A YouTuber named Christopher Burress created a new drone. Well, sort of. With some simple industrial grade tape and a handheld gimbal carrying a GoPro Hero 4, the DJI Karma Pro 2 was born. This “new” drone is a jerry-rigged DJI Mavic carrying a GoPro camera. Why, you ask? For the sake of YouTube. It may not be the next 360 drone, but it is definitely one of a kind.
What Exact Gimbal & Camera Was Used?
A Feiyutech WG2 wearable gimbal and a GoPro Hero 4 was strapped onto a DJI Mavic Pro. The gimbal and the action camera weighed a total 356 grams.
How Did He Strap The DJI Karma Pro 2?
A heavy duty industrial strength Velcro tape was used. After custom cutting out a shape perfect for the gimbal, the strips of Velcro tape were placed on the drone and on the gimbal. One better alternative to this is 3M’s Dual Lock Fasteners.
Drawbacks To Consider
The DJI Karma Pro 2 was stabilized, but the footage captured on the GoPro Hero 4 constantly shifted to compensate the small movements. The wide angle on the GoPro Hero 4 was evident in every turn. Even though the DJI Mavic can carry some extra weight, it is not advisable to add too much weight for a lengthy flight because the motors will work harder to stabilize a heavier drone. Flying with a payload on-top of the Mavic on hotter days can also damage the motors faster. Since the gimbal setup was taped on-top of the Mavic, the GPS signal was constantly on and off, so it might not be the best idea to fly the DJI Karma Pro 2 out of sight.
Safety Issues
If you plan on upgrading your DJI Mavic to a DJI Karma Pro 2, be careful since the drone will be nose heavy with this kind of setup. You will have to take off the ground faster. The Velcro tape is also susceptible to losing its strength after some time, and other brands like 3M offer better alternatives. Flying fast with a handheld gimbal and a GoPro Hero 4 on a Mavic is out of the picture since the Mavic can flip over with the new weight distribution.
Capture Multiple Angles
Christopher Burress may have just combined a few parts to create a “new” drone, but his new DJI Karma Pro 2 is capable of also capturing multiple angles. One example the video shows is the DJI Mavic flying forward while the GoPro Hero 4 is pointed backward. The field of view on the Mavic and the GoPro cameras are different, so the footage might not be too usable.
The DJI Karma Pro 2 may not be an official drone, but this setup goes to show the customizable payload capabilities. With higher resolution 360 ° cameras around the corner, this jerry-rigged drone may just be a taste of what’s to come in the near future.
