I have recently decided to get into the aerial photography game.  Initially this will be a hobby but I plan to do it commercially once it's legally permitted.  All my research has pointed to the Inspire as the way to go, but I can't help but be frightenend by the fair share of horror stories especially regarding customer service.   I'm alrigtht with spending 3k on a quality drone, but not alright if the customer service/tech support is as horrible as it seems.  I'm really starting to lean towards the phantom 3 again.  It may not be the drone I'm looking for, but for the price it's a bit easier to swallow.  There also seems to be more/faster options when it comes to getting anything repaired.   I feel like the phantom will be plenty sufficient for the time being and hopefully issues regarding the inspire and DJI support will improve in the future and I can revisit it at a later time.  

What do you inspire owners think about my line of reasoning here?

I would not consider the horror stories so much - it will be horror stories for both P3 and I 1. That is the way forums works.
There is a lot of very satisfied owners of both Phantoms and Inspires ( I am one )
But that said - I would personally go for a Phantom 3 first - gain experience with that as a hobby. Then if you are satisfied and want to go professional - buy a Inspire1. You will then have a backup drone if something should happen.

You can take my experience if you want.   I bought the Inspire 1 and it's never disappointed me.  

I fly it, take amazing videos and photos, and get on with my life.

When I had a problem with a bricked remote, DJI replaced it free under warranty.   Do I wish this process happened sooner?   Sure I do but in the big scheme it's no big deal.

The Inspire is AWESOME!   I also have a Phantom 3 but it's night and day.   The advanced features and camera control on the Inspire are fantastic.

jimhare Posted at 2015-5-20 14:53
You can take my experience if you want.   I bought the Inspire 1 and it's never disappointed me.  

...

I'm with Jim on this one. I jumped right in and have found the Inspire to be amazing. It's easy to fly, stable beyond belief and the camera has plenty of control.

If you want to wait until the FAA makes things legal, you'll probably have to decide between the Phantom 12 or the Inspire 9... Just sayin'

eaglecook Posted at 2015-5-20 15:12
I'm with Jim on this one. I jumped right in and have found the Inspire to be amazing. It's easy to ...

I don't think it's going to be as long as people think.  There's way too much pressure from the business world to be able to use these things.  Last week a couple senators proposed a bill to try and get things moving.  guess time will tell

https://fortune.com/2015/05/13/drone-commercial-law/

had i the option for a mulligan I would say forget the inspire, do a custom build.  Im not very happy with the still photo quality from my inspire and although the vid quality im using (1080p 60fps) is good on the original files i cannot for the life of me combine them without cutting the quality in half and rendering it virtually unwatchable, however that may be due to my complete ignorance with using video editiing software.  tried windows movie maker, avs4you, adobe premiere 12, adobe premiere cc and all had same results, quality cut in half, detail indistinguishable from original, unwatchable. user error perhaps, however even the stills unedited are not what i wouldve hoped for, blurry and lacking detail you would expect for the megapixel camera it is.  

If i could do over i would not buy an inspire, i would custom build a drone and hang a better camera/video camera from it.  Perhaps the cost would be more but it would be well worth it if youre looking for high quality pictures/video in my opinion.  

I love my Inspire. And as long as you NEVER have any need for repair or customer service you will too.

But be warned. The numerous customer service complaints you see on these forums are real people getting screwed over in a big way. You wont understand until it happens to you. I wanted to love DJI so much but I will never buy another product from them again due to the way they treat their customers.

jhogge Posted at 2015-5-21 01:18
I love my Inspire. And as long as you NEVER have any need for repair or customer service you will to ...

I have an Inspire 1 as well and truly love it.  It is easy to fly, takes great video and photos, etc.  I Unfortunately had a run in with a power cable recently and broke one of the carbon fiber tubes that hold the props. Being, that this is a very heavy dron, when it goes down, it goes down hard and things tend to break pretty catastrophically.  And, there just aren't the parts out there that are readily available to fix them yourself.  I am about to send mine in to DJI for repair.  I guess we will see what that process is like.  I aniticpate that I will be without it for at least 2 months, seeing as this seems to be how long most guys experience.  So, I'm prepared for that.  If you plan on using it in business, just make sure you have a back up.  And NOT a Phantom.   I have four of them, none of them work, the cameras are all bad, the support from DJI is seriously laughable.  They are basically shiny white paperweights that sit in my workshop. Anyway, hope that helps.  Good luck!

foreseason- You have a lot to think about.

I can honestly speak from the viewpoint of customer service, don't do it. As a hobbyist, I would never recommend this or the P3 unit(s). Perhaps, to get things rolling, try a safer and more tried and true form of DJI product, like the Phantom 2- v2 or v3. These units have proved themselves time and again. So what, it uses a GoPro! For the normal person, with normal gear, this works very well and provides incredible photos and video, depending on the model of camera used.

In addition, the price tag is considerably easier on the wallet for just getting started. Once you have retained and maintained the ability to control the lower end device, perhaps a more proven (not the Inspire which, in my humble opinion as an owner, is not) unit will be available. Relax, the FAA is still several months out (or longer) on their decisions.

Allow the learning and enjoyment to kick in first because, once you do get into the upper units, you will be doing nothing but watching the birdie while your secondary camera person and spotter get to see all of the pre-production goods.

There are some truly incredible pilots on this forum but, they have years of experience...be wary my friend, as $4k can zip away in a flash if you are not trained and/or prepared for the worst scenario and even then, the best operator can lose one.

Not trying to anything but keep it real. The above is my humble opinion based on fact and experience, nothing more.

Either way, many hopes for finding the best solution.
-S.N.

jimhare Posted at 2015-5-20 14:53
You can take my experience if you want.   I bought the Inspire 1 and it's never disappointed me.  

...

I am also with Jim on this one. My Inspire 1 has been simply amazing to use. Yes there are times that it has been challenging to say the least. But I have many different aircraft and been doing this for a long time. The issues will get sorted out and DJI will keep raising the bar for their future equipment releases . Competition will keep everyone on their toes.

Rich

I have an Inspire, many rc aircraft and real scale aircraft. The only difference I can see between them is the customer service. Each perform as advertized, for the most part, and all of them brake as any machine will do. The big thing I tell young up and coming folks about investing in something is... can you afford to lose it? and will the purchase be a strain on you financially especially if you lose it? If you can answer both of those things honestly, then you have little to lose but money. Also, and this may sound like dad giving you advice, but I firmly believe you should be able to buy these things in cash not credit. Do not borrow money for one of these, the sting of debt is much worse after loss of investment. A golden rule that was bestowed on me from a highly successful individual was " only borrow money to make greater money than that borrowed." wiser words have seldom been spoken. That said, it's only money and life will go on.  

jhogge Posted at 2015-5-21 01:18
I love my Inspire. And as long as you NEVER have any need for repair or customer service you will to ...

Absolutely!
As much as the Inspire is a great product, Dji it's another story.
Unfortunantly I needed Dji to support my Inspire twice: once with a brand new not working camera and second with a crash caused by disconnected scenario and wrong Failsafe altitude behavior of the Inspire.

Dji, as a company, working under the assumption that the user is always the one to blam ans from there you will need to proof otherwise. You will find yourself explain things that no one wants to understand, waste a lot of time drawing maps, shoot videos and sending a lots of emails and still Dji will make whatever they can to not take responsibility.

That's the thing- it doesn't matter how good the Inspire is, a Dji it's just not a company to invest on.
If I could I probably would wait until the Solo will be available before spending more money on a company that I can not trust.  

what customer service?

I questioned them about the downgrade from 32ch to 8ch and that i felt like I bought a muscle car with 320hp and now I have 80hp.
Who can be happy with that?

At least they replied: "sorry, but there's nothing we can do".

jimhare Posted at 2015-5-20 14:53
You can take my experience if you want.   I bought the Inspire 1 and it's never disappointed me.  

...

hi Jim, talking about the P3 do you think it's a good purchase? I am debating whether to buy it or not!? my bird is not with me as its being checked by DJI after an erratic flight that almost cause it to crash. I like the fact that is small and it might be an easier option to take it with me everywhere and do a quick fly if I find something interesting to shoot! Please let me know how is your experience so far and if you are happy that you made the decision to have bought your P3. thanks !

Customer service is a nightmare.  
I've owned my Inspire 3 months and 1 week.  Had a total of about 6-7 flying days.  Camera failure, bricked remote, (these first 2 replaced by dealer.  Another Camera Failure. 8 weeks at dji, numbers phone calls 32-38 minute wait for all but 1.    After 2 flights, relized camera not taking or holding settings. Can only record auto in 4k.  Another Tech call, after a while  they want it sent back in.

Asked for money back, NO,  Asked for them to send new unit on my credit card and refund it when they get broken unit back.  They said no.

Asked an internet person if he could reach up the line and get me some help.  His reply was something to the effect is I have my RMA, what more do I want him to do.

This is my 6th multi rotor.

check out this fellows history with 4 or 5 dji MR's.    http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... mp;page=1#pid128658

Nobody knows how many they've sold or how many are in for repair. I've been told the LA service center is huge.  But it still takes 8 weeks.

Read the Forbes article.  Founder admits to fly away problems.  Go look on forums and see how many people have reimbursed for the flyaways.  You won't find many.  

If you decide to go, go in with eyes wide open and a big fat wallet.

All in all, they don't deserve your business no matter how good the product is.   

I fully agree with you, I was lucky enough to have an phantom2 vision plus as a backup in order to continue my job in aerial filming but at this moment my inspire1 is at DJI for repair and it is going in to its 5th week and still no response from DJI. So get yourself a backup until the service at DJI for the inspire are resolved.

JKT Posted at 2015-5-23 23:01
hi Jim, talking about the P3 do you think it's a good purchase? I am debating whether to buy it or ...

I do think the P3 is a good purchase.   I don't quite know if you mean in place of an Inspire or in addition to it?

For me I would never give the Inspire up, too many great features that you can't do with a P3.    As an addition to the Inspire the P3 is fantastic as a backup as well as something I can bring anywhere.

But that's just me.  

If you don't need the features and control of the Inspire the P3 is a great choice for someone who just wants to fly and get some great footage.  

For me the P3 is a Toyota Prius and the Inspire is a Tesla S.   They'll both get you to the store but one will get you there in a lot more style than the other!   

No disrespect toward any inspire1 owners...foreseason for your first bird Sky Ninja is spot on.
The P2-V2 and P2v3 would be perfect....it has enough age that the rough edges are gone. DJI is still supporting the firmware(Thanx DJI).
I would not have a P3 if you gave it too me.

A lot of the same issues found in many inspire1s are being found in the P3..Unfortunate.
The good thing about the release of the P3 is that the cost of the P2 v2 and P2 v3 has come way down.the market is flooded with them meaning parts availability.
I know that some guys with the inspire1 have and are still having trouble acquiring parts.
Having posted that I must say that I am biased.
I am biased because I am on my 2nd P2....fantastic bird if you are looking for Turnkey ButtPucker Free Duty.
Hero 4 Black speaks for itself...I found myself in a discussion between myself and an inspire owner...The discussion was camera quality...valid points were made on both sides.
I did however win the debate stating that my Hero4 Black trumps the i1 camera due to the fact that my camera was able to stay in the air until I decided that I had enough footage.
Good Luck whichever you decide and Welcome to the Forum.

jimhare That is a good way of looking things.   Thanx fer the chuckle

Note that the poor service applies equally to both Inspire and Phantom. Expect to be out of action for at least 8 weeks if you have to send either in for repairs. If this is your first experience with quadcopters, the best thing to start with today is the P3 pro. Get experience flying with the P3P first, and then move up to the more expensive aircraft later. I can tell you from experience that losing or crashing a Phantom is nowhere near as painful as losing or crashing an Inspire!

It's also worth considering timing - the Inspire is priced too high relative to the P3 pro now that the difference in capability is so small. That price gap in the product line will be fully exploited by the competition (i.e. 3DR Solo) if DJI does nothing, which is unlikely. My point is that you can expect a significant price drop in the Inspire within a few months, and likely an Inspire 2 by year end.

Pretty much everyone that gets into this hobby/profession ends up with multiple aircraft.  So as a new pilot, it makes sense for multiple reasons (cost & timing) to get the P3P first, followed by a discounted Inspire later.

For those on the fence, I've flown Phantoms and now have the Inspire and absolutely love it.  The stability is unreal.  This thing is literally a tripod in the sky.  If you are considering the Insprire..just do it!