Was waffling back and forth...

[Rambler358]

So at first I thought I had decided on the Karma drone. But then I changed my mind wanting the new DJI Spark, and I was sure enough to preorder the Spark through BHPhotoVideo. One of the main factors was the Spark kit was about 1/2 the cost of the Karma kit (by kit I'm referring to extra batteries, props, etc. I ordered with the drone), and get a new drone after the next revisions came out. But the Spark's been on preorder for some time now, and during that time waiting for the Spark to ship, I kept thinking how I still wanted the Hero 5 Black and the Karma Grip. So after some more deliberation I cancelled my Spark order from BHPhotoVideo, and ordered a Karma drone kit from them instead. My thinking was that I wanted a drone more for aerial videos and photos, than for just drone flying with a drone having all the latest features. And the Karma's 3 axis gimbal and ability to shoot in 4K was another plus over the Spark's 2 axis gimbal and 1080p video. And so as I'm writing this, I get an email notification from BHPhotoVideo saying my Karma kit has shipped! Should be fun...

 

[JudoSurfer]

Spark is an amazing piece of technology but you'll get way more use out of Karma. DJI has some clever marketing but drones alone are not always what they are cracked up to be. They are noisy, limited by environment, battery life, location, and laws and regulations. They can be great, and you can get some amazing shots with them, but often times people soon find out they don't fly them nearly as much as they thought they would or could.

Karma is great because you aren't limited to just aerial shots. The stabilizer will help you create amazingly smooth footage in the air, hand held, and body mounted. Aerial footage is great but watching it is similar to being in a plane on a long flight. At first you're looking out the window thinking how beautiful everything looks, but soon you're just wishing the flight works be over and the plane would land. If you mix up your shots and use Karma as it's intended, you can avoid these boring aerial only videos and make some compelling and fun to watch videos.

I've owned Karma since it first came out (minus the recall time) and own other drones. Whenever I go out and want to capture the moment Karma is the system I grab. Hasn't let me down yet.

 

[Krog]

Spark is an amazing piece of technology but you'll get way more use out of Karma. DJI has some clever marketing but drones alone are not always what they are cracked up to be. They are noisy, limited by environment, battery life, location, and laws and regulations. They can be great, and you can get some amazing shots with them, but often times people soon find out they don't fly them nearly as much as they thought they would or could.

Karma is great because you aren't limited to just aerial shots. The stabilizer will help you create amazingly smooth footage in the air, hand held, and body mounted. Aerial footage is great but watching it is similar to being in a plane on a long flight. At first you're looking out the window thinking how beautiful everything looks, but soon you're just wishing the flight works be over and the plane would land. If you mix up your shots and use Karma as it's intended, you can avoid these boring aerial only videos and make some compelling and fun to watch videos.

I've owned Karma since it first came out (minus the recall time) and own other drones. Whenever I go out and want to capture the moment Karma is the system I grab. Hasn't let me down yet.

This is a really good set of points.
I have found exactly the same issue in terms of how I use a drone.
You are limited as to where you can use it and when, but with the addition of the Karma grip, a whole new level of photography/videography is available to you.
As much as I enjoy my drone, if I were starting from scratch again, I'd probably just go with a Karma grip and GoPro camera and then if the drone bug ever took hold again, maybe get a Spark purely from the perspective of its diminutive size and 'quieter' noise levels.
Full size drones are great but you tend to have to have quite specific locations in which to be able to use them to their full capabilities.

 

[McToddy]

I've probably spent more time shooting video with just karma grip than flying alone. (I love the versatility.... until my drone crashed )

 

[Rambler358]

Karma is great because you aren't limited to just aerial shots. The stabilizer will help you create amazingly smooth footage in the air, hand held, and body mounted. Aerial footage is great but watching it is similar to being in a plane on a long flight. At first you're looking out the window thinking how beautiful everything looks, but soon you're just wishing the flight works be over and the plane would land. If you mix up your shots and use Karma as it's intended, you can avoid these boring aerial only videos and make some compelling and fun to watch videos.

Great minds think alike.