alright so here's where im at. been flying a GX85 on a 3-axis gimbal for about two years and the footage has been fine, more than fine actually, but ive been shooting some commercial stuff lately and clients are starting to ask about larger sensor options. specifically ive had two people now ask if i can get that more cinematic shallow DOF look that you just cant really pull off with a micro four thirds sensor at drone-practical focal lengths.

im looking at going up to something like a Sony FX3 or even just an a7 series with a fast prime. the weight jump is pretty significant though, were talking roughly double the payload and my current hex is already running pretty close to its limits on windy days. i could reframe the whole build but thats a significant time and money investment and honestly i already know how my current setup flies, its predictable and i trust it.

is the IQ difference actually that noticeable in final deliverables, like stuff thats probably going to end up on a website or maybe broadcast? or am i chasing something that most clients wont even notice. genuinely torn on this because part of me thinks the GX85 footage graded well is already really solid and i might just be getting gear envy from seeing other operators online.

honestly for web delivery the GX85 is fine, like really fine. the people asking about shallow DOF probably saw a ground-based shot in a reel somewhere and dont realize how hard that is to replicate aerially even with a full frame sensor. you'd need fairly long glass to compress the background and get separation and then you're fighting wind on a lens that wasnt designed to be swinging around in the sky.

that said if you're doing broadcast work the story changes a little bit, there are specs and deliverable standards where the bigger sensor genuinely matters. but i'd have an honest conversation with those clients about what's actually achievable before you blow up a build that's working well for you.

went through basically this exact same thing last year, ended up building out a heavy lift octo for the bigger payloads and kept the original hex for everything else. more to carry around and maintain but having both means i can quote jobs properly and actually deliver what people want. though yeah the cost to get there was pretty brutal, not gonna sugarcoat it. if youre only occasionally getting those requests it might not pencil out.