without the hood.

Just make sure the camera can pivot freely - the weight isn't snagging on the gimbal anywhere.

Good luck.

 

[Valentiaman]

Sounds like you need to balance the gimbal with a small weight on the back of the camera.

Attach a coin with a sticky pad or something secure like that - when balanced the camera should rest level as it does without the hood.

Just make sure the camera can pivot freely - the weight isn't snagging on the gimbal anywhere.

Good luck.

Really helpful, thank you very much!

 

[Darren Gahan]

I've had to have the gimbal control board replaced on my Phantom 4. I think it was just bad design and poor quality workmanship but they mentioned this could happen if the gimbal bracket was left attached and the drone was power up. Adding weight to the camera that makes the controller work harder, or jams the camera could cause you problems down the road.