Upgrade time.. Inspire 1 Pro or....

Stoo1701 · Apr 1, 2017

Hi Gang.. looking to upgrade my P3P which I've used to get my business started... looking at the following.. with the caveats..
P4P: great camera, 4K 60fps etc (think shoot mainly at 24), price for capability, object sensing, speed etc etc (as you all know of course!) or..
Inspire 1 Pro: less MP but better camera overall (X5), shorter flights, but looks like a grown-up drone to the toy-looking P4P.. but costs more (can pick one up around £2250-£2500.

Interested to hear your thoughts.. which would/did you choose and why?

AJW · Apr 1, 2017

save more money --- skip inspire pro and go to inspire 2 --- i think one of your biggest concerns should be safety and having two batteries up in the air for redundancy is worth every penny in my eyes. Get the DJI insurance and use verify and your good to go.

Stoo1701 · Apr 1, 2017

Yes... I would to to hit the i2 right away.. but that is for later.. need to get something to increase capability now and i2 just isn't on the table.. by the time I've bought the craft, battery set & storage etc I'd be looking at twice what I can get an i1 pro for .. esp as people are upgrading to i2's and the market for picking them up is growing.. so.. if ou had to choose right now between the 2 in the OP.. which?

AJW · Apr 1, 2017

i d the P4P then. its cheaper and for most clients there not gonna know the difference,

The Editor · Apr 1, 2017

Stoo1701 said:
Hi Gang.. looking to upgrade my P3P which I've used to get my business started... looking at the following.. with the caveats..
P4P: great camera, 4K 60fps etc (think shoot mainly at 24), price for capability, object sensing, speed etc etc (as you all know of course!) or..
Inspire 1 Pro: less MP but better camera overall (X5), shorter flights, but looks like a grown-up drone to the toy-looking P4P.. but costs more (can pick one up around £2250-£2500.

Interested to hear your thoughts.. which would/did you choose and why?

So......how many times has this been asked previously?....
What would you do.... P4p or inspire 1 pro (x5)
Need first time drone advice, buy the inspire 1 v2 or the Phantom 4 Pro?
Comparison between the I1 Pro and the P4P
A bit of a dilemma
So has the DJI X5 has reached it's EOL

Stoo1701 · Apr 1, 2017

Point taken Ed, use the search [emoji1303][emoji38] no harm in a retake on the points as time goes on and opinions form tho eh? [emoji6][emoji1303]

ChrisRL · Apr 8, 2017

Greetings!
Well now, let's do this again, with a smile!
In my opinion, we have smaller drones that look like toys, deploy quickly with you he or two operators, are generally quieter and less obtrusive. Larger drones have more capacity to carry nice cameras for better shots, but take longer to deploy, usually require at least two crew, and are typically more expensive.
So. A) will you fly alone or with a gimbal op?
B) how far are you planning to carry your drone on the ground before you fly it? Over what kind of terrain?
C) what kind of client is willing to pay you how much money for what kind of quality video?
Bear in mind that I have been a film and TV pro for well over 40 years now and when 4k became the rage I was paid to work on a feature film project that needed a full overhaul of my edit suites to take 4k material. Since that job, which was in 2014, I have had more than 30 more assignments, all of which shot in 4k but none of which actually used 4k at all - the first thing I did was to downres to ProRes 422 HQ and edit on that. All the media has some nice been stored but only in 2k maximum res.
So. Did I undo the 4k edit bays? No. Do I use them? Not as 4k bays. But in case a client wants it it's there, for a price.
Anyway, as a pro, it's the same thinking for drones. Drones are, in my business, camera platforms. They are transport. No pro transport company is gong to say "hey, which truck is best for A,B and C purposes?' they are gong to want to operate A, B and C, preferably with backups for all of them.
In a nutshell, it's a bit like asking which is best, a fork, knife or spoon?

Stoo1701 · Apr 9, 2017

ChrisRL said:
Greetings!
Well now, let's do this again, with a smile!
In my opinion, we have smaller drones that look like toys, deploy quickly with you he or two operators, are generally quieter and less obtrusive. Larger drones have more capacity to carry nice cameras for better shots, but take longer to deploy, usually require at least two crew, and are typically more expensive.
So. A) will you fly alone or with a gimbal op?
B) how far are you planning to carry your drone on the ground before you fly it? Over what kind of terrain?
C) what kind of client is willing to pay you how much money for what kind of quality video?
Bear in mind that I have been a film and TV pro for well over 40 years now and when 4k became the rage I was paid to work on a feature film project that needed a full overhaul of my edit suites to take 4k material. Since that job, which was in 2014, I have had more than 30 more assignments, all of which shot in 4k but none of which actually used 4k at all - the first thing I did was to downres to ProRes 422 HQ and edit on that. All the media has some nice been stored but only in 2k maximum res.
So. Did I undo the 4k edit bays? No. Do I use them? Not as 4k bays. But in case a client wants it it's there, for a price.
Anyway, as a pro, it's the same thinking for drones. Drones are, in my business, camera platforms. They are transport. No pro transport company is gong to say "hey, which truck is best for A,B and C purposes?' they are gong to want to operate A, B and C, preferably with backups for all of them.
In a nutshell, it's a bit like asking which is best, a fork, knife or spoon?

Mostly decided on P4Pro now, I am single operator, producing photography, property or promo videos for marketing etc and occasional planning, Google map overlays.. the P4Pro seems to win in every dept apart from looking the part, but the portability, quicker deployment and better camera of the P4Pro has won me over..

ChrisRL · Apr 9, 2017

Agreed. For single operator photo and occasional video use, the P4P is hard to beat!
Good luck!

ChrisRL · Apr 15, 2017

Oops! Having said that, the P4A just came out...
Maybe the P4A for rec use and the P4P for pro use?
The P4A seems to have the better 1" sensor camera, but in the P4 body, with a long battery time...

Canada Goose · Apr 16, 2017

I've never had a client say, "Ooh, what's that toy drone, don't you have something more professional looking?" Best thing I bought was the P4 pro. It is feature rich, easy to transport and takes high quality stills and video. Has a much longer flight time also. Proof is in the pudding mate. A pro golfer can take any clubs and make them perform well. Don't be put off by the size of the Phantom drones. I also have an Inspire 1 Pro black edition. With the 4/3 sensor, Olympus glass it takes mighty fine pictures. You will be more than happy with the P4 pro. Have fun and don't forget to share your results

ChrisRL · Apr 16, 2017

Interesting - that's pretty much the *first* thing new and prospective clients ask me. So I guess it depends on your location and competition...

SteveDickin · Apr 16, 2017

I am no Pro, I have just bought an Inspire for recreational hobby, but I would bet that if 2 pro's turned up to give a client a quotation and showed the gear, the P4 would not win the job if everything else including the quotes were identical. Just saying.

Stoo1701 · Apr 16, 2017

I get that point pal, but it's a very unlikely hypothetical situation, what sells the job is the portfolio, client list & evidence of completing work to a high standard.. in that respect, someone with a Hubsan would win the contract over a S1000 if there were a gulf in quality of the deliverables. I've certainly never got the drone out of the van as part of a pitch! Clients are interested in results more than tools.

I am a single operator for now, no separate camera control, and I've decided to go with the P4P as I've seen enough evidence of the higher quality of results from it in comparison to all but the i2 with an X5s.. spending a grand more on a drone/cam that produces less cinematic results (yes, even the i1 Pro) and lower resolution photos (I get asked to do large very prints) solely because it looks a bit more boss-like to the rare client that cares/knows the difference is false economy, P4P has a sharper codec and a fantastic sensor. I can spend the change on an Osmo mobile & 360 setup for my dslr to widen my revenue streams.

P4P wins. But thank you to anyone who replied, all good points to consider [emoji1303][emoji846]