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Inspire 1 is dead

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I got my 4K monitor a month or so before I decided to get the I1. I mostly use it for my work. I'm a software developer and you CAN'T have too much screen space. It's nice to see 100+ lines of code or several forms you're working on at the same time.
 
For the photographers out there, Canon does exactly the same thing. All the new features are introduced on their flagship camera first, then later they work them into their consumer cameras at a greatly reduced price. It's been done that way for years. Not saying that's good or bad, just that its more than DJI doing that. If I did not have the Inspire 1 already I would probably purchase the P3 next. If I needed more capabilities or if a new Inspire 1 camera optimized for stills was introduced I might then consider the Inspire 1. I may still get the P3 though, just for its portability. I don't regret the Inspire purchase one bit, but I do hope that DJI continues to develop it as a "platform" and adds new capabilities and camera choices for it.
 
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For the photographers out there, Canon does exactly the same thing. All the new features are introduced on their flagship camera first, then later they work them into their consumer cameras at a greatly reduced price. It's been done that way for years. Not saying that's good or bad, just that its more than DJI doing that. If I did not have the Inspire 1 already I would probably purchase the P3 next. If I needed more capabilities or if a new Inspire 1 camera optimized for stills was introduced I might then consider the Inspire 1. I may still get the P3 though, just for its portability. I don't regret the Inspire purchase one bit, but I do hope that DJI continues to develop it as a "platform" and adds new capabilities and camera choices for it.

This is my main concern. They have crammed so much of the I1 into the phantom I am worried they will essentially stop developing/improving the I1.
 
This is my main concern. They have crammed so much of the I1 into the phantom I am worried they will essentially stop developing/improving the I1.

I feel confident in saying nothing could be further from the truth. They are simply broadening their market base. It's done all the time with many products, such as cars, as mentioned above.
 
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For the photographers out there, Canon does exactly the same thing. All the new features are introduced on their flagship camera first, then later they work them into their consumer cameras at a greatly reduced price. It's been done that way for years.
Sure. But the big difference is that these features reach the lower end models only a year or 2 later, not 4 months. A year or 2 is a "normal" evolution cycle everybody will accept as it's how it is and has been for a long time, and those who shelled out the cash for the top end features get to enjoy the "exclusivity" during that period. 4 months however feels like being screwed.

The ~3 year product cycle in high end photography gear is also much more sane than pushing something out every 6-12 months.
 
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The ~3 year product cycle in high end photography gear is also much more sane than pushing something out every 6-12 months.

The product cycle for high end photography is also a "mature" industry at this point. Remember that PC that you bought in 1990? It was essentially obsolete when you took it out of the box.

FWIW
 
Everyone has their one opinion, it's good. But there are some FACTS that cannot be denied.

P3 has the same camera of the I1
P3 has the same app of the I1
P3 has the same positionig system of the I1
P3 has the same or similar light bridge of the I1
P3 has mostly the same controller of the I1

If you get wonderful shots with I1, yes they will be the same on the P3.
Yes probably the I1 flyes better than P3 and you don't have the problem of framing landing gears or props.

It's worth 3 times the price?

You have your opinion, I have mine.

I'm happy with the I1, I'm not going to sell it... also because now the price should be lowered a lot.

Last but not least, I don't follow the trend or obsolescence timeframes... but no company releases new products with a lot of common functions only 3 MONTHS after
 
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Everyone has their one opinion, it's good. But there are some FACTS that cannot be denied.

P3 has the same camera of the I1
P3 has the same app of the I1
P3 has the same positionig system of the I1
P3 has the same or similar light bridge of the I1
P3 has mostly the same controller of the I1

If you get wonderful shots with I1, yes they will be the same on the P3.
Yes probably the I1 flyes better than P3 and you don't have the problem of framing landing gears or props.

It's worth 3 times the price?

You have your opinion, I have mine.

I'm happy with the I1, I'm not going to sell it... also because now the price should be lowered a lot.

Last but not least, I don't follow the trend or obsolescence timeframes... but no company releases new products with a lot of common functions only 3 MONTHS after
agree
 
I would be happy if they at least give us more ND filter options...

We need a decent Circular Polarizer. This would be especially useful over reflective surfaces in cities, over water and to help exposures when looking at horizons. A simple set of ND (+3, +6, +9) would be a runaway seller. But what we really need is a set of Graduated NDs in the same range (+3, +6, +9). This would be a MUST HAVE for such horizon shots — a common thing in all aerial photography and videography!
 
Last but not least, I don't follow the trend or obsolescence timeframes... but no company releases new products with a lot of common functions only 3 MONTHS after

OK, let's check to see if your logic works:

Impala has an engine, just like an Corvette.
Impala has four wheels, just like an Corvette.
Impala has a steering wheel, just like an Corvette.
Impala has a sound system, just like an Corvette.
Impala has breaks, just like an Corvette.
Impala has seats, just like an Corvette.

We could go on, but we won't. Now, I'm guessing you'll say this isn't the same. And if you do, then we have to agree that the P3 and the Inspire 1 aren't the same either. Similar? Yes! The same? No!
 
If you get wonderful shots with I1, yes they will be the same on the P3.
Yes probably the I1 flyes better than P3 and you don't have the problem of framing landing gears or props.

It's worth 3 times the price?

Absolutely, would gladly pay more ...;)

Why pay for something where you get material, that can´t be used afterwards? It's no fun to give customers movie clips, in which the landing gear or propellers are visible in the picture all the time.
 
OK, let's check to see if your logic works:

Impala has an engine, just like an Corvette.
Impala has four wheels, just like an Corvette.
Impala has a steering wheel, just like an Corvette.
Impala has a sound system, just like an Corvette.
Impala has breaks, just like an Corvette.
Impala has seats, just like an Corvette.

We could go on, but we won't. Now, I'm guessing you'll say this isn't the same. And if you do, then we have to agree that the P3 and the Inspire 1 aren't the same either. Similar? Yes! The same? No!

A more apt comparison would be if they put the same 350 hp engine, and z rated brakes and the same wide racing tires on both the impala and the vette but the vette retains more sleek styling. I am a hobbyist and I fully expected the camera improvements to trickle down to the phantom line. The lightbridge stunnedme honestly. One of my major considerations in thinking the inspire was worth it's money was they had put their 1000 dollar fpv system into it and that was baked in the price. The other reason I went with the inspire is the modularity.
OK, let's check to see if your logic works:

Impala has an engine, just like an Corvette.
Impala has four wheels, just like an Corvette.
Impala has a steering wheel, just like an Corvette.
Impala has a sound system, just like an Corvette.
Impala has breaks, just like an Corvette.
Impala has seats, just like an Corvette.

We could go on, but we won't. Now, I'm guessing you'll say this isn't the same. And if you do, then we have to agree that the P3 and the Inspire 1 aren't the same either. Similar? Yes! The same? No!

A more apt comparison would be same 350 hp engine, same Z rated brakes, same wide racing tires, different body style, and the vet has a convertible hardtop. I am a hobbyist, so I don't feel quite as burned by the PIII as I fully expected the camera technology to trickle down if not quite so soon, although the inclusion of light bridge was a bit of a stunner. My concern is that a company that crams this many features in their lower end model so soon after release of their more high-end copter is planning to abandon the inspire platform. I hope I'm wrong, the main reason I brought the inspire was the light bridge range and the modular upgradability. I just hope we all did not buy a Tucker (to continue the car analogy).
 
As for the question of 4K or 1080P, I have found that I sometimes shoot in 4K, but mostly do 1080P. For me it comes down to space and time. 4K is such a memory hog. There are very few places that you can even see 4K right now. That being said, I know 4K will catch up. It took many years for 1080P to become the standard. Knowing that I have the option to use 4K is awesome. And I can really see the difference when I watch 4K on my 32" 4K monitor.

I bought a 64GB card when I bought my I1 and knowing how much 4K chews up, it will come in handy. But with using mostly 1080P, I don't fill the card up very quickly and don't have to worry about unloading the card after every flight.

I'm holding off on buying a 4K TV for this same reason as there is not much content YET, but it will come.

My Inspire solves my 4K TV content problem :)
 
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Not sure if this point was covered in the very passionate discussion above... the Inspire allows for different devices to be attached to the nose, i understand a thermal or similar camera is in development. Once the L2 SDK is released by DJI there will be a whole range of options to program the Inspire1 for specific tasks. There are also FPV upgrades available that integrate into the shell and don't look clunky with wires all over the unit. Finally the flying experience, as some have noted is significantly different. I use Abotix X6, DJI S800, Phantom and Inspire with the latter being my platform of choice.
 
You know, when I first read the release and feature set of the P3, I literally hit the lock button on my phone, put it down and said, "this is crap."

Of course, I followed that action by opening my phone back up and searching the forums for the thoughts of others.

I think this is a fascinating debate as it actually forces us I1 owners to mentally go through the exercise of what we actually find of value with this platform.

True, concurrent with some of your opinions - having come from a Vision+, then P2 DSLRPros setup, I found great value in the I1, and those things I valued haven't changed.

But in hindsight, the transforming landing gear, the higher powered motors, the 360 degree camera capability, the 4k camera, the awesome controller with great app features and longer range (than P2), the fact that it came with a case, the sensors on the bottom... To me, when I bought it, it seemed like the HUGE laundry list of upgrades/features was endless compared to the previous setups I had.

The $3k was a no brainer.

Now, with the P3 being released, with the same camera (or close to), the sensors on the bottom, same controller, initially I felt like some of the most tech-related features were being just 'given' to the lower end model.

BUT, let me tell you why I'd still buy the I1 all over again today.

Retractable landing gear. Dude. I was so tired of finding the props seeping into my footage if the wind picked up on a still shot or if I had to make a movement quickly in one direction or another. Plus, you could never do any fun crane shots moving forward with any real speed without cropping into your frame. Not only is the Inspire must faster (allowing much more movement in the frame at altitude), but the props are ALWAYS out of the way. This to me alone is worth quite a bit.

Power and speed. I've had two Phantom platforms, both were quick, but the Inspire is fast. Along with the retractable landing gear, the speed allows me to grab great forward-moving crane shots that actually allows you to cover some ground without having to extend the shot 15 seconds! I can be up at 300 feet and push the forward controls and get a great sweeping shot. The lack of worry about the props, and the fact that it actually looks like I'm moving adds tremendous value. For me, I do a lot of beach shots, I love being able to do this. I just wasn't able to with the Phantom, not to my satisfaction.

Camera mobility. With the Phantom 3, the only movement you have is up and down. Tilt, that's all you got. If you want a pan, you have to move the aircraft from side to side. Sure, 90% of the time when I'm panning with the I1, I'm still using the aircraft to do so - but the fact that the gimbal will allow the side-to-side movement means the electronics buffer for the deficiencies in movement, either created by my control inputs or by the stabilization efforts of the craft. A very talented and experienced pilot could surely duplicate the smoothness of an I1 pan on a P3, but a novice (borderline hobby shooter) can get liquid smooth pans simply and mostly on the first try. And again, the props being out of the way really makes the camera mobility feature usable.

Modularity. The last huge value point for me still is the modularity of the Inspire 1. One of the top reasons I felt like this platform was a good fit for me was because I felt like the camera quality is the most important component to be able to upgrade. To me, if the aircraft is of good enough quality to last me a few years, having the ability to upgrade the camera would be the only way it would be possible without upgrading the whole kit. This was exaggerated for me with the Vision + I had, when they came out with the Hero4. I wanted to take advantage of the nicer camera, but had no way to do that with the integrated camera on the Vision +. Of course, the camera on the I1 is integrated, and I'm restrained by what DJI will release, but it's a better option than the P3 if you want a fully integrated system, quick to setup, easy to fly with full camera in-flight controllability.

That's it. Sure, when new tech is released that feels like it deprecates or at least partially deprecates the current model you might have of something, it stings. But as another user posted, that's life when it comes to technology. There will always be an upgraded model that will devalue what you have in some way. I agree, there definitely needs to be a balance. And I also agree that it disenfranchises some owners when a company pulls a move like this. But I think overall the products are good, and I'm happy with my Inspire 1. At least for now. :)
 
I have two Inspires and aside from a few teething troubles I'm really happy. I used to own a P2 - but sold it (as soon as I heard the P3 was coming out).

I flew an I1 in dual operator mode for the 1st time yesterday and that feature alone is worth a lot of money. It's incredible. If DJI offer waypoint flying soon for the P3 or the I1 then it might negate this a bit.

The main issue I have is this: when you buy and I1 you're pretty much buying a drone that is very difficult to repair following a crash, but the P3 is fairly easy to fix. I think that is a bit crappy when you are paying in the region of £2,500. I feel that the machines should be more modular at that price because if you can't fix them the only real alternative is to shell out for another aircraft!
 
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It's got that when it works UOTE="Tahoejmfc, post: 22779, member: 6379"]You dont get it, The Inspire has 360 degree 2nd camera operator for the professional Pilot and Camera Operator working together. Also the Inspire has HDMI output on both remotes which is needed again for the profession web streamers broadcasting live events from the copter. Also the Inspire flys much faster forward flight as well as much better blade clearance with its landing gear.
The Phantom 3 and the Inspire are 2 totally different copters, one is for the professional and the other is for the more advanced professional with more needs.[/QUOTE]
It
 
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