Which Drone for footage over the sea? Expensive vs. cheap? And how to make it float?

Discussion in 'Specific Models of Quadcopters and Drones' started by Ashanti, May 8, 2015.

  1. Ashanti

    Ashanti New Member

    Dear all,

    I will be filming a documentary about some fishermen this summer, and so will be doing some aerial HD filming with a drone. However, given that I have no experience flying drones, and that the seas might be rough and windy, plus it will be at an isolated island, I am not sure whether I should invest in a good drone, or many cheaper drones.


    Chances are that it will most likely crash, and therefore I won't have a chance to purchase a new one due to the location, I am considering getting a couple of cheaper ones so I have reserves.


    It seems that there are barely any mid-range-budget drones, but only cheap ones, then expensive ones, then very very expensive ones. From my research, the best budget drone is one of the Syma models, for ca. 35 GBP, while the better expensive is DJI Phantom 1 for 350 GBP. So, as you can see, I can get 10x Syma's for the same price, and still crash a bunch of them in the ocean.


    The filming should be in full HD 1028x30 or have the possibility to attach a gopro/sj4000 etc. With this in mind, are there any drones you would recommend in the various price ranges? Is my research correct to say that the best budget drone out there is the Syma, while the best expensive on is the DJI ? Do you know of any mid-range ones?



    I was also hoping if some of you have some tips as to what I could do to twerk the drone so that it could float for a bit, if it is to crash in the water. What could be added that wouldn't add too much weight and ruin the flying?


    Looking forward to reading the replies!

    Cheers,
     
    Ashanti, May 8, 2015
    #1
  2. IceFyre13th

    IceFyre13th Guest

    There is one (actually two or three) for exactly what you describe.

    http://www.quadh2o.com/

    Order the kit, build it yourself. Either the Quad or the Hex would do (personally the Hex would be my choice)
     
    IceFyre13th, May 8, 2015
    #2
  3. webman

    webman Administrator Staff Member

    You will not be able to fly those toy drones in the wind - and any footage you get will be horrible - not good enough to use for anything people are going to look at.

    You have a long way to get there from here in terms of learning how to pilot, about the technical angles of drones, etc.....

    To get any decent footage you need a gimbal and a decent camera.
    In terms of the quick and dirty, if you got 3 units of the Phantom 3 Advanced for $3,000 total and a couple extra batteries - a skilled pilot could probably get some footage.

    Going out there with less than 2 units and LOT of spares and batteries would seem foolish.

    If you want shaky footage and for the quadcopter to crash in the ocean...maybe after you got your good shots - the Symas will be fine. But those are toys and the video quality is like a toy. It's basically a $5 camera.
     
    webman, May 8, 2015
    #3
  4. Ashanti

    Ashanti New Member

    Yea; I've realized that the cheap ones are very shaky indeed. Anything else that can be recommended? It seems the cheapest of the "good" drones is the DJI Phantom 1. There's also the Parrot 2 - is it any good?
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2015
    Ashanti, May 13, 2015
    #4
  5. webman

    webman Administrator Staff Member

    There is not much around to easily fly over water - most of the people who do so use multiple DJI Phantoms - that way when one of them crashes or is lost they have a backup. Most videographers doing such a project would find that $4-5K for 3 Phantoms plus various accessories and cases within budget.

    The odds are ALWAYS greater that any craft flown over water will be lost. Pilot training and smart operation can help.
    There are numerous Phantom pilots who have flown 100+ missions over water and still have their birds. On the other hand, some do not.

    I would not suggest Parrots models - they are not reliable IMHO.
     
    webman, May 13, 2015
    #5

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