Lesson Info
How To Choose Your First Drone
My name is Dirk Dallas and I am up right here in beautiful Washington and we’re going to present you some of my drones. And I wanna stroll you thru a variety of the settings. I wanna show you the way to put the props on. I wanna speak to you concerning the camera, the gimbal, show you how the battery goes in, how one can take the battery out. And I simply wanna walk you thru and allow you to study a little bit extra about every of the models and hopefully you feel slightly bit more snug with these. Just to give you somewhat little bit of history, I started one of many first drone websites for aerial photography and videography. It’s referred to as FromWhereIDrone.com. I’ve also started a hashtag known as #FromWhereIDrone. And I’m happy to say that it has over seven-hundred,000 uses right now on social media. So fairly cool, very exciting. But let’s get began. I’m gonna start off over right here with this drone. This is the Mavic Air. And you probably can see right off the bat that this is a really small drone. It’s certainly one of DJI’s newer drones. And…
what I love about this drone is, I can literally put this in a jacket pocket and I do not should deliver round an enormous backpack, a giant case. And really this drone blows my thoughts. I’m gonna show you right now, though, how I unfold it ‘trigger right now it is folded up. So it is nice and compact. And so I’m going to take the again props out and I’m just swinging them up. And these are out. And then I’m gonna swing the front props out after which now we now have the drone. Right underneath the front props, I actually have two legs, which additionally act as antennas. So if I set this down, the camera is now protected from hitting the ground, hitting the grass, wherever you could be. So just to stroll you thru the Mavic Air, I even have two sensors up front. This helps with impediment avoidance. I actually have sensors on the again, helps with obstacle avoidance. So what which means is that if the drone was gonna begin backin’ into me, it would mechanically stop due to the good intelligence features on here, preventing me from getting hit with the drone, which is obviously actually cool. And then we even have some bottom sensors. So meaning the drone can even sense the ground. Right up right here is the gimbal lock. So I’m gonna push these two tabs in and this folds up. And then I’m gonna slide this off. And now we can see the camera. So you definitely wanna hold onto this. You wanna travel with that on so you do not scratch up your lens. But here is the digicam. This is a 12 megapixel digicam. It also shoots 4K video. So that’s fairly incredible considering how small this drone is. To take out the battery, what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna push on the 2 tabs right here on the aspect. I’m gonna push down. And I get slightly indicator proper there with the pink. And meaning I can now pull this off. So I can push this button right right here on the top and it lets me know that I am charged up. And this is beneath the drone. One of the first issues that you should do earlier than you fly your drone is, you do need to register it. So I usually will put my registration number proper in right here and also you do that with the FAA, they’re going to provide you with a unique number. And I usually just tape it proper here and then put my battery again in and it is good and covered up. So the Mavic Air is super-fun to fly because it’s so small. It’s very nimble. So if I throw this drone into sport mode, which means the drone goes extra-fast, the sticks are somewhat bit more sensitive on the distant management, I can whip this thing round and have plenty of fun flying with this. I do love this as a end result of it could serve as another lens in my digital camera bag. So if I’m bringin’ my DSLR, I can simply fold this drone up, put it in my camera bag, and now I truly have an aerial digicam wherever I go. So a few of the things that are not my favourite about the Mavic Air is that it is slightly bit simpler to be swayed by the wind simply because it’s a smaller drone. So there’s that tradeoff there. And then the props, when they’re spinning, they’re slightly bit noisier than say, the Mavic Air with the quiet props. So that is one feature that bugs me a little bit. And then the battery life on this drone is so much smaller. You get slightly bit less flight time because obviously, you realize, they’re packing a battery right into a smaller drone. So there’s the tradeoff there. Whereas say, the Mavic Pro or the Phantom Pro, these two drones, they can stay up within the air and you will get a lot more flight trip of them. I’m gonna show you the bottom of the Mavic Air. And this could generally be a little troublesome for me to open. But that is the place you presumably can put in your micro SD card. And you could also connect the micro USB to do firmware updates. This is the controller for the Mavic Air. What I love about this controller, say, over the Mavic Pro or the Phantom controller is that this controller can get really slim. And what I mean is, I can actually unscrew the sticks and then I can put them right right here inside the controller. And now this is flush and it may possibly easily go in my pocket. So it travels really nice. So I do love this function. The Mavic Pro does not have that characteristic. And the Phantom Pro does not. So going back to the Mavic Air controller, I’m gonna put these sticks back on. I’m simply screwing them on. And actually fast to power on the remote, I push this button proper here. And I have a function button, I even have that sport mode button which implies the drone is gonna go somewhat faster. I have a record/pause button right here. Up top, I have my digital camera shutter button so I can take my pictures. I truly have another function button so I can set something up for that button if I need to do one thing customized. I can report video with the button proper here. This button right here lets me control the gimbal, which this digicam is connected to a gimbal, which implies, when this is powered on, even when the drone is transferring, like right now, it isn’t powered on, this camera will maintain good and still. And that’s how you get actually great smooth-looking footage. The magic is in that gimbal. So what you are able to do is you can move this dial somehow, and the drone will either have the digital camera gimbal tilt down or it’s going to tilt up, so a very cool feature. Over right here on this side of the controller of the Mavic Air, I have a micro USB, and this is where you presumably can cost the controller. And this cable proper now has a USB-C on the opposite end in order that I can connect my Android phone, which then, this serves because the display screen. And what which means is, I can then see what this camera is seeing proper right here on my display screen, even when that is, you understand, tons of of toes away, super-cool. And then if you install the DGI Go app in your sensible device and then you definitely plug it into the controller proper right here, you can now tuck this cellphone into the perimeters. And this is gonna mainly fit any commonplace phone. And it’s gonna maintain it in place. Once you do this, you now have access to the information that is associated to your drone. So the height, how far it is, you can actually change settings with regards to the digital camera. So you undoubtedly wanna download that app, plug it in, and you’re gonna get a lot more performance, the place should you do not fly with it in, you’ll be able to nonetheless control your drone, however you are not gonna see what the camera sees, you’re not gonna have entry to any of the data like the peak, and the distance it is from you. All proper, so next I’m gonna show you guys the means to take the props off. So what you wanna take note of is, there are two sets of props. So this one has the white strains and this one has the white strains. This one doesn’t and this one doesn’t. So you wanna remember that these are two different props. So I’m gonna set the drone down and I’m gonna push down and twist this prop and it’s gonna pop proper off. I’ll do it with this one. I’m gonna push down, I’m pushing down on the center. And I’m gonna twist. And it’s gonna come proper off. So now you’ll have the ability to see that these are completely different. We have white strains, we now have no white lines. So you wanna put the props with the white strains with the motor that has the white lines. This motor does not. So that’s a simple means so that you can inform. So I’m gonna now put it again on and also you’re gonna be ready to see you could line up the little notches, right right here on the motor. And I’m going to push it down and then twist, so it is simply the other way of taking it off. So I always just give it slightly bit of a twist to make sure it is on. I’m now gonna put this prop on over right here. Line up the notch, after which I’m gonna twist and ensure it’s safe, and it is safe. So this is the Mavic Air, really cool drone. The next drone I wanna show you is the Mavic Pro. This is a drone that I like to deliver with me, simply because it is slightly bit more steady than the Mavic Air because it’s a larger drone. But you do have to maintain in mind it’s a greater drone. So do you have room for that? If not, in your digicam bag, this might be the better drone for you. This drone clearly folds up good and neat. So it is a fairly small drone, as well. The means that you just unfold this one is we exit with the entrance motors after which the again motors. And I’m just kinda following the best way that it feels, how I’m tuggin’ it. So I’m pulling up with that. And that is the gimbal digicam cowl for the digital camera. And the greatest way that you simply take this off is there’s a tab proper right here. And I’m simply gonna pinch that and then pull it off. And hold onto this, you always wanna have this packed away with your drone so that you just can hold your digital camera free from getting scratched. And then that is really necessary. You wanna just keep in mind to also remove the gimbal lock. The gimbal lock is right here. And what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna push on the 2 sides after which I’m gonna pull it out. And so now the digicam is free and this is in a position to be able to fly. If you retain this on, you’re obviously gonna have problems with the gimbal. So make sure you take that off. Hang onto this one as nicely. You always wanna put this in and journey with this then to be certain that your gimbal is not bouncing around in your bag. So this drone additionally has sensors. We have two sensors in the front. That would prevent the drone from hitting a wall, a tree, something like that. So that’s obstacle-avoidance sensors. And then we have sensors on the bottom. Unlike the Mavic Air, this model particularly does not have sensors on the again, simply to make that clear. The means that I take off the battery for this drone is you presumably can see that there is these two tabs here on the sides. I’m gonna push and then pull out the battery. And right here is my FAA number proper there. I’m gonna put the battery back in and simply push down. So it is really easy to remove that one. The way that I can get to my micro SD slot is over right here on the aspect. I’m simply gonna push that down and then right in there’s the place the micro SD card is. So I’ll put this cover again on. And then over here on the opposite facet, I’ll transfer this tab and now I even have access to the micro USB port so I can do updates on this drone. The way that I put the props on and the way that I take the props off are very similar to this drone. So what I’m gonna do is I’m going to push down and I’m gonna twist. So I will push down, I’ll twist and these props come right off. I’ll do it on the other side, push down and twist, they usually come right off. So you can see that on this model, I even have a little gold indicator here, letting me know that this is different from this. So I’m gonna match up the gold indicator with this motor. And then I’m gonna put this one on this one because it’s empty, there’s nothing there. So I’ll show you guys how to put these on. I’m gonna line up the notches. And I’m gonna twist and then I’ll just make sure it’s safe. And then I’m gonna line up these notches right right here. And I’m gonna push down on it first and then I’ll twist and make sure it’s secure. All right, so subsequent I’m gonna transfer on to the distant controller for the Mavic Pro. This controller looks similar to the Mavic Air, nevertheless it does have the little LCD. But unfortunately, you presumably can’t take away the sticks on this one. But we can still pull out these arms and for this drone, it is mainly just like the Mavic Air. There are a couple of variations. I do have the record/pause button proper here. This is a multifunction button so I can assign completely different customized settings to it if I wanna get to one thing actually fast. I can power on the distant controller right here. Right right here is the game mode. Right here is the shutter so I can take footage. Right here I can really regulate the publicity. Unlike this one, you can’t regulate the exposure in your distant controller. And then proper here I really have the report so I can document video proper here and I can also management the gimbal so how the digicam moves. So the big difference is, the Mavic Air would not have the LCD. And you can’t modify the exposure right on the remote controller. One factor I do really respect about this controller is I have these customized buttons down here so I can quickly get to a menu or setting, depending on what I assign these buttons to. On this facet, we additionally management it utilizing the micro USB right there. And I’ll put this back in and for this distant controller, I truly have the lightning cable. So I can put my iPhone in right here. I’ll set it in these arms. I’ll safe it and now this is ready to go. And then the subsequent factor I’m gonna present you is tips on how to get the antennas out. So you do not wanna fly with the antennas like this. This is instead like a journey mode so it’s nice and compact. But what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna unsnap that, I can fold it out and then I’ll twist it and now I’m able to go. So the way in which I hold my distant controller is simply like this, a pleasant grip. And I use my thumbs. So my proper thumb is gonna management the right stick and my left thumb will management the left stick. And some people truly do fly a little differently so it’s not that there’s one right way or wrong means, however some people like to fly with two fingers, like this. And I counsel you simply attempt it out. See which means you like. And it could be different than mine and that is completely nice. All right, so the following drone I’m gonna show you is the Phantom Pro. And it is a drone I fly with a lot, personally. And the reason why is usually due to this digicam. You can in all probability inform the digital camera is slightly bit greater. This has a one-inch sensor. So this camera can shoot 20 megapixel images and do 4K video. Whereas this camera has a smaller sensor. It shoots 12 megapixel nonetheless pictures. It also shoots 4K video. And this one shoots 12 megapixel still images and 4K video. But you realize, there’s a worth distinction so it is something to remember. Obviously too, this doesn’t fold up good and neat right into a jacket. So there is a tradeoff there. It simply relies upon what your wants are. So this drone is slightly bit extra of a high-end drone. And it has a couple of further bells and whistles. So I have the sensors in the front for impediment avoidance however I also have sensors on the side right here. And then I even have sensors on the back. And I truly have sensors underneath. So I even have sensors virtually all the means in which around. And that just prevents you from getting stuck in a tree, hitting a wall, one thing like that. So that can be really helpful. So on the side of the Phantom drone, we have the micro USB port so we will do the firmware updates proper there. And then proper subsequent to it, we have the micro SD card slot so you’ll find a way to put in a card. I have a tendency to use a 32 gig or a 64 gig. But that’s gonna be your desire. So coming around, I do have the bigger battery proper here in comparison with the 2 smaller drones. And the way that I get the battery out is I’m gonna push on these two tabs right right here. So I’m gonna push and then I’m gonna pull ’em out. So what you can do is you’ll find a way to push the battery’s button right right here. And it’s gonna mild up all four of the lights. And that lets me know that this could be a fully charged battery. I’m gonna put the drone’s battery back in and I’m gonna keep my fingers on the tabs, maintain them depressed, after which I’ll let go. And just make sure it is good and safe. You clearly don’t need that falling out. The gimbal on this drone is a little bit extra noticeable than the smaller drones. So I’m really gonna remove first the gimbal lock. So I do journey with this on and all I’m doing to get this off is I’m pushing down on that side and then I’m pushing down on this facet and then it simply slides off. So definitely grasp on to this. You do wanna journey with that. So this is the Phantom’s gimbal. It controls the digital camera. So when this drone is powered on, this digicam will be nice and straight to have the ability to get clean video. Really again, this is the magic behind the drone. This thing’s transferring round, trying to stay steady, but your digicam is sweet and nonetheless. So fairly cool function. So I’m gonna present you tips on how to put the props on the Phantom Pro. And that is very comparable to what we have been doing with the two smaller drones. I have a silver prop and I truly have a black prop. And all I’m gonna do is match the silver with the silver and the black with the black. And the way that you can inform is that this motor has the black dots right here. So that signifies that it is gonna take the prop that has the black circle. And this motor has no dots. So that is going to be for the prop with the silver. So I’m gonna do a very similar thing. I’m just gonna line up the notches after which I’m gonna push down and twist after which simply make positive that’s in. Now I’ll take the silver one, line up the notches till I kinda felt it sit, after which I’ll push down and lock it by turning to the facet. And I’ll take the black one ’cause this motor is black, push, after which the silver one, push down and twist. If you don’t lineup these props accurately, it truly won’t even allow you to put ’em on. But you will probably be annoyed ’cause you may be like, tryin’ to jam it on and possibly one thing would possibly snap. So just be good and careful with these. They’ll naturally fall into place if you’re putting it on the best motor. I’m next gonna show you the Phantom Pro’s distant controller. This is a bit greater than the Mavic Pro and the Mavic Air. The cause why I specifically obtained this model from DJI is as a outcome of I actually appreciated the display screen that folds out. And what that does is, I can you realize, just journey with a screen always near my distant. I don’t have to all the time have my phone charged up. And at all times having it out, a name interrupts me while I’m flying, one thing like that. So I do like having the screen built-in. Another cool feature is that is brighter than many of the cell telephones that I’ve used. So that may help when you’re outside. You’re getting glare. You’re gonna definitely discover that this is a brighter display screen. So this could be a nice improve. And this remote controller is similar to the opposite two. The settings are simply in numerous spots. So I truly have the ability button proper here. I really have a return to residence button right right here. That simply means if I’m ever in a pinch, I can push this and the drone will automatically come again where it took off. So a nice little factor for piece of thoughts. I can charge up the remote controller right right here. Up right here, I have access to taking a picture. So here is my shutter. Here is my publicity dial so I can change the publicity when I’m within the air. And then up right here is the settings associated to our digital camera for taking a picture. So here is my shutter and this is the publicity dial. So I can change the exposure whereas in the air, simply from the remote management with out touching the screen or going through the DJI GO app. And then right here’s a pause button. On this side, I even have the record for recording video. And then I even have the dial for adjusting the digital camera’s gimbal. And then right above that dial, I have a swap that puts me into three different flight modes. So by default, it ought to be in P mode, which is positioning mode. That just signifies that GPS will maintain your drone in place when you let go of the sticks. So if you’re ever in a pinch and you are like, I don’t know what I’m doing, just let go of the sticks it will maintain in place if you’re in positioning mode. If you switch this over to where it says S, that is sport mode on this drone. So that means once more, your drone’s gonna go sooner, it is gonna be more delicate to your inputs. It’s gonna be moving faster by way of the air. If I change it over to the A mode, that is the atti mode. And that means that GPS is no longer holding the drone in place. So if a gust of wind comes, the drone is just gonna coast till the wind kinda dies out. It will not hold it in place. So that can be actually nice for these who are taking pictures video as a outcome of they wanna have a pleasant easy motion that goes along with the wind. And then to put the antennas up, I just push these both up and then let them click into place. You’ll hear a click on. And that is how I fly with the Phantom’s controller and my monitor out like that. Below you will see that I even have my customized 1, customized 2 buttons. So I can assign certain capabilities on these two buttons. I typically prefer to have the gimbal ahead down on this one so that means that I can rapidly snap the gimbal into place with only a quick click of a button without having to use the dial, super-cool function. And then proper over right here, I have a USB port, an HDMI port, a micro SD slot, and then a micro USB port proper there. And the way that I maintain the Phantom drone is I like to have the antennas out similar to this, the monitor angled just a bit bit after which I even have my thumbs on the sticks, so my proper thumb on the proper stick and my left thumb on the left stick. And some people once more choose to control the drone like this. And that may be a private choice. So try each to see what works finest for you. So simply to be sure to perceive, I do have the model that has the built-in display. But some of these Phantom drones only have the mount with nothing there. So you have to put in a sensible gadget, like an iPad, an Android phone, one thing like that. And again, these are the three drones that I usually fly with, depending on the state of affairs. I love the Mavic Air because it’s super-compact. A lot of travel photographers, videographers will deliver this drone with them as a outcome of it is so small. The Mavic Pro is a superb drone, a step up by means of picture quality. And it could handle the actions of the wind a little bit better. And this is if you start to perhaps to get into one thing slightly extra skilled. I’m seeing a lot of people in actual estate and weddings capturing with this. And then this drone is the drone that I have a tendency to use if I do not really need to worry about space in my bag or one thing like that as a end result of it does have the higher digital camera, the one-inch sensor, 20 megapixel nonetheless images. So I just wanna encourage you guys, it would not matter what drone you’ve, these are those I have. They are all very related. They have certain features, depending on your needs. But take your drone up, get on the market, shoot, study, make mistakes, be taught from these, be part of the group #FromWhereIDrone. And I’d like to see you guys on the market tagging your pictures with that. Thanks for watching.
