We have been using drones since they initially became popular about 3 years ago. Most of the more common units are meant for children and hobbyists to perform acrobatics and aerial maneuvers, however our primary use if for video and pictures from an otherwise unachievable perspective on a shoestring budget. Hollywood would argue that using a real helicopter has many benefits, but even most of the smaller production companies are opting for the far less expensive alternative of drones. These top of the line drones easily run north of $15,000 but the overall benefits over a far cheaper unit get slighter and slighter as the price goes up. We have had great success using DJI’s line of phantom drones and with their recent release of the inspire 1 we are encouraged by the rate at which the quality and performance is improving. The latest iteration comes with a built in gimbal for video stability and an FPOV setup that allows the pilot to see the footage captured in real time. In the right hands this budget configuration can produce outstanding video that rivals even the best Hollywood productions.