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.  

After the Panasonic GH5 was launched today, here’s another impactful announcement. GoPro has gone all out. Introducing “Karma”, GoPro’s own move into the Drone market. GoPro Hero Black 5, a 4K capable sports camera, as well as its little cousin the GoPro Hero Session 5. GoPro has been incredibly quiet the last couple of months. While they have been the go-to extreme-sports camera company for the last couple of years, companies such as Sony and DJI have been creeping in and taking away their market. Everybody has been asking, where are they? DJI have dropped GoPro as their entrance-level drone camera, and have built their own. Sony has targeted GoPro directly, with a small compact action-based camera system. GoPro are on the counter-attack. It seems GoPro have done it again. Nick Woodman, Founder and CEO of GoPro introduced the new range of GoPRO products: GoPro HERO 5 The new GoPro HERO 5 is a completely redesigned GoPro action camera introducing a lot of new features. The GoPro Hero Black 5 features a 12 megapixel /30fps burst timelapse camera. It can shoot 4K at 30fps, 1140p at 80fps and 1080p at 120fps. The new GoPro does not require an underwater housing, it is water-proof straight out of the box (up to 10m). With built-in image stabilisation, wifi, bluetooth and location capture and voice control (for 7 languages) and auto-upload feature to GoPro’s own cloud service this small camera is a power house. The 2″ touch display shows a simplified menu. To top it all off, RAW and WDR photos are now standard. Voice control No more case 3 mics Hardware Image Stabilization Auto-upload video and photo into the cloud The GoPro HERO 5 is the “GoPro they always wanted to make”. You can get your hands on a GoPro Hero Black 5 for just $399. GoPro Session 5 The little cousin GoPro Hero Session 5 was also introduced. It features a 10 megapixel camera and can shoot 30fps in 4K, 80fps in 1440p and 90fps in 1080p. It also includes video Stabilisation, as well as GoPro’s new voice control. The GoPro Hero Session 5 is water-proof up to 10m as well. Voice control 4K Video 1 button contro. Wifi – Use smartphone to monitor GoPro Session The GoPro Hero Session 5 will cost $299 GoPro Karma The GoPro Karma Drone is GoPro’s very own DJI Phantom. It folds away into a really small form factor and uses the new GoPro HERO 5 to record your aerial footage. GoPro Karma Announced by Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro Karma is so much more than a drone – Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro Karma will go on sale on October 23rd. It will cost $799 alone, $1,099 with a Hero 5, or $999 with a Hero 5 Session. GoPro Karma Grip GoPro Karma Grip is basically a DJI Osmo clone with a GoPro HERO 5 in it. What is nice is that the Karma Grip can be attached to traditional GoPro mounting accessories and thus turning your GoPro mount into a fully gimbal stabilized GoPro. GoPro Plus and Quik App Editing Software GoPro have started their own cloud based service, which allows your files to be automatically uploaded straight from your GoPro devices to your GoPro plus account. Nick Woodman demonstrated how easy the editing is using a Quik Key, a device which allows the micro-sd card to be plugged straight into your iPhone. The footage is downloaded to your phone or tablet, and using a few clicks and selecting your favourite soundtrack, the Quik App automatically edits your shots to the beat and to a duration you choose. How much GoPro’s cloud-based service subscription fee will be remains unknown for now.

Small camera drones on Kickstarter and Indiegogo – how many of those have we seen already? Remember the Lily Camera drone that we reported about? It doesn’t seem to be shipping yet, and there seem to be some problems with it with another “fake” campaign claiming to sell their drone too, and according to this report they are under review by the “Indiegogo Trust and Safety Team”. Not very reassuring, to say the least. So, we have honestly become more cautious with crowd funding campaigns in general and drone crowd funding campaigns specifically – there are just a lot of things that seem to go wrong, and a lot of products that never see the light of day, even after being successfully funded. Now, the drone market is huge – if you look at this article, it becomes apparent why so many companies try their luck. And I am not only talking about camera drones. It’s growing fast, and so is the need for regulation. This article here gives a good overview of industry trends in the drone field (PDF link). But let’s look at the drone crowd funding campaign du jour – the UP&Go Arial Camera on Indiegogo. It’s already overfunded by now with over three weeks left, which is another good indication about how much hype still surrounds the drone business. What’s so special about it? It’s quite cheap with a starting price of $299, and it’s really supposed to be for amateurs who want to film their outdoor adventures by having a drone follow them automatically. It records only 1080p at (up to?) 60fps and 720p at 120fps, and takes 12MP stills. The demo footage looks okay but I expect this to essentially look like an older generation GoPro. Speaking of which, they officially call this an “Aerial GoPro” and even copy the style of GoPro’s logotype, which is daring to say the least, because I am sure that there is no real association with GoPro. Seriously? The logo looks like a GoPro rip-off … So, if you are thinking about pre-ordering the UP&GO camera drone on Indiegogo, be careful – you might get a very cheap drone for more “fun stuff”, but there is always the danger that a crowd funding campaign like this won’t materialise. Also, as far as I can tell from the campaign page, the drone is not aware of its environments with sensors (unlike, for instance, the DJI Phantom 4), which means that it will crash into trees when it follows you if you’re not careful. Let’s hope that’s something they will add before they ship the product.

Freefly has announced a new multicopter, the Alta 8 comes arrives with all the neat features of the Alta 6 including Synapse brain, top/bottom loading and 45 degree angle operation, but adds two more arms increasing it’s payload to an impressive 18kg. So, another Freefly promo video. They makes them nice, don’t they? Any form of filmmaker would probably have the same feelings as me after that video, Want and Need (before realising I’m not a pilot and would likely crash it the minute I’d set my hands on that lovely flashy controller). Those that are pilots and perhaps looking to upgrade to a larger system will appreciate the Alta 8 in a more practical fashion. The payload gets increased to 18kg (5 more than the Alta 6) giving the multicopter a hefty 11.9 working payload (6.2kg of the 18 taken up by the weight of the aircraft). Despite the extra 2 arms and increased payload, the Alta 8 out performs its smaller 6-legged brother in reducing down to 50% of it’s ready-to-fly size down to packed away state. The Alta is 640mm in diameter packed down (littler larger than the Alta 6 at 590mm) but is actually has a smaller wingspan at 1296mm. Just like the Alta 6, the Alta 8 utilizes Freeflys quick release toad in the hole system to quickly switch between a conventional underslung configuration to SkyView, where the camera sits above the rotors for any up tilted shots. The great feature of Alta systems (despite not being new) is the Alta App. I have vast experience with the Movi app which is both very quick & easy to use, whilst also complex in the amount of adjustments you can make throughout. Observing the Alta App, you get the same impression and coupled with the Synapse brain you’ve access to a host of graphical and numeric information to ensure your setup is calibrated on point. The Alta 8 maintains agility with 45 degrees of operation (tilt of copter whilst keeping camera straight), features velocity clamps for control of repeat camera moves and silent drive motors that Freefly bill as being optimized for speed, reliability, and robustness. The Freefly Alta 8 will start shipping immediately, starting at $17,495.

GoPro has entered the aerial camera market with announcement of the Karma drone that will be released next year. The above video has appeared on the official GoPro website, but sadly nothing more at this stage. Whilst it’s GoPros first venture outside of straight action cameras, it will come of no surprise to many. Drone operators and enthusiasts alike have been flying GoPros for years; a DJI Phantom and GoPro combo quickly became the go-to package for entry level aerial filmmakers. DJI has since started the production of their own cameras, which in-turn has taken over what a GoPro package can currently offer; the DJI X5R can record raw video utilizing a micro four thirds sensor. Because of DJIs latest offering, a GoPro Hero 4 simply bolted to a same branded drone will not suffice as a market leader. It will be interesting to see where the Karma sits within the industry, my guess is GoPro will target the entry-level market and challenge the Phantom 3 in spec and price, offering a Hero 4 (or 5 if we’re there by that point) on an affordable gimballed drone; this would fit their mass consumer profile. However I hope I’m wrong and we see a completely new raw enabled camera that challenges the DJI Zenmuse X5R. We shall see….

Drones give us stunning new perspectives for our films, but the video look they produce is often quite unsexy. So how do you grade and perfect aerial video from a low cost drone camera to make the low-bitrate footage look awesome? This was the question I asked myself when I finished my footage from the DJI Inspire 1.  I spent a week filming with an entry level drone to create a stunning drone film. After many hours figuring out how to make the best of the footage I had, I created this 3-part video tutorial on mastering drone footage. In PART I I talked about How to Shoot Aerial Video Like a Pro. In PART II I talked about Improving Aerial Video in Post. Here is PART III, where I’ll show you how I graded and perfected the film with compositing. Part I – Shoot Aerial Video Like a Pro Part II – Improve Aerial Video in Post These are the tips I would have needed when I started shooting. I wanted to get the best out of my drone footage and I didn’t find this knowledge elsewhere. As discussed in the tutorials, the footage from low-cost drones come with a lot of drawbacks, very highly compressed codecs and low bitrates that make grading very difficult. In my tutorial I’m showing you how to make aerial video look and feel cinematic, how to raise the production value of your project with a few simple steps from shooting to final grading and compositing. I hope you’ll enjoy these tutorials and they’ll help you get started. All 3 parts of the video series have some essential points I think anyone serious about aerial video can take something away from. Equipment used In part I and part II talked about why the DJI Inspire 1 for me is the best value for money low cost drone right now with the upgrade options to the new Zenmuse X5 and X5R cameras for better quality. The video above was shot without the upgrades on the normal DJI Inspire 1. I recommend this package: DJI Inspire 1 (with 2 Remotes) At least 4-5 Additonal Batteries 4-battery charging station 2 smartphones or tablets compatible with the Inspire 1 practice I do not recommend the hardcase version unless you use this for rental or a large production. The shell-case is perfect, lightweight and roomy and can hold both remotes and 9 batteries! (I got this wrong in my video, there are hidden compartments). I did not have the high capacity batteries as mentioned above. It must be awesome to have those though. How many should you get? It really depends on how much you’ll shoot in a day. I did not have the 4-battery charging station. It must be awesome to have it. It will charge one battery at a time overnight. If charging times are the same as the single chargers then it will probably take about 6 hours to charge 4 batteries. Remember, practice is part of the package. Fly safely, edit tirelessly and grade meticulously. Then let us know what you learned in the process. If you are interested in my LUT you can download it here. Helpful Links: Understanding Lumetri Color in Premiere Pro After Effects Motion Tracking Tutorial Music by musicbed.com Salomon Ligthelm – Bones

Low cost drones have revolutionized the way we think about aerial video, but often the results are easily distinguishable from professional aerial shots. So how do you improve aerial video coming from a low cost drone camera? This was the question I asked myself when I edited my footage from the DJI Inspire 1.  I spent a week filming with an entry level drone and I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make the best out of the footage I had. Here’s the second part of my 3-part video tutorial on mastering drone footage. Also check out: Part I – Shoot Aerial Video Like a Pro Part III – Grade Low-Cost Aerial Video These are the tips I would have needed when I started shooting. I wanted to get the best out of my drone footage and I didn’t find this knowledge elsewhere. Here’s how to make aerial video look and feel cinematic, how to raise the production value of your project with a few simple steps. I hope you’ll enjoy these tutorials and they’ll help you get started. All 3 parts of the video series have some essential points I think anyone serious about aerial video can take something away from. DJI Inspire 1 compared to Sony FS7 high resolution screenshot Working with the Inspire 1 drone I already explained this in part I of the series, the possibilities of the DJI Inspire 1 were really impressive for me, very easy to use, very affordable and very powerful in terms of its ergonomics and the intelligent flight modes. I highly recommend using this drone if you consider going into aerial videography. The screenshot above shows you the drawbacks of the DJI Inspire 1 camera in terms of image quality in comparison to a Sony FS7 4K image (click open link in new window to see full resolution) as discussed in the video. Fortunately the Inspire 1 camera is upgradable so you can improve it with proper Micro Four Thirds cameras, the new Zenmuse X5 and X5R cameras produce much better quality. As you can see though, just using the built-in 4K camera opens up a lot of possibilities for low cost shooters. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Fly safely, edit tirelessly and let us know what you learned in the process. Best wishes from Seb at cinema5D. Helpful Links: adobe.com on CC Force Motion Blur adobe.com on Time Remapping animation in Premiere CC Music by musicbed.com Salomon Ligthelm – Bones

Drones. An intriguing new technology for cinematographers! But how do you shoot aerial video with professional aesthetics on a low cost drone and how do you finish the footage? This was the question I asked myself and spent a week attempting to capture cinematic drone footage with a DJI Inspire 1. I learned a lot in the process and decided to share some valuable tips from shoot to grade. Here are all 3 parts of my video tutorial series on mastering drone footage. Related article: After the videos Related article: Part II – Working with Drone Footage Related article: Part III – Grade Low-Cost Aerial Video Why another drone shooting tutorial? Because these are the tips I would have needed when I started shooting. I wanted to get the best out of my drone footage and I didn’t find this knowledge elsewhere. There are lots of technical tutorials out there, but none of them cover how to make aerial video look and feel truly cinematic. And this is exactly what raises the production value of your project and I think really the biggest plus drones offer. I hope you’ll enjoy these tutorials and they’ll help you get started. All 3 parts of the video series have some essential points I think anyone serious about aerial video can take something away from. DJI Inspire 1 Drone with Zenmuse X3 Gimbal & 4K Camera A few words on the Inspire 1 drone As mentioned in the video the DJI Inspire 1 is really an impressive drone, very easy to use, very affordable and very powerful in terms of its ergonomics and the intelligent flight modes. I highly recommend using this drone if you consider going into aerial videography as it is now also upgradable with the new Zenmuse X5 and X5R cameras that produce much better quality. I think this is really the best value for money right now. As you can see in my video, just using the built-in camera opens up a lot of stunning possibilities. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments. And now fly safely and then let us know what you learned in the process. Best wishes from Seb at cinema5D. Helpful Links: inspirepilots.com flysafe.dji.com Music by musicbed.com Salomon Ligthelm – Bones