Rest assured if you hire Hovershotz, we are the only drone operator in Cumbria & the Lake District operating the latest cinematic quality drones. We are constantly evaluating the latest drone technology to make sure we are able to offer our clients the best possible results.
It’s now four years since we introduced the DJI Inspire 1 to our fleet and this venerable old drone has served us well during this time but the fact is, in 2018 it no longer cuts the mustard and has been eclipsed by newer drones. Plus, the Inspire 1 has been discontinued by DJI and is no longer supported. After evaluating the latest drones, we selected the DJI Inspire 2 with X5s & X4s cameras as the first new drone to our fleet in 2018. This makes perfect sense, particularly as many of our clients are now specifying the Inspire 2 as their drone of choice.
We have now been operating the DJI Inspire 2 for over a month and it has been a total revelation and has simply blown us away with just how superior it is compared to our old legacy DJI Inspire 1 Pro with X5 camera (with the benefit of hindsight, we really wished we had upgraded last year when the I2 came out because it really is that much better). The image quality (both video and stills) is far far superior on the Inspire 2 with X5s compared with nour old Inspire 1.
The airframe of the Inspire 2 is far more robust, responsive and stable, which means we are able to capture more difficult shots and provide far better quality footage than we ever could we our old Inspire 1.
So, what are the major differences and benefits to clients?
- Better camera – 50% more pixels and raw video, means far better quality footage for clients
- Speed – The Inspire 2 can fly at up to 70 mph vs 40 mph from the Inspire 1, which means we can keep up with the action, particularly from sporting events
- Longer flight times – our Inspire 2 can stay in the air for almost 30 minutes, where’as our old X5 equipped Inspire 1 could only manage 15 minutes between battery changes meaning we sometimes missed important shots
- Redundancy – The Inspire 2 has twin batteries, two IMU’s, dual barometers, and dual compasses (as opposed to the old Inspire 1 which only has one of each), these means that the Inspire 2 is more safe to fly (just in case one system fails it can still fly) and makes it more accurate when in the air. This is a game changer when it comes to operating a drone over water such as a lake (one of the major weaknesses of the inspire one)
- Two cameras – The Inspire two has an additional FPV (first person view camera) which enables the pilot to see what the drone sees and while the camera operator can control and see the main camera. This is a huge benefit when it comes to filming complex sequences for action films and sporting events
- On board battery heaters – The Inspire 2 can fly safely in temperatures as low as -4C, whereas we were stuck with flying safely at 10C (even with an external battery warmer) with the Inspire 1 (due in part to it’s antiquated firmware and battery technology)
- Additional flight modes – which enable a single operator complex tracking of objects that are just impossible with the antiquated Inspire 1 and would necessitate dual operators, with additional costs
- Collision avoidance – the Inspire 2 has the ability not to crash into things, which the Inspire 1 doesn’t have – although this really doesn’t affect us as we usually operate in either atti or sport modes with the sensors switched off
- Simultaneous panning and tilting of the camera – this allows Hovershotz to perform tasks with a single operator that crews operating the old Inspire One will require a pilot and seperate camera operator. This means Hovershotz can now offer the same results for lower costs.
We can offer filming with the Inspire 2 in the Lake District at a comparative cost to some economy drone operators still making do with the obsolete Inspire 1. If you are a film company, broadcasting company or any organisation looking for the best footage possible from a drone operating in Cumbria, Lancashire or the Lake District, then Hovershotz are your only choice.
We are currently evaluating a compact drone for internal filming and at the moment we are testing a DJI Mavic Pro and a Parrot Anafi and so far the Anafi gets the nod due to better camera quality, dramatically lower noise and a camera with 180-degree up down gimbal (meaning it can lup up as well as down). We will reserve final judgement until we have had a chance to test the DJI Marvic Pro 2 due to me launched in July 2018.
We are still evaluating an all weather inspection drone, although the DJI Matrice 210 is looking good as it can share cameras, batteries etc with our Inspire 2.
Hovershotz aerial drone photography video and filming – the professional choice in the Lake District.
