The next step in consumer drones is not the drone itself. It is the camera. This is what world drone leader DJI announced and it has come out with a couple of products to prove its case. They announced two new interchangeable-lens cameras designed for the company's Inspire 1 professional model drone: the X5 ($4,499) and X5R ($7,999), Market Watch reported.
The Zenmuse X5 and X5R are the first commercially available drones featuring micro four thirds sensors designed specifically for aerial use. They offer drone operators 13 stops of dynamic range, 16 megapixel resolution and the ability to shoot 24fps and 30fps 4k video in low light environments. Still pictures are standard, of course.
Cameras with these specs are particularly attractive to professional photographers. "Big pixels are important because there's more surface area to collect photons," said Eric Cheng, DJI's director of aerial imaging. He adds, "That means you get higher dynamic range."
The new cameras are a huge leap forward in terms of image quality. Photographers who use drones for professional videography and customers who require a drone to display thermal imaging and generate 3D maps too are DJI's target customers.
If that was not enough, the X5 and X5R are also compatible with four different wide angle lenses from DJI, Panasonic, and Olympus. Also, Ubergizmo reported that the X5R will also have a removable 512GB SSD in addition to its onboard solid state disk-a very good thing to have whether as a professional or enthusiast photographer. The camera is attached to the DJI's Zenmuse gimbals.
"The professional applications of the Zenmuse X5 are almost endless," Cheng said. "In addition to shooting professional-quality photos and 4K video, the new camera can be used to create high-quality aerial maps and 3D models and can also help industrial teams get even more detail from their aerial imaging pursuits - for example, in utility inspection - using a drone."
Check out the DJI's promotional video for their new cameras below:
