Choice Of Machine

[1lifefilm]

Hi All
Im at the stage where I'm deciding on a good platform for a professional operation. I'm looking very closely at the DJI S1000, any thoughts on this design from you guys? I'm particularly conscious of the need to come in at <7kgs to avoid unwanted restrictions, anyone know what the S1000 weighs in at?
Thanks
Simon

 

[maxwelltub]

Get a SAB Goblin 700 and stretch it to an 800.

Just kidding, thats a wise *** remark to a vague question that gets asked a lot.

By restriction, well that depends on where you live, but anything under 50 lbs is maybe a safe bet. That being said we are in a major gray area in the US so no safe bets yet. I bet if you you go to the DJI website you could answer the question about weight. In fact I know you can.

S1000 is an octo (8 arms) which i believe is 100cm across. So you could look at Cinestar, Droidworx, Gryphon Dynamics, Mikrokopter, Vulcun. All airframes that offer octocopter set ups. Each has its pros and cons. And after doing a little research, find one that looks good and then look to see what others are saying about it. IE, google it. So for example google s1000 and look critically at what people are saying. Look for the negative reviews and see if they are isolated, or if many people are having the same problem. I would not advice any dji frame for pro use, but look it up yourself.

There are a lot of great great people with good info here, but you should show that you are also doing your own research and work as well. But I understand its a lot of information and its sometimes hard to know where to start.

 

[Old Man]

Individual experience level will largely dictate what one should be looking at. No experience but desire pro level flight unit? Not a good idea. Can fly manual most of the time with no problems and understand the functionality of the equipment? Yep, look to the pro stuff. However, understand the pro equipment won't make you pro level in ability. All that takes a lot of practice, and then more practice, and a continuing education in cinematography and post editing. Your weight limit suggests you're in the U.K. so I'll suggest you look to units that are produced as much s possible locally. There were some good suggestions in the previous post but understand that if you go DJI and have issues you're pretty much handling them yourself. DJI has horrible, rephrased to almost zero, customer service.

 

[gtranquilla]

1lifefilm,
The DJI S1000 looks good... but I have the Cinestar Octocopter 1100mm which so far has been a great flying experience......it was designed specifically for serious aerial cinematography for the Mikrocopter but with some simple mods can accommodate other FCs. I use the DJI A2 on mine.
You still have to add the appropriate landing gear c/w yaw motor cage. I have a strong preference for Cinestar's tripod landing gear that always rotates out of the way for the camera such that the heavier and more complex retracts are not required. In addition to the weight of the retract servos and extra battery powered required to operate them there is always some additional risk due to the added complexity......

I bought the airframe directly from the OEM out of China which is Famous Hobby Shop and purchased it thru AliExpress here: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/H001...pter-frame-kit-without-motors/1013825004.html

Downsides? It does not readily fold-up but you can remove two or more motor arms for easier transportation.