Has it all been worth it?

[CraigVMN]

Considering all the time, effort & money invested, has being a drone pilot been worth it? There are some people who make money with their drones, but for most it is just a hobby. Is it a really cool flying toy? A flying platform for taking video & stills? A hobby?

Further, do you do it just for yourself? Many pilots edit together their video footage and edit their stills and post them online, but how important is feedback/likes from others? Are you content to just to share everything with family & friends?

I started with building and flying a quadcopter with no camera or GPS, because it was a cool flying toy. As the technology grew into the drones we know today, as a photographer buying one was an easy decision. Personally I have this affliction that when I get into a hobby I feel I need the "best" gear available to get the most out of the hobby. My wallet says otherwise.

I'm curious to read the thoughts of others in the hobby.

 

[Max Headroom]

Personally I have this affliction that when I get into a hobby I feel I need the "best" gear available to get the most out of the hobby. My wallet says otherwise.

My answer to that it it all depends on what you want to get out of it you don't need to blow the bank balance to make really good video and take amazing pictures but obviously there is a reason some drones cost hundreds of $/£ and others cost thousands of $/£.

I started last year with a Mini 2 SE i bought it because it was the cheapest Mini you could buy i didn't want or need anything bigger i just wanted to get into the hobby and see if it was something i was gong to stick at.

It soon became hooked but found taking panoramic shots with the SE not so good as they would come out jittery when played back on my 2560 x 1440 Quad HD display, this was caused by it being limited to 30 FPS in anything higher than 1080p so I decided to trade it for a Mini 3 which allowed me to take video at 2.7k (2704 x 1520 pixels) at 60 FPS it also fly's longer on each battery and is a lot quieter.

I didn't get into the hobby to make money and i don't look back thinking I have wasted any, I am loving flying and filming I love seeing the place i have lived all my life from a different viewpoint/angle i do have a YouTube channel but don't have flashy animated intros etc like you often see here i just post the edited video so family and friends can watch it.

 

[BlueHeeler]

A big Yes, even though I am licensed to operate commercially, I have not made a dime, my regular ( non flying ) job eats up all the time I trade for compensation, sooner or later I will get there, meanwhile I fly for amusement.

 

[1gratefulflyingdawg]

For me it is a new hobby that a retired ole man needs to help keep his mind alert and functioning properly. So far I haven’t flown much because my ole body has been acting up and putting me out of commission in the mornings and in Phoenix in the summer it doesn’t take long to get hot, 9:45 am 101º. Fortunately it’s supposed to cool off a bit so hopefully I’ll get some flight time in.

 

[Cafguy]

I couldnt tell you how much money I have spent in this hobby.... Drones themselves WAY over 20 grand and thats a very short guess. I have 9 DJI Drones at the moment and 20 or so others plus My builds. Was it worth it..SURE WAS! I fly everyday and if the weather is bad I fly the sim.
The money is getting you less and less these days and I am not quite sure how long I can keep going on the FPV side of things tho.If prices continue at this pace I will have to dust off the Smoothie and start flyin fixed wing again, I am gonna build my next XL with an Air unit so I can FPV it!
I have learned SO MUCH from this hobby its amazing that I stuck with it all really!

 

[StantonZ]

It's been worth it to me...but I only have *1* drone and don't spend a lot of $ on accessories either. I admit to flying less and less these days, but would probably replace my current drone with something similar (not low end, not high end) if I had to.

 

[Johnmcl7]

These days I really only use my drone to take aerial panoramas for me but it's absolutely worth, I love being able to see familiar sights from a completely different angle and it's a fantastic way to capture new sights.