Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
On January 5, 2015, DJI launched 24/7 tech support for Inspire 1 customers via email or live chat. Telephone support remains a business hours option only.
For live chat and email inquiries, DJI says it will respond to tech support requests within one hour. The support page states that DJI is evaluating the service extension to other product lines, such as the popular Phantom series of quadcopters.
More details and contact info here on the DJI Inspire 1 support page.
Think Tank Photo has released the Airport Helipak, which is designed to carry a DJI Phantom or similar-sized quadcopter, along with the radio transmitter, GoPro cameras and other quadcopter accessories. Additionally, the bag has a dedicated compartment for a 15″ laptop. [Read more…]
The return-to-home function on RC drones like the DJI Phantom and F550 is a pretty cool feature, which we saw saved the day for Eric Cheng when he took his Phantom over an active volcano. Of course, if there is a rock wall between you and your drone, it could present some problems. [Read more…]
Think Tank Photo’s new Airport Accelerator Phantom 2 Quadcopter Divider Kit converts their Airport Accelerator backpack into a customize quadcopter transport case. [Read more…]
The DJI Phantom quadcopter is a pretty awesome tool for photographers and filmmakers; however, one negative component of the Phantom is the frequent complaints from those who have lost their Phantom as a result of a flyaway.
While the cause of Phantom flyaways is a constant source of debate, there are certainly things that can be done to minimize the risk. Still, that may not be enough.
According to several reports from Phantom users, every setting can be made by the book and the Phantom can still be affected by an uncontrollable flyaway.
We’ve previously looked at ways to minimize the risk of flyaways; however, there is one more measure you can take that improves the likelihood of recovery in the event of a flyaway . . . . [Read more…]
The problem with mounting a GoPro to a DJI Phantom or other drone is that the vibration of the propellers creates a terrible jello effect in the footage. This is the main reason that gimbals have become such a popular accessory for drones. But gimbals are expensive.
Two grad students from USC were searching for a cheaper way to reduce the jello effect in their footage from their Phantom-mounted GoPro. After months of failure in testing several aftermarket products, they finally built their own mount with household items for less than $10.
They discovered that they had to dampen the attachment between the GoPro and the Phantom, which is something that none of the attachments on the market allowed. In the end, they used a pair of sponges and some semi-rigid wires to connect a mount that was constructed from a plastic lid.
The results are impressive and resemble the look of an expensive gimbal when viewing the output footage. You can see a full walkthrough, along with sample footage, in the video above.
A couple of the more popular posts in recent months here on Photography Bay deal with reports and concerns about DJI Phantom users and their experience with flyaways. By “flyaway”, we are talking about when the user loses control of the DJI Phantom quadcopter and it is most often lost or heavily damaged as it heads off into an unanticipated direction. [Read more…]
A ruling last week by a National Transportation Safety Board judge declared that the FAA’s ban on commercial use of aerial drones carries no weight under federal law. [Read more…]
In July 2013, I posted an article detailing the numerous flyaway reports for the Phantom quadcopter that many users had experienced. It proved to be a very popular topic and users are still reporting issues and addressing possible solutions in this forum thread.
When I asked DJI about the issue via email last year, I received what seemed to be a basic troubleshooting response. Later in 2013, DJI released the Phantom 2 Vision and Phantom 2 quadcopter with additional features; however, the documentation for the Phantom 2 did not allude to any flyaway concerns relating to the original Phantom.
I attended DJI’s press conference at CES 2014, which highlighted the Phantom 2. After the press conference, DJI opened the floor for questions, at which time I presented the question from Photography Bay forum member and reader concerns regarding the original Phantom flyaways and whether the Phantom 2 takes into account any of these concerns with new safeguard to prevent flyaways. [Read more…]
DJI’s new Phantom 2 Vision quadcopter is getting Adobe DNG RAW file support for its built-in 14MP camera. The update should be available later in December. [Read more…]