What to Buy??

[Julius Jackson]

Details:

- live in Thailand, so access to builds/materials is less than ideal (+VAT is a killer for overseas purchases)
- goal is to have something that does professional grade video and stills
- budget is <$2000
- am fine with using a GoPro for a while, but want the ability to upgrade to NEX-7
- dont have any build/kit experience, but am inclined to learn

what do you recommend?

have done a fair amount of research, but must admit im pretty overwhelmed by all the options. any prompts in the right direction are welcome.

 

[ProPilotWannaBe]

I would start by looking at:
- DJI F550 frame, start with stock motors and ESCs to keep cost within your budget,
- Naza V2 flight controller,
- Futaba 8FG or 8J, with either R6208SB receiver, or FrSky S-bus compatible receiver (http://www.alofthobbies.com/frsky-tfr4sb-fasst-sbus-receiver.html),
- Tarot 2 axis brushless gimbal for the GoPro (http://www.helipal.com/tarot-t-2d-brushless-gimbal-for-gopro-hero-3.html), again, to stay withn your budget (or the DJI H3-2D if you can afford it)
- DJI video download
- Pick a 7" monitor of your choice for the groundstation.

Hope that's a good starting point for you. Obviously, everything above is up for debate. Each person has their preferences, or knows of better or cheaper alternatives.

 

[Julius Jackson]

can the 550 handle a DSLR? ive been looking at the f680 ironman kits, but cant find any in thailand. how much more dependable is a hex as opposed to a quad? 1 prop lost and youre done with a quad, right?

 

[tstrike]

can the 550 handle a DSLR? ive been looking at the f680 ironman kits, but cant find any in thailand. how much more dependable is a hex as opposed to a quad? 1 prop lost and youre done with a quad, right?

The stock 550 can't lift much more than an nex5 with no gimbal. There are however a couple of products that allow you to run longer arms on the f-series, allowing you to run larger motors that can spin larger props. It really is a large jump in ship size going from the gp3 up to the nex series.
Don't be concerned about the redundancy of the prop out situation, most new guys will lose orientation before they lose a motor and there's no algorithm written yet to fix that.

 

[ProPilotWannaBe]

The stock 550 can't lift much more than an nex5 with no gimbal.

Partially agree with tstrike. The stock F550 can only lift the lighter mirrorless cameras (NEX-5, NEX-7, Panasonic GM1), but can handle a lighter gimbal for those (like a Tarot, but not a Zenmuse). I have several friends that have F550+gimbal+NEX. Not sure of the gimbals each use, but one does use the Tarot (http://www.rctimer.com/product_980.html) with an NEX-7 on his F550. I am looking at the Panasonic GM1 which seems to have better reviews video-wise than the GH3, and it's the same weight as the NEX-5R.

 

[vmdouglass]

Where is the best place to purchase these items for A good price?
I have no experience but I can build. Would you recommend buying the Phantom first?

 

[ProPilotWannaBe]

Where is the best place to purchase these items for A good price?
I have no experience but I can build. Would you recommend buying the Phantom first?

I definitely recommend you have a practice MR that you can use and fly first and get really familiar with the controls and make maneuvering second nature. A Phantom is a good choice for that, or an F450.
As for where to buy? Well, Futaba and DJI stuff are very popular and are sold by hundred of dealers. I personally have a great relationship with Intelligent UAS (www.intelligentuas.com) and you can get all the Futaba and DJI products there I mentioned. (The Tarot and FrSky stuff I gave links for above.) They can also build for a small fee.

 

[Julius Jackson]

I definitely recommend you have a practice MR that you can use and fly first and get really familiar with the controls and make maneuvering second nature. A Phantom is a good choice for that, or an F450.
As for where to buy? Well, Futaba and DJI stuff are very popular and are sold by hundred of dealers. I personally have a great relationship with Intelligent UAS (www.intelligentuas.com) and you can get all the Futaba and DJI products there I mentioned. (The Tarot and FrSky stuff I gave links for above.) They can also build for a small fee.

http://1uas.com/DJIPhantom2-H32D

what exactly is that? thought the 2 vision came with its own built-in camera (that cant be removed)?

 

[sledge57]

http://1uas.com/DJIPhantom2-H32D

what exactly is that? thought the 2 vision came with its own built-in camera (that cant be removed)?

I've read that there is a V2 version of the Phantom coming, not sure of what's new but it's not the Phantom 2 Vision which does have a built in camera and is already available.

Notice this Phantom V2 is PRE-ORDER, I've also read that it was due out already and has been pushed back and can't seem to find an actual release date yet.

 

[Julius Jackson]

I've read that there is a V2 version of the Phantom coming, not sure of what's new but it's not the Phantom 2 Vision which does have a built in camera and is already available.

Notice this Phantom V2 is PRE-ORDER, I've also read that it was due out already and has been pushed back and can't seem to find an actual release date yet.

is released worldwide this week for a shade under 900 USD. actually hits thailand tomorrow, because of chinas proximity.

 

[Julius Jackson]

found this outfit out of bangkok: jdrones. does this look like something that would be a worthwhile investment for someone purely interested in aerial imagery, i.e. upgradeable?

http://store.jdrones.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACHXKIT1ARF

 

[Julius Jackson]

and yet another path to consider: a custom, made-to-order build by a local guy.

s800 hex frame
naza m lite
tarot gimbal for gopro
14 channel
osd ready
shark ready
10-12 min flight time with

have been quoted $1200 on the above build (RTF)

for a quad using the same specs, have been quoted $800 (RTF)

sounds like a good deal to me. or not?

 

[Julius Jackson]

does it make sense to start with a larger hex? or should i use up the quad first, then move onto the hex? seems like id be wasting money by going quad...am i wrong?

my goals are the best video/image quality possible for the smallest price (without being overly cheap).

 

[ProPilotWannaBe]

All good options. But, yes, I would recommend starting with a quad. You'll find it easier to learn on, less expensive for all the times you'll crash learning to fly.