Im going to start to use drones for filming in 4K etc. I like the Inspire pro but cant help thinking about the limited 15min flight time. Do any users out there feel they are really limited by this time or in reality do you need to come down to change lens/filter etc anyway. - a sort of natural break?
Cant justify the Inspire 2 for now. In reality I would like a Phantom 4 with an X5 lens as i like the idea of collision avoidance!
On reading the last thead i better make sure my batteries are 100% charged if I opt for an Inspire 1! - good luck to that person I hope you get it all under warrenty.

Dan , if just starting out , why not just get the Phantom 3  pro , learn how to fly and do video work and then if you enjoy it you can always step up to the Inspire 1 or 2 and the cameras that they have .  I am always amazed when new pilots start with top of the line equipment, I mean you can do that , but it is a big risk .  .  Also there is a learning curve with DJI products, like with the RTH settings and the Camera settings, panning speeds  and how to properly download for upgrades , cold weather batteries , and much more !   this would be best accomplished with a Inspire 3 pro if you ask me .

****By the way when I first started out I wanted a quarter scale gas P- 51 Mustang with retracts and the whole nine yards, I am sure thankful that I started out with a model called the "Pegasus  "  ( It was a high wing trainer with thick cord and virtually could fly backwards without stalling, very forgiving ) and even that was all I could handle for about a month .  
Welcome to the forum  , my name is donnie and if you need any help there are plenty of nice members here who will help you out .
Also flight time is not an isuue for most members, depens what you are doing , most films have different transition shots and the 15 min. flight time is more than enough , then just bring it in and swap batteries, you will want several of thse by the way .



donnie

Thank you, it was covered under warrenty

OK yes wise words. Its tempting for me to go hi end and get the Inspire 1 or even 2 but when you factor in maybe 8 batteries for uninterrupted flight for a days filming the price goes through he roof! $200 for a single inspire 2 battery would add another $1200 to the price not to mention the second controller ect. around $7000 in all
I may opt for the Phantom 4 with its (slightly?) better camera and the extra range, speed and flight time.
It would be good the hear form someone who owns both for a real world comparison -as opposed to most biased ones on the web.
I was particularly interested in the performance of both Phantom 3/4 and Insipre 1/2 inside a venue also as I would be filming events inside as well as outside.
Glad you got the drone on warranty Nazar404, have you had the Phantom 3 pro or 4?
Also be interested to hear from new starter going into this world and how they are getting on with so much (it seems) competition out there.
There seems to be so much drone footage used on so many programs on TV now - even used as a steady cam at very low level instead of the traditional methods.My only hands on experriace is with my 10 year old sons Hubsan 501s - which i have to say i am impressed with even though its just a toy (sorry hubsan owners) with basic camera!

In addition to the above can the Phantom 4 Pro be used with 2 remotes (one for control and one for camera)? Cant see anything on the web about this...

Dan, STRONGLY suggest that you start out with something much cheaper and build a skill base in flying before you even start to consider these platforms for image quality / resolution, etc.
Also, forget the marketing - DJI (and everyone else in this business) make up all sorts of rubbish. Base your decisions on real world use cases.

Most UAV shots are just seconds long, 15 minutes is heaps of time but it all depends on what sort of subject matter you are going to chase.

Also be aware that the slave controller setup on the Inspire 1 (not available on the phantom) just doesn't work. Save your money for more batteries.  

Fantastic advice thankyou. So refreshing to have real world advice.
I can get a Phantom 4 Pro all you need kit which comes with 2 batteries then get another 5 which would make 7 in total so about 2 and a half - 3 hours in the air (enough time for the first ones used to recharge and so on) spare props charging hub, HDMI output module etc. for about $2540 from DJI direct.
Same sort of thing for the Phantom 3 pro would be $1324 a lot less!
Of course I have to add another £1000 for the CAA approval...
I had no idea the duel remote setup was an issue - thanks I assume its sorted on the Inspire 2...
What do you use?

Dan UK Posted at 2017-1-4 04:15
Fantastic advice thankyou. So refreshing to have real world advice.
I can get a Phantom 4 Pro all you need kit which comes with 2 batteries then get another 5 which would make 7 in total so about 2 and a half - 3 hours in the air (enough time for the first ones used to recharge and so on) spare props charging hub, HDMI output module etc. for about $2540 from DJI direct.
Same sort of thing for the Phantom 3 pro would be $1324 a lot less!

DJI don't talk about or acknowledge the slave video issue - there is a long history to the problem.
The marketing would have you believe that the I2 is the greatest thing - but the reality can be somewhat different. Only time will tell.

I use an Inspire 1 (bought the dual RC combo) but after a number of firmware / app 'updates' it's performance and reliability is not what it was when I bought it.

OK thanks,
Im sort of torn between the Phantom 3 pro and Phantom 4 pro ...maybe a more reliable platform until I get some flight experience and DJI have sorted any bugs in the Inspire 2 -which im sure there will be.

Dan UK Posted at 2017-1-4 04:15
Fantastic advice thankyou. So refreshing to have real world advice.
I can get a Phantom 4 Pro all you need kit which comes with 2 batteries then get another 5 which would make 7 in total so about 2 and a half - 3 hours in the air (enough time for the first ones used to recharge and so on) spare props charging hub, HDMI output module etc. for about $2540 from DJI direct.
Same sort of thing for the Phantom 3 pro would be $1324 a lot less!

Hi Dan,

I started off in late 2015 with the Inspire 1 Pro when it was first released and had since then enjoyed the ability to adopt lenses with different focal lengths. Before that, I didn't have any experience in drone flying or RC helicopter flying. Comparing with my little experience in RC aerobatic planes, piloting and filming with the Inspire 1 Pro is super easy. The 15 minutes flight time per battery has never been a problem to me. It was the weight of the full set of equipment (aircraft, lenses, batteries & etc.) that limited my usage of it in aerial photography and filming, e.g. when go hiking in the mountains.

I later expanded my fleet with a Phantom 3 Pro and a Mavic Pro, serving different needs, e.g. air-borne longevity, or portability. However, when I go out and seek for absolute control on framing perspective, on changing to specific shutter speed on the fly, or when under extreme weather conditions (e.g. high wind, low light), nothing except the Inspire 1 RAW and the Inspire 2 with X5s can beat the Inspire 1 Pro.

On the other end, if the filming will be inside a venue, I would definitely go with my Mavic Pro for its lock-on hovering accuracy and minimal disturbance (noise, propelling gust, and phycological stress) to the people inside the venue.

Hope my 2 cents can give you a reference in analysing your needs. Only you can figure out what you need. As long as you choose according to your needs, whatever you've chosen from DJI will not let you down. Its products had proven to me their functionality, precision, and reliability.

Henry

Have you had any issues with the Inspire 1 Pro-  loss of performance after software updates? What about the issue with a second controller? (see above)With the inspire 1 pro, how many batteries do you use to enable you to cover the chargng time to enable you to get a days content without any significant waiting. I know some of the enviroments i work in and waiting is not an option on an film set!
The reality is that I dont know where my first jobs will take me could be inside a venue, could be outside at night/day - decent night perfomance in a camera would be a good thing for me.
I wouldnt think speed was a great nessesity - hows the night / low light perfomace on the Maverick and the Phantom 3/4?

In summery:
Portability - not a deal breaker
Speed - likewise
Content quailty needs to be good enough for 4K TV broadcast or almost.
Collision avoidance sensors - would be good!
Air time - as always as long as possible id like to be able to get a days work out of 6 batteries and a multi charger.
Price- $2000 to $3000 - ish - i realise this rules out the inspire 1!

Anything jump to mind?

Just sent you a PM mate.

Dan UK Posted at 2017-1-4 06:12
Have you had any issues with the Inspire 1 Pro-  loss of performance after software updates? What about the issue with a second controller? (see above)With the inspire 1 pro, how many batteries do you use to enable you to cover the chargng time to enable you to get a days content without any significant waiting. I know some of the enviroments i work in and waiting is not an option on an film set!
The reality is that I dont know where my first jobs will take me could be inside a venue, could be outside at night/day - decent night perfomance in a camera would be a good thing for me.
I wouldnt think speed was a great nessesity - hows the night / low light perfomace on the Maverick and the Phantom 3/4?

Just get the Phantom 3 pro , some nice extra batteries (X3 )  couple of lens filters and go have some fun .  Dont worry about the obstacle avoidance for now , the near misses with buildings build character and will put hair on your chest .

Have fun

Sure hope your not a girl ... If so , forget about that whole hair on the chest thing.

donnie

Ha Ha, Im not a girl so the hair thing is good

Just used the Grace Jones pic as its the first one I came across in my folder -  when we did lasers for her years ago...

Dan UK Posted at 2017-1-4 06:12
Have you had any issues with the Inspire 1 Pro-  loss of performance after software updates? What about the issue with a second controller? (see above)With the inspire 1 pro, how many batteries do you use to enable you to cover the chargng time to enable you to get a days content without any significant waiting. I know some of the enviroments i work in and waiting is not an option on an film set!
The reality is that I dont know where my first jobs will take me could be inside a venue, could be outside at night/day - decent night perfomance in a camera would be a good thing for me.
I wouldnt think speed was a great nessesity - hows the night / low light perfomace on the Maverick and the Phantom 3/4?

Hi Dan,

Except an one-time FW flaw (FW version 1.09.01.10 in June 2016 after which DJI swiftly pulled back the FW and replaced it with FW version 1.09.01.30), I didn't experience performance issue others talked about after FW upgrades. Perhaps when the Inspire 1 Pro was released, the FW version had already been "matured".

My second controller had been working flawlessly. A Fellow Pilot Richard spotted coach mode in the then new version of DJI Go app, and I explored the coach mode functions with the slave controller and posted the findings in this thread. Some members in this forum mentioned that the latest FW messed up the gimbal controlling functions with the slave controller, but I had not tried it out yet.

I pilot my Inspire 1 Pro with 1 TB47 and 4 TB48 batteries and my Phantom 3 Pro with 4 batteries. I never ran out of battery power for a meaningful day of footages. I took rests between flights though, and it meant more than 4 hours' flying session if these rest times were included. Although I own car chargers, charging intelligent flight batteries while flying will mean I have to leave car key in my car to enable power from cigaret lighter port, putting my car in an unattended situation, vulnerable to being stolen. As such I never did that.

If low light performance is your consideration, you'd better try comparing a 1/2.3" CMOS sensor pocket camera with a f/2.8 lens (mimicking the Phantom 3 Pro / Phantom 4) with a M4/3 camera mounted with a f/1.7 lens (mimicking the Inspire 1 Pro with the standard lens) in a low light environment you anticipating, both shooting with 1/100 shutter speed with different ISOs to suit such environment. You will find far better low light performance with the Inspire 1 Pro.

Hope these help.

Henry

OK thanks thats a good way to find out low light performance. The battery info is a big help.

Dan UK Posted at 2017-1-4 07:48
Ha Ha, Im not a girl so the hair thing is good

Ok cool , did not want one of those "Dear Donnie , it has come to out Attention......" letters from DJI ED  (  The grand Poobah I call him )  

Glad you are all good with the "Hair on the Chest thing"  .....

donnie

All that said, I suggest starting with the Phantom 3 standard. That's what I started with and learned quickly how to operate both the AC and camera. It takes a decent picture too.
This was shot the 3rd time I flew it:

They are now $399! That's a steal. And if crashed, much easier to get over than $1K .... or more......

Farnk666 Posted at 2017-1-4 02:49
Dan, STRONGLY suggest that you start out with something much cheaper and build a skill base in flying before you even start to consider these platforms for image quality / resolution, etc.
Also, forget the marketing - DJI (and everyone else in this business) make up all sorts of rubbish. Base your decisions on real world use cases.

Agree with this advice

Henry M.Y. Posted at 2017-1-4 09:05
Hi Dan,

Except an one-time FW flaw (FW version 1.09.01.10 in June 2016 after which DJI swiftly pulled back the FW and replaced it with FW version 1.09.01.30), I didn't experience performance issue others talked about after FW upgrades. Perhaps when the Inspire 1 Pro was released, the FW version had already been "matured".

Nice points Henry!

OK has anybody used the P3 inside as I would have to do probably- just wondering if the Maverick pro would be better to cover both inside and out venues?Nice picture! Is that image full resolution or is it compressed to upload to the forum? im so glad I joined this forum before my purchase, all you guys have been such a geat help thankyou.