Or, in other words, a bigger hammer is not always a better hammer.
Let’s find out how to choose the right drone for the job!
Mine Is Bigger Than Yours
Well then, ain’t that just special!
Another common misconception among those with less experience flying drones for photography and cinematography is the idea that you need these giant flying platforms running massive Red camera systems costing tens of thou$$$ands of dollars to get any decent footage. Bahhhh! Not true at all.
The best measure to accomplishing any task, whether it be in film production, fixing your car or scrambling eggs for breakfast is knowing the right tool for the job.
Humans, for some strange reason, seem to gravitate toward the ‘bigger is better’ concept when in reality bigger also means more cumbersome, more expensive and more complicated. See how the scale works?
Now, don’t get me wrong. This same rationale dictates that in the right situation, for the right project with certain specific demands, that the bigger platform is the right choice.
But with the lightning-fast advancements in technology, we are now seeing incredible flight and image quality coming from smaller drones and more compact camera systems all the time. And especially at affordable price points that puts high quality aerial cinematography in more filmmakers’ hands than ever before.
What ‘chu Flying, there?
Ok, fair enough. While I have flown plenty of different brands, models and types of drones over the years I have found sort of a ‘perfect world’ kit that that works very well for my projects. I use this set up on pretty much all my film and video shoots these days. You will hear me talk about the right drone for the job a lot. This also means that you may be able to benefit from a mix of different types of drones on a given project.
L-R: DJI Tello, Autel Evo and DJI Mavic Mini. Having a mix of different drones for different purposes can be beneficial to planning and executing your shoots much more efficiently and effectively.
My main gear kit now consists primarily of three drones, however there are new models coming and out all the time. My main drone for photo and video is the Autel Evo. There are many technical reasons why I chose this model over some similar ones but that is a subject for another conversation.
The Autel Evo is an incredibly stable platform in a compact form factor which makes it easy to manage while traveling and provides smooth deployment on a set. The word ‘stability’ means a ton in drone terms. Flight stability, software stability, gimbal stability, support stability…. You get the idea.
The onboard camera shoots 4K at 60fps @ 100Mbps. The Evo was the first drone in this class to offer 4K at 60fps, something many prominent competitors still haven’t caught up to. The high frame rate gives you super crisp imaging, especially for slo-mo in post. Other frame rates are available as well, down to 24fps. A wide 94 degree FOV is perfect for wider shots and there is an 8X digital zoom that is handy but yeah, still has the typical iffy effects of a digital zoom. Still, it is something the others don’t offer and I can imagine use cases where it would be applicable.
You may recall from an earlier post, I talked about ‘dress rehearsal’ for your drone shot. It is critically important to have a good plan - then practice the flight route before you go for the actual takes. For my rehearsals, I use smaller, efficient models such as the DJI Mavic Mini and the DJI Tello.
The Tello is this tiny little guy that is well suited to map out an indoor flight, for example, and controlled right off your phone. Lots of technical limitations here such as a fixed camera with no gimbal, but shoots in fairly decent 1080p which is good enough for you to get an idea of what the final drone shot will see.
The Mavic Mini, to be perfectly honest, is no slouch at all. The deceptively low price and small size do not reveal the full capabilities of this little dynamo. While the video tops out at 2.7K, it does have a super smooth 3-axis gimbal and superb flying manners inherited from it’s bigger Mavic Pro siblings. It does not have all the fancy flight modes aside from a few novelties. It is ideal for practicing your flight but with better video results and it can actually do a wonderful job for less demanding projects on its own. Also, it is a great entry point for newer operators to learn some skills without fear of crashing more expensive models. The more I fly my Mini, the more I enjoy it and the resulting imagery it can provide once you learn how to use it.
Ok, now what?
Finding the right drone, or combination of drones, for your fleet is oh so just the tip of the iceberg. The next step is to get out there and put in the time - and I do mean solid hours upon hours - of practice.
The flight control apps have tons of menus and elements to learn like the back of your hand. Everything from flight control to camera settings, and you can be sure there is plenty in there. But the cool thing is, with a good understanding of cameras such as ISO, shutter, ND filters, exposure and other elements you can get some amazing images and video from this class of drones.
Putting in the dedicated time for research, testing and constant practice will make you a better remote pilot, if you choose to fly yourself. Even if you choose to hire a professional drone operator, having something like the Mavic Mini would still be beneficial to help give you a little better grasp of what is capable, and what questions to ask of your drone pro.
And of course, The Drone Cav!
As always, this is why we are here for you!
No matter what you are wanting to explore or your interests in learning more about drones and aerial cinematography, the Romero Pictures Indie Brigade Drone Cav exists for the sole reason to add to your productions’ value by advancing your aerial cinematography efforts!
Give us a shout, we’d love to hear from you!
