For sure. It's a crowded space already.

Yeah I mean English isn't their first language obviously. Made for some rough translations, to be sure. But, in just looking at the camera and what it promises to do (especially for the price) it could be interesting to see how it does.

For sure. Language barrier was pretty big. But in terms of the prototype, could be interesting... We'll see.

I would think so? Good question. I'm also curious if the DJI CineSSD can connect to it via USB to back up CinemaDNG / ProRes from the X5s & X7 cameras

Yeah I mean I guess it's a question of who is doing the filming? If you as the filmmaker are licensed and comfortable enough flying the drone and filming with it then it's almost a no-brainer to buy a drone and use it yourself. But if you're not, and you'll end up wasting a bunch of time by not getting the drone shots right and then having to wait around while batteries charge, etc it's probably most efficient to hire a drone operator who can potentially help you capture other shots (like your Steadicam shots, dolly/jib shots, etc). If you're hiring a drone op for the day who is knowledgable enough to be able to help you capture other kinds of shots (besides the obvious aerials) you're getting more bang for your buck. Plus if you can hire one drone op to do the job of "drone op" and "jib op" there's a cost savings there.

1) Sure you might not want to use a drone if the scene involves dialogue (though it's been done successfully). But if it's a jib shot where in-camera audio isn't important (music video, commercial, action scene with no dialogue, etc) I agree. "Go ahead" the drone is faster to deploy and isn't limited by the length of the jib arm.

2) This is unsafe because? Have the drone op carry the drone while a second camera op controls the gimbal (like you would a Ronin or a Movi). Oh wait...did you think the props have to be spinning for the camera to work? No, they don't. The camera and gimble can function without the props running.

3) "Safety" again. So...this is unsafe why? Seems to me that if you have one vehicle and one drone on the road vs two vehicles there would be less "risk" to human life using the drone. Maybe I'm missing something?

4) Yeah Google Maps is awesome but Google maps doesn't show the changing light throughout the day does it? A drone op could take stills at intervals to provide a real look at the real-world lighting conditions throughout the day and do it in-season (a summertime Google Earth image doesn't provide the same value if you're shooting in the dead of winter)

5) Sure, if you can afford a crane. But since this article is written for filmmakers on a budget, it was assumed that cranes would be more expensive.

I mean I get it. I'm a drone op and you're a Steadicam operator and some pushback about the drone doing "your" job is understandable. Are drones and gimbals "over used" quite possibly. But it's not the gear, it's the method. Using tools in new ways never goes out of style and this article is trying to suggest some creative uses for a (now) commonplace tool.

Just out of curiosity, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how gimbals (but not Steadicams) detract from the value of a production.