X5 versus P4P for inspection work

[MarkCollins]

Hi all,

I’m sorry if this has been discussed before (I couldn’t find it on a search), but I’d appreciate your thoughts on the difference between the P4P and the X5 with the Olympus 45 mm lens on for inspection work.

I’ve just committed to buying a second hand Inspire 1 based on the plan to use the lumix 35-100. I’m slightly annoyed to find out this no longer seems to be an option and now I’m wondering what to do. I currently operate a P4P, mainly for roof infections, but more and more it’s not cutting the mustard due to the shortish focal length.

It looks like my best option with the x5 is the Olympus 45mm, but I’m wondering how much difference this will give me when trying to acquire shots from a distance. I know it’s nearly double the focal length and it’s a cropped sensor, but I’m not sure what this means in practical terms.

Any experiences or thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

 

[Jesseg138]

I own both platforms and the 45mm lens. The difference is night and day...the focal lengths are actually farther apart than you are saying...when DJI talks focal length they are giving the 35mm full frame equivalent. The P4P is a 24mm equivalent while the 45mm on an X5 is a 90mm equivalent so the 45mm/X5 set up is going to be zoomed in almost 4 times more than the p4p. On top of that you can use the 14-42mm zoom lens for an on the fly zoom solution but the lense is much slower than the 45mm which means it is less capable in low light situations. There is also the lumix 45-150mm which is a maual zoom lens so you have to set it to the desired focal length before take off and it is tricky to get balanced. All in all I would say if you are focusing on inspection the I1 set up will be able to deliver what the P4P can't. Ideally I would say a I2 or m200 x5s or z30 set up would be even better due to the additional flight time and redundancy but I haven't felt the need to upgrade my I1's yet so I don't have first hand experience with any I2's or m200's...yet.

 

[MarkCollins]

That’s great. Thanks for the quick response. I’d missed the 45-150 on the forums too.

 

[Roostertail]

That’s great. Thanks for the quick response. I’d missed the 45-150 on the forums too.

I own the inspire with the 14 to 42 and also a Mavic pro. I find it much easier to use the Mavic pro with its zoom capability and get outstanding pictures. Its easier to fly and get in tight on the roof. A heck of a lot less money at risk too.

 

[Jesseg138]

I own the inspire with the 14 to 42 and also a Mavic pro. I find it much easier to use the Mavic pro with its zoom capability and get outstanding pictures. Its easier to fly and get in tight on the roof. A heck of a lot less money at risk too.

You know I was thinking more commercial roof and general inspection where I've needed the higher resolution and also the ability to use the XT for some thermal roof inspections. When I was doing residential roof inspections for an insurance company I started with a P3P and then moved to a mavic and loved it for that since it really was very stable and easy to "squeeze in" places and was quiet compared to my phantoms or inspires. If you can deal with the lower 12mp resolution than it works really well. The parrot Anafi might also be something to look at with it's 21mp sensor and digital zoom. The reviews I've watched say it has a lower noise profile, is more compact and has better image quality than the mavic and a new one is about the same as a used mavic.

 

[MarkCollins]

Which 14-42 lens do you use? Is it the Panasonic?

Having had several conversations with clients recently, for me, this partly comes back to what clients expect to see in terms of equipment. In their eyes, bigger is often better!

I love the P4P for smaller properties, but maintaining VLOS with it on big commercial properties, whilst getting detailed shots is really problematic due to the cameras short focal length.

 

[Jesseg138]

I use the Olympus version (Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ ) it's a pancake lens and it is not nearly as sharp as the Oly prime lenses(12,25,45) but is really convenient with being able to zoom in on the fly and maintain a true 16mp image. One thing to note is that it zooms in steps and doesn't zoom smoothly. For inspection work that shouldn't be an issue but just thought I would mention it as I was disappointed when I figured it out. You can find them used on eBay for around $100 pretty easily so not a huge investment compared to getting all the primes.

 

[Jesseg138]

There's also the Z3 option on the inspire, I've never gotten one since I feel like they are expensive for what they are but I believe you would get better flight time since it's significantly smaller than the X5. Gives you a 22-77mm equivalent focal length that zooms smoothly at 12mp for about $600-$800.

 

[mmarian]

There's also the Z3 option on the inspire, I've never gotten one since I feel like they are expensive for what they are but I believe you would get better flight time since it's significantly smaller than the X5. Gives you a 22-77mm equivalent focal length that zooms smoothly at 12mp for about $600-$800.

Z3 does not work with Inspire2 and XT does not work either.

 

[ToledoJDF]

Z3 does not work with Inspire2 and XT does not work either.

He bought the Inspire 1....and we have (2) Inspire 1 rigs setup with Z3's and use these for all our inspections....work perfect for us, can navigate zoomed out, and then zoom in for the inspection shots/footage.

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

Hi all,

I’m sorry if this has been discussed before (I couldn’t find it on a search), but I’d appreciate your thoughts on the difference between the P4P and the X5 with the Olympus 45 mm lens on for inspection work.

I’ve just committed to buying a second hand Inspire 1 based on the plan to use the lumix 35-100. I’m slightly annoyed to find out this no longer seems to be an option and now I’m wondering what to do. I currently operate a P4P, mainly for roof infections, but more and more it’s not cutting the mustard due to the shortish focal length.

It looks like my best option with the x5 is the Olympus 45mm, but I’m wondering how much difference this will give me when trying to acquire shots from a distance. I know it’s nearly double the focal length and it’s a cropped sensor, but I’m not sure what this means in practical terms.

Any experiences or thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

We took in a bunch of Inspire 1 Pro on trade last year from a large client and as I recall we got 15-20 of those 45mm lenses. I think we were selling them at around $200 +/-. If you are looking for one that is not new at a lower price let us know. We also carry all of the new Olympus lenses as well. If you don't already have one, we probably have an X5 as well. I know we have a variety of used GPC Cases, batteries, etc.

Anyway, the info from @Jesseg138 is spot on. Its like comparing 24mm to 90mm between those 2 aircraft / lens options. Plus the X5 is a micro 4/3 sensor meaning the pixels are much larger and gather light better (advantage in low light work).

Ultimately as suggested above, the M200 series would be the copter to grow into and could handle all of the higher end inspection cameras but that is a significant price difference. If you can make your inspire 1 work for a while it will sure save some money.