Best beginner digital FPV quad for experienced Mavic2 flyer

[dsmith76]

I've been doing do real estate photos/videos for realtors in Chicago for the past four years, mainly with Phantom 4 Pro and Mavic2 Pro. I want to start doing indoor digital FPV. I've already bought the new V2 digital goggles and DJI controller. I've spent 50 hours or more on FPV simulators, but still not that great. I'd like to get a 3" cinewhoop with the DJI digital air unit and, eventually, mount my GoPro on it. I would like to start out with the easiest/slowest quad. Thinking about the Squirt V2, or maybe even the Geprc Rocket Plus, although it may not work well with a GoPro mounted on it since it is so small. Any and all recommendations/comments are welcome.
Dave

 

[droneguy]

The squirt is a great choice for smooth cinematic flight with a GoPro. I use mine all the time. The Geprc Rocket Plus is a little small to carry a GoPro since it only has 2in props unless you go naked GoPro or Insta360 for the camera. Flying indoors is a whole different skillset with any larger sized drone. If you're flying in a warehouse setting, it's not usually an issue, but if your thinking residential real estate, you may want to reconsider your choices and look at a de-cased GoPro setup so you can fly an 85-95mm drone. 3in drones move a lot of air and that air pushes against all the objects in your flight path making it very difficult to be stable. I used to do quite a bit of real estate video work, but unless I really needed a drone shot (flying through openings or entering/exiting the shot with a pull away), there were better tools suited for indoor shots in confined spaces. I switched to using a quality gimbal and boom to create the sense of motion in my videos most of the time. The gimbal makes it quick and easy to get great motion stabilized shots. It takes alot of precision with a drone to fly it indoors and keep it stable enough to have useable video (even with real steady post stabilization). You can fly in angle mode as it's easier to pause and hover but the big challenge is dealing with the turbulent air generated by the drone affecting your ability to remain stable in flight. My thoughts are that the key to making money in the real estate market is to get in, get your shots and get out quickly. It's a competitive space and efficiency in getting your video done quickly is paramount. Depending on your skillset, with a drone you may need 2,3,4,5..10 takes to get what you want whereas you can do it with one take with a gimbal. Time is money as they say!

 

[droneguy]

Also, even with prop guards, drones can be very dangerous and destructive indoors. A 3in cinewhoop is like a giant shopvac so if you fly too close to drapes or anything that is light enough to move from the turbulent air, it can get sucked in and turned into confetti. 3in drones even with prop guards can cause a lot of damage very quickly. (Ask me who I know) If you're dead set on drone shots, I'd suggest you get a squirt and practice flying indoors a lot before you even consider taking a drone indoors in someone else's home.

 

[dsmith76]

The squirt is a great choice for smooth cinematic flight with a GoPro. I use mine all the time. The Geprc Rocket Plus is a little small to carry a GoPro since it only has 2in props unless you go naked GoPro or Insta360 for the camera. Flying indoors is a whole different skillset with any larger sized drone. If you're flying in a warehouse setting, it's not usually an issue, but if your thinking residential real estate, you may want to reconsider your choices and look at a de-cased GoPro setup so you can fly an 85-95mm drone. 3in drones move a lot of air and that air pushes against all the objects in your flight path making it very difficult to be stable. I used to do quite a bit of real estate video work, but unless I really needed a drone shot (flying through openings or entering/exiting the shot with a pull away), there were better tools suited for indoor shots in confined spaces. I switched to using a quality gimbal and boom to create the sense of motion in my videos most of the time. The gimbal makes it quick and easy to get great motion stabilized shots. It takes alot of precision with a drone to fly it indoors and keep it stable enough to have useable video (even with real steady post stabilization). You can fly in angle mode as it's easier to pause and hover but the big challenge is dealing with the turbulent air generated by the drone affecting your ability to remain stable in flight. My thoughts are that the key to making money in the real estate market is to get in, get your shots and get out quickly. It's a competitive space and efficiency in getting your video done quickly is paramount. Depending on your skillset, with a drone you may need 2,3,4,5..10 takes to get what you want whereas you can do it with one take with a gimbal. Time is money as they say!

Thanks for your comments. What gimbal and boom do you like? I wanted to use my Mavic2 with the Polar Pro Katama cinematic rig to do walkthroughs, but I emailed PolarPro and they have discontinued it. I saw YouTube videos that gave it excellent reviews. I got motivated to use an FPV drone based on indoordronetours.com based in Chicago where I live. They appear to be doing very well and were featured on WGN new here. The luxury home listings increasingly feature FPV drone tours. I have flown my Mavic2 in a few luxury homes with high ceilings and it has worked quite well, but it is risky.

 

[dsmith76]

The squirt is a great choice for smooth cinematic flight with a GoPro. I use mine all the time. The Geprc Rocket Plus is a little small to carry a GoPro since it only has 2in props unless you go naked GoPro or Insta360 for the camera. Flying indoors is a whole different skillset with any larger sized drone. If you're flying in a warehouse setting, it's not usually an issue, but if your thinking residential real estate, you may want to reconsider your choices and look at a de-cased GoPro setup so you can fly an 85-95mm drone. 3in drones move a lot of air and that air pushes against all the objects in your flight path making it very difficult to be stable. I used to do quite a bit of real estate video work, but unless I really needed a drone shot (flying through openings or entering/exiting the shot with a pull away), there were better tools suited for indoor shots in confined spaces. I switched to using a quality gimbal and boom to create the sense of motion in my videos most of the time. The gimbal makes it quick and easy to get great motion stabilized shots. It takes alot of precision with a drone to fly it indoors and keep it stable enough to have useable video (even with real steady post stabilization). You can fly in angle mode as it's easier to pause and hover but the big challenge is dealing with the turbulent air generated by the drone affecting your ability to remain stable in flight. My thoughts are that the key to making money in the real estate market is to get in, get your shots and get out quickly. It's a competitive space and efficiency in getting your video done quickly is paramount. Depending on your skillset, with a drone you may need 2,3,4,5..10 takes to get what you want whereas you can do it with one take with a gimbal. Time is money as they say!

Thanks for you comments--very helpful. What gimbal and boom do you like/recommend?

 

[droneguy]

For this type of work, a DJI pocket or pocket 2 would do a great job You can use any collapsible boom/stick with the appropriate hardware. I started off way back in the day with an Evo gimbal with a GoPro (kinda amateur by today's standards but it worked well at the time). DJI also makes the OSMO mobile 4 if you want to use your phone camera. There are alot of great gimbals and cameras that would do a great job, but I would consider your workflow. The easier you can get your video off the device and in your editor, the more efficient you will be and therefore the more $$$ you will make. This setup help you get great active shots that tell a story and help raise the quality of your deliverables.

 

[droneguy]

Thanks for your comments. What gimbal and boom do you like? I wanted to use my Mavic2 with the Polar Pro Katama cinematic rig to do walkthroughs, but I emailed PolarPro and they have discontinued it. I saw YouTube videos that gave it excellent reviews. I got motivated to use an FPV drone based on indoordronetours.com based in Chicago where I live. They appear to be doing very well and were featured on WGN new here. The luxury home listings increasingly feature FPV drone tours. I have flown my Mavic2 in a few luxury homes with high ceilings and it has worked quite well, but it is risky.

Most of the shots on the indoordronetours.com website can be achieve faster and safer with a gimbal. Using a drone is definitely a great tool to have at your disposal and once you practice to where you are satisfied with the video results and safety you can provide, it will be a great offering in your toolkit. Using a gimbal will also add another tool with much less of a learning curve so you can start offering that sooner and make more money. Don't give up on the drone! I has a place and time where it makes sense and delivers a unique perspective. The shots on the website were likely done with a Mavic drone (probably the mini) as none of the shots had the movement and flow you'd chose a FPV drone for.

 

[dsmith76]

Most of the shots on the indoordronetours.com website can be achieve faster and safer with a gimbal. Using a drone is definitely a great tool to have at your disposal and once you practice to where you are satisfied with the video results and safety you can provide, it will be a great offering in your toolkit. Using a gimbal will also add another tool with much less of a learning curve so you can start offering that sooner and make more money. Don't give up on the drone! I has a place and time where it makes sense and delivers a unique perspective. The shots on the website were likely done with a Mavic drone (probably the mini) as none of the shots had the movement and flow you'd chose a FPV drone for.

I talked to Mitch at indoordronetours.com. He explained that they shoot their videos with a custom built quad which uses 2" inch props, using pilots that have drone racing level skills. He suggested 2" props because 3" was just too big to fly in very tight spaces. My research on Youtube indicates that by either using a naked GoPro or the new Insta 360 smo 4K a 2" quad has enough power to handle these lightweight camera solutions.

 

[droneguy]

A 2in pusher is a good option. It's difficult to build a 85mm or 95mm with DJI digital as they don't produce alot of thrust. I have a 85mm and it will carry a naked GoPro but just. I don't have an Insta360 but alot of people like them for this type of setup. Naked Gopros are good but they can be a pain to setup and maintain. The BetaFPV SMO 4K looks interesting as it's similar in size and weight to a naked GoPro right from the manufacturer with a waranty. Whatever you decide practice alot and get your skills and confidence up and you will do great!

 

[mrmund]

An Insta360 Go might be enough resolution for you?

 

[dsmith76]

The squirt is a great choice for smooth cinematic flight with a GoPro. I use mine all the time. The Geprc Rocket Plus is a little small to carry a GoPro since it only has 2in props unless you go naked GoPro or Insta360 for the camera. Flying indoors is a whole different skillset with any larger sized drone. If you're flying in a warehouse setting, it's not usually an issue, but if your thinking residential real estate, you may want to reconsider your choices and look at a de-cased GoPro setup so you can fly an 85-95mm drone. 3in drones move a lot of air and that air pushes against all the objects in your flight path making it very difficult to be stable. I used to do quite a bit of real estate video work, but unless I really needed a drone shot (flying through openings or entering/exiting the shot with a pull away), there were better tools suited for indoor shots in confined spaces. I switched to using a quality gimbal and boom to create the sense of motion in my videos most of the time. The gimbal makes it quick and easy to get great motion stabilized shots. It takes alot of precision with a drone to fly it indoors and keep it stable enough to have useable video (even with real steady post stabilization). You can fly in angle mode as it's easier to pause and hover but the big challenge is dealing with the turbulent air generated by the drone affecting your ability to remain stable in flight. My thoughts are that the key to making money in the real estate market is to get in, get your shots and get out quickly. It's a competitive space and efficiency in getting your video done quickly is paramount. Depending on your skillset, with a drone you may need 2,3,4,5..10 takes to get what you want whereas you can do it with one take with a gimbal. Time is money as they say!

I bought the GEPRC Rocket Plus with the DJI Unit. I have flown it around inside my house and it is working quite well. I understand that the 2" props and 1104 motors don't generate enough thrust to carry a full size GoPro, so I am looking to buy a naked GoPro, which are offered by Aerialvation and perhaps other sources. However, I've been unable to source a mount for a GoPro. GEPRC has 3D mounts for many other drones, but not the Rocket Plus. Any suggestions on other ways to mount the Naked GoPro? One alternative is to use sticky pads, similar to what people use for helmets. Since I plan to use the drone for interior real estate videos, is the sticky pad likely to hold the Naked GoPro firmly enough, if the worst I do is bump into a wall? Thanks

 

[droneguy]

That's a good option for indoor flying. 3M makes some rally sticky (almost permanent) 2 sided tape that would work well.

 

[dsmith76]

That's a good option for indoor flying. 3M makes some rally sticky (almost permanent) 2 sided tape that would work well.

Thanks, I will give that a try.