Best setup for taking close up roof inspection pictures

[Inspector Gadget]

I've read and watched a lot of videos between the Mavic Pro and Phantom 4 Pro but I can't find what I am looking for.

I need to take pictures of roof shingles and other roof components that shows enough detail to illustrate a defect or problem. I'm not really interested in taking video and only need photo's, its seems like most are using drones for video.

Without actually flying the Mavic Pro or Phantom 4 Pro and not being familiar with the controls and flight settings/modes what drone would work better in flying close enough to a roof to take close up pictures? They both have obstacle avoidance but what model would work better for my situation?

FYI, I've been flying real RC helicopters and planes for years and am pretty good, I can fly a heli upside down and mow the lawn, etc.... so drone flying should be no big deal but I know it gets pretty spooky when you fly close to something especially if your flying in a spot where you can't see the drone, I can't wrap my mind around that.

 

[BigAl07]

Welcome to the forums from one R/C Old timer to another.

I can't say that there is a lot of difference between those 2 aircraft in terms of flight controls.

If I were in your shoes I'd buy the MAVIC in a heart beat because of it's portability.

You're going to be shocked how different flying a DJI UAS is to flying an R/C heli or plane. These things fly themselves (literally). It's like having someone standing over your shoulder (like in the good ole days) helping you fly the thing. You take your hands off the sticks and it will continue to self level and stay "wheels down".

 

[Inspector Gadget]

I just cant picture myself flying this thing several feet off a roof that I don't always have line of site. With the collision avoidance on how close can I get to objects and can you adjust the sensor distance so I can have it on but still get close enough to take a picture.

 

[msinger]

Either drone could be used for this purpose. Other than the portability of the Mavic, neither really have a great advantage.

While both drones have downward facing sensors, neither are able to avoid obstacles below the drone. You'll need to make sure you're flying VLOS so you can see the drone with your eyes as you're flying. Since you'll have the camera pointed straight down, you should be able to easily see how close the drone is to the roof (to prevent crashing from below).

As for shooting photos vs. video, you could shoot 4K video and then pull still photos from the recorded video via a video editing application. That way you could just concentrate on flying over the desired areas.

BTW, here's a thread on this topic that might give you some ideas for what to shoot:
Roof Inspections - what's the final product?

 

[WV. Rootman]

I would think the phantom would have more stability in the wind which could be a problem on rooftop.

 

[Meta4]

I just cant picture myself flying this thing several feet off a roof that I don't always have line of site.

If you don't have a clear line of sight, you probably won't have control

With the collision avoidance on how close can I get to objects and can you adjust the sensor distance so I can have it on but still get close enough to take a picture.

You will also have to be careful about getting too close if you are flying a steel roof.
Get too close and you will have compass issues that affect the Phantom's ability to fly the way you control it.

I would think the phantom would have more stability in the wind which could be a problem on rooftop.

Despite this common myth the Mavic is very capable and is quite stable just like a Phantom.

 

[AirMan05446]

I don't think you need to get as close as you think. If you use the highest photo setting, you should be able to use a photo editor to zoom into the area of interest -- with very little distortion.

Also, they aren't cheap (boy they aren't cheap!) -- but there are zoom cameras for drones out there as well.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Thanks for all the reply's. I've heard from one other guy that he was flying about 3 to 4 feet above a roof with a phantom 3 pro and his photos were really good so my new question is how hard is it to fly that close to a roof?

BTW, the roofs I'm looking at are just houses with shingles for the most part, these are the roofs that are too steep/tall to walk for inspection.

 

[jofus]

I just cant picture myself flying this thing several feet off a roof that I don't always have line of site. With the collision avoidance on how close can I get to objects and can you adjust the sensor distance so I can have it on but still get close enough to take a picture.

For large roof inspections I would probably need a 2-person, 2-drone team. One controls the inspection drone, flying low over the roof, and the second drone flies above in a supervisory view. If you lose VLOS you can refer to the second pilot as a visual observer to ensure you are not going to collide with any obstacles on the roof.

 

[rogerneeb]

If you're concerned at all about the quality of the image, go with the Phantom 4 Pro, more pixels and better image sensor. I've done several roof inspections and have had great results so far

 

[AirMan05446]

Thanks for all the reply's. I've heard from one other guy that he was flying about 3 to 4 feet above a roof with a phantom 3 pro and his photos were really good so my new question is how hard is it to fly that close to a roof?

3-4 feet is no problem. The sensor will be beeping as a warning, but getting that close is no problem. Again, you can also "zoom" them later using any image program.

 

[GFields]

I enjoy pulling stills from video. However, in roof inspections many of my clients what GPS info in the images (Lat & Log). If there is a way to pull stills from the video and maintain GPS info, I don't know how to do it. Perhaps someone else does.

I use the Phantom 4 Pro mostly when doing roof inspections and I have the C2 button configured to narrow obstacle avoidance for better close-ups and the C1 button to have camera go straight down.

When photographing roofs with tree over-growth I have used the Mavic Air or Mavic Pro with great results.

 

[CeeBeePh4]

I prefere Ph4Pro using Tripod Mode (infra sensors) flying slowly along the roof video filming. Distance 2 m (6-7 feet). I used Mavic Pro earlier but the big difference is the camera with 1" sensor.

 

[Home Inspector]

I use a P4P for roof inspections and the quality is great. I use tripod mode which allows me to concentrate more on the photos and less on the flying. I'm able to easily identify loose or missing shingles, missing granules, nail popping, flashing issues just to name a few.

 

[CeeBeePh4]

Nice to hear. We have come to the same conclusion. You in US and me in Sweden. Have you tried "point of interest" when looking at industry chimneys? Works nice.