from engadget.com
“Does it shoot?” That’s the first question an enthusiastic kid asks as I test-fly the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ in a London park. When the child’s father finally catches up, his first question is: “How much is one of those?” In my incredibly short career as a drone pilot, I’ve been reminded how the human imagination withers with age. A couple of weeks with the DJI drone would teach me quite a few things; not only about human perception of these flying devices, but also about the future of our skies.
The answer to the boy’s question is no, it doesn’t shoot… unless you’re talking about video. The answer to dad’s question is much less open to interpretation — the Phantom 2 Vision+ costs $1,299, which includes a 1080p camera built in, plus a three-way brushless gimbal (the part that keeps the camera stable). The Vision+ is a ready-to-fly, all-in-one video-recording drone that lets amateurs like me record silky-smooth, almost cinematic aerial video. A fact that brings us to something of a fork in the road where drones are concerned.
Remote-control drones have been used by the military, academic research teams, big-budget video productions and the private sector. They’re also popular with home-brew and hobby enthusiasts, but other than the odd $50 toy, they’ve never really crossed over to the mainstream. DJI isn’t the only company that makes consumer-friendly drones, but it’s the company leading the market. Its Phantom models require no assembly, and are (relatively) easy to fly. They have an impressive flying range, a decent 20 or so minutes of airtime per charge and a host of other premium features (including GPS, return to home and different flying modes). The Phantom 2 Vision+, with its built-in camera and smooth video (the first Phantoms with cameras were marred by unstable footage), could bring quadcopters, aerial photography and a whole bunch of privacy issues firmly into public consciousness.
Continue Reading at engadget.com…
Alan is serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, and a drone enthusiast. He co-founded DRONELIFE.com to address the emerging commercial market for drones and drone technology. Prior to DRONELIFE.com, Alan co-founded Where.com, ThinkingScreen Media, and Nurse.com. Recently, Alan has co-founded Crowditz.com, a leader in Equity Crowdfunding Data, Analytics, and Insights. Alan can be reached at alan(at)dronelife.com