Recent Drone Articles

Check Out This Unreal Iceland Short Film

There is no doubt that Iceland has become an incredibly popular travel destination for photographers and filmmakers in recent years. One filmmaker has taken his footage to the next level to create a stunning Iceland short film.

A Helpful Guide to Using a Drone for Real Estate Photos

Drones have become a remarkably long way in the last few years, and you can now get professional-level images and video from most normal consumer models. As such, if you are a real estate photographer, it is a great time to consider diversifying your offerings by adding drone imagery. This helpful video tutorial offers an excellent guide to drone real estate photography from the gear you need through editing the images.

Fstoppers' First Look at the New DJI Mavic Pro 2

Ever since its release in 2016, the DJI Mavic Pro has been one of the most popular, portable drones on the market. It's camera quality, size, and ease of use helped it become one of the best selling drones ever.

$3 Million Patriot Drone Takes Down Cheap Quadcopter Drone

News alert: a $3.4 million Patriot missile is a rather cost-ineffective way to take out comparatively dweeby consumer drone. And yet, this is exactly what happened when a close ally of the United States used one of the U.S. Army's favorite weapons "dealing with an adversary" that was apparently piloting the drone.

Why a Drone Is My Favorite Purchase That I Did Not Need

Drones are appealing to a wide gamut of people, from creatives to tech-heads, to aviation enthusiasts. For me, it was perhaps a blend of all three, but something I couldn't easily justify. Nevertheless, I bought one anyway, and it turned out to be the best poor decision I've ever made.

Overview of AeroScope, a New DJI System to Track and Identify Drones

Chinese manufacturer DJI just announced a new technology to identify and track airborne drones. Dubbed AeroScope, this system takes advantages of all the telemetry data sent by the aircraft to give the authorities a detailed vision of the drone presence in a local airspace. This system is mature and has been installed at two international airports since April. Here are the technical details and legal challenges associated with this technology.

DJI Announces the Brand New Mavic Air

Most of us who know drones know that DJI is one of the leaders in the industry. Over the past few years, they have been making some of the best products for both professionals and consumers. With other companies like GoPro, Yuneec, and Autel trying to compete with some of DJI's main products, DJI is here to claim their place as the industry leader yet again.

The Best Way to Get Into FPV Drones

Drones are great tools for photography and video, but with technology changing at such a rapid pace, racing drones (FPV) are becoming much more popular and in demand for commercial work. It can be a little overwhelming to learn this technology all at once, so I am here to help you with your first setup.

DJI's New $499 Spark Drone Looks Fun as Hell

DJI just announced their latest drone, the $499, borderline pocket-sized Spark. The Spark is smaller than a dinner plate, weighs less than a can of Coke, and packs some of DJI's coolest tech inside its teensy tiny body.

Man vs. Drone: How Good Are DJI's Intelligent Flight Modes?

After the release of the new DJI Spark and its ability to fly without a remote, it is believed that DJI has the technology for anybody to fly. Steve Kampff and I decided to put this concept to the test comparing DJI's Intelligent Flight Modes to the Manual Capabilities of the user. In this video, we see that flying can be pretty challenging, but DJI definitely steps up to the plate allowing users to achieve more complex shots with little to no skill or experience.

The Problem of Self-Appointed Photography Police

Have you ever been in that moment when you’ve composed the scene just how you wanted, you’ve nailed your focus, you’ve placed your grad perfectly to balance the exposure and you’re about to take the photograph when you’re interrupted by someone telling you that you’re not allowed to use a tripod at the location?

'Dronie' The Ultimate Drone Selfie - Can This Be Topped?

A few weeks back I attended the 3rd annual New York City Drone Film Festival. I did write an article about the winners of it, but at the time could not find this video anywhere! The Dronie is essentially a selfie with a drone and in this case a video where that is being taken to the next level. I thought this was one of the more "odd" categories but was glad to see it was one of the winners. Florian Fischer is currently undefeated in this category for the NYC Drone Film Festival but will anybody be able to top his dronie at the next Film Festival?

What Would Actually Happen If a Drone Hit an Aircraft

There's a been a lot of back and forth in recent years about the risk drones pose to airplanes and the type of damage they could possibly cause if an impact were to occur, but little true research has been done. This video follows a research team that used an air cannon to fire a drone at an airplane wing to study the damage that occurred.

Learn the DJI Drone Intelligent Flight Modes

If you own a DJI drone and are anything like me, the first time you looked at the controller menu, you were both overwhelmed by the options and set abuzz by the possibilities all those weird buttons and symbols contained within them. This helpful video will show the advantages of and how to use the Intelligent Flight Modes on the latest DJI drones.

Do Not Be Lazy in Landscape Photography

Predicting the weather is next to impossible, but you can optimize your chances of a successful shoot quite a lot. Do not be lazy about that optimization. I was lazy and it lead to one of my biggest fails in my career as a landscape photographer.

Using a Drone to Fish for Tuna

"Hey, I just got this sick Phantom drone, dudes!" Everyone gathers around in awe. "Hold my beer; we're going fishing." This is how I imagine the conversation went down for this ingenious video of fishing for longtail tuna with a drone.

Swimwear Photography With Joey Wright Behind The Scenes Ep. 2

Swimwear Photography with Joey Wright Behind The Scenes continues today with Episode 2. In last weeks episode you were able to see our journey from the US down to Curacao. In this episode we finally begin filming lessons with Joey for this swimwear photography tutorial.

The Most Useful Free App for Drone Users

A few weeks ago I reviewed the PolarPro filters for the DJI Spark and loved them. But to make full use of my drone and the adequate ND filter, PolarPro has created an app that I’m sure you’ll appreciate too. It’s available for both Android and iOS, and it’ll help you make sure you can fly your drone in the best conditions possible. Here are my thoughts about it and why you should download it too.

'Planet Earth II' Is BBC's Most Cinematic Series Yet, Here's How

How did technology make "Planet Earth" so much more cinematic? If we go back to how it was done back in the day and compare it to the technology we have today, it's quite a leap. Back in the day 35mm was the broadcast standard. The 35mm cameras were bulky and heavy, they were perfect for studio and not for the shots that they needed. In the filming circles and the BBC insiders saw 16mm film as being for amateurs. But, thanks to David Attenborough first taking his 16mm camera out to shoot abroad and coming back with footage of animals never filmed before, it changed opinions. This made the program that later became one of the best wildlife documentaries of all time.

Fstoppers Review the Perfect Bag for Your DJI Mavic, the Miggo Agua Stormproof Drone Lander

Tiny drones like the DJI Spark or Mavic are fantastic because they can fit in any bag. However, not all bags are equals when it comes to protection and usefulness. The Miggo Agua Stormproof Drone Lander was designed specifically for compact drones, keeping them safe no matter the conditions you are working in. I’ve had it for a little while now and couldn’t see myself going out for a walk with my drone without it. Here’s my full review of this handy bag.

The Future of Drone Development

Many of us associate DJI with their dominance in the drone market for photo and video; however, there is an entire world of enterprise solutions that you might know about. These are innovations that could even show up in the next drone you purchase.

Discovering Fake Dubai: A Road That Led to Nowhere

After reading an article from a fellow Fstoppers writer on following the herd, I realized the power one person actually has when it comes to sharing a photo. Here is my story on discovering a location that doesn’t exist.

DJI Announces the Mavic, A True Competitor to the GoPro Karma

In the past week or so we have seen a lot of big things happening in the drone industry. It seems that there is almost a battle for portability, where drones should be able to be used anywhere by anyone. That being said, GoPro came out with an awesome new system that packs into one slim bag and can be brought and flown just about anywhere. The GoPro Karma folds up and packs into one small bag fitting the drone with the props on, the batteries, the remote, and the camera attached to the gimbal. On top of their drone idea, they decided a consumer may not always want to fly, but might still want to film some stable footage. In this case, they made the gimbal on the Karma removable so it can also be hand held and steady.

How Does the New DJI Mavic Air Compare to the Mavic Pro and the Spark?

Now that DJI has officially launched the new Mavic Air, comparisons have already begun with DJI's recent drone releases, namely the Mavic Pro and the Spark. So, how does the Air fare? Tom Frey of Tom's Tech Time has all of the answers in a great comparison video.

Photographing Hong Kong With Elia Locardi / Behind The Scenes Episode 13 and 14

Our second tutorial with Elia Locardi: Photographing the World: Cityscape, Astrophotography, and Advanced Post-Processing was all about different types of cities. We started in Cinque Terre, a region of Italy where cities are basically built into the side of a natural landscape. We then moved on to Rome to shoot ancient architecture. Next we moved on to Singapore and Hong Kong for something a little bit more modern.

How Good is DJI's Inspire 2?

The Inspire 2 came out a few months back and is a drone any aerial photographer would love to have because of it's portability, set up time, and overall quality compared to other high end drones on the market. I remember when this drone first came out and I was right by my computer to watch it be announced along with its little brother, the Phantom 4 Pro. I was blown away by the specs on the Inspire 2, however when both of these products came out, there was no video content to see aside from what DJI had produced because no one had access to these drones quite yet.

How to Deal with People Asking Questions While You Fly Your Drone

I'm sure a lot of us drone people have been here before, where in the middle of a flight when we are deep in focus or trying to pay attention to our drones as they hover in the sky, someone walks up to you and begins playing 20 questions. I can't tell you how many times this has happened to me, but I can say that it has been one of the most distracting things when I'm flying. I am working on the best way to avoid this sort of problem and would love to share a few quick tips for anyone else who has a similar problem when they fly.

Drone Pilot's DJI Avata First Flight Review

DJI recently released the Avata, and it's made quite the buzz around town. So, how did this experienced drone pilot find flying the DJI Avata for the first time?

Jet Ski Destroys Drone in Dramatic Fashion

We're no strangers to drones here at Fstoppers. They provide opportunities for shots that were unheard of just a few years ago, which we take advantage of quite often in our work. Along with that, though, they create an entirely new way of working, and with that often comes some rather spectacular fails.

Why Drones Scare Me

I love my DJI Phantom 4. I've gotten some great shots that I could have only dreamed of before. And yet, a recent experience left me angry and surprised.

DJI Announces Plans to Cripple Unregistered Drones

DJI issued a press release this past Saturday detailing their "new application activation process" that will go into effect at the end of this week. Users who do not register their drones with the site will find their units subject to "restricted operations."

The Long Awaited Inspire 2 Is Finally Here (And So Is The Phantom 4 Pro)

It's been a few years now since DJI has come out with a new drone for high end filming. Today is the day they released the Inspire 2, a newer, much better version of the Inspire 1, has taken people by shock. The Inspire 2 has a sleek build with tons of added features, and also a new camera with some amazing quality and lens choices.

Drone Photography: 6 Things to Know Before Flying A Drone 

If you're new to flying a drone, there is a lot to learn. I wanted to share my practical advice that can save you time and money. This is the advice I would give myself if I were to go back in time. I would hopefully have helped prevent some frustration and improved my ability to create!

This Mind-Blowing Drone Video Is the Most Impressive I've Ever Seen

Drones have enabled incredible creative possibilities that simply would not have been possible just a decade ago, and this might be the most impressive example I have seen. Check out this incredible video that shows jaw-dropping flying skills and creative coordination.

Six Months With the DJI Mavic Mini: The Best Drone for Beginners?

DJI makes a variety of great drones at various price points and with different feature sets, with the Mavic Mini being one of the most inexpensive, making it an intriguing option for lots of new drone users. This great video review takes a look at the Mavic Mini and how well it performs, particularly how it has improved with new firmware updates.

This Fun Drone Accessory Makes So Much Sense

I have just seen a video reviewing one of the coolest drone accessories I've ever seen. I'm not sure how it isn't a standard accessory included in the box of every drone sold.

Drone Versus Black Hawk Helicopter: Hit or Miss?

After many closes calls and inconclusive reports, a new incident involving a small hobby drone and two military Black Hawk helicopters might mark one the first drone to aircraft collision. Unlike many previous cases, this incident seemed to have left direct evidence. Army Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, the spokesman for the 82nd Airborne, said that a civilian drone “struck on the left side of fuselage. There were no adverse impacts to the flight.” He added that “one blade was damaged [and] dented in two spots and requires replacement and there is a dented window.” Here is what we know.

Can the Mavic 2 Pro Replace Your Phantom 4 Pro?

DJI's Mavic drone was a leap forward for the company in portability, but the camera performance lagged behind ithe Phantom series. With the addition of an integrated on-board Hasselblad camera on the recently launched Mavic 2 Pro, DJI's smaller UAV is finally ready to take on its big brother in this video from Colin Smith at PhotoshopCAFE.

How to Capture Vertically Oriented Photos With a Drone

A drone allows you to take photographs to the next level. There is only one downside for most drones I know of. The camera can’t be tilted for vertical shots. That doesn’t mean you can’t shoot vertical images. The solution is a panorama.