Are drones just a passing fad? Are you bored with your 'Phantom'?

[TheTanger]

So, I've owned a drone for about 4 months now and after the first 2-3 months, I am starting to get pretty bored with flying it. I used to constantly be charging batteries in hopes of being "on the ready" to get out, but haven't plugged one in in weeks. Once I realized I maxed out the range on my P3A at 21K feet (because of battery), there's nothing left range-wise as a challenge. I hesitate to spend any more money "modding" something I'm losing interest in. P4...meh. Same thing really. What am I gonna do with it? Other than modding my first quad (P3S) and then some fun drama on here BS'ing about stuff, it's getting really boring.

If they changed the rules and made something easier than a 333 for going into business, it still wouldn't be all that fun to be honest with you-just tedious and probably not even worthwhile monetarily. A side business with little income is my guess.

These aerial photography platforms are a whole different type of thing vs. small toy quads or RC racers. It's neat be able to get 'that' shot, but the stability of it and the lack of skill required makes for a dull flight, even in Atti mode. It's often more fun to fly my Syma X5C in the street than taking out the 'Phantom.' For sure I'll be taking it on vacation and such, but there's just so many landscape/aerials shots one can stomach. The video editing is honestly more fun than getting the footage to me. Often, upon playback, what is interesting to me as pilot is really not all that interesting to others usually.

So, my question is...does anyone else think the GPS aerial photog drone thing is a passing fad or not, and are you already bored with it like me?

 

[185EZ]

If you're that bored with it,
give it to me.

 

[Juventino]

Sounds to me like this is more depending on the person than the hobby itself. RC flying has been a huge hobby for a lot of people for decades, drones and aerial photography just went through a breakthrough in large part thanks to DJI.

But really I don't believe in that things are fads, it's people who are fads. Some people discover something amazing and they pass it on through their excitement and get other people excited but some of those people don't stay excited for long. They're the fads...

May sound a little harsh against you, I don't mean anything bad by it. I myself fell in love with BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and practiced 2-3 times a week for 2 years, read books, bought gi's, looked up youtube videos of moves and generally was over the top with the new found sport... But as time progressed, there wasn't time and my new job had me working late hours so I couldn't even get 2 workouts a week and in that case I decided it wasn't worth all that money if I can only train once a week... so I'm a BJJ fad...

 

[Juventino]

What my point was is that people have been crazy about RC for decades and people have been crazy about photography and videography for way longer so no way is it just a fad.

 

[Othan1]

It's a camera. Unless your livelihood depends on it, it's probably going to spend a lot of time in the closet/in a display/etc. I don't use my DSLR every day, I generally just take shots with my phone unless I need something nice.

I wouldn't feel too badly about letting the toy sit for a bit and waiting for special occasions.

 

[TheTanger]

What my point was is that people have been crazy about RC for decades and people have been crazy about photography and videography for way longer so no way is it just a fad.

No, I get it...I just wonder if this 'particular' brand of drone usage will ultimately become a smaller and smaller market and settle into a pure 'hobbyist' type of thing like photography is instead of the mass paranoia surrounding a 'fad' mentality.

Makes me wonder for instance if the FAA jumped the gun a bit on over-regulation. In my neighborhood for instance (dense suburban area), I only ever saw one other drone flying around-about 2 years ago (it was a Parrot-like one). I live next to a wide open field and have NEVER seen another drone there or anywhere else in the neighborhood in the past 2 years. Have only seen one other Phantom at the big park once (another user on here). It was so shocking I had to track him down and say hi. That's it...for all the hype, not much to show for it in my neck of the woods. So, either it's overstated, or I live in a place where people could care less.

 

[Sinisalo]

For me flying my P3 is like playing a video game for adults, (you hold a controller and watch a screen.) You will get bored if you play the same level over and over. Going to fly in new places is like unlocking a new level so to speak, that is why I bought a backpack instead of a hard case and trying to increase your photography skills is also a good way to stay interested. I really like low altitude slow moving video (flying right above tree tops etc). That is why I am excited about the P4, I will be able to more easily get the low flying shots and it adds a few other things to keep the hobby interesting (sport mode, object tracking etc).

 

[TheTanger]

If you're that bored with it,
give it to me.

For me flying my P3 is like playing a video game for adults, (you hold a controller and watch a screen.) You will get bored if you play the same level over and over. Going to fly in new places is like unlocking a new level so to speak, that is why I bought a backpack instead of a hard case and trying to increase your photography skills is also a good way to stay interested. I really like low altitude slow moving video (flying right above tree tops etc). That is why I am excited about the P4, I will be able to more easily get the low flying shots and it adds a few other things to keep the hobby interesting (sport mode, object tracking etc).

I can see that as being true to a degree...after the wow factor has worn off and you are always in the same place, not quite so fun. Got a backpack too thinking the same thing. I may consider looking into the FPV racing drones at some point...competition is always fun to keep one from boredom-not to mention speed. There's just something intrinsically different about a flying photography platform I didn't realize till now that bores me a bit.

Even my 12 year old when I let him fly it a couple of times, each time afterwards he was like "what's the big deal?" and went back to flying his Tarantula X6 toy.

 

[Sinisalo]

I can see that as being true to a degree...after the wow factor has worn off and you are always in the same place, not quite so fun. Got a backpack too thinking the same thing. I may consider looking into the FPV racing drones at some point...competition is always fun to keep one from boredom-not to mention speed. There's just something intrinsically different about a flying photography platform I didn't realize till now that bores me a bit.

Even my 12 year old when I let him fly it a couple of times, each time afterwards he was like "what's the big deal?" and went back to flying his Tarantula X6 toy.

I am thinking of doing the HDMI upgrade and getting some goggles, down the road maybe a 250 size fpv racer I can use the goggles with. Unfortunately I am going to need to buy a Mac Pro or something similar if I want to learn any more about video editing.

 

[QuadBart]

That started to happen with me until I realized that I have more to learn than just "buzzing" the length of the park. I started getting bored flying at the same location taking the same pictures/videos. This is because its still winter here and where I want to go is still not quite reachable.

So, I started creating a plan (even in my head) of what I wanted to accomplish with each flight. Whether it was photography, videography, or flying skills I found by doing that got rid of the boredom and pushes me to better at both flying and filming...

 

[Ewizza]

For me its more about the flying so I guess I get your point. I do like to get footage and these things are almost too easy to fly. So, I think if it sits a while thats ok too.

Me, I plan on building a 250 racer and that will probably get more use than my P3P eventually. But Ill still fly it, even if its to get footage of racer.

 

[TheTanger]

For me its more about the flying so I guess I get your point. I do like to get footage and these things are almost too easy to fly. So, I think if it sits a while thats ok too.

Me, I plan on building a 250 racer and that will probably get more use than my P3P eventually. But Ill still fly it, even if its to get footage of racer.

Yes...that would be very cool actually. The P3 is more of a high angle cam...one thing that is nice is some things like POI. I think the Lily is cool too-but I doubt it works as well as in the video promo.

 

[beeline]

For me, it's all about new locations (project driven) and getting the shot. Flying is exhilarating and nerve-racking all at once, but my real joy is post and the Phantom has brought a new high (so to speak) to the edit. I still cannot believe my eyes sometimes . What?! I shot that with a $1200 toy? Practically an expendable.

That being said, there will be stretches of time when the P bird gathers dust and I lose interest, but then a new project will catch my eye and inspire me to fly (and edit) again.

 

[GeVeBe]

A hobby is what you make it.
If you are bored with drones then move on to something else, simple

 

[185EZ]

...

 

[0DRK3RT]

4 years ago I bought a Super Cub and modified it with a new motor/ESC and put floats on it. Flew it on my lake and loved it. Landing it on the water with the floats was fun and people on boats LOVED it.

After I got bored with my Super Cub I bought Real Flight RC simulator and mastered flying faster bigger EDF Jets on it. Then bought five 50mm EDF jets, learned how to build them, learned about ESC's and everything LIPO (how it's C rate increases performance, its effects on the ESC and how to match motor KV to battery for max speed). One of my EDF's goes over 100mph with a Don's Wicked RC motor. Its ridiculously fast and fun to fly, but stressful. To be honest, I haven't flown any of my planes in over a year. They're sitting in my basement neatly displayed on a large workbench to look at. I'm sure all my lipos for them are trash at this point.

I had no interest in quads at all until my dad gave me a AR drone 2.0
for Xmas 2 or 3 years ago. I flew that around my yard with my phone and of course had to mod that. I learned how to balance props and put a bigger battery in it. It was fun but still didn't "sell me" on quads in general.

Then, along comes the P2V+. My brother bought one and started a side gig filming houses for a local real estate agent buddy of his. He brought it to a family reunion and showed everyone its capabilities. I was hooked on how cool it was, the FPV on his iPhone and amazed at the technology. I thought about buying one but never did.

He ended up buying the P3P the next summer and showed me the improvements it had over the P2, the increased range it had and the quality of the camera. SOLD.

I bought my P3A last July and got into the forum research, mods, etc. I quickly realized that flying it is fun but the whole aerial photo and video thing got boring after about a month of filming the same stuff.

So I have been upgrading it, using Litchi to send it on long range missions and BSing on here.

I have to agree with you that it gets old pretty fast. I'm not into driving anywhere "to fly at a new location" because I really have no interest in filming stuff. I still love to fly but the wow factory isn't there. Hoping to get that back, I've maxed out my P3 in the accessory department and added the DBS antenna. So after this summer I'll probably be completely bored with it. On to the next one.

 

[tcope]

I've thought about this question prior to your post. It came about when I visited the Miami area and found it difficult to find a place to launch and get photos. I live in Utah and there are hundreds or thousands of places I can fly and get some cool photos and video. This is why I bought a drone (well, initially to get aerial photos of my other hobby, flying large kites).

So if a person buys the P3 just to see how far they can fly... I can see where it would get old really quick. There are far cheaper drones that could be used for this purpose. Me, I bought it to get cool photos and video. I research good places to fly and enjoy heading out for the adventure. I know next to nothing about taking good video but I enjoy learning new things and techniques. It also gets me out to new and interesting places. Sometimes I might need o fly out a 1/2 miles to get a good shot, so distance flying in also somewhat involved. I also enjoy using the different features offered in the Go and Litchi app for this purpose.

I like hiking and I like flying large kites. I incorporate drone flying into both of these.

I also enjoy testing new features and ways of flying. I usually put together video's on this.

All of this takes a _ton_ of time so I'm not getting bored. Today I'm flying 3 hours on a plane and will be editing video for most of that time. I've learned a lot about this as well.. and I'm still learning.

On a side note, I've also take a lot of interest in the public's perception of drones and the laws being made around them. I should probably do less of this as it tends to make me upset most of the time. But I do think it's interesting to see the development on this as it's all up in the air right now. I think the commercial use of drones will really grow over the next few years. Search and rescue, property evaluations, farming, monitoring of all kinds, etc. We might see a day where you can pull a drone out of your pocket, throw it up in the air and get an aerial map instant on your phone, thinks like this.

 

[JamesG2571]

The whole media problem with drones is because there are people out there who have no idea what they are doing and are crashing their drones into people, property etc or flying them where they aren't supposed to be, then that causes problems with the police or other authorities which then gets bad press resulting in people thinking they are bad because of one persons stupidity.

 

[Mark The Droner]

I'll be bored with my Phantom when pigs fly

 

[TheTanger]

I've thought about this question prior to your post. It came about when I visited the Miami area and found it difficult to find a place to launch and get photos. I live in Utah and there are hundreds or thousands of places I can fly and get some cool photos and video. This is why I bought a drone (well, initially to get aerial photos of my other hobby, flying large kites).

So if a person buys the P3 just to see how far they can fly... I can see where it would get old really quick. There are far cheaper drones that could be used for this purpose. Me, I bought it to get cool photos and video. I research good places to fly and enjoy heading out for the adventure. I know next to nothing about taking good video but I enjoy learning new things and techniques. It also gets me out to new and interesting places. Sometimes I might need o fly out a 1/2 miles to get a good shot, so distance flying in also somewhat involved. I also enjoy using the different features offered in the Go and Litchi app for this purpose.

I like hiking and I like flying large kites. I incorporate drone flying into both of these.

I also enjoy testing new features and ways of flying. I usually put together video's on this.

All of this takes a _ton_ of time so I'm not getting bored. Today I'm flying 3 hours on a plane and will be editing video for most of that time. I've learned a lot about this as well.. and I'm still learning.

On a side note, I've also take a lot of interest in the public's perception of drones and the laws being made around them. I should probably do less of this as it tends to make me upset most of the time. But I do think it's interesting to see the development on this as it's all up in the air right now. I think the commercial use of drones will really grow over the next few years. Search and rescue, property evaluations, farming, monitoring of all kinds, etc. We might see a day where you can pull a drone out of your pocket, throw it up in the air and get an aerial map instant on your phone, thinks like this.

I can see it being fantastic for certain applications which is also why I bought it (I have a couple events in mind that I want to film where having a drone would be awesome), and then it is fun finishing the project via editing, etc. I guess my point in this is that the physically 'flying' part of it is just not as exciting anymore. Maybe I need to do some more extreme stuff with it-but then there goes a lot of $$$ if I mess up.

I do think the pre-planning for shot ideas for a project is still fun, but actually using the Phantom itself has become rather hum-drum. Certainly there is still challenge depending on the shot you want and some skills I can get a lot better at, but I just don't look forward to it as much. Like you said about the public perception...that honestly puts quite a damper on my enjoyment as well, even if no one has ever said anything negative about it to me while flying.

So, that is why I wonder if this will continue to grow with the general masses or if it's just a fad and will ultimately become just another mainstay cool tool for those into photography. If the FAA were really serious about safety they would just require all drone manufacturers to implement NFZ walls via Geo-fencing and height limiters via barometric pressure

The whole media problem with drones is because there are people out there who have no idea what they are doing and are crashing their drones into people, property etc or flying them where they aren't supposed to be, then that causes problems with the police or other authorities which then gets bad press resulting in people thinking they are bad because of one persons stupidity.

Yes, but the media to a large degree is responsible for hyping things up. Like the Empire State building drone that turned out to be NOT at 40 stories, but more like 4 stories and it was not even a drone that required registration (too small & light at about 100 grams).