Meet the DJI Inspire 1, the Most Advanced 4K Prosumer Drone to Date
Over the past year, the DJI Phantom has become one of the most popular drones in the world.
Not content to rest on their laurels, however, the Hong Kong-based company has been hard at work developing the next generation of drones. Yesterday, DJI officially announced the Inspire 1, one of the most fully-featured consumer drones that we've ever seen. Before we get to all of the features and specs, let's take a look at the DJI launch video for the Inspire 1:
Here's a rundown of the specs:
- Capture 4K Video and 12MP Stills
- 4096 x 2160: 24p, 25p
- 3840 x 2160: 24p, 25p, 30p
- 1920 x 1080: 24p, 25p, 30p, 48p, 50p, 60p
- 1280 x 720: 24p, 25p, 30p, 48p, 50p, 60p
- Maximum Bitrate: 60 Mbps
- Card Slot: microSD/SDHC/SDXC up to 64 GB
- Photography: Single shot, Burst: 3, 5, 7 fps, Time-lapse
- 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizes Camera
- Up to 1.2 Mile Radio Range
- GPS-Based Stabilization System
- Optical Flow Sensor for Indoor Flying
- Works with DJI Lightbridge Ground System
- Live 720p HD Monitoring with Lightbridge
- Retractable Carbon Fiber Arms
- Unobstructed 360° Shooting
- Dual Transmitter Operation Supported
- Battery: 6S LiPo; 22.2 VDC, 4500 mAh / 99.9 Wh, 180 W
- Availability: December 2014
- Price: $2,900 with one transmitter, $3,400 with two
And some of the promotional videos shot with the Inspire 1 and the built-in 4K camera:
There are a few things that set the Inspire 1 apart from the myriad consumer drones that have popped up over the past few years. First and foremost is the built-in gimbal-stabilized 4K camera, which delivers crystal clear video and stills at a variety of resolutions and frame rates, and which can be controlled by DJI's incredibly intuitive iPad app. Secondly, the camera lens offers a fixed 94 degree field of view that is largely distortion free, which eliminates the need to correct fisheye lens distortion in post production (like can sometimes be necessary with GoPro footage). Lastly, because of the unique transformative design, the camera can travel a full 360 degrees without the drone getting in your shots.
Ben Popper at The Verge managed to get an early version of the Inspire 1. Here's their video review:
At roughly $2,900, the DJI Inspire 1 is more than twice the price of the Phantom 2 Vision+. However, considering that it is a substantial upgrade in every single capacity, it's definitely a great investment for aerial cinematographers and photographers looking to take their work to the next level.
You can learn more about the DJI Inspire 1 on the DJI website, and it's now available for preorder at B&H.
Source: DJI
