Rental Rates with X7

[austinlarson]

I always charge rental (own op only) on my kit for jobs . Usually somewhere around $600-$800 US a day, depending on options like dual op, extra monitors, media, batteries, backup bird, etc...

I'm not sure that having the X7 is going to be able to increase the rental rate proportionately to the amount of investment for the camera plus 4 lenses.

I was thinking I'll keep the X5s as standard and was thinking of adding X7 as an "add on only" for something like $300-400 with all 4 lenses and camera per day. Obviously certain clients will ask for the bigger chip from the go, but I'm not trying to invest another $7k and not see any increase in rental, and have clients assume they'll get the X7 now for the same price as the X5s kit. (Although I would prefer to always fly the X7 )

My thought process is that a client asking for a RED or ARRI sensor in the sky is going to be ready to pay "big rig" rates to do so, and so renting the X7 should be treated the same, as a separate camera and lens rental.

Wondering what thoughts or structure any of you were considering in getting the new upgrade. Or maybe you were thinking of selling X5s and going X7 entirely.

 

[Synonomau5]

Seems reasonable. You might try creating a comparison reel (side by side) on a similar flight path, with a high contrast situation (sunrise/sunset?) to demonstrate the value, too.

I'm probably going to keep the X5s just for the ability to shoot both wider and more telephoto. The X7 lens lineup is a little limiting, and I'm not sure it will ever expand, since it's proprietary and DJI seems to obviate their previous systems on an annual basis.

I'd be shocked if we don't see an Inspire 3 with a full frame sensor camera in a year or so, if not a medium format camera (they own Hasselblad now). That's not a lot of time for pros to recoup the investment...

Do you have the X7 yet?

 

[Paul Nordin]

ive been in the Red camera game since the beginning, and see the X7 as the equivalent to a sensor upgrade (from Epic to Dragon for example). If rental rates follow that model, you can up charge for the X7 for 6-months following official product release. From then on, productions will expect the same I2X5s rate. Then in another 6 months, DJI will release the X8 - full frame camera and that will get the uptick rate. Then an I3…yadda yadda yadda

 

[BIllNicholsTV]

Seems reasonable. You might try creating a comparison reel (side by side) on a similar flight path, with a high contrast situation (sunrise/sunset?) to demonstrate the value, too.

I'm probably going to keep the X5s just for the ability to shoot both wider and more telephoto. The X7 lens lineup is a little limiting, and I'm not sure it will ever expand, since it's proprietary and DJI seems to obviate their previous systems on an annual basis.

I'd be shocked if we don't see an Inspire 3 with a full frame sensor camera in a year or so, if not a medium format camera (they own Hasselblad now). That's not a lot of time for pros to recoup the investment...

Do you have the X7 yet?

I would be shocked (well not shocked) if you saw an i3 in the next year. I had some pretty extensive conversation with product managers and global sales at the LA X7 event. They specifically talked about having a long roadmap for the i3 and for software and that they aren't looking at an i3 platform for a long time to come. The X7 is going to carry the i2 for a good amount of time to come and keep it above everything else that isn't flying something much larger. They have effectively taken the entire market below the matrice 600 /, no one else is doing anything that will come close to either the X5S or X7 and the workflows that are coming.

The larger market is another story but your X7 investment (from what I have heard) isn't going to be replaced by a new airframe anytime soon, if it was, the X7 is a serious investment and they would be hard pressed to not make it compatible with a newer airframe.

 

[austinlarson]

I think if anything will be released it will be in some incremental upgrade airframe similar to the i1 V2.0.

 

[jb.]

the X7 is a serious investment and they would be hard pressed to not make it compatible with a newer airframe.

All those X5R owners are laughing their asses off at this.

The X5R was more expensive than the X7 at release (it was $3200 w/o lens or SSD). The SSDs were also more expensive than the CineSSDs for the I2.

How expensive something is means literally nothing to DJI when it comes time to abandon an interface.