Featured Threads Archive

DJI was kind enough to loan us a Vision+ for our testing.
The review is now finished...

This thread will serve as a continuation of the First Look and Review at:
https://www.droneflyers.com/2014/07/dji-phantom-2-vision-first-look-review-rating/

Please keep this thread to comments, experience, etc. about this particular model.

This will be a very short review on flying your iphone as a still camera. It may also apply to flying the newer ipod touch units which use IOS.

I use an iphone 4S, which sports a 8MP camera in the rear. iPhone cameras are known to take fairly decent pictures - the 5 and the 5s and 5c will probably be a step up from my experience....but the 4s certainly takes decent stills.

My 4S easily fit into the same small holder I fabricated (aluminum and plastic) for the Canon S95. A couple rubber bands held it very well, and the Phantom easily flies it. The 5 series are quite a bit lighter in weight, so those should life off even easier.

Smart Phones have plenty of memory as well as loads of computing power. The combination has allowed Apple and other app makers to offer a much wider array of tweaks and options than most simple flying cameras.

I used the Fast Camera App :
http://www.i4fastcamera.com/

This app allows you to set many options as shown below:
(click to enlarge)...

Hobbyist Level: Advanced Beginner/Intermediate

This is a mini-review of the Shutterbug Pro (SP) camera actuator sold by DPCAV (Digital Products Company):
http://www.dpcav.com/xcart/ShutterBug-Pro.html


What is it?

Although explained in detail on their site, let me provide a simplistic answer to what it is and what it can do.

The basic circuit board provides an electronic timer which can be set to trigger at various intervals. In addition to the timing, it can trigger in stages - so that it can be used to depress a camera shutter button 1/2 way for focus - and then fully to take the shot. It can then be repeated every "x" seconds, minutes or even hours!

The board can be programmed using the small white button at the bottom right of the picture - in combination with two colored LED's. Basic programming is quite simple - those who want to get fancier may need some experience with it as you have to step through 10 various...

Question:
What should I know before I fly a (stock or FC40) DJI Phantom for the first time?

Answer:
This depends on whether you have any R/C or other piloting experience.

If you have none, it would be prudent to obtain a couple "toy grade" models ($30 or so) and get a couple hours of stick time so you'll be very confident on the controls - especially if you have to switch to manual control (ATTI).

READ AND UNDERSTAND THE MANUAL(S) - Note - it may help to also read the Phantom 2 (bare) manual, as it is much more complete...some parts, obviously, will not apply...

Other than that, these are some basics:

1. As stated in the manual, calibrate the compass before attempting any flight.
2. Turn things on in the order stated - that is, the receiver first before you connect the battery.
3. Fly in an open area and make sure you have all GPS signals (quick flashing greens) before taking off.
4. Make certain both select switches are UP -...

Question:
What happens if a kid puts his finger in a personal drone propeller's workspace while its flying?

Answer:
The micro and mini drones such as the Hubsan Quads X4 and the Syma X1 have weak motors and relatively soft props, so injury more than a scratch or a cut would seem unlikely. When you start stepping up in size to so-called "brushless" motors which are much larger in size and may have hard carbon fiber propellers, there is definitely a danger.

Some larger models, such as the Parrot AR Drone, stop the propellers as soon as they hit anything (including you!).

Larger models often have to be "armed" while the pilot is at a slight distance - by using a two handed movement on the control sticks. This type of setup can help to avoid injury.

In the end, though, quadcopters are certainly no more dangerous than the many hobbies and sports I participated in when young - model rockets, archery, rifles, etc. among them.

Note - although...

This thread will serve as a continuing discussion of the review published on our Blog by AKCOBRA
https://www.droneflyers.com/2014/05/eye-one-xtreme-bridge-toy-grade-hobby-grade-quads-full-review-2/

One truth about this hobby - once you get a taste of what you can do, you often want to do it better!

This can be said, in my case, for aerial photographs. The Mobius is a great camera and takes very nice stills. But I am longing for the next step up - maybe a better lens, better sensor and a higher resolution.

I don't want to fly an expensive camera yet, so looked around for something nice which comes in at less than $200. I also want a rig which could be setup and flown by advanced beginners or intermediate flyers.

After a bit of research, I decided to try the Canon S95 point and shoot - and rig it up for my Phantom. Keep in mind that this experiment is for still photographs. If video is your game, you really can't do better than the Mobius (IMHO) at a price point under $200.

The S95 has rave reviews as a point and shoot camera. Canon has since moved onto newer models, but you can find the S95 on eBay or Amazon - I purchased a used one from Amazon for under $150 delivered....

This will serve as a discussion and comment thread on the Blog article at:
https://www.droneflyers.com/2014/05/quadcopter-aerial-photography-video-shoestring-budget/

Amazon shows them - NOW IN STOCK!

Here's how you get one - go to the regular Amazon page:
http://amzn.to/1ubtie3

Question:
What is your time/skillset worth? I've been flying RC and building multirotors for a while now, but only recently have started into the world of videography and photography. I've been practicing a lot over the last few months, and have been approached by a few different people to ask if I would help them out. The problem is that I have no idea what kind of rates I should be thinking. How do you guys calculate your billing?


Answer:
You are going to think this is crazy, but one suggestion is to give the first few small jobs away for free or for "pay me what you can". This way you have samples, clients and also you can pump the customers to find out what it would have been worth if you had to charge.

Here is some other longwinded advice. If it's not enjoyable for you, it may be hard to make it pay - because a "contractor" with a car, talent, etc. is worth at a minimum of $80 an hour (usually more), and that means for each and...

As mentioned in the sticky post in the main forum, we are always looking for folks who want to write articles, reviews, etc.

Now that we have this new QA area, that includes those who might be good at finding and editing simple questions and answers - anywhere - and placing them here. You can even write your own.

Good communication and writing skills are required. Some sample questions will be posted over the next couple of days.

Having lost my last X4 in a small evergreen tree, I decided that I cannot be without one of these in my stable, so I purchased the "bare" X4 H107L which is available without the TX or battery. Unlike the full X4 kit, this comes in a very small box and includes nothing except for the quacopter.


(Hubsan Quads X4 H107L as sold by this Amazon Link)

The price was about $34 including shipping.

There are a vast number of reviews and opinions on the X4, including our original blog post as well as the discussion thread for that article. However, the X4 was updated a few months back and I have never flown or tested the upgraded model....

Since this is a tiny quadcopter, we'll go with a micro-review and let others add to this thread.


Appeal to users:
Advanced Beginners UP who have interest in miniaturization, indoor flying and/or hacking and upgrading it.
Type of Quad: Consumer / Hobbyist
Cost: < $45 with built-in battery, spare props, charger and Receiver.
Crashworthiness - Good
Range - as far as you can possibly see it....this quadcopter should be flown within 20-30 feet of you or you will certainly lose it.

Estes, as many know, are well known for their model rockets. I built and flew them in the 1960's and many other hobbyists got their start with model rocketry. My guess is that they looked at the budding R/C quadcopter market and decided to jump in - but with something a little different.

Their new offering, the Estes Proto X Quadcopter, is really tiny...a good bit smaller and lighter than the current crop of micro-copters. But how small is too small? And is small good? Why?

OK, so here is the quad...

(Editors note - this mini-review was written based on an early model of this quad - please read our updated information at:
https://www.droneflyers.com/2014/09/blade-350-qx-quadcopter-reviews-rating-discussion/ )

I really want to love my new Blade 350 QX. And in some ways I do, when it comes down to pure flying it's an absolute blast. I have to admit it's been a bit of a rocky romance so far though. As fun as it is to fly, this quad is not without it's problems. The following are my impressions of the 350 QX after over a month owning it and about a week of flying it (more on that later).

The Good
Well like I said right off, this thing is an absolute blast to fly. It took a bit of getting used to after flying my Witespy. The controls are really tightly strung on this bird, you barely need to touch the throttle to adjust the altitude, and it pitches and rolls almost by thinking it. If you like speed then this would be a good quad for you, because it really...