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.

 

[djwak59]

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.

As a kid, I always wanted one of those gas powered, chrome plated,COX P-51 Mustangs ! All the “cool kids” in town had one. I never got one. Later in the late 60s early 70s, I started seeing radio controlled airplanes, never got one. About 5 or 6 years ago I started seeing YouTube videos of MJX Bugs drones and I bought one. No GPS, no nothin’ but I thought it was great ! So, I’ve always flown just for my own enjoyment. I might take some pictures or video but I fly just for the experience of “flying” through my drones. I now own 5 DJI drones and still have those MJX Bug drones too, but they’re pretty much mothballed. Have fun !

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

While I have shot a couple jobs over the years, like @BlueHeeler , my regular (non-flying) job keeps me busy. I like the cinematography aspect of it myself. It is mainly a hobby since at this point unless you're doing something like mapping or have gotten into it early, the chances for making a viable business out of it are slim. I enjoy it and enjoy seeing everyone else's creations that they post on the forum. That makes it worth it for me.

 

[IronSky1]

For me its the 360 camera views. I have used most of the 360 cameras from GoPro and Insta360. This is how I got into making special mounts.

 

[JTBennett00]

Well…
I hope this helps.

Like some of us:

As a child, I wanted a P-51 Mustang (Miss America / Cox) — but I didn’t get one.
As a teenager, I wanted to build and fly remote-controlled (RC) planes or gliders — but I couldn’t.
As a young adult, I didn’t have the money to get into the hobby.
As an “adult” today, I still don’t have the resources…

My director at work, like me, is interested in drone technology and its potential and capabilities. For the past 10 years, I’ve been in the “drone business” as the UAV Administrator for the university I work at. I conduct my own operations (using a thermal-enabled drone) and oversee approximately 22 departments that utilize remote-controlled flight hardware.

With all that said, I still have mixed feelings. Yes, it’s a toy. Yes, it’s a tool. Yes, it can be a weapon. It all depends on how the owner or user applies it. That alone doesn’t make it a security threat.

Any drone can be a threat. Any computer can be a threat. Even a Tesla, with all its navigational aids, can be a threat.

Any computer can run software or firmware that redirects files anywhere, including to China.

The United States government has yet to prove a definitive case against Chinese-manufactured flight hardware -- much less than DJI. Even if it does, the “proof” is likely to be questionable — will it be the truth, or just a narrative?

With DJI doing a soft withdrawal from the U.S. market, I can no longer purchase DJI flight hardware (like the M30 or M4T) to do my job. Many of us have come to depend on access to the world’s best drones — and now we can’t get them. That impacts real work and real people.

You asked, “…has it been worth it?” Up to now, I would say yes. But for the past 12 to 18 months? I’d say… maybe.

There have been good moments, like identifying a steam tunnel to prevent a crane from being parked on it (thanks to thermal imaging), or assisting with search and rescue operations. Those moments matter.

But all the rhetoric about good vs. bad, security threats, and weaponization — it’s just exhausting.

The withdrawal of DJI is disheartening, at best.

So, if you're entrenched in this as a hobby or relying on it as a tool, it’s up to each of us to decide whether it’s still worth it. For me, until recently, it was. Now, it’s questionable. Tomorrow? I don’t know.

Right now, at the end of the day -- I’m at “I hope so.”

But it’s your call to make -- your judgment to weigh. Make it count!

Take care
Thank You
JT

 

[IronSky1]

Well said. I still do not see why DJI cannot move some of its testing, engineering and support like any well run global company into the US like other companies do.

 

[anotherlab]

Well said. I still do not see why DJI cannot move its some of its testing, engineering and support like any well run global company into the use like other companies do.

What other consumer-focused tech companies have moved staff to the US?

DJI's products are engineered in China, and all of the parts are manufactured in China. If you are testing a new drone for compliance, that compliance is regional. FCC for the US, CE for Europe, etc. There is no benefit to moving some of the testing away from where the product is built. If a product needs to be modified to meet regulatory compliance, moving that testing halfway across the world becomes an unnecessary expense.

There is a book that was published this year titled "Apple in China". While the book is focused on Apple, it is a well-written dive into how the manufacture of consumer electronics has moved to China. It also goes into how hard it is to move that manufacturing out of China, even to other South Asian countries.

 

[IronSky1]

Flat Screen technology has been built up in Southern Wis. DJI shoots itself in foot by not having presence in a major market like the US. I understand the manufacturering process needs to be in China.

 

[Dale D]

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.

I do not regret entering the drone hobby but I really worry that support for damage or loss will go away with the present restrictions on DJI. I think I can understand the security fears of the U.S. government being behind this. Because I am a patriotic citizen, I would err on the side of security. I am a passionate photographer and videographer and love the fact that I can now add this great perspective to my videos. But I can see a time not too distant in the future (my age is 86) that I will have to sell off my M3 and Mavic 4 Pro. Until that time, (hopefully years away) I still love flying and using that footage for my videos.

Dale

 

[Cafguy]

Well said. I still do not see why DJI cannot move some of its testing, engineering and support like any well run global company into the US like other companies do.

They were constructing a factory in California to make Drones for the gov. until all this mess started.

 

[IronSky1]

Good to hear maybe there is hope. Hate to loose the tech they create.

 

[alfo2010]

At the age of twenty-five I started with my photography hobby and have been at it ever since. Thirteen years ago, I was diagnosed with spinal stenoses a degenerative disc disease that comes along with contestant lower back pain, I am now a handicap person with very little ability to walk very far. I had three surgeries that did not fix the problem. Seven years ago, I decided that I could do photography with a drone, and I was right. I have a Mavic 4 Pro, and it takes outstanding photos and videos, I use Photoshop and CapCut to edit my files. I post my photos and videos on Facebook to share with my family and friends. My drone hobby keeps me busy and gets me out of the house and I get to meet people that have drones and people that have a lot oof questions about drones. Kids always want to view what is on the screen and they get a great view with the RC Pro 2. I live on Vancouver Island on Canadas west coat so there are a lot of options for photography and videography. I take day trips to different locations on the Island visiting cities, towns, villages and wide-open beautiful scenery of the ocean, lakes and mountains. The one downside of this hobby is that it has become very expensive with ongoing increases on drone purchases and accessories. In the USA DJI it’s almost impossible to buy a DJI drone unless you’re willing to buy DJI products outside the country.

 

[CraigVMN]

At the age of twenty-five I started with my photography hobby and have been at it ever since. Thirteen years ago, I was diagnosed with spinal stenoses a degenerative disc disease that comes along with contestant lower back pain, I am now a handicap person with very little ability to walk very far. I had three surgeries that did not fix the problem. Seven years ago, I decided that I could do photography with a drone, and I was right. I have a Mavic 4 Pro, and it takes outstanding photos and videos, I use Photoshop and CapCut to edit my files. I post my photos and videos on Facebook to share with my family and friends. My drone hobby keeps me busy and gets me out of the house and I get to meet people that have drones and people that have a lot oof questions about drones. Kids always want to view what is on the screen and they get a great view with the RC Pro 2. I live on Vancouver Island on Canadas west coat so there are a lot of options for photography and videography. I take day trips to different locations on the Island visiting cities, towns, villages and wide-open beautiful scenery of the ocean, lakes and mountains. The one downside of this hobby is that it has become very expensive with ongoing increases on drone purchases and accessories. In the USA DJI it’s almost impossible to buy a DJI drone unless you’re willing to buy DJI products outside the country.

I'm sorry about your health issues, but good on you for finding something you enjoy doing.

 

[hiflyer201]

I started flying drones because I wanted to capture scenes I had been viewing for years while flying aircraft. There is really no way to put those scenes into words and they are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to capture from an aircraft.
My drone has captured scenes of places I only had distant memories of, such as the remote location in Mexico where I had once been a pilot during the filming of Catch 22.
The airport has disappeared under a cover of bushes and full size trees, but I was able to find it and video it with my tiny Spark.
Drones are magic to me.