# Quad copter / drone videos



## ShaneW (7/6/15)

So I finally got the toy I've been wanting for ages  my 1st attempt at video creation

Reactions: Like 4 | Winner 8


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## johan (7/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> So I finally got the toy I've been wanting for ages  my 1st attempt at video creation




Awesome @ShaneW. but where's the chicks?

Reactions: Funny 2


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## andro (7/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> So I finally got the toy I've been wanting for ages  my 1st attempt at video creation



which one do u have?


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## ShaneW (8/6/15)

andro said:


> which one do u have?



Dji phantom 3

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Silver (8/6/15)

Wow, @ShaneW , thats amazing!!
Cant believe how stable it is
Lol, i see you didnt want to go too far out to sea

Wishing you all the best with it!
Looking forward to future videos. Very fascinating

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## TylerD (8/6/15)

Awesome @ShaneW ! I love it.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rob Fisher (8/6/15)

That's awesome. How much does a rig and camera like that cost?

Reactions: Funny 1


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## shabbar (8/6/15)

Apparently you will need permits for drones?


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## eviltoy (8/6/15)

shabbar said:


> Apparently you will need permits for drones?


Only commercial okes


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## eviltoy (8/6/15)

Rob Fisher said:


> That's awesome. How much does a rig and camera like that cost?


If its the DJI phantom between 15 - 20k

Reactions: Winner 1


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## ShaneW (8/6/15)

It was 15k all included. Has a built in Full HD camera.
http://smashtronics.co.za/shop/drones/phantom-3-advanced/

regarding the regulations... as far as I can find, its only commercial that requires a 'license' this is about to change as the recreational regulations are currently in draft.
My guess is we would have to go do a test of sorts to obtain a license. The test would probably be about the 'no-fly zones' and rules, etc

Reactions: Like 1


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## eviltoy (8/6/15)

So much temptation

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ShaneW (8/6/15)

eviltoy said:


> So much temptation



Just do it


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## eviltoy (8/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> Just do it


Sponsor 50% there

Reactions: Funny 1


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## andro (8/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> It was 15k all included. Has a built in Full HD camera.
> http://smashtronics.co.za/shop/drones/phantom-3-advanced/
> 
> regarding the regulations... as far as I can find, its only commercial that requires a 'license' this is about to change as the recreational regulations are currently in draft.
> My guess is we would have to go do a test of sorts to obtain a license. The test would probably be about the 'no-fly zones' and rules, etc


It changed already and fines are really high. My gf fly elicopters ( the real one)and she always let me know what caa decide etc . ( because i want one as well) . 
They draft already rules and some places like reserve etc are no fligth zone with no fine but imprisonement up to 10 years.
Just be safe and google it . Is plenty info

Reactions: Informative 2


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## eviltoy (11/6/15)

Been putting off building a copter for like 2 years. *sigh* You are gonna get me killed Shane I just ordered a fpv racing kit

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Riaz (11/6/15)

Nice vid @ShaneW 

Next time do Sandy Bay

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 4


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## Andre (11/6/15)

Wow, stunning hobby @ShaneW. Now we need a picture of the flying machine (next to one of the Reos of course).

Reactions: Like 1


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## ShaneW (11/6/15)

eviltoy said:


> Been putting off building a copter for like 2 years. *sigh* You are gonna get me killed Shane I just ordered a fpv racing kit



Nice !!! What you kit you order?


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## eviltoy (11/6/15)

Echoquad270

Reactions: Like 1


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## ShaneW (11/6/15)

eviltoy said:


> Echoquad270



Nice! Very agile


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## ShaneW (11/6/15)

eviltoy said:


> Echoquad270



I take it you ordering goggles aswell?


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## eviltoy (11/6/15)

The cheapie ones yes its a have to have


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## ShaneW (12/6/15)

New video is up. Hanskop overlooks Somerset west, Gordons bay and Cape Town 1.1km above sea level it has breath taking views

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 2


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## Rob Fisher (12/6/15)

Outstanding footage!

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Marzuq (12/6/15)

@eviltoy I hope you sponsoring for me also...


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## ShaneW (12/6/15)

Rob Fisher said:


> Outstanding footage!



Thanks Rob, pity about the mist it's usually an incredible view of false bay.

Reactions: Like 1


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## johan (12/6/15)

Awesome scenery @ShaneW - well done pilot.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## ShaneW (14/6/15)



Reactions: Like 2


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## Alex (14/6/15)

Wow! So awesome 


Sent from iPhone

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## BhavZ (14/6/15)

No offense to the non-Capetonians but man Cape Town is one breathtakingly beautiful city

Awesome vid there Shane.. Really shows the beauty of this wonderful city

Reactions: Agree 1 | Thanks 1


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## Silver (14/6/15)

ShaneW said:


>




Wow @ShaneW - thats your best one so far! (Misty Bay sunset)
What I find amazing is how beautiful the video footage is - so stunning
And the light at sunset is really great. The water colour - all so awesome
The music also makes a BIG difference. Found myself just watching that and sort of imagining I was there!
Love it when you fly low and you can see the people on the beach. Feels like a video game!
Liked the man below in the water at about 4:50. Added a great focal point in that part...
Well done. So good!

A couple of questions if I may:
- i noticed that sometimes the camera pans slowly and smoothly and sometimes its a bit more jerky or robotic. How do you control that?
- what speed does it fly at?
- is it noisy? Can people standing below it hear it easily?

Very fascinating


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## ShaneW (14/6/15)

Silver said:


> Wow @ShaneW - thats your best one so far! (Misty Bay sunset)
> What I find amazing is how beautiful the video footage is - so stunning
> And the light at sunset is really great. The water colour - all so awesome
> The music also makes a BIG difference. Found myself just watching that and sort of imagining I was there!
> ...



Thanks @Silver 

- the panning is the drone turning, it can't pan too quickly without the jerking unfortunately especially when it's a busy, colourful image. I need to practice not to turn to quickly to avoid this. What I've found is if I want a quick pan it's better to pan slowly and then speed up the video when compiling.
- max speed is around 56km/h it's pretty quick and reaches max speed in about 1sec so very nippy.
- it is reasonably noisy, sounds like a swarm of bees. People only generally hear it when it's above them or nearby though. If you fly at about 40m most people don't even notice though.

Here are the features

http://www.dji.com/product/phantom-3/feature

Reactions: Winner 1 | Thanks 1 | Informative 1


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## andro (14/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> Thanks @Silver
> 
> - the panning is the drone turning, it can't pan too quickly without the jerking unfortunately especially when it's a busy, colourful image. I need to practice not to turn to quickly to avoid this. What I've found is if I want a quick pan it's better to pan slowly and then speed up the video when compiling.
> - max speed is around 56km/h it's pretty quick and reaches max speed in about 1sec so very nippy.
> ...


I want one so badly ......

Reactions: Like 2


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## ShaneW (14/6/15)

andro said:


> I want one so badly ......



I know the feeling. I had sleepless nights thinking of it

Reactions: Like 1 | Can relate 1


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## Rowan Francis (14/6/15)

Did you have the drone at vape con ?? Would like to see that footage


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## Silver (14/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> Thanks @Silver
> 
> - the panning is the drone turning, it can't pan too quickly without the jerking unfortunately especially when it's a busy, colourful image. I need to practice not to turn to quickly to avoid this. What I've found is if I want a quick pan it's better to pan slowly and then speed up the video when compiling.
> - max speed is around 56km/h it's pretty quick and reaches max speed in about 1sec so very nippy.
> ...



Ok thanks @ShaneW 
Very interesting - so you saying that the video camera is still and you dont control where the video camera points - you just fly the drone?
Anyway, just for your feedback I noticed that sometimes the video image moved a bit like a "robot" - sort of unnatural. Not bad at all, just like you could tell it was being "moved" while other times it was as smooth as silk and you felt like you were flying on the drone yourself.


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## Silver (14/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> Thanks @Silver
> 
> - the panning is the drone turning, it can't pan too quickly without the jerking unfortunately especially when it's a busy, colourful image. I need to practice not to turn to quickly to avoid this. What I've found is if I want a quick pan it's better to pan slowly and then speed up the video when compiling.
> - max speed is around 56km/h it's pretty quick and reaches max speed in about 1sec so very nippy.
> ...



Thanks for the link
Checked the specs
Wow, only a 4480 mah battery and you get 20 mins of flying time
Thats amazing - only the equivalent of two of our 18650 batts. Lol

The specs on this drone are absolutely amazing. Would have seemed science fiction just 10 years ago!

Wish you all the best with it and many awesome videos

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## ShaneW (14/6/15)

Silver said:


> Ok thanks @ShaneW
> Very interesting - so you saying that the video camera is still and you dont control where the video camera points - you just fly the drone?
> Anyway, just for your feedback I noticed that sometimes the video image moved a bit like a "robot" - sort of unnatural. Not bad at all, just like you could tell it was being "moved" while other times it was as smooth as silk and you felt like you were flying on the drone yourself.



Ok I understand what you mean and I've also noticed that, no idea why it's happening. 
The camera can only tilt up and downwards. With the DJI inspire (the next model up) the camera drops below the drone to give you full swing of the camera.

Reactions: Like 1


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## andro (14/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> Ok I understand what you mean and I've also noticed that, no idea why it's happening.
> The camera can only tilt up and downwards. With the DJI inspire (the next model up) the camera drops below the drone to give you full swing of the camera.


cant you turn the camera left or rigth as well ?


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## ShaneW (14/6/15)

andro said:


> cant you turn the camera left or rigth as well ?



Nope not on the phantom. On the inspire you can

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## ShaneW (14/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> Nope not on the phantom. On the inspire you can



But you don't need to because you can fly sideways if you wanted to get a side view

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## andro (14/6/15)

ShaneW said:


> But you don't need to because you can fly sideways if you wanted to get a side view


the inspire is way too expensive for me now .....

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ShaneW (14/6/15)

andro said:


> the inspire is way too expensive for me now .....



Exactly... I can't warrant spending that kinda cash

Reactions: Can relate 1


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## ShaneW (15/6/15)

@andro check this out...

http://businesstech.co.za/news/general/89176/18-myths-about-drone-regulations-in-south-africa/

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## ShaneW (5/7/15)

Footage I shot of Green Point stadium today...

Reactions: Like 2


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## Silver (5/7/15)

Wow @ShaneW 
Thats awesome!

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Rob Fisher (5/7/15)

WOW just WOW!

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## RoSsIkId (5/7/15)

Was alot of fun flying that thing

Reactions: Like 1


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## baksteen8168 (5/7/15)

Nice vids @ShaneW

We currently have 2 of these and use them to make promo videos for people. Amazing how stable they are. That gimbal (the unit that stabilises the camera, for the other folks  ) really works beautifully. 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge while sitting in a blissfull vaping cloud.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1


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## Marzuq (5/7/15)

Stunning brilliant and what a steady hand you have. 
Awesome skill

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Gizmo (6/7/15)

That is amazing Shane. Wow I really want one after watching these. The thing is we don't have such a pretty city here in jhb  

Sent from my SM-N910H using Tapatalk

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## baksteen8168 (6/7/15)

Gizmo said:


> That is amazing Shane. Wow I really want one after watching these. The thing is we don't have such a pretty city here in jhb
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910H using Tapatalk


Scenery here is also quite good.  Not as good as Shane's though  

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge while sitting in a blissfull vaping cloud.


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## ShaneW (6/7/15)

Marzuq said:


> Stunning brilliant and what a steady hand you have.
> Awesome skill



Can't take credit for the steadiness... That's the drone and gimbal.

Thanks guys!

Reactions: Like 2


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## ShaneW (18/7/15)

Some footage of the mountainess terrain

You have to see the sunset at 3m30 ... Stunning!

Reactions: Winner 2


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## Silver (18/7/15)

Wow @ShaneW 
Amazing
Like the song

And that sunset is so beautiful - the rays of light through the clouds make it look like some pyramid of light show. 

Well done!

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Rob Fisher (18/7/15)

@ShaneW I wish you wouldn't post these here... I get FOMO big time and want to go out and buy me one of these... so stunning! You have got to bring your setup to the next VapeCon and film! Will be EPIC!

Great shooting!

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## ShaneW (18/7/15)

Thanks for the compliments... Much appreciated.

Cape town has so many incredibly beautiful, scenic landscapes. We have sites in some really amazing places and I've only been to a third of them so far. Still have to go down the east coast, hermanus way... Looking forward to it. And of course the quad comes with on every trip.

Rob.. just do it, you won't be sorry , you can scout out the best fishing spots before you set out.

Reactions: Like 1


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## baksteen8168 (18/7/15)

ShaneW said:


> Thanks for the compliments... Much appreciated.
> 
> Cape town has so many incredibly beautiful, scenic landscapes. We have sites in some really amazing places and I've only been to a third of them so far. Still have to go down the east coast, hermanus way... Looking forward to it. And of course the quad comes with on every trip.
> 
> Rob.. just do it, you won't be sorry , you can scout out the best fishing spots before you set out.


@Rob Fisher - I agree with @ShaneW here. Just go and get one, you won't be disappointed. The DJI Phantom basically flies itself. They are unbelievably stable and easy to fly. Get the Pro version, better camera. I have both the pro and advance and much prefer the pro. 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge while sitting in a blissful vaping cloud.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rob Fisher (18/7/15)

ShaneW said:


> Thanks for the compliments... Much appreciated.
> 
> Cape town has so many incredibly beautiful, scenic landscapes. We have sites in some really amazing places and I've only been to a third of them so far. Still have to go down the east coast, hermanus way... Looking forward to it. And of course the quad comes with on every trip.
> 
> Rob.. just do it, you won't be sorry , you can scout out the best fishing spots before you set out.



@ShaneW I LOVE visiting the Cape... it is indeed beautiful! And there are a few ponds (Clanwilliam, Theewaters and Kwaggas) that I so love fishing! And I do enjoy visiting the grape growers as well! I will be back in the Cape next year for a visit.. just packing for the US at the moment... 40 days and I'm on my way!

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1


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## ET (19/7/15)

Rob Fisher said:


> @ShaneW I wish you wouldn't post these here... I get FOMO big time and want to go out and buy me one of these... so stunning! You have got to bring your setup to the next VapeCon and film! Will be EPIC!
> 
> Great shooting!



Rob you can then have the drone hover overhead as you chuck something into the gorge

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## ShaneW (3/10/15)

Finally got around to editing another video

Western cape beauty #1

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 5


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## Silver (3/10/15)

Wow @ShaneW 
That was beautiful!
Your drone videos are getting better all the time. This was your best!
Loved the captions and the different places. Stunning scenery and good colour and light. Lovely to watch. 

Was just thinking, imagine a new line of juices inspired by your awesome capturing of SA's beauty

First line: Cape Beauty

Featuring the following 5 juices

Steenbras - a long time favourite 
Hout - a hard hitting tobacco with a twist
Canola Field - a buttery warm Sunday afternoon treat
Seapoint - blue, green, chilled - refreshing
Elsies Peak - take me to the clouds with a magical creamy whirl

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Rob Fisher (4/10/15)

Wow! I wish you were in Durban.. we need just this kind of high quality video to cover important bass fishing compo's! It would be EPIC! I'm amazed at the distance you can cover... how far can the copter go away from you?


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## Rob Fisher (4/10/15)

@ShaneW how easy is it to fly the copter?


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## ShaneW (4/10/15)

Silver said:


> Wow @ShaneW
> That was beautiful!
> Your drone videos are getting better all the time. This was your best!
> Loved the captions and the different places. Stunning scenery and good colour and light. Lovely to watch.
> ...



Thanks @Silver. Lol, those descriptions fit perfectly.



Rob Fisher said:


> Wow! I wish you were in Durban.. we need just this kind of high quality video to cover important bass fishing compo's! It would be EPIC! I'm amazed at the distance you can cover... how far can the copter go away from you?



Line of sight range is around 2Km, the shot of Steenbras dam I flew it around 2.4km away. Big open areas like a dam have an amazing range.



Rob Fisher said:


> @ShaneW how easy is it to fly the copter?



It's actually ridiculously easy with this particular model, you could honestly produce footage like this with 15 mins practice. The most difficult part is figuring out what looks best on the camera and getting the picture smooth.
If at any point you let the controls go, it stays/hovers exactly where it is... It always maintains its exact altitude and position and only moves when you give the command. It's got a multitude of stabilising tools- GPS, compass, barometer, ultra sonic height sensor, small bottom facing camera.
Battery life is about 25mins per battery, I have a spare so can get around 40-50 mins on an outing.
It has a return to home feature, if at any point you want it back, just hit the button and it returns to where it took off and lands itself. It will also return to home if it loses signal or starts running out of power... It knows exactly how much battery power it needs to get back 'home'.

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 1 | Informative 2


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## Rob Fisher (4/10/15)

So much of want one!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Can relate 1


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## Tom (5/10/15)

This thread made me look at quad copter stuff. Might want to get one

Reactions: Like 1


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## BhavZ (5/10/15)

Dude you should sell your vids to the Cape Tourism Board, awesome promo vids for our amazing city

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Thanks 1


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## ShaneW (7/10/15)

BhavZ said:


> Dude you should sell your vids to the Cape Tourism Board, awesome promo vids for our amazing city



That would make it a commercial venture and therefore requires me to get a license. Just a hobby

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Gizmo (8/10/15)

That's incredible man.. 

Sent from my SM-N910H using Tapatalk

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Dirge (8/10/15)

@ShaneW you should get one of these:

Reactions: Like 1


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## ShaneW (11/10/15)

Dirge said:


> @ShaneW you should get one of these:




Wow that's insane lol. Incredible speed


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## BumbleBee (11/10/15)

Dirge said:


> @ShaneW you should get one of these:



That's frikken insane!


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## Dirge (12/10/15)

@ShaneW @BumbleBee yeah it's crazy. You could do some serious damage if you hit something with it

Reactions: Agree 1


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## BumbleBee (12/10/15)

Dirge said:


> @ShaneW @BumbleBee yeah it's crazy. You could do some serious damage if you hit something with it


What I want to know is how he _*didn't*_ hit anything with it  I would have made such a huge crater in the ground with that thing


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## whatalotigot (12/10/15)

that video is so stable and clear. Awesome stuff shane. Im gonna commision you to do some footage soon for some events!

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## eviltoy (21/10/15)

Nou waa die racing quad videos


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## kimbo (15/12/15)

Made me think of the game on the Playstation 1, Wipeout


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## kimbo (15/12/15)




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## Gizmo (8/2/16)

@ShaneW, do you still find you use yours? Which version of the Phantom do you have?


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## ShaneW (8/2/16)

Gizmo said:


> @ShaneW, do you still find you use yours? Which version of the Phantom do you have?



I must say that the novelty has worn off somewhat and although I still enjoy flying it I've sort of moved on to another hobby and don't fly it often anymore. 

I have the DJI phantom 3 advanced and if you are going to get a drone I'd highly recommend it. I did read on a forum about DJI starting a new initiative in which certain potential 'fly free' zones require a pre approval unlock code (from their site) in order to take off in that area. This is only with the latest firmware which I won't install because of this. 
Perhaps do some research on this first as it could be a huge bummer. 
Other than that it is in my opinion one of the best drones available value for money wise....

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Gizmo (8/2/16)

ShaneW said:


> I must say that the novelty has worn off somewhat and although I still enjoy flying it I've sort of moved on to another hobby and don't fly it often anymore.
> 
> I have the DJI phantom 3 advanced and if you are going to get a drone I'd highly recommend it. I did read on a forum about DJI starting a new initiative in which certain potential 'fly free' zones require a pre approval unlock code (from their site) in order to take off in that area. This is only with the latest firmware which I won't install because of this.
> Perhaps do some research on this first as it could be a huge bummer.
> Other than that it is in my opinion one of the best drones available value for money wise....



Thanks for the honest response @ShaneW, if you looking to sell contact me 

I will take that into consideration about the zones.. Feels like nonsense to me.


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## eviltoy (12/2/16)

Just note if you want to do the racing the dji isnt fast at all  building a racing quad with fpv has become super expensive

Reactions: Like 1


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