Drones. Which one?

[Jimmy]

If you do go down the smaller drone route, I would recommend getting a good tx/rx too.

Once you get creative with your controller settings, you can start doing nice pans, slow dolly like shots etc using automated settings.

You will be surprised the footage you can get with a good tx/rx, a phantom and a GoPro with H3-3D gimbal (shoot in non fisheye mode, with the GoPro).

[Fritz Pierre]

I would go for the Inspire 1...the x5r is an expensive camera package to crash. I also think that if you actually set the Inspire 1 camera up manually, you'll be shocked at how usable the image actually is, in spite of multiple forum comments to the contrary. Although the Inspire is easy to fly, you have to put the time in with it and keep flying regularly to keep the muscle memory going. For me the reason to own instead of hire someone is perhaps a little less obvious...camera movement. On windless days you can get beautiful boom shots up the side of a building, or slow dolly shots through trees...cars etc...that is really my reason for owning one, and practically any feature I see at the theatre have certain shots that are soft or flawed but simply left in, as the audience hardly notices anyway...the Inspire 1 will surprise if you own one, and if not, upgrade to the x5r once you're comfortable with the aircraft.

PS...last but not least, flying is a blast!!

[Cinegain]

22 hours ago, Jonesy Jones said:

Oh ye of little faith...

A lot of what you guys say makes sense. Ok. Maybe I'll get the Phantom, and the X5R and Osmo, since that's what I need right at the moment. Practice with the Phantom. Then buy the Inspire a bit later when I actually need it.

Yeah, you can always start out little and go big later... maybe this is a good entry

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

Where are you located JOnsey? I've been seriously searching here for any DJI supplier new or used and there's none. Zero. I was going with the inspure plus x5r kit just for the sexiness of a raw gh4 footage. But ended up seeing it's a much much more sensible decision to start with DJI lowest end drone (Phantom 4 1080p I thinl? Why not do a pal a favpur and buy an extra one & ship it to me, as I havE no one abroad at the moment. I can transfer the fee through anu channel prior to the purchasr (we've been long enough here to trust one another) plus all the shipping and effort costs. This way we can start with a cheap phantom to really master flyinh and still do some projects with it and then have it as a fiture B aerial camera when we get an inspire, or what ever comes up then! I strongly advice going that way, the phantom 4k can produce amazingbresults  that most of youtube clients won't mind a bit, so getting that instinctive ability to drive the thing and the muscle memory on different situationd is absolutely essential before we go bigger, right? Btw a question, how do you actuall keep track of the drone and fly it? Does it give a live feed wirelesly? And if so, to what? and what range? Mters? Kilometers? And what happens when it goes out of that ramge, crasj? I more consirned about people safety as I'll be shooting incredibly high populated sma'' country (thonk like europe at rush hours in PAris UK, Etc, and and vertical crash WILL absolutelu hit someone 's skull. Of course I'll be training for months and months before taking it to a dense area, just the desert, but still accidents happen. how big and heavy is a phantom , would it cause a si,ple trauma if the worst ever happens. or concusion? Skull fracture and immediate death? If amy one has any experience of hitting people or hearing stories about people hit by these drones i'd love tp hear them, if it's seriously damaging i'll tota'ly resttict the usage to my roof

Hope yoi can read through this spelling, writing from an old npkis phone with a aphysocal leyboard.

[Jimmy]

You can't go out of range with a DJI, if you try, it will just go into "return to home" mode (though bad GPS can affect this, i think being in ATTI mode does too, can't remember now). I think the range is about 2km and yea, you get a wireless feed to a monitor. You can get add ons so that you can see distance, height etc on your screen.

I think the phantom could potentially kill someone, if it dropped from 100m+ high, but it is unlikely...  the bigger danger is from the rotors/blades, even the plastic ones on the Phantom... they are sharp and very fast.

[Jonesy Jones]

2 hours ago, Ebrahim Saadawi said:

Where are you located JOnsey? I've been seriously searching here for any DJI supplier new or used and there's none. Zero. I was going with the inspure plus x5r kit just for the sexiness of a raw gh4 footage. But ended up seeing it's a much much more sensible decision to start with DJI lowest end drone (Phantom 4 1080p I thinl? Why not do a pal a favpur and buy an extra one & ship it to me, as I havE no one abroad at the moment. I can transfer the fee through anu channel prior to the purchasr (we've been long enough here to trust one another) plus all the shipping and effort costs. This way we can start with a cheap phantom to really master flyinh and still do some projects with it and then have it as a fiture B aerial camera when we get an inspire, or what ever comes up then! I strongly advice going that way, the phantom 4k can produce amazingbresults  that most of youtube clients won't mind a bit, so getting that instinctive ability to drive the thing and the muscle memory on different situationd is absolutely essential before we go bigger, right? Btw a question, how do you actuall keep track of the drone and fly it? Does it give a live feed wirelesly? And if so, to what? and what range? Mters? Kilometers? And what happens when it goes out of that ramge, crasj? I more consirned about people safety as I'll be shooting incredibly high populated sma'' country (thonk like europe at rush hours in PAris UK, Etc, and and vertical crash WILL absolutelu hit someone 's skull. Of course I'll be training for months and months before taking it to a dense area, just the desert, but still accidents happen. how big and heavy is a phantom , would it cause a si,ple trauma if the worst ever happens. or concusion? Skull fracture and immediate death? If amy one has any experience of hitting people or hearing stories about people hit by these drones i'd love tp hear them, if it's seriously damaging i'll tota'ly resttict the usage to my roof

Hope yoi can read through this spelling, writing from an old npkis phone with a aphysocal leyboard.

I'm in San Diego, CA. I'd probably buy from BH though. 

I too am thinking Phantom, but 3 or 4 I don't know. What's the big advantage of the 4? Is it worth double the price?

Yes. I will buy and ship for you. PM me and we can arrange the details. 

[Cinegain]

Pretty sure you could make a purchase at a http://www.geekbuying.com/category/RC-Quadcopters-1569/DJI-c-1266-v-3289.html for example... I think the cheapest (yet decent and DJI-like) way to start out though might be by going over at HobbyKing and getting yourself a Quanum Nova (PRO) (Cheerson CX-20) found here: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__2010__2009__Multi_Rotors_Drones_Parts-RTF_ARF_PNF.html . They have the Inspire 1 and Phantom 3's as well, btw. There's a huge resource over at http://www.rcgroups.com/multirotor-talk-659/ .

 

[Hitfabryk]

I am flying Phantom 3 Advanced (2.7K cam)  for 2 weeks now, the first 1 crashed into the water ( Quality failure) I got a new one and just 3 days ago I made the mistake trying to fly under a little bridge were it lost GPS and I was to unexperienced  to fly in ATTI mode and react real quick. I thought about quitting..but I like it so much that I will try a third time..this time thinking about a Phantom3 Pro..(4K)  it has almost the same camera quality of the Phantom 4 and even the Inspire 1. Now I will take more time to learn how to fly (also without GPS)

If you want to know some more, just ask.

Here is my 'Bridge to far'

Siep

[Fritz Pierre]

The recommendation is line of sight, but if you climb high enough the Inspire becomes hard to keep sight of...you have a small inset on your live view screen that shows your home point...the direction the aircraft is pointing...altitude and distance from home point...speed across the ground etc...and you see what it sees...Lightbridge (inspire and Phantom) also has a simulator in the App so you can start out flying simulations to develope your touch for flying without looking down...very different flying outside though...wind...birds....trees

There's some footage shot on the phantom for by a guy/username Tron....gives you a sense of camera image and the drones motion....I think the 4 is excellent value, and a lot cheaper than an Inspire