Aerial Video

Here at HeliCam our specialty is capturing stunning HD video. We invite you to compare our video quality to our competition. We are very confident that you will have a very hard time finding anyone who can match our quality. CMOS based cameras like the Canon 5D Mark 2, 7D and Sony EX-1 are much more sensitive to all types of vibrations that emanate from helicopters. CCD cameras like Panasonics HVX 200 are much easier to get great video from. If you are working on a Cinema project and need aerial video shot at 24p, this is not a problem for us as our helicopters are perfectly happy shooting slower frame rates, which can be difficult if the helicopter is not tuned perfectly or the pilot does not have enough experience to be able to fly very smoothly. This is where my 20 years at the top of my field with remote control helicopters gives HeliCam a huge advantage over our competition. We have the experience to be able to tune the helicopter to many different types of cameras. Always insist on video samples from the type of camera in which you plan to use for your aerial video footage. We are experienced at doing chase scenes with all types of vehicles and horses. We also have alot of experience flying over water. Flying off of a boat or in tight situations is no problem. Please visit our small or large aerial video pages to view samples.

Aerial Photography

We use the best Remote Control Helicopters available along with Canon's high end, high resolution cameras. This combination makes capturing great aerial photographs a breeze. Low altitude aerial photography is a great way to cover outdoor events, get great perspectives for residential and commercial real estate and aerial photography has a whole host of other applications. At the bottom of this page you will find a list of potential applications. We also have access to full scale aircraft should you need photographs taken from more than 400 feet above ground (example: large tracks of land). Please visit our aerial photography page for samples.

Aerial Panoramic Photography

We offer three different types of aerial panoramic photography. The first style is the standard 180 pano. This would represent the view you would have while standing out on your condo's balcony. The second type is a 360 degree pano. This view allows you to see in a complete circle. It is presented in an interactive movie type format. Once the movie is loaded you can pan the picture and look in any direction. The third type is called a spherical pano. A spherical pano/movie allows you to see everything that the 360 pano does plus you have the ability to look straight up and straight down. Please visit our aerial panoramics page for samples.

Time Lapse Photography

Time lapse photography, simply put, is a bunch of still pictures that are taken over a long period of time at set intervals (example: a picture is taken every three seconds for 8 hours). These pictures are then played back , usually at 24 frames per second, resulting in a short movie that captures a flower blooming or allows the viewer to see an event that lasted 8 hours in a matter of just a couple of minutes. There is a sample of our time lapse photography on our home page. The short movie is of the moon rising through a tree and the movie covers a span of two hours.

Virtual Tours

Virtual tours are typically used to show the amenities of real estate and commercial properties, both indoors and outside. These tours are typically done with spherical panos, but they can also be done with a series of photographs or by using video. The best method is by using spherical panos. Spherical panos allow you to see in every conceivable direction from the point where the pano was shot, where photographs and video are very limited. It would take way too many photographs to completely showcase a property the way a few spherical panos can. The panos can be linked together allowing the perspective client (buyer) to click from one room to the next or to go outside and view the entire property (in most cases) with one pano. Please visit our virtual tours page for samples.

Photography Services

We also do ground based photography and video for special events. If you have a special event that you would like photographed or videoed give us a call for a free quote. Please visit our photography page for samples.

Helicopter Specs

• Our video machines have a 6 foot / 1.8 meter rotor diameter
• Flying weight is roughly 30 pounds depending on camera being used
• Max hovering altitude is 15,000 feet above sea level
• A top speed of around 80 mph although most filming is done between 0 and 40 mph
• Our Helicopters and Airplanes are electric powered so they are both very quite and environmentally friendly

Camera Mount Specs

• Our custom designed camera mounts allow the camera to move in the roll, pitch and pan axis
• Every axis is gyro stabilized for optimal video smoothness in windy conditions
• Our camera mounts can carry a wide range of video cameras from digital to film

For Film Applications

Let us know what you would like to use and we will set the machine up for that particular camera as long as it is within our useable weight range.

For SD and HD Video Cameras

We have used some of the following and are capable of carrying everything on the list plus many more that are not mentioned.

• Panasonic HPX 170 with DVCPRO HD in a P2 format
• Panasonic HVX 200 and 200a
• Sony EX-1 and EX-3
• Canon's new 5D Mark II with a wide variety of lens options
• Nikon D90 with many lens options
• Canon XL 1

Here is a list of cameras and lenses we currently own.

• Panasonic HPX 170
• Canon EOS 5D Mark II along with the following lenses
• EF 16-35mm F2.8 L II USM
• EF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM
• EF 15mm F2.8 Fisheye

If your project requires any additional lens choices we can rent those easily.

For still photography we can carry pretty much any medium format to 35mm film cameras along with basically any digital SLR camera.

Aerial Photography From Full Scale Aircraft

We also have access to full scale aircraft for doing aerial photos from 400 plus feet if higher altitudes are needed.

Typical Applications For our Services

• Cinematography
• Aerial chase scenes on land or over water
• Golf course tee to green photos and videos
• Construction progress photos
• Creative aerial perspectives of music videos
• Balcony shots-180 degree panoramic photos
• Advertising
• Real estate photos including virtual tours
• Architectural
• Insurance accident scene and natural disaster
• Landscape advertising
• News and event coverage
• Resort and Winery advertising
• Marketing
• Developers