Auto pilot?

amit190

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Hi !

Im going to do a real estate video and want to add some simple drone shots . Fly over , orbit ,push in -very simple stuff.

Is there a drone that can make those by its own?

Will I need a lot of practice to get stable footage ? I never tried it before.

Which drone will you suggest for the task ? 4k 60 , daylight only .Im going to combine its video shots with my full frame camera setup.

Thanks
 
That is a yes and no question. Yes, if you can get your hands on an Air 3s or other similar drone, there are presets that can orbit a subject. No, if you think you can do this without plenty practice and a 107 remote pilot license (based on your use case). Remember, you are flying an unmanned aerial vehicle and it comes with responsibilities and risks. There are lots of resources, here is just one. https://pilotinstitute.com/courses/drones/

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Ben Boozer
Disagree without being disagreeable
 
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Will I need a lot of practice to get stable footage ? I never tried it before.
I think you'll find that flying a drone is a lot simpler than you expect. My experience is with the DJI Mini 3 Pro, but I think pretty much all the drones designed for aerial photography and videography are similar. You'll find that these drones self-stabilize - they will hover in place all by themselves with no input from the pilot, and then move up/down, left/right, and rotate based on pilot inputs. They have onboard GPS, altimeters and accelerometers so that they'll hover in the same place even in a wind. It's not like an aircraft that requires constant control inputs just to stay in level flight.

IMHO the biggest challenge with drones is situational awareness - knowing what obstacles the drone is close to so as to avoid flying into something Most drones have some sort of obstacle avoidance, but these have limitations that are easy to exceed. There's no substitute for paying close attention.

The drone not only manages most of it's flying on its own, but its camera is mounted on a gimbal which keeps the image nice and steady. Even if the drone is bobbing around and pitching back and forth by itself so that it can maintain its position in a gusty wind, you'll get nice stable images.

Getting aerial shots of a property where the drone circles around so you can see it from all sides is pretty straightforward - you use a controller to raise the drone to the altitude you desire, then you use one control stick to move the drone sideways while using the other control stick to yaw the drone in the opposite direction so as to keep your subject in view. It takes a few tries to get the right amount of pressure on the control sticks to coordinate this, but I found that it wasn't hard to figure it out.

And drones like the Mini 3 Pro have onboard automation which allow you to select a subject on the screen and then have the drone do an orbit, keeping the subject centered, all on its own. You just have to maneuver the drone to the starting point and then let it do its thing. Again, you want to be able to visualize where the drone's orbit will take it and make sure that there aren't any obstacles (utility poles, wires, etc.) that it might run into. IMHO that's the biggest challenge.
Which drone will you suggest for the task ? 4k 60 , daylight only .Im going to combine its video shots with my full frame camera setup.
I've been very pleased with the Mini 3 Pro and I think it or its successor the Mini 4 Pro would do want you're looking for. There are more advanced drones which have features such as multiple cameras with different fields of view, or the ability to pre-program a flight plan, but for what you're describing it doesn't sound to me like that's something you really need.

A useful attribute of the DJI Mini series of drones is that they weigh less than 250g, which means that you have fewer restrictions on how and where to fly them. This doesn't absolve you of the regulatory requirements when you use them commercially, but if you also want to use the drone for your own personal shots then it reduces the red tape. Have a look at the rules so you understand your responsibilities.
 
It sounds like you are using the drone for commercial purposes to do real estate shots, so you would need a FAA Part 107 license to legally perform your flight, even if this is goodwill for a realtor.

I would second the Mini Pro recommendations. They both have Quickshot functionality to automate cinematic shots, which should accomplish what you are looking to do.
 
It sounds like you are using the drone for commercial purposes to do real estate shots, so you would need a FAA Part 107 license to legally perform your flight, even if this is goodwill for a realtor.
I will follow regulations where I live .
I would second the Mini Pro recommendations. They both have Quickshot functionality to automate cinematic shots, which should accomplish what you are looking to do.
Thanks .
 
Thank you.

Do you think the RC remote is important?

And what about the dji flip ?

I also want to ask about D log , does it even matter with those small sensors?
 
Do you think the RC remote is important?
I really like having the remote with the integrated screen, it eliminates extra fiddling and any worries about some phone app, message or notification screwing up my flight.
And what about the dji flip ?

I also want to ask about D log , does it even matter with those small sensors?
I can't comment on those because I don't use them.
 
Do you think the footage from he mini 3 pro will look good combined with my sony full frame setup? for real estate or travel , mostly in daylight.
 
Do you think the footage from he mini 3 pro will look good combined with my sony full frame setup? for real estate or travel , mostly in daylight.
I combine Mini 3 Pro footage with GoPro and RX100 footage in my videos all the time - it looks fine to me and nobody has ever commented on the difference (other than "how did you get that aerial shot?"). Of course I also (with DaVinci Resolve) colour grade the footage for consistency as I edit the video.
 
Just like to add the DJI mini 3 pro does not have auto pilot or what DJI calls cruise control. I'd recommend the mini 4 pro instead; a clear upgrade over the mini 3 pro. See here for a comparison.
 

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