Reliability

[Pathfindercod]

I am very new to drones. I have kind of hated them in the past few years because the "invasion on privacy" I felt they caused. I started paying more attention to the laws and rules recently and really seeing what they offered. Started thinking hmmm, I can take my "photography" to another point of view.
I am really more interested in arial photography aspect more than video. I am horrible at video and wouldn't mind investing time in learning more over some time. Concentrating more on the photography aspect I thought well I will wet my feet a little and got a Mavic Air. Slowly made my way into trusting it and getting more adventurous. Before I really started using it and seeing what it can do I thought well, this Inspire 2 with an actual camera and changeable lens's would be the ultimate way to go for photography. So I ordered one and a x4s to start with from a big box store (I had gift cards and store credit) so it helped ease the financial burden of the initial big purchase.
Trying to shorten my cluttered mind that goes a million miles an hour and I don't loose everyone. The Inspire 2 is still in the box approaching the end of my return period to the store. I am having a hard time with my decision after seeing all these crash videos and what seems to be a higher unreliable status of the Inspire 2. Now hold on and don't start drilling me yet. I know the internet is almost exclusive to people coming to complain or find help with products. Not many people hangout on the internet to just praise products in general and forums. As mentioned I am new to the "hobby" I am calling it right now and like the majority I turned to the internet for reviews and guidance.
So I guess my questions are. Being new to the drone field it seems DJI is the leader in the field. It also seems they do not have very good support and take forever to fix issues like firmware and bugs caused from other new updates. Promised things that they haven't delivered on yet (features). Major issues they caused with updates that have been lingering for weeks and months? Anyone regret buying the Inspire 2? Does the failure rate seem fairly high for this particular drone? Being a single operator is it highly suggested to spend another $1000 on the Cendence controller for ease of camera manipulation while controlling the drone flight? It also seems there really isn't much "newbie" type tutorials on operation of flight vs camera use. Seems to be a bug or something not working right in every video I find. Also can you or can you not "zoom" with day the Olympus 9-18mm lens via the controller or do you have to land and manually zoom the lens and take off again?
Flying is not new to me I have been flying remote control helis since the late 90's. Started with JR and Xcell choppers but pretty much own or have in the past thunder tiger, JR, Xcell, Align, Velocity (was a beta tester sort of team pilot). For some reason I am more nervouc flying the mavic air and really terrified in keeping the investment of the inspire2 simply because total investment to total loss seems more real with repairs being very expensive and most replies I have seen is total replacement all the time vs repairs. I never have had a total loss on my choppers and most have been easy fairly cheap fixes over the years.
Sorry for the long message and appreciate any thoughts on my mental issues, lol....

 

[The Editor]

• Unbox it
• Fly it
• Enjoy it

If you are really concerned about total loss, purchase hull/aircraft insurance cover.

 

[Greginaustin]

Buy the CareRefresh or whatever insurance you want, and take it slow. I bought a P4P 2 years ago, got the bug, and this March I finally got an I2 with X5S. I still fly her pretty gingerly but I'm getting braver each time i take her out. (Knowing i have care refresh also helps).

It's just like you said, there are more complainers on the internet than otherwise. I haven't had any issues with my birds that weren't self inflicted.

 

[NickU]

Follow the Editors advice and chances are you'll not regret it.

The main reliability issue is the chimp holding the RC... in 180+ hrs in the air on 2 Dji drones, the only real problems are self inflicted ones. Both drones have been (and are) great and reliable fliers. I wouldn't hesitate at buying either a phantom or an Inspire 2 again if I had to.

I've had a couple of stupid crashes, Bruised pride and wallet, but I self repaired one, and am in process of having the other fixed by Dji. In both cases, crash was my fault, not the drone, and not software and in both cases the cost of fixing things up wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated.

 

[Pathfindercod]

Awesome, thank you for all the replies.

 

[Paul7of8]

It seems as if I have always had a love for photography. I was a Nikon shooter for years — even film years. I later moved to the Sony A7RII from a Nikon D810. I love the Sony. At any rate... that baseline love for still photography is also how I got into drones.

I started with the Phantom 3 Pro, then Mavic Pro, then I2 (with an X5s). I still have the Mavic and I2. From a flight perspective, I don’t find that I am any more intimidated by the I2 as compared to the Mavic.

As someone who loves photography, my problem is that I am now craving the X7 and the full package of lenses. I’m right back to when I wanted a full frame digital camera and full set of f/2.8 lenses.

To be honest, I think I’ll eventually give in and get the X7+lenses, but it won’t be this year (as I just recently picked up the I2 and X5s). I still have plenty of work to do to get as comfortable with a flying camera as I am with the one around my neck. I’m anxious to be able to make I2/X5S adjustments as quickly, while in flight, as I would with the Sony in my hands.

Fly the I2 at your own risk... not risk of crashing, but risk of wanting a better camera/sensor and lenses.

 

[Eric Braun]

I am very new to drones. I have kind of hated them in the past few years because the "invasion on privacy" I felt they caused. ....

You must kind of hate ladders too. After all, you can put one up against a privacy fence and peek over. Why does equipment define the user? Why is there an assumption that every drone op is a perv? I had an argument with my next door neighbor, who is also one of my best friends... a really great guy... but he pissed me off. "WHO the HELL do you think I am? After all these years... you think I'd do THAT? Don't let me catch you on your roof again, peeking over into my property. And stay off your freaking ladders!" He took my point but just couldn't lose the emotional charge of drones being "creepy" even if one of his best friends was operating it. We got through it.

 

[NickU]

just show 'em a 500/4, 600/4 or 800/5.6 or even a 1200/5.6 and tell them when they see a drone with one of them on that that's the time to get worried

 

[The Editor]

just show 'em a 500/4, 600/4 or 800/5.6 or even a 1200/5.6 and tell them when they see a drone with one of them on that that's the time to get worried

But I'd hate to see the balance ring for one of those.

 

[NickU]

But I'd hate to see the balance ring for one of those.

lo...it would be an issue for the X5, X5S or X7

In reality it's not actually much of an issue if using a proper DSLR - the weight of the lens itself is easily used to balance out the camera weight when using a gimbal. Check out the likes of the Wimberley Sidekick or Full Wimberley head, Manfrotto also do some contraption too. They're pretty easy to balance and effortless to move once balanced. It would be trivial to mount the head upside down and undersling the rig given the right lifter .

The biggest problem I find is wind resistance, especially if you leave the lens flare hood in place, as it just acts like a sail - biggest issue after that is weight, camera and lens aint light to start with, add in weight of gimbal and then the rails for the focus gearing - my poor I2 quakes in the darkest corner of it's case and can't be persuaded to come out when I mention trying

 

[Eric Braun]

lo...it would be an issue for the X5, X5S or X7

In reality it's not actually much of an issue if using a proper DSLR - the weight of the lens itself is easily used to balance out the camera weight when using a gimbal. Check out the likes of the Wimberley Sidekick or Full Wimberley head, Manfrotto also do some contraption too. They're pretty easy to balance and effortless to move once balanced. It would be trivial to mount the head upside down and undersling the rig given the right lifter .

The biggest problem I find is wind resistance, especially if you leave the lens flare hood in place, as it just acts like a sail - biggest issue after that is weight, camera and lens aint light to start with, add in weight of gimbal and then the rails for the focus gearing - my poor I2 quakes in the darkest corner of it's case and can't be persuaded to come out when I mention trying

Stability becomes the issue for long zooms. Still pictures can be OK if the shutter speed is high enough. But video beyond a 90mm 35mm equivalent becomes difficult.

 

[NickU]

Ever tried it Eric? a DSLR and 500/4 (even with multipliers/teleconverters up to 2x) can provide some lovely footage when used for video with either a properly balanced fluid head or a Gimbal head designed for them & locked down (although they're not really damped/smooth for enough panning with). if you've seen BBC planet earth footage of the snow leopards then they've been taken with 600/5 and 1200/5.6 EF lenses.

I'd love to get my paws on a 1200/5.6

 

[Eric Braun]

Ever tried it Eric? a DSLR and 500/4 (even with multipliers/teleconverters up to 2x) can provide some lovely footage when used for video with either a properly balanced fluid head or a Gimbal head designed for them & locked down (although they're not really damped/smooth for enough panning with). if you've seen BBC planet earth footage of the snow leopards then they've been taken with 600/5 and 1200/5.6 EF lenses.

I'd love to get my paws on a 1200/5.6

You're flying a 500mm with a fluid head? Beyond me, I'll have to admit.

 

[NickU]

lol... no, but I'd love to try! Use the 500 as a go to lens for ground stuff tho'

 

[The Editor]

Ever tried it Eric? a DSLR and 500/4 (even with multipliers/teleconverters up to 2x) can provide some lovely footage when used for video with either a properly balanced fluid head or a Gimbal head designed for them & locked down (although they're not really damped/smooth for enough panning with). if you've seen BBC planet earth footage of the snow leopards then they've been taken with 600/5 and 1200/5.6 EF lenses.

I'd love to get my paws on a 1200/5.6

Yes but they are locked down on OConner or Mitchel sticks which for the price of a stick and fluid head set up you could buy 10 Inspire 2's
Even Sachtler set ups at around £14,000 are the poor man's tripod to the OConnors.

This thread seems to be going wildly OT

 

[NickU]

um, a few years back a friend decided didn't like his Satchlers & had had enough of them, so tipped them over a cliff edge - I think he'd jammed a leg on them . Coulda donated them... Me, I'm just sticking to my old n slow CF Gitzo's for now.

And yes, we are going way way OT