Hello - discovered the Cinestar 8 (HL) after putting my deposit down on the Movim10. I'm incredibly excited about the possibilities both these products offer cinematographers. I want to learn as much as I can about the Cinestar, from the nuts and bolts, to flight and camera control. I'll be combing through this forum of course but would love to see the system in action. Any advice on where to start? Anyone or any group in the Northeast U.S. I might join to watch a flight and pick some brains. Thanks for the help and suggestions. Can't wait to get started. Best, Charles Debold
Welcome Charles. Since the title is education, I will chime in. First of all I am glad you are interested in getting insight into multi-rotor. It is a very capable tool that can provide amazing shots that go beyond cranes, dollies and jibs, short of the "FULL" capabilities of a helicopter, i.e speed. It can do things a real helicopter cant such as come in from a high altitude and descend low for a seamless shot. However, it is a real aircraft! It can be very dangerous when used inappropriately, or if the pilot has a lack of understanding on how the systems work. Anything electrical or mechanical can fail at anytime without notice. Not trying to scare you away but to make sure you are aware. There are ways to mitigate the risks through several means. First is to have a intimate knowledge of the systems and their limitations to include the aircraft's lifeblood, the battery. Second is to start in baby steps and work your way up. Simulators to a small training aircraft then to the larger ones. Once you have a large bird you take steps in practicing its flight behaviors and characteristics. Trying something new on set is the wrong time, so you will want to practice before hand any maneuvering with the camera beforehand. In essence you become an adhoc test pilot. Lastly, never fly in an environment that puts the public in danger. Always have an escape route and fore-site of where the copter can go if it fails. You should never fly over large public gatherings such as concerts or festivals, or where anyone in the area is not a participant in the flight. Aside from my doom and gloom speech. These systems are vetted and are reliable when handled properly. Most of the crashes are pilot induced errors. Pilots not knowing the limitations of automatic systems such as GPS function and auto leveling, and not being ready to disengage those systems in time to fly manually to recover. Another popular reason for a crash is loss of orientation because the pilot misinterpreted the modes they were flying in or over controlled them because they were flying at a long distance without backup information. There are several other examples, but it boils down to one theme, a lack of systems knowledge. A way to start is to browse this forum and other sources on what the different systems are. Ask questions if something does not make sense. And look at some of the mishaps on this forum to get an idea of what went wrong, and then go from there. Cheers Shaun