DJI Inspire 1 Review 2022 – Still A Good Drone?
If you click a link on this page and make a purchase we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Table of Contents
Dji Inspire 1 (internal name: T600) – is the newest coup of the multicopter-industry leader Dji Innovations. It is supposed to fill the gap between the simple hobby photo drones and the complex profi-drones, that require a lot of knowledge and experience to control and fly.
The concept is “Ready-to-Fly out of the box” with video captures and aerial photos in profi quality.
We were swept off our feet at the box unpacking. No drone ever was wrapped and packed so thoroughly and carefully. The unpacking itself is an adventure and an awesome experience. It is clear right away why is the price so high – justly. The unpacking makes you crave for more – crave for flying and testing!
Dji Innovations has put all the know-how and cutting edge features and developments in the DJI Inspire 1. They have developed their own FC350 camera with a custom made Gimbal (Zenmuse X3) for this drone exclusively. The Gimbal is a 360° movable 3D Gimbal.
As with profi models, DJI Inspire 1 can be controlled by two persons – a pilot to fly a drone and a cameraman that has its own remote control. To be fit for the future, all the features and extensions are provided with a snap closure for easier disassembling and transport.
The camera lens has no annoying fisheye-effect as with the GoPro Hero3 or GoPro Hero 4.
The drone remote control is also a special preparation for the Dji Inspire 1 and is based upn the profi-model of A2 remote controls from DJI.
DJI Inspire 1
- This Item Includes: DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 Ready-to-Fly Quadcopter - Remote Controller - Camera with Gimbal - 4x Propellers (Pair) - Intelligent Flight Battery (TB47) - Battery Charger - SD Card (16GB) - ND Filter - Manuals - Power Cable - 2x Micro-USB Cables - Remote Controller Charging Cable - Camera with Gimbal Box - Carrying Case - Harness - DJI Warranty
- This Item Includes: DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 Ready-to-Fly Quadcopter - Remote Controller - Camera with Gimbal - 4x Propellers (Pair) - Intelligent Flight Battery (TB47) - Battery Charger - SD Card (16GB) - ND Filter - Manuals - Power Cable - 2x Micro-USB Cables - Remote Controller Charging Cable - Camera with Gimbal Box - Carrying Case - Harness - DJI Warranty
- Capture 4K Video and 12MP Stills
- 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizes Camera
- Up to 1.2 Mile Radio Range,GPS-Based Flight Control System,Vision Positioning for Indoor Flying,Live 720p HD Monitoring with Lightbridge
- Thrust-Boosted Motors / New Propellers,Retractable Carbon Fiber Arms,Unobstructed 360° Shooting,Dual Transmitter Operation Supported
- 20 focal length
- Update November 2016: the successor of the Dji Inspire 1 is introduced, the Dji Inspire 2.
- Update 2016: More custom models have been released – e.g. the Dji Inspire 1 Pro Black Edition and the DJI Inspire 1 RAW (info).
- Update September 2015: An additional Dji Inspire 1 Professional has been released – identical in design but with another gimbal and camera with MFT interchangeable lens: Zenmuse X5R and X5. Info here: Dji Inspire 1 Professional (test report)
- Update November 2015: The DJI Inspire 1 is now only available as version 2.0 (V2.0) with improved motors and quick fasteners on the propellers.
- Update December 2015: In addition there will be a gimbal with thermal imaging camera / thermal camera under the name “Zenmuse XT”. Certainly there will be a DJI Inspire soon, which is already equipped with the Zenmuse XT thermal camera. Info here: Dji Zenmuse XT
Different Modes
Transforming design and properites introduced with this drone are a new thing in the multicopter industry. For the transport purposes, the propellers are horizontal on a level surface. For the landing, side arms are folded down and serve as a landing skid that provides enough ground clearance for the gimbal and camera. But, during the flight, the side arms are folded upwards to grant more all-round visibility for the camera.
New Features
The new Dji Lightbrigde Technology is deployed for the live image transmission of the camera shots. As a display/FPV Monitor, you can use your tablet or smartphone (both Android and iOS). The innovation: the transmission is made in realtime and HD quality.
The live image, along with flight information and telemetry data, is shown directly on your tablet or smartphone via Dji Pilot App. So there is no need for a PC Assistant software as with Phantom Models. All camera and flight controls and options along with battery stand can also be monitored and controlled via the app.
The camera or rather gimbal can be set in different modes aside FPV and Follow Mode. Dji Inspire 1 has an Orientation Lock Mode, where the camera is fixed to a certain direction, no matter of flips and turns the drone makes.
For the professional aerial photos, the controls can be run by 2 persons. The image transmission is individual and independent for both the pilot and the cameraman. The smartphone or the tablet is fixed on the remote control and the pilot can control the flight while the cameraman focuses on camera and has his own controls.
Another new feature – vision positioning system. Dji Inspire 1 has 2 positioning systems: GPS (usual solution that all other drones use) and a combination of ultrasound and ground monitoring for indoor space flights.
Another treat: Dji is offering also a hand-gimbal/hand holder where you can attach the camera. This way you have a handheld gimbal, steadycam for perfect video recordings on the ground.
Equipment summary:
- fully assembled quadrocopter (fly ready – ARF)
- transport case
- remote control (optional 2 remote controls) including Smartphone- / Tablet-holder
- 4k Kamera with 12Pegapixeln (F350) and 360° 3D Gimbal (Zenmuse X3)
- integrated flight control
- integrated FPV image transmission (Dji Lightbridge) with OSD
- Dji Pilot App with various functions / Waypoint fly navigation
Conclusion
if the price does not discourage you and you want an extremely high quality drone for professionals with good camera, then is the Dji Inspire 1 the right solution for you.
If you are technically skilled profi, who put a lot of value on flexibility, individuality and expandability, as well as maximum photo quality – then build yourself a drone on the base of a Dji S1000+ or S900.
Dji Inspire 1 Specs
- Quadrocopter
- 1 x remote control
- LiPo battery
- charger
- spare propeller
- case
DJI Inspire 1
- This Item Includes: DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 Ready-to-Fly Quadcopter - Remote Controller - Camera with Gimbal - 4x Propellers (Pair) - Intelligent Flight Battery (TB47) - Battery Charger - SD Card (16GB) - ND Filter - Manuals - Power Cable - 2x Micro-USB Cables - Remote Controller Charging Cable - Camera with Gimbal Box - Carrying Case - Harness - DJI Warranty
- This Item Includes: DJI Inspire 1 V2.0 Ready-to-Fly Quadcopter - Remote Controller - Camera with Gimbal - 4x Propellers (Pair) - Intelligent Flight Battery (TB47) - Battery Charger - SD Card (16GB) - ND Filter - Manuals - Power Cable - 2x Micro-USB Cables - Remote Controller Charging Cable - Camera with Gimbal Box - Carrying Case - Harness - DJI Warranty
- Capture 4K Video and 12MP Stills
- 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizes Camera
- Up to 1.2 Mile Radio Range,GPS-Based Flight Control System,Vision Positioning for Indoor Flying,Live 720p HD Monitoring with Lightbridge
- Thrust-Boosted Motors / New Propellers,Retractable Carbon Fiber Arms,Unobstructed 360° Shooting,Dual Transmitter Operation Supported
- 20 focal length
Since this is an older drone, we would recommend to check out newer models that are much more powerful, both in terms of flight performance and camera capabilities.
Some of the drones you should look into: