My drone evolution — TimothyBentley.Photography

You may be surprised to know that I’m much influenced, as a photographer, by the legacy of my late parents.

During the Second World War, my dad, Mike, was part of a small team of aviation engineers who literally saved Great Britain from being invaded in 1940. As the Battle of Britain began, they upgraded thousands of Spitfires and Hurricanes, and they were able to keep the Luftwaffe at bay.

Meanwhile my mom, Alice, supported the war effort as a manager in the Air Ministry.

After the war ended, we moved to Canada, where Mike worked on the iconic Avro Arrow, and in his later years taught aviation at Seneca College. I loved hearing his stories.

Flying and me

So flight is very much in my DNA.

For a few years, I piloted paragliders, paramotors, and ultralights. In the process, I discovered that I absolutely love the view of the ground from the air.

But with my camera at ground level, I felt really limited as a photographer. It became obvious that I was not cut out for flying light aircraft, and I’d never have the big money required to hire helicopters as photographic platforms. I seemed to be stuck on terra firma.

Drones

Then I began to hear rumblings about new drones that carried a camera on board. That sure got my attention.

In 2017, I purchased a DJI Phantom 4. It was a remarkable aircraft with a lovely form, carrying an excellent digital camera compared with other drones at the time.

For the first time I was able to take excellent aerial photographs, and I just loved it. Those days were full of surprises.

Two Amazing Examples

For instance, I was taking this photograph of a pond in autumn, when by happy chance two ducks landed, leaving wakes behind them that seem to mimic the shape of the water.

The result was a picture I could never have taken from the ground.

Another day, I sent the drone to maximum height to see what might be beyond my earthbound vision. I was intrigued by figures that looked like clocks, in the distance. When the drone arrived above them, I discovered that they were settling pools for sewage which would be treated and discharged into the Humber River.

I named this unexpected – and unsettling – aerial photograph, “Doomsday Clocks”.

Sinking

Unfortunately, as I discovered, there was a significant disadvantage to the Phantom: it was very large, hard to carry, hard to pack.

And one day it ran into a tree branch, took a tumble into the river and drowned. While I was able to retrieve it from the frigid waters, I found that the gimble that controlled the camera was irretrievably damaged.

By this time, DJI was offering another excellent drone, the Mavic. Because of its folding arms, it took up much less space. But best of all, its camera was built by the Hasselblad company, European leaders in professional photography.

(When Hasselblad ran short on capital a few years ago, DJI bought the entire company, giving it access to superior camera technology.)

In the fall of 2024, I was taking pictures of the Murray Canal when the Mavic took a tumble and sank, unsalvageable in 12 feet of water. (Are you seeing a pattern? Pilot error, perhaps?)

My latest drone

Anyway, I waited a year until a new micro version of the Mavic was released, and took delivery of a Mavic Mini this month. (In deference to my history, I also purchased insurance against water failures.)

The Mavic Mini 5 is something of a revolution. I’ve seen it described as “a professional drone disguised as a micro drone.” It’s a quarter of the size and weight of my previous professional Mavic. That’s a major advantage.

A professional drone the size of my hand

Because it weighs under 250 grams (half a pound), it doesn’t have to be registered. It can fly with fewer restrictions than the full-size Mavic and other professional drones. Its size makes it easy to pack and travel.

And it flies really well, even in gusty winds.

Photographic power

But the most important feature is that its one-inch sensor takes photographs with finer digital detail than either of my previous drones.

To give you a comparison, a photo I took this week with the Mini comprised 63 megabytes of information. Photos from the old Phantom had half that detail: 32 MB. And even the full-size Mavic had only 41 MB.

So while my previous drones provided excellent images, I’m really happy to have upgraded to the superior quality provided by the Mini.

And already it’s given me some striking photographs.

While there’s still plenty to learn about this new drone, I expect it to be a fine complement to my land-based camera.

And when I fly it, I’ll give a thought to the aviation connections of my parents.

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