X5S compatible lens and balancing thread

[PictoGraphica]

Finally received my X5S (no lens). Seems DJI wanted to fulfill orders with the 15mm lens first

I was able to balance the following lenses as follows:
DJI Inspire 2 X5S Compatible lens List

@2nd2non I see a photo above of a lens that I am going to buy and it is not listed in your specs - the 45mm ED F1.8. I see the Sensi step up-ring what else is that you have mounted to balance out this lens?

Also - does no one use lens shades on these? I have been using the one supplied with my X5S kit.

Thanks - Joseph

 

[2nd2non]

@2nd2non I see a photo above of a lens that I am going to buy and it is not listed in your specs - the 45mm ED F1.8. I see the Sensi step up-ring what else is that you have mounted to balance out this lens?

Also - does no one use lens shades on these? I have been using the one supplied with my X5S kit.

Thanks - Joseph

Must have missed that one. Revised it
The 45mm balances with the Sensi step up plus a polar pro ND filter.
A hood is only required on the 15mm lens. You can probably put one on another lens, but you'll most likely have to add counterbalance on the back of the X5S.

 

[MobileAndMonitoring]

Sorry for the possibly stupid question but I have recently put on a UV filter on and the camera is front heavy. Performance of the gimbal doesn't seem effected and I don't hear any new noises.

Is it bad for the camera to be out of balance only because it puts more stress on the gimbal? Presumably this would wear out the equipment faster? Should the camera always balanced (the camera should never tilt down or up before the I2 is powered on?)? Thanks.

 

[2nd2non]

Yes, you want the gimbal balanced facing front without power. It CAN wear on the gimbal motors and also cause micro vibrations while in flight if significant enough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rotofan]

Finally received my X5S (no lens). Seems DJI wanted to fulfill orders with the 15mm lens first [emoji37]

I was able to balance the following lenses as follows:
DJI Inspire 2 X5S Compatible lens List

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm F/2.0
> Bower HD UV (8G)
or
> Polar Pro ND8,16 or 32 Filter (6G)

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25MM F/1.8
> Bower HD UV (8G)
or
> Polar Pro ND8,16 or 32 Filter (6G)

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F/1.8
> Sensei PRO 37-46mm Aluminum Step-Up Ring (4G) + Bower HD UV (8G)
or
> Sensei PRO 37-46mm Aluminum Step-Up Ring (4G) + Polar Pro ND8,16 or 32 Filter (6G)

Panasnic Lumix G Vario HD 14-42mm F/3.5-5.6
> Sensei PRO 37-46mm Aluminum Step-Up Ring (4G) + Tiffen 46mm ND0.9 Filter (13G)

Comments:
1) I prefer filters with threads on both ends to fit a lens cap. Unfortunately, most of the ones available are too heavy except Polar Pro which match DJIs specs perfectly.
2) Polar pro filters tend to require much cleaning due to form factor and have a slightly warmer cast.
3) I still need to get a heavier UV filter (13-15G) for use with the LUMIX 14-42 and step up ring.

Just a slight variant to what you are using for the 45mm. I am using the Sensei pro 37mm-46mm step-up ring attached to a Hoya 37mm ND filter (just using the step-up ring for counter weight). This combo balances fine for me as far as pitch. I do see a very slight roll to one side that I will probably take out with some weight.

 

[Lesmess]

I have the X5S and Olympus 12mm F2 lens, anyone looking for a UV filter to balance the lens the 46mm Hoya HMC Slim Frame balances perfectly. The Hoya Pro1 digital the first one i purchased is too heavy.

 

[Advexure]

Curious to hear further input/feedback on balancing with the X5S and Lumix 14-42mm. I have worked with two clients who have now said that the balance rings aren't the complete solution to balance this lens. We do not have one in-house to test ourselves. Anyone have any further experience or insight they can share on the 14-42?

Only another note I saw we just got more stock of Balance Rings for the X5S: Zenmuse X5S Balancing Rings | Advexure

 

[jborden]

Curious to hear further input/feedback on balancing with the X5S and Lumix 14-42mm. I have worked with two clients who have now said that the balance rings aren't the complete solution to balance this lens. We do not have one in-house to test ourselves. Anyone have any further experience or insight they can share on the 14-42?

Only another note I saw we just got more stock of Balance Rings for the X5S: Zenmuse X5S Balancing Rings | Advexure

I've got one on the way so will be able to report back in a couple of days.

Incidentally I have the Olympus 17mm and brought recommended balancing ring which was way too heavy so used the 15mm lens balancing ring and a 3D printed ring to attach to that, ends up being about 9g lighter than the suggested balancing ring.

 

[Advexure]

I've got one on the way so will be able to report back in a couple of days.

Incidentally I have the Olympus 17mm and brought recommended balancing ring which was way too heavy so used the 15mm lens balancing ring and a 3D printed ring to attach to that, ends up being about 9g lighter than the suggested balancing ring.

Thanks @jborden. Will stay tuned for when you receive yours. Cheers.

 

[fei8820]

quick questions ...

does the Panasonic or Olympus 14-42 lens allow u to zoom on the apps ? or i have to zoom manually ?
i am consider which one is the lightest so i can get also most of the flightime

 

[jborden]

They both allow zoom through the app although the Panasonic is the officially supported one for the I2.

 

[2nd2non]

@Advexure
I did get a chance to test the LUMIX 14-42mm again today. I previously had "no lens detected errors", so just stuck to my prime lenses. But I tried again and was able to clear by reseating the lens. I'll share some results, but to be honest, I really do not like this lens for video.

Static balancing
1) the barrel is fully extended when at the ends of zoom (i.e. 14/42) it retracts to a min approx 1/2" when in the mid point (i.e. 27mm).
2) Perfect balance will be different between ends and middle. I was able to balance at the ends (fully extended; 14 or 42) with a senseipro 37/46 step up ring + Tiffen ND8 filter. I did not have any weight/filter combination to balance the mid point nor can you do this while in flight, so this kind of defeats the purpose of using this lens for video with multiple focal points.

Flight tests
Issues:
- lens distortion is very noticeable, especially for distant objects
- i saw some micro shakes, but nothing like the Oly 14-42 on X5. Also mine might be due to slightly under balance as I was testing a Formatt Hitech filter that weight 6g less than the Tiffen. I really need to get the 6g DJI balance ring if I use the Formatt filters long term.
- some blur in distant images (-14mm) even with touch to focus on horizon. Might have been able to get it more accurate if I had calibrated the lens, but didn't notice this issue with 12mm prime. It could also be due to micro shakes. I would need to spend more time testing to isolate the issue.
Sorry this was not an isolated test, but it's all the time I had and I needed to get several things done in a small window.

 

[2nd2non]

Here is some unedited test footage for illustrative purposes only.

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14mm, Altitude 200-400ftAGL, GPS Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14&42mm, Altitude 10-40ft, GPS Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14&42mm, Altitude 200-400ftAGL, Sport Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 42mm, Altitude 200ftAGL, Sport Mode

 

[fei8820]

does there any changes for the flight time ? is it the same with Stock Dji lens ?

Btw i thinking of selling my Dji Stock 15mm lens and get 14-42 ? or i just keep the DJI and get a extra zoom lens ? downside is ... the Zoom lens apature is quite small 3.5 while DJI is 1.7 ... i am worries i may get regrets if i sell off my Stock 15mm lens

 

[2nd2non]

does there any changes for the flight time ? is it the same with Stock Dji lens ?

Btw i thinking of selling my Dji Stock 15mm lens and get 14-42 ? or i just keep the DJI and get a extra zoom lens ? downside is ... the Zoom lens apature is quite small 3.5 while DJI is 1.7 ... i am worries i may get regrets if i sell off my Stock 15mm lens

I've never used the stock 15mm lens for I1 nor I2. I use the "trinity" prime sizes 12/25/45 which suits my and most others needs. I'm not really a fan of the 14-42 for general aerial video. I think it has its place for inspections and photos. As you state, it's max aperture is relatively small so adequate lighting is needed.

 

[Rotofan]

Here is some unedited test footage for illustrative purposes only.

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14mm, Altitude 200-400ftAGL, GPS Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14&42mm, Altitude 10-40ft, GPS Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14&42mm, Altitude 200-400ftAGL, Sport Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 42mm, Altitude 200ftAGL, Sport Mode

Thanks for posting the videos. I was struggling on what my next lens would be (currently have the stock 15mm and Oly 45mm). I thought it would be nice to have a zoom lens for scouting, but a lot of time I capture my best shots on scouting missions (wildlife ..). I think the 25mm will hit the sweet spot for me.

 

[Advexure]

@Advexure
I did get a chance to test the LUMIX 14-42mm again today. I previously had "no lens detected errors", so just stuck to my prime lenses. But I tried again and was able to clear by reseating the lens. I'll share some results, but to be honest, I really do not like this lens for video.

Static balancing
1) the barrel is fully extended when at the ends of zoom (i.e. 14/42) it retracts to a min approx 1/2" when in the mid point (i.e. 27mm).
2) Perfect balance will be different between ends and middle. I was able to balance at the ends (fully extended; 14 or 42) with a senseipro 37/46 step up ring + Tiffen ND8 filter. I did not have any weight/filter combination to balance the mid point nor can you do this while in flight, so this kind of defeats the purpose of using this lens for video with multiple focal points.

Flight tests
Issues:
- lens distortion is very noticeable, especially for distant objects
- i saw some micro shakes, but nothing like the Oly 14-42 on X5. Also mine might be due to slightly under balance as I was testing a Formatt Hitech filter that weight 6g less than the Tiffen. I really need to get the 6g DJI balance ring if I use the Formatt filters long term.
- some blur in distant images (-14mm) even with touch to focus on horizon. Might have been able to get it more accurate if I had calibrated the lens, but didn't notice this issue with 12mm prime. It could also be due to micro shakes. I would need to spend more time testing to isolate the issue.
Sorry this was not an isolated test, but it's all the time I had and I needed to get several things done in a small window.

REALLY appreciate your information and videos. Very helpful. You are a good man.

 

[Rotofan]

Here is some unedited test footage for illustrative purposes only.

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14mm, Altitude 200-400ftAGL, GPS Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14&42mm, Altitude 10-40ft, GPS Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 14&42mm, Altitude 200-400ftAGL, Sport Mode

Flight Test: LUMIX 14-42 test @ 42mm, Altitude 200ftAGL, Sport Mode

WAAP,

On thing I forgot to ask. Were you recording this in ProRes? I see pincushion distortion in your 3rd video when you look at the horizon. The reason why I ask is DJI is supposedly going to add in camera lens distortion correction using lens profiles in the future for ProRes (read it on another forum). Seems like that would be more difficult with a zoom lens (not an expert).

 

[2nd2non]

@Rotofan

25mm is a nice prime lens for your stated application.
Videos were shot in H264, UHD, 29.97fps onto SD card

 

[Rotofan]

@Rotofan

25mm is a nice prime lens for your stated application.
Videos were shot in H264, UHD, 29.97fps onto SD card

@Waap,

Thanks for the response! Confirms the 25mm choice for my application.

Cheers