EDIT: DJI Spark drone was launched. Read all about it here: LINK On May 24th, DJI will hold a VIP event in New York releasing a new mini drone. With a brand-new promotional video out and about, it is for certain that we will see something along the lines of a DJI Mavic “mini-me”. DJI have been keeping the pressure on in the drone market. After a tumultuous start, GoPro are back on sale with GoPro Karma, so the market for “put your drone in a backpack and off you go” is becoming more populated with a huge audience on the other end. With the recent release of the DJI Phantom 4 Advanced at NAB just a few weeks ago, they obviously had a top secret plan up their sleeves to woe us all. Have a look at their promotional video below and gaze in awe how a drone can fly easily through canyons and through a library. As the saying goes “size doesn’t matter”, and the new mini drone – called “DJI Spark” according to several rumor sites – will surely live up to that. Based on what we have learned, this drone will be the mini-me counterpart to DJI Mavic. One of the titles that come up in their promotional video stood out of all of them. The word “Size” transforms into “Seize” and continues into “seize the moment”. “S(e)ize the moment” – May 24th Promotional Video Based on the video DJI have released, the new mini drone seems to fit in a small backpack or purse. It therefore must be an incredibly small drone that can fly through caves, canyons, poles and even indoors through a stack of books in a library. Screenshot of DJI Spark promotional video, showcasing its size when flying through a stack of books in a library Having seen the library shot, I would suspect it to still be fuelled with incredible features that we all know and have come to appreciate from DJI drone products. Coupled with DJI Goggles, this drone will surely create a new field of possibilities for DJI lovers. The DJI event will take place on May 24th 2017. cinema5D has been invited and will keep you up-to-date as we learn more about the new release. Stay tuned. DJI Firmware Update Alert In other news, it seems that unfortunately DJI is forcing a firmware upgrade on their users. DJI will soon introduce a new application activation process for international customers. This new step, to take effect at the end of next week, ensures you will use the correct set of geospatial information and flight functions for your aircraft, as determined by your geographical location and user profile. If this activation process is not performed, the aircraft will not have access to the correct geospatial information and flight functions for that region, and its operations will be restricted if you update the upcoming firmware: Live camera streaming will be disabled, and flight will be limited to a 50-meter (164-foot) radius up to 30 meters (98 feet) high.

The DJI Mavic Pro drone is a great product straight out of the box, and is even capable of carrying some extra payload. With this custom DJI Mavic Pro 3D printed camera mount, you can rig up the drone with additional devices, such as 360 cameras, a smartphone with a thermal camera or lights. DJi Mavic Pro equipped with two Samsung Gear 360 2017 cameras. Photo credit: Jean-Marie Cannie Belgium-based hobby videographer and drone enthusiast Jean-Marie Cannie has designed a 3D printed custom camera mounts for the DJI Mavic Pro drone. Right now there are two type of mounts available: a lower one to fit the belly of the Mavic, and an upper mount to be used on Mavic’s back. Flying thermal camera. Photo credit: Jean-Marie Cannie   Using the DJI Mavic Pro 3D Printed Camera Mount One great example of using these mounts is to create a flying 360 camera with the Mavic Pro. By using one 360 camera mounted on top and one on the bottom of the drone, you can create the illusion of a flying 360 camera by cropping the Mavic out of the picture, though stitching both images will need a bit of effort to make it look good. Here is a test video of that setup from the mount creator himself: Another cool example is rigging up the Mavic with a smartphone equipped with the Flir One thermal camera. The result is a cheap flying thermal camera, which can have many cool practical uses and extends the usability of the thermal camera itself. Here is a short test video: There are more possible uses of the mounts, such as mounting other lightweight action cameras. The setup has already been tested with GoPro 5 Session and, according to the designer, the Hero5 should work too. Personally, though, I don’t think mounting a GoPro on a Mavic makes much sense as it is not so much better than the Mavic’s own camera. Mounting an LED light underneath or on the Mavic could also be a good idea. But you may ask yourself, how well does the Mavic Pro handle all that extra weight? The increased payload causes no problems while flying, it just drains the battery a little quicker. The mount designer performed tests to compare flight times with the different setups, and here are the results: Mavic Pro itself (799 g / 28.18 oz) – flight time 25:40 minutes Mavic Pro with one Samsung Gear 360 camera attached (932 g / 32.88 oz) – flight time 17:42 minutes Mavic Pro with two Samsung Gear 360 cameras attached (1.125 g / 39.68 oz) – flight time 13:03 minutes Here is the test video: How and where to get the mounts? All versions of the DJI Mavic Pro 3D printed camera mount are available on Jean-Marie’s Shapeways E-shop for prices ranging from $20 to $30. A design is also available for free on Jean-Marie’s Thingiverse page. It is an older version of the belly mount for the DJI Mavic Pro, which does not allow for the bottom sensors to be turned on. However, it is there and can be downloaded for free. It just requires a 3D printer, obviously. According to the designer, all his mounts will eventually end up on Thingiverse to be available for download, although it is not yet clear when. Do you find the custom mounts for the Mavic Pro useful? What would you like to mount on your Mavic? Let us know in the comments!

HOT OFF THE PRESS: DJI has just announced a new drone! The DJI Phantom 4 Advanced brings incredible upgrades to their mid-level drone series, such as 4K at 60fps, a mechanical shutter, and an all-new screen built into the controller. Here are the specifics in detail. DJI is like a gift that keeps on coming. It is difficult to keep up with them, as new drones seem to pop out of nowhere. However, it’s likely you won’t be disappointed with what the new DJI Phantom 4 Advanced has to offer. Mainly an update to the existing DJI Phantom 4 base model, it shares some of the features found in the DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone. DJI Phantom 4 Advanced – Camera The new DJI Phantom 4 Advanced model has a 1-inch, 20-megapixel sensor and a mechanical shutter. This upgraded camera is capable of shooting H.264 4K video at 60 frames per second, as well as supporting H.265 4K at 30fps, both with a 100Mbps bitrate. DJI claim that the improvements in optical performance, sensors and processors ensure a higher dynamic range and more image detail. Flight Modes and Sensors As with the DJI Phantom 4 Pro, the Advanced comes with many key intelligent features that allow smooth automatic flight modes. These include Draw, ActiveTrack, TapFly, Gesture and Tripod modes. The Phantom 4 Advanced is also equipped with the FlightAutonomy system, which is made up of five vision sensors, a forward-facing obstacle avoidance system, dual-band satellite positioning (GPS and GLONASS), and ultrasonic rangefinders. This allows the DJI Phantom 4 Advanced to hover precisely in places without GPS and to fly in complex environments. Built-In Screen and More The DJI Phantom 4 Advanced also allows for more storage capacity using a 128GB microSD card. The flight time has also been extended to up to 30 minutes. For a slight increase in price from the regular Advanced model, the Phantom 4 Advanced+ version offers a 5.5-inch 1080p screen integrated into the controller. The built-in display device is based on an Android system with 4 GB RAM and, according to DJI, the screen is twice as bright as conventional smart devices. According to DJI, the introduction of the Phantom 4 Advanced means that as of 30th April 2017 the Phantom 4 model will no longer be available. However, DJI will continue to provide after-sales support to Phantom 4 customers. DJI Phantom 4 Advanced – Tech Specs: Sensor: 1’’ CMOS, Effective pixels: 20M Lens: 24mm (35mm format equivalent). f/2.8 – f/11, with auto focus at 1 m – ∞ ISO Range: 100 – 6400 (Manual) Video Recording (h.265): C4K:4096×2160 24/25/30p @100Mbps 4K:3840×2160 24/25/30p @100Mbps 2.7K:2720×1530 24/25/30p @65Mbps 2.7K:2720×1530 48/50/60p @80Mbps FHD:1920×1080 24/25/30p @50Mbps FHD:1920×1080 48/50/60p @65Mbps FHD:1920×1080 120p @100Mbps Video Recording (h.264): C4K:4096×2160 24/25/30/48/50/60p @100Mbps 4K:3840×2160 24/25/30/48/50/60p @100Mbps 2.7K:2720×1530 24/25/30p @80Mbps 2.7K:2720×1530 48/50/60p @100Mbps FHD:1920×1080 24/25/30p @60Mbps FHD:1920×1080 48/50/60 @80Mbps FHD:1920×1080 120p @100Mbps Fore more details on specs, please visit the DJI website here. Pricing for the DJI Phantom 4 Advanced will be $1,349, with the Advanced+ version going for $1,649. Both models will be available as of April 30 2017. What do you think about the newly-updated DJI Phantom 4 Advanced? Would you choose it over the DJI Phantom Pro? Please let us know in the comments below.

I recently reviewed the new DJI Inspire 2 drone extensively and did thorough tests in our lab. In this workflow tutorial on how to master drone footage, I will show you how to convert Inspire 2 X5S or DJI Inspire 1 X5R files in order to get the best results from your Inspire footage. Get our Inspire LUT and Inspire Raw to Log conversion presets HERE. Why Convert Inspire 2 Raw Files? I spent a few days filming with the Inspire 2 drone to create a drone film so I could gain some hands-on experience for my review. During the editing process, I quickly noticed that when filming in Raw mode ( = 5.2K resolution), and similar to the DJI Inspire 1 Raw drone, the DJI Inspire 2 X5S produces .dng sequences that I somehow needed to transcode in order to edit and apply LUTs. The problem for me was that I could never get anywhere near neutral colors by simply sliding the color settings in Adobe Camera Raw, or even by using DaVinci Resolve’s “Blackmagic Film Gamma”. I had the same problem with the Inspire 1. Furthermore, to edit properly I needed some kind of proxy footage, so early transcoding was inevitable. Of course, professional colorists can use the Raw files and tweak the colors until they are right to them, but that is not my style – I’m used to neutral Log gamma video files that I can apply LUTs to and color easily and efficiently, preferably directly in my editing app. So, in conclusion, my requirements were to: Convert Inspire 2 Raw (Or Inspire 1 for that matter) to a well-preserving video format in order to edit and colorize later (without having to go back to Raw). Match and get a neutral Gamma on all my video files, ideally right while transcoding, so I can apply LUTs and grade easily. In the test lab, the colors coming from the X5S and X5R (Inspire) cameras appeared to be off by quite a bit in comparison to an Arri ALEXA, so on top of making a workflow tutorial video I also decided to create several presets and LUTs to get closer to Alexa Log C. Inspire Raw to Log Conversion During my test lab analysis, I found that the best workflow for .dng Raw from the drones to be as follows. Note that this workflow works both for the DJI Inspire 2 with the X5S camera as well as the DJI Inspire 1 with the X5R camera. Also note that this workflow method is for Mac users only right now, although if you work with Windows you can probably adapt it. 1. Convert Inspire 2 Raw to Log in DaVinci Resolve Camera Raw Settings in Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Notes about the DaVcini Resolve conversion • Faster than the After Effects method described further down. • Does not remove lens defects like chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion. • Gives you a generic flat gamma. (Unless you use the DaVinci LUTs) • In my experience, it blows out the highlights a bit. Open DaVinci Resolve (free download). Browse to your Inspire Raw shots. Drag your folder(s) to the media pool. Change your project settings to the resolution of your shots. (Gear wheel at the bottom right –> Timeline Resolution) Go to the “Edit” tab and drag your shots into the timeline. Go to the “Color” tab and select each shot. Then change: Decode Using: “Clip”; Color Space: “Blackmagic Design”; Gamma: “Blackmagic Design Film”; Tick the “Highlight Recovery” box. (optional) Use our DaVinci 3D LUTs to get closer to the Alexa Colors. Then export your files in the “Deliver” tab. To batch convert all clips, select “Individual Clips” and “File” –> “Source Name”. Click “Add to Render Queue” and then “Start Render” to convert Inspire 2 Raw or convert Inspire 1 Raw files. Using the cinema5D DJI Inspire Raw to LOG Conversion LUTs With my conversion LUTs you can get closer to the Arri Alexa Colors and Gamma. To install them: Launch DaVinci Resolve. Start a new project or open an existing one and click on the settings icon in the lower right corner. Click on the “Color Management” tab. Click on “Open LUT Folder”. The LUT folder will open in a finder window. Copy the LUT .cube file(s) into the LUT folder. When copying has finished, click the “Update Lists” button in the DaVinci Resolve settings window. And to use them: Follow the instructions laid out earlier and apply the “Blackmagic Design Film” Gamma. Before exporting, right click each clip thumbnail and select “3D LUT” –> “C5D_Inspire-1-RAW-to-LOG” or “C5D_Inspire-2-RAW-to-LOG”. 2. Convert Inspire 2 Raw to Log in After Effects Converting Raw to Log in After Effects using the conversion presets. [Update March 31st 2017] With DJI’s new firmware for the Inspire 2, there is now an option to select “D-LOG” gamma while shooting in RAW mode. Please note that this option has little to no effect on your RAW files, but it will lock your exposure to ISO 500. If you can shoot at ISO 500, which is a good place to expose RAW correctly, then use the “D-LOG” option while recording RAW. Otherwise, if you want to be more flexible, leaving the “D-LOG” option off while recording RAW is recommended. Notes about the After Effects conversion • Removes color noise from your footage. • Removes chromatic aberrations, vignetting and distortion from your shots by using the embedded Raw lens data. • The Olympus 25mm lens data is currently faulty, so any footage shot with this lens will not look great. Let’s hope DJI will fix this. • This conversion takes a very long time. Expect your computer to run for at least a day for 30 minutes of footage. Open Adobe After Effects CC. Drag and drop your folder(s) containing the Raw .cdng sequences into the After Effects “Project” tab. The Camera Raw App will open. (optional) Go to the Presets tab (second from the right) and select one of the cinema5D RAW to LOG presets. For each shot (folder with .cdng sequences) you import, the Camera Raw App will open individually. Once all your shots have been imported into After Effects, you can drag them to the “Render Queue” tab at the bottom. Select your desired target codec under “Output Module” in the “Render Queue” tab. Select your desired file destination under “Output To”. Click “Render” in the “Render Queue” tab to convert Inspire 2 Raw or convert Inspire 1 Raw files. For the best possible quality, select the Apple ProRes 4444 or 4444 XQ codec. To save space, go for Apple ProRes 422 HQ. Using the cinema5D DJI Inspire RAW to LOG Conversion LUTs With my conversion presets you can get closer to the Arri Alexa Colors and Gamma. To install them: Navigate to your “Library” folder in Mac OS X. If it is hidden you can reveal your library folder by going to your home folder and then selecting “View” –> “Show View Options” and ticking the “Show Library Folder” checkbox. Navigate to “/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRAW/Settings/”. Place all the .xmp files inside this directory. Restart After Effects. And to use them: Follow the instructions laid out earlier. To use the presets, go to the “Presets Tab” (second from the right) in the Camera Raw window of each clip and select one of the presets. “Inspire-*-RAW-to-LOG_0” is the standard preset. “+1” means pushing the shot if it was underexposed. “-1” means pulling the shot if it was overexposed. For shots with overexposed portions of the image you can also choose the “HL” or “HS” presets. “HS” saves your highlights, “HL” blows your highlights and makes the rolloff more smooth. Note that the presets inside the parenthesis “(…)” are NOT always recommended, as they may produce a “flicker effect” in rare occasions. Inspire Raw to LOG presets If you intend to get awesome shots, I’m sure you will benefit from my presets. I’ve spent a lot of time and effort to get them right, which is why we are not offering them for free. The package also includes the C5D instaLUT B1010 (.cube file) for Log footage (ARRI Alexa and Inspire RAW to LOG) and DaVinci presets for fast conversion of Raw and D-Log footage. This is the best way I found to convert Inspire 2 Raw files to a better format. Disclaimer The presets don’t turn your shots into 100% Arri Alexa Log C footage. They were created by hand and they were intended to get your colors and gamma into the ballpark of Alexa Gamma, so third party LUTs can be used more easily and D-Log and Raw can be matched more easily. That said, for me they are a big help and I hope you enjoy them too. GET THEM HERE As I mentioned in my video, the After Effects workflow gives you the best possible quality and I use it all the time, but DaVinci Resolve converts quicker and the files are also very usable in case you need your files fast. If you shot your video in 4K (UHD) on the Inspire 2 you should use Apple ProRes and D-LOG and you won’t have to convert Inspire 2 Raw files at all. I have tested and explained this in my review. 3. Convert Inspire 2 D-Log to Log in DaVinci Resolve Converting D-Log to Log in DaVinci Resolve with the conversion LUTs With my conversion LUTs you can also convert your D-Log footage (recorded in Apple ProRes) to get closer to the Arri Log C look as explained earlier. Note These only work for the Inspire 2 which records in high quality at 4K resolution with the Apple ProRes codec. It is not recommended to use them on the Inspire 1 or any other DJI drone available right now, as the quality and bitrate of those is not high enough to work properly in such a flat Log Gamma. To install them: follow the instructions laid out under point “1.”. To use them: Open DaVinci Resolve (free download). Browse to your Inspire D-Log shots. Drag your shot(s) to the media pool. Change your project settings to the resolution of your shots. (Gear wheel at the bottom right –> Timeline Resolution) Go to the “Edit” tab and drag your shots into the timeline. Go to the “Color” tab and select all shots. Right click each (or all) clip thumbnails and select “3D LUT” –> “C5D_Inspire-2-RAW-to-LOG” or “C5D_Inspire-2-RAW-to-LOG”. Then export your files in the “Deliver” tab. To batch convert all clips, select “Individual Clips” and “File” –> “Source Name”. Click “Add to Render Queue” and then “Start Render”. 4. Convert Inspire 2 Raw to D-Log in After Effects Here is one more conversion preset as a bonus that I haven’t mentioned in my video. It is called “(Inspire-RAW-to-DJI-LOG)”, part of my cinema5D Raw to Log conversion package. You can select it in the presets tab during the After Effects Camera Raw conversion that I explained in point “2.” This allows you to convert Inspire 2 Raw shots into a gamma that is closer to the D-Log look that you get with AppleProRes recordings on the Inspire 2. It should make it easier to match your footage if D-Log is your target gamma. 5. Direct Workflow in Premiere Pro CC Step 1, 2 and 3 There is also a very simple way to use the D-LOG to Log LUT in Premiere Pro CC directly. The LUT contained in the Raw to Log package converts D-LOG to Log and it can be applied in the Lumetri Color Panel. The benefit of this method is that you do not have to convert your files, but you can work on them natively. The downside is that you cannot apply this to RAW, but only to D-LOG footage, shot on the DJI Inspire 2 with the X5S camera. Go to the Lumetri Color Panel in Premiere Pro CC. Under “Basic Correction”, choose the C5D_Inspire-2-D-LOG-to-LOG.cube LUT as “Input LUT”. Choose your look under the “Creative” tab in the Lumetri Color panel. Choose any .cube file of your liking that works with Alexa Log C. Conclusion That’s it. I hope this workflow tutorial on how to convert Inspire 2 Raw files or Inspire 1 Raw files into Log was useful for you, even if you don’t use my presets and LUTs. I tried to make this tutorial informative for everyone, but I must admit that I see my presets as an integral part of my own workflow to get my footage to where I need it to be. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments, and please post links to your work where you used the presets successfully!

San Francisco-based company Lily Robotics, the folks behind the autonomous Lily camera drone, is going out of business. After having raised around $34 million on pre-orders from its customers and through venture capitalists, it did not succeed to start the production and plans to refund the money. It is not always rainbows and butterflies in the camera technology market, and these news is another proof of that. We reported about the Lily camera drone almost two years ago, when it promised to deliver exciting features like autonomous flying, object tracking, a compact and ready-to-shoot design, etc. The first Lily drone units were supposed to start shipping in February 2016, but the drone’s creators Antoine Balaresque and Henry Bradlow kept postponing the shipping date. Until finally yesterday they published a goodbye post on the Lily blog saying that they would be going out of business after not being able to secure enough financing to start mass manufacturing. According to the company, customers will be getting a refund in the coming days. Officially stopped smiling: The Lily camera drone. Lawsuit & Prosecution According to San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón, Lily’s creators were ignoring numerous customer demands for refunds. Prosecutors warned them on Wednesday and filed a civil law enforcement action and temporary restraining order at the San Francisco Superior Court. They demand Lily Robotics to refund around $34 million to the 60,000 customers who pre-ordered their product. The Lily company is also being accused of false advertising, including misleading customers with a promotional video. According to TechCrunch, some of the footage following a subject was not recorded with a Lily drone but with a DJI Inspire. The fact that Lily did not use any established crowdfunding platforms to gather initial investments, deciding instead for an independent pre-order strategy, forms an important part of the lawsuit. The problem is in the way the law understands pre-order money in this case (“internet sales” instead of “investment in an idea” as is the case with crowdfunding), which exposed the company to certain consumer protection laws. More on this on TechCrunch. Sources: Businessinsider, Cnet, Techcrunch  

DJI just unveiled the most impressive drone we’ve ever seen. The new DJI Inspire 2 is packed with features like a 5K RAW camera, obstacle avoidance, redundant batteries / IMU and Apple ProRes. This drone’s intriguing features take aerial cinematography to the next level at an unbeatable price tag. Inspire 2 I have worked with several drones in the last year and have started to specialize in drone cinematography. Having worked a lot with the DJI Inspire 1 (see my mastering drone footage tutorial here), and especially with the X5R RAW version, I have a very clear idea of what the new DJI Inspire 2 promises and how it might hold up in the field. This is not just any new drone announcement. The DJI Inspire 2 will actually turn a lot of heads and probably start a little revolution just like the DJI Inspire 1 did. Massive Power The new DJI Inspire 2 flies at a maximum speed of 108 km/h 93 km/h [UPDATE: DJI has changed the specs in order to make the camera more stable]. That is almost twice the 65 km/h speed of the former Inspire 1. The faster speed will allow filmmakers to follow fast moving objects like cars on a motorway more easily, and add more depth to shots filmed at higher altitudes. The new battery system promises 27 minutes of flying time, or double the airtime in comparison to the Inspire 1. On top of that, DJI has added battery redundancy to the Inspire 2, meaning that if one battery fails for some reason, then the other can take the drone home. This is a big thing, not only for safety, but also because it will make getting a license for this drone possible in some countries where such constraints are in place. Addressing the issue where cold batteries cause a reduction in flying time, there is now a self-warming battery system built into the DJI Inspire 2 to keep batteries at optimal temperatures even when you fly at -20° Celsius. Besides a much faster navigation and acceleration, optional special propellers will allow the DJI Inspire 2 to reach a maximum altitude of 5km above sea level where the air is much thinner. New Ways to Navigate DJI have added a second camera to the front of the DJI Inspire 2. This way, the drone navigator can always look forward, no matter how the camera operator orients the main cinema camera attached to the drone. The Inspire 2 has redundant sensors on the front, bottom and top for obstacle avoidance and precise navigation indoors, including infrared positioning sensors. An Impressive New RAW camera – 5.2K The Zenmuse X3 camera that came with the DJI Inspire 1 was very basic and had similar image quality like the DJI Mavic, or a 4K smartphone. We compared the quality of different Zenmuse cameras in a review earlier this year. The DJI Inspire 2 comes with a completely new generation of cameras, with both of them shooting at a resolution of 5.2K but featuring different sensor types. Zenmuse X4S The Zenmuse X4S is the standard camera attached to the drone. It has a 1-inch sensor and a resolution of 20 megapixels with a claimed 11.6 stops of dynamic range and a FOV equivalent to a 24mm lens. Zenmuse X5S The Zenmuse X5S is an optional add-on. It has a Micro Four Thirds sensor with 20.8 megapixels and a claimed dynamic range of 12.8 stops. The Zenmuse X5S supports 10 different lenses. In the future, there will be a DJI Osmo handheld device that these cameras will be compatible with, to be used on the ground. It looks like the Zenmuse X5S could replace your traditional cinema camera: in our Zenmuse X5R article we looked at the X5R in comparison to professional cinema cameras on the market and could see that the X5R is a very impressive camera especially considering its size. If the Zenmuse X5S is only a little bit better than the previous generation, it will already be quite impressive. I can imagine an advanced version of the DJI Osmo could turn this camera into a serious professional tool. The DJI Inspire 2 has a new video transmitting system that lets you stream a video feed to your remote at up to 1080i50 instead of 720p, as well as 720p footage up to 60 fps for live streams and remote viewing. Professional Formats – Apple ProRes & RAW This feels like writing a wishlist for a perfect camera, not like an actual product. But as I’ve personally seen this drone in real life, I know this is not a joke. Yes, this camera drone gives you not only RAW via Adobe cinemaDNG (at 4.2 Gbit/s), but also Apple ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 4444 XQ, H.264 and H.265. Apparently the ProRes and RAW codecs are only unlocked when using the Zenmuse X5S camera. The framerate in 4K goes up to 60p for RAW and when recording 4K video in H.264 and H.265, the bitrate goes up to 100Mbps. A new image processing system called CineCore 2.0 is integrated into the drone and helps organize and store your data right inside the drone body instead of the camera like on the DJI Inspire 1. The high quality codec formats are achieved by using new CINESSD SSD drives. A Dedicated High Brightness Screen DJI is also introducing a dedicated high brightness IPS-Monitor called DJI Crystalsky. The screen comes in 5.5 inch and 7.85 inch sizes with a maximum brightness of 1000 cd/m2 and 2000 cd/m2. The dedicated system additionally reduces the latency when in use with the DJI Inspire 2. The screen also includes 2 SD card slots that can record proxies and can be used in temperatures between -20° and +40° Celsius. More Intelligent Flight Modes The DJI Inspire 2 will add more intelligent flight modes to an already impressive system. This will allow you to fixate objects with the camera while flying the drone freely, or use TapFly that positions your drone wherever you point your finger on the screen, while avoiding obstacles during autonomous flight. DJI Inspire 2 Controller ActiveTrack recognizes common objects like humans, animals or cars, allowing you to follow them or circle them and avoid obstacles during flight. DJI Inspire 2 – Ready to Take to the Air This is the most impressive camera announcement I have witnessed and it will surely stir up both the drone and camera market. If you happen to be in either of those, you better jump on board or be left behind. Seriously, this drone makes any current professional drone obsolete and in the near future a professional DJI Osmo could very well make many handheld gimbals unnecessary. In this article you can read why I think the Inspire 1 RAW was a great alternative to any larger professional drone platform and today marks the time when compact professional drones are taken to the next level. The DJI Inspire 2 retails for just $2,999 (Without the camera). It is available for pre-order now and orders will ship by the beginning of next year. That’s crazy considering what you get. The X4S camera is $600 extra. If you want to get the micro four thirds camera, the Zenmuse X5S costs more. The “Inspire 2 Premium Combo”, which includes one Inspire 2, Zenmuse X5S, CinemaDNG and Apple ProRes License Key, is available for $5,999 until the end of the year. The Inspire 2 Premium Combo will start shipping in early December 2016 while customers who purchase the aircraft and camera separately can expect their orders to start shipping in early January 2017. What do you think about the DJI Inspire 2?

Leading drone manufacturer DJI just pushed the aerial market to the next level once again. The new DJI Mavic Pro is their first compact drone that folds away to fit inside a standard-sized backpack, and it looks amazing. Just last week GoPro announced what seemed like their greatest achievement in product design yet: Their GoPro Karma drone is foldable, compact and incorporates their new GoPro HERO 5 camera. But today, the Karma already looks a little obsolete as the DJI Mavic Pro rises to the challenge. Read all about the new DJI Mavic here. Be among the first to try the DJI Mavic. It is available for pre-order now. EU Pre-Order at CVP: LINK DJI Mavic Pro – Small Size, Foldable Design DJI Mavic Pro Drone folded to become ultra compact There had been rumours about a new compact drone by DJI for a while, but now the DJI Mavic Pro is real. In short, DJI put their experience and technology with unmanned aerial vehicles into a sleek, foldable package that opens up new possibilities for videographers and drone enthusiasts wherever they go. At a first glance, the strength of the DJI Mavic Pro is already apparent: this drone features an impressive design that takes “folding away” to the next level. The package has the size of a water bottle, with four folding arms and propellers tucked snugly against its body. In fact, all elements of the drone are protected, as even the camera and gimbal are surrounded by a transparent cone, so it can certainly be tossed into a bag to be launched quickly whenever the time and place are right. DJI has spent a decade making it easier for anyone to fly, and by rethinking everything about how a drone looks, we have created an entirely new type of aerial platform for anyone to explore their creativity,” – Frank Wang, CEO and founder of DJI In comparison to the GoPro Karma, the DJI Mavic Pro is a lot more compact and doesn’t need a special case like its competitor: DJI Mavic vs GoPro Karma comparison in folded away state (the size differences are not accurate) The DJI Mavic Pro Controller The DJI Mavic Drone can be controlled from a smartphone, or from the dedicated new remote controller. According to DJI, it can be set up and ready to fly in less than a minute after calibration. The controller features control sticks that provide tactile feedback to warn the user about obstacles. The Mavic remote controller has its own screen, but can also be mounted together with a smartphone to provide a better viewing experience. The controller is compact and unfolds just like the drone itself. Full of Sensors and Aware of its Surroundings With the introduction of the DJI Phantom 4 in March of this year, DJI also introduced spacial awareness into their drones for the first time. The same technology is also packed into the small DJI Mavic Pro. It features obstacle avoidance and a new Flight Autonomy guidance system, which combines dual-band satellite navigation, redundant sensors, ultrasonic range finders, five vision-positioning cameras and deep learning processors for intelligent flying modes. DJI’s Active Track recognizes common subjects such as people, cars, bicyclists, boats or animals, and then sends Mavic Pro to follow behind, lead in front, track alongside or even circle the subject. You can also keep the camera focused on the subject while controlling Mavic Pro’s movements. There is also a new Terrain Follow mode to race up a slope behind a subject while remaining at a constant height between 1 ft (0.3 m) to 33 ft (10 m). It also uses downward-facing sensors and barometric readings to detect a rising slope on the ground beneath the drone and automatically move it to a safer height. 3-Axis Gimbal and Camera System Of course, the DJI Mavic Pro also includes a three-axis gimbal for shake-free video and aerial photography. This system is the smallest DJI has built so far, and features a camera that shoots 4K video at 30 fps and 1080p HD video at 96 fps, with a minimum focusing distance of just 19 in (0.5 m). The new minimum focus distance is great, as this has been a problem with previous DJI drones and especially the DJI Osmo. The 12-megapixel camera shoots photos in the Adobe DNG RAW and can be flipped 90 degrees to a new portrait mode to shoot vertical photos. [UPDATE:] According to early user reports, the 4K camera found on the DJI Mavic offers a little less resolution than the DJI Phantom 4. Considering the new drone has half price, weight and size of the Phantom 4, the mediocre image quality will probably be an acceptable downside for most consumers, but might be a less positive aspect for those looking for a more professional look. DJI is also introducing a new OcuSync encrypted transmission system that has a range up to 4.3 miles (7 km) and can reach 1080p video resolution for live streaming to Facebook Live, Periscope and YouTube through the DJI GO app. The drone can fly up to 27 minutes on one Intelligent Flight Battery, which is similar to the flying time of the DJI Phantom 4, but 7 minutes longer than the GoPro Karma. Other Features of the DJI Mavic Pro Mavic Pro’s Sport Mode allows speeds of up to 40 mph (64.8 km/h). There is also a new Tripod Mode that drops Mavic Pro’s maximum speed to just 2.2 mph (3.6 km/h) and reduces the sensitivity of the control inputs, to allow precision positioning for photography as well as to make it easier to fly indoors or in other confined spaces. The DJI Mavic Pro also pairs with new DJI Goggles, displaying a 90-degree view from the drone in 1080p for a true bird’s-eye view. The goggles use OcuSync to display video directly from Mavic Pro, not the controller, reducing lag to 120 milliseconds. You can direct Mavic Pro through the sky while wearing the goggles – looking down will tilt the camera down, while looking left or right will change the direction of flight. Mavic Pro is available for pre-order now for $1199. It will begin shipping in mid-October.

GoPro announced their first drone, the GoPro Karma, at Photokina 2016. We get hands on with this highly-anticipated foldable drone right here at the show. GoPro Karma – The Foldable Drone The GoPro Karma has been designed to make it as easy as possible to use and fly straight out of the box, whether just using the stabilizer or for aerial filming. Within a few minutes, the foldable drone can be unfolded, powered up and linked to the remote that conveniently includes a screen. It has a number of automated features including auto shoot paths where the GoPro Karma will orbit between two points, a reveal path, flying up or away from the start point, and cable camera mode. The controller has a built-in touchscreen, and has been simplified to make it as easy as possible to fly straight out of the case. Simulation tutorials will be available soon to aid in learning to fly the drone. In terms of batteries, the GoPro Karma has a plug and play style removable battery that allows for 20 minutes of flying time, while the remote battery lasts for 4 hours and can be charged on the go. Learn more about the GoPro Karma, GoPro HERO 5 and the new GoPro eco system in our launch article. The GoPro Karma will be available form the 23rd of October, with the full package including the drone, GoPro Hero5 camera, stabilizer, grip, controller and batteries for $1099. For the GoPro Karma foldable drone alone, the pricing will be around $700.