Cameras on drones are hardly a novelty these days, but what if you’re a Hollywood film-maker looking to get your cinema-quality rig off the ground?
DJI unveiled the answer to this question at the National Association of Broadcasters’ annual summit in Las Vegas on Sunday with the introduction of its Matrice 600 (M600) drone.
The $4,599 (around £3,230) drone can carry up to 6kg and is aimed at film-makers who want to get their professional equipment airborne.
Related: Flying a drone – Everything you need to know
DJI’s most powerful drone yet, the M600 is a six-rotor multicopter, compatible with DJI’s high-end Zenmuse gimbals and cameras.
It also features a Lightbridge 2 video downlink which is capable of streaming video in 1080p at 60fps from up to 3 miles away.
Available now, the M600 is powered by six batteries, comes with three GPS units, and can fly for 36 minutes at a time with a Zenmuse X5 gimbal attached.
DJI also took the wraps off its new Ronin stabilising rig. Also available now for a cool $1,600, the Ronin works with the M600 and allows for compatibility with third-party cameras.
Related: DJI Phantom 3
Depending on the weight of the attached camera, the Matrice’s flight time will vary, with the hefty Red Epic reducing the in-air time to around 16 minutes.
Also debuted at the event was the new A3 flight controller, the Pro version of which comes with three inertial meaurement units (IMUs) on-board.
When used with DJI’s Real-Time Kinematic tech, the IMUs allow the drone to pinpoint its position and repeat a flight path with a high degree of accuracy – great for directors looking to shoot several identical takes.
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What do you think of DJI’s new equipment? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
