Drone Cameras – Deciphering the Specs

Choosing a drone camera?

So, let’s get started by looking at what is what with our drone camera specifications…

The Swellpro Splashdrone 3+ Has a few camera and gimbal options ranging from 720P, 2.7K, 4K and 1080P night vision with 2 and 3 axis gimbals.

The Poseidon Pro boasts a 720P HD waterproof camera with real time video streaming

The Power Dolphin offers 1080P HD real time video streaming, 4K 30fps video recording and a 12 mega-pixel camera for action shots

AND

The Swellpro Spry offers 4K video at 30 frames per second and 60mbps or crisp 12 mega-pixel camera and a 2axis gimbal…

Is your head spinning yet??? Mine is…

Let’s start with the basics – what is real time streaming on a drone camera?

Real time video streaming implies that there is no delay at the receiving side, be that your smart phone or other device and is achieved with a digital feed not analogue.

So, what is HD and the difference between 720P and 1080P?

HD stands for high definition.  HD refers to the detail level of a screen which is essentially the number of “the dots” otherwise known as pixels, the smallest visible element on a display, that are packed into that particular vision.

720P and 1080P are both high definition, however, are measurements of a different video quality.

720p vs 1080p

Prior to HD in the day of analogue TV video content came with 720 pixels wide by 576 pixels tall resolution, also known as ‘standard definition’ or SD.

A 720p screen is 1280 pixels (wide) x 720 pixels (tall) offering more than twice the clarity and detail of standard definition.  1080p takes this even further, taking the pixel dimensions to 1920 x 1080.

Essentially both 720p and 1080p will offer you high quality, sharp video footage but the 1080p should be considered for those wanting to utilise a drone camera more for videography purposes than perhaps fishing.

What is 4K… what does it mean?

4K is another measurement or specification for video or photo quality. It takes HD to a new level. 4K literally means ‘4,000’, which is derived from the approximately 4,000 pixels of width of the footage. 4K offers incredibly sharp video and photo footage.

12 Megasmixel – I mean megapixel? Why do I care?

Digital cameras capture images as elements, known as pixels. A megapixel is equal to one million pixels. Basically, the higher the megapixel capability of a camera the sharper, clearer and higher quality the images.

Most high quality digital “non-drone” cameras offer between 10-14 megapixels, which is much more than needed by the average photographer so at 12 megapixels our drone cameras are highly spec’d.

What is an axis gimbal?? (Seriously who knew this one)

A “gimbal” is defined as a pivoted support that allows rotation of any object in a single axis. Essentially a gimbal allows any object (e.g. The camera) mounted on the gimbal to be independent of the movement of the object holding (or in this case flying) the gimbal. So, again the gimbal is important for clear, sharp footage, still or video. The axis of gimbal movement can be 2 Axis which is up and down movement only or a 3-axis gimbal which also has side to side movement.

So, when looking for drones with cameras there are so many things to think about.  High definition is a definite must for those wanting to catch any sort of decent footage still or otherwise but with so many variables choosing your drone camera is very much dependent on your intention of use. When drone fishing a high-definition camera is nice to have but is not essential. The most important feature is HD live streaming at a minimum 720P to ensure accurate to the second video transmission.

We hope that we have assisted to explain some of the wonderfully confusing acronyms and specifications that make up the digital and drone camera world! So, when you are choosing your drone with camera, you’ll at least be better informed.

Remember if you are looking for assistance our team at Ultimate Drone Fishing are always happy to help!