WARNING: CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME, ESPECIALLY PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO HAVE FELT THE PAIN OF GEAR LOSS.
In the days before my trip to Iceland, I had the chance to play with the DJI Phantom, an affordable, out-of-the-box quadcopter for budding aerial videographers. As I establish in that test flight post, the footage you yield from the DJI Phantom + GoPro combo may not be pro quality, but it’s perfectly serviceable for BTS material, AND it gives a person the opportunity to cut their teeth on a rig that comes in under a grand (or just slightly over, if you include the camera).
Ever the hacks, we tried to circumvent the GoPro limitation and mount a Sony RX 100 II, for three reasons:
1. The RX 100 II has image stabilizations (many commented on the shakiness of the GoPro footage on our first test flight).
2. It has a nice sensor and shoots RAW images.
3. Built-in Wifi. Our plan was to use the iPad Mini with the Sony app and control the camera shutter from the ground.
Seem pretty reasonable, right?
When you watch the video, know this: It brings us no joy to lose expensive gear, ever. I don’t encourage people to go out and perform needless hacks and unsanctioned upgrades, especially if you’re not insured, like we were. In our case we had a legit interest in yielding some higher end footage with a DJI Phantom we had invested in.
Couple UPDATE points… any assumption that i was just goofing around at tourist site just plyaing with my camera couldn’t be further from the truth. we had chartered the entire site for the shoot, been out on boats there at the site earlier – were working with the management there, paying high fees to be there with permits for very specific objectives. We also sought to potentially recover the unit out of concern for the environment but were discouraged from pursuing that option because of danger to divers due to swift current, big tides and huge floating chunks of dangerous ice.
Thanks again for going on this journey – and others – with me. And I hope you don’t mind my sharing all the stuff – even things like this that suck.
Love how you share the good and bad experiences of being a pro photographer. While most simply share their accomplishments, you share the reality of the situations a photographer faces, making a good shot more valuable. Keep up the good work 🙂
Ouch!! Yeh, that was painful to watch but as Chase said, he was gambling that he’d get some great images. Commercial photography is incredibly competitive and no one get’s to the level that Chase Jarvis has without taking risks; creative and otherwise. Kudos to Chase for for posting this informative video!
Nice video – saying ‘bye bye’ to nice equipment in a spectacular manner is always entertaining. But that move with the sandwich…priceless!
Hey Chase….I love your blog….great stuff.
Just thought I would throw in to what has already been eluded to, but maybe has not been stated directly. The DJI Phantom is a toy. It is not a professional device on any level. In fact, I would say it is somewhat of a curse to the professional community in that it gives a very big false sense of security to new pilots. The fail-safes are not trust worthy, the units fly terrible in the wind and there is no vibration dampening between the motors and the camera mounts. DJI makes fabulous electronic internals, but the in-house Phantom should be considered a high end toy and nothing more. To expect professional results from it is a bit foolish? Don’t ya think?
The GoPro is a great camera, and when attached to a quality gimbal will produce amazing results. Anyone planning on purchasing a Phantom should follow your advice and get the proper clearance and permits to fly in public. Phantoms will crash and will fail. The frequency can easily be overpowered by other EMFs in the area and people will get hurt by un-trained pilots. The culprit here, I believe, is the quad-copter and not the camera. Both cameras will produce great results.
Have you seen the hand made X-Pro Heli? Fly’s really well with tons of power, laser cut aluminum framing, modular sections…….takes a beat down! costs $2000 but the quality remains long after the price is forgotten.
I guess what I am getting at, is the thread here focuses on a lot of things besides that actual culprit in your crash. The Phantom itself needs to be addressed for what it is. It is an entry level quad that should not be flown around people, crowded places or events where a pilot cannot crash land. I hope people recognize the efforts you take as a professional, in having insurance and the proper permits, while out in the field.
-J
Wow, lot’s of negative comments. It’s too bad. I like to push boundaries and experiment as well. Sometimes you fail, but even failure is a win. When you succeed, the payoff could be huge. Big risk, big reward! If you’re not willing to push the envelope, just stay home. Good job Chase (Oh, and get a serious Octocopter. :P)