Parrot Bebop Drone | SHOOTING REPORT
Finally, Photo Yodobashi tests the "Drone." Our staff members are somewhat confident in using cameras that we hold, but can we control the Drone and shoot movies? This time, we tested the Bebop Drone by a French company Parrot. This leisure model is so-called a quadcopter with four propellers. But, thanks to the magnesium-based body and the 3-axis gyroscope, its stability and controllability rival professional models. The camera has a 14-megapixel sensor and a fisheye lens. And, you can shoot beautiful full-HD movies and still images without difficulties. The image above shows the Drone held by an elementary school student. As you see, it's so compact and weighs only 400 grams. But, this made me wonder how easily it could be affected by wind when flying outdoor. So, I went out to test it.
( Photography / Text : T.Nakanishi )
I had never imagined controlling a remote helicopter could be this fun. Before I evaluate the image quality, I was simply impressed by the fact that now we can fly a RC helicopter in such an easy way. Actually, I unconsciously said "I did it!" when I was able to fly it for the first time. And the, I was shocked by the image quality of the movie. As you see, the image is so stable and shake-free. And, this is realized by the integration of the data gathered by the 3-axis sensors including the accelerometer, the gyroscope, and magnetometer. There was a wind in the location, the movie wasn't affected by it. What a surprise!
This point of view is unique to flying Drone and it invites the shooter to try new image production.
This time, I tested the model with the Sky Controller and I found it quite useful and revolutionary. By attaching a tablet device such as iPad, you can control by watching the liveview sent from the camera almost real-time even if it is flying far away. And, this controller amplifies the radio wave of the Wi-Fi and this expands the communication range from 250m to 2km. Operating with the tablet screen did help my controlling even though I am an amateur. But, I must note that, in rare cases, the Wi-Fi connection was lost and I sweated. I hope this issue will be solved as soon as possible.
The body has a built-in 8G memory, but it's not enough to shoot 14-megapixel movies for a long time. Yet, since you can transmit the data to tablet devices via Wi-Fi, you can live with the 8G by transmitting the data occasionally. The flight time is about 10 minutes per full charge. It could be longer, but I think it's proper for the data storage capacity and safety. The Parrot company has been a leading manufacturer of leisure Drones, so this product is also designed for easy and safe control. Aerial photography has become easier than ever before, and I'm excited about this new genre of image production made possible by a reasonable and casual Drone like this product. As long as we play by rules, or take extra caution in controlling, observe shooting morals, and keep good manners, this Drone will give everyone a significant amount of fun.
( 2015.04.22 )