So as part of my on-going campaign to get @galenkp to pull the trigger on a drone, I took mine out to play today. Just kidding, I really just wanted to get it out and play, but always good to rub it in a bit for a mate when I get the opportunity.
This is some shots of some foothills near Sedalia, Colorado. I don't know why, but this rocky area and foothills just before going up the windy road into the national forest always draws my attention and I have always felt a pull towards it.
Well today I decided to finally stop and take some pictures and drone video.
The drone is a Mavic 2 Pro, basically a flying camera, with a 20 MP Hasselblad camera with 1 inch CMOS sensor that can also do 4K video. Range is about 5 miles and does 44.7mph (in sport mode). This video is flying much slower to keep the movements smoother. It supposedly has some really powerful low-light capabilities, but I haven't flown much like that to be honest. All kinds of other special video features, but I'm basically a still camera kind of guy, just getting my teeth wet on all the cool video and hyperlapse functions, etc.
So here's the video link, no edits other than cutting some dead time at the beginning and adding the sound to make it less boring:
All photos original work copyright 2021 the author of this post.
Shot with Mavic Pro 2
Enjoy!
@ksteem
Oh, sweet jesus! That is such an amazing piece of machinery. I have been looking, but, there is so much out there. How did you decide this was the one.
By the way, the shots are to die for!
Well, I'm huge technical geek as well as what I would call a serious amateur photographer. For me, I really liked the DJI models because of their "intelligent" flight modes, active tracking capability, auto-hovering, auto-return to home (has saved me at least 5 times). From there, it was choosing the most portable model with the best camera I could afford, which was the Mavic 2 Pro, around $2K... the next model up, the "Inspire" is a Pro model and like $10K for the drone and another $5K for the camera....
They do have some newer ones less expensive now with a camera that is close, as well as a newer high speed FPV racing/trick flying style.
Lots of options out there, comparing is half the fun!
Enjoy!
Thanks so much! This gives me a better starting point to engage my search once again. I cannot thank you enough and those shots are SWEET! Of course, your scenery is, but, to make it look that way... it is a definite talent.
Have a great day!
Ah, you're too kind. I don't get near as much time to play with it as I would like to get better. Starting a new job in a couple weeks so hopefully that will change.
Good luck in your search and will be looking forward to your decision and posts! Don't hesitate to drop me a note if you have more questions.
Stunning shots and such a beautiful place indeed !!! Having a drone still on my list 🤩😍
Sure I will get it in the future soon and will share all here on Hive :))
Would love to see some drone views of the places you've visited and are about to!
Thank you!
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the video!
Is it expensive? I think I will get me one, hehehe!
All different prices ranges, this is one of the high range amateur / low range pro models. Nothing a bit of silver can't take care of!
LOL!
!ENGAGE 10
ENGAGEtoday.💚
That looks like it’s a drone that I would be interested in! I’ve been meaning to look into them but got other things to get done first lol. Thankfully it’s got a nice range on it, that’s my fear with some of them is they will go outside range and you’re out of luck until you find it lol. Is that camera in it sturdy like a GoPro? Not on wifi now so I can’t watch the video but I’m sure it’s amazing!
It's a good camera, but on a gimbal to keep shots steady, so not sturdy like a GoPro. The cool thing about these is that if the signal gets too weak or too far, they have auto "return home" feature. Has saved me at least 3 times already when flying under a bridge, and around a large mountain outcropping, or when I just pushed the distance limits through a thick bunch of trees.
Lol...The campaign continues! It's working.
Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
It's a nice toy, sometimes it makes me want to have one. Awesome pictures!
Totally worth it. This is my second one, sold my first to a friend. I really enjoy the different photo perspectives it allows. Really need to get out more!
Nice Pic @ksteem i like it regard @yogagayo
Thanks!
Wow! You make me really want a drone, it looks like so much fun. Great photos and I really love the video!
Heh heh, be careful, or I'll add you to my drone campaign list! It's even better than you can imagine. Given your background, you'll want a flying camera, not just an FPV speed demon. These are all raw images with no edits. Can do even more with post-processing magic to improve them, just like with regular camera shots. The more advanced offer both jpg and RAW images and either 4K or 8K video, which you can also easily pull decent still out of in post. A couple of the shots here were pulled from the video.
Sweet... something else I can't afford, but I can dream! :-)
Wanting the models with really nice camera tends to raise the bar quite a bit. Still less than a large zoom lens!
Magical.. do you have a video monitor and controls to adjust the camera angle from the ground?
By default, it comes with a controller that you connect your smartphone to and can view the live camera image. The controller has xbox like joysticks to control the flight and also some dials in the front that can control the camera gimbal left-right-up-down. It can get tricky trying to control the flight and camera gimbal at the same time!
For my setup, I bought an additional "smart controller" which has the viewing screen built in, so I can use my phone separately and has much better battery lifetime without draining my phone.
I also have some Epson FPV glasses that I can connect to the controller and then have a view that is like a 50 inch TV 6 feet in front of me. That is my favorite way to fly. It's like being in the cockpit looking out.
Here's an older post where I did a review of the Epson FPV glasses:
https://peakd.com/aerialphotography/@ksteem/epson-moverio-fpv-glasses-review
All I can say is WOW.. your drone videos are a treat to view... 😊
The deep of field on the Mavic Pro 2 is amazing WoW. The 1 inch CMOS sensor makes a massive difference. I will have to get one now lol