DJI Zenmuse X7 Cinematic Film Camera for Inspire 2

Discussion in 'Drone Minds Blogs' started by Jonathan, Oct 13, 2017.

  1. Jonathan

    Jonathan Drone Expert
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    #1 Jonathan, Oct 13, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2017
    Probably the bigest news this week, yesterday in fact, was the release of DJI's new 6K movie camera for the Inspire 2- the Zenmuse X7
    medium_45308908-0b97-427f-93b3-b978ffd10d1c.jpg

    It is a Super 35 format sensor camera with an awesome 14 stops of dynamic range, meaning it captures 14 levels of light from the darkest areas in the image to the lightest areas, so the images is more rich in details and tones, capturing more of the details in the shadows as well as in the highlights - in other words the higher the dynamic range the higher the range of contrast in the image.

    Super 35 sensor cameras are typically used in high end productions and movies, and normally features in cameras such as those made by Blackmagic and high end Sony and Canon film cameras, so to see this on a drone is yet another milestone passed by DJI.
    medium_3d27bed1-03ed-46d4-b400-1c1eb196ba28.jpg

    This full frame sensor will also perform much better in lower light conditions, producing a lot less 'noise' in the image.

    You have to admit, they've come a long way since the days of their humble Gopro reliant drones. For me personally, when DJI abandoned Gopro in favor of using their own cameras was when I first became interested in the Phantom range of drones. Then, when the Inspire 1 was released I decided I no longer needed a drone with a third party camera attached at all.

    The great thing about this camera is that it records 6K CinemaDNG as well as 5.2K Apple ProRes, both of which is pretty awesome news. If you are serious about photography you will always shoot photographs in RAW, also known as DNG (digital negative, a nod to the old days of film cameras), so you have a lot more scope to play around with the lighting and coloring, recover details from the shadows and highlights.

    When you can also do this with film the results are amazing, with CinemaDNG being the equivalent of every frame of your video being a RAW image, with all the benefits this entails - with perhaps one major downside, the files are HUGE!

    Once you start down the road of RAW video, everything gets bigger, especially the budget. It takes more space on your hard drive, and in fact requires a SSD drive on the drone as well as plenty of space to store all your files for editing. Plus it takes a lot of time with tweaking and color grading, but if you're a pro that's exactly what you want.

    If your drone filming is your career, your profession, and you want to be involved in high end film making, this camera is a must. Or if you have a large wad of disposable income and take your drone filming hobby very seriously, well, I guess it is also a must?

    For many, the $2,699 price tag, on top of the price of the drone and the Zenmuse X7's choice of four lenses (16mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm), owning this will be mostly a dream. If I had the money I would by it today, but I am a dreamer.



    Some tech specs:

    Sensor: Super 35 video sensor with 14 stops of dynamic range

    Best Shooting Formats: 6K CinemaDNG RAW or 5.2K Apple ProRes at up to 30 FPS, or 3.9K CinemaDNG RAW and 2.7K ProRes at up to 59.94 FPS

    Available lenses: 16mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses, each with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and made of lightweight carbon fiber specifically designed for use on drones. The 16 mm has built in ND filters, and the others all have a mechanical shutter.

    Color space: DJI Cinema Color (a new D-Log Curve and D-Gamut RGB)

    Weight and flight time: 631 grams with 16mm lens and 23 mins flying time.

    Price: The Zenmuse X7 cinematic camera costs $2,700. The 16mm, 24mm, and 35mm lenses are $1,300, and the 50mm lens for $1,200. Or you can get all four for a package deal at $4,300. Shipping expected November 2017 and can be ordered from the DJI Website
     
  2. Ragnarok

    Ragnarok Member

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    That looks very nice, and is for me too a dream at the present time. A friend told me that I will also need a special license for apple prores and I should also factor this for the total cost if I purchase DJI Inspire 2. Is this true Jonathan?
     
  3. Jonathan

    Jonathan Drone Expert
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    Yes, it is true. It might seem crazy if you're not in that world, but it's kind of what to expect if you are in that world. They could have made it part of the camera, well the drone actually in this case, but that would have upped the price considerably, even for people who don't need the prores/dng.
     

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