Blew my 2nd high pay film job! Please chime in.

[rmb]

Let me start by saying to our fine moderator that I know this has been posted before (once even by me), but as I am now considering legal action against DJI I hope you will allow me this moment.
This is about the mysteriously and relatively new issue of x5s gimbal drift.
Most of us in most situations (including me) can deal with it on most flights and jobs as an annoyance and generally work around it. But when fortune smiles and you are given the chance to work with a major director on a big set, you can imagine how buttoned-down you need to be.

So here's the seen (and remember, this is the second time this has happened) I am knocking it out of the park. Everyone is happy with my piloting and shots. I am chasing actors and cars down the street and (through the woods) and then, the unthinkable happens. I am asked to do the impossible. Ready? The director says “Robert” I need to do a shot of our hero. You will be about 20 feet up and about 20 feet away shooting at 25mm (50 equivalent) and I want you to stay on them for about five seconds from Action call and then slowly pull back and rise up. Then when I call Action again start slowly panning the camera left till our hero is off camera and come to a slow rest”
Ok now, this time without all of my useless drama. Hold the drone and camera sill for 5 lousy seconds, pull back and pan right. Do you think I could do it? NO!

I couldn’t make the camera stop panning to the right! I finally got a great idea for a workaround and used my finger on the iPad to pan over to the actor and held my right forefinger there for the pullback and used my pinky to push up on the right stick for lift all while sweating my but off (and praying a little). Brilliant right? Not so fast. Every time I would remove my finger from the iPad to pan left the camera would creep right. I tried doing the full camera move with my finger, but doing it well while flying with my pinky on the same hand was way too hard.

Can you imagine having 10k invested in your drone package and having to go all through that? I could have done it with my friggin Mavic!
Anyway, 7 takes later I am offset while they go into overtime to bring in a Jib and operator.
I am considering collecting names for a Class Action Suit, or at the very least a petition and would like to get a tally of how many unique owners have been adversely affected by this. This has been an issue for almost six months and DJI is aware of it and done nothing. It is probably no more than an easy software fix (as it started with a firmware update) and did NOT do it when I first got it.
Please chime in, tell your friends, spread it around

DJI needs to get off their butts and help their customers.

 

[Mad_angler1]

The Yaw fix is in the works, it’s going to be an all new algorithm for the gimbal I believe and it’s related to the drift on the M200 Z30, once that’s fixed it will be resolved on the Inspire 2.


Yes it’s an annoying issue that hopefully will be fixed soon but as pilots we all have to take the responsibility to understand our tools and then either work around there issues and limitations or use another, as far as I know it’s been there day one and I have had it since day one as have others.

Nothing is perfect and everything has limitations, delivering a 5.2K flying camera for under $10k is astonishing in its self, sometimes DJI are the victims of their own success we are not at the stage where everything is perfect yet and probably will never be at this price point.

Class action is a OTT imo but go for it, i see time and time again people threat but never actually go though.

 

[rmb]

Thanks for the response, and and although I agree that these machines are little miracles and will never be perfect, most that I have spoken to agree that this is a realitivly new phenomenon. Although perhaps you bought yours a bit later after the fact. Anyway a lot of us buy these things to be quality and reputatable vendors to the film industry and make a living at it. When something of this magnitude raises its ugly head your reputation is tarnished and it can be hard and sometimes impossible to get back with some clients. I am ussure about your comment about taking responsibility for understanding our tools? But as I do, and are surrounded by others that know even more, I will not take that personally, but as a general statement that I very much agree with.

The reality for me is that I am perfessonally grounded until I can hold a steady shot reliably and that will be costly for me until it is fixed.

 

[SanCap]

Thanks for the response, and and although I agree that these machines are little miracles and will never be perfect, most that I have spoken to agree that this is a realitivly new phenomenon. Although perhaps you bought yours a bit later after the fact. Anyway a lot of us buy these things to be quality and reputatable vendors to the film industry and make a living at it. When something of this magnitude raises its ugly head your reputation is tarnished and it can be hard and sometimes impossible to get back with some clients. I am ussure about your comment about taking responsibility for understanding our tools? But as I do, and are surrounded by others that know even more, I will not take that personally, but as a general statement that I very much agree with.

The reality for me is that I am perfessonally grounded until I can hold a steady shot reliably and that will be costly for me until it is fixed.

Have you tried using spotlight pro to keep the gimbal stable on non moving shots?

 

[rmb]

Yes, but panning off the object smoothly can be difficult.

 

[SanCap]

Yes, but panning off the object smoothly can be difficult.

Understood.

 

[Scoobywrx05]

Just remember you bought something made in China with overworked underpaid Chinese program engineers writing the files to make your bird do what it is supposed to do. China has never been big on their quality in anything unless it is specifically requested by a customer,they do just enough to get by and make as much money as they can in the process. I agree they really need to step up their game and make everything work perfectly before they even think about releasing a new bird to the market. Sooner or later a company will come by and leave them in the dust with a lot better bird for not much more money. If you are doing higher dollar production work that requires having everything work perfectly every time then you should be looking at using a lot higher end birds for doing your work than DJI’s. That’s just my 2 cents and take it for what it’s worth if anything at all. Class action lawsuit probably would not do a thing. Maybe with enough people in it it may scare them enough to do something but I doubt it. It would take a threat from the United States government saying if things where not perfect with their units they would not be allowed to be sold to the United States market then they definitely would change something because they would be out of business if they didn’t.

 

[Casey53]

I'm getting the notion DJI just doesn't care, just "Sell it at any cost to our pocketbook's favor" or "Just buy another one if the first one doesn't work out right as it must be your fault anyhow."

Their updates are so slow as with the last seven month wait for the Phantom 4 that it invalidates one's warranty just waiting for them to fix something. Even with a seven month wait, some report it still doesn't work right. Their Ronins are in the same "Doesn't work for **** " boat too if you read their own site's Pro forums.

As with a lot of manufacturers, the more you pay for something doesn't mean it will work right, or even able get it too be serviced soon. You could own a Ferrari and good luck getting it fixed in a timely matter awaiting parts verses some cheaper Honda Accord. DJI seems to address issues on their better selling consumer line (Mavic) far faster than their pro (Inspires or Phantom 4 Pro) lineup.

DJI may be the resting coffin for Hasselblad too since it has been hanging by a thread for so long anyways. Hasselblad video has nothing against even some cheaper video cameras other than a huge price tag. Now it likely will be cheaply made, along with a high price and poor quality assurance, and the "Professional Quality" sticker will be added by DJI Marketing to make one feel good about "Dropping a wad on 'Pro-quality' gear."

Good luck with a class action. Outcome might be a free set of props with the lawyers being the only ones benefiting. Motors coming off will still be out there, along with their poor programming and software updates. DJI reminds me of the old phone company motto made by Ernestine: "We're the phone company. We don't care. We don't have to."

 

[rent]

My understanding is that the terms imposed upon the users are: “all disputes between you and DJI will be resolved by BINDING ARBITRATION. YOU AGREE TO GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO GO TO COURT to assert or defend your rights under these Terms, except for matters that may be taken to small claims court.” (DJI - Terms of Use)

This may vary by country or jurisdiction.

 

[Dr. Ifly Drones]

This is also why you always have to have a backup airframe and imagining system... If all you've got is one UAV, a pro no go.

 

[Barry Goyette]

[QUOTE="rmb, post: 178318, member: 23804"..... most that I have spoken to agree that this is a realitivly new phenomenon.[/QUOTE]

I was one of first wave of I2 owners, and this issue has existed in some form or another since day one. It seems, today to be a slower, less aggressive movement, but more persistent. I have found that by panning right and then left, it seems to hold for a little while before beginning again.....maybe this is a way to get this type of shot, for now. Regardless, I've heard from a number of DJI support that this issues is top priority. So hopefully we'll see it fixed soon.

 

[DavidK]

I'm getting the notion DJI just doesn't care, just "Sell it at any cost to our pocketbook's favor" or "Just buy another one if the first one doesn't work out right as it must be your fault anyhow."

Their updates are so slow as with the last seven month wait for the Phantom 4 that it invalidates one's warranty just waiting for them to fix something. Even with a seven month wait, some report it still doesn't work right. Their Ronins are in the same "Doesn't work for **** " boat too if you read their own site's Pro forums.

As with a lot of manufacturers, the more you pay for something doesn't mean it will work right, or even able get it too be serviced soon. You could own a Ferrari and good luck getting it fixed in a timely matter awaiting parts verses some cheaper Honda Accord. DJI seems to address issues on their better selling consumer line (Mavic) far faster than their pro (Inspires or Phantom 4 Pro) lineup.

DJI may be the resting coffin for Hasselblad too since it has been hanging by a thread for so long anyways. Hasselblad video has nothing against even some cheaper video cameras other than a huge price tag. Now it likely will be cheaply made, along with a high price and poor quality assurance, and the "Professional Quality" sticker will be added by DJI Marketing to make one feel good about "Dropping a wad on 'Pro-quality' gear."

Good luck with a class action. Outcome might be a free set of props with the lawyers being the only ones benefiting. Motors coming off will still be out there, along with their poor programming and software updates. DJI reminds me of the old phone company motto made by Ernestine: "We're the phone company. We don't care. We don't have to."

You have got it in one! DJI annoy the hell out of me and have done for some time with their money gouging practices even to the extent of follow focus controller for the Inspire 1 v2 for the remote, 2 grand plus, oh but wait you want an interface cable with that ? ha you crazy man but ok 200 bucks thanks and you want to mount it to the controller??? you not have 3 arms? poor man another 150 bucks please thank you so much.....................( prices are not accurate ) but not far off even the inspire 1 then the inspire 2 not one teeny tiny piece of equipment can be used on the new machines gee so sorry all that money you spend tsk tsk , we sell lubricant in that line over there so it not so painful when we shaft you ( at 200 bucks a tube) lol they obviously don't care about customer loyalty and don't think about the day they get serious competition, I think they will find people jump ship in droves when it happens, it probably won't happen over night but it will Heppen ( as a famous model once said)

 

[r62ewa]

[QUOTE="rmb, post: 178318, member: 23804"..... most that I have spoken to agree that this is a realitivly new phenomenon.

I was one of first wave of I2 owners, and this issue has existed in some form or another since day one. It seems, today to be a slower, less aggressive movement, but more persistent. I have found that by panning right and then left, it seems to hold for a little while before beginning again.....maybe this is a way to get this type of shot, for now. Regardless, I've heard from a number of DJI support that this issues is top priority. So hopefully we'll see it fixed soon.

I've noticed something similar. If I notice the drifting I will do a full 360 and then back again and sometimes it subsides for a period. I also find it terrible how the camera will work its way left or right and stay there, not facing directly forward. I flew back the other day and the camera was like 30º off centre, hard to fly a straight shot like that.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

It's one thing to buy Chinese products from American companies who not only feel a sense of obligation to customer service, but have to pay reps to closely monitor QC at the factory because the minute you turn your back they are cutting corners.

This (DJI) experience has been quite an eye-opener in how much Chinese corporations hold their customers in such gross contempt.

 

[eldorado]

I couldn’t make the camera stop panning to the right! I finally got a great idea for a workaround and used my finger on the iPad to pan over to the actor and held my right forefinger there for the pullback and used my pinky to push up on the right stick for lift all while sweating my but off (and praying a little). Brilliant right? Not so fast. Every time I would remove my finger from the iPad to pan left the camera would creep right. I tried doing the full camera move with my finger, but doing it well while flying with my pinky on the same hand was way too hard.

It sounds like you were shooting solo? Why not have a gimbal operator on the slave controller so you can concentrate on the flight action?

 

[PatrickP]

as pilots we all have to take the responsibility to understand our tools and then either work around there issues and limitations or use another

with all due respect this seems a little silly. Your car can't hold a straight line when driving, you take it to the dealer to resolve. They don't tell you "eventually the car you purchased will work correctly." unacceptable.

 

[ChiefPilot]

I use Tripod Mode for some of these shots/movements. Not sure if that is fast enough for your action.

 

[freakwalrus]

There are a few tough lessons here: DJI don't look after their customers and provide equipment 'as is', his has caused me a lot of serious issues over my years as a professional operator. In Australia there's legal recourse as the unit is 'unfit for purpose' but DJI are a powerhouse and I can't see that it would be worth even considering legal action, they would just walk all over you.

Realistically as has been said above, if you're walking on to any kind of set with a single piece of kit and with a known issue you've only yourself to blame. Sorry. I always bring duplicate equipment on to any serious job. In retrospect you should've rented another I2 or I1 Pro as backup, sometimes you can get better rates if the equipment isn't used through the rental period.

Guaranteed when the pressure is on all your issues are going to come out, but that's why there are professionals and that's why professionals charge so much, they guarantee the shot when the pressures on, in part because they spend money to mitigate errors that might come up, like buying or renting redundant kit.

 

[White Airwolf]

Thanks for the response, and and although I agree that these machines are little miracles and will never be perfect, most that I have spoken to agree that this is a realitivly new phenomenon. Although perhaps you bought yours a bit later after the fact. Anyway a lot of us buy these things to be quality and reputatable vendors to the film industry and make a living at it. When something of this magnitude raises its ugly head your reputation is tarnished and it can be hard and sometimes impossible to get back with some clients. I am ussure about your comment about taking responsibility for understanding our tools? But as I do, and are surrounded by others that know even more, I will not take that personally, but as a general statement that I very much agree with.

The reality for me is that I am perfessonally grounded until I can hold a steady shot reliably and that will be costly for me until it is fixed.

Shouldn’t you have tested its limitations before accepting the job ?

 

[Hays Aerial Photography]

I rotate between 3 different Inspire 2s and have never seen this issue. Probably because I always fly in “follow” mode as a single operator and use the drone itself to pan. I use a second operator for cars etc. A reverse fly away and climb can be done after tilt is set with center frame pretty easy to keep. And just use the bird to pan. I don’t think I have used any of the functions.