STACK #228 October 2023

OUT & ABOUT

TECH FEATURE

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Drones aren’t just for tech hobbyists anymore.They offer all manner of exciting uses for the whole family when out and about, from simply having fun flying them, to super-cool aerial photography. Words Bec Summer W inter is over and many of us will be looking for entertaining pursuits for SEE THE GREAT OUTDOORS FROM A WHOLE NEW ANGLE That’s just one perk of owning your own drone. Plus, they’re a whole lot of fun to use, and a great way to get the whole family involved. you’re planning to use it for camerawork, what level of video quality do you require?

Experiment with various angles Avoid blurriness by keeping shutter speed high Varying weather conditions can make for interesting shots Use RAW file mode, if available, for more editing options Experiment with effects in your photo editing software SHOT! TOP DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

shared family holiday experiences. So, what better time to consider bringing a drone along on your journey? If you enjoy capturing the Aussie outdoors in all its splendour, a drone can offer a whole new perspective on our amazing landscape. Why take those same old happy snaps all over again when you can get creative?

Other considerations are portability (weight), battery life (flying time and range) and, all-important for many, ease of use. To make it easy, we’ve picked three top-notch drones in the ‘Mini’ (up to 250g) and ‘Very Small’ (between 250g and 2kg) categories.

There are several things to contemplate when adding a drone to your tech arsenal, from dipping your toe right through to going all-in. First work out your budget, then what features you require – is photography your main aim, or are you flying for fun? If

BEFORE YOU START DRONING Check out the full drone rules and regulations at https://www.casa.gov.au/knowyourdrone . Ignorance of them isn’t a valid defence if anything happens to go wrong.

Looking for options?

DJI Mini 4 Pro Drone The all-new Mini 4 Pro is DJI’s most advanced mini camera drone to date, and also the first foldable drone under 249g with omnidirectional vision sensing to avoid obstacles. Other intuitive features include ActiveTrack 360° to circle or fly around an object with no danger of collision, and you can also control sideways flight and use true vertical shooting to capture amazing and creative footage. The Mini 4 Pro’s high quality imaging system has 4 x fisheye vision sensors, a 3D ToF sensor for distance mapping, Night Shots mode to reduce

DJI Air 3 4K Drone This compact (“Very Small’ class) foldable drone has two powerful cameras – one wide-angle for incredible landscape shots and a 3x lossless medium telephoto – and you can keep on flying for up to 46 minutes on a single charge. Top picture quality is guaranteed with 48MP photos and 4K videos with HDR at up to 60fps, and the Air 3’s O4 video transmission system can send

DJI Mavic 3 5.1K Drone Fly More Combo Want to go all-in for a hugely immersive flight experience? This “Very Small’ class drone combo pack is one with the lot, packing Hasselblad-powered 5.1K video recording, 20MP photography, huge dynamic range, and an adjustable aperture, plus all the accessories for maximum fun when out and about. ‘Explore Mode’ activates a secondary camera that allows forward

Full HD video from up to 20km. Safety features include omnidirectional

noise, and supports 4K/60fps and 4K/100fps (for slow motion) video recording, with FHD live video feed at up to 20km. Extended battery life lets you soar the skies for up to 34/45 minutes from a full charge.

planning of shots, plus you can plug in a DJI Cellular Transmission Dongle (sold separately) for an even smoother shooting experience.

obstacle sensing that works in all directions, and advanced RTH for a quick and safe return home.

54 OCTOBER 2023

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