First of all great question. With all the new DJI products out recently (going back to the X5R, M600 Pro,
Inspire 2, X5s, etc) I think a lot of higher end clients are asking the same thing...what platform should we fly - and what camera should we put in the air? The choices are really good right now.
We are very experienced with products ranging from the M600 and
Inspire 2 to the Alta / Movi and custom built copters and gimbals. We have flown and used many, many cameras.
Here are the things I would ask so we can throw our opinion in the mix for you:
1. What did you dislike about the X5 (and confirm it was not the X5R)?
I do not fly the X5R, just the X3, X5, P3, etc.. When I look at the video from the X5 its never as nice as my X3 unless its a still. I guess the video from the X5 I feel comes out of focus a lot. I primarily use
the OLYMPUS M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12MM F/2.0 LENS or the 25mm version. maybe the lense is the issue but everyone seems to love those lenses. I lke the fact that its integrated with the DJI app and that is why I am asking here for help. I know there are some really nice cameras out there and the gimbals to fly them but is it really worth it to go outside or am I just doing something wrong with what I have?
2. Do you always fly your own cameras or do you work on projects where the camera that needs to be flown is dictated by someone else?
I always fly my own. I am cool buying a Ronin so I can fly a client camera but that is not currently something I plan to do. I want to stick with my own gear whenever possible
3. Is your aerial footage cut in with footage shot on the ground by different cameras - and do you shoot ground footage yourself?
I am primarily looking for aerial imaging. Ground footage will be shot using another cameral when needed.
4. Do you prefer to shoot RAW or something else like ProRes or h.264, etc? And how much color grading does your footage encounter in post by someone? I have been shooting H.264 and have not made the jump to RAW. As far as post its a mixed bag. Sometimes I do a lot of post production color work but try to limit that as best I can. I want to shoot the best video I can without the need for a lot of post if possible.
5. Do you use a follow focus system or other things that need to be considered? No
6. Do you have a camera preference of a large lens collection of a particular type? No
We really, really love this stuff and would be happy to dig in with you and make some suggestion or kick around some ideas. Also, is that a grouper in your photo...love grouper...haha.
Yup... big Gag. When not shooting video I shot a lot of fish.
Where are you located?