Questions from 1st time (about to be) drone user

[ctsti]

Greetings and salutations from CT!

A little background 1st. I am really into photography, an amateur but as serious as death about it.

With that said, I am a great reader and for my budget (to start) the Pro 4 looks like the best choice for me. So my 1st question is what do people use to edit their video images? I have never edited video but have some ideas for earning some $$ from videos to at least buy spare batteries
At this point its the "I don't even know what to ask" stage. I do know I really don't want a Photoshop type learning curve.
For stills I am assuming Lightroom and Photoshop will handle the raw files produced by the drone.

Lastly but very important to me is reliability - although I am an electrical engineer, I am really not looking for something that is going to frustrate me with lockups, firmware updates mostly working etc. I would actually subscribe to a comment I read here on the forum that said if everything is working ok don't bother with firmware updates.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

one of my fav shots from our backyard:

 

[lickitysplit11111]

For me learning to edit video is way, way harder then it was learning to edit stills in LR

 

[Kirby Johnson]

Greetings and salutations from CT!

A little background 1st. I am really into photography, an amateur but as serious as death about it.

With that said, I am a great reader and for my budget (to start) the Pro 4 looks like the best choice for me. So my 1st question is what do people use to edit their video images? I have never edited video but have some ideas for earning some $$ from videos to at least buy spare batteries
At this point its the "I don't even know what to ask" stage. I do know I really don't want a Photoshop type learning curve.
For stills I am assuming Lightroom and Photoshop will handle the raw files produced by the drone.

Lastly but very important to me is reliability - although I am an electrical engineer, I am really not looking for something that is going to frustrate me with lockups, firmware updates mostly working etc. I would actually subscribe to a comment I read here on the forum that said if everything is working ok don't bother with firmware updates.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

one of my fav shots from our backyard:
View attachment 100911

THAT's pretty darn good. Like I have always said, anybody can photograph a dog or a car, but for something moving as fast as a hummingbird's wings, you need a lot of light and a lot of glass in front of your camera. Then convince the camera that you want to focus on the bird rather than everything else. Nice work.

There are a few knowledgeable people on here who will be able to point you in the right direction. There will be a hoard of little boys blathering on and on about how much they know and how much you don't. Ignore them. You can answer many questions just by surfing around on this and other drone forums.

A little drone will never be in the ballpark of what you are accustomed to, but they have a niche getting shots and videos you would never get from the ground. I do not do video so I can't offer any real advice about that and I use a lowly little P3A.

 

[LarBear360]

Greetings and salutations from CT!

A little background 1st. I am really into photography, an amateur but as serious as death about it.

With that said, I am a great reader and for my budget (to start) the Pro 4 looks like the best choice for me. So my 1st question is what do people use to edit their video images? I have never edited video but have some ideas for earning some $$ from videos to at least buy spare batteries
At this point its the "I don't even know what to ask" stage. I do know I really don't want a Photoshop type learning curve.
For stills I am assuming Lightroom and Photoshop will handle the raw files produced by the drone.

Lastly but very important to me is reliability - although I am an electrical engineer, I am really not looking for something that is going to frustrate me with lockups, firmware updates mostly working etc. I would actually subscribe to a comment I read here on the forum that said if everything is working ok don't bother with firmware updates.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

one of my fav shots from our backyard:
View attachment 100911

Like yourself, I'm a serious hobbyist when it comes to photography. I acquired my Phantom 3 Standard a year ago for the same reasons.

As I can clearly tell from your example, you don't need any help setting up your camera and processing. The drone produces JPEG and RAW files that you can process like any other. The advantage you have with the P4 Pro is a better camera and more control over your settings. I wouldn't worry too much about reliability. Yes, there are horror stories about failed updates, batteries falling out, and all kinds of weird stuff. But when compared to the number of P4's in service, it's minimal, especially if you purchase new from DJI or a reliable authorized dealer.

My first non-linear video editor (I used to shoot and edit Betacam SP) was Adobe Premiere Elements. It's probably the easiest to learn and you can download a fully functional trial version and try it out free for 30 days. Everything I've ever seen shot from a drone can be produced in Premiere Elements. A number of people will suggest DaVinci Resolve, however, the learning curve is steep. But it's free forever. Elements will probably run less than $100.


Before you take the plunge, please be aware of the required knowledge test and remote pilot certificate required before scoring any extra cash on the side. The FAA takes this stuff seriously, so I would suggest reading up on obtaining what is known as a "Part 107" certificate.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

[lickitysplit11111]

Like yourself, I'm a serious hobbyist when it comes to photography. I acquired my Phantom 3 Standard a year ago for the same reasons.

As I can clearly tell from your example, you don't need any help setting up your camera and processing. The drone produces JPEG and RAW files that you can process like any other. The advantage you have with the P4 Pro is a better camera and more control over your settings. I wouldn't worry too much about reliability. Yes, there are horror stories about failed updates, batteries falling out, and all kinds of weird stuff. But when compared to the number of P4's in service, it's minimal, especially if you purchase new from DJI or a reliable authorized dealer.

My first non-linear video editor (I used to shoot and edit Betacam SP) was Adobe Premiere Elements. It's probably the easiest to learn and you can download a fully functional trial version and try it out free for 30 days. Everything I've ever seen shot from a drone can be produced in Premiere Elements. A number of people will suggest DaVinci Resolve, however, the learning curve is steep. But it's free forever. Elements will probably run less than $100.


Before you take the plunge, please be aware of the required knowledge test and remote pilot certificate required before scoring any extra cash on the side. The FAA takes this stuff seriously, so I would suggest reading up on obtaining what is known as a "Part 107" certificate.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

Complete rubbish, nothing is required to purchase and fly

 

[LarBear360]

Complete rubbish, nothing is required to purchase and fly

To fly as a hobby, no. Of course not. That's not what I said. The OP wants to take on side jobs for cash. That requires a Part 107 certificate. Some people think they can buy and drone and make money the next day. That's not the case in the US.

 

[lickitysplit11111]

To fly as a hobby, no. Of course not. That's not what I said. The OP wants to take on side jobs for cash. That requires a Part 107 certificate. Some people think they can buy and drone and make money the next day. That's not the case in the US.

Lol he’s still doing research and your babbling about his 107 so who’s jumpin the gun,

 

[LarBear360]

Lol he’s still doing research and your babbling about his 107 so who’s jumpin the gun,

"Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!"

He asked. I "babbled" with my comments and suggestions. And that's a bad thing? Time to press the "IGNORE" button again!

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Greetings and salutations from CT!

A little background 1st. I am really into photography, an amateur but as serious as death about it.

With that said, I am a great reader and for my budget (to start) the Pro 4 looks like the best choice for me. So my 1st question is what do people use to edit their video images? I have never edited video but have some ideas for earning some $$ from videos to at least buy spare batteries
At this point its the "I don't even know what to ask" stage. I do know I really don't want a Photoshop type learning curve.
For stills I am assuming Lightroom and Photoshop will handle the raw files produced by the drone.

Lastly but very important to me is reliability - although I am an electrical engineer, I am really not looking for something that is going to frustrate me with lockups, firmware updates mostly working etc. I would actually subscribe to a comment I read here on the forum that said if everything is working ok don't bother with firmware updates.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

one of my fav shots from our backyard:
View attachment 100911

,,ding ding cup of tea time
,guys I'm just simple and use the free action director app (bit sad)and good old editor in the DJI app,and still learning that,still learning this photo and video stuff as long as I been here,I just fly press the button and the drone does the rest,easy for me,,,yes which ever drone you buy you will need another battery or 2,,1 just don't cut it

 

[Meta4]

Lastly but very important to me is reliability - although I am an electrical engineer, I am really not looking for something that is going to frustrate me with lockups, firmware updates mostly working etc.

Phantoms are generally very reliable.
The major cause of issues is people trying to run the app on a sub-standard tablet.
The app is very demanding but runs flawlessly with a good tablet.
Treat firmware updates as optional.
Most don't offer any must-have features anyway.

 

[Oso]

Greetings and salutations from CT!

Greetings!

So my 1st question is what do people use to edit their video images? At this point its the "I don't even know what to ask" stage. I do know I really don't want a Photoshop type learning curve.

Aside from the suggestions you've been given here, you can find more in prior threads. This question is asked several times per week, so you'll have good info to research.

Here's a good start:
Search Results for Query: Video editing software | DJI Phantom Drone Forum

I have never edited video but have some ideas for earning some $$ from videos to at least buy spare batteries

As correctly suggested earlier, consider adding Part 107 to your list of things to research if you want to push through with your plans for commercial use.

Lastly but very important to me is reliability - although I am an electrical engineer, I am really not looking for something that is going to frustrate me with lockups, firmware updates mostly working etc. I would actually subscribe to a comment I read here on the forum that said if everything is working ok don't bother with firmware updates.

My belief is that if you take the time to understand your gear and how everything works together, as well as understand how and when to correctly update, chances are that you will not have issues. That being said, issues do happen but understanding your gear and having appropriate gear will also help work through them.

Many do choose to not update, myself included, but you'll need to make your own informed decision. Using your gear commercially may require current FW, so consider also checking into that should you choose to move beyond being a hobbyist.

Good luck!!

 

[Kirby Johnson]

To fly as a hobby, no. Of course not. That's not what I said. The OP wants to take on side jobs for cash. That requires a Part 107 certificate. Some people think they can buy and drone and make money the next day. That's not the case in the US.

See "boys", above.

 

[SRJ_Phantom_4_Pro]

Greetings and salutations from CT!

A little background 1st. I am really into photography, an amateur but as serious as death about it.

With that said, I am a great reader and for my budget (to start) the Pro 4 looks like the best choice for me. So my 1st question is what do people use to edit their video images? I have never edited video but have some ideas for earning some $$ from videos to at least buy spare batteries
At this point its the "I don't even know what to ask" stage. I do know I really don't want a Photoshop type learning curve.
For stills I am assuming Lightroom and Photoshop will handle the raw files produced by the drone.

Lastly but very important to me is reliability - although I am an electrical engineer, I am really not looking for something that is going to frustrate me with lockups, firmware updates mostly working etc. I would actually subscribe to a comment I read here on the forum that said if everything is working ok don't bother with firmware updates.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

one of my fav shots from our backyard:
View attachment 100911

Awesome photo! Where in CT?

 

[ctsti]

Thanks for all the replies. A lot of really good info here I think I'm pretty much convinced I'm going to pull the trigger.
First, as long as I have a knowledge base here... I am leaning to get the controller with the built in screen rather than using a tablet. Are there any cons? It seems from comments I have read that the screen is brighter than 'most' tablets. I also like the 'one source' if there is a problem.
Second, I was told that the DJI warranty will only be honored if purchased at an authorized reseller. True? From my initial interwebby searching it looks like Amazon has the lowest pricing (tho not Prime). No mention if the retailer there is authorized...

About my photography and the image I posted. Two truisms:
1) a good photographer ONLY shows his good work
2) even a monkey given a camera will eventually come up with a good work.

I am located in Cheshire, near the Hamden, Bethany, Prospect border

and my 'handle' CT is for Connecticut and STI is, well, an STI - well and truly modified.

Looking forward to a great learning experience here!

 

[JarrodF]

I shoot/edit video for a living so I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. For non linear editing software, the three that most people talk about these days are Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro X and Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve. They can all handle editing 4K files from your P4P just fine assuming your hardware is sufficient. Premiere can be used on Mac or Windows and cost a monthly subscription. If you already have a subscription for Photoshop then you can expand your subscription to include the other Adobe software. Final Cut is Mac only and is a one time cost of $300. On Mac's, I've found it to be the speediest of the three options when using a slower machine (it's less of a resource hog). Resolve is free and works on Mac or Windows. It has been upgraded fairly regularly over the past couple years and is really coming along nicely. It's file management is a bit awkward but the color correction tools are best in class. It can tax your system on larger projects. As I said, any of these three would be ideal for your purpose. Best of luck.

 

[Dirby]

I am from Meriden Conn just over the hill from you. great picture.

 

[LarBear360]

Second, I was told that the DJI warranty will only be honored if purchased at an authorized reseller. True? From my initial interwebby searching it looks like Amazon has the lowest pricing (tho not Prime). No mention if the retailer there is authorized...

Stick with reliable sellers. Amazon has many. Always check the reviews and know you can contact DJI direct to verify an authorized dealer. Be careful using Camrise if you see them. They are known to sell "new" and then ship re-furbished units. Lots of complaints.

 

[lickitysplit11111]

"Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!"

He asked. I "babbled" with my comments and suggestions. And that's a bad thing? Time to press the "IGNORE" button again!

Who said it was a bad thing ,your reply seemed to just jump the gun a bit its like someone thing about buying a sports car and you start talking about what he needs to do to it to get 10 sec. 1/4 miles