Droneflyers.com

Quadcopter, Multirotor and Drones Resource Site

1:5 Scale RC rover concept for POV cams, Part 1

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What first started out as a fascination with ground based POV cam rovers, cars and trucks, I’ve seen a lot of expensive development going into this lately, so I decided to venture into what it takes to build a functional DIY rover that can be used in various locations and production purposes.

Ground based systems that may look like simple RC toys (which at their heart, really are) have a function that either aerial nor handheld operation can achieve. Getting into locations inaccessible or possibly dangerous by other means, is probably the number one reason to build a system like this. Agriculture, wildlife, conservation, geological studies and many other industries have need for an economical entry into this technology. [Read more…]

DJI OSMO 4K camera comparison test with the Inspire X3 camera

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Ever since the first prototype was going around the DJI booth at NAB this year, teases of a handheld version of the Inspire 1 gimbal/camera have been making many owners anxious to finally have the option of taking their X3 camera off their drone and continuing to shoot on the ground with the same quality stabilized camera footage for more seamless productions. Well, now they finally can (kind of). [Read more…]

Last Minute Holiday Deals on DJI Camera Drones and more…

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Looking for last minute holiday deals on DJI Phantom 3 Camera Drones and others? DJI is featuring deals on the entire Phantom 3 Series as well as some of their other accessories – and a few select machines are still available for decent discounts. Here are some of the best bets as of Mid-December.

If you are looking for a stabilized camera quadcopter – the Phantom 3 line is probably the overall best bet. All three models – when you order direct from DJI – come with a free ($149 value) hardshell DJI Backpack…this sale good until the end of December, 2015.
Link to DJI Sale Page Here.

There are some additional deals on the pro-level DJI equipment – mostly free or discounted batteries – see the chart below:
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Why I’m a fan of DJI’s latest move on geofencing

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DJI this week announced new plans to expand the list of its restricted flight locations to include places like prisons and power plants.

The software update is an expansion of its geofencing program, a virtual barrier which literally prohibits the drone from taking off or flying into areas in its geofence. DJI already uses geofencing in “no-fly-zones,” which are mostly airports and Washington, D.C. [Read more…]

Getting to know the DJI Osmo 3-Axis Stabilized Camera

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Photographers are being pushed into providing video one way or another while aerial shooters often need to provide ground footage. The cost and hassle of a large gimbal, such as a DJI Ronin, along with the cost of the camera, creates a huge barrier to entry. DJI has created a new tool to help solve these types of problems, and its called Osmo. While Osmo doesn’t replace a high end camera and steadycam, it is very close to the next best thing. [Read more…]

DJI Phantom 3 Quadcopter – First Look, Review and Rating

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Note for Holiday Shoppers – DJI is having a Sale from Dec 11 to the end of the Month where a free hardshell backpack comes with any model of the Phantom Series. Here is the link to the DJI Sale Page.

Droneflyers.com received a new Phantom 3 Quadcopter (Professional 4K model) at the beginning of May and have been flying it regularly since then. With about 50 flights under our belts, it time to do a First Look, Review and Rating on this new quadcopter.

We purchased the Phantom 3 Pro (4K) direct from DJI’s online store for $1259.00 including shipping and a single battery. We have since purchased two extra batteries as well as a used Nexus 7 II (2013) for running the DJI Go App (formerly called the Pilot App).

It is our opinion that this hobby and pursuit is still in its pioneer stages – so we never expect the first release of a new model to be perfect or bug-free. A more important question would be whether most or all of the shortcomings are either acceptable or fixable with firmware and software updates…and, so far, it looks like that is the case. As of the end of summer (2015) software updates have resulted in better reliability – and, DJI has added a number of new features including Intelligent Flight Modes (Point of Interest, Waypoints, etc.).

NOTE: The Phantom 3 is a highly technical aircraft and requires study and skills to fly safely and to keep it in one piece. Despite the marketing materials, a quadcopter is not “for everyone”. Beginning pilots should invest time learning the hobby before putting an expensive model such as the P3 into the air.

The Phantom 3 Basics – more Revolution than Evolution

Note: For some background, please see our article – Phantom 3 Improvements over Phantom 2 Vision +

When the Phantom 3 was announced we thought it was a nice evolution of the popular Phantom line. However, after exploring this aircraft for a couple of weeks we can see that it is more than that. It is simply an unheard amount of technology and capability built into a compact frame for an unheard of price!
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DJI Phantom 3 Standard Review Part 1 – First Impressions and First Flights

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FLASH – Please note DJI Black Friday and holiday sales with vast savings! Phantom 3 now starts at $599. Click here for links.
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DJI has been setting the standard in the exploding consumer drone market since consumer drones first burst on to the scene about 3 years ago. There is no doubt that DJI is the 800 lb gorilla on this playing field, they have done it better, faster, and cheaper than anyone else out there.The amount of technology packed into their current flagship, the Phantom 3 series, is nothing short of astounding when you consider the price point. That being said however, it’s still not cheap. Getting into the AP/AV game with a Phantom 3 will still cost you upwards of $1000, which while a great value considering all the technology packed into this little drone is still a good chunk of change for the average consumer. And that is exactly who DJI is trying to address with the latest addition to it’s lineup, the Phantom 3 standard.
The standard version comes in at a very reasonable $699, which while still not quite at the level of “impulse buy” should be much more palatable for potential customers who balk at the $1000+ price of the Advanced and Pro versions. There is no free lunch however, and you are giving up some of the cooler advanced technology found in the Advanced and Pro.
So is it worth it? Did DJI Hit the mark, or is it too much for too little? Let’s take a closer look and find out.
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Using LUTS to grade Inspire 1 / Phantom 3 / Osmo Footage with Final Cut Pro X

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“I really wish my footage looked worse” – No one ever said…

Of course we want our footage to look as good as possible but sometimes achieving what we want seems more difficult than it should be. Camera features like “LOG” style promise to give us more latitude when editing, but it can sometimes make getting a good look that much harder. The solution is to use Lookup Tables (LUT). A LUT is essentially a map that says to change one color to another. This allows fast color grading of footage, especially footage saved in LOG format. By finding a LUT that is designed for our camera will give us the best results.

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DJI Phantom 3 how to avoid Flyaways and Crashes

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The new DJI Phantom 3 has instantly become the best-selling quadcopter (drone) in history. However, with tens of thousands of new pilots entering the hobby each month, the inevitable crashes and losses are likely to happen. The good news is that the Phantom 3 is, statistically speaking, less likely to misbehave or crash due to EITHER pilot error or hardware/software malfunction. Still, statistics don’t mean anything to the pilot who loses their bird prematurely. Read on for the the hints and tips which pertain to this exciting new flying camera.
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DJI’s Zenmuse X5 Camera Takes Aerial Video To New Levels

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This week brought a long-await announcement from DJI that finally brings a new camera option to the DJI Inspire 1 platform. The question is, is this really the “game changer” some people are calling it, or will it really make any difference. We will dissect some of the features and see what this will really do for aerial imaging.

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