DJI Universal Controller
FiveSix Productions employs the use of a variety of DJI tools, including the Ronin, the Inspire 1, and the Osmo. While we love them all, and appreciate all that they do to add to our production, we do have a suggestion for the wonderful folks at DJI:
To use the Osmo and the Inspire 1 areal drone, simply download and utilize the DJI app on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, easy enough; this is great for ease of use and access, but is a killer of phone batteries. How are we supposed to holler at all the sweet honeys while flying drones over the Delaware river, if our phone is quickly dying on the Inspire remote? (Real example.) We have what we believe is a great suggestion for a wonderful solution. DJI should develop and sell a phone sized device that exclusively works with DJI tools. The device would be about the size of an iPhone 6 or Galaxy S7, so the screen is nice and big, but not so large it can't fit in the provided holster. The device would be Bluetooth compatible, of course connect to the internet so as to download the latest updates, and would come factory ready to all the applications and software needed to run the parade of dope DJI products. Best of all, with only the task of running your DJI items, there can be plenty of space for a big, long-lasting battery, and it would run super fast because it has just one purpose in life. We can only speculate that if this device cost just a couple hundred bucks, they would sell like hotcakes!
We're not software or hardware manufacturers, and simply are thinking out loud, but hey, dreaming is what dreamers to best. So, DJI folks, there's just one of our many dreams that we wanted to share with you as if we were sitting on your therapy couch. Thanks, friends.
San Diego - Taking Flight
David and I took a recent opportunity to travel to San Diego, CA. While our days were spent filming different locations around the town. We took some time in the afternoon to have some fun. For us that means cracking out the drone. We wanted to test out our updated X5 camera during sunset. With the X5 having an updated micro 4/3rds sensor we were anxious to test out the camera's low light capabilities.
We were pleasantly surprised with how the footage held up compared to our older X3 camera. Shot at ISO 100, the shot really held the detail in the water. The artifacting in the blacks, that we had come to expect in the X3, was greatly reduced. We did some shots with the D-log and ended up setting the camera to no picture profile. We were happy with the results but will need some more testing in the resolve bay to figure out the best workflow for our team.
Here is a quick H264 proxy from my phone. Looking good!
4K From the Clouds
We have upgraded our aerial photography capabilities and value by outfitting our DJI Inspire 1 with the latest in drone-mounted cameras. The Zenmuse X5 is a Micro 4/3, mirrorless camera that is capable of shooting up to 4K at frame rates of up to 30fps and 16MP still frames. The camera is equipped with the standard MFT interchangeable lens mount, which is great given the increasing number of lenses DJI is appearing to output. Finally, the camera's control functions, such as one-touch auto-focus, aperture, etc. are all wireless and controllable from your smart phone or tablet- or whatever you are using. Here's some spectacular specs.
All this is great, but I think that the key improvements are in the image quality, because, at the end of the day, that's what the end consumer is going to see. The X5 is capable of 12.8 stops of dynamic range, allowing for awesome clarity in a wide range of shadows and highlights. This increase in dynamic range is important for us here at FiveSix given the frequency in which we find ourselves shooting off and on throughout the day when the sun and ensuing shadows can really create a variety of headaches. The 4/3 sensor is eight times larger than that of the previous X3 which came standard on the Inspire 1 (compare to a GoPro), this provides extraordinary clarity, detail, and quality at ISOs from 100-25600 which is unmatched in the industry today. Check out the awesomeness right now with your eye balls!