DJI Phantom Vs DJI Inspire

<p>I have been thinking of taking photos/videos from different perspective for sometime now. And I thought it will be interesting doing some aerial photography using these Quadcopters. I am of the view that using Gopro Hero 4 will be a good idea as its camera.<br>

Please guide on it. I don't have any idea about it. What are the items I should be buying along with the Quads. Should I be waiting for Inspire to come to market ? Will Gopro fit into the DJI Inspire as well ?<br>

Thanks.</p>

<p>The new Inspire is an interesting beast. I have mixed feelings about it, given the price. The camera sensor is not superior to that found in GoPro 4 Black, but it has a more sensible lens on it (a narrower field of view, and thus less distortion). Sample video I've seen so far still shows some vibration-related "jello" effects that are common with even subtle vibrations in a rolling shutter camera. I have tackled that problem on a GoPro by using a neutral density filter to lower the shutter speed, but I don't know if DJI is going to make a provision for that on the Inspire's proprietary camera. <br /><br />The good news is that the entire gimbal assembly on the Inspire is quick-release modular, so it seems likely that they or someone else will make a GoPro-friendly gimbal for it. <br /><br />A big part of the expense in the new Inspire is the integrated LightBridge feature, which provides for slightly laggy real time HD viewing from the onboard camera via something like an iPad on the ground. Also some fairly sophisticated ground station software to provide semi-autonomous navigation. It's also possible to get the two-controller version so that you can have a camera operator working separately from the pilot. Note that the Inspire's camera gimbal is a fully 360-degree device, as opposed to the more 2D style on the Phantom 2 machines. <br /><br />It's difficult to make recommendations to you without knowing a little more about how you'll be planning to work. The Phantoms are physically smaller, and easier to pack and move. The batteries are smaller and will be less expensive and quicker to charge. But unless you're getting one of the "Vision" versions of the Phantom, you'll have to add a video downlink and related equipment to the standard P2 in order to see what you're doing from the ground. With the inspire, you have a lot more control over the camera while its in flight, as opposed to just starting the recording process on the ground, and stopping it again after you land (as you would with the GoPro). Mind you, I've done that hundreds of times, and it's not exactly a hardship.<br /><br />But I also have a large hexacopter with a "real" camera at my disposal, so I choose the right tool for the job. The Inspire - if you have the budget, including money for an iPad if you don't already have one - might be the better place to start if this is all new to you. It will just do pretty much everything you want, right out of the box. The Phantom Vision will too, but with a less compelling camera. The P2 with added-on equipment (a gimbal, a GoPro, video downlink, a monitor) will also do that. Or you can add the LightBridge to the P2, and get an even cooler downlink/display, but then you're quickly getting close to the price of the completely ready to go, integrated Inspire. And the Inspire gives you 360-degree camera movement, which you can't get from the Phantom machines. <br /><br />But either way, you're dealing with small cameras on board fairly lightweight machines that can have some trouble in windy conditions. There are definitely limitations until you get into much larger, heavier, more expensive, and more dangerous machines that require a lot of experience and care to use well. <br /><br />I like the idea of the Inspire, though I am not yet sold on the camera. It may be hard to get professional-quality results out of that little camera, just like it can be hard to do so out of a GoPro under many circumstances. I would wait a few days, and watch for sample output from more professional users/reviewers to see how DJI's new camera really behaves. Everything I've seen so far looks like somewhat rushed demo material, not carefully made and carefully-handled-in-post output. So it's not really fair, yet, to draw final conclusions. <br /><br />If you have the creative urge to get a camera up into the air, you'll find this pursuit to be very challenging, gratifying, and also sometimes maddening (and expensive). I've put a lot of hours and dollars into it so far, and have begun to use some of that material into projects for paying customers. They love it. But all they see is the "easy" part, where everything works and a few seconds of video makes it into their project. It's a lot to take onboard, personally, if you're not the sort of person who's willing to work with quickly evolving technology that mostly comes from overseas with very imperfect documentation and support. </p>

<p>Thanks Matt Laur,<br>

I guess I should go for Inspire plus GoPro as there is possibility for DJI coming up with appropriate gymbal. <br>

How much will be the difference in cost of the two versions of Quads with their accessories.</p>

<p>There's really no point buying a GoPro until you have a way to use it. That could be a while, waiting on DJI or a third party to produce one that integrates with the Inspire. And every day that goes buy increases the chances that when a GoPro gimbal for the Inspire appears, that the GoPro itself might be improved in some way with a newer version. So don't rush that. The Inspire is going to come with a camera anyway, and you've got to learn how to safely operate around your intended subjects. <br /><br />As for cost ... you'd have to compare compete packages as presented by a retailer that's also willing to help you out if you have technical challenges. What country are you in?</p>

<p>Matt, I am in India. I thought I can use GoPro when I go diving also and when I go biking or for that matter anything adventurous. I have a fuji water proof compact cam which I use when I go and the result is not all that impressive. And under water housing for 5D MK III will be too expensive for me. I prefer shopping either in New York or Singapore when the difference in price is too much.</p>

<p>I don't know anything about DJI's dealer network overseas. In the US, there are several reputable dealers that stand behind their sales, but who may have trouble helping you out with warranty-type issues when you're operating the gear in India. Don't know how that would play out. In the US, I like dealing with Intelligent UAS (1uas.com), as they're a stocking dealer with lots of experience. At least it's a good place to start with understanding the relative pricing.</p>

<p>So no Gopro Hero4 for DJI Inspire as of now as there is no Gymbal.<br>

When is inspire expected to be available off the shelf?</p>

<p>I believe that most retailers will be getting their first shipments in the first week of December. Many or most of those will be spoken for with pre-orders, so your availability will depend on how big a dealer we're talking about, and when you get in line. </p>

<p>Hi Matt,<br />Thanks for the balanced perspective on the Phantom and Inspire.<br /><br />Now that the Inspire has been out a little while, and there is more information and footage available, I was just wondering about your current opinion - if that has changed at all.<br /><br />Many thanks,<br /><br />~Datta Groover</p>

<p>Hi Datta--<br /><br />I had a chance to see a recent in-person demo of a pre-release Inspire 1. Here's some quick and dirty video I shot at that demo:<br /><br /> http://youtu.be/iY8-xv8pavY<br /><br />The production machines that are shipping look to be pretty much just like that demo unit. As we're starting to see more serious photographers/videographers putting the Inspire to work, I'm forming a pretty positive opinion about it as a system. It still can't replace a big ol' hex or octo carrying a much larger format camera and fat lens, but for so many tasks, that's just not necessary. I was struck by the I1's remarkably quiet flight - the motors and props are very well tuned. It's not silent, but it's a lot less angry sounding than my bigger 800, and for certain shooting environments, that's a big plus. The main appeal is the wholly integrated hardware/controller/app stack, which is NOT simple or for the non-curious, but it's very well thought out. Certainly a big improvement over life with a GoPro on a smaller quad, from a photographer's point of view.<br /><br />While the small sensor is still a small sensor, the flatter field of the I1's lens is a definite advantage (over the GoPro) - less butchery in post production, for sure.<br /><br />If I were without any such device at the moment, and had the urge to get the ball rolling, I think it would be the Inspire 1 (over the hot-rodded Phantom 2 and all of the extras needed to make that happen). Understand that you'll still need a compatible tablet with the I1 to put it to practical use - but that can be a fairly modestly priced Android device, for example.<br /><br />I'm impressed. Enough that one of these is slowly creeping onto my list of possible tools. We'll see!</p>

<p>Thanks a lot but Just got the Phantom 2 with Go Pro 4 Black, thought I will get used to basic flying first and then some basic photography. Hope I can buy Inspire in another 2-3 months.</p>

<p>Excellent, Nirvan! Good luck - take your time, and fly safely. Be absolutely sure you've got good GPS and Home lock before you fly. Keep those friendly spectators at a distance. Have fun!</p>

I bought a phantom 2 which came bundled with zenmuse h3-3d. I also bought a go pro hero 4

black. But it had a bad fall breaking the gimbal and scratch on the go pro lens. I have a feeling

that video from the go pro is very wide. It does not look normal at times. As I was thinking of

replacing my gimbal and go pro, the price of go pro and gimbal is not cheap. I begin to think

should I try inspire 1 with 2 remotes as you have to buy lots of add ons for the phantom to work well. Please advise.