- By David Cardinal
Originally best known for it gyroscopic stabilizers, DJI has quickly become the top brand name in drones for photographers and filmmakers. Not content to rest on the success of its Phantom drone line, DJI has incorporated many of the top requests of its customers into its newly launched DJI Inspire 1. Featuring 4K video capture capability and retractable landing gear that stays out of the way of video clips, the drone is even easier to fly than its predecessors.
A tool for serious videographers and photographers
DJI has packed just about every feature a videographer — or photographer — could want into the Inspire 1. The camera features a 9-element lens, and can capture 4K video at 24 fps, or 1080p video at 60 fps. It can also capture 12-megapixel stills. The improved 3-axis gimbal is designed to smooth out the vibrations from the rotors and small movements during flight. A new ground-facing system called Optical Flow incorporates both a camera and ultrasonic sensors to provide safer indoor flight — when GPS is typically not available.
Beyond the basic specs, the Inspire 1’s camera can be operated in full-manual mode. White balance, ISO, Exposure, and other settings can be controlled from the ground. With its new version of DJI’s LightBridge technology, the operators can see the drone’s video feed as far as a mile away. Of course, that’s going to mean that you want a color accurate preview display, and if you’re outdoors maybe even some type of shade on the display used by the camera operator.
Maximizing control from the ground
DJI has also dramatically improved the experience of flying the drone. Along with the dual-control mode from previous models — that allow one operator to run the camera while a second flies the drone — it has launched a very powerful mobile application that provides full flight telemetry including battery status and health.
The auto-takeoff and auto-landing features now include a Homing capability that can follow the operator. This is a huge win for anyone sending a drone aloft from a moving vehicle of any kind. I witnessed a Phantom owner lose his drone in the ocean while filming whales in part because the boat continued to move and the drone wasn’t able to successfully return.
The DJI Inpsire 1 comes with a full-featured mobile app for detailed camera control and flight telemetry
The DJI Inspire 1 launch event, with Mythbuster Jamie Hyneman in the crowd
The Inspire 1 is probably not a great toy
Okay, that’s the good part. Unfortunately, all this great stuff comes at a price that will put it out of reach of most consumers. Priced at $2,900, the Insprie 1 is priced competitively for professionals compared to the more expensive systems it can replace, but is a lot of money for a hobbyist to spend on a device that they might lose in a heartbeat due to an in-flight mistake. A second controller for a camera operator will set you back another $650 — and remember that you still need to provide mobile devices to run the application and see the previews.
One of the conundrums of drone ownership is that in many cases, the advanced systems make more expensive drones like the Phantom or the Inspire 1 easier to fly than less expensive models like the Parrot, but you are also risking more every time you send them up. But if you have the money, and a project to justify it, the Inspire 1 is definitely the slickest drone on the block.
