DJI S1000: The Efficient and Powerful Multirotor for Aerial Photo And Video

The DJI S1000 is a perfect answer to all your prayers if you are fond of aerial photography and cinematography. This professional octocopter has an innovative frame arm design, making it 8 degrees inverted and 3 degrees inclined, that gives it great stability and makes it safe for use. The drone, in itself, is designed specifically for heavy lifting work (it packs the necessary power since it has 8 arms).

One of the biggest advantages of the DJI S1000 is its portability. This can be attributed to its unique folding design in which each of the eight arms of the device can be folded up. By virtue of this, you are facilitated with easy setup and pack-up. It comes with a pre-flight preparation time of 5 minutes. The folding design also minimizes transportation size.

Product specifications:

Check out the current DJI S1000 price on Amazon

In case you are interested in professional photography or are an advanced enthusiast, this is the ideal drone for you. Built with innovative technology and advanced designing structures, DJI is making significant improvements over the previous models.

This is the most all-around performance with stability and power, as seen in above YouTube video.

And there is also one more interesting video where you can see how crazy Finnish farmers built an epic drone with a remote controlled chainsaw on the base of DJI S1000:

Build specifications

Packaging

The product has the dimensions of 24x12x24 inches and a total weight of 9.5 pounds. However, the shipping weight involving the packaging takes this number up to 20.2 pounds.

The drone is usually packed in a box with 2 trays that fit in a number of accessories:

• The top tray contains the airframe which is completely assembled. On the same compartment, you can also find the landing gear legs. The center of the tray is a home to miscellaneous hardware pertaining to the device.
• Finally, there is the bottom tray that contains eight booms, each of which come with a motor, ESC and a propeller attached.

Unboxing and assemblage are demonstrated clearly in this video:

Must check the above video for very useful tips.

Design and durability

The innovative framework and design of the product assure you of a reliable functioning. For starters, the S1000 has a V-type mixer design that works towards providing a large amount of propulsion, making it an efficient device. Up in the air, you can expect this octocopter to remain stable even if it happens to lose one of the rotors.

All 8 arms and the framework are made from carbon fiber that makes it a very lightweight option with high structural stability. With a 15 minute flight time, this gives an efficient performance, but if you need more, you can couple it with a DJI flight controller like A2.

The copter has a maximum takeoff weight of about 11 kg which allows the device to carry the heavy equipment with ease.

Camera

The copter does not include a camera in the package. However, it is compatible to work with a variety of options when it comes to capturing the things it sees around.

The octocopter is equipped with the Zenmuse Z15-5D 3 axis gimbal that keeps the camera in position, giving you precise control from the ground, clearer footage and access to the recorded videos.

You can mount devices like the Canon 5D Mark II or the Mark III. These facilitate smoother aerial photography and the best part is that the copter is able to fly with these heavy cameras for the best shot.

Battery and flight time

One aspect of the copter that has really made it popular is its flight time. It can fly for a whopping 15 minutes at a stretch!

This can be attributed to the fact that the drone is powered by a Li-Po battery of 15000 mAh, making it an ideal choice for photography and cinematography purposes.

The flight time also depends on the weight of the drone for take-off which is influenced by the camera used. Usually, it starts with a weight of 6 to 11 kg and the maximum power consumption during a full flight should be around 1500W.

Of course, the drone can be pushed to its limits. For example, a total hovering time of about 20 minutes was recorded (over the accepted 15 minutes). This is indicated in the flight test given here:

In this video, the drone took off with a weight of around 8.5 kg.

Controller

If you’re an experienced drone pilot, you know that the best controller is the one that enhances the flight experience. The drone must be responsive and your controller must be able to maintain the connection at all times. In this case, the most recommended controller for the DJI S1000 is the A2 flight controller. The main advantages are:

• Ease of flight
• Reliability
• Stability

The A2 controller can be used to obtain a DJI video downlink, and it is also compatible with iOSD.

Another flight controller that the drone has been observed to be compatible with is the DJI WKM flight controller which comes with:

• A power monitoring unit
• Built in damper for clearer photographs
• Intelligent Orientation Control, etc.

It also provides assistant software for smartphones for smoother access to the device.

Flight performance

As most drone models from this particular manufacturer, the S1000 is pretty easy to fly and maneuver around. This means that even if the weather is not the best on a particular day, the S1000 will give you a good enough performance. The DJI 4114 400 kV motors are ideal for the users to move it around at will. Thus, it can move as per the directions of the user.

However, this model is meant for professional photographers and videographers who need a clearer view from an elevated position. The flight speeds here are governed by the electronic speed controller and the maximum altitude reached varies from flight to flight.

Still, the device is well equipped to reach 1000 meters from its take-off position and here you can see a demonstration of the S1000’s flight with some of the most beautifully captured videos from high up in the air:

If you are a beginner, wanting to experiment a bit with drones, there are cheaper options available. This will not be ideal for the novice flyers. It is best to restrict this device for advanced pilots and for professional use.

Value for money and guarantee

The S1000 is one of the best products from the house of DJI. It might be a little tough on the pocket coming at $2000, but this will guarantee you the best flying experience. It is actually a good value for money if you are a professional pilot or deal with professional photography.

The portability is the biggest selling point of the drone. Its lightweight structure helps in transportation as well as in flying. Still, when it comes to producer’s warranty, there are some specs that may not look so good for you.

For example, there is no warranty offered for the frame or the propellers. However, the motor has a warranty of 3 months and ESCs or the electronic speed controllers, are secured with a warranty of about 12 months.

There is also an option for a customer paid repair service to cover the parts of the product that do not come under the warranty schemes. This includes diagnostics, labor, materials, tax, repair, and delivery.

Unique features

The S1000 drone comes with a number of unique features working towards enhancing its performance.

• Portability – facilitated by its compact and lightweight structure and the foldable arms.
• Capacity – even though it is lightweight in structure, the drone is capable of carrying heavy loads in flight. It can carry a total of about 11 kg in air for a full 15 minutes, which makes it amazing for working with heavy, professional cameras. This is a true asset for the drone.
• Power – the drone is able to exert a lot of power into its flight. It is capable of a maximum thrust of about 2.5 kg and all this is due to the DJI 4114 400 kV motors
• Ease of flight and steer even in harsh weather conditions.

Similar models or main competitors

Tarot TL8X000

This is one of the closest competitors for the S1000. The TL8X000 is an eight-armed copter which gives sufficient power for a stable flight.

Similar to the DJI drone, this device is lightweight and equipped with portable structures that can manage a total take-off weight of about 10 kg. It has a strong battery life supporting flight time of 15 minutes and an effective working time of about 12 minutes. This drone is suitable for carrying 5D level camera equipment during its flight for efficient photography.

One special feature is that the battery hangs below the main frame design. This provides an effectively lower center of gravity. Also, it brings about better and more efficient performance because of an air deflector groove on top which leads to better heat dissipation.

The retractable landing helps in better flight take-off and landing. And all of this comes at a price much more pocket-friendly as compared to the S1000!

If you interested you can check its price here.

Yuneec Q500 4K

This one is a little different in structure since it is a quadcopter (4 arms, instead of 8), but provides a performance comparable to the S1000.

It is the ideal product for aerial photography and videography as it comes with a 3 axis gimbal with cameras that support 4K video recording. The resolution of the video can be controlled by the user from the base.

One advantage this device has over the S1000 is its compatibility with beginners. Whether you are a novice or a pro, you are fit to use this copter because it comes with a number of safeguards in order to protect it against damages. If you wish to find out much more about this model, we suggest checking out our Yuneec Q500 in-depth review.

This device might not have the best battery life when compared with the S1000, but it is fit for traveling since it is extremely portable. One round of charged batteries might promise you something around maximum 18 minutes of flight time, but it is going to get you some of the best aerial photographs around.

If you interested you can buy it on Amazon.

DJI Phantom 3

The next product on the list of S1000 competitors comes from the house of DJI as well. With a 3 axis gimbal, this device is capable of recording up to 2.7K HD videos.

The Phantom drone series from DJI proved to be quite the hit and this particular product is an improvement over the already successful Phantom 2. The Lightbride technology allows you to stream the videos recorded by the drone, live. Even more, the device comes with GPS tracking and features like auto take off and auto landing. Also, there is a powerful mobile application for easier navigation of the drone.

The Phantom 3 provides you a strong battery life with flight times going as high as 15 to 17 minutes. Other amazing features:

• The rectilinear lens helps in capturing photographs and videos more easily.
• The motors are larger and are a big improvement over the other products in the Phantom series.
• This product is suitable for use, not only for the pros and professionals, but also for the beginners and novice flyers.

At a much lower price, the Phantom 3 is a close competitor for the S1000, and to get more familiar with all the features it offers, we suggest checking out our Phantom 3 series review.

Like this product? Then you can buy it on Amazon.

Overview

We say it is not meant for beginners because it needs to be controlled by experienced hands, someone who knows the nuances of flying. This is why professional photographers tend to opt for the S1000 as compared to the others in the same category.

Pros:

• Flight stability – it is said that the device can maintain its balance even in the event that it loses one of its rotor in flight. The gimbal contributes to the flight stabilization.
• Foldable arms- all 8 arms of the drone can be folded straight down. This makes this device a compact structure leading to portability. Each arm also comes with an intensity LED mounted on either side of it.
• Power distribution – the main power cord is made from spark-proof plugs that allow the creators and users to distinguish between the polarities and preventing a short circuit.
• Increased payload – the device in itself weighs about 9 lbs., but is capable of working well with a take-off weight of about 22 lbs. This allows you to fix-up heavy cameras on the drone and it promises to work well with the load.
• Easy assembly – the S1000 is very easy to assemble and configure making it a user-friendly product.
• Portability – the S1000 is easy to carry around. It is easy to set up and wrap up once the work is done. It can be tucked in the back of the car because of its compact framework and lightweight design.

Cons:

• It requires a bit of technical knowledge and experience, so it’s not accessible to beginners.
• There is no camera provided with this product. However, this opens up your options and, as a professional, you definitely prefer to have control over this aspect.
• The S1000 is a little too expensive. Add to that, the camera is not a part of the total package and forms an additional expenditure to the setup. So, the supplementary accessories contribute to the high price of the drone.

On the whole, the S1000 provides one of the best flying experiences for professionals and pilots. It covers all the necessary aspects of an efficient drone and, with easy assemblage procedures, this device becomes a user-friendly copter.

In short, if you want to try your hands at professional drones and are willing to fish out some money, the S1000 will not disappoint you.