Remote Control Drones For Business, Fun and Mischief

Phoenix, AZ—I just had to have one of these things when I learned they could carry my wildly popular high definition GoPro cameras to new heights capturing previously impossible video.

I now have the Blade 350 quadcopter that I obtained from B&H Photo.  I also now have two GoPro cameras and a large box of accessories including lots of clever camera mounts.  Two GoPro cameras are not enough for filmmakers that need to cover every angle.  I think I need three more.

Amazon.com just announced their plan to utilize drones to deliver packages less than five pounds in 30 minutes to our homes.   There are some huge hurdles that may prevent that from ever happening.  However the free publicity for Amazon at the beginning of the Christmas season obviously motivated that announcement.

A drone was recently discovered being used to deliver drugs and cell phones to prison inmates. 

One drone owner friend said using his drone in Las Vegas enabled him to peer into various hotel windows to see who was having more fun than he was. 

In an era where TV news is losing its audience to bloggers and other Internet sources drones can cheaply and easily obtain video images that only incredibly expensive helicopters could previously cover. 

The drones can legally be flown at much lower heights than traditional helicopters. Drones for Electronic News Gathering or ENG will become routine.

Ranchers and farmers can use the little drones check on cattle and crops with ease.

Micro-budgets filmmakers can get those overhead shots from the angles of those expensive cranes and jibes.  Of course the angles and heights only helicopters could reach are easy for drones to handle.

GPS and operators using line of sight presently guide the new crop of affordable drones.  There are remote viewing devices including the GoPros alone sending back live video to tablets and smartphones at a somewhat limited range. 

The real estate industry can use these things to obtain terrific aerial images of the properties they're selling.  Building contractors can inspect their projects at every stage of development.

Mall security workers can inspect and patrol their vast parking lots by drone. 

Research and development into drone technology is right now in overdrive.  A simple small drone with a GoPro or similar camera like mine can be purchased for around $1,000.00.   There are bigger and more complex drones with much higher price tags. 

I anticipate drones will very soon be available that can livestream quality video on the Internet for extended periods for less than $10,000.00 in the near future. 

We don’t yet know what laws will be put into place regulating drones or how they will even begin try and to enforce them.  

The survivalists and anti-government crowd were complaining about Big Brother using drones to spy on them.  The tables are turning because these same tools can be now be used to spy on Big Brother.

A New Toy For Private Eyes, filmmakers and TV News Producers--The Blade 350 QX

Blade 350 QX  Quad-Copter with a GoPro Camera Mounted 

Los Angeles, CA—As a PI, TV news producer and filmmaker I’m always looking for new, quick and effective ways of quality image and video making. 

Arial shots were always expensive because rotor or fixed wing aircraft was necessarily involved.  You got a one-time look for a lot of cash. 

Satellite imagery was available but not on the Internet.  You had to buy expensive and often incomplete stock images from NASA. 

The first game changer was Google earth that provided great images from most areas of dry land in the world.  The photo resolution was kind of so-so and the images are not regularly updated.

Now there is the latest Gee Wiz video-making device ever!   It’s the Blade 350 QX offered by B&H PHOTO 1-800-221-5743 when combined with the popular GoPro cameras is amazing .  They are those new and rather small, easy to operate Quad-Copters that are battery powered and operated by remote control.

The little drone can be driven to any location and deployed in the air within a minute.  It will fly 1000 feet high or higher than our tallest buildings and as much as a mile in any direction.  The very quiet little GoPro camera can shoot a series of high-resolution still photos or 1080p high definition video.

The GoPro can transmit video on a several second delay to an iPad or iPhone so the operator can see just what he’s captured.  Currently the devices are limited by battery to 10 minutes flying time.  However keeping several extra charged batteries on hand could extend that time.

The video can be imported and edited on all current software programs with ease.  

For tiny budget filmmakers this is a dream come true.  You can get those breathtaking aerial shots without breaking the bank. 

For TV news organizations this is an incredible tool.   The operator can simply drive near any crime, fire or accident scene and from blocks away from the dreaded yellow tape safely capture the action unobtrusively from 25 or 75 meters above. 

For the smaller TV markets with limited budgets helicopters are out of the question.  With the Quad-Copter cameras they can now do what was formerly impossible. 

For private eyes the possibilities are endless.  For search and rescue work difficult to inspect areas are a snap for this equipment.

Then there are roofers, real estate sales people and others that would benefit from the use of a Quad-Copter Camera.   The need for repetitive and dangerous ladder climbs has all but ended.

The legality of this device and its uses are under review by the FAA.  Currently there are no discernible restrictions for use by hobbyists. 

These wonderful machines will be flying off store shelves later this month.  They are being marketed by B&H PHOTO www.bhphotovideo.com  The price to obtain this machine is $469.99.

The GoPro Hero3 Black edition camera runs an additional $400.00 and they are available at www.gopro.com or thousands of retailers like Target.

I sent out a nationwide dragnet to get one of these machines for evaluation and review and can't wait to show my visitors this thing in action. Let's hope I can beat the target delivery date with some videos.  

Below are some videos that show this marvelous machine in action: