Is falcon 8 a good option for photo and video?

[spanishfly]

hello, my name is Alonso and i´m from spain, so sorry for my english.
I don´t know if this the right place to post... but i can change
I a professional photographer, and i want to start with aerial photo and video.
I went on an hollydays to Portugal some weeks ago and saw a new kind of
UAV that i haven't see before. I talk to the man that was flying with
it, i ask him if it was him who built it, and he told me that it was a professional UAV, a falcon 8.
I find it very stable, and a very beautiful equipment, and i haven´t see none of that kind.
But i find very few information of users and the price tag is very high.
Does someone knows how good is it? Does it worth the money spent?
In some foruns i saw that it was only for high technical company's and
professionals on aerial inspections, but how does it works on video?
Does the high end company's buy it because they have the money or
because its really good?
And if is good for the high end company's, why i don´t see more people with this kind of equipment?

thank you very much for your ansers

 

[jes1111]

The Falcon 8 from AscTec is indeed a very good machine. It's expensive because a) it's a complete, ready to fly system and b) you get the support you would expect after spending that sort of money. However, as a machine for you I think it has a serious payload limitation - it can only carry a very small camera. If you want more flexibility then there are many better choices, and cheaper too!

 

[spanishfly]

thank you jes1111 for your information

i find out that the Portuguese company that i saw with the falcon is one
of the chosen by AscTec in their home page. And now, i have changing
mails with the company owner, and he as been very helpful and patient
with me this last tree days


Like you said and he confirm, its a complete ready to fly and the support by AscTec is super efficient.

He also toll me that he as more than 700 hours of flight with zero
problems, i don´t know if i should believe it or if he is only saying...


But i have discussed with some friends and all of them say if is truth, is a good record.

About the payload limitation you are right again. it´s not for RED EPIC class or 5D.

He said that the AscTec only have some standard cameras and they don´t
allowed others, unless they say its ok. And the cameras must be supply
by AscTec because of the assembly.


I toll him that was a major problem, because i was planning to have a 5D on the UAV.

Then he toll me that for him, the Falcon was not for big video productions
for the movie industries, but for all of the rest 99% down to earth
needs .

They have a Sony PJ780 and he says that is a good camera and that they have use it for filming to
other video producers with very good results.

He speak wonderful things about the Falcon, but i don't see too much informations by others users of the Falcon.

I don´t know if he really think that way or he is only saying that because he is on AscTec home page.

But he also toll me if i want he can show me the falcon, and see how it works.
And as i'm about 400 km of him... i´m going to schedule with him, and if i get some more information i'll post it here

Thanks again

 

[spanishfly]

Sorry... i just see that there is another thread on the Asctec Falcon. Sorry to all.
When i have more informations i get back to you.