Toy or Professional tool

[Flemming K]

I have been waiting some time to get my hands on the new Inspire 1 drone - and required it for professional usage.

Now I got it and I must say I am very happy with flying performance - WOW ! GPS is superb. Smoot motions on flight and in Gimbal usage ... And there my positive list stops.

I found some really bad points making the new DJI Inspire 1 a very expensive TOY rater than a professional Tool.

Top 4 List of bad things:

1. No Audio recording available. That seams absolutely as nonsense. Especially as DJI is launching the Handheld device using the same camera....

2. No App for the IOS device ??? !!!! I am shocked... DJI should have cleared any issues with Apple BEFORE launching sales of the Inspire 1. I for one have had to go and spend another $350 to get at device to be able to use my Drone. I asked my dealer in Denmark if cables where included to connect to my IPad - he answered YES and told me to go to DJI's website to download the software.... but it was nowhere! (And no cables was included by the way)

3. No GroundStation. A while back I got GroundStation for my Phantom2 - and that is a SUPER tool. I was able to make waypoints and create the perfect route for my business flying plans. I asked the support if it will be available for the Inspire 1 - The shocking answer was "i am not sure maybe in the future or the next generation" - WFT? If DJI only will make this available in the NEXT generation of Inspire1, Then I really feel I have been ButF****D.
The pointing thing is simply not accurate enough. The software does not allow you to save and reuse a flight plan.

4. Manual without errors. I found the name Phantom in the manual. I miss information on how to get the plane out of Travel mode for the first time like it could NOT be on a carpet floor. I want to have a manual that is EASY to understand, Explaining how to chance camera settings like Jpg/DNG etc.

Dear DJI, Please tell me I did not spend $ 3.461,04 (that is the price in Denmark) for a toy!? (I also paid $210 for an extra battery witch DJI is not able to deliver before 3 weeks from now)

I will ask my money returned if not DJI commits to fix the above mentioned points.

 

[jonathnsmith]

1. The audio from a drone would be fairly useless as all you would hear is the engines and winds. While you view this as a toy keep in mind the RED camera, which is used to make a lot of movies, doesn't come with a microphone despite costing $20,000 (by the time you have a useable system). The handheld device is supposed to have a microphone built in since the camera does not. The majority of professionals use a slate, which you could use with the inspire, because audio is almost always recorded separately from the camera which is just used for scratch audio.

2. The app is available in several areas on this forum and many members have pointed that out many times. Use the search. The app will be back but its Apple's policies that are holding it back right now.

3. GroundStation wasn't ever promised with the Inspire so I'm not really sure why you were expecting it.

4. Its a Chinese company - what do you expect? Most manuals in general have errors. DJI has put out easy to follow videos that cover most of the topics in the manual.

DJI owes you nothing because you purchased a product from them that has delivered on all of their main selling points, not your list of negative complains. If you're not happy with it, return it. Alternatively I'd suggest that you return your Inspire and get a S900 + GH4 setup. This will address all of your gripes (minus there not being an app for it) but will also be more than the cost of 3 Inspires.

Happy flying.

 

[gwhiz2k]

What kind of audio would you want to record? I find all those GoPro videos from Phantoms with LOUD prop noise to be highly annoying. Why would you want to have audio of that? I remember someone talking about being able to record audio from the tablet's mic though.

2. Your cable IS included, it's in your iPad box. The same one you use to charge it. If you poke around on these forums, you'll see people offering the last version (0.92) for download.

 

[Flemming K]

1. The audio from a drone would be fairly useless as all you would hear is the engines and winds. While you view this as a toy keep in mind the RED camera, which is used to make a lot of movies, doesn't come with a microphone despite costing $20,000 (by the time you have a useable system). The handheld device is supposed to have a microphone built in since the camera does not. The majority of professionals use a slate, which you could use with the inspire, because audio is almost always recorded separately from the camera which is just used for scratch audio.

2. The app is available in several areas on this forum and many members have pointed that out many times. Use the search. The app will be back but its Apple's policies that are holding it back right now.

3. GroundStation wasn't ever promised with the Inspire so I'm not really sure why you were expecting it.

4. Its a Chinese company - what do you expect? Most manuals in general have errors. DJI has put out easy to follow videos that cover most of the topics in the manual.

DJI owes you nothing because you purchased a product from them that has delivered on all of their main selling points, not your list of negative complains. If you're not happy with it, return it. Alternatively I'd suggest that you return your Inspire and get a S900 + GH4 setup. This will address all of your gripes (minus there not being an app for it) but will also be more than the cost of 3 Inspires.

Happy flying.

I was simply expecting a step UP from DJI Phantom 2 - NOT steps down. Even though I am grateful of the flying skills of the Inspire 1, witch are superb, I am feeling a little let down by the failure or lack of the good parts missing from the Phantom Series.
Yes the Audio is needed for synchronisation with all other audio. I available it would make my work a lot easier.
You compare the camera with the RED - (I Cant help smiling) it's like comparing a bow and arrow with a 50.cal precision rifle.

You state: "DJI owes you nothing because you purchased a product from them that has delivered on all of their main selling points." No they do NOT deliver ! IOS was one of their main selling points. Yes I can PIRATE an old version to my IOS. Not official allowed or approved by DJI or Apple. So you are asking me to use pirated workarounds ?

Weather the company is from China, Greenland, Canada, Burundi or other places on earth I do expect them to do the best to write a NEW manual for their new product - not to Copy and Paste from an old manual from another product - witch they clearly did in this case.

Do NOT misunderstand me - I want the Inspire 1.2 version. Updated. Groundstation available, and the IOS App. I can live without audio.

 

[Ultra310x]

comparing the phantom to the inspire is useless as well. they are both tools one does some things better then the other and vise versa. thats why tool boxes were created to hold multiple tools.

 

[Mohan]

I think if the europeans designed this aircraft from the ground up and sold it it would be several magnitudes in price but without some of the gremlins. Of course it would have a manual worthy of its price tag. It would also cost an arm and a leg and still be manufactured in China. My top notch Bang and Olufsen is still made in the far east.. wonder why?

To the original OP - fly the Inspire 1 and then make a decision. Having the aircraft and flying it is a totally different experience. Yes you object to using the software which was not delivered using the official channel because that is what you expect. fair enough - but once you have the aircraft and it flies and behaves like the way you saw the promotional video whats wrong with that?

It flies exactly as all the videos, the gimble operates exactly as advertised and it captures video and photos as stated. The flight times, range and telemetry are all as stated. So why get upset about a few minor issues? These will get ironed out and susequent development cycles will improve this

There are plenty of manufactures who release products that claim extraordinary battery life, screen brightness, speed etc and the realilty is far from different in the production models. I walk in to a kitchen showroom get shown a kitchen. It is built in my house and 4 weeks later is nothing like the finish in the showroom.. happens all the time. This is a bespoke kitchen made to meassure and project managed. No amount of complaining is fixing the gremlins. Plenty of online resources that can reveal people who are in a similar boat. Lets stop bashing DJI at every oppertunity

 

[Matt]

Weather the company is from China, Greenland, Canada, Burundi or other places on earth..

I can't beleive you used Canada..

 

[Wormwood]

All you're REALLY complaining about is the value vs. performance, your opportunity costs, & comparing these benchmarks to your historical value of what you recall a $, €, or even a ¥ if you swing that way, is.
You forgot that we ALL went past the tipping point & into a global economy, this disrupted the value of everyone money. So maybe It's not that it cost you $3461.04. It's that, unless your income has doubled in the past 5 years, your money only buys about half of what it used to 5 or even 3 years ago. Personally, I think once the .1% get their wealth adjusted to new cost of living, we'll get our salaries adjusted as well.... So be patient.

Wormwood

 

[jplayer]

To answer your question the first thing we need to do is invalidate all of your points and frame a single question out of this.

Can you make money with this platform?
I define a professional tool as ANYTHING that is able to be used by you to in turn make money so this is why this questions is so important.

From the successful flights I have seen with the inspire:
#1. the footage looks great and if you know how to fly and capture images you certainly could sell what you are able to capture.... PROFESSIONAL
#2. I and many others are able to make money with the Phantom (which I also consider to be capable of being a professional tool), and from what I have seen, the shots from the inspire CAN be much better than a fully loaded GOpro phantom outfit creating potentially more desirable footage for your clients..... PROFESSIONAL

So questions is.. How will YOU use it?
-----Fly it around in your backyard, at the park, go scare the neighbors dogs, or look for a pat on the back about how cool you are when you fly it around your friends.......... TOY

-----Bring it out when a client pays you for a specific shot that you know your inspire will be much more capable of capturing than a phantom..... PROFESSIONAL


#1. NO Audio.. is that a joke??!?!
#2. NO IOS app.. Chill out.. it will return!!
#3. NO Groundstation... I can honestly see this never being an option.... Compare the inspire/phantom/spread wings to a camera lineup from Canon/Nikon. You can buy a consumer grade DSLR or move up to the Prosumer grade or move up to the PRO lineup... What makes this widely varying price points acceptable? Quality and features. If they give you ground station ability they start detracting from the differences that you can get in the spread wings series or phantom even if you buy the full on Lightbridge system which keep in mind is more than half the cost of the Inspire....
#4. Manual without errors. Are you able to glean the info you need from the manual and more importantly would you honestly read the manual in fine detail?? Doubtful....

 

[Morgon]

#4. Manual without errors. Are you able to glean the info you need from the manual and more importantly would you honestly read the manual in fine detail?? Doubtful....

Uh. Yeah, you should absolutely be reading the manual in as fine a detail as the translations allow. The idea of this being a Good Thing (TM) is non-negotiable.

For the safety and security of all of us and our hobby: Do not fly without having read the manual. Thanks for your cooperation.