so ive been shooting commercial work for about 4 years now, mostly with the X7 on an Inspire 2 that i bought used a couple years back. the thing has been a workhorse honestly but im starting to wonder if the platform is getting long in the tooth. like DJI hasnt really updated the Inspire line in forever and parts are getting harder to find in my region.

the X7 with the DL lenses still looks incredible dont get me wrong, i did a real estate campaign last month and the footage was stunning even in log, color graded beautifully. but the airframe itself feels dated compared to what else is out there now. dual operator setup is still the best thing about it for serious cinema work tho, having a dedicated camera op while i just fly is genuinely a workflow game changer.

anyone still running Inspire 2 for paid work or have you moved on to something else. curious what people are actually doing out there not just what sounds good on paper

still running mine for broadcast stuff and honestly have no plans to switch. the X7 raw output is hard to match at this price point, even used. yeah the airframe is old but if its not broken why replace it. i did have a gimbal ribbon cable issue last year that took like 6 weeks to sort out because of parts availability and that was genuinely stressful on a production schedule, so your concern is valid there.

the dual operator thing is the killer feature for me too. tried doing single op cinema work with other platforms and it just doesnt have the same feel when youre also trying to watch your sticks. for anything where the camera move actually matters i want someone else thinking about that.

whats your budget situation like? asking because if youre open to spending i know a few guys who moved to the Inspire 3 and they wont shut up about it. the full frame sensor thing with the X9-8 is insane for low light. but its also like... a lot of money. if the 2 is working for your clients and they cant tell the difference on delivery then maybe the upgrade math doesnt pencil out yet