Quadcopter/Drone rentals?
 

Does this exist? I have a DJI Phantom and GoPro setup, but it's not up to one of my clients standards as far as image quality goes. I really want to get a GH3 or 5D Mark III up in the air without taking out a second mortgage. I don't need this capability often enough to justify spending thousands of dollars. I would love to rent a package and get my shots, return it and be done.

I have looked around on the web without much luck. Does anyone know someone who does this?

Many thanks

Brian

Re: Quadcopter/Drone rentals?
 

Hi Brian,
It can be done at a low price. I have been researching a lot very day for the last week on this subject. I want to build a quadcopter for my first project. You can easily build a frame or buy a kit for really low price. Like $15 to $20. Then add four motors and props that serve your needs for lift. A battery and a controller board and radio TX. A GPS board, a gimbal with dc brushless motors and tall landing gear. I was around $400 or so.
As far as your copter, I am not sure. I am guessing you could add the tall landing gear ($9.00) and a gimbal for maybe $150. Your controller board might be able to do the gimbal control. Then youy need a FPV package to see what the camera is shooting. A 5.9 ghz TX and RX and either goggles or an LCD monitor with a sunshade. That setuyp might get you another cost of $300 ??

Gimbal-
GH2/3 Storm Eye Brushless Gimbal Full Carbon Kit (Mini DSLR)

Landing gear for gimbal room-
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...landing%20crab

FPV-
FPV & Telemetry>FPV

Here is one full system. Check out hobby king for everything.
ZeroUAV ZERO-Steadi470 Quadcopter Aerial Photography System (YS-X6-P Flight Control System) (PNF)

Re: Quadcopter/Drone rentals?
 

No, I seriously doubt that someone would rent you a MR's that is capable of flying a DSLR.


Alex I'm guessing you've never built or flown a MR for AP? You don't fly a $4500 camera with $10 motors and $5 props. If your starting from scratch its going to conservatively cost you $4000+ to build a heavy lift quad or Hex that can lift and shoot decent footage from a DSLR or NEX.

In order to fly even a small DSLR the AUW will be at least 7LBS more likely aroufn 10LBS to lift that amount of weight motors are about $110 each, props are $50+ ea, at least 40A ESC's are $30 ea, CF frame $250 - $375, brushless gimbal $500 -$1000, 6S batteries $75 ea, flight controller $400 - $800+, lus a transmitter and receiver.

A lot of this depends on why you think your client doesn't think the GoPro is good enough quality for AP? I'm not saying it is but if you have the Hero 3+ you could try shooting 2.7K @ 30FPS and center cutting the image in post, that should get rid of the fisheye and look pretty good.

But if you want to move up the AP image quality food chain it get's expensive quickly. Its not that expensive when you keep in mind how much a follow focus or shoulder mount from Red Rock Micro costs..