With the release of the new technology such as the Mavic Air and Typhoon H Plus, the discussions of design, props, etc seem to be focused a lot on portability or flying. Some discussions touch on Designers / Engineers missing the ideal design by not providing folding props or some other feature not complimentary for photography. Which is more towards flying interests and less on ideal photographic design. Thought I’d throw out a different angle in discussion and touch on the primary design of drones... photography and other options to consider for non-photography. Many threads in several DJI & Yuneec forums indicate the Posters are expressing more desire to fly than photograph.
Excluding specialized fields and military, multirotor RC aircraft were designed as a platform for photography. Currently, I’d agree consumer platforms are now more broadly focused including market sales and wider advertisement to appeal to attract new buyers. But that’s been driven by the inherent qualities of designing a stable photography platform. Included in this UAV mass market as a result of micro electronics becoming low cost are “toy drones”, but not part of this discussion.
Originally, the quad, hex, oct platforms were focused on photography. The commercial platforms continue to focus primarily on photography related fields, which trickle technology down to prosumer / retail platforms. The heavy lifting Hex & Oct are also being applied to SAR, cabling or other roles, but still dependent on photography or video within the project. The RC sport flyers continue focused on improving FPV Quads or single rotor collective designs... which have greatly improved too!
With the stable multirotor platforms accepted as standard and easily obtained, perceived expectations have gone from something easy to fly to expectations including ultra portability and quality of photography. This combination is improving, but won’t obtain the ideal in any of the 3 in single platform; paticually photography. Kinda like expecting a cell phone camera to obtain same quality of DSLR RAW images; until a cell phone can intigrate a large sensor, isn’t going to happen. If cell phones ever got close, that technology would be applied to larger format DSLR and the bench marks would be at a new level.
As platform form factors miniaturize, the commercial low-lift models become more prosumer class, separated by optional components instead of different models. The compact folding designs are awesome, as development continues it will be driven by photography. Getting the camera sensors, high ISO, wider base of lenses, geo mapping, fps, Mbps, zoom, interchangeable lenses, GPS and grid programs available on commercial models.
Each generation improves in producing an ultra stable, geo fenced, logging, intelligent multi rotor with exceptional cameras. For the New Buyer to purchase as a photography platform, they are getting more than they imagined possible!
For the group purchasing primarily as sport / entertainment aircraft may be impressed on stability, maneuverability, speed and overall performance. After a short time will essentially find the aircraft non-challenging... boring.
This is where media has over popularized the photography drones. These buyers should look towards the less advertised but still technological high FPV Drones or even better, the Single Rotor Collective Helicopters.
FPV Drones maintain the high stability performance, increased agility, higher speed to photo drones and are designed for both open visual or streaming video goggles (limitations where can be legally flown). Designed for flying, entertainment, sport, racing and the closest to video game environment while outside, the FPV Drones. Example of FPV Drone: https://www.amazon.com/Racing-Goggl...ller-Quadcopter/dp/B01M027X8I?tag=uavcoach-20
For those seeking personal challenge, increased Pilot skills, and entertainment that gives a feeling of accomplishment after a flight. The single rotor collective chopper is the aircraft to examine. Before drones, RC flying involved purchasing a radio, transmitter, receiver, servos and required a skill to configure to fly. Back in the day of RC radios, servos, and nitro fuel; the chopper was the elite craft to learn & master. The analog systems & mechanical gyros helped but there were always more crash than flight... an experienced pilot was a patient pilot slowly gaining skills. Jump forward to present time; electronics, batteries, digital / intelligent radios, electric helicopters have greatly improved the configuration and controllability of RC Helli’s. To clarify, not speaking of dual counter rotating rotor toys or fixed collective rotors. Visit a hobby store or read up on the RC choppers, a popular brand is Blade, an example of small collective bird Nano CPS: Blade - #1 By Design.
This post became longer than intended... quick conclusion:
If you’re looking to purchase or owning a drone to “Fly” more than photography or maybe both... got into photo drones for the love of flying and at times would enjoy the challenge of flying; Look at the other flying options. Personally, if an inexperienced Flyer can buy, unwrap a UAV aircraft and stable fly on 1st battery, the skills required have been greatly assisted by electronics. Adding to pilot skills, another benifit to RC Helli’s is the gained skills in piloting and controlled reactions learned flying an aircraft that isn’t nearly as stable as a drone.
Excluding specialized fields and military, multirotor RC aircraft were designed as a platform for photography. Currently, I’d agree consumer platforms are now more broadly focused including market sales and wider advertisement to appeal to attract new buyers. But that’s been driven by the inherent qualities of designing a stable photography platform. Included in this UAV mass market as a result of micro electronics becoming low cost are “toy drones”, but not part of this discussion.
Originally, the quad, hex, oct platforms were focused on photography. The commercial platforms continue to focus primarily on photography related fields, which trickle technology down to prosumer / retail platforms. The heavy lifting Hex & Oct are also being applied to SAR, cabling or other roles, but still dependent on photography or video within the project. The RC sport flyers continue focused on improving FPV Quads or single rotor collective designs... which have greatly improved too!
With the stable multirotor platforms accepted as standard and easily obtained, perceived expectations have gone from something easy to fly to expectations including ultra portability and quality of photography. This combination is improving, but won’t obtain the ideal in any of the 3 in single platform; paticually photography. Kinda like expecting a cell phone camera to obtain same quality of DSLR RAW images; until a cell phone can intigrate a large sensor, isn’t going to happen. If cell phones ever got close, that technology would be applied to larger format DSLR and the bench marks would be at a new level.
As platform form factors miniaturize, the commercial low-lift models become more prosumer class, separated by optional components instead of different models. The compact folding designs are awesome, as development continues it will be driven by photography. Getting the camera sensors, high ISO, wider base of lenses, geo mapping, fps, Mbps, zoom, interchangeable lenses, GPS and grid programs available on commercial models.
Each generation improves in producing an ultra stable, geo fenced, logging, intelligent multi rotor with exceptional cameras. For the New Buyer to purchase as a photography platform, they are getting more than they imagined possible!
For the group purchasing primarily as sport / entertainment aircraft may be impressed on stability, maneuverability, speed and overall performance. After a short time will essentially find the aircraft non-challenging... boring.
This is where media has over popularized the photography drones. These buyers should look towards the less advertised but still technological high FPV Drones or even better, the Single Rotor Collective Helicopters.
FPV Drones maintain the high stability performance, increased agility, higher speed to photo drones and are designed for both open visual or streaming video goggles (limitations where can be legally flown). Designed for flying, entertainment, sport, racing and the closest to video game environment while outside, the FPV Drones. Example of FPV Drone: https://www.amazon.com/Racing-Goggl...ller-Quadcopter/dp/B01M027X8I?tag=uavcoach-20
For those seeking personal challenge, increased Pilot skills, and entertainment that gives a feeling of accomplishment after a flight. The single rotor collective chopper is the aircraft to examine. Before drones, RC flying involved purchasing a radio, transmitter, receiver, servos and required a skill to configure to fly. Back in the day of RC radios, servos, and nitro fuel; the chopper was the elite craft to learn & master. The analog systems & mechanical gyros helped but there were always more crash than flight... an experienced pilot was a patient pilot slowly gaining skills. Jump forward to present time; electronics, batteries, digital / intelligent radios, electric helicopters have greatly improved the configuration and controllability of RC Helli’s. To clarify, not speaking of dual counter rotating rotor toys or fixed collective rotors. Visit a hobby store or read up on the RC choppers, a popular brand is Blade, an example of small collective bird Nano CPS: Blade - #1 By Design.
This post became longer than intended... quick conclusion:
If you’re looking to purchase or owning a drone to “Fly” more than photography or maybe both... got into photo drones for the love of flying and at times would enjoy the challenge of flying; Look at the other flying options. Personally, if an inexperienced Flyer can buy, unwrap a UAV aircraft and stable fly on 1st battery, the skills required have been greatly assisted by electronics. Adding to pilot skills, another benifit to RC Helli’s is the gained skills in piloting and controlled reactions learned flying an aircraft that isn’t nearly as stable as a drone.
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