Photography with a drone

[sinus]

Hi all
Lately drones, like the new "DJI Phantom 3 Professional" seems to be quite interesting for photographers.

We can take pictures for different purposes, and also videos, and the quality seems to be quite good.
For example, I must take pictures now from different houses and industrial aereas.  The client has not asked for air-photography, simply for "normal" photos.
So this would be a chance to offer him also some photos from above his head  - and what would increase of course the prize for this photos. 

Does anybody have experiences with such drones?
Do you think, it is possible to lern let fly and take pictures/videos with a drone in some days or is this very complicated?

Your thoughts would be interesting for me.
Thanks in advance sharing your experiences.

[loweskid]

I haven't had any experience of drones but if you are planning on using them for commercial purposes there are legal considerations.  I don't know the situation in Switzerland but in the UK you need a licence for any commercial usage.  There's also insurance to consider - could be expensive if you hit someone on the head with it..!

A brief summery of the (UK) regulations here.... http://droneflight.co.uk/pages/summary-of-uk-legal-requirements

[sinus]

Ah, loweskid

good points.
Insurances should be, I have heard, about 70 Euro a year, what is not a lot for the expensive Switzerland 

But yes, the license stuff, hmmm, I have to inform me.
IF I COULD drove such a drone fine, than this would be a good thing ... in earlier days we used high ladders or climbed on (forbidden) working cranes and did other things, only to be above the normal human view.

Today, when I am looking at the (quite) cheap drones, and what they can do, and what they delivers for a quality in photos and videos: awesome!

[Mario]

Kuck mal hier: http://hoesmann.eu/drohne-und-recht/

den hatte ich mir auchmal markiert:

http://www.itg-fotoflug.de/flugdrohne-welcher-preis-ist-realistisch/

[sinus]

Thanks Mario,
specially for the link about the justice.

The other link is generally interesting, but a bit outdated, it is from April 2013. And I have read (several times), that 1 year in the "drone-stuff" is a specialy very long time, because the technic goes very fast.

But to take pics and videos with such drones, is really fascinating.

[jch2103]

I don't have any personal experience with photo drones, but you might find this review of the previous version of the DJI Phanton (October 2014) of interest:
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/6508751066/dji-phantom-2-vision-drone-review

The reviewer writes from the perspective of a photographer with no prior drone experience, so it might be relevant. Plus the writer seems to have a sense of humor...

Another link, this one a general one on advice re buying a drone (not from the perspective of a photographer): http://www.droneflyers.com/2014/10/want-buy-drone-advice-buy-drone/#more-24218

[sinus]

Hi John

Ah, very intersting, specialy, if it is the view of a photographer.
I will read them carefully, but not more now, it is almost the hour of ghosts (midnight) 

Thanks for your input, really! 

[falconeye]

Hi,
I have the Phantom 2 with a GoPro Hero 3 Black together with a video transmission to a small monitor. Until now it all works very fine. The videos are very good, because of the really very stable gimbal. The photos are ok for me, but photos from the Phantom 3 will be much better, because they are 12MB and you have them in Raw. And they have improved the gimbal further. In Germany for professional use there is a lot to consider. You need a special permission for the start of the copter and an special insurance and so on. And it will cost you a minimum of 300€ per year, I think. But for private photos it is much cheaper.
If you are new to drone flying you can train with a simulator first. Or better with a small drone for 30-50€. It is a lot of fun too flying in the house 
Greetings from Bavaria.

PS. I remember in one topic you wrote, you would like to write a book about IMatch and noone has been doing this. This is not totally correct. I have a book from Gerhard Zimmert (in German language)
"Digital workflow für Fotografen". And one complete chapter is about working with IMatch 3.4. Perhaps in an future update of the book, he will write about IM5.

[Mario]

This is not totally correct. I have a book from Gerhard Zimmert (in German language)
"Digital workflow für Fotografen". And one complete chapter is about working with IMatch 3.4. Perhaps in an future update of the book, he will write about IM5.

I did not know that. Sounds great. I hope his books sell well and that he includes IMatch 5 in whatever book he writes next 

[sinus]

Hi,
I have the Phantom 2 with a GoPro Hero 3 Black together with a video transmission to a small monitor.

Cool ... fit's very good to your name falconeye! 

The videos are very good, because of the really very stable gimbal. The photos are ok for me, but photos from the Phantom 3 will be much better, because they are 12MB and you have them in Raw. And they have improved the gimbal further.

Meanwhile I think also, that this is a very good drone with quite a good photo/video-results.

In Germany for professional use there is a lot to consider. You need a special permission for the start of the copter and an special insurance and so on. And it will cost you a minimum of 300€ per year, I think. But for private photos it is much cheaper.

I had a look for Switzerland. Here - if I am not wrong - are the rules (Gesetze) quite loose, it seems for me, that I must not have a special permission for a drone, except it is over 30! kg.

But I have to check this.
A insurance is a must, I guess. First I will do it anyway privat 

If you are new to drone flying you can train with a simulator first. Or better with a small drone for 30-50€. It is a lot of fun too flying in the house 
Greetings from Bavaria.

That is a good idea. I will do so ... well a good present for my next birthday ... hm, what will start in ... 2 hours. 

PS. I remember in one topic you wrote, you would like to write a book about IMatch and noone has been doing this. This is not totally correct. I have a book from Gerhard Zimmert (in German language)
"Digital workflow für Fotografen". And one complete chapter is about working with IMatch 3.4. Perhaps in an future update of the book, he will write about IM5.

I did not know this either. Interesting. If I will make my first million with the drone-photography, then I will write a book about IMatch. But it would be a special book, with some kind of red line for beginners and also for professionaly. And I would not cover all stuff inside IMatch, "only" the most important stuff.
Let's look.

[falconeye]

Happy birthday and hoping for your book coming soon

[sinus]

Thanks, falconeye, and yes, I hope too. 

[loweskid]

On the subject of drone photography, I can't resist posting this - watch 'The Ridge'....

http://www.dannymacaskill.co.uk/

[jch2103]

Marcus - Hope you had a great birthday. Here's a review of the Phantom 3:
http://gizmodo.com/dji-phantom-3-review-stunning-video-easier-controls-1711328616

[sinus]

Marcus - Hope you had a great birthday. Here's a review of the Phantom 3:
http://gizmodo.com/dji-phantom-3-review-stunning-video-easier-controls-1711328616

Hi John
thanks a lot. Great, and a very new review! 

In the mean time, as a birthday present  , I got as a present a drone for lerning and judging, if a drone could be something for me to offer our clients also some photographic stuff from the air.
Then I would buy (I think now) the phantom 3, looks great.

The one I got, is this here:
http://www.horizonhobby.com/glimpse-rtf-blh2200

A Glimpse Blade from horizon.
It has a camera with streaming view, though at the moment it does not work, because I must have to do so a 5 GHZ - wlan, and my handy (Huawei Acence G525) does not support it.
I heave read, that beside the newest Iphones, also some handys from Samsung does support the 5GHZ - range (802.11a).
So, if I want benefit from this, I must buy also a new handy.

But this is not that important for me, because I have already made some flights inhouse.
And ... I had really not thougt: it is not that easy!
Maybe I have tried now about 6-7 times, and it is still quite difficult, though in the last 2 flights it have been better.

I do not think, that I am very akward in these things (though it could be, who knows), but I guess, until I can let fly this small drone with the security, that I can fly here and there and then again landing, it will take another 10-15 times. Each fly is about 6-8 minutes.

But, after all, it I must say: very fasczinating, even for now without streaming video and witouth taking pictures or videos (for that I must have the app with a compatible handy).

But now, I will read further your linked rewiew! Thanks, John! 

[jch2103]

Enjoy!

[jch2103]

I just saw this new review of an even larger and more expensive drone: https://photographylife.com/reviews/3d-robotics-x8-drone
It seems that it's still early days for drones...
Also note the drone photos the writer took in Iceland: https://photographylife.com/drone-photography-in-iceland