DJI Inspire Review
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So you wanna get an Inspire eh? And go for the big, scary, looking awesome drone thing? Yeah! It’s time to have fun with these things before they become self-aware and our brutal overloads. Remember, future AI-drone, how nice I was to you in these reviews. Kill the others first and save me for last… or, just don’t kill me at all. How about that…I’ll come up with some fun stuff to do together… we can vacation in Tahiti or something. For other camera/software recommendations, see Trey’s Gear and Tools here on the site.
- Check price of the my favorite Inspire model on Amazon
- Check price of the my favorite Inspire model on B&H
Common Question 1: Should I get the Phantom or the Inspire?
DJI makes two quadcopter types. You can also check out my DJI Phantom Review. But what people always ask, is, “Which one should I get?”
I generally recommend the Phantom 4 series over the Inspire series. It’s much more convenient, which is a big thing for me. In terms of convenience:
- The Phantom is smaller and lighter
- The Phantom fits in a cool hardshell backpack that’s light and easy to travel with
- The Phantom is quicker to set up and launch. I can get it out of the backpack and into the air in less than 4 minutes. The Inspire can take forever, especially if you have to raise it up and attach the camera.
- The Phantom is quicker to break down. I can break it down and get it back in the backpack in 2 minutes.
- The Phantom is easier to travel with, as the Inspire has literally it’s own bulky suitcase (that has no wheels even!)
Okay that’s great Trey, you seem pretty sold on the Phantom 4, eh? Well what are the advantages of the Inspire? Well, here they are, to me:
- The Inspire can have two controllers, one person to fly and the other to control the camera
- It is steadier in bigger winds and generally more stable
- Some models have detachable camera for a new Micro-Four-Thirds interchangeable lens system that has great potential.
Common Question 2: Which flavor of Phantom 4 should I get?
I recommend the Phantom 4 Pro. It has all the latest features like the ability to sense nearby objects and avoid crashing and the camera is a significant upgrade on the older Phantom models.
Okay, that’s all great… but you’re not here to read about the Phantom 4, but these are common questions so I wanted to pop them in here! 🙂
A video review of the DJI Inspire!
Here’s a crazy video I did with Kai in Hong Kong that shows you more about this incredible machine.
DJI Inspire Review
I can’t tell you how much of an improvement this is over the Phantom series. They bill this as the more “professional” one, and it certainly is. However, don’t let that scare you, because it’s actually EASIER to fly and SIMPLER to control than its smaller brother.
Behind the Scenes with the Inspire in London
Here’s a fun video I made with my friend Stu in London! You can see me using it more…
What’s Great about the camera
The camera is amazing! It’s 12.76 Megapixels, shoots RAW files, and is supa-sharp! It’s automatic but also fully modifiable. You can do everything from autobracketing exposures (3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7EV Bias) to burst mode. There’s even a manual mode that lets you adjust the ISO, White Balance, Shutter Speed (8s ? 1/8000s), and more. You control everything through the app… a very slick app… fun and easy to use!
You might be thinking EIGHT SECOND SHUTTER SPEED!?!? Yes! A bit crazy… but, on a relatively windless night, you can hover quite steadily and get a 2 or 4 second exposure with no problem in my experience.
Live Map and Radar
If you have internets while flying, you get all your radar data and Google Maps live. It’s really rad. You also get a full flight path history, not just for the current flight, but for all previous flights as well.
Automatic take-off and fly back home
This is one feature about the Inspire that makes it even easier to operate than its predecessor. On the app, there is an automatic take-off that is very fun to use! I hand the iPad to friends all the time and tell them to take-off. They’re like “No Way!” and I’m like “Way!” Then they can swipe-to-take-off and it’s always a thrill! The quad goes to about 10 feet in the air and then the landing gear retracts… so awesome!
There’s also a fly-to-home and land feature. It knows where it launched from, so it can come right back. If you ended up walking quite a ways, you can also reset the home position to where the controller currently is. Smart!
How long does the battery last?
The battery lasts about 20 minutes. I have 3 of them, and that seems to suit me pretty well. If I have to hit a few locations, that seems to do the trick. The remote control also has a rechargeable battery that seems to last about forever!
The Single or Dual Controller Version?
I have the dual controller version, which allows one person to fly and the other person to shoot video or take photos. Very cool! I’ve only done that a few times… 90% of my flights are with a single controller, and that honestly works just fine.
Video Modes
When you shoot video with the Inspire, you’ll be shocked at the quality. I think it is honestly better than the GoPro I had on the Phantom. I’ve had many friends comment on this as well. What video modes does it have? Here, I will be lazy and just copy/paste the answer.
UHD (4K): 4096x2160p24/25, 3840x2160p24/25/30
FHD: 1920x1080p24/25/30/48/50/60
HD: 1280x720p24/25/30/48/50/60
Improvements?
Here are my suggestions, DJI!
1) I’d like to take RAW photos while recording video.
2) I’d like a mode just to record EVERYTHING during the flight… constant video and shooting RAW photos every 2 seconds
3) I wish that suitcase-thing had wheels on it! For reals!
Sample Photos and Panoramas!
Here’s a pile of photos I’ve taken with the Inspire. You’ll even see some panoramas. This thing is SO stable in the air that it is quite possible to take a photo (or a bracketed series), rotate a bit, take more, etc etc. They are so easy to stitch together… never had a problem. Anyway, enjoy, and I hope this gives you some ideas for taking photos from a new perspective!
