Where is this all GOING??

[rickc]

I woke up this morning, after nine days in southern Utah doing some semi-risky drone flights, and coming back with decent, if not outstanding, drone video and stills. I have probably $2,000+ invested in hardware, for my non-commercial activities.

Who am I?

Am I a fly-boy/racer/hobbyist? no - not really.

Am I a super-techie, engineer, developer who likes to spend gobs of time getting something new to work, kind-of? No, I used to do some of that stuff, but I am not basically retired and want to have fun again.

Am I photographer/explorer who wants to get to places normally unattainable (for me) and come back with fine art quality photographs and video. YES.

The current crop of Solos come close, but really don't cut it.

-- The GoPro 3/4 is marginal for video, but crappy for stills. I have tried to fit a better camera, but it never quite works. No zoom lenses is a big problem.

-- The lack of automated obstacle avoidance means that I can't get into the tight spaces, like cliffs near trees, that I want to reach. Can't run two cameras, so "3D vision" probably does not work.

-- The lack of two control channels means I am limited to "see" and "photograph" through the same focal length lens,etc.

The list goes on.

Sounds like I am at a dead end, and to continue, I might need to go to a commercial like still being supported by the manufacturer or just give it up?

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Unfortunately, since 3DR dropped support for consumer drones the Solo can be very limited. It is still a capable drone for some, but not all.
There are other companies that produce prosumer drones that include the points you mentioned.

 

[just_bruce]

It honestly sounds to me like you want an Inspire 2. There is almost nothing else which meets all of your requirements. Though I've no idea if you'll consider the stills from its camera worthwhile.

Honestly, (in my opinion) you shouldn't be depending on collision avoidance in tight quarters. You should be in manual and paying complete attention to flying the bird.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

It honestly sounds to me like you want an Inspire 2. There is almost nothing else which meets all of your requirements. Though I've no idea if you'll consider the stills from its camera worthwhile.

Honestly, (in my opinion) you shouldn't be depending on collision avoidance in tight quarters. You should be in manual and paying complete attention to flying the bird.

Good point on the obstacle avoidance feature, I find I have to disable it to get where I want to go on occasion. With an Inspire and deep pockets, he could buy an X5 camera.

 

[just_bruce]

Yeah. An X5+Inspire 2 would indeed require some deep pockets. I can't believe DJI sells more than ten or twenty of those birds a quarter at the price they run....

 

[Gary Burch]

You can hack obstical avoidance system onto a solo

 

[just_bruce]

Indeed, but it isn't easy and it seems to be a bit buggy last I checked.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Yeah. An X5+Inspire 2 would indeed require some deep pockets. I can't believe DJI sells more than ten or twenty of those birds a quarter at the price they run....

Considering the tech and what you get, it is not expensive compared to pro rigs. A skilled operator with an Inspire/X5 can produce some pro media for not a lot of money when you look at the big picture.

 

[just_bruce]

I guess I get that. To me, for not much more , one can be into birds that can lift true movie cameras and lenses. That's where there is money, and having a skilled operator is at least as important.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

I suppose if you were looking for all-pro level movie footage, you would go for a hex or octo for redundancy anyways.
Well beyond my budget!

 

[Dobie Ardmore]

I woke up this morning, after nine days in southern Utah doing some semi-risky drone flights, and coming back with decent, if not outstanding, drone video and stills. I have probably $2,000+ invested in hardware, for my non-commercial activities.

Who am I?

Am I a fly-boy/racer/hobbyist? no - not really.

Am I a super-techie, engineer, developer who likes to spend gobs of time getting something new to work, kind-of? No, I used to do some of that stuff, but I am not basically retired and want to have fun again.

Am I photographer/explorer who wants to get to places normally unattainable (for me) and come back with fine art quality photographs and video. YES.

The current crop of Solos come close, but really don't cut it.

-- The GoPro 3/4 is marginal for video, but crappy for stills. I have tried to fit a better camera, but it never quite works. No zoom lenses is a big problem.

-- The lack of automated obstacle avoidance means that I can't get into the tight spaces, like cliffs near trees, that I want to reach. Can't run two cameras, so "3D vision" probably does not work.

-- The lack of two control channels means I am limited to "see" and "photograph" through the same focal length lens,etc.

The list goes on.

Sounds like I am at a dead end, and to continue, I might need to go to a commercial like still being supported by the manufacturer or just give it up?

Hmmmmm....it sounds like you want a woman who: is sexy as hell, but no one tries to woo her; is a sex demon but won't cheat on you; is worth a lot of money but won't spend yours; and, is a great cook, won't complain, and does laundry and dishes. If you ever find her let me know if she has a sister.

In any event, here are some great cameras to build your platform around: RED Digital Cinema | 8K, 6K, 5K, & 4K Professional Cameras
Just bring money and ask THEM what they are using to fly these things around with.

 

[rickc]

The analogy is a little strained, but I understand what you are trying to say.

Thank you for your comments.

 

[Dobie Ardmore]

The analogy is a little strained, but I understand what you are trying to say.

Thank you for your comments.

Just havin' fun with ya.
You do seem to want a lot out of a multi rotor though.
There are some quads off the shelf that will do what you want but won't have all the features you want
What you want can be done with a custom build; if you can find someone proficient in engineering all your wish list things in. The items you want are available though: a multirotor powerful enough to lift a high res camera, obstacle avoidance, zoom lens and camera control, high resolution still camera, camera operator gimbal control via dedicated dual controllers (quad and camera), and even 3D dual camera/goggle feeds for depth perception. However, I don't know of any off the shelf manufacturer of ALL those things in one package.
It's out there though; just like the woman I described. She exists too. I know, I married her.

 

[Kennamer]

Since no one else has gone this way...

I say give it up!

Haha.

 

[Dobie Ardmore]

I woke up this morning, after nine days in southern Utah doing some semi-risky drone flights, and coming back with decent, if not outstanding, drone video and stills. I have probably $2,000+ invested in hardware, for my non-commercial activities.

Who am I?

Am I a fly-boy/racer/hobbyist? no - not really.

Am I a super-techie, engineer, developer who likes to spend gobs of time getting something new to work, kind-of? No, I used to do some of that stuff, but I am not basically retired and want to have fun again.

Am I photographer/explorer who wants to get to places normally unattainable (for me) and come back with fine art quality photographs and video. YES.

The current crop of Solos come close, but really don't cut it.

-- The GoPro 3/4 is marginal for video, but crappy for stills. I have tried to fit a better camera, but it never quite works. No zoom lenses is a big problem.

-- The lack of automated obstacle avoidance means that I can't get into the tight spaces, like cliffs near trees, that I want to reach. Can't run two cameras, so "3D vision" probably does not work.

-- The lack of two control channels means I am limited to "see" and "photograph" through the same focal length lens,etc.

The list goes on.

Sounds like I am at a dead end, and to continue, I might need to go to a commercial like still being supported by the manufacturer or just give it up?

Here ya go. It may not have all that you want (lol) but......
CreativeCOW
Here is the website as well
intuitiveaerial.com

 

[rickc]

It is missing the most important ingredients, namely hobbyist pricing. Hey guys, there is no income here just outgo
..

 

[pyrate]

Solo is used by many 107 owners for profit. But you do have to understand how to use a gopro. They are used in commercial TV work all the time, so that makes them viable. Again you have to know how to get the most out of the equipment. A flat lens, and good post processing knowledge goes a long way
Obstacle avoidance is a pilot cop out.
But coming to solo soon.
Your post echos what many have said for a long time. Dont buy a drone and find a business case. Figure out your business case and find a drone.
I mix solo with ground based cameras for my work. And soon I will have a M43 4K in the air.
My profile is prosumer. I do some private work for compensation and or gift or Public Service. And I also fly for fun and travel.

The problem with DJI and other platforms is that they are proprietary. If you find one that suites all your needs, great buy it. But be prepared to spend more than you will for a solo. Also be prepared for it to be obsolete to newer models within a year, with no backward compatibility and no modifications that amount to much

 

[rickc]

Obstacle avoidance is NOT a cop-out in many cases. So, I double-dog dare you to take a solo with GoPro and try to fly close enough to this one for a decent image without problems, etc.:

View media item 707View media item 707
I am NOT looking for a business case. I learned a long time ago; that you turn an avocation into a vocation AT YOUR PERIL. Odds are your business will fail and you ruin the pleasure.

So, I will never buy something like drone systems and expect to make up the cost in sales or services - but some of you are trying to do so - dumb.

 

[just_bruce]

Obstacle avoidance is NOT a cop-out in many cases. So, I double-dog dare you to take a solo with GoPro and try to fly close enough to this one for a decent image without problems, etc.:

View media item 707View media item 707
I am NOT looking for a business case. I learned a long time ago; that you turn an avocation into a vocation AT YOUR PERIL. Odds are your business will fail and you ruin the pleasure.

So, I will never buy something like drone systems and expect to make up the cost in sales or services - but some of you are trying to do so - dumb.

Can't see the images. Try setting them to something other than private view.

 

[pyrate]

Obstacle avoidance is NOT a cop-out in many cases. So, I double-dog dare you to take a solo with GoPro and try to fly close enough to this one for a decent image without problems, etc.:

View media item 707View media item 707
I am NOT looking for a business case. I learned a long time ago; that you turn an avocation into a vocation AT YOUR PERIL. Odds are your business will fail and you ruin the pleasure.

So, I will never buy something like drone systems and expect to make up the cost in sales or services - but some of you are trying to do so - dumb.

you are welcome to your opinion, and I mine.
logged over two years flying now. With a 4 or 2K cropped image and a modified lens i can get close enough to anything that I need to film on an aerial platform. Beyond that a drone is not necessarily the correct tool. i could see it in some commercial inspection cases where flying close might be required but even then, a proper zoom capable payload would be a smarter and safer choice then flying in close with a UAV.