Best Aerial Photography plaforms?

<p>With the latest arrival and launches of top brands in the aerial photography arenas, there are many choices when it comes to choosing your next piece of gear.<br>

You have DJI releasing 3 heavy hitters in rapid succession: DJI Inspire, Phantom, and Mavic Pro!<br>

Also, GoPro came out with their attempt to break into the marketplace with the fold-able Karma.<br>

Bringing up the tail is the Parrot Bebop 2 that is customizable with extended-range controller and seven sensors.<br>

The Parrot, i'll be honest, is probably not the choice I would go with, so we'll mark that on out.<br>

The DJI Inspire offers great accommodation for many types of optical equipment, but comes with a hefty price tag. It also requires proper training and dedicated photographer to operate the gimble professionally. The size and weight of the unit also comes into play if you plan on tacking excursions of the beaten path. It is a magnificent piece of technology though, incorporating many user friendly add-ons and flight stabilization software. <br>

The Phantom 4 is a bit bulky and cannot fold down. Requiring the removal of the blades to decrease the size. It also has the suit f flight stabilization features and a 4k ready attached gimble. The GoPro Karma and DJI's Mavic Pro however do fold down and weighing in around 1 pound!! <br>

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So with this all being said, how in the world do you pick just one? <br>

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<p>It's pretty much like any other photography equipment decision - the circumstances, budget, project type, eventual use of the photos ... those things all drive the decision. For what it's worth, I'd not rule out the Inspire just because it CAN be used by two operators - I use it solo all the time. And with the introduction of the Inspire 2, the Inspire 1 (which is still a VERY capable machine) is quite a good buy, as they've reduced the prices some. The ability to mount the X5 camera (which is a M4/3 format body and which supports some very nice lenses) is a big deal, compared to the smaller format Phantom and Mavic cameras. <br /><br />But that heftier capacity doesn't do you any good if you need to be able to throw it in a small bag for hiking, etc. I'd certainly take the Mavic over the Karma. The GoPro's lens is meant for up-close action work, and doesn't lend itself as well to landscapes, architecture, etc - the field curvature gets old in a hurry. Plus, DJI still has a big lead in terms of overall usability and reliability.<br /><br />Be sure to read up on how each manufacturer implements their various no-fly-zone behavior, and understand whether or not the places where you're inclined to operate may or may not present a problem for you. <br /><br />As for size ... don't worry about removing the rotors on any of these. It's easy. Takes seconds. And about choosing one? Too late for me! It's more of a fleet management problem these days.</p>

<p>I'd take a breath before getting too excited... the DJI Mavic and the GoPro Karma are both facing massive recalls. Nothing is perfect.<br>

I've had a great deal of fun and success shooting with my Blade 350QX3 AP. Though I only shoot video with it, I've never extracted stills. My Dad has similarly enjoyed the Blade Chroma, with a much longer run-time on the battery.</p>

<p><em>Matt- It's more of a fleet management problem these days.</em><br>

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Good problem to have, Matt! :)<br>

Ideally, having one for each occasion would be nice... ? Maybe one day :)<br>

David- I wasnt aware they were getting recalled, i'll have to look into that more.<br>

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<p>FWIW, the DJI 4K models have produced really good video and stills for me.</p>

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