Good, though I think you missed a trick on the first scene by not rotating around to the sun!
I love the west coast of america, and it seems to get better as you go north!
Would like to hear your honest opinions on the X5 and where you feel it fits between the X5 and your list of drones shows you're the ideal guy for this.
You're right about the first scene, but we were shooting for a specific project for which that wouldn't of worked. These shots are the better rejects for the project, the real shots are even nicer in some cases
As for the X5. It's an amazing little camera. I would say that it has replaced my S1000/GH4 setup in about 90% of the situations I would of flown the octocopter in. The Inspire is such a simple platform and it flies so well in less than perfect condition it really makes things easier and faster. The quality of the X5 vs the GH4 is close enough that unless you're pixel peeping, you would not be able to tell the difference. Also, having full control of the camera from the ground is a massive leap in efficiency and trumps the small loss in quality by flying it vs the GH4. If you go frame by frame and really study the compression artifacts, some people can see small differences, but for the most part, the X5 has replaced what my GH4 did. The X5 does not come close to flying a RED Dragon, but that's obvious. A RED Dragon(soon to be weapon carbon) costs $60K plus lenses. I've found for most project the X5 is more than adequate. The biggest reason I find myself flying either octocopter setup is the need for higher frame rates. We need to deliver projects in 4K 60P sometimes and the only viable option for that is RED at the moment. I'm planning on keeping my S1000 kit and either going to an A7S 2 or GH5 if the specs are decent.
Comparing the X5 to the X3 is silly, there is no comparison. The X3, though better looking than a GoPro IMHO does not have a look that will match with anything shot on the ground, where as the X5 can easily be matched to any camera being used on the ground. What I've found with the X5 is that you really need to treat it like a high end camera, don't starve the sensor for light, double check your focus before you record every shot, make sure you're in the proper camera settings for your environment and try and have someone else either operate camera or just be there to spot so you can focus on getting the shot. Too many people treat the X5 like their original X3 or Phantom and it just doesn't not work. It's a high end camera and requires a decent amount of understanding to get good results.
That's my honest opinion on the X5. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it the best thing out there right now for the money and considering how simple and quick it is to fly? Yes. Hands down.
