Need help with do the right choice about Inspire 1

tarjei86 · May 15, 2019

Hello everyone,
I'm new here, so have to say "Hello" at first. My name is Łukasz, I'm from Poland and a dronepilot for 3 years.
I'm commercial using a DJI Mavic Pro Platinum since 2 years and I think - for pictures is a really good device. There are some minor problems, like magenta, but can be repair in postproduction. So for photography, even commercial - is enough good I think. But when I have to do some movies - this camera in Mavic.... hmm... I think it's not good enough in compare to e.g. MP2 or Phantom 4 Adv/Pro. So I've got some ideas and need help with this, because I can't make decision and who would be better to give me some help if not you - Inspire 1 users

1. First idea - sell the MP1 and get MP2/Phantom 4 Adv/Pro - but.... sometimes I have possibility to run with Phantom 4 Adv and.... I don't think if the clients are really happy to see me with that kind of device when I make some video for them.... you know... no matter if it would be a Mavic or Phantom - they are both look like "toys"... for holidays or for some work when client don't see - great.
2. Second idea - still got MP1 and buy Inspire 1 Pro with X5. And that looks better in my opinion.... but the clue is - if the X5 and Inspire 1 Pro is still a good duet for these days? Is the picture quality, especially for commercial video - is good enough? Is the app DJI Go has still enough stability and control to do this things right?

You know.... in Poland this kind of hardware isn't cheap.... so if I have to spent a lot of money.... I would like to be sure that this is the right choice... Mavic Pro 2 is fantastic device, portable, fast, functionality.... but looks like toy in opinion of many people. Phantom - bigger, better stability... but it is enough? Thanks in advanced for any help guys.

Best regards
Łukasz from PureCreations

huppe · May 15, 2019

I am still very happy with my Inspire 1/X5 combo
Sure the Inspire 2 is a better option but also very expensive.
Also good to know is that the Inspre 1 is still availible as second hand for a good price.
So in my eyes keep your Mavic and get an Inspire 1.
Good luck with whatever you decide

dpeagle · May 15, 2019

for commercial work the I1 takes alot of practice. the x5 or x5r reduce flight times to like 8 to 12 minutes. you need to be able to get to your shot in like 3 to 4 minutes max. also the x5 while good for stills does not do well on videos. if you need to do commercial videos the x5r would be your best option. their is a reason the I1 platform is selling used at good prices. if you cant swing an I2 i would suggest just getting the new mavic and a used I1 and display the I1 to impress your customer while you get your shots with the mavic.

tarjei86 · May 16, 2019

Thanks for your response, friends

My friend that selling hardware llike drones etc told me too, that I should sell MP1, buy Mavic Pro 2 and wait till the Phantom 5 will apear in next few months. As he said - the leaks talking about changable optics (like in Inspire's cameras) and many features that will take the Phantom series on the highest level of quality. We will see.... on the other hand.... Inspire 1 pro, especialy black version, is still inspiring me. But Thank you @dpeagle for the tip with video quality on X5 - I didn't know that. Inspire 2 is very expensive on Polish market...and with X5R is above my price level. So need to sell my MP1 and buy MP2 for now... and after P5 apears - make decision.

Donnie Frank · May 18, 2019

tarjei86 said:
Hello everyone,
I'm new here, so have to say "Hello" at first. My name is Łukasz, I'm from Poland and a dronepilot for 3 years.
I'm commercial using a DJI Mavic Pro Platinum since 2 years and I think - for pictures is a really good device. There are some minor problems, like magenta, but can be repair in postproduction. So for photography, even commercial - is enough good I think. But when I have to do some movies - this camera in Mavic.... hmm... I think it's not good enough in compare to e.g. MP2 or Phantom 4 Adv/Pro. So I've got some ideas and need help with this, because I can't make decision and who would be better to give me some help if not you - Inspire 1 users

1. First idea - sell the MP1 and get MP2/Phantom 4 Adv/Pro - but.... sometimes I have possibility to run with Phantom 4 Adv and.... I don't think if the clients are really happy to see me with that kind of device when I make some video for them.... you know... no matter if it would be a Mavic or Phantom - they are both look like "toys"... for holidays or for some work when client don't see - great.
2. Second idea - still got MP1 and buy Inspire 1 Pro with X5. And that looks better in my opinion.... but the clue is - if the X5 and Inspire 1 Pro is still a good duet for these days? Is the picture quality, especially for commercial video - is good enough? Is the app DJI Go has still enough stability and control to do this things right?

You know.... in Poland this kind of hardware isn't cheap.... so if I have to spent a lot of money.... I would like to be sure that this is the right choice... Mavic Pro 2 is fantastic device, portable, fast, functionality.... but looks like toy in opinion of many people. Phantom - bigger, better stability... but it is enough? Thanks in advanced for any help guys.

Best regards
Łukasz from PureCreations

I wouldn't sell your other birds, as those will still have use in situations where the Inspire 1 is too large or bulky to get the shot. That said...

DPEagle kind of nailed it. I used an Inspire 1 exclusively for well over a year, and he's spot on with the X5 and X5R cameras. And truth be told, I used the X3 for a BUNCH of film work. Here's an unretouched screen shot from the series "Graves," circa 2015 via the X3 camera:

Just have plenty of ND-filters on hand, as the X3 has a fixed aperture. I often used my 5-stop and I think even occasionally used my 6-stop filter to adhere to the 180° shutter rule.

When given a choice, I used the X5 for low lighting. The MFT sensor and better glass make it an excellent low-light camera. But, as DPEagle pointed out, that quality comes with a price.

Another unprocessed (compressed) screen capture via the X5 circa 2017.

A touch of sharpening really added a lot to these shots.

You take a pretty big hit in flight time AND maneuverability. After flying the Mavic, the Inspire 1 is going to feel like a sky barge. Add the X5 to double the "barge effect." I never flew the X5R, but I can imagine that that is even worse. Truth be told, my partner just got an M600 Pro, so thinking of mounting an X5R to that beast for 25+ minutes of RAW aerial. But the M600 is a huge beast, but I digress again.... I think the X5R is STILL a very relevant camera. That said...

The X5's focus scares the crap out of me. As I'm sure you're aware, anything less than sharp, perfect focus can ruin a shot. And the iPad and/or FPV goggles (my preference) are NOT a "sharp" devices. So I highly recommend "focus assist," which helps a LOT...especially with low-light shots. I had to scrap an entire night's shots because I trusted Autofocus. The entire night was soft. Maddening. Lesson learned. Even after calibrating the X5 several times, Autofocus was never 100%.

And finally, nothing beats dual-operator mode. Honestly, this is my favorite feature of the Inspire 1. Get a good pilot you trust and you can produce glorious shots with compound drone AND compound camera movements...very cinematic.

Here's a video me and my partner did in 2017. This was shot mostly f/4. Unfortunately, the X5 (being an h.264 device) has limited dynamic range. So I really worked to not blow out the sky or the balloon envelopes, yet not crush the blacks. It was a real balancing act.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

D

JeffA · May 23, 2019

My opinion....keep the MPP & get an I1,you wont be disappointed in it.

Donnie Frank · May 23, 2019

JeffA said:
My opinion....keep the MPP & get an I1,you wont be disappointed in it.

Agreed. These are completely different birds for completely different job parameters. And I always take the Mavic Pro on all shoots as a recon bird...just in case...

D

tarjei86 · Jun 4, 2019

Well friends.... first of all - thank you so much for your advices! Any of it has weight of gold for me ;-) so really appreciate you want to help me!

I'm still fighting with my final decision and trying no to burn a lot

But when I thought that MP2 is the right way for me.... then new offer of I1 Pro appear and blow my mind because I'm starting to watch new videos from X5 over and over again

I'm going to see and test one of them at Thursday and will see how it's flying and working - if it fits me in real.

Finally - after all your advices... it looks like the option to still have MP1 Platinum for everything and Phatnom 4 Adv + Inspire 1 Pro for professional work should be one of the best for me..... But the size of Mp2, it's mobility and still very good camera are encouraging. We will see after "ride" the Inspire in real

tarjei86 · Jul 1, 2019

I would like to thanks for everyone who was trying to help me ;-)
I've made my decision after some real tests and bought Mavic 2 Pro for now. Next buy will be probably something like Matrice 600 or similar because I decided to buy also full frame camera, Nikon Z6... so it will be much better option for the future, I think.

Thanks for everything