Inspire 1 in 2020

[Greg Huntoon]

My issue is no more Inspire 1 batteries even though DJI is selling refurbished Inspire 1s on their web store.

 

[Brett8883]

I just recently upgraded from the I1 to the I2 and for me it exposed how difficult the I1 is to fly. I kinda just thought it was par for the course for a larger drone but the Inspire 2 is nimble and responds to input the way I expect it to where as the I1 does not.

Best I can describe it is to compare driving a Mini Cooper and a Mack truck

Good news for I1 owners though is I don’t see much of a difference in raw video quality between the X5R and the X5S.

 

[Donnie Frank]

Another option for me is buying an I2 used from adorama ($1999) in "E" Condition (Basically like new) and an x4s for $599. Just another idea...does that seem worth it (obviously would buy a warranty as well)?

Look at the licensing costs. Unless things have changed, you can't just shoot RAW and upload it to your computer like you can with the X5R. There's a fee.

D

 

[homecookedfilms]

My issue is no more Inspire 1 batteries even though DJI is selling refurbished Inspire 1s on their web store.

Anyone here have 3 or 4 TB48s they are willing to unload?

 

[Brett8883]

Look at the licensing costs. Unless things have changed, you can't just shoot RAW and upload it to your computer like you can with the X5R. There's a fee.

D

Yea the I2 won’t even shoot RAW unless you have a license. It’s $1000 for RAW, $500 for ProRes, and $1300 for both. This assumes the package you get doesn’t already come with the licenses.

The I1 doesn’t require any licenses.

 

[niki]

Yea the I2 won’t even shoot RAW unless you have a license. It’s $1000 for RAW, $500 for ProRes, and $1300 for both. This assumes the package you get doesn’t already come with the licenses.

The I1 doesn’t require any licenses.

Don't forget the SSD and the reader also add to the price. Also it should be atleast with x5s camera if you compare the shooting quality to x5r. And the batteries per flight are 2 which also add to the price, so for 5 flights one will need 10 batteries and etc. Overal completely useles and overpriced toy if not going to shoot with x7.

 

[Brett8883]

Don't forget the SSD and the reader also add to the price.

That’s true for the I1 too, though, at a more reasonable price.

Also it should be atleast with x5s camera if you compare the shooting quality to x5r

That should be assumed. The x5s and X7 are the only I2 cameras that shoot RAW video.

And the batteries per flight are 2 which also add to the price

True but you get double the flight time and can hot swap batteries with the I2. The cost of two TB48s is more than two TB50’s so If you look it from at flight time to battery cost ratio the I2 comes out solidly on top not to mention TB48s are hard to come by these days.

Overal completely useles and overpriced toy if not going to shoot with x7

While I agree that everything about the I2 is overly expensive I disagree that it is useless and would argue that over its lifetime it’s actually a better value.

The ability is easily control the aircraft and the camera especially as a single pilot means I can get the shots I want on the first try where it would take the I1 several attempts to get right or can’t get at all. I can get much more done in a single day and can fly comfortably in conditions I wouldn’t dare take the I1 out in. This is money in my pocket.

While the RAW video from the X5R and x5s are comparable the gimbals are not. The I2 is much much faster and even so the gimbal is perfect even in high winds. The X5R can have issues with the gimbal rattling around if you fly fast or in high wind. This allows me to get shots the I1 isn’t capable of. This again allows me to use it in situations or for shots the I1 simply could not handle, money in my pocket.

Recently I even flew the I2 inside a large office building with a 6 story atrium. This is a shot could not have been done any other way. You couldn’t get a large enough crane in the door and it was too dark to use a Mavic or something like that. There’s no chance I would have tried flying the I1 indoors. More money in my pocket.

To be fair the ability to put the X5R on an Osmo is a huge plus for the X5R and I1 platform.

The X5R punches above its weight class as far as RAW video and the ability to mount it on the Osmo is a huge benefit that may be the kicker for someone on the fence, no question about it but the I2 is a far more capable aircraft and its value is driven by its reliability and handling.

 

[niki]

The cost of two TB48s is more than two TB50’s

Not sure from where you buy those but TB48 cost 200eu (bought them 2 months ago from local dji dealer and they where on the same price I bought my previous batteries 2 years ago) as well TB50 are on the same price (199 eu on dji site), so this is exactly double the investment but yes you have double flight time and redundancy. But I can get the same by putting 2x 6s 2700mAh together with tb47 on i1raw and can do 20 minutes as well but actually this doesn't costs the efforts of doing it as we realized we don't need such time in the air and all additional batteries and charging and monitoring their health was something too time consuming. By the way both batteries can be re-celled, there are companies (at least in my country) that are doing that for any type of battery is it for laptop, drone, screw driver or other device.
Also we have never found the 12 minutes of the i1raw to be not enough for the job we are doing, while everyone on set reset their positions, makeup and wardrobe, director and dop to discuss the future changes in performance and etc... we are ususally landing and waiting for a few minutes and then taking off and executing the next take and so on. I guess for a different type of job, mapping, surveying or hyperlapses it could be a big plus to stay in the air for 20 minutes.

The ability is easily control the aircraft and the camera especially as a single pilot

I see no difference in the way of control in both aircrafts, both are really floaty and if you have to do a stedy shot hoovering in 30km/h wind gusts the result is exactly the same, I have tried that, mavics are more stable in such conditions.

While the RAW video from the X5R and x5s are comparable the gimbals are not. The I2 is much much faster and even so the gimbal is perfect even in high winds

Yes the x5s gimbal is better especially with the 45mm lens compared to x5r but with propper balancing and CF props I'm getting very good results with it on x5r too, no complains at all. The speed of i2 is also a big plus for those who need to fly against strong winds and follow a vehicle or a surfer which opens more abilities for people shooting water sports in open ocean where there is always windy or some motor races. So far in the past 5 years I didn't had such a job so for me there is no yeld from that speed factor.

Recently I even flew the I2 inside a large office building with a 6 story atrium. This is a shot could not have been done any other way.

We also fly with the i1 inside large interiors and caves, it's really up to the pilot skills and i2 will not give you anything more than the collision avoidance which s a good thing in such situations. But I have seen a few i2 crashes where the collision avoidance did nothing so it's still something that cannot be trusted as 100% protection.

The only thing I'm missing on i1 is the Picture in Picture for the fpv camera as I'm still using separate monitor which is a bit distracting while trying to monitor both fpv and the shot.

 

[Brett8883]

i2 will not give you anything more than the collision avoidance which s a good thing in such situations. But I have seen a few i2 crashes where the collision avoidance did nothing so it's still something that cannot be trusted as 100% protection.

The more reliable and better performing downward vision positioning system is the big thing, I don’t care much about the collision sensors.

Sure I can fly atti mode but with the I1 I just don’t feel like the aircraft responds correctly to stick inputs. For instance, try to get the aircraft up to a speed of 8mph as quickly as possible without going over 8mph at any point. If you go over 8mph you lose the game. It is extremely difficult. It wants to go either 2mph or 26mph. Maintaining anything else is a challenge.

 

[Keith Cody]

Can you please clarify? X5R has a MFT 1.3” sensor. This is larger than the M2Pro, P4P, and is the same size as the X5 and even the X5S (though X5S is higher resolution). AFAIK the only Zenmuse camera with a larger sensor is the X7.

Right on the spec sheet: 4/3" sensor

Zenmuse X5R - Product Information - DJI

Experience the world in RAW with the DJI Zenmuse X5R, a camera fit for professionals. Discover more about the Zenmuse X5R with specs, FAQs, video tutorials, guides, and user manuals. Download the DJI GO app to capture and share beautiful content. Learn more at DJI.com.

www.dji.com

 

[Brett8883]

Right on the spec sheet: 4/3" sensor

Zenmuse X5R - Product Information - DJI

Experience the world in RAW with the DJI Zenmuse X5R, a camera fit for professionals. Discover more about the Zenmuse X5R with specs, FAQs, video tutorials, guides, and user manuals. Download the DJI GO app to capture and share beautiful content. Learn more at DJI.com.

www.dji.com

4/3=1.3=one and one third inches

 

[niki]

4/3=1.3=one and one third inches

The X5 sensor is actually 17.3 x 13.0 mm which is less than an inch.

 

[Brett8883]

The X5 sensor is actually 17.3 x 13.0 mm which is less than an inch.

It’s 1.3 inches on the video camera tube “inch” scale. This is the same scale a “1 inch” sensor is measured on.

A 1” sensor is approximately 13.20mm x 8.80mm, as with everything slight variations per manufacturers and products.

A MFT sensor has almost twice the surface area of a 1” type sensor

 

[Brett8883]

With my Inspire 1, I fly 3-5 Autopilot missions per month. Autopilot is a powerful program, for sure. I remember getting that message ONE time about a year ago. I simply Dismissed the message. Keep in mind that when I fly I am NOT connected to the grid in any way, shape, or form. My rig is discrete for the very reason of your post. The only way DJI can get their filthy grubbies on your hardware/software/firmware is via the Internet. I DO connect to the Internet to cache maps and allow missions to sync across my 3 iPads. But this is done while NOT connected to the Inspire 1. When I DO connect my Inspire to my iPads, I fly completely autonomously. No cell. No WiFi. No Internet. That said...

I use legacy software versions across the board because "updates" and "upgrades" usually mean MORE control over your platform. So I say, "No, No, No, No, No, No and No."

View attachment 30525

Right now I'm using Autopilot v4.7. There's a minor update to v4.7.1. But honestly, 4.7 is working great, so I don't allow the update. But I digress...

You should probably make a video of your drone working perfectly with some other software - like DJI Go, for instance - and then, with the drone still connected and NOT connected to the grid, close the Go App and open Autopilot. A video of this nature will answer 100 questions and will flush out whatever it is that you're either doing wrong or will allow the rest of us to troubleshoot. I find most drone pilots HORRIBLY UNDER-describe their issues, leaving out very important pieces of data. Video usually flushes this out 90% of the time.

D

To make a DJI SDk program like Auto-Pilot you have to sign up with DJI to get the tools necessary to make programs that will interact with their products. At that point they give you a developer key.

Then to get your program to interact with DJI products you have to register the app with DJI before you compile the app in Apple Xcode and are given an app key. This app key is connected to your delevoper key.

The app key and developer key gets baked into the program when you compile it into an app. When the app connects to a DJI product for the first time the app key is sent to DJI over the internet to verify the app key matches the developer key.

The purpose of this is to verify that the app has not been manipulated. Apple does the same thing. If someone decompiled the app and makes changes they would have to use a new developer key to compile the app back into an app again. If the keys don’t match the app won’t be able to connect to the aircraft or if it doesn’t have internet to make the verification then it won’t connect to the aircraft.

So this is why it has to connect to the internet the first time it connects to a DJI aircraft. After that and if no changes are made to the app ie no updates then you can use the app indefinitely without internet access.

 

[Donnie Frank]

Actually, the stuff you complain about with the I1 (lack of granular stick input, too high of a rate of acceleration) are things that are configurable.

Absolutely. If one configures "Gain" and "Exponential curve," you can make your Inspire 1 fly exactly the way you want it to.

I guarantee you can configure the I1 to fly just as well as the I2. It is all in the settings in the DJI Go app. I have played with things quite a bit and you can get the I1 to act indoors EXTREMELY well civilized.

Both the I1 and I2 have the same issues, that being extremely large props and frame with limited control once wind comes in. Try to get both to hover outside next to one another... They both act identically.

This is interesting to know, as my P4P hovers much more stabley™ than my Inspire 1. I attributed this to an improved Flight Controller or Inertial Measurement Unit. But if the Inspire 2 is just as wiley as the Inspire 1, perhaps it's the smaller form factor or better flow dynamics that make the P4P more stable? I've flown my P4P in 35 mph winds, which is scary windy....LOL.... Granted, I landed quickly when I discovered is was blowing that quickly. But I digress...

As far as the gimbal, it is all about pilot skill and the way things are configured. The gimbals between the two are identical (with the I1 having the advantage of a 4th support vs 3 with the I2).

The Inspire 1 gimbal (X3 or X5) can absolutely be configured to be as cinematic as any camera. One can configure gain, exponent and even Bezier for an absolutely smooth, cinematic experience. I have no experience with the X5R, but I imagine it behaves much the same as the X5.

Get to know your tool (the I1) and you will not have any issues. The I1 was configured from the factory for aggressiveness, the I2 for finesse. That does not mean you can't get finesse with the I1, it just means they toned down their settings on the I2. Beyond the OA and VPS stuff, they are **** near identical, as they have the same kind of design, structure and control systems.

I think, without being too pointed, that you just need to "justify" your purchase price. Which is fine, just don't make inaccurate representations about the I1 in doing it.

There is a reason they are trying (and HAVE been trying) to kill the I1... It is called greed. They want people to pay yearly license fees for the codecs.

I think you nailed this. I've been saying for years that the X5R footage I've seen is just as good as any of the Inspire 2 footage I have seen. The Inspire 2 offers longer flight times. But truth be told, you can mount an X5 / X5R to an M600 Pro, which should net close to 30 minutes of flight time. I have been very close to building this rig a couple times. I simply can't justify it because I honestly don't enjoy working in film that much. But I'm sure I WILL build such a rig someday.

Beyond that, the I1 is still a hell of a capable aircraft. And, again, outside of the technological improvements of the X7, if you are talking an X5s camera setup, a I1 with an X5R can do exactly the same footage.

Agreed....to a point. Though the X5s has the same dynamic range and sensor as the X5R, it will shoot 5.2K @ 30FPS. I don't know enough about photography equipment architecture to know how DJI squeezes a larger frame out of the same size sensor without sacrificing something...perhaps someone more in the know could answer that...

When they built the I1 they KNEW they had a hell of a product. That is why the I2s only advantage is a newer/better camera.

DJIs lack of battery support of the I1 proves all those points. If it was an inferior product, they wouldn't care and would continue to make batteries for it. Look, they make batteries for lots of older and out dated products, but the I1 was the only one they dropped battery production for within a year of producing the I2.

I notice that I can still purchase Phantom 3 batteries on Amazon for about 70 bucks. Meanwhile, Inspire 1 batteries are $400-$500. The former was released in 2015 and the latter in 2014. What a racket.

D

 

[Brett8883]

Actually, the stuff you complain about with the I1 (lack of granular stick input, too high of a rate of acceleration) are things that are configurable.

I guarantee you can configure the I1 to fly just as well as the I2. It is all in the settings in the DJI Go app. I have played with things quite a bit and you can get the I1 to act indoors EXTREMELY well civilized.

Both the I1 and I2 have the same issues, that being extremely large props and frame with limited control once wind comes in. Try to get both to hover outside next to one another... They both act identically.

As far as the gimbal, it is all about pilot skill and the way things are configured. The gimbals between the two are identical (with the I1 having the advantage of a 4th support vs 3 with the I2).

Get to know your tool (the I1) and you will not have any issues. The I1 was configured from the factory for aggressiveness, the I2 for finesse. That does not mean you can't get finesse with the I1, it just means they toned down their settings on the I2.

I will say that I got my I1 used and my I2 brand new and while everything checks out with the I1 there could have been something that happened with the i1 before I purchased it that could have lead to the issues I have with it. Having said that, I know I’m not the first person to identify these issues with the I1.

And I’ll say they aren’t really “issues” per se, it’s probably just as good as the technology at the time allowed. The Phantoms from the same time period have similar positioning limitations, they just aren’t as big and powerful so it’s a little less noticeable.

Beyond the OA and VPS stuff, they are **** near identical, as they have the same kind of design, structure and control systems.

They are more different than it seems. The I2 runs on a newer version of DJI’s flight controller. We can see when we dissect the firmware packages that the I2 runs on the same generation flight controller as the Mavic Pro, Phantom 4 Pro , and Spark while the I1 runs on the same flight controller version as the Phantom 3. The Phantom 4 Pro V2 and the Inspire 2 are most closely related.

I think, without being too pointed, that you just need to "justify" your purchase price. Which is fine, just don't make inaccurate representations about the I1 in doing it.

My company bought the I2 so I couldn’t care less about rationalizing the purchase. My only intent is to share my experience. It’s a fact that the I2 has more advanced VPS not my opinion.

There is a reason they are trying (and HAVE been trying) to kill the I1... It is called greed. They want people to pay yearly license fees for the codecs.

While I believe your overall point is true, even on the I2 the license cost is a one time purchase not a yearly fee.

Beyond that, the I1 is still a hell of a capable aircraft. And, again, outside of the technological improvements of the X7, if you are talking an X5s camera setup, a I1 with an X5R can do exactly the same footage.

The X5R is one hell of a camera no doubt but there are differences. 5.2k footage means it’s using the full horizontal width of the sensor and therefore using up as much Real Estate as possible without pixel binning. On the X5R the pixel width of the sensor is 4600px but it can only record up to 4096 at 24 fps and 3840px at 30fps. That means it’s either not using the full sensor or it’s binning those pixels. I believe it’s not using the full sensor but I could be wrong about that. You’d rather it window the sensor than pixel bin.

The x5s can also record UHD 4k cDNG at 60 fps and h.264 1080p at 120fps. This can’t be dismissed.

I will say, however, that the actual images coming from the X5R are just as good as X5S.

Another great thing about the I2 is the SSD can be read by the computer directly, it doesn’t require some program to transfer the files. I have the Thunderbolt 3 reader and I usually keep the cDNG on the SSD and edit the files straight from it so I don’t have to import the cDNG at all.

When they built the I1 they KNEW they had a hell of a product. That is why the I2s only advantage is a newer/better camera.

DJIs lack of battery support of the I1 proves all those points. If it was an inferior product, they wouldn't care and would continue to make batteries for it. Look, they make batteries for lots of older and out dated products, but the I1 was the only one they dropped battery production for within a year of producing the I2.

I agree it’s really weird.

 

[Brett8883]

Both the I1 and I2 have the same issues, that being extremely large props and frame with limited control once wind comes in. Try to get both to hover outside next to one another... They both act identically.

My personal experience is this not the case at all. The I2 has the best wind resistance of any drone I’ve ever flown and the I1 is not very good. The I1 will power through wind no problem the issue is getting it to stay on course or stay in one place. If it’s hovering just a couple feet from the ground then maybe it’s similar but go up to 20 feet and it’s a whole other ball game. Try manually flying them both in a straight line and it’s a whole other ball game. The I2 is also significantly faster both horizontally and vertically. Significantly.

And I’m not saying any of this to put down the I1, it’s a great machine that was revolutionary and the X5R is a technical masterpiece. It certainly launched my pro career but I do think anyone looking at getting an I1 should be aware of these differences before jumping in. Controlling the I1 isn’t like flying a Mavic can we agree there?

 

[The Editor]

OK - this post has had some housekeeping done.
Can I please remind people to stay on topic.

This one is regarding the viability of an Inspire 1 in 2020 (even though it now 2021).

If you have a specific issue with your aircraft please start a new thread in the relevant section.

Thank you