Hints and Tips Discussion Seeking Council

Discussion in 'Drone Dreaming' started by Photoholic, May 11, 2016.

  1. Photoholic

    Photoholic New Member

    Greetings to all... I am a newbie seeking council form experienced pilots. I am have been using full-frame Nikon DSLR bodies for the past 20 years. I am primarily a nature, wildlife, and sports photographer. I also enjoy capturing cityscapes. I recently returned from a trip where a friend introduced my to the possibilities with a drone. He was using the Phantom(not sure if it was 3 or 4) quadcopter. I was intrigued and have been researching drones since my return. I have made the decision to take the plunge and look forward to adding video to my skills... but at this point I am thinking like a photographer.

    After speaking to several sales reps on my goals, I was encouraged to look at the Inspire 1 and/or Pro x5 because of the 16mp camera that will allow for sharper images. I was wondering if anyone can offer council with this copter, or offer suggestions on other copters that will offer quality images.

    I understand that there is a learning curve, but I'm wanting to make a one time purchase that has the capabilities of capturing video, and stills the quality of full-frame DSLR's. Any advice would be much appreciated.

    Thanks in advance
     
  2. webman

    webman Administrator Staff Member

    Obviously it always depends on budget. But I think you are on the right track in terms of the closest thing to lifting full size DLSRs....

    The X5 Inspire is a very well priced package for what you get - and many photogs report great results.

    If you really want to bust out your wallet you could get the ultimate in the Matrice 600 and Ronin Gimbal and fly a actual real DLSR.

    But I really do think the micro 4/3rd does the job for most folks!
     
  3. Photoholic

    Photoholic New Member

    Thanks for the reply, and the heads up on the Matrice 600 and Ronin Gimbal. At this point I would be a little hesitant to place my DSLR at the mercy of my piloting skills. Hopefully I will have something to share soon.

    Thank again
     
  4. Photoholic

    Photoholic New Member

    I have read some bad reviews on the quality of DJI's teck support. Are their any extended warranties on DJI copters?
     
  5. webman

    webman Administrator Staff Member

    I think a lot of this comes down to what the consumer expects.

    Amazon and Apple have bred a new form of consumer who expects a LOT. Having been in retail for 20 years I can assure you this was not the case before the rise of these two companies.

    DJI did have really poor support a couple years ago - but they started working on it about a year back and it's gone from about a 2 (out of 10) to maybe a 5.

    One big problem with these machines is that they are not true consumer devices - they fly! This means some people buy them and think they should provide the same experience as an iPhone or as the LED light they bought. This is not the case - as the pilot and operator, you have to take responsibility for some of the equation.

    DJI does offer extended warranties and there are 3rd party warranties also. I'd probably say the 3rd party ones are as good or better.

    Another tack to take might be this - if you are not experienced on Quads, make a smaller purchase such as a Phantom 3 Advanced. Operate it and learn - and you will get good pics and a familiarity with the DJI Go App and the general way things work. Then step up to a better model and either sell the Phantom or use it as a backup (if you are doing for-money work, a backup is always a good ideal).

    Here is the 3rd party:
    https://neary-aerial.com/
     

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