About a year ago I purchased a DIY quadcopter kit thinking that I would have the time and the patience to build, program, test, program, test again and finally fly my own quadcopter.
I was very wrong. I didn't have the time or patience.
I realized that sometimes it's best to leave some things to the pros and spend a little bit more cash for a "turn-key" solution. I'm sure a lot of people have the opposite opinion and will say that it's good to know the ins and outs of your flying machine, and I agree with that too. But that's not my cup o' tea.
I sold my DIY quadcopter and forgot about the whole flying thing for a while.
I found a tiny drone called the Cheerson CX-10 and I bought it. In my opinion, this is the best way to start flying. It's not easy to fly and that's why it's the best way to learn. Full manual controls will make you crash, laugh and get the hang of it.
So after flying the CX-10 nano drone for about 3 weeks I decided to go ahead and get a used Phantom Vision 2+ off craigslist. Best decision I've ever made.
Flying the Phantom 2 Vision+ is so much easier than flying the nano drone, but I am happy I learned the hard way first.
The camera on the Phantom 2 Vision+ is not the best, but it manages to capture decent images and video in FullHD at up to 30fps and up to 60fps in 720p.
I decided to take my maiden flight in beautiful White Rock, B.C.
I know, flying over the water might not be the smartest idea for a first flight, but I went for it anyway.
I used a couple tricks to make the video look better, such as Optics compensation (remove fisheye) in After Effects, and the Colorista plug in for colour correction.
I was very happy with my first flight, and needless to say, I was hooked.
After a long researching session, I decided to order a few accessories to have a better kit, such as a 3rd battery, a special backpack and a set of stickers that help me decode all the coloured light sequences the phantom uses to communicate with you.
While I waited for all my accessories to arrive from China, I decided to go for a second flight in Burnaby, B.C.
Again, flying near water is not the best thing to do when you're just getting started, but..... what can I say, I like water.
I've only done 2 flights so far and I love it. I'll keep practising and learning until I feel confident enough to get a larger bird with a better camera.
So to anyone who wants to get started with this hobby, I would recommend to get one of those Cheerson CX-10 and practise until you feel confident enough. Then get a larger quadcopter, and if you're like me who doesn't have time or patience to build it yourself, just go and get a ready-to-fly machine.