I'm in the middle of deciding if I should buy the Phantom2 Vision plus or the Phantom2 w/ 3d gimbal for the GoPro. or the Blade 350 QX2......or if there are any better ones? I want to shoot with the highest possible video using an action camera. like 60p... so i guess the go pro.... but...im a newbie to buying this stuff and i dont currently own a go pro. anyways my question is this. what drone would be best to get considering all factors? -HD VIDEO -STABLE -remotely easy to install/put separate pieces together (i.e. a beginners intelligence to put together) -FPV possibility -hopefully not easiest to crash -can go pretty high and pretty far Thank you all for your responses. I really need some good suggestions and I appreciate it.
IMHO, the Vision 2 Plus satisfies your criteria the best - it is designed from the ground up as a photography and video platform and you don't have to put any pieces together. It included FPV. It is very stable and can go very far and high. Anything else requires at least some technical knowledge. The advantage of something like the Phantom 2 (w/o the cameras) is that you can use various cams. The disadvantage is that it's much harder to put together the whole system and get it working perfectly with FPV, etc. Personally I may buy a Phantom 2 at some point - because I like lifting still cameras as well as video. But, as I said, that will require a lot more time and fiddling around to get things all tied in. The Vision 2+ is actually reasonably priced when you consider all that it has. Also, they are just now releasing the "Mission Planner" for it, which allows it to fly a mission by itself using waypoints you put in on a GPS map screen. Looks like about $1299 for the Vision 2 plus on Amazon. Oh, the usual advice applies. If you buy a $30 quadcopter first and get a bunch of practice, you will be much more likely to own your Phantom for a longer period of time without losing or crashing it. Learn first.....better to lose $30-$50 than $1300.
@webman I appreciate you replying.. I am going to use it primarily for video...Do you know any company/product that other than the DJI Phantom vision2+ that has a very stable system, and you can change the camera out?-so I wouldnt have to build my own pieces and set them up? its so frustrating that they didnt make that camera 60p.....its like they did it on purpose.... my concern with the vision2+ is the blurryness when I would do slowmotion in post... if i had 60p it wouldnt be as blurry.
Yes, each and every system is a compromise - unless there is no budget (even then!)... It may be best to consider the plain Phantom 2 with the 3-Axis gimbal - those can be bought as a package. Then you have to add your own GoPro and FPV. This will cost more but give you the slow motion, etc. Example prices 2 w/gimbal = $950 GoPro Black = $350 FPV basic system, receiver, tx and monitor = $350 or so. Range Video has a nice monitor with built-in receiver and they will sell you the matching TX: http://www.rangevideo.com/en/58-ghz/55-black-pearl-7-hd-lcd-screen-fpv-diversity-rx-58ghz-32ch-slim-design.html It's likely that they or another shop would even put a fully tested system together for you... As far as other quads with similar features, I just don't see them around. Most of the others are trying to beat DJI on price but require you to be more technical to get the entire thing properly integrated. Keep in mind also that the Mobius cam ($85 or so) shoots some very nice video and hooks up to FPV, so you could save a couple hundred $$ there for starters. It only does 720 at 60FPS, though. It's really only been a few months since these prices and specs came down to this level. 6 months ago, getting a high quality 3-axis gimbal was vastly more expensive. There will be lots of DJI copycats just as there is now - and I do like some of them, but until they have a proven record of reliability, I would not say they are better for the money in the long run. I like the 3DR Iris, but it takes more tech knowledge and also it doesn't have the flight time, etc.
@webman for the range video- would i need to buy the IOSD Mark II as well? or can you explain how the fpv would work? to install or whatever, or what i would need? i am going to buy the DJI Phantom 2+ go pro3 black like you said. Thanks so much for the help!
Hmm, don't quote me on this, but the IOSD is only if you need the constant "On screen display" of various parameters from the NAZA and quadcopter. In other words, it's a telemetry feature of sorts. If you just need a video feed, that system can be 100% separate from any DJI stuff and consists of one tiny TX which hooks to the GoPro and one receiver and monitor on the ground. That's "plain vanilla" FPV. If you need all that data - height of copter, velocity, etc - then you need it either built in (Vision/Vision 2+) and displaying on your tablet or phone - or, you need to use the IOSD. If you just need to frame your shots, the plain DIY FPV will do the job. Does that sound right?
I think also you need the Bluetooth Datalink if you want to fly "mission planning" autonomous flight. http://www.dji.com/product/2-4g-bluetooth-datalink As you see, their all-in-one solution (V2+) is highly integrated since it includes all of this stuff - but no 60fps video.
What I'm leaning towards is a package deal from DSLRPros.com They have complete kits, which include a nice hard case to store/transport everything. It's all tested and backed by them and they have great customer service if you need help. If you want to do professional work this is where I'd go.
I think that's a great point, PacMan! DJI has made things much easier for the "advanced hobbyist" photog and video user with the Vision 2+, but when you need more than that quad can deliver it's often worthwhile getting an expert to put a system together. The number of skills needed to do quality video - just in the video taking and editing - is quite vast. Now add that to piloting skills, electronic skills and other mechanical (center of gravity, mounts, etc.) and it's only a select few who can put a system together without any speed bumps. Of course, some hobbyists enjoy the journey (building, fixing) more than the reward. But if your focus is more on the end product - that is, the videos and pictures themselves, your idea is probably the way to go if the Vision 2+ or similar integrated system doesn't do the job. It's a shame that the OP needs the 60 FPS because the V2+ really is quite integrated off-the-shelf. Note- here is an example - from an employee of DJI - of the installation of the DJI Data-link on the Phantom 2 - allowing for ipad ground station (autonomous waypoint) control. http://skypixel.org/post/83254735947
I was leaning towards the P2V w/ zemuse 3d gimbal & gopro blk 3+ (which I already have). The above comments regarding the P2V+ brings up some more thought and questions. 1. Can you edit video from the Vision + similar to using GoPro Studio program? 2. Can you pull still shots from video gathered by the Vision +? 3. Is the quality of video & stills of comparable quality between the two systems?
1. Video can be edited in any of the freeware or paid video programs on the market - I use iMovie (free on macs) and have used fancier stuff in the past (Adobe Premier, Final Cut Pro) - it all depends on what you want to learn. 2. While you can pull still shots (frame grabs) from any video, the quality and resolution is less than of the still shots. HD video is about 2 megapixels while both the GoPro or the vision+ are capable of taking stills with 5X that resolution. I'd say that, for most applications, the quality is quite similar. The tradeoff, IMHO, is that the GoPro is probably more shockproof - you don't want to crash the Vision+ cam. Then again, even a GoPro gimbal will probably be ruined in a crash. The downside of the GoPro is that you have to do all the integration as far as FPV and control of the camera. The Vision allows you to easily switch from video to still while in the air - not sure if the GoPro can easily do that. Here is a screen shot showing the photo info on right of the Vision+ still camera: Here is a cropped part of a still photo from about 35 feet away.
Here are some slightly cropped and downsized pics from the Vision+ stills. Note that the camera can take photos in RAW or JPEG formats. You may have to click on these pics a few times to enlarge fully...
@ Packman23 DSLR PROS is a great company! There is another 1UAS.com based out of Maryland thats a pleasure to work with as well.
Hi Vault2014 We would suggest you this new awesome drone called Airdog! AirDog is the world's first auto-follow drone for GoPro camera that follows and films you autonomously, so you don’t need to rely on filmmaking crew to get breathtaking views. Forget about remote control operation – Airdog is a unique solution for action sports or anything else you wish to film without actually holding your GoPro. Here you can see our AirDog in action: http://bit.ly/AirDogVideo We're currently on Kickstarter (thanks to our backers we're reaching 500,000 USD): http://bit.ly/KickstartAirDog There are four major AirDog advantages: 1. It is tested and working prototype ready for production. 2. It will be the first commercial product of its kind in the market from November 2014. 3. It has AirLeash - waterproof GPS device tracking your movement with a significantly better signal than smartphones. 4. Two years of R&D invested into the creation of a working prototype to get the best possible solution. We'll be thrilled to hear from you! If you want to know more, don't hesitate to ask us anything - dita@airdog.com Best regards, Dita Team Airdog http://airdog.com/
Airdog, no doubt that is a nice product! Hopefully it will come to market quite fully tested. Most customers will wait until they actually hit the market and garner some reviews and user experience. But anyone who wants to be a pioneer - can go to Kickstarter and possibly still pre-order. We'll be following that one closely. It's definitely a good idea - now it must be executed properly!
