Gadgetory

getting great aerial video like this used to mean investing in bulky expensive equipment but a range of new compact consumer drones let you send great quality cameras into the sky without emptying your bank balance but how do these entry-level flying cameras fare if you're heading out on a professional shoot to find out I headed to Castle Combe racetrack we've seen its collection video crew and sent the new pocket-sized DJI maverick into the air before the shoot even began I was struck with how small the drone is while DVRs popular phantom for needs its own flight case the Maverick thanks to its falling arms is small enough to easily pop into any backpack or even a big coat pocket the controller too is tiny but folds out to make easier to hold use your phone as the displays have as no bulky screen to pack away either I was able to take the drone in the same backpack as my DSLR and I didn't notice the extra weight at all the small size does have some drawbacks though while DGI reckons you can get 27 minutes of flight time from it in my experience it was much less I put this down to the wind the Maverick automatically adjusts for windy conditions to make sure it doesn't get blown out of the air but as it's so small it has to fight much harder against the breeze and of course the heart of the motors have to work the faster the power drains away for me this meant a quick burst of flying followed by an hour of sitting in the car while it charged from the cars power outlet then repeat and repeat and repeat multiple spare batteries are a must if you want to use this thing professionally it's incredibly easy to fly letting you focus on getting creative shots not just stopping it hurtling into a tree and those shots do look good the three axis gimbal for the camera keeps footage extremely smooth with none of the jerky shaky bits that would ruin your footage it exposes for the scene well to keeping the bright sky under control and 4k resolution makes details nice and crisp so what's the result well if you're really serious about regular using aerial footage in your professional work then you'll still want to look toward bigger drones like the DJI inspire that offers greater flexibility in how you shoot however if you're keen to take the first tentative steps into the pro drone world the Maverick is seriously worth considering while the inspires bulky flight case means you'll always need a car to haul it around the Mavericks tiny size doesn't require any special effort to get it on location simply fold it up and pop it in your kit bag next to your lenses and sandwiches you can always have it with you ready to go if you decide that an aerial shot is needed making it a superb just-in-case addition to your gear