If you had access to more than ten different types of drones, would you still have any reason to rent equipment? At first glance, probably not. But in the professional drone world, the question is not only how much equipment you already own. It is also about what a specific shoot requires and how many projects happen at the same time.
According to Jaan Kronberg, who has been working with drones for more than 15 years, the industry has changed enormously during that time. Smaller and increasingly capable drones have become accessible to almost everyone, while professionals are now more often left with complex projects that require greater responsibility and specialized equipment.
Although Jaan has access to a very wide selection of drones, he also occasionally uses Droon.ee’s rental service. This mainly happens when several shoots take place at the same time or when a project temporarily requires additional equipment that would not make financial sense to purchase.
As drones became accessible to everyone, professional work changed as well
Jaan says he has been “droning” for more than 15 years, and during that time the industry has gone through a massive leap in development.
“It was probably one of the fastest-developing fields before artificial intelligence. By today – actually, already by the day before yesterday – drones have reached a point where essentially anyone with even a little interest and budget can afford a smaller drone capable of producing very respectable video or photos,” he says.
This has also affected the workload of professional drone pilots. Simple aerial shots no longer always require a dedicated team, because very good results can already be achieved with a small consumer drone.
“That, in turn, means that the projects left for us are either highly responsible, such as live broadcasts from major events, or they require larger and significantly more expensive drones than usual, such as outdoor advertising and larger film productions,” Jaan explains.
Even one film shoot may require more than one drone
Jaan’s equipment fleet includes more than ten different types of drones, ranging from the smallest models to large aircraft capable of carrying a camera setup worth nearly €100,000.
According to him, such a broad selection did not come from a desire to simply accumulate as much equipment as possible.
“Drones reached the stage of specialization quite a while ago. Even during a single film shoot, three or four different types may be used, and the choice depends primarily on the task,” Jaan says.
One project may require very high-quality night footage, while another may call for slow-motion shots. Sometimes the drone has to be small enough to fly through a bicycle frame. And sometimes the drone’s task is not filming at all.
“Sometimes, instead of filming, we use the drone to light an actor with an LED lamp. There are a lot of different tasks,” he gives as an example.
That is why equipment cannot be chosen only based on which drone is the newest or most expensive. What matters is what needs to be achieved on a particular shoot and under what conditions the drone has to operate.
Why does someone who owns so many drones still rent equipment?
Although Jaan and his team try to keep everything they need for work in-house, they still encounter situations where renting the required equipment is simply the more sensible option.
This most often happens when several shoots fall on the same day or week and the existing equipment is not enough to supply all teams.
“Unfortunately, you cannot afford to buy everything yourself, and the Estonian market is not that large. I am genuinely very glad that Droon.ee offers this service,” Jaan says.
According to him, equipment rental is not an easy business for the service provider either. In camera equipment rental, there is even a saying: “it’s a rental – don’t be gentle”, referring to the fact that people do not always treat rented equipment as carefully as they treat their own.
With drones, the risk is even greater.
“Unlike conventional camera equipment, a drone pilot’s mistake often has more painful consequences, and the rental company has to take all of that into account,” Jaan notes.
What equipment does Jaan rent most often?
From Droon.ee’s rental selection, Jaan has recently used DJI Inspire 3 and DJI Mavic 4 Pro drones the most.
He often rents the Inspire 3 as a backup unit. On film shoots, the equipment has to work, and an entire shooting day cannot simply be interrupted because of a malfunction or accident.
“It is nicely packed in its case and comes along with us just in case. On film shoots, we always have backup equipment with us,” Jaan explains.
Mavic 4 Pro drones, on the other hand, are used for example during live broadcasts where several different locations need to be covered at the same time. In those situations, one or two personally owned drones may not be enough, even if the necessary equipment is generally available for everyday work.
Inspire 3 image quality changed expectations in the film industry
When asked whether any piece of equipment has genuinely surprised him in use, Jaan admits that this rarely happens with DJI products. Professionals usually know the capabilities of the equipment before it even reaches the market.
At one point, he even made predictions on a television program about the next stages of drone development. Broadly speaking, those predictions came true: drones have become easier to use, flight times have increased, more sensors have been added to protect both the drone and the pilot, and cameras continue to improve.
If he had to highlight one thing, Jaan would mention the image quality of the DJI Inspire 3 camera.
“Three or four years ago, the expectation was still that we would fly a large drone with a ‘real’ camera. By now, sensor quality has improved so much that only very rarely is it no longer enough,” he says.
Jaan was also surprised by how quickly camera operators accepted the new generation of Inspire.
“It was a nice and pleasant surprise that the film industry as a whole did not remain stuck for too long in the mindset of ‘we need to use our own good camera’, but instead rationally recognized the enormous leap that happened between Inspire 2 and Inspire 3.”
First think about what you actually need the drone for
If Jaan had to recommend a specific device to a videographer or content creator, he would not start with a particular model. He would start with what the drone is supposed to do.
“At some point, I defined a drone for myself as a tool that allows you to move a camera almost without limits in three-dimensional space,” he says.
So the first step is to evaluate whether using a drone even makes sense for the project. Propeller noise, dust being blown into the air, sensitivity to wind and rain, and safety requirements all need to be considered.
If those limitations are not important for the particular shoot, then it makes sense to look at the budget and compare the camera and flight characteristics of different drones.
“And then go shopping. Or, well, why not rent?” Jaan adds.
Does rental equipment mean worse condition or incomplete kits?
One common concern with rental equipment is that the device may be in poor condition or that some important accessory may be missing from the kit.
Jaan’s personal experience with Droon.ee has been positive.
“The equipment is in very good condition, and I do not have to worry about whether everything I need is included in the kit,” he says.
At the same time, he recommends always checking the contents of the rental kit. He remembers cases from the past when an important accessory could be missing.
“A long time ago, for example, ND filters were not included, and if you did not know to ask for them, you could run into problems. Personally, I have not had a single issue with this in the last couple of years,” Jaan says.
Renting makes sense for both professionals and hobby users
Jaan admits that, if possible, he would even prefer to use only rental equipment.
“If it were possible to guarantee access to equipment around the clock, I would honestly use only rental services. Since that is not practically possible, I still have to buy and own equipment as well,” he explains.
He also confidently recommends rental services to hobby users. If someone already owns, for example, a smaller DJI Mini or Lito and is comfortable flying it, they can rent a larger, more expensive model or one with better image quality for a specific project or simply to try it out.
For example, a smaller drone may struggle in strong winds near the coast. In that situation, there is no need to immediately buy a new device – a DJI Mavic 4 Pro can simply be rented for the project.
“During testing, I managed to get it racing downwind at 140 kilometers per hour. It is a seriously powerful beast,” Jaan says.
According to him, switching between models should not be particularly difficult for an experienced user either, because the basic principles of drone control are generally the same.
“There are minor differences, but if you know how to fly one, moving to a larger or smaller model is a piece of cake.”
He compares drone piloting skills to riding a bicycle or diving. Once the basics have been learned, a few refresher flights are usually enough to feel confident again.
The right equipment can determine the success of an entire project
Jaan emphasizes that equipment itself does not create results without the right skills. At the same time, thanks to increasingly intelligent functions, drones are gradually moving in a direction where, in some tasks, the technology can perform even better than a human.
For some projects, however, having the right device is the prerequisite for making the entire idea possible.
As one example, Jaan recalls a Tallink project where they used their own modified DJI Inspire 2 drone. It allowed them to take off from a moving ship, stay alongside the vessel in open water, and fly fast enough to capture the required footage.
“No other drone would have allowed us to do that safely at the time without compromising image quality,” he says.
So the question is not always which drone is the most capable, but rather which one makes it possible to carry out a specific project safely and in the intended way.
When does renting make sense?
Jaan’s own principle is simple: if something is used rarely, it makes more sense to rent it than to buy it.
That can mean an additional drone for a professional shoot, a model with a better camera for one specific project, or simply the opportunity to try out a new device before buying it.
“In general, I try to follow the principle that if I use something rarely, I would rather rent it than buy it,” Jaan says.
When that comes from someone who has access to more than ten different types of drones, it is worth taking a moment before the next major equipment purchase to consider whether the device is truly needed on a regular basis – or whether renting would be enough for some projects.