How To Use GoPro on FPV Drones – Finest Settings, Equipment, Suggestions and Tips

Whether or not you’re a newbie or an skilled FPV pilot, capturing beautiful and clean footage is vital to showcasing your abilities and sharing your adventures. This information will stroll you thru GoPro digital camera settings, and I’ll supply ideas and greatest practices that will help you get essentially the most out of your GoPro when filming your FPV flights. We’ll cowl one of the best GoPro settings from body charge, shutter pace, FOV, stabilization, to paint grading, guaranteeing you’ve gotten all of the information wanted to create cinematic movies that really seize the essence of FPV flying.

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To be taught extra about HD Motion Cameras for FPV, take a look at this put up.

GoPro Choices for FPV

GoPro Hero 13

Product Web page: https://amzn.to/3TSMOyD

Earlier than 2020, GoPro was the clear chief in motion cameras for FPV drones. Nonetheless, lately, DJI has considerably closed the hole, making it more durable to suggest one over the opposite.

If you happen to prioritize one of the best log profile and essentially the most flexibility in post-production and shade grading, the GoPro Hero 13 stays your greatest wager. Its flat shade profile provides loads of room for tweaking colours to your liking.

Nonetheless, for all the pieces else, the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional is extremely aggressive. It’s lighter than the GoPro, has a extra trendy design, boasts considerably longer battery life, and delivers spectacular outcomes straight out of the field with minimal effort. Its built-in stabilization is top-tier, the audio high quality is clearer, and it handles dynamic vary and low-light conditions barely higher than the GoPro. Plus, it’s even barely cheaper. See my purchaser’s information right here: https://oscarliang.com/gopro-13-dji-action-5/.

GoPro Hero 12

Product Web page: https://amzn.to/3Erf2bR

GoPro Hero 11

Product Web page: https://amzn.to/3RZnEL7

The GoPro Hero 11 provides two thrilling new options for FPV pilots: 10-bit movies and a 8:7 facet ratio picture sensor. This sensor permits for 16:9 and 9:16 cropping, making it excellent for social media use. The digital camera movies in 5.3K and 4K at 60fps and a couple of.7K at 240fps, and options Hypersmooth V5 stabilization and horizon locking. Equipment and ND filters from earlier fashions are suitable.

GoPro Hero 11 Mini

Product Web page: https://amzn.to/3XqMQNu

The Hero 11 Mini is a smaller, lighter model of the Hero 11. It’s barely higher for FPV drones on account of its decreased weight (about 20g lighter) and $100 lower cost tag, whereas retaining the identical capabilities and efficiency.

GoPro Bones

Discover the GoPro Bones right here: https://amzn.to/3LpHsaW

The GoPro Bones is basically a stripped down GoPro Hero 10 – it’s lighter and extra compact which makes it extra fitted to FPV drones. It provides the identical picture high quality and efficiency because the GoPro 10. It has built-in warmth sinks, and may be powered direct connection from the drone eliminating the necessity for a separate battery. Try my evaluation for extra particulars: https://oscarliang.com/gopro-10-bones/

360 Cameras

GoPro additionally provides 360 cameras, take a look at this comparability information for extra element.

Finest GoPro Settings

These tables under present my greatest settings for the most recent GoPro Hero 11 and 12, however must also work nicely on older fashions. Video stabilization is crucial for a cinematic look in your movies, you’ve gotten three choices: Hypersmooth, Reelsteady and Gyroflow. Hypersmooth is built-in, thus extra handy however provides much less management, whereas Reelsteady and Gyroflow requires further rendering however permits for personalisation. Between Reelsteady and Gyroflow, the previous is paid whereas the latter is free. Personally I desire Reelsteady, I feel it offers higher end in most conditions. Be taught extra about picture stabilization right here right here: https://oscarliang.com/stabilize-fpv-videos/. However Gyroflow additionally produces first rate consequence, be taught extra right here: https://oscarliang.com/gyroflow/

For Reelsteady & Gyroflow

* Solely use Auto if you’re NOT utilizing ND filter; In any other case, set a hard and fast shutter pace for cinematic look.

** The Large lens setting beneath 8:7 facet ratio (or 4:3 in older fashions) are full sensor picture that gives a wider subject of view than Hyperview/Superview in 16:9. Reelsteady in GoPro Participant will mechanically stretch it to 16:9 Hyperview/Superview after rendering.

*** In particular conditions, set ISO Max greater for further flexibility (e.g., 400 or 1600 in low mild).

For Hypersmooth

* Solely use Auto if you’re NOT utilizing ND filter; In any other case, set a hard and fast shutter pace for cinematic look.

**  In particular conditions, you may need to improve ISO Max for further flexibility (e.g., 800 and even 1600 in low mild). 100 to 200 usually works nicely throughout day time.

For Lowlight/Evening Flying

Settings are principally just like these above, with a couple of variations. ND filters aren’t wanted/really helpful for lowlight and night time taking pictures. These settings assume you might be utilizing a GoPro Hero 11 with Reelsteady for stabilization.

* Improve/lower ISO MAX in your explicit surroundings.

Decision

Go along with 4K for the very best picture high quality and bitrate. You could use a decrease decision if you would like greater body charge akin to 120fps or 240fps as a result of 4K or 5.6K usually solely permits 60fps. Remember the fact that greater resolutions end in bigger file sizes and require extra processing energy for enhancing and rendering.

FPS

FPS (frames per second) is the body charge, it will possibly considerably influences your video’s feel and look.

Many pilots desire 60FPS for smoother playback on social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube, whereas others might desire 30FPS. Though 24FPS is widespread in filmmaking, it may not look pretty much as good for FPV movies on account of speedy drone actions. For slow-motion footage, think about greater FPS choices like 120FPS or 240FPS, which can require reducing the decision in older cameras.

Facet Ratio

The native facet ratio for the most recent GoPro picture sensor is 8:7, whereas older fashions have a 4:3 sensor. Selecting the native facet ratio makes use of the total sensor info. It lets you export the video vertically or horizontally in a while for various social media platform. Utilizing a non-native ratio ends in cropping on the high and backside of the sensor so it ends in a smaller FOV you probably have export it in a special facet ratio in a while. When utilizing Hyperview and Superview, the picture is dynamically stretched from 8:7 or 4:3 to 16:9.

If you happen to plan to make use of Reelsteady, it’s greatest to pick out 8:7 or 4:3, because the software program will export a 16:9 clip for platforms like YouTube. When utilizing the built-in Hypersmooth stabilization, select 16:9.

Lens

Lens settings decide the sector of view (FOV) of the picture. The obtainable lens choices depends upon the digital camera and chosen decision/FPS/stabilization settings, which embody Linear, Large, Superview, and Hyperview (from the narrowest to the widest FOV).

FPV movies usually use the widest FOV doable, as a wider vertical subject of view offers picture stablization extra picture to work with. A wider FOV additionally appears to be like higher for FPV movies. Until you’re utilizing Reelsteady for video stabilization (through which case, select Large), it’s really helpful to pick out Hyperview (or Superview if Hyperview isn’t obtainable).

Hypersmooth

As mentioned on this article, there are two methods to stabilize GoPro movies: Hypersmooth and Reelsteady. Hypersmooth is constructed into Hero 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 fashions and works nicely for many purposes. Nonetheless, FPV pilots usually desire Reelsteady, because it tends to provide higher outcomes for FPV movies and is extra versatile.

If you happen to plan to make use of Reelsteady or Gyroflow, be sure to TURN OFF Hypersmooth within the digital camera; in any other case, go away it ON. The Increase or Auto settings is probably not excellent for FPV, as they will crop the picture a bit an excessive amount of and trigger extreme zooming out and in. These settings, nonetheless, are well-suited for sports activities movies.

10-Bit

At present, solely the GoPro Hero 11 Black can shoot in HEVC 10-bit, capturing 64 occasions extra colours than its predecessor which is in 8-bit. Whereas the distinction is probably not vital on an ordinary pc display, 10-bit recording brings motion cameras nearer to skilled filming high quality. You may nonetheless choose to make use of 8-bit if desired.

Bit Charge

Bitrate is crucial to attain high-quality footage. A better bitrate information extra info from the picture sensor.

The most recent GoPro supplies two choices: low (both 45 or 60Mbps) and excessive (100Mbps). I at all times suggest setting the bitrate to excessive. Though this implies larger file sizes, it’s a small sacrifice for preserving picture high quality.

Shutter Pace

Shutter pace impacts the publicity of your picture by controlling how a lot mild enters the sensor. It additionally influences the looks of your picture, with quicker shutter speeds producing sharper photos and slower speeds introducing extra movement blur. A reasonable quantity of movement blur is fascinating in FPV movies for a “cinematic” look.

If you happen to’re not utilizing an ND filter, you possibly can simply set the Shutter Pace to Auto, the digital camera will deal with it so that you can get an excellent publicity. You could set Shutter Pace to a hard and fast worth which gives you a extra constant look, however it is best to use ND filters to get a appropriately uncovered picture. This put up explains in additional element why it is best to use ND filter and the right way to choose the right ND.

The overall rule of thumb is to set the shutter pace to 1/60 for 30fps, 1/120 for 60fps, 1/240 for 120fps, or 1/480 for 240fps. Utilizing a decrease shutter pace than the steered worth might end in overexposure and extreme movement blur.

When utilizing a hard and fast shutter pace, you’ll want to equip your GoPro with the suitable ND filter for correct publicity. I like to recommend an ND16 filter for sunny days, ND8 for cloudy days, ND4 for early mornings and sunsets, and ND32 for snowy days.

You may get ND filters primarily based on the digital camera mannequin right here:

If you happen to’re not sure which ND filter to make use of for correct publicity, it’s usually higher to underexpose than overexpose, because it’s simpler to get well element in shadows than in overexposed areas.

EV Comp

EV Comp stands for Publicity Compensation. Normally, you possibly can go away EV Comp on the default setting (zero).

When the digital camera adjusts publicity, it appears to be like on the total picture and calculates a median worth for the present publicity, bringing it up or all the way down to a center gray worth.

Adjusting the EV Comp worth tells the digital camera to both brighten or darken the picture from the optimum publicity it perceives.

If you happen to’re filming a topic that’s darker or brighter than the background and go away EV Comp on the default setting (0), your picture might seem overexposed or underexposed. On this case, you’ll need to modify EV Comp. Nonetheless, for FPV, we usually movie all the surroundings, so there’s often no must make vital changes.

White Steadiness

White steadiness determines the colour temperature of your footage, it’s essential for capturing correct colours.

Until you’re filming indoors the place mild sources (e.g., halogen mild bulbs) may alter the surroundings’s shade unnaturally, one of the best vary for it could be round 4500K to 5500K in outside surroundings.

Auto white steadiness can work successfully more often than not, however skilled customers often set it manually to match the scene, as a result of there is perhaps cases the place the Auto settings is simply off which compromises the general look of your footage. Setting it to a hard and fast worth ensures constant white steadiness, and lets you nice tune it later in post-production. For instance, it’s possible you’ll use 4500K when taking pictures on a sunny day or 5500K on a cloudy day. If you happen to’re unfamiliar with adjusting white steadiness in put up, be at liberty to simply set it to auto and let the digital camera to deal with it for you and save your self some headache.

Some suggest utilizing the ‘Native’ white steadiness and correcting it in put up. Nonetheless, in my expertise, utilizing ‘Native’ can generally end in a uninteresting coloration that’s difficult to appropriate in a while.

So, right here’s how I usually do it to attaining good wanting colours: First, verify what the ‘Auto’ setting appears to be like like. Then, choose a white steadiness stage that emulates the identical look. This fashion, the white steadiness stays locked, versus randomly altering all through the video because it does in ‘Auto’ mode.

ISO

Beneficial Setting: At all times set ISO Min to 100, and modify ISO Max primarily based on lighting circumstances (100, 200, 400, and even 1600 are acceptable values; I often go together with 400)

ISO is the digital enhancement of sunshine sensitivity in your digital camera’s picture sensor. It helps modify the publicity of the picture by amplifying the sign. A better ISO will increase mild sensitivity, which improves visibility in low-light environments, nevertheless it additionally introduces and amplifies digital noise, leading to a grainier picture.

For one of the best outcomes, hold your ISO settings as little as doable to attenuate noise and preserve picture high quality.

When setting ISO Min and Max, you’re establishing a spread of ISO values the digital camera can use, reasonably than fixing the ISO worth. For instance, if the minimal ISO is 100 and the utmost is 1600, the digital camera can use ISO values from 100 as much as 1600, relying on lighting circumstances.

A excessive ISO Max supplies flexibility, particularly when utilizing a hard and fast shutter pace, as ISO turns into the first approach the digital camera adjusts publicity. Nonetheless, if you would like essentially the most constant and clear picture doable, it’s greatest to maintain your ISO Max as little as doable given the lighting circumstances.

When taking pictures open air in the course of the day with out flying beneath timber or in shadows, set ISO Max to 100 for essentially the most constant picture. If you happen to do fly in shadowed areas, you possibly can set the ISO Max greater, akin to 400, for added flexibility. If you happen to’re flying out and in of a home, for instance, you possibly can even set the ISO Max to 1600 to account for the altering lighting circumstances.

Sharpness

The excessive sharpness setting in GoPro cameras may be overly intense and unappealing. By setting sharpness to low or medium, you’ve gotten the pliability to regulate sharpness in post-production utilizing a video editor to attain the specified stage.

Shade/Profile

In older GoPro cameras, this selection is known as “Shade”, within the new Hero 12 it’s referred to as “Profile”.

GoPro provides two shade choices: Regular (aka Customary) and Flat (aka Log). Select Flat/Log shade in case you plan to paint grade in post-production, in any other case select Regular/Customary.

• Flat/Log – Retains extra picture element and suppleness, permit larger freedom for shade correction and shade grading in video enhancing software program
• Regular/Customary – Produces vivid colours and excessive distinction

Flat/Log Shade is good for many who plan to paint grade their footage in post-production. It retains extra picture element, offering extra flexibility when adjusting colours and distinction. Nonetheless, Flat Shade footage shouldn’t be designed for direct consumption. If you happen to’re new to creating FPV movies and unfamiliar with shade grading, it’s possible you’ll need to keep on with Regular/Customary shade for now.

Studying shade grading can considerably improve your movies when accomplished appropriately. To get began, think about using knowledgeable video editor, akin to DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere, or Remaining Reduce Professional X. I’ve a tutorial that will help you get began with Davinci Resolve: https://oscarliang.com/how-to-use-davinci-resolve/

In case you are new to paint grading, take a look at my newbie’s tutorial: https://oscarliang.com/color-grade-fpv-videos/

Spot metering

Spot metering is a helpful setting that permits the digital camera to make use of a particular portion of the display to resolve the publicity stage. This may be useful in difficult lighting situations. As an example, with a backlit sky, the digital camera may underexpose the bottom, making it look too darkish. Through the use of spot metering, you possibly can power the digital camera to reveal primarily based on the sunshine stage of the world that issues most to you.

High Suggestions

Getting SD Playing cards

Be certain that to get SD card that has first rate write pace. With a sluggish card your GoPro recording may cease randomly and even received’t file in any respect. It’s essential to know the pace class of SD playing cards, and the pace requriement for the actual decision you intend to make use of with the GoPro.

You may find out about this in my SD card tutorial, the place I may even counsel some nice playing cards in your GoPro: https://oscarliang.com/sd-cards-fpv/#GoPro-and-Different-HD-Cameras-4K-Movies

Importing to Youtube

YouTube compression can negatively have an effect on your video high quality, inflicting quick movement and detailed components like grass and leaves to look pixelated. To make sure one of the best outcomes, observe YouTube’s pointers for exporting and importing your movies.

Importing movies with excessively excessive bitrates received’t enhance high quality, as YouTube compresses them anyway. It’s greatest to let your video editor deal with the compression to keep away from points.

One helpful tip is to “upscale” your video when exporting it in your video editor. Since YouTube retains greater bitrates for greater decision movies, exporting a 1080p or 2.7K video in 4K can enhance playback high quality. For instance, YouTube limits 1080p movies to a 12 Mbps bitrate, whereas 4K movies can have as much as 68 Mbps. 60fps movies additionally retains greater bitrate than 30fps movies.

Utilizing a GoPro Dummy

Whereas practising or tuning your drone, you may not be recording each flight. Utilizing a GoPro dummy can shield your precise GoPro from injury throughout non-recording flights.

3D-print a GoPro dummy in TPU and fill it with cash, steel weights or rice to match the burden of your GoPro. This ensures constant weight distribution, which impacts your drone’s efficiency and management really feel.

Utilizing a GoPro dummy lets you preserve consistency in your coaching with out risking injury to your precise digital camera throughout crashes.

To weight your dummy, think about using “wheel steadiness weights,” obtainable in 5g and 10g items: https://amzn.to/3GDHCYd. Alternatively, you need to use cash, chains, rice, or different weights that match contained in the dummy.

Widespread Points

GoPro Battery Not Totally Charging

In case your GoPro battery stops charging at round 80%-90% (and even 70-80%), the problem is perhaps associated to the charger. When utilizing a robust third-party charger (e.g., an Apple charger or one with Energy Supply capabilities), and the battery by no means reaches 100%, strive utilizing a much less highly effective, non-Energy Supply or Fast Cost suitable charger, akin to one with a 5V 2A output. Alternatively, you possibly can strive charging your GoPro battery utilizing your pc’s USB port, which must also work successfully.

Conclusion

In conclusion, establishing your GoPro for FPV flying is crucial to seize beautiful and clean footage. By following the suggestions and ideas on this information, you possibly can optimize your digital camera settings and make sure the greatest outcomes in your FPV movies. Bear in mind, observe makes excellent, so experiment with completely different settings and use the precise instruments to reinforce your FPV flying expertise.

Edit Historical past

• Mar 2017 – Article created.
• Mar 2018 – Added sections “Shutter Pace” and “Importing to Youtube”.
• Jan 2020 – Up to date GoPro checklist, added settings for Hero 7.
• Might 2020 – Added settings for Hero 8 and included separate settings for Reelsteady.
• Oct 2022 – Up to date product hyperlinks and settings.
• Jan 2023 – Added “High Suggestions” and “Widespread Points”.
• Apr 2023 – Added greatest settings for Lowlight/Evening.
• Jan 2025 – Added GoPro 13 to the product checklist.