We take a look at the Inspire 1
We are now at a point where drones have gone from recreational flying fun to professional use, not only within aerial photography but for commercial purpose, What we do know is the Inspire 1 is at the frontier of aerial footage technology.
The First impressions looking at the Inspire 1 is like taking a glimpse at the world of sci-fi, deviating from the widely used fixed x frame, it has innovative carbon fibre landing gear which automatically raises and lowers upon take off and landing,.
With this innovative design the 94-degree field of view camera shoots up to 4k at 30fps and 60fps at 1080p, rotating a full 360 degrees and a tilt of 125 degrees, all unobstructed as the frame is raised during flight.
While folding legs are already common practice with higher end quadcopters , DJI have designed this keeping the weight down without making it to complex.
The controller itself has built in camera controls so the pilot can direct the camera while flying, a second controller is also optional for a second person to operate the camera. while the controllers look very simple they are quite functional as they have integrated FPV streaming set up within them, enabling you to link an iPad mini or other mobile device up to see exactly what the camera is seeing. Full 720p HD video is streamed to your mobile device which can also be mounted on the controller.
The Inspire 1 comes ready to fly and is is packed with key technology aiding in easy piloting, features including take off and landing at the push of a button, also to minimize drift sensors and a camera are at the bottom which take a stereoscopic image of the ground to keep the Inspire 1 steady without constant adjustments.
The return home feature is vastly improved with this model returning to where you currently are rather than the take off location, as usual with the latest quadcopter for DJI will return home once the battery becomes low, the app also allows you to follow battery depletion while flying. the app has some great other features allowing you to access control setting and plan out routes for it to fly autonomously.
In ideal conditions the battery lasts up to 18 minutes, which does not sound alot but taking into consideration the abilities this has to offer it is reasonable for what it does and its size. charge time is one hour
So our final thought…..
The Inspire 1 form DJI is that is most definitely one of the more advanced quadcopters on the market ready to fly at the moment for video and aerial footage, with some fantastic features and an innovative design enabling 360 degree 4k footage.
This will appeal to those looking for an all in one ready to fly aerial system for a professional use, for more recreational fliers who still aim to get that great shot the price may be a little off putting, especially as there are some great models for half the price.