Drones for Dummies

Who here knows about drones?

I'm in the market to get one but I don't know where to start. I've been reading web articles but I'm not familiar with any of the brands.

I know I want something that is easy to fly and control (most important), long flight time and a decent camera. Price is not an issue, within reason.

Ready, Set, GO!

 

What do you want to do with it? Those are the constraints.

Are you more into filmography? FPV? Racing? Are you interested in building a quad? How much autonomy do you want (GPS, return to home, hold altitude, etc)?

Answering those will dictate best fit IMO. Really though it’s what you’re expecting out of it.

Here’s my toy lol

 

Ultimately I want it for aerial photography.

I want it to automatically return to its home base (where it was launched from) at the push of a button, and GPS would be a nice touch. Hi Def camera is a must.

But most important is a long flight time (20 minutes or longer).

 

@RearViewMirror has a lot of experience with different brands.

I have a DJI Phantom 3 and it has all the things you require. It has since been superseded (which is why I got it cheaper) and DJI has much nicer ones out there now that are more compact and have better cameras. What's your price range?

 

I'd like to keep it under $800. I'm willing to spend what is necessary (within reason) for a decent product.

 

Yeah, DJI is honestly probably going to be your best bet.

While there are other brands, no others really have the amount of support sizeable knowledge base that exists with DJI.

Their products will likely meet all of your requirements, have a manageable learning curve, and are a well proven platform for aerial photography. The weakest link would be cost. BUT, you do get what you pay for.

Now, for some more unsolicited advice:

1. You will crash, eventually. Might be sooner, might be later, it just happens. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, other than gravity is a constraint. There are a many variables that need to go right for a random hunk of plastic with some motors and a computer to fly. If any one of them fails at a given time, it will likely result in a crash. Don't sweat it. Just get spares ahead of time so you can fix it and get back in the air as soon as possible.
2. Again, get spares. Spare props, landing legs, lens covers, whatever. You will likely need them at some point. Better to have them available so you can fix it quickly.
3. Spend a lot of time getting to know the machine, how it handles and behaves, etc. BEFORE trying to take epic aerial photos/video. The more familiar you are with the machine the better equipped you'll be in knowing what can and can't (or can but shouldn't) be done, and the more confident you'll be when framing a shot. You want maneuvering the machine to be as much of a reflex as possible.
4. Get spare batteries.
5. Have fun!!

​

 

I am debating whether or not to buy a cheap-assed drone just to practice flying it so if I crash it, so what? OTOH, all the cheap-assed ones have a very short flight time/long recharge time so it would be hard to get much practice unless I buy a whole lot of batteries.

I'd definitely learn to fly the thing before trying to use the camera. My multi-tasking skills peak out at about 1, so I'd want flying it to be second-nature before trying to operate a camera too.

Extra batteries for sure.

 

That's what I have done. I bought a used system from a buddy that was upgrading. That way I have way less money in it and can learn. The Yuneek I have uses my old GoPro so not a real issue. I'm learning and will upgrade to a newer more compact system but I love the fun and abilities I've learned.

 

I sincerely wouldn't waste the money if I were you. The P3 that I have is "old" technology by current standards and it pretty much flies itself compared to cheaper and smaller quads. Unless you're in heavy winds(>10-15 mph), it stays exactly where you put it horizontally and vertically due to it's GPS system. It has auto take-off and -landing, and is extremely stable. You could easily practice with it in an open area. Plus it has a "beginner" mode that makes it less sensitive to inputs from the controller and has user-defined limits on the distance it can be flown.

The smaller quads with simple gyro stabilization and no sensors are jittery and you're always compensating for drifting in even the slightest breeze. They won't give you a good feel for the bigger more capable quads, which are like moving cargo ships in comparison.

 

Yeah, I was looking at the Phantom 3 as a Definite Maybe.

 

Second this.

 

I have a DJI Spark with the Fly More Combo package for sale right now for $500. Just putting it out there. Flown two times only since I bought it in November.

 

Now, another question. Is there such a thing as a feature that allows the drone to follow it's controller?

Let's say I'm driving my truck down the road and I want drone footage of me driving. If I have the controller in my truck with me, can the drone be programmed to follow me at a fixed distance?

 

I'm not into quad copters,but like reading about them.

Are you thinking of the Lily Drone?

 

Yessir, my old P3 has a follow function. It is controller-based, using the GPS signal from the phone or tablet you use for your screen. I have not tried this on mine yet.

The newer ones, from what I understand, don't even need a controller to lock onto. The software is sophisticated enough that it will follow and take video based on an image or object that the camera is picking up (which you specify). They also have a tripod-type function where the quad stays in place and rotates so the camera can follow a moving object around.

 

Correct, many of them can perform object recognition. You'd draw a box around whatever object you want tracked and machine vision will track it.

 

I had a phantom 3 4K and it was a great machine until “return to home” took it in the complete opposite direction and was never to be seen again. Ended up getting a gopro karma and the thing has been pretty good - it’s been used for several paid jobs and video from it is on a professional Maine trucking website as well as a tv commercial.

 

anybody have a mavic air for sale???