so ive been shooting commercial work for about 6 years now, started on the original Inspire 1 back when that felt like witchcraft, moved to the Inspire 2 when it came out and honestly it's been my workhorse ever since. the X7 with the DL mount lenses is still producing images that clients are genuinely happy with, raw files out of that sensor hold up really well in post even when you're pushing the grade hard.

but i keep having this nagging feeling like am i leaving something on the table. the Zenmuse X9 exists now and that's a whole other level obviously but then you're also looking at the Inspire 3 body which is a significant jump in cost. my current rig with the X7 and a couple lenses is basically paid off so there's that argument too.

i guess what im actually asking is whether anyone is still putting the Inspire 2 in front of broadcast clients or agency producers in and not getting pushback on the footage quality. and also whether the dual operator setup is still feeling like a necessity on real jobs or if people are soloing it more now.

still shooting with the I2 regularly and havent had a single client question the footage. honestly the X7 at its best is still doing things a Mavic 3 Cine can't touch in terms of dynamic range and that shallow depth of field look with the DL primes. the 6K CinemaDNG workflow is heavy but if you're already set up for it it's fine.

the dual op thing depends entirely on the job for me. narrative or anything with complex movement i always want a dedicated camera op, but for run and gun commercial stuff i've been soloing it more than i used to. you lose some of the really precise simultaneous moves but you adapt.

i mean the Inspire 3 is genuinely a different machine if you ever get hands on one, the omnidirectional obstacle avoidance alone changes how you fly in tighter spaces and the X9 footage is kind of ridiculous. but yeah the price jump is real and if your I2 is paid off and clients are happy theres a solid argument for just keeping that money.

one thing worth thinking about though is parts and support longevity for the I2, DJI has been pretty good about it so far but at some point that becomes a real operational risk on professional jobs. not saying its imminent just something i factor in when im trying to justify an upgrade to myself lol