DJI – Love em, Hate em. & The OSMO!

So i haven’t posted in a while, i have been busy, not being a UAS Pilot, and busy being a ground based camera man. Yorkshire weather isn’t the best. Today i got to fly, i filmed a Garden Nursery, which was nice!

Anyway this post is a quick rant, aimed right at DJI.

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My Inspire 1 was damaged on 28th Aug (i drove over it – yup, that actually happened) and i sent it off to DJI to get fixed. Still waiting for the final price, but they have initially quoted 2000 Euros!!!!! For a snapped Boom Arm. Well im waiting on their response to my strongly worded email – more on that in another post.

Today DJI have released the OSMO, you probably won’t get your hands on one till mid Nov, maybe Christmas, but i for one will be buying it. As i mentioned today, i have been using my GH4, which i bought because most of my clients need ground as well as aerial footage, and the DJI have taken months to release, the OSMO.

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This is my issue. I love DJI. Im my opinion they rival Apple in terms of their pure imagination and epic product design. But like Apple, they have two issues. They have a tendency to rob us of our money in broad daylight, and we like it. And secondly their customer service, is frankly shit.

Apple is the only company that makes you wait a week to get a problem fixed that they usually cause. So many times i’ve had to visit the ‘genius bar’ to get a stupid problem fixed with my iPhone. But i love my iPhone/s, and my iPads, and Macs, so i put up with it.

To be fair to Apple, at least there is somewhere in the UK, that you can actually go to fix it………….

Now DJI have finally released the OSMO – I love them. BUT. I also hate them, and for good reason. First off, they released details of this product months ago, to such fan fair, it seemed like it was due for immanent release. So we waited.

And we waited.

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And we got sick of waiting. So most Inspire users, decided to sack off waiting, and bought a GH4 and a Ronin. Then they released the much better (my opinion), much cheaper (fact!) Ronin M. With a good lens, kiss good buy to £4000.

Dont get my wrong, the  GH4 with a Ronin M is epic (much better than the X3, but better than the new X5, sure there will be a video comparisons up soon), but professional standard epic. TV and Movie production quality. Not an Inspire Pilot, who originally, just wanted to get some good ground shots, and not look like a tit, holding his Inspire, in hand, running around like a fool. The OSMO, means you can now do this and look cool!

I know so many people who have decided to go down the GH4 Ronin route, who would have defiantly NOT had this been out sooner. Yes they are getting better quality footage, £4ks worth more? Don’t know, but ill ask one of them!

And another thing, and i’m sure someone else has thought this, but i can’t find it anywhere. How much is the OSMO without the X3? The promo acknowledges, Inspire users and states we can attach our camera to the OSMO, but i cant find a price for it without the new black OSMO camera that comes packaged????

AND ON THIS POINT – HOW CAN YOU ONLY CHARGE £100 MORE FOR THE OSMO, THAN AN INSPIRE X3 CAMERA IS ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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http://store.dji.com/product/osmo

http://store.dji.com/product/zenmuse-x3-gimbal-camera

Are you telling me that the Handheld Gimbal and all accessories, but excluding the X3 camera are only £100? Does this mean Inspire owners will be able to buy the OSMO for £100? Of course not, but imagine how annoyed people like me are, when last month we bought a new X3 Camera, for £450, and less than a month later, for only £100 more, you can get a brand new cool looking black X3 and handheld stabilised awesome thingy? DJI this is a harsh, some might even say, total bastard move.

I don’t actually think the OSMO is over priced. I don’t think DJI have much of a choice with the price point on this product, but i do think the x3 and the Phantom models are over priced.  Im just really annoyed that i wasted £450 on a new camera, and now i need to spend £550, to get what i have been holding out for since April, May, not sure when, but ages.

But maybe, this is more DJI genius. Get everyone excited about the Inspire, delay shipping, release it, everyone goes mad to own one. Make a killing. Tease the Osmo, people go crazy with anticipation. Then deiced to buy a Ronin M. Then decide to buy an S900 and attach the GH4. S900 sell well again. Then release the OSMO, and everyone goes mad again, and even the GH4/Ronin/S900 owners, who still have their Inspires, will also go mad, and buy one, because once again DJI release something amazing. Maybe this was their plan all along.

Damn, my brain hurts, this was only supposed to be a quick rant about the price difference between a x3 and the OSMO! Anyway i for one will be placing an order, as soon as i can buy the OSMO and use my own X3 and save up for a X5, eventually!

TU

How much is DJI Worth?

A few months ago a wrote about DJI annual and quarterly profits, and how difficult it was to get any real numbers. Well, here is a number $10 billion for you.

I meant to post this a few weeks ago, one of my oldest friends is a trader, he was telling me that his firm was thinking of backing DJI.  I told him it was a no brainer, even though the new 3DR Solo looks like it could take a chunk out of the Phantom 3’s market, DJI have a bright future ahead of them.

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DJI is currently looking to raise money from investors for a a $10,000,000,00 or ten billion for a stock market valuation!

Not bad for a company that didn’t exist ten years ago. They now employ over 3000 staff with offices in America, Germany and Netherlands, and distributors all over the world, its not a bad investment if you have the cash!

Well done Frank Wang (CEO), who set the company up while at University, i barely even made it to class!

TU!

PS – how sweet does the new solo look. Looking forward to seeing that in action!

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New DJI Updates!

DJI have just released details on the next set of up-dates for the DJI Inspire 1… and the one we have all been waiting for…..

GROUND STATION!

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Yes, DJI have finally got round to giving us what should really have been launched, Ground Station control. Which will allow you to autonomously plan and navigate your flight plans. YouTube streaming will be available. Which is great for me, as i’ve just set up a YouTube Channel and this will cut out having to upload to my MacBook first. Sweet.

Their is brief mention of the new Inspire Gimbal, but there is still no mention as to when Home-Lock and Point of Interest will be released.

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Come on DJI, stop giving us new updates for the Phantom3, lets get what people have paid a fortune for, sorted first…… stop being like Apple!

Not sure when over these updates will happen but ill keep you posted!

TU!

DJI Inspire 1 – Parts and New Releases

I love my Inspire 1, its such a great piece of tech…

But.

Ask any owner of an Inspire 1, could it be improved? They will say yes, and then reel of a list of improvements. Granted, this is a very small list, but it will contain fairly major improvements. Mine is a very short list to be honest.

  • Lack of Zoom on the Camera. How close are you prepared to fly £3k to your target. It will clearly be solved with a later updated camera from DJI later this year or early 2016.
  • Thank you for my case, but why not make it easier to carry distances
  • Thank you for my case, but why not make one side flat, making transport to flight mode quicker.
  • An additional front facing camera, fixed, solely for the Pilot, would be great, especially when working alongside an additional camera operator.

Not a long list, and these are all improvements that can be overcome. I have more issues with DJI than the Inspire, itself. Releasing the Phantom 3, so soon after the improvement to the Vision 2 Plus, and the unavailing of the delayed Inspire 1, for example.

What has annoyed me with the Inspire, is the lack of parts and spares. The TB48 5700mAh, has only just made its was to the UK, Quadcopters.co.uk and Heliguy had some in stock last week, but when i last checked they were out of stock again.

One of the Mobile Phone device holders i had for my second controller was faulty. Lee at Quadcopters.co.uk, told me that DJI hadn’t sent many of replacement parts for the Inspire, and it might take a few weeks. (luckly, Lee knows a lot more than i do and he was able to fix it while i was there today – not saying how though)

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There is one major part that seems to be impossible to locate – A Replacement DJI Inspire 1 Camera. The camera isnt the best 4K on the market, but it is still amazing, and better than most will need it for. But if you trash your camera, for many, your out of business till you buy a new one. But if you cant even find a supplier, you only option is buying a new Inspire!!!!!!

This might give those of you who have a damaged Inspire Camera. Turns out DJI do make some replacement parts!

http://gerrygibbscamerawarehouse.com.au/drones-and-accessories/dji-inspire-1/dji-inspire-1-gimbal-and-camera-unit

Ok, so its not available yet, but at least its coming! And at £500 (approx), its not a lot more than a replacement camera and gimbal for the Phantom 2 Vision Plus!

Here is another piece of Inspire 1 tech, many owners are itching to get their hands on, but cant find anything on the UK quad sites. The new Camera Mount

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http://gerrygibbscamerawarehouse.com.au/drones-and-accessories/dji-inspire-1/dji-inspire-1-camera-mount

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This camera mount looks great, and at £300 roughly, (if that what it ends up costing) is cheap enough for most Inspire owners add to their DJI horde. Also expected at some point in April 2015 according to the site, but i’m thinking its more likely we will see both items for sale in May or June.

I also heard from a very knowledgeable chap, (who has helped me lots, in fact from day one of my BNUC-s) who has been flying for years, that DJI is going to be releasing details of a new Thermal Imaging Camera for the Inspire very soon! I have no other details yet on spec or price yet, soon as i hear anything it let you know.

It was never a case of if, it was always when. And i shall be most defiantly, be parting with whatever they charge. Damn you Apple, sorry DJI.

You heard it here first!

TU.

Thanks to Jeff and Lee @ Quadcopters.co.uk for replacing my faulty Inspire battery and letting me fly my Inspire behind the office. And thanks to my pal Des, who gave me some invaluable flying ATTI tips in prep for my exam next week. Cheers guys.

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DJI set to unveil new Phantom range?

The DJI Phantom is by far the most widely recognised and popular UAS in the world. Thinking of buying one….. you might want to wait a few weeks.

I have it on good authority that DJI are about to release details of a new addition to the Phantom range!!!! My source informs me that, “within the next 14 days DJI will launch a new product, or rather they are launching a range of possibly 3 new products each with different spec and  a price range to suit”.

Somewhat predictably, the range will go under the “Phantom 3” title.

Additionally; The Phantom 2 vision range is being discontinued and consigned to history!

The Phantom 1 was a game changer. The FC40 improved and for many, myself included, the Phantom 2 was the best of the range thus far. The option to use a GoPro, made it the Quadcopter of choice.

In my personal opinion, the next two models, the Vision and Vision 2 Plus had better features and improved Ground Station function, i have been frustrated with how easy the camera and gimbal can be damaged, such a delicate camera, with no zero protection, the CAA imposed restriction of 120 meters VLOS, due to the 5.8ghz transmitter is also another frustration Vision Plus owners face.

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So maybe a new addition to the family makes sense. A Phantom 3 with the quick set up of the previous models, but with the option to attach multiple camera models, improved App support, brining it more in line with the DJI Pilot App for the Inspire also makes sense.

There is as of yet, little info about this story online, so you heard it here first, lets see if the launch takes place in Lag Vegas @ The NAB Show, 11 to 16 April.

http://www.nabshow.com

http://www.nabshow.com/news-releases/nab-show-feature-new-aerial-robotics-and-drone-pavilion

I would like to thank my Source for the heads up!

Thumbs Up!

UPDATE – DJI are set to release another new Firmware Update for the Phantom in the next few weeks. Giving more credibility to this report!

Phantom @ White House

There was a recent report of a undisclosed Drone, crashing on the ground of the White House. As many probably predicted, it was a DJI Phantom 2.

Below is a link to the BBC News page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31023750

Turns out it was flown by a Government Intelligence Agency employee – when he was drunk!

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/us/white-house-drone.html?_r=128DRONE-master675