DJI S900 or DJI S1000?

The world of professional DJI Multirotors has just become a whole lot more complicated. First we had the DJI S1000, in recent months we have also seen the DJI S900 released and subsequently the new DJI S1000 Plus.

If you're looking to carry a 5D MKII or III your choice still remains S1000 based as the S900 simply isn't up to the payload - its just a case of Premium or Plus. The two are pretty much identical in design but materials do differ: the Plus uses plastic construction compared to aluminium on the Premium around the base of the booms and motor mounts. Because of this, DJI can pass a saving of around £1300 on to you. If you want the flagship, the S1000 Premium is the nicest product to behold, but the Plus sees a large saving along with a more accessible central deck for running repairs and checks.

DJIS1000-PART13.jpg S1000 Premium Central Deck 647A1696-1024x682.jpg S1000 Plus Central Deck

S1000 Premium vs S1000 Plus on Paper

£2823.00 vs £1457.00

Aluminium Castings vs Plastic

Closed Deck vs Removable top plate

Canbus apertures vs None

The DJI S900

s900_001.jpg DJI S900

If you are looking to get a GH4, BMPCC or Nex7 airborne there is nothing to stop you going for the S1000 - you don't need to be flying a 5D to justify that. As the DJI S900 does the job comfortably for an even lower price than even the Plus however, it has proven to be the most popular choice over the last few months. This is mainly thanks to the Panasonic GH4 capturing the market and accounting for 90% of our builds. A small 4K capable camera was always going to be a winner and is rapidly becoming the benchmark for TV work. As a side effect, the DJI S900 is also a more compact airframe which makes transportation a little easier.

As we move into 2015, we are going to see a resurgence of the S1000 Plus thanks to the price drop over the Premium - this will be helped along by the prospect of a 4K Canon 5D on the horizon. The S1000 gives you the flexibility to carry whatever Z15 gimbal may suit your needs in the future It also means you can carry a generic third party gimbal such as the Freefly MoVI M5 should you happen to require complete flexibility with your camera and lens configurations.   

fstoppers-Panasonic_GH4_Mirrorless_Digital_Camera_Body-300x246.jpg 4K Panasonic GH4

Conclusion

If you can stretch to the S1000 Plus or Premium, do it; regardless of the camera you are carrying. This way you have greater redundancy and a more flexible platform. However, if budget is the main concern, the DJI S900 will get you airborne and ultimately achieve the same goal - especially if you're using the GH4.