How many helium balloons to float an HV20?

[w_capozzi]

I know, sounds unrealistic. I might just try to make some kind of teathered mini-hot air balloon rig to send my camera up in the air 30 feet or so. Alternate set up might be on a wire like the spiderman camera rig. Any experience or advice on such a thing? Fun to think about anyway.

Thanks,
Bill C.

[BarnOwl]

No experience with balloons. You will be having a hard time controlling it. I am a RC helicopter freak myself and the most common way to make airshots is with a helicopter rig:

http://www.airfoilskycam.com/images/products/bizpack/1.jpg

Amazing footage can be taken if you are prepared to invest in the steep learning curve of contolling a RC heli:

Footage -save as: (http://azchoppercam.com/logocam/hd_test.wmv) (taken with a Panasonic SD1 by a professional, not me :hv20-smilie03:)

[Goose]

I remember seeing 2 Sony cams (HC3 I think) attached to a RC plane. The foortage was hilarious of a teddy flying the plane. I think its still on you tube

[mik]

the footage is very nice but the rig to control the camera i don't think it's cheap. the heli must be rather expensive to be able to lift all that.

[Erik Bien]

Bill,

Check out this book (http://www.dvcamerarigs.com/): the "Touch of Evil" cam is a helium balloon rig with enough oomph to lift a GL-2 (roughly 2 lbs.).

[w_capozzi]

Thanks for the replies! I have some ideas brewing now. My original thought doesn't seem so far out there now. I think controlling the cam at a distance in any way will be an issue. I'm hoping for just enough of a shot to make it worthwhile. (without breaking the bank and breaking the camera, of course)

Thanks!
Bill C.

[Eos20d]

Hi, Im a newbie so bare with me - Interesting idea but obviously you planned to control and limit the ascent but theoretically if you tied a line to it and let it up 'n up would it make a gradual descent with time, stay at a particular height/air pressure point or drop like a stone? the things I stay up at night thinking about!

Ciao

[Erik Bien]

Eos,

I exchanged a few e-mails with the guy who wrote the "Killer Camera Rigs" book after I bought it; the "Touch of Evil" balloon-cam in the book has a couple of "steering lines" the operator on the ground uses to frame the shot, but he also told me he once weighted his for slightly negative ballast and tossed it off the roof of a seven-story building, letting it drift slowly to the ground!

If you're into low-budget DIY film-making, you need that book.

[HCoremark]

I used to sell Helium Ballons in the street so I hate them and got the impression that they hated me so I doubt I could trust them but it's a cool idea.

Wind would be a huge factor in getting a smooth shot. It really wouldn't take much to have it tugging at the line and that little bit of vibration is possibly going to give you that rolling shutter problem we all love talking about.

I like the idea of throwing one off a building. Or if you got the ballance just right you could have it glide from one rooftop to the next or over the canopy of trees. Of course you'd need a long line to pull it back or have a couple of mates running behind with water guns. In case that sounds wierd getting the ballons wet would cause it to descend (it would also soak your HV20 so maybe not the best idea.)

Keep us all posted if you get this up. And some BTS footage would be great.

[duketh]

haha that is the best thread title on this forum, well made me laugh.

ooh and i just got dejavu!

[jmorton]

Here's some firsthand info.

I was driving around one day and I stopped and talked to this guy who was using a rather large helium balloon to lift his camera up into the air.

He told me that it is perfectly legal but the ceiling limit is 200 feet. I didn't get a good look at the apparatus but the flat gray colored balloon was in the general shape of a fat sausage about 30 feet long and 8 feet in diameter.

He trucked it around in a completely enclosed fifth wheel.

I believe he had the camera hooked up via lines to a laptop computer for control I presume.

So the equipment is available commercially. You'll just have to find the sources yourself.

JM

[transducr]

I think it would take 12 helium balloons.

[Terfyn]

I think it would take 12 helium balloons.
13 to be on the safe side.


I was driving around one day and I stopped and talked to this guy who was using a rather large helium balloon to lift his camera up into the air.

He told me that it is perfectly legal but the ceiling limit is 200 feet. I didn't get a good look at the apparatus but the flat gray colored balloon was in the general shape of a fat sausage about 30 feet long and 8 feet in diameter.

The RAF fly Hawk jet trainers at 250ft which is the reason for a 200ft ceiling.