The bird’s eye perspective drones offer, hovering closer to the ground than a helicopter ever could, has been dubbed ‘revolutionary’ by many in the photographic and cinematography industries.
Indeed, in the simply saturated world of digital images, the options drone imaging provide is breathing life back into each industry and giving those that embrace it a critical creative edge.
Having been restricted to ground images for decades, the new perspectives are taking these industries in remarkable directions.
Drone use allows for remarkably nimble flying giving access to areas that were not possible before. From a few centimetres off the ground to over 100+ metres in the air with a single toggle, drones allow for photography of amazing flexibility and scope while for the cinematographer, the ability to do long continuous shots, panning and framing a chosen subject the entire time.
From a practical perspective, drones are now eliminating the need and prohibitive cost of using manned aircraft to capture aerial imagery.
The other obvious cost and logistics benefit is your team only needs to be small! No helicopters and ground crew. Just one UAV pilot, a camera operator and you’re up and running.
In short, drones are revolutionising each industry.
So in addition to simply stunning imagery, other ‘at a glance’ benefits include the ability to shoot in full HD and capture amazing aerial footage at 4K resolution and higher, all the while not sacrificing any quality.
Cost saving is also a big tick. For the novice or professional cinematographer, hiring a professional drone and drone pilot is considerably more cost-effective than a crew and manned aircraft! Add to this that no large aircraft offers the flexibility or manoeuvring ability of a purpose-equipped drone.
With remote location projects, logistics are also minimised with drone use. Minimal transport and small teams are now the norm and drones can be deployed in minutes not hours to ensure you get the images you want.
So what are some of the best drone and imaging best options?
DJI Inspire 2
The DJI Inspire 2 quad-core drone is a great tool for taking professional quality images. Combined with dual gimbal camera, it gives high bit rates pictures using Cinecore processing technology. The quad-core drone is able to accelerate to 80 km an hour in few seconds (perfect for action footage) and it has an onboard life battery of approx. 30 minutes.
DJI Zenmuse X7
Fully compatible with the DJI Inspire 2, the Zenmuse X7 is a compact Super 35 camera with an integrated gimbal made for high-end photography and filmmaking. It features a 5.2K Apple ProRes, a Super 35 Sensor, 4 Stops of Dynamic Range, 24MP stills and an amazing 6K CinemaDNG.
Matrice 600
Offering complete drone/camera integration, the Matrice 600 (M600) is also designed for professional aerial photography. It’s included Zenmuse camera and gimbals are fully compatible and a maximum payload of 6 kg allows it to fly the Ronin-MX gimbal as well as a range of cameras from Micro Four Thirds systems to the RED Epic. All round, a fantastic option for both photographers and cinematographers.
If you are new to drone technology or simply want to learn more, we highly recommend you speak to a UAV specialist that can advise you on both drone options and the best approach to their commercial use in photography and cinematography applications.
Sphere Drones is arguably Australia’s leading source of expertise on commercial drone technology solutions in Australia.
Their Sydney-based operation is a state-of-the-art solutions development facility with some the UAV industry’s leading personnel – making it (or their website) a logical first stop to identify a solution for your commercial needs.