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Drone titan DJI just unveiled two powerful new drones at its Los Angeles event this morning, the Phantom 4 Professional and the Inspire 2.

We’ll be taking a look at the specs and features of the Pro edition of the Phantom 4 in a separate post, but here’s what you need to know right now about the DJI Inspire 2.

First up, the Inspire 2 is squarely aimed at professionals working in the movie business, media, and other fields that demand high performance air imaging. Where the recent Mavic Pro is lightweight, compact, and relatively affordable, the Inspire 2 is a flying beast with a price tag to match.

The Inspire 2 looks generally similar to its predecessor, with the same underslung camera and retractable landing gear, a combo that allows the capture of unobstructed 360-degree video. That said, the Inspire 2 is lighter than the Inspire 1, thanks to the aluminum-magnesium alloy used to build its high-strength frame. It’s much faster too, being able to reach a dizzying 67 58 miles (108kph 93kph) per hour (50 mph on the Inspire 1), and the acceleration is nothing to scoff at either: 0 to 50 mph in just four five seconds (reduced, but still good. DJI had to revise these numbers, reducing the speeds for safety and stability.)

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The DJI Inspire 2 incorporates two batteries, which makes it possible to hot-swap them. Total operation time can reach 27 minutes, compared to 18 minutes on the first generation.

There are two cameras on the DJI Inspire 2, so its operation can be split between a pilot and a camera operator. The two cameras have separate feeds, though one user can fly the drone and use the camera at the same time if needed. The secondary camera is mounted at the front of the drone – as opposed as the underslung principal camera – which should make it easier to pilot it.

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The DJI Inspire 2 is packed with sensors and advanced features that should make it easier, safer, and more enjoyable to fly and operate. These include some of the features that DJI launched on the Phantom 4 and the Mavic Pro, like obstacle avoidance and automatic subject tracking.

[drones-list id=”16188″ topper-text=”Inspire 2″ topper-icon=”camera”]

Getting back to the main camera, you can get the DJI Inspire 2 with the new Zenmuse X4S or X5S cameras. These are clearly designed for professional usage, with features including a 4/3 sensor and support for various specialized lenses. Spring up for the highest-end version and you can get an built-in SSD to capture all the high-definition video content, as well as a plethora of software features and support for professional formats like CinemaDNG for footage and DNG RAW for photography.

The DJI Inspire 2 is clearly not your average consumer drone, and it’s clearly not priced as such. The base version of the Inspire 2 costs $3000 (€3400 in Europe) and that’s without a camera. If you want the ZenMuse X5S camera and license keys for the aforementioned professional media formats you will need to pay $6000 if you order it right now, or $6200 after the introductory price offer expires.

If the eye watering prices don’t scare you away, you can pro-order the $6,000 Premium Combo package today with delivery set for early December. If you want the “plain” drone for $3000, shipping is expected to begin in January 2017.

Stay tuned for more – our impressions from the DJI Inspire 2 and Phantom 4 Pro launch event are coming soon. Meanwhile, tell us your thoughts!

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