Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
Drones. Some love ’em; some hate ’em. We simply report on them.
According to reports circulating around the web, Canon may be the next big player to announce its contendership in the great drone race based a patent filed with Japanese Patent Office. While details are very limited at this time, Canon has apparently filed a patent for some form of drone-related technology, making them the first of the major camera companies to take such a step.
https://youtu.be/mINv11H806I
Imagine this: Two guys on a beach, sipping margaritas and baring their souls to each other. After a while, they decide to spend some time flying their drones around, leaving smoke trails in the sky. We aren’t certain what all these guys may have been doing prior to testing out their drones, but Kevin Henderson was kind enough to upload a video of the confrontation for the rest of us to play armchair expert.
We are all familiar with video footage of personal drones crashing. They’re old news. Everyone has a drone and everyone crashes it. The devastation is horrific. End of story. (See, I just saved you from watching another less-than-epic YouTube video. I accept thank you’s in the form of hugs and chocolate.)
But, what everyone doesn’t have is the new Matrice 100 being released by DJI. This new quadcopter sports significant improvements over previous drone models, particularly built-in sensors that keep the dang thing from crashing. (My apologies for dashing your hopes of becoming a viral sensation. But, hey, get smallpox, and you will literally be a viral sensation, so there is still hope.) However, that isn’t the Matrice’s biggest innovation…
Less than a month after a camera-equipped drone carrying trace amounts of radioactive substances was discovered on the roof of the Japanese prime minister’s office, legislators are starting to crack down on radio-controlled aerial devices.
Drones have been banned in all 81 of Tokyo’s public parks and gardens, and additional legislation is in the works and will ban using them above “important facilities” such as government buildings, embassies, the Imperial Palace and the Supreme Court.
Now that drones have made headlines in the country and attracted the attention of lawmakers, it is expected that even more laws will be implemented ahead of the G7 Summit in 2016 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Just days after industry leader DJI announced the 4K Phantom 3 drone, 3D Robotics presented its own advancements with the Solo – a ready-to-fly drone made specifically for the GoPro.
The ‘smart’ drone uses two computers in order to allow unique features and have the drone fly autonomously according to a predetermined path or pattern. This allows you to focus on operating the camera rather than have to worry about flying the drone.
The Solo will soon hit the stores and is expected to be available in 2,000 physical locations.
Drones are more popular than ever and have become rather mainstream as a photography tool, hobby or gadget.
Their popularity however led to restrictive laws and regulations due to privacy concerns, commercial rights and plain and simple dumb operating practices (a drunk pilot flying over the White House comes to mind…).
“Between the introduction of drone technology, and today’s laws limiting or banning their use, there was a glorious period when you could fly a camera almost anywhere”, says Amos Chapple, a Kiwi travel photographer who took these photos.
Below are some of Amos’ stunning photos that could land you a hefty fine or even jail time, should you attempt to take them today.
If I had to pick one topic that I get pitched about the most with regards to NAB, it will have to be DRONES. With a Capital D. And it does seem that they will be a hot topic during 2015.
One of the first birds to arrive is the new DJI Phantom 3 announced today from Chinese company DJI.
Unlike their GoPro line, this Drone from DJI comes with its own integrated camera. There are two versions to this new drone: The Professional version showing off golden stripes, which shoot up to 4K at 30 fps, and an Advanced version (silver striped) that shoots at 1920 x 1080 resolution at up to 60 fps.
The price tag of both will not make you drop, and range between $999 (advanced) to $1,259 (pro).
Features wise, it seems like this drone is a natural evolution from the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ with a similar 3 axis integrated gimbal.
While the USA, UK and many other countries have been restricting the use of drones, the Royal Netherlands Air Force is said to be taking part in the planned spectacle, which will include hundreds of drones.
Promising 3D effects, a fusion of music, video, projections and special effects, AIR will be the first drone entertainment show.
It seems like as soon as quadcopters came onto the market, photographers began adapting them for more than just disastrous fun on Christmas afternoon. Since then, hobbyists, photography enthusiasts, and even corporate giants (let’s hear it for Amazon!) alike have been putting them to multiple uses, both business and pleasure.
AIRganoy, a “quadcopter racing fanatic association” based in eastern France, holds regular events for remote control pilots, including races like the one below that would seem more at home on a Lucasfilm set. The contestants race through the forest along a pre-marked course where, as seen in the video, “eating dirt” is a bit more reality than euphemism. Each copter is equipped with a video camera which sends a live feed back to the pilot, allowing them to navigate the treacherous, obstacle-laden course.
Usually when we features drones (or quadchopters, or UAVs) we share on how they invade privacy, crash on private property or cause violent misunderstandings. But today we stumbled upon this wonderful piece by ETH Zurich of Cirque du Soleil, that would not have been possible if it weren’t for drones. So with my sincere apology, here is a tribute to how wonderful drones can be.
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