FPV Resources
Useful FPV resources like: My Rates, Betaflight Backups, Camera Settings, Firmware, LUTS, APKS, News, My gear list, and much more.
My Gear
This is a list of some of the gear that I use. There are affiliate links to most of this gear down below and a full list in My Store. If you click one of my links, and make ANY purchase at all, even if it is not one of my items, I will get a small commission off of the sale, and it is a great way to help my channel and brand grow, so that I can continue to share more with you. Thanks for your support.
When I started my FPV Adventure I wanted to go Digital. I decided to go with the DJI V1 Goggles instead of the V2 because of the price difference and my current needs. I am loving them so far!
I was one of the first people to receive the iFlight Nazgul Evoque. I purchased the 4S version and I am loving it. Check out my unboxing and initial impressions. Check out my Evoque Playlist on Youtube.
The Chimera 4 was one of the first quads I purchased. I got the lower KV version, and was told it is not great for acro. But I have been able to tune it out and do some freestyle. I love using this for long cruising flights. The battery life is amazing with a Naked GoPro, and an 850mAH battery. I really like this quad.
Here is a link to my store where I have affiliate links to most of the gear I use. If you click one of my links and make ANY purchase on Amazon, I will get a small commission, even if you do not end up buying one of the products that I recommend. This is an easy way to help me, and my brand grow, and keep bringing you new videos, as well as tips and tricks.
I went with the DJI Remote when I started, because I wanted to get started flying as soon as possible. I started with BNF Drones and wanted the remote and goggles to bind up right away. For me, FPV was more about video than anything else, so this setup allowed me to lower the learning curve upfront. I may switch to another setup in the future, but this was a great way to get started fast.
After falling in love with the Protek25, I wanted to try the Protek 35 since it has the power to carry a full-sized GoPro camera. The power difference is crazy. I was doing acro with this thing on the first flight. Don't get me wrong this is not for acro, but it has the power to get it done with a full-sized camera.
The eMax BabyHawk 2 HD was the 3rd quad I purchased after the Protek 25 and Chimera 4 . I wanted something with more power and something that felt more like a 5 inch without actually moving up to a 5 inch. And this thing delivered. It really carries it's weight for it's size, and is my go-to to learn new tricks outside of a simulator.
At this current time, I am running all 4S batteries. I have not had a need to move into the 6S world yet. I am sure I will someday. I currently have several XT30, and XT60 4S LiPo's ranging from 850mAH to 1500mHA. I also use the ISDT 608AC and the smaller M4AC chargers. To protect myself, my family, and my belongings from exploding LiPo Bombs. I use the BAT-Safe system to charge, transport, and store my LiPo Batteries.
I decided to upgrade to the iFlight Crystal Antenna system almost immediately after I started flying. I find the signal to be better in certain situations but not all. I would however recommend them over the stock setup.
This was my first 5-inch quad, and WOW what a crazy difference going from a 3.5-inch Cinewhoop to a full 5-inch quad. This is only the 4S version, but for the style of flying I do, I cannot imagine needing more power to get the shots I need. I am loving this quad.
This has to be my new favorite Cinewhoop for sure. I purchased this from DroneCO Productions. I wanted something that would carry a full-sized GoPro Hero 9 for professional one-shot gigs. This is the perfect drone for the job, and is currently the only one using Emuflight for the secret Cinewhoop sauce. If you decided to purchase one let Chris know Adventure FPV sent you.
Currently my goto camera is the GoPro Hero 6. This camera makes up about 80% of all my videos. It has the best price to crash ratio. If you are using ReelSteady there is no need to soft-mount like with the 5 & 7. I also use the Hero 9 for professional shoots. I recently started using the Insta360 GO 2 on my small quads when I want to push or try a new trick. I tried the BetaFPV SMO 4K and had issues with it. You can watch my review here. I also made a Naked GoPro Hero 6 I use on my small quads like the iFlight Chimera4 and Protek25.
My Rates
After trying several different rates from defaults, fast, and slow. I found these slow rates suit my flying style and give me the desired stick feel I am looking for. These are very similar to one of my favorite flow freestyle pilots rates (Bubby FPV) I have provided 2 different rate profiles I use. One is for my acro flying, and the other is for when I use stability mode for FPV one-shot videos. These may be WAY to slow for most pilots, but this is exactly what I like for those buttery smooth flights. If you decide to copy these please take your time in an open area to get used to the slow Pitch, Roll, & Yaw before you get crazy with it. The slower rates ONLY work when flying slow and flat in stability mode. And remember these rates may very based on your quads performance.
Acro Rates
I use these rates on ALL my quads and fly with this 90% of the time.
Stability Rates
I use these rates on when doing flat and level one shots.
Camera Settings
These are the camera settings I use to get the best quality I can out of my final product. I currently use the Gopro Hero 6 Hero 9, Hero 10, Insta360 GO 2, and RunCam 5 Orange for all of my FPV Videos. These settings will apply to any camera you may be using in order to get the best results.
Resolution
Typically I film everything in 4k even if I am going to export to 1080p. This gives me a higher bit rate, and the ability to crop in if I need to. When using ReelSteady with my GoPro , I shoot in 4k 4:3 if I want to end up with a true 4k resolution output. But I also film in 4k 60FPS which produces a cinematic cropped aspect ratio, but allows me to slow down the footage in case I need to.
BitRate
If filming with a GoPro hero 8, or you have the option to switch to a high bitrate of 100Mbps. You want to do this if you can, because it provides much more data and dynamic range in your final footage. But be aware this will be a resource hog when editing.
FPS
I typically film at 60 FPS when I can. Most video playback is at 24 or 30 FPS. So if you film at 60 you have the opportunity to slow down your footage at times if you need to without it looking choppy. If I know I do not need to slow down my footage, I film at 24 or 30 FPS
ND Filters
ND or Natural Density Filters are like SunGlasses for your camera lens. The reason you would want to use this is because it allows you to lock in your Shutter speed on bright sunny days, and not blow out the highlights. It also helps reduce camera Jello when filming at the proper frame rates. This is for sunny bright conditions only! And trust me, it is a GAME CHANGER!
White Balance
Using auto white balance works in a pinch, but you will see changes in color temperature throughout your video if you do this. Sometimes it might be necessary if you are flying from a well lit outdoor scene to a dark indoor scene. But I advise locking in your white balance when you can. I use 5500k When outdoors on a sunny day.
Stabilization
I currently use ReelSteady GO on almost all of my videos to improve stabilization. This is a separate software that will need to be purchased to process your footage in post. I find this gives me the most control and desired outcome. This is ONLY for GoPro Footage. You always have the option of using hypersmooth in-camera, or any another means of stabilization if you need to.
Shutter Speed
For the best cinematic results and camera motion blur you should be using the 180 shutter rule. This means your shutter speed should be 2X the rate of your Frame rate. i.e if you are filming at 30FPS your shutter should be set to 1/60 if you are filming at 60FPS your shutter should be at 1/120. This is not a hard and fast rule, but this makes for the most esthetically pleasing footage. You will most likely need to use a ND Filter on your lens during bright conditions to achieve proper exposure.
ISO
ISO is digitally enhanced brightness. The higher the ISO value goes, the more grainy your footage will look in low light conditions. You want to keep your ISO settings as low as you can to prevent digital grain, but in some cases you will need to boost it. You can always use a De-noisier in post production, but this takes time, and is not a full proof process. When your lighting conditions are mostly static, you should set your min and max ISO to the lowest value possible.
Video Editing
Some information about how I edit my videos and what tools I use.
I use Final Cut Pro FCPX to edit all of my videos on Apple OSX. I have used other suites like Premier and Resolve but I personally prefer FCPX. I have been using this platform to edit since 2013. It is a one-time purchase with no monthly subscription fees.
The music choice and timing are just as important to me as the footage itself. Sometimes selecting the right song takes longer than the video edit. I use a subscription service called SoundStripe for all of my music and sound effects. I have been using this service for many years and find their pricing to be the most reasonable for the selection they have. I also use it for my one-shot drone video to add all of the sounds in post. I have a video about timing my shots to the music in post production be sure to check it out. You can get 10% off of a membership at soundstripe with discount code "THEADVENTURE"
I have many installed aftermarket plugins for FCPX like Titles, transitions, overlays, and special effects I use from time to time. I have purchased almost all of these from pixelfilmstudios.com They have a great wide selection of plugins for Final Cut Pro.
I touched on Reelsteady GO under my camera settings section of this page but wanted to expand a bit. I created a video about my ReelSteady GO workflow you should watch. Some pilots say this is cheating, but some pilots are more concerned about technical traditional FPV flying over video quality. I fell in love with video creation back in 2013 and didn't start flying FPV until 2021. So for me it was always about good-looking videos. GoPro had built-in stabilization "Hypersmooth" and it looks great. But with ReelSteady turn off all internal stabilization and that allows me to adjust how much I want to add in post. It also allows for horizon level if I so choose.
Even though I try and always lock in my white balance it usually does not have the exact look I need for my final edits. I will either manually adjust the color temp to match the look I am going for or I use the eyedropper in the Balance Color Tool to find a pure white or neutral object to reference. This step makes all the difference in a pro color grade
I enjoy color grading my footage. My style ranges from a standard REC709 look to very vibrant. I also sometimes enjoy a stylized look like orange and teal. I get lots of comments about my color grading and have created some LUTs based on my look. Currently, I have a GoPro Color LUT in my store. You can simply drop this LUT on your footage and adjust the levels and white balance.
FAA Info
(All of these have links attached)
If your drone weighs more than 249 Grams, or if you plan to fly commercially, you must register with the FAA
The FAA is now requiring EVERYONE to study and take a test to fly a drone (even recreational pilots), if your drone weighs more than 249 Grams. This is called the "Trust Certificate", and it is Free to take. You must get a 100% to pass, but you can take it as many times as you need to.
There are many great resources and apps available for both Android and iPhone (Like: KittyHawk or AirMaps). They help pilots understand where they can and cannot fly their aircraft, and will even provide special NOTAM's during special no-fly times. Always be sure to Know Before You Fly.
If you are interested in getting Your Part 107 License, or just want to learn more, I have included official FAA Documents in my File Download section of this page. There are also many paid online training courses, like (RemotePilot101), or (PilotInstitute) which will walk you thru the entire process.
If you plan to fly your drone for commercial use at all ever you will need to obtain a License from the FAA , under Rule 14 CFR part 107. Even if you do the work for trade or have a monetized YouTube Channel you will need to put in the work to get the license.
Here you will find general information from the FAA related to recreational and commercial drone use, as well as information about safety and drone registration.
Informational Videos
Watch some of my informational and tutorial videos here to find out some of my tips and tricks I have discovered along the way on my FPV Adventure