Drones are Fun! 3DR Solo Review and Aerial Photography

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My review of the 3DR Solo Drone along with some aerial photography tips and tricks. Is the 3DR Solo the best drone for you or would the new DJI Phantom 4 be a better match? The 3DR Solo with Cable Cam, Follow and Orbit modes is a great tool for content creators.
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[@robpullen]

Nice video and I have had a Solo for quite a while now and there are a few things about the design that I still cannot get my head around. Why the gimbal is so close to the ground and then releasing leg extensions, cannot really use the 4k vid from the go pro as the legs will be in view I believe. However the smart shots rock and this is the main selling point. The multi point cable cam is awesome, and the updates coming out over the next few weeks will really set this apart. I have a Phantom 2 as well so I know the DJI stuff and I would choose this over the P4 every day of the week. Thanks again for the vid. BTW to correct exposure for photos you need protune on.

[@HomeHealthSuccessAcademy]

how do you start recording the gopro... the recordings always show what is recorded on the screen like battery

[@pauliether.c.guy.3349]

Southern Vermont Wow!!!!!!!! I absolutely lovvvvvvve Vermont. My sibling is from Burlington and I love going there. It’s so funny because I have the 3DR Solo drone too.In Vermont would be a great place to shoot very scenic

[@d4nkie16]

P.J. Solo 3DR is a great drone.

[@LasanthaNawarathna]

Can we use different camera without GoPro?

[@danielichai4945]

You think it goes good with wimius acrion cam? Its a "copi of go pro. Thank you

[@willsu21]

curious about how well this drone/gopro does for aerial survey and mapping applications? it seems like people swap out the lense or use a camera with GPS such as the Canon S100.

[@abdalrhmanyassin1893]

can use other GoPro camera like sony rx 0 or other with this dron

[@OrlandoMac]

glad to see you back Toby.. mish mash is not the same without you.

[@iFLIP007]

does this Drone have Altitude hold? Ive never owned a Drone but I did try a Drone Sim on my PC and on that I had to hold the left stick slightly up to keep the drone from going too high and low... its not easy and not comfortable to my thumb so I was wondering if this Drone is like that.

[@FundiCrypto]

Great video

[@horusxfilms3413]

is this 1080p?

[@appleapple57]

Isnt that what the dji phantom 3 Standard does for half the Price?

[@raleighmack5024]

Love the 3dr solo best drone out there to me it has so many smart shots .the only smart drone .The best buy one and see.

[@chartruant]

Thanks Toby, I want a drone now! Haha

[@MagnumVideos]

Can you take still shots during the video recording? How is the quality of the still images?

[@photorectoby]

+Magnum You can as I said in the video. They are 12MP GoPro images - - so decent but not amazing.

[@RickyLJones]

Great video Toby, though I wished you would have mention the restrictions that must municipalities now have drones. Here in Wisconsin there are only a few places to fly them. You can't use them in city, country or state parks, and more restrictions are added every year.

[@photorectoby]

+Ricky L Jones I am spoiled in Vermont - very few restrictions!

[@RickyLJones]

For that Noitall that said I don't know about the local laws on Drone use, here is the official restrictions of drone usage in Wisconsin: www.sco.wisc.edu/wisconsin-geospatial-news/new-drone-regulations-introduced.html

[@hamedalrahbi3302]

great review what happened to 80d review?

[@photorectoby]

+Hamed Al Rahbi I haven't done it yet?

[@sandbar2000]

Prefer GoPro option and ability to change to FLIR Duo, cheers

[@javierreyes7923]

how reset WiFi drone

[@jakehegarty8339]

DEFINITELY PRO

[@dominicksantora1574]

I've been thinking of this for a long, long time. I always wanted to get into RC airplanes and I thought it would be cool to hook a small camera to it, and photograph birds in flight. This looked just what I had in mind, until I heard the price. I could get a RC plane kit for under $300.00 Then all I have to do is hook up a small spy cam. That I don't know how much that would cost. Of course, learning how to fly the thing is what would take some time. LOL.

[@camosquad9758]

would I be able to use a lightdow camera in the gimble

[@robertkelly5391]

You can use any camera with hdmi out for live view (and I guess record to sd but you would have to start and stop by hand on the ground), the gimbal only supports the GoPro 3 and 4 (Maybe 2, but I don't know). So to answer your question, no, the gimbal is specifically designed for the GoPro and makes use of the Herobus port.

[@victoraxelalonso4434]

how far away can the drone be away from before it starts to lose signal?

[@stephens1950]

depends on antenna. i lost it @ 3600' @ the beach.

[@romulusempire2425]

I Love my 3DR Solo Drone, I am Not going to give it Up. However the Only side of my GoPro 4 Black additon, Is that they should've Have a Built In LED light inside too your work much better.

[@Eric_Rossi]

Great vid Tony. My thing with a drone is you really need a specific goal or it becomes a paper weight.

[@photorectoby]

+Eric Rossi goals are good with any piece of gear but I agree especially with a drone or you will just end up flying around ... though that can be fun too :)

[@Eric_Rossi]

Btw Toby was autocorrected to tony lol

[@photorectoby]

+Eric Rossi surreee ;)

[@edilsonfb]

+PhotoRec Toby +Eric Rossi that's king of interesting. Both of you know that now I have a Phantom 3 Standard hahaha. Thanks for the tips, Eric! Toby, that was an awesome review of this 3dr, thought! :D

[@javierreyes7923]

+Edilson Borges - Dicas do how reset drone solo

[@oscarmarquez9301]

In a future would I be able to use a GoPro 5 session?

[@photorectoby]

Not the session.

[@robertkelly5391]

No, not the 5 and not any session, and probably nothing in the future. The Sessions have neither the herobus port nor an HDMI output and the 5 dropped the Herobus slot so no camera controls. Plus neither will fit the gimbal. 3DR is no longer developing for the consumer market so there will be no more official parts. The 3dr Solo does have open specs and an accessory bay so more options could arrive in the future but it would require a 3rd party effort. With it's current price (seeing how it is a very well built drone and originally sold in the $1000 range) being so low it could drive some hobbiest /kickstarter expansions, but your mileage may vary when it comes to their effectiveness.

[@ggiemax7751]

Ha! I thought like you, thinking I would be able to upgrade my GoPro over time. Wrong! The Solo does not support the just-released GoPro 5. At least that's what I'm reading in the various forums. Like your video. I've been building all my photography drones from scratch for a couple years, but the latest price on the Solo ($399 at Best Buy with gimbal) was a deal I couldn't refuse. P.S., I'm OK with not being able to upgrade my GoPro 4 Black at this point. It shoots great footage and the 4K/2.7K specs means I'll wear out the quadcopter before I am forced to shift to the latest video format.

[@greyjohnson4124]

GGie Max because the new GoPro use USB c

[@lt0295]

B&H Photo is now selling this drone, a gimbal, and a battery for $399. I already own a GoPro, which is the only reason I bought this. I would've never bought this at $1000 plus the expense of buying a GoPro. The fact that they're liquidating to focus on commercial drones actually helped this drone be a reasonable buy. IF you already own a GoPro.

[@justintroy9827]

Can anyone tell me if I should buy one of these? I was set on one. Then I started reading all the glitches and bad reviews and have been nervous. I already have a GoPro 3 silver. So I'm not worried about that. It seems that nobody can give me a straight forward answer. Is this thing a dud and not worth the money or is it worth the buy? I like the looks and everything. I just don't want to get into problems.

[@Bmac151]

they discontinued it, no longer being made. so if you buy one make sure to get spare parts

[@robertkelly5391]

3DR still makes them, they just don't sell the consumer market. They are focusing on industrial site surveying. The parts are still easily available and support is still offered. At 269.00 on Amazon and 39.00 for a GoPro gimbal, Plus the fact that a few off the shelf parts can extend the functionality to equat more expensive DJI options. Perfect, absolutely not, but it certainly is priced right for it's features and build now, your talking a 1300 drone for 300. The $1000 discount and the high availability of parts and tutorials makes it attractive for the more mechanically savvy.

[@jakebuonemani6102]

Can you use a Gopro hero 4 session with it?

[@parallaxpictures6839]

No, only Hero3+ and 4 Black.

[@silbay]

Not totally correct, these are the only ones with full remote control, others have to be set and started before launch

[@dionamuh]

I wouldn't go as far to call this affordable. The new DJI Phantom 4 with camera included costs about the same, and seems to have much more advanced flying functions. I would only be interested in a drone like this to pair with my GoPro if it were much cheaper. Thanks for the review! Still, drones can take amazing shots. If it wouldn't be such a hassle to take with me on a plane, I would be very tempted to take one with me to Iceland in two weeks, along with all of my DSLR gear.

[@JMVC]

+Hoggdoc you're a joke and so is the nonsense you spout. Just admit that you have your favorite and 3DR isn't it.

[@photorectoby]

+Troy Nguyen I have to say you are pretty annoying right now. This wasn't sponsored and I believe I gave a fair review. You may have a different opinion but your petty comment below - that I deleted because it was simply mean to another commenter - is lame. Sure it is the internet and KZbin but keep it respectful.

[@jjuliogallegos]

that was right one year ago. I have my full drone, including hero 4 camera, for 700

[@robertkelly5391]

Well forget upgrading to anything past a GoPro 4 Black. Unless your willing to lay down 12k for the Sony R10C and Site Survey License.

[@kaydendunkle1542]

Why does it say on websites that it is $300

[@photorectoby]

Because it is now that price bhpho.to/2rgfhyY

[@orsalas]

What's the cost of the bundle? Out the door?

[@photorectoby]

Down to $660 without GoPro www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1273063-REG/3dr_bb11a_solo_quadcopter_with_pre_installed.html?BI=4773&KBID=5287

[@Nm_Kng]

Olga Salas 270

[@Soldier53flyer]

$299.00 At best buy! With Gimbal. Will it work with a GoPro 5?

[@sergiouvalli7122]

no it wont

[@silbay]

Yes but no remote control of the camera

[@Indygoflow1]

it would be nice to mount DSLR and have live view :3

[@photorectoby]

+Indygoflow1 Those drones are a bit more expensive :)

[@axialtilt7835]

wooowwwww duudde ur from VT to??? sammeeee that's awesome..... I didn't know that anyone cool lived here😂😂

[@photorectoby]

I was - I had to move, was too cool for the state ;) Now I live in Seattle!!

[@davidringler7131]

Great video ! Thank you for being a proffsional photog and using a 3dr solo ! I have been building and flying multis for 6 years and 3dr is the best!!! DJI phantoms are just a gimiky toy! They are not a real tool like the solo is, plus solo does a wonderful job of mapping and fully Autonomus flight making it a real drone which a dji p4 is not! not to mention dji has zero customer service! and I am a good pilot but with the solo it truly is tough I had a 60+ mph crash into a frozen field and only broke I prop!. I do recommend buying a ANTENNA FROM TONY AT FPVLR AND ALSO HEAD & TAILLIGHT SETUP AND PROPGUARDS FROM POLARPROFILTERS AS WELL AS FOLDABLE LEG EXTENSION FROM RELISH3D. IF YOU EVER WANT OR NEED A CUSTOM MULTIROTER THAT CAN CARRY A DSLR TYPE CAMERA WHICH SELL FOR TENTHOUSAND MINIMUM UP TO DOUBLE THAT I CAN BUILD YOU THE SAME THING BUT 110% BETTER BECAUSE I USE ONLY TOP OF THE LINE QUIPMENT THEY USE MOSTLY NO NAME CRAP! I ALSO HAVE CUSTOMERS THAT YOU CAN SPEAK WITH WHO PURCHASED CUSTOM RIGS FROM ME AND SAVE 5 TO 10 GRAND AND GOT A WAY BETTER MULTI! EMAIL ME AT [e-mail]

[@greyjohnson4124]

david ringler why do you say that have you used one the phantom 4 is much better overall and if it's a toy why is it used by pros this is the true toy many problems and you can get a better and longer range with the phantom 4 also the p4 has no barrel distortion so obviously you haven't been doing much Ariel video or photo with these drones you build if any

[@davidringler7131]

because dji phantoms are hobbygrade toys!!!! 3dr solo is a real tool for real work, making maps,surveying and it can be done so fast and it SOLO WAS USED TO FILM BIG PARTS OF THE MOVIE 13HOURS. NO PHANTOM WAS EVER USED IN ANY REAL MOVIE KID!!

[@greyjohnson4124]

david ringler the 3dr solo was used for 2 shots in the movie and on the phantom you can make maps look up drone deploy and they are better than what 3drs maps will do better follow me capabilities allso if the 3dr solo is so good why would they drop the price to 500 with a gimbal allso dji can go faster and longer image TX range allso look at the shots how many of them have propellers or the Legs the phantom only has this problem if you look full up or just forward in sport mode at max speed if the 3dr solo is so good why isn't more people using it allso why are other people using the phantoms instead because of better features

[@greyjohnson4124]

david ringler allso only one movie with the solo and the phantom is mostly used in short films because the bigger movies need a bigger rig with a dual operator like the inspire 1 or some other larger platform

[@greyjohnson4124]

david ringler you can't use the new gopros either so so much for being upgradable since they use usb c now

[@EPHONIC]

Great review and samples. Gosh, I'd love one but you can't even take off in a hefty radius around Washington, DC. Don't forget to register your new drone with the FAA for a whopping $5. It's worth registering to avoid the penalties and possible jail time.

[@photorectoby]

+EPH S It is true- I am very spoiled here in Vermont with very few restrictions!

[@appleapple57]

Nice Video though

[@Gershy13]

I feel like the Phantom 4 will be better... its simpler... you can do more stuff with it, and manual controls for photo and video, and its cheaper if you dont have a go pro... I think they implemented switching the camera module in the future... And even the Phantom 3 Pro or Advanced is still really good, while being fairly cheap! cheaper than this...

[@troyorem]

Aaaand the new GoPro is a different shape. Still this is a great drone. Purchased one myself

[@Alphfirm]

Isnt the Solo drone like AMD is in the hardware world? Good and even better in some areas, but just generally somewhat behind?

[@photorectoby]

+Alphfirm I think that is a good analogy.

[@Alphfirm]

PhotoRec Toby What was your reason for buying the Solo then? Only because you can upgrade the camera?

[@skeeterman7144]

3DR Solo platform has evolved more than any UAV. DJI chooses to pump out new product and abandon what was cutting edge last month. 3D Robotics Announces Transformative New Software for Solo 18. Apr | by Roger | 3DR News, Homepage Feature, Life After Gravity, News | 0 comments: The latest stream of cutting-edge software from 3DR includes augmented reality, interactive scene awareness and new Smart Shots, and it will dramatically enhance the aerial filming experience and all-around safety of drone flight.Apr. 18, Las Vegas - Today 3DR, America’s largest drone maker, announced their Solo smart drone will support a suite of advanced software that will make Solo more powerful, more safe and overall a more versatile drone. From the drone’s release at NAB 2015, 3DR has promised this kind of evolution. The new software includes augmented reality, cu

[@Tallguysrc]

I have a solo and it's amazing.. I love the fact that I can remove my gopro to use for other shots (makes for a better work flow) sorry dji fixed camera won't cut it. 3dr is getting out of the consumer game not the solo game.. please read facts people. 3dr also has been running sales solo,gimbal,extra props and extra battery plus a bag for $999 dji let's talk about all your smart shots oh yeah you don't have any. customer service dji sucks more then a Dyson vacuum. and when the new gopro comes out dji you will be stuck with a camera that is installed.

[@noobrider3271]

Can it avoid obstacles like bridges if your going under?

[@CandymanJan1]

From a separate video I watched, you can adjust altitude while it's in the follow or orbit etc. modes by using the sticks. So if you have the controller in your hand, yes you could have it drop down to continue following you. If your asking as to whether it will sense and avoid obstacles on its own, no it does not appear to do that yet.

[@HawtBoiz]

Can you use any go pro in those drones or a certain one only?

[@Tallguysrc]

+TragiCC they recomended the hero3+black or the hero4 black for best results

[@HawtBoiz]

+Tallguysd so I wouldn't be able to fit a GoPro hero plus? What about a JCam4000?

[@RiflemanLEONE]

Aren't they out of business?

[@photorectoby]

+Rifleman114 No.

[@Swaggerlot]

It will be interesting to see what drone GoPro comes out with. I'm sure it'll be better and cheaper than the pricey and glitchy 3DR

[@Tallguysrc]

my solo just had its 1 year birthday and its still works amazing.

[@shellsea21]

gimbals only 50$

[@photorectoby]

- Yep - great deal now if you have a GoPro.

[@PhonesAndDrones]

amazing footage. Trying some out myself. def get some amazing shots. Check it out if you get some time. :)

[@Megamare1]

Don't think we'll see GoPro fitment with the new 5 cams. Great drone for the money... now but these guys are getting out of the consumer seen (& support) and into business with $$ like their Sony 12k lenses for example! 😤🙄

[@locouk]

Batteries cost way too much, that's a deal breaker.

[@silbay]

Cost less than a DJI battery by almost half, guess you only fly Eachine toys?

[@locouk]

silbay You've not looked at the battery prices of this thing on eBay then?

[@itsallgood2]

they still sell that pos? seriously?

[@Tallguysrc]

funny i work for a company that sells DJI and other drones funny the dji comes back more then most just saying.

[@dennisgubbins7813]

Tallguysd I've had both & the Phantom is far superior, better range, better video and cheaper than 3dr solo when you add it all up drone + camera + gimbal

[@supernova1976]

looks less stable than the Dji 4