I use a Mike Powers designed Solution for my AP work and thought people might be interested in the camera mounts and the mounting system I have come to develop which allows me to use a myriad of cameras with this airplane.
The cameras I use are all mounted via LEXAN mounts that I have frabricated specifically to hold each camera. The mount isspecific to each camera model and is NOT interchangeable with other models. I use these mounts in conjunction with small 9g servos as my shutter triggering devices. All mounts are "bolt on" via the cameras' tripod mount. The camers can thus be bolted into it's mount and used remotely on the airplane or unbolted from the mount and used normally. Each mount is designed with the servo triggering of the cameras' shutter in mind and some mounts have been through several version revisions!! LOL!! The NON DSLR Canon cameras utilize a very simple mounting system where a small section of lexan or plexiglass is constructed and fitted with a set of pinned hinges directly under the lens location of the camera. A removable "long pin" is constructed which can traverse though all the hinge points and hold the camera mount to it's "base". When the "base" is placed on the plane using velcro it holds the camera in place very securely but also (via the "hinge") allows the camera to be TILTED forward or back which allows for angle adjustments to be made very easily. I also designed a simple camera angle device - using piano wire, small tubing and some wheel collars - which will allow the cameras to be set at any lens angle including straight down if desired and held there with just a quick twist of a thumbscrew.
I decided to apply velcro SOLIDLY to the entire lower portion of the Solution's camera mounting area. All camera mounting will be based upon velcro attached mounts. |
The Canon A495 is my "normal" camera of choice for most missions as it delivers good photographs at a reasonable resolution. |
The Canon A630 is my second choice in most cases as it also has fine resolution and delivers great photos but it has one bad feature in that it is fairly heavy. |
This is the "Coup - De - Gras" of aerial photography for me - my Canon XS DSLR. |
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