Random question: Would a Runcam 2 be good enough for HD recording for a sunday flyer like myself? Having an HD camera I can swap between models (likely a quad and a fixed wing), but also use for filming other videos would be nice, but I can't swallow the $400 gopro pill.
I looked that up, and it looks like it's just the session, not the session 4. It appears to have the same resolution capabilities, too (RC2 can also record in 2K). For half the price of the GoPro, giving up the good mic and superview seem reasonable to me. Also, mounting it won't be a problem, as I can 3D model and print anything I want.
I'm liking the look of that 1.8 lens, though the short focal length pushing everything in to the distance might take some getting used to. And the total lack of distortion while flying is nice! Is it that DVR making your signal drop out like that? Odd artifacts from a CP in such an open area.
Hi there.Love the work you do.I have bought this camera and its my first real nice FPV camera.I think you are not using this one any longer wonder why is it the weight or ?
I ordered one of the 1.8 lenses this morning based on your post on Mini Quad Club.....really looking forward to trying it out. Your DVR footage looks better in every way with the new lens. Thanks for posting your Monster V2 settings also.
Wondering what your thoughts are on the RunCam Eagle? I have used both the Monster, Eagle and HS1177 style cameras. The Eagle is currently my favorite followed by the Monster. I have tried to turn down the colors of the Monster without success. The light handling of the Eagle is exceptional. I am not an exceptional pilot thou and am maybe starting to feel a little latency with the Eagle? TIA
Jeff for general flying the eagle is beautiful. for really tight fast proximity or racing it's no good due to the latency. I don't even consider it as an option because of that. but the view is beautiful.
I have the original Monster with the stock lens and won't use a standard camera ever again. I have a version 2 ordered and can't wait. Have you messed with either the Foxeer OSD or sound capabilities of the new line? If so, what are your impressions? As always, thanks so much for all the work and testing you do, it really does help all of us average Joes out their that do this as a hobby and can't afford to make too many purchase mistakes with our hard earned cash. Cheers!!!
Dave Pierce I helped foxeer get the voltage osd right and it's frikin fantastic. unfortunately voltage is just difficult to monitor at speed. I hugely prefer the BF osd's
I guess you mentioned in a video before, but I cant find it. What kind of fpv camera mount are you using? Or can someone link the file for it? You are making great videos, thanks mate. I chose the monster v2 because of your videos on it and I really love it. Cheers from Germany and keep up the great flying.
THANK YOU!!! I started with the Monster for my first camera. But as I'm just starting out I've had a hell of time landing, because I felt like I needed so much tilt to see where I was going. I have also put it on PAL to try and get a bit more vertical FOV.
the connector I always rip of.. direct solder 28awg silicone wires on camera.. then the wires have a connector that i stick in a vtx with a 5v out. i then either hot glue the connector hole or use electrical tape. by doing this you can decide yourself were you want the wires.
so glad you made this video. ive been looking for an excuse to finally try a 16:9 camera to make the best of my new skyzones. just picked up a monster v2 and 1.8 lens but shipping will probably be the death of me.
From the moment I tried the HS1189 way back when I made a video on it (can see in my old videos) and have always used the 1200TVL CMOS. It's far superior to the low res 600tvl imo.
The latency on the Monster cam is less than the HS1177 or any other Sony 600 CCD. You can see in my old video on the HS189. It's ~8ms vs ~20ms for the 600tvl CCD. What you're thinking of are the cameras from Runcam which do have ridiculous latency. I don't even know why anyone would bother with those. You can't fly fast at ~60ms latency just from the camera. That would mean that the whole system has a ~100ms lag. Unacceptable.
Dashz to the best of my knowledge Bob is 100% correct on the latency #'s for the hs1189 back when this cam was "the new" thing there were countless reviews showing the latency or the 1189 compared to the 1177 the main problem with it at the time was lack of lenses for it only 2.8 and a cruddy 2.5mm which they sold no replacement for :( that and jello too
Video looks great! But do you need the latest FatShark Goggles to get the benifits from this cam? I have the original FatShark white and grey goggles. I think they are called the HD2 maybe? Do these goggles have the correct ratio for this cam? Thanks
I have a Monster and I will say the picture is better than an 1177 but people have said that the Monster is prone to vibration and I have to say I would agree. Have you noticed this at all? Have you done anything to improve it?
helicrashpro I have noticed the jello here and there but I only ever got that with banged up motors or really cheapy motors with extra trashy bearings (not like the expensive motors use bearings that are so much better but they are better). the jello was still pretty minor and the resolution jump was totally worth it to me. lately with my little TPU mounts and non-banged up motors I see zero jello. you can even see in my DVR footage.
glad you made a video kababy. ive got two 5 inch craft i fly back to back. one has an eagle and the other has a monster2. I seriously cannot get the image on the monster2 anywhere near as good as the eagle which is really annoying. would you have any settings you suggest i try?
You won't get the Monster as good as the Eagle. The Eagle does a bunch of post processing to make the image so nice. That's what gives it so much latency. The monster gives you a good image with no latency.
ah. thanx for the explanation kababy. my biggest issue with it is the image is so dark no matter what i do. im quite curious to see your settings for different times of the day. i myself am an afternoon flyer and day time during the weekends. perhaps a video idea for you :)
Neil Fraser if you lower the contrast you can get a brighter image but then the sun will wash out your view more when flying towards it. It's not a problem for me in England most of the time though :)
what replacement lens would you recommend on runcam swift 2? I have the 2.5mm version or would you guys just leave it the way it is. I have no reference point since its my first fpv setup.
Can I please get your camera settings that you use on your monster v2 cameras! Thank you! Also, thanks for all the great info you put out for us,, I really enjoy your videos!
Any idea if Foxeer has plans to make the 1200TVL Monster in 4:3? Ever since your video on that camera I have wanted to try it out but not on my HD3s for obvious reasons...
Jordan Pohl not gonna happen with the monster but they're working on a 1000tvl CCD that will do 4:3 and 16:9. it's been in development for a while though
I'm not convinced it's not 4:3, i mean i don't think the sensor is actually a different aspect ratio to the sony ccd sensor. I'll take a pic of both sensors and you can tell me, but to the naked eye, i can't really see a difference in the sensor dimensions. They are just cropping out a 16:9 image from the 4:3 sensor. There is no doubt that you lose vertical fov, but you also lose horizontal fov with the supplied 2.5mm lens.
I feel i should clarify. both sensors claim to be 1/3 inch, so the monsters should be longer than the ccd, but we don't see more picture on the sides. If the lens just doesn't have a large enough image circle, then we should see vignetting or darkening at the sides, but i dont see that, unless they are doing something in post.
Unless it's the same exact sensor, I don't go by what it 'claims' to be. All these lenses 'claim' to be 2.1mm but some are wider than a 1.6mm or narrower than 3.6mm. The numbers mean very little. With things this small, a tenth of a mm makes a difference unfortunately.
Hey! What do you use for Monster Camera holder?Because with original Monster Camera Holder I have jello effect.....If I fix it on the frame and I do flips ( roll,pitch ) broke the video signal for about 2-3 sec and then it comes back....:( This is very uncomfortable for the flying
M Norbi I've had that loss video signal. it's probably a problem with your 12v line. the Bec is dying. don't fly it anymore. replace wherever the 12v is coming from
Flying with almost fish eye lenses is somewhat ok on 16:9 as you have less vertical resolution and it squeezes bit more picture to that space, but total waste on 4:3.
to anyone who has the monster v2 16:9, how do you find the 2.5mm lens it comes with? is it significantly different to the 2.5mm "go pro" lens that comes on the swift RR edition or similar?
Chris Tate do not use anything but the 1.8 or 2.1 lens I've mentioned on any 4:3 CCD camera. unless you're flying a wing, those are the best lenses by far.
Kabab FPV oh, I think you misinterpreted me, I am looking at getting a monster v2, but was wondering what the 2.5mm lens it comes with was like on it. The 'gopro' lens that comes with the RR swift is one of the best I've tried, how do you find it compares to those sort of lenses?
I am getting a v2 for my next build, love the monster cam but that cropped sensor on the vertical has been a downside. I think I will try to get a lens like this to give me some vertical back and hopefully the v2 will have this lens as a option when buying.
it would be great at least as a option. I just put in a order for one cause like I said losing that bit of vertical has been a downside. I miss being able to see more ground when flying low and slow.
I go up toggle for osd settings but I select all three settings off then exit and then save osd turns off but after quad sits no lipo it is back on foxeer osd and I get overlap betafight and foxeer osd. could you recommend a fix and what's best settings for cam foxeer monster v2?
Nice video that's cool foxeer making you lens to test. I'm big runcam guy so my buddy convinced me to try one and I liked it so I bought another for my helix. I'm glad you brought up dark issues tho can you point me in good settings for this monster v2 or make a video please. I work a 5-1 am shift I like to fly before I start work and I cannot use monster in the early morning way to dark. I can fly my run cam swift 2 in the dark lol of course parking lots with some lighting but runcam is what I use in the early morning or night monster in the daytime like weekends. Last thing I spend way too much time with quad fixing and tinkering is this just part of it? I feel overwhelmed sometimes so I sold off 2 a alien and chameleon even selling those I had to work on them to make sure they were perfect before I shipped them I also made dvr footage of both to show buyers because my buddy said he has sold before then the buyer messing them up and he felt obligated to help for good reviews. I already have good reviews but I told them there perfect I know they here footage of flips power loops roll speed runs I said if u break it I can fix but ur paying for parts and shipping. The hobby grows to fast hard to keep up before we know it d shot going to be like pwm or raceflight like librepilot jk but not a raceflight fanboy too many beta make it hard. I'm coming from xo1 cars tekno buggies mst drift cars. Those seem a lot more less manteince and slower tech. Maybe I just need not to crash into gates or pull out a dive faster idk. There's just a lot going on with them and failpoints. I have ur floss, alien, & helix no more I was thinking about a 3 inch then I'm like no not another one🤔
These problems you're having, they're all normal and everyone has them. Maintaining these things is super annoying but unfortunately just part of doing it. The sport is also moving at lightning speed so it is difficult to keep up. But what you have that flies is good. Don't buy so much into the hype. If you're flying at dusk and dawn, you'll probably be happier with a 600TVL 4:3 CCD camera due to the better light management.
Great video. I'm currently swapping the stock 2.5mm Monster V2 lens for a 2.1mm, but may need to check out the 1.8mm. IMO, the stock lens is borderline unusable for racing/fast & slow combined acro. The tilt needs to be extreme (55+ degrees for me) To keep from flying forward staring at the ground. The vertical FOV is just too small, though the horizontal FOV is great. Enjoy the detail in the camera, but the FOV is an issue, looks like your 1.8mm lens recommendation may solve all my needs.
www.securitycamera2000.com/products/1%7B47%7D3-Wide-Range-lens-2.1mm-for-CCTV-Camera-F2.0-Cam-150.html It does cover the whole sensor, and it works, but it's not as much of an improvement as I was looking for. Looking to try the 1.8mm you mentioned.
kabab thanks for the 1.8 reccomendation it seems better i havent flown yet with 1.8 but 2.5 monster v2 i have. just hate the video quality is slightly reduced when motors are on. Then again the factory dvr really makes my video suck when recording
hey can anyone help me? i have a spektrum dx6 and my quad has been programmed and i have binded it but the quad doesnt respond to the tx. i have the arm switch on too. The tx recognises the quad but the quad doesnt respond to the tx movements
cameras is the main thing I have disagreed with you in the past and I personally still feel that the CCD cameras Swift Arrow HS1177 are as good or preferable to these Monsters...I ask anyone to simply compare the Arrow mini in this video to the Monster and notice how there is barely anything in it and actually the Arrow pops more...I compared in real life and the detail of the 1200tvl is actually quite marginal...but the image of the CMOS is more washed out - so what you gain in detail IMO you lose in contrast...so in reality there isnt much in it and I stick with my HS style cams with GoPro lens...
Stephen Wright depends on your goggles but the monster is drastically higher resolution. the 600tvl looks very grainy in my Dom V3. the CCD is definitely a brighter image but the monster isn't that far off
I use a custom box goggle with 55 deg FOV so I get a clear enough pic with the 800x480 same resolution as your V3...Im not denying higher resolution - just that IMO the difference it makes compared to the brighter image and more saturated contasted image of the CCD balances it out...of course a 1200tvl CCD I would probably say something different...
It's definitely not for everyone but If you do flying in difficult environments like from below the canopy of a forest then the higher resolution lets you actually see where the hole you took off from was. I've done this numerous times. Once in Croatia I was with a few others that took off then spent 2min looking for where they took off from so they didn't really fly anywhere. I had zero issues spotting the landing site. Pretty night and day difference for me. I just turn the bright up in my goggles to compensate. But no worries, there's a 16:9 1000tvl CCD on the way sometime soon.
Why do all those cameras always flicker and never really a crisp sharp picture ???????? In my eyes they are all crap unless you can show me proof and show me what I want them to be, clear, crisp, sharp, contrast etc. Super in night vision in color and without IR or 940nm total invisible IR's No flicker at all. I don't need them for a heli or drone but for security cam on a steady place. Is there something like that out there and a great price as well like this units here too? That would be great
No it's not similar at all. The monster has a latency of 1-8ms. It's the fastest analog FPV cam I know of. The Eagle and Split are past 50ms as reported by Runcam themselves.
The 4" floss is much more durable but the arms are designed to break in hard hits. They're very quick to replace. A good option but I only recommend building it with 1407 motors or otherwise small motors. Not 22XX motors.
Wery wide lenses IMHO are good only for 16:9 cameras. For 4:3 cameras they give a fishbowl effect which become very weird for 2.1mm and smaller focus distance. On 4:3 cams it end with false sense of distance when obstacles and ground look like far away and in a moment they are too close. On Monster with 16:9 picture 2.1mm and 1.8mm are Ok. CCD cameras certainly have natural colors and realistic picture in contrast areas. For CMOS cameras all that look weird due to weird color palette spiced with color moire. However there are no 16:9 CCD - didn't seen any (sigh). The good news - latest CMOS FPV cameras in price range from 20$ above already have very good and sharp picture. I already forgot what jello was. I don't have any of Monsters, however have two Eachine C800T cameras and those have sharpest and largest picture plus perform quite well in dusk. Love them :)
Arend Mookhoek I can put a whole family of chipmunks in there. it's a good weight and so so so easy to live with. I don't wanna fly anything else right now because it's so convenient to use. also super well balanced.
I think it is 4:3, they just don't use all the pixels. That's the easiest way to get a 16:9 image without the distortion of stretching a 4:3 image to 16:9, you crop out a 16:9 image out of the 4:3 sensor. Unless i'm completely off, all these sensors are the same aspect ratio.
mooosestang no that would be far more expensive. the sensor is a 16:9 sensor that's cropped to 4:3 if desired. adding horizontal lines to a sensor is expensive. adding vertical lines are cheaper.
Kabab FPV my understanding (after disapointment with monster 2 vert fov) is that they are all 4:3 sensors. 16:9 cameras just chop the top and bottom... and that's why we loose verticle fov... the pixels are just dumped... so even if you use a lens with a greater fov you ain't getting those pixels back.
That is incorrect. The sensor is a different size and it is smaller in the vertical dimension but wider in the horizontal direction. The 16:9 sensor is also a CMOS sensor that works totally differently than a CCD. It is actually double the number of horizontal lines for a much tighter packed sensor. Just unscrew the lens of a Monster cam and see for yourself. Even the shine on the sensor is much higher quality than the shine on the 600tvl CCD.
Kabab FPV Clearview and Monster v2 is where it's at. Flies as good as prosight, better latency, and it doesn't cost $200 a quad to outfit...just the initial expense of the clearview is a tough pill to swallow. I have both prosight and monster/clearview and I feel like I get better range because prosight is limited to 200mw, but unify goes up to 800mw
Wow, you are right. I have seen many other 800-1200tvl camera tests show more than 60ms latency and assumed they are all that slow. Just ordered myself a Monster V2 and a MTV Mount 1.8mm lens. Thanks for the info!
Yeah I was shocked when I heard that almost a year ago too and ordered two cameras immediately. There are still advantages to the CCD sensor, but the resolution is so much higher on the Monster it's hard to go back. Also make sure you have 16:9 goggles.
