I would love to see some direct comparisons between these cameras, especially concerning the most flat color / max dynamic range modes.

I'm very interested in the Inspire 1, but the camera worries me. If there was an option to mount the GoPro it would be a no-brainer.

the gopro4 has horrible fish eye and a gopro4 would be useless because then you just could buy a phantom2 with iOSD and FPV. All the functions of the app like remote shutter button would not work with the gopro.  Like i said a P2 with zenmuse will do the same for you compared to a inspire with gopro. Its like the DJI camera is implemented in the App because its made inhouse more or less. To remove the fish eye effect with software will reduce the quality a lot.

If you are actually getting "horrible" footage from a Hero 4, you're doing it wrong. I get nothing but awesome footage from mine.

GoPro has been making cameras for a long time now, and they're really good at it. DJI has been making drones for a while now, and they're good at it. Those two are the best combination right now.

And implementing the GoPro camera into the DJI app is far from impossible.

joseph@megahurt Posted at 2015-1-8 22:02
If you are actually getting "horrible" footage from a Hero 4, you're doing it wrong. I get nothing b ...

Joseph, What settings do you use with your Hero 4? Thanks.

If you like GoPro 4 then you will love the inspire 1 camera, it has all GoPro has and more. The sensor in Inspire 1 is Sony Exmor-R sensor, same as in Gopro 4, or atleast i think so, google that. Sony Exmor is a great sensor, so dont wory about image quality, it can only get better with time as DJI figures it out. This is not the first DJI camera, so i think they have some experience with image quality and camera builds.

The video quality is about the same, Gopro 4 4k 30FPS has around 61mb/s and Inspire 1 4k 30FPS has around 66MB/s, so the amount of info in each frame is about the same. I didnt see the Inspire 1 flat profile in the app, so dont know about the dinamic range, but will test it out tomorrow on images and gray scale card.

I think Inspire 1 camera ranges between Gopro3 and Gopro4, but it has advantage over gopro 4 on Phantom simply because you have more control over the camera settings, with GoPro you have zero control.

One thing thats really great about Inspire 1 is manual shutter control, so you can control the jello.

My inspire is coming today, in about 3 hours ( so DHL days ), and will do camera tests at home and in air tomorrow.

joseph@megahurt Posted at 2015-1-8 22:02
If you are actually getting "horrible" footage from a Hero 4, you're doing it wrong. I get nothing b ...

I agree with Joseph. The quality you should be getting out of the Hero 4 should be great footage, as long as its being done and set up correctly.

I think it depends on what you consider "great" and if you're factoring in cost and size. I, too, am disappointed with the footage from the GoPro4 Black (4k 24fps Protune). I've found it simply doesn't have the bitrate to capture detail in complicated moving shots. I was expecting a lot more after the amazing  launch video. It's really a sub-par 4k camera but a nice HD (and even 2k) camera.

My personal camera is a Sony FS700 with Odyssey 7Q and there's no comparison. Of course, the value of the GoPro is undeniable. It's unfair to compare a $500 61Mb/s camera to a setup that can do ProRes 422HQ at 880Mb/sec. Especially when considering the weight of the cameras for aerial photography.

But when you take cost and weight out of the equation, I don't believe it's wrong to consider the GoPro's 4K quality to be mediocre at best and closer to "consumer level" than "professional." There's a tangible reason why professionals love the GH4 (or go through the trouble of flying an Epic).

The GH4 isn't in the discussion, or a Red or Blackmagic, etc. This is about Hero 4 vs. Inspire 1 camera.

Almost everything Mark said I agree with, but I have been able to successfully cut in 4k Gopro footage with a Sony PXW-FS7 also at 4k and many people couldn't tell once graded.  And that is essentially an F5 in 4k. It depends on what you are shooting and how fast it's all moving, as the compression is very heavy.

The I1 actually has full manual mode (fixed iris) and I discovered tonight that it has a LOG color profile. This was never revealed before by anyone and must be brand new in the latest app and FW. Sure enough when I threw it In FCPX and put filmconvert on it using the Hero3 Protune profile, it worked well. The colors were corrected and the highlight roll off improved.

Someone who knows what they are doing could easily match this with a GoPro Hero 4 black. Auto mode on the inspire camera is horrible. But there's plenty of manual control, and LOG is a big deal.

joseph@megahurt Posted at 2015-1-9 05:33
The GH4 isn't in the discussion, or a Red or Blackmagic, etc. This is about Hero 4 vs. Inspire 1 cam ...

Joseph, u have to understand what i wrote. The GoPro cameras use fisheye lenses, it look definately not  satisfying. I also have a GoPro on my copter since two years. The quality is ok for the size but the fisheye destroys it. There are other lenses but u will loose warranty and of course the GoPro isnt implemented, no remote shutter. Thats why the inspire is interesting. I never said the quality is horrible. The great advantage of the inspire is the no fisheye lens and the app like remote shutter. U can remove the fisheye with the software but it will look horrible

AVNes Posted at 2015-1-9 02:17
I agree with Joseph. The quality you should be getting out of the Hero 4 should be great footage,  ...

you shoud read what i wrote as well. The fisheye has nothing to do with settings. In Medium mode Its less present but still there

AnticipateMedia Posted at 2015-1-9 11:29
Almost everything Mark said I agree with, but I have been able to successfully cut in 4k Gopro foota ...

That's great news about full manual and a LOG color profile on the Inspire. To me, that lack of a manual control is the biggest drawback of a GoPro aerial solution.

I know it's early, but is it reasonable to say you're seeing a similar dynamic range between the Hero4 and Inspire? I'm particularly interested in your thoughts because the FS7 is so similar to the FS700 (when using the Odyssey at 4K) and I often use FilmConvert as well.

I do remove the fisheye from the Hero 4, and it certainly doesn't look horrible. Maybe you're doing it wrong.

mark@22digital. Posted at 2015-1-9 13:11
That's great news about full manual and a LOG color profile on the Inspire. To me, that lack of a  ...

It's too early to tell without a side by side (in the snow, a good test) which I plan to at least approximate with two flights soon. But I took some footage indoors, with Log on, and it graded similarly to my GoPro Hero 4 footage. The color is closer in quality to the hero 3+, but that's not a bad thing.

I just need to do more testing.

Agreed FS700 + Odyssey is an amazing combo, image wise. It's virtually as good as the FS7 when recording native, subjectively.

joseph@megahurt Posted at 2015-1-9 21:06
I do remove the fisheye from the Hero 4, and it certainly doesn't look horrible. Maybe you're doing  ...

Joseph, times have changed. When DJI built the Phantom 1, then 2, and when they introduced the H3-2D, then H3-3D, there was no alternative to putting up a comparably able camera on a small platform like the Phantom. But the promised ability to control the GoPro while flying never happened, either because GoPro didn't cooperate with DJI in enabling those capabilities, or because DJI could not figure out how to make it work.

Now GoPro is developing its own UAV to fly the Hero and that means that they are direct competitors with DJI, so the idea of designing a Hero gimbal that would fly with the Inspire is not very likely. If you swear by the Hero 4, then you will have to find another platform to carry it.

joseph@megahurt Posted at 2015-1-9 21:06
I do remove the fisheye from the Hero 4, and it certainly doesn't look horrible. Maybe you're doing  ...

There is a video out there from Helipal in youtube comparing inspire vs hero 4 black vs panasonic gh4

I prefer the Inspire from those cameras, the white balance was better and better saturation than the Gopro

joseph@megahurt Posted at 2015-1-9 21:06
I do remove the fisheye from the Hero 4, and it certainly doesn't look horrible. Maybe you're doing  ...

Removing the fisheye with a software solution will dramatically reduce quality. i guess everybody has different opinions about whats good or not

lethbrp Posted at 2015-1-10 23:31
I prefer the Inspire from those cameras, the white balance was better and better saturation than the ...

Do you mean "better" saturation or simply MORE saturation? Many of us like to shoot as flat as possible with extremely little saturation, so we can manipulate the footage in post. You can always add saturation.

joseph@megahurt Posted at 2015-1-12 05:58
Do you mean "better" saturation or simply MORE saturation? Many of us like to shoot as flat as poss ...

Better saturation, yes, this can certainly be added in post. Agreed, so can white balance. I'd still go for the Inspire over the GoPro based on this comparison.

Can someone help a guy out finding the LOG profile?  I don't see it in the app.  I'm fairly certain I'm up to date on FW.  

I create short films (mostly). My primary camera for that task at the moment is the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera. I shoot in Film mode, and the footage is intentionally very very flat, unsaturated, etc. Shooting in that mode allows for maximum dynamic range and maximum flexibility in post production (color grading, etc). Shooting on the most flat modes in the GoPro allows for a similar flexibility and lets me match my footage between cameras. The Pocket Camera also has a Video mode, which is more saturated out of the box... almost no one ever uses it. Why have a camera make decisions for you?

Guys,
do you get artefacts in the shadow areas with the Inspire1 camera, I get a lot - not with GoPro! Is my Inspire1 camera broken?

I thought that the bitrate is much less in the Inspire than in the GoPro?

The inspires camera is a joy to use in comparison to the GoPro and the instant good results are , well ...
Fantastic , the Gopro is really more of an action cam thing ....good but not really designed for the flying cam platform like the inspire that can be adjusted on the fly changing camera settings photo or video is a snap at your finger tips .....

zeitlinger@gmx. Posted at 2015-3-20 07:21
Guys,
do you get artefacts in the shadow areas with the Inspire1 camera, I get a lot - not with GoPr ...

People have replied to you on a number of occasions and suggested you might have a bad camera. Please contact DJI and find out. No one here can answer your question regarding the condition of your camera.

InspiredOne Posted at 2015-3-20 19:41
People have replied to you on a number of occasions and suggested you might have a bad camera. Ple ...

Hi Inspired 1,
I v sent the camera to DJI to check, in the meantime I am shooting with GoPro on the Inspire.. This works well - I need a second RC control to pitch the camera, but thats OK:

zeitlinger@gmx. Posted at 2015-4-4 04:42
Hi Inspired 1,
I v sent the camera to DJI to check, in the meantime I am shooting with GoPro on the ...

Best of luck with the evaluation. I hope DJI discovers what the issue with the your camera is and that it gets repaired or replaced quickly.

GP4 vs inspire vs

DJI Inspire1 vs Phantom 2 + GoPro4 Black, 4k video quality comparison