YOUR EYE IN THE SKY

Choosing a drone is just like choosing a boat. You can spend virtually as much or as little as you wish, and what might be right for someone else might not be right for you, and vice versa. As a commercial drone pilot who frequently gets paid to film and photograph boats under sail, I am oftentimes launching off moving boats and am especially partial to the DJI Phantom series of drones. While covering the 2019 Transpac and 2019 Sydneyhobart Race, every single drone I saw in the sky was a Phantom 4, including my own pair of them (though I never flew both at once, which is illegal).

They were out of production for approximately a year (from late 2018 until late 2019), but DJI’S supply-line issues have apparently been sorted out, and the DJI Phantom 4 Pro Version 2.0 was again back on the market earlier this year. If you are shooting off moving sailboats, this is the king of drones. However, at a starting price of over $1,700 for a new Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, it’s not cheap. That said, there is a strong secondhand market of Phantom 4’s and Phantom 3’s. As mentioned in the story, the legs of the Phantom 4 drone are arguably the model’s greatest quality; catching them off a moving boat is a breeze.

While the Phantom is the king of commercial-boat-based drone use, DJI’S Mavic series is the company’s bestseller. Portable, powerful and easy to fly, the Mavic is the go-to drone for most pilots. I still own two Mavic Pros and almost always have one in my backpack; unless I’m working from a boat, my Mavic is the workhorse. Ranging from the Mavic Mini ($399) to the Mavic Air ($919), and all the way up to the Mavic Pro ($1,149) and Mavic 2 ($1,729), one can spend as much or as little as they wish, and it’s quite easy to see where the money goes in each ascending level.

With the newly released Mavic Mini (below) at under $400, the incentive to purchase a $99 no-name knockoff or a cheaper alternative brand for a couple hundred bucks is less and less appealing. In my personal experience and that of my many friends who fly drones, many of us have tried different brands, but virtually all of us have settled on DJI drones. Like the Phantom drones, there is a massive secondhand market for Mavic drones, as well as the tiny DJI Spark. And remember, along with the drone, you will want a good smartphone. Unless you opt for an expensive controller that includes its own screen, your smartphone will permit you to see what you are filming and where you are going.

Happy flying!