Should I get a new camera, new drone, which one, etc

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Just looking for some feedback. I have a 3DR Solo that I love and it has worked for most of what I need it for. However, I'm starting to do more work for other video production companies who just want to hire a drone operator and get raw footage. I'm using a Gopro Hero 4 Black that is getting a little long in the tooth. My current backup drone is a Yuneec Typhoon G but at this point I only have 1 good battery for it. Most of what I've been doing is video of buildings and properties, where if I have an issue, I could come back and shoot later. I have a big job most likely coming up this fall at a large international event, and they need footage from a specific day. They will be taking raw video from me. I hate handing over fisheye footage that they have to correct.

So I'm open to options. First and cheapest, I could buy a PeauPro 87 Hero 4 black. That fixes the fisheye issue and would work with either drone, leaving me with the current gopro as a backup. I've also considered buying either a Mavic 2 Pro which would give me a better camera (I believe) and a smaller package which would be nice as well for some things, and I would still have the Solo for backup. Or maybe a Phantom 4 Pro 2 or Advanced. There are still a few places that have the Phantoms in stock. If money were no object, I would buy the PeauPro and another drone but I don't know if I can justify that expense. Any thoughts? Any experience with the different DJI models?

I've also thought about picking up the Peaupro and another used Solo since I have plenty of batteries and props and am pretty happy with it, but at that point, I probably could have purchased an original Mavic Pro, which would probably shoot just as good of video or better than my Solo(I think, am I wrong on quality comparison?). I already have a decent investment in my Solo with batteries, case, etc, but not sure if should be putting any more into a dead platform or should consider something newer.

If it helps, most of the video work ends up in 1080P, though I usually shoot at 2.7k in case I need to crop rotors out. One of the guys I shoot for recently upgraded his video equipment to 4k rigs, so that may be changing as well, not sure. I haven't had anyone unhappy with my video but that could change as more people are shooting more stuff in 4k. And I can and have shot with the GoPro in 4k but I don't think it's probably on par with 4k from the DJI 1 inch sensors but I could be wrong.

 

[Joe Horn]

A totally free option is "Linear Mode" on your GoPro. I use it exclusively now on my Hero 4 (in a Solo), and get excellent results. Here's a frame grab from a recent video, unretouched. Look how straight all the straight lines look.

 

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A totally free option is "Linear Mode" on your GoPro. I use it exclusively now on my Hero 4 (in a Solo), and get excellent results. Here's a frame grab from a recent video, unretouched. Look how straight all the straight lines look.

I forgot they added that in the update. Is there any loss of quality in that mode?

 

[Joe Horn]

I forgot they added that in the update. Is there any loss of quality in that mode?

Any at all? Theoretically, yes, however linear mode uses more of the sensor than normal, de-fisheyes it, then downsamples the result, yielding very sharp results. The image in my posting above was taken at "1080 linear" mode. As you can see, its image quality is comparable with "1080 medium" mode. Several of the most knowledgeable members here have said that GoPro's "linear mode" is a software solution so it can never be as sharp as real glass, which makes good sense. Unfortunately nobody to date has taken shots of the same scene using two GoPros, one using linear mode and one using a high-quality replacement lens, so that we can actually examine how different they are. All I know is that linear mode is more than sufficient for my purposes, and so you should definitely try it (since trying it is free) to see if its quality is sufficient for your purposes too. If not, then a good replacement lens should yield even sharper results.

 

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Any at all? Theoretically, yes, however linear mode uses more of the sensor than normal, de-fisheyes it, then downsamples the result, yielding very sharp results. The image in my posting above was taken at "1080 linear" mode. As you can see, its image quality is comparable with "1080 medium" mode. Several of the most knowledgeable members here have said that GoPro's "linear mode" is a software solution so it can never be as sharp as real glass, which makes good sense. Unfortunately nobody to date has taken shots of the same scene using two GoPros, one using linear mode and one using a high-quality replacement lens, so that we can actually examine how different they are. All I know is that linear mode is more than sufficient for my purposes, and so you should definitely try it (since trying it is free) to see if its quality is sufficient for your purposes too. If not, then a good replacement lens should yield even sharper results.

Thanks for the info

 

[Kevzed]

Hi Jon,
I use to use the Solo exclusively for all of my drone jobs. I shout aerial footage for Real Estate. But I had to be very careful not to get the landing gear in the shots. It got very frustrating. So I did some research and for only $299, I got an amazing refurbished GoPro Karma drone from the GoPro website. It came with everything except the GoPro camera. It comes with the Karma, case, gimbal, controller and it also came with a handheld controller that you can plug the gimbal into. All of that and the drone is very easy to fly and works perfectly. I use the new GoPro Hero 7black and the video and photo quality are second to none. I now own 2 of the refurbished Karmas and only use them now. I know their are a 1000 different drones out there but this is what works best for me.
I hope this helps.
Kevin Hernandez

 

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Hi Jon,
I use to use the Solo exclusively for all of my drone jobs. I shout aerial footage for Real Estate. But I had to be very careful not to get the landing gear in the shots. It got very frustrating. So I did some research and for only $299, I got an amazing refurbished GoPro Karma drone from the GoPro website. It came with everything except the GoPro camera. It comes with the Karma, case, gimbal, controller and it also came with a handheld controller that you can plug the gimbal into. All of that and the drone is very easy to fly and works perfectly. I use the new GoPro Hero 7black and the video and photo quality are second to none. I now own 2 of the refurbished Karmas and only use them now. I know their are a 1000 different drones out there but this is what works best for me.
I hope this helps.
Kevin Hernandez

How have the flight times been for the Karma?

 

[Kevzed]

How have the flight times been for the Karma?

The flight times have been very good. I’m usually up for around 15 - 20 minutes and I have aroud 25% power left when I land.

 

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The flight times have been very good. I’m usually up for around 15 - 20 minutes and I have aroud 25% power left when I land.

Have the flight times been similar to what you were getting with your solo?

Have you had any range or connection or GPS issues?

 

[Kevzed]

Have the flight times been similar to what you were getting with your solo?

Have you had any range or connection or GPS issues?

 

[Kevzed]

Yes, I would have to say the flight times a similar, 25 to 30 minutes per battery. Also, the connection to the GoPro is about 98% reliable. I would have to restart the Solo at least 50% of the time which was very frustratng.

 

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Yes, I would have to say the flight times a similar, 25 to 30 minutes per battery. Also, the connection to the GoPro is about 98% reliable. I would have to restart the Solo at least 50% of the time which was very frustratng.

I checked the GoPro site, the refurbished Karma is showing out of stock. Best Buy has it brand new with a Hero 5 on clearance for $539. Doesn't seem like a bad deal, but by the time I get a couple more batteries I'm up around $750 so I'm not sure. The idea of being able to use a Hero 7 eventually is intriguing though. I've seen footage comparisons where it seems to shoot every bit as good or better than the P4Pro.

Too many options. I really like the Mavic 2 Pro as well but it's so expensive. Also been looking at the Autel Evo as well, seems like a really good drone for the money. For barely over a grand I can have it and a kit with three total batteries.

I've been pretty happy with my Solo. Do you feel your Karma is a better overall drone than the Solo was?

 

[Kevzed]

I am so glad that I found the Karma. Yes, I am very glad that I now have the Karma. To me, it is easier to fly. The prebuilt commands such as Orbit, zip line etc are so much more easier to use on the Karma then on the Solo. And having the extra stability of the Hero 7 with the Linear option, it was a great move on my part. I say go for it. You will be pleasantly surprised. If you do get the Karma, please let me know what your opinion is.
Thanks and happy flying.
Kevin