I shoot a Canon 5D3 with many lens.....I've never owned or operated a drone. Today (12/3/14) I pre-ordered an Inspire 1 with duel remotes from BH Photo. I don't like to purchase/sell/purchase so my thought is the Inspire 1 is the right drone. Should I consider a pro model with my 5DIII?

Did anyone go to CES last year? If so, did DJI offer any promos?

Does anyone know if I made a mistake ordering from BH vs DJI direct? (delivery time?)

Your feedback is appreciated.

I think the Inspire 1 will be a great product. As for delivery, I don't think anyone will see delivery of an Inspire until January at best.

I have been with DJI at NAB and Photoshop world.  DJI did not offer any discounts or promos but the dealers that were there did.  I will be at CES this year.

I would start with a phantom and get your flight practice with that. You need to build up many hours of flying before you start doing aerial photography. Flying is just as difficult as photography (I am a Certified Professional Photographer with the PPA). You have to be good at flying so you can focus your attention on the camera work. You will crash your first aircraft learning to fly so it's better to learn with something you can afford to loose. When you crash a full sized aircraft with a 5DIII on board you are going to be out about $10 grand. Standard photographers equipment/liability insurance does not cover aircraft and aerial losses. As soon as your camera leaves the ground  your insurance is invalid.

It's like trying to drive a car while photographing. Yes, you can take pictures while driving but you really don't want to be out on the open road taking photos from you car on the first day of learning to drive. You need to drive until it is second nature before you start taking pictured out the window while driving.

Larger aircraft like the S1000 that would be needed to lift the 5D3 take many hours of time to assemble and build. They also require many hours of tinkering with things to get everything right. Many new pilots don't have the RC building skills to put these aircraft together and there are no complete set of instructions that covers everything you need to know. It will take many many hours of studying. The advantage to the Inspire is that it is nearly ready to fly right out of the box.  I would not even consider the S1000 sized aircraft unless you have 3-4 weeks of full days set aside to study and get it built and flying.

One of our dealers set up a S1000 with a Zen for 5D MK III for a customer.  They had never flown before.  Their first flight with the landing gear up the customer managed to bounce the gimbal/camera off the ground not once but twice.  Fortunately the camera survived however the damage repair costs were $1800.  The Inspire is not a beginner craft.  It is a high performance quad and requires flying skills to do more that just hover.  It can get away from you if you don't know what you are doing.  Look as some of the videos of test pilots putting the Inspire through its paces.  It moves and moves fast.  Get a Phantom and fly it until you get bored.  Then move to something better.  We don't want you to crash and be disappointed with the product.

Some great advice here. I have almost 20 years of experience flying fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. I have built several airplanes from scratch and I have built kit helicopters. For me, the Phantom Vision + was obviously a "no brainer" to handle right out of the box, especially with GPS positioning lock. I would certainly hesitate to fly an expensive quad with no RC experience. That being said, if someone brand new to RC had an experienced pilot with them to maiden a Phantom or the Inspire1, I think it is completely within reason. With proper dedicated instruction to a novice watching an experienced pilot on the sticks, I believe the essentials for flying the DJI quads could be transferred to someone brand new with 1-2 hours of training. Good RC pilots eliminate "nerves". Even as an experienced pilot, I have an occasional flight that is less than desirable in terms of performance in the air. It is about flying within your limits on the learning curve and taking small steps as you build up your hours.

I'm kind of jumping in with both feet, although I do have many years of flying R/C fixed wings(gas, electric, gliders).  I've had my share of crashes along the way, and it happens to even the most experienced.

The first time I fly the Inspire 1, I know I'm going to be a bit nervous.  I've flown my Parrot AR.Drone(v1 and 2) many times, but I know that thing likes to drift all over the place and is lousy in more than a slight breeze compared to the better performance of the Inspire 1.  I'll be taking it nice and slow in the beginning to get a feel for it.  See what it is like in a hands-off hover.  Use very small and deliberate stick inputs.  Never get cocky or try to do too much right away, no matter how in control you may feel.  Plan ahead every move.  Really, I'm kind of saying all this to keep it in my own mind to overcome the excitement of flying it for the first time.   Crashing and totaling a $300 park flyer can be soul crushing enough.  Crashing a $3000 Inspire 1...well let's not go there.

Can someone confirm one way or the other if the Inspire 1 has some kind of "beginner" flying mode that limits the amount of stick input you can give, so you can fly slower, etc.

Eric Cheng's advice is the best I've ever heard - buy a $90 Blade Nano QX and fly it during every spare moment you have while waiting for your Inspire 1 to arrive.  

It is more difficult to control than will be the Inspire 1, and once you master the Nano, the Inspire 1 will be a cake-walk.  The Nano QX can survive thousands of collisions with every possible obstacle (don't ask me how I know) with no damage whatsoever.  I would be surprised if the Inspire 1 will survive even one or two crashes completely unscathed.

I've logged tens of thousands of hours in some of the most sophisticated combat and transport aircraft ever devised, yet that little black and yellow bastard humbles me daily.

ultraturtle Posted at 2014-12-5 04:29
Eric Cheng's advice is the best I've ever heard - buy a $90 Blade Nano QX and fly it during every sp ...

Excellent advice for training the synchronization of your eyes/brain/hands on the transmitter. You need to get past the point of thinking stick input ie. movement of the sticks becomes natural or instinctive!

ETDroneHome Posted at 2014-12-5 04:16
Can someone confirm one way or the other if the Inspire 1 has some kind of "beginner" flying mode th ...

I am going to change my advise based on your experience with other RC. Flying an RC airplane is much harder than flying a quad with GPS and you already understand how things get reversed when you are flying nose in. I think someone with a good amount of RC airplane time could start out with something like the Inspire if they are careful.

Last weekend my son flew my quad for the first time. He has about 20 hours of RC airplane experience and took right to the multirotor. In 20 minutes he was flying nose in with no problems.  

The Inspire does have the ability to geofence you into a box. You tell it the max height and distance and it won't fly outside that box as long as you have a good GPS signal (fly it outside in a large field at first). There is no beginner mode that we know of, but given how DJI tunes their aircraft you can expect the aircraft to be predictable unless you start banging the sticks. It is a fly by wire system and that is very different than the direct control you have on a RC airplane. A GPS controlled multyrotor knows how to fly and hold position using it's built in sensors. The remote gives you the ability to move the aircraft but you can't actually control it directly unless you go into full manual mode.

With GPS mode the aircraft can takeoff and hover and hold position. Then you can practice scooting around a little bit with the nose out. Just don't let it get too far away from you. Some people panic and start moving the sticks too hard to try and recover. GPS multirotors recover on their own if you just center the sticks. They will stop and hover in place when the sticks are centered.

The sticks work a little different than airplane. To gain altitude on an airplane you use the right stick to pull back on the elevator. On a multirotor the right stick controls right, left forward and back. The left stick controls throttle and yaw. For your first flights don't yaw. Just use the right stick lightly to shuffle forward, back, left and right. Use the throttle to go up or down. Center the throttle for hover. To land you just throttle back just a little bit.

chrisgeigerphot Posted at 2014-12-5 06:02
I am going to change my advise based on your experience with other RC. Flying an RC airplane is mu ...

"I think someone with a good amount of RC airplane time could start out with something like the Inspire if they are careful"

Absolutely!

Hi

I'm new to these forums, but I'm strongly considering the Inspire 1 for purchase this month. I haven't flown a Phantom, but I've got a Parrot AR Drone (2.0) and have flown that thing quite a bit over the last year. I've been flying cheaper "toy" quality RC's for years, including helicopters. I liked the AR Drone, but quickly realized its huge limitations, especially if there's even a slight bit of wind.

Most of my crashes were due to flakiness of the product, or weaknesses. For example, one of my first flights, the wind up at 30 meters was greater than on the ground, so my Parrot ended up flying away and I couldn't bring it back. I had the sense to quickly kill it over some trees, and it crashed with no damage. All my other crashes were due to the thing losing it's connection and dropping, or tipping over too far. That said, I managed to fly it pretty well.

So my question is, with that kind of experience, will the Inspire be easier to fly? I want to do videography on a better camera, and the Phantom won't cut it (for me anyway), plus I don't have the $$ (right now) to get 2 drones. Barely talked the wife into this one...

All good advice Chris.

Gwhiz - That has been my experience with the AR Drone as well.  I ended up getting too gun shy with it because of so many fly-aways.  It took up residence in a nearby tree for about a month once, until I finally got it down.  It's rare to get completely still days where I am and the Parrot just doesn't cut it.

I really think comparing the AR Drone to the Inspire is like apples and oranges.  The Inspire is a lot heavier and has much beefier motors, that it can handle itself in much windier conditions.  From what I've seen in the videos, it appears much more stable and able to hover in place without much drifting at all.

I think people like you and I will benefit from our RC experience.  One of the harder things to learn about flying remotely is putting yourself in the "cockpit" so that you understand how to control it, no matter its orientation(ie. controls reversed when facing you).  Even that matters much less with a drone and you can always turn on Home Lock too.

I'm used to flying fast.  I pretty much cut my teeth on foamie combat wings and WW2 scale park flyers.  I'm also a big flight sim nut and know how to fly helis.  Drones are essentially the same as having a collective, cyclic, etc.  What they don't have over drones is the ability to hold a hover without constant stick input.   I think one of the harder things to learn with flying a drone is making coordinated turns.  Not really necessary, but makes it more like flying a plane than just slewing all over the place.

But I'll keep repeating this as my mantra...take it slow.

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-4 10:15
I have been with DJI at NAB and Photoshop world.  DJI did not offer any discounts or promos but the  ...

RE: CES show - I will see you there Ed.... Don't worry, I look better in person than my Avatar photo ;-)

Thanks everyone for the feedback.......I've decided to purchase an inexpensive drone to learn how to fly.....vs. cancelling my order.....

QUESTION.....Purchase a Blade Nano QX or ?????

What do you guys recommend as a learner drone? I don't want to purchase a Phantom to learn to fly.....Just need to learn stick control...

FirstDroneInspi Posted at 2014-12-6 09:43
Thanks everyone for the feedback.......I've decided to purchase an inexpensive drone to learn how to ...

At $90, including controller ($70 for the BNF version if you already have a compatible controller) the Blade Nano QX hits a value point unmatched by any competitor.  It is quite literally crash proof.  I've tortured mine for hours on end, and it simply will not quit.

I have flown a phantom fc 40 for months now as a trainer the reasoning was its in the same family and everything I learned I've used with my Pv2+
appox price was 459 with a few extra battery's total win win.

FirstDroneInspi you don't have any experience in setup and flying radiocontrolled copters so my opinion is that when it's time to go from a $90 copter to a $3000+ then it is wise to let a professional or an experienced person to assemble and setup your expensive copter for you. And then have him to go with you in flying field to show you the fundamentals. But this is not enough, after you become familiar with GPS flying, you must make MUCH training to fly the model in manual mode, not only with the help of GPS. The reason is that when in air sometimes things aren't go as expected and then it is time to go manualy to have at least the copter back safely. Before a couple of months, I flew my hexa at about 80m altitude and then s**t happens, the GPS antenna circuirtry whas broken (YES electronic circuits don't function well for ever)! Weather was windy (about 4-5Bf) and the model started to go away. The only choice I had was to go in manual mode and bring the model back to me. But that was easy to me as I am flying over 30 years radio controlled airplanes and helicopters (FAI style). So think about these rare but real conditions and make your decisions wisely. Have fun.

My local HobbyTown suggests the Ares Spectre X Quadcopter over the Blade Nano QX. They have both in stock and same $90 price. Thought I would reach out to you guys before making the decision. Please reply soon as I want to pickup in the next few hours..

Thanks again

I would love to find a basic used Phantom to learn on but none available in the Seattle area.

The little nano quads are difficult to control. I think you will find that the operation of the phantom will be a much closer match to the Inspire. The non quads can be fun indoors but don't serve as a good trainer.

ETDroneHome Posted at 2014-12-5 04:16
Can someone confirm one way or the other if the Inspire 1 has some kind of "beginner" flying mode th ...

There is a beginner mode in the App.  I have not tried it or know if it is functional right now.  I was told that  it restricts flying to GPS and will not let you fly unless you have 6 or more satellites.  I have not heard what happens if the sats drop below that level.  I have never had less than 10 sats while flying in the outdoors.  It is probably not an issue.

Okay, I've decided not to waste $90 on a toy and get a basic DJI as in the end my goal is to fly the Inspire 1.

Options;
Locally Craigslist has a Brand New  DJI Phantom (Sealed in box) Quadcopter (no GoPro) $400 (who knows stolen, refurb?)

or Used DJI Phantom 2 Quadcopter $350

or Used DJI Phantom Quadcopter with GoPro Mount Version 1.1.1 $360

or Used DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter with Integrated FPV Camera $520

or Used DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ v2.0 Quadcopter with Gimbal-Stabilized 14MP, 1080p Camera $750

or NEW DJU Direct Phantum 2 Vision with extra battery $759

My goal is to learn to fly then sell used taking a (minimal) loss
I don't know the product line that well.....What is the must have feature? Return Home Safe?

I am confused or naive but he website and promotion saids that you need little or no experience to fly.  Why would it saids that if it is so complicated?

hmm advertising never lie..

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-7 03:05
There is a beginner mode in the App.  I have not tried it or know if it is functional right now.   ...

I'm not saying that this is the way it will work with the Inspire of course, but most beginner modes that I've encountered seem to act like dual rates, and may limit the max tilt angle when the controls are at their full throws, which would limit its speed and maneuverability.

raflores1 Posted at 2014-12-8 10:26
I am confused or naive but he website and promotion saids that you need little or no experience to f ...

Well, you can probably fly it with zero experience... the question is if you can land it and get it back

Really, Phantom 2 is very easy to fly - if you follow all the instructions (make sure you get a good GPS signal, make slow movements, keep it always in your line of sight, use a big open space, etc).
It really depends on your budget... If you can afford to start flying with the Inspire (a few thousand dollars) and it doesn't make you nervous, well then good for you

ciprianboboc@gm Posted at 2014-12-16 11:01
Well, you can probably fly it with zero experience... the question is if you can land it and get i ...

I really bought the advertisement and went ahead an ordered on the first day