ok so context: i do mostly commercial real estate and some event coverage, occasionally landscapes when a client wants that kind of thing. been using the x7 with the 24mm DL lens for a while now and honestly the image quality is incredible, no complaints there. but the whole rig is heavy and i feel like im always flying conservatively to protect flight time and i miss shots because of it.

been looking at what other people run on the inspire 2 for situations where you dont need the full cinema setup. the x5s is the obvious answer i guess but im curious if anyone has tried third party options or lighter mirrorless rigs on a custom mount. i know theres people who run m43 cameras on inspire platforms with aftermarket gimbals but ive never seen anyone talk about how that actually performs in real shooting conditions, like does the stabilization hold up to the x7 standard or is it noticeably worse.

not really looking to cheap out, more interested in a smart payload swap that keeps image quality high while giving me maybe 3-4 extra minutes in the air. even that would make a real difference on some of the tighter jobs.

the x5s is genuinely the move if you want to stay within the DJI ecosystem and not lose your mind on integration. ive shot on both and yeah the x7 has that edge in dynamic range especially in log, but the x5s footage is still really sellable for real estate work, clients arent going to notice the difference. the weight savings are real and you will feel it in the handling and battery life.

i messed around with a third party gimbal on an inspire once and it was kind of a nightmare honestly. the integration just isnt there the way it is with the zenmuse line and you end up spending more time managing the rig than actually flying. maybe fine if youre doing it as a project but for client work i wouldnt bother.

slightly off topic but if flight time is the main concern have you looked at what your battery health is like? ive seen inspires that were noticeably down on flight time just from batteries that were 150+ cycles in. sometimes what feels like a payload problem is actually just aging cells. might be worth benchmarking before you commit to swapping the camera system