I ordered a Lily

CabanSail

Recently I ordered a Lily Camera on the last day of their half price pre-order promotion.

Delivery is not due until May 2016.

Did anyone else buy one?

I think the early orders are due to ship in Feb 2016.

Balfey1972

CabanSail wrote: »

Recently I ordered a Lily Camera on the last day of their half price pre-order promotion.

Delivery is not due until May 2016.

Did anyone else buy one?

I think the early orders are due to ship in Feb 2016.

Looks like a nice piece of kit Cabansail.

With the changes to the legislation here I got rid of my drone. I was at the http://uaai.ie/ open day last Friday week and it was an interesting insight as to what is coming down the tracks.

They reckon there are over 4000 of them in use in Ireland with only 80 registered with the IAA currently.

Myksyk

Interesting. Looks like a fantastic piece of kit for documenting a trip or activity.

magicbastarder

Balfey1972 wrote: »

With the changes to the legislation here I got rid of my drone. I was at the http://uaai.ie/ open day last Friday week and it was an interesting insight as to what is coming down the tracks.

They reckon there are over 4000 of them in use in Ireland with only 80 registered with the IAA currently.

it's an interesting area for debate; issues such as privacy and safety which we haven't really had to deal with before.

for example, there's been issues fighting wildfires in california because they've not been able to send helicopters in due to the multiple people filming the fires with their drones. not that that's an immediate problem in ireland, obviously.

Myksyk

These are an interesting take on the drone issue insofar as they only follow you (or whoever has the 'home' signal) and they're limited in how far they can travel from that signal. Are they even drones or just stickless selfie sticks!?

Iancar29

Balfey1972 wrote: »

With the changes to the legislation here I got rid of my drone. I was at the http://uaai.ie/ open day last Friday week and it was an interesting insight as to what is coming down the tracks.

They reckon there are over 4000 of them in use in Ireland with only 80 registered with the IAA currently.

Hey Balfey , what changes are happening?


Current regulations is that you only need a license to use them commercially...
Also the normal height restrictions and not flying near any buildings / airports and the likes...

pegasus1

Cool pressie that would be, but yikes no avoidance tech installed, just don't forget its following you when you enter the house...:D

http://qz.com/404236/this-cool-new-selfie-drone-promises-to-up-your-aerial-selfie-game/

thebaz

not for me, I like the tactile feal of an old camera in my hand - the more advanced technology becomes, the more I yearn for simplicity

uck51js9zml2yt

pegasus1 wrote: »

Cool pressie that would be, but yikes no avoidance tech installed, just don't forget its following you when you enter the house...:D

http://qz.com/404236/this-cool-new-selfie-drone-promises-to-up-your-aerial-selfie-game/

Never mind the price tag:) I nearly choked when I saw it...but it looks a really cool piece of kit.

Balfey1972

Iancar29 wrote: »

Hey Balfey , what changes are happening?


Current regulations is that you only need a license to use them commercially...
Also the normal height restrictions and not flying near any buildings / airports and the likes...

The definition of commercial now could include facebook and youtube as if you are posting footage there you can use it to achieve additional likes and or income from ads.

New commercial requirements here - http://uaai.ie/index.php/get-licensed/
Much tougher now to achieve the licence.

They have a number of cases in the courts at the moment and they will be getting press time I would imagine as they are heard.

Facebook and youtube are being monitored for footage.
There was footage at the start of the summer of someone using it on the old airport road recording the planes coming in. Mad stuff altogether.

One area which is really a can of worms both for personal and commercial users is that your are recording and capturing data and under the data protection act you should be registered with the data commissioners office and have to comply with the data use, storage etc.

I think it is going to remain a big grey area for some time .

pegasus1

thebaz wrote: »

not for me, I like the tactile feal of an old camera in my hand - the more advanced technology becomes, the more I yearn for simplicity

Cardboard pinhole camera heading your way...:D

CabanSail

thebaz wrote: »

not for me, I like the tactile feal of an old camera in my hand - the more advanced technology becomes, the more I yearn for simplicity

I fully understand.

Funny enough that is what attracted me to the Lily. If it lives up to the promo it should be simple. Flies itself and finds it's way back home.

I would have liked to be able to have more flexibility but for the price it seems quite good. The other options are way out of my budget, so would this at full price. With others you pay more for the drone and then have to buy a camera to mount on it. The waterproof aspect is also a big selling point. I want to use it on my Houseboat while cruising. The company may also be interested in images of other boats in the fleet. This being done over water would be very scary in a different drone.

Hopefully there will be firmware updates for more options and I would like to have RAW files but you can't always get what you want (Thanks Mick)

Saruman

That's ridiculously cool. At first I thought, meh... another drone. Then I watched the video!

pullandbang

Consider the Lily......:D

sheesh

seems well thought out and the fact that it is waterproof and floats is a real selling point.

there are so many activities that something like this could be used for that I suspect every outdoor activity company will be using them.

just remember to turn it on. don't just throw it into the air!:D

Saruman

sheesh wrote: »

there are so many activities that something like this could be used for that I suspect every outdoor activity company will be using them.

Such as the photowalk on Saturday

Wabbit Ears

Balfey1972 wrote: »

The definition of commercial now could include facebook and youtube as if you are posting footage there you can use it to achieve additional likes and or income from ads.

New commercial requirements here - http://uaai.ie/index.php/get-licensed/
Much tougher now to achieve the licence.

They have a number of cases in the courts at the moment and they will be getting press time I would imagine as they are heard.

Facebook and youtube are being monitored for footage.
There was footage at the start of the summer of someone using it on the old airport road recording the planes coming in. Mad stuff altogether.

One area which is really a can of worms both for personal and commercial users is that your are recording and capturing data and under the data protection act you should be registered with the data commissioners office and have to comply with the data use, storage etc.

I think it is going to remain a big grey area for some time .

I don't think this device actually fits in the requirements as stated because its not piloted. There would have to be a completely different set of rules, standards and requirements for the ownership of devices that fly themselves autonomously. I don't think that you could even successfully argue that the person with the homing beacon is the pilot as the homing beacon is not controlled, its a dumb transmitter .You could put it on a car or another radio controlled device, an animal and so on.

Kenny Logins

Look like a very interesting device, but I'm curious to see what the digital gimballing looks like. If it's anything like YouTube's "stabilize footage" function, it could be messy.

Alexthegrater

I have my doubts about this thing, it's really just a long selfie stick if you think about it. All ot can do is follow you, with the camera focused on you. That's my perspective anyway, I'd suggest a DJI or Yuneec with better battery and camera and infinitely more capabilities. Some YouTube reviews make it look a bit dodgy too, it's erratic at best, dangerous at worst.

magicbastarder

CabanSail wrote: »

Delivery is not due until May 2016.

well?

CabanSail

Shipping in Summer 2016 is what I have been told.

I have contacted them for an update as it may be better to have it delivered to me in Ireland when I am there.

I agree that a DJI etc. would have more capabilities but not in the price range I got this on pre-purchase. It is also handy that it is waterproof and able to launch/land in the water. I have some work in mind for it.

sunny2004

Love it and now I want one haha..

Very cool device and I can see where the tech could go with time..

Alexthegrater

Now shipping in the autumn..

Hugh_C

Isn't there only a fixed battery in the Lily so you can't even bring spares? That was the immediate downside when I read about it last year.

CabanSail

The unit is sealed to get the waterproof rating. That means the battery is sealed inside. The inability to change batteries is a downside but being waterproof is an advantage which offsets that for me.

Alexthegrater

Still no news, their Facebook page is going quiet too, there's some aerial purportedly from a lily, but it seems to have been heavily edited, no more than a few seconds at a time of continuous footage. I do hope they can fulfill the 60,000 pre paid orders when they sort it out..

ScumLord

I'm a bugger for forgetting to turn off my camera and finding it dead the next time I go to use it. Would want to make sure that things fully charged before you go throwing it off a bridge.

CabanSail

I did hear of someone using a drone on a cruise ship who must have been quite a novice. They set it off with the "Return to Home" function active. It did just that and returned to the position it was when they launched it, but the ship was no longer there and the drone ended up swimming with the fishes.

ScumLord

Thats' the scary thing about the automated ones. They could decide they don't like you and just feck off doing their own thing.

CabanSail

ScumLord wrote: »

They could decide they don't like you and just feck off doing their own thing.

These things are becoming far too human.

Alexthegrater

Yes CabanSail, far too human..

They are late to arrive and don't live up to expectations..

Alexthegrater

CabanSail wrote: »

Shipping in Summer 2016 is what I have been told.

I have contacted them for an update as it may be better to have it delivered to me in Ireland when I am there.

I agree that a DJI etc. would have more capabilities but not in the price range I got this on pre-purchase. It is also handy that it is waterproof and able to launch/land in the water. I have some work in mind for it.

I'm a bit surprised, my cynical self will admit, but it's shipping to US pre-payers, it'll probably be 2017 before you get it though, but let us know how you get on with it. I've seen no 'proper' reviews since it's official launch last month, so there's still got an element of doubt about it's capabilities.

CabanSail

Have seen a couple of clips taken by beta versions.

I am a bit surprised that they do not have a RAW option for still images. Had assumed they would have had that included.

pegasus1

Will the iaa rules on drones allow the Lily to fly as a) it needs to be registered and the drone needs to be in control at all times and if its following you, how can you observe it as it will outside your direct line of sight?

CabanSail

I will keep it out of sight of the IAA

Alexthegrater

It's cr4p.. get your money back quick..

Google 'lily-drone-beta-footage-fails-impress-customers'

CabanSail

By the time my unit ships they will have already distributed the US orders. That will give me some time to assess the actual product. So will hang tight for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsg4lXsbGk4

Assuming the above clips are from Beta test units they appear better than the earlier footage. You can actually see the Lily shadow in a few places.

magicbastarder

Alexthegrater wrote: »

It's cr4p.. get your money back quick..

Google 'lily-drone-beta-footage-fails-impress-customers'

is that not deliberately skewing the results you're looking for?

CabanSail

I am sick of the delays. Have requested a refund.


Instead I have bought a DJI Phantom 3 Standard. It was an eBay bargain. Now learning to fly it. A major advantage is that it will shoot RAW and can point at other things other than the person with the controller.

Early days but it's a fine piece of kit. Came with a dedicated backpack and spare battery.

.Longshanks.

Surprised you held our this long!

Good luck with the new toy. I had preordered a DJI mavic - mainly for the RAW stills - but cancelled after I realised 90% of my local areas are within 5km of either an airport or helipad. Plus local law technically prevents me for flying it above groups of people not associated with the operation of the drone.

Bummer.

flyingsnail

Seems they wont be shipping at all, they are issuing refunds and winding up the company.
https://www.lily.camera/adventure-comes-end/

January 12th, 2017

Dear Lily community,

Antoine and Henry here from the Lily team. When Lily set out on the journey to create a flying camera over 3 years ago, we were determined to develop and deliver a product that would exceed your expectations.

In the past year, the Lily family has had many ups and downs. We have been delighted by the steady advancements in the quality of our product and have received great feedback from our Beta program. At the same time, we have been racing against a clock of ever-diminishing funds. Over the past few months, we have tried to secure financing in order to unlock our manufacturing line and ship our first units – but have been unable to do this. As a result, we are deeply saddened to say that we are planning to wind down the company and offer refunds to customers (details below).

We want to thank you for sticking with us and believing in us during this time. Our community was the drive that kept us going even as circumstances became more and more difficult. Your encouraging words through our forums and in your emails gave us hope and the energy we needed to keep fighting.

Before we sign off, we want to thank all the people who have worked at Lily, who have partnered with us, and who have invested in us. Thank you for giving your all, nights, weekends and holidays, in the effort to deliver a great product.

After so much hard work, we are sad to see this adventure come to an end. We are very sorry and disappointed that we will not be able to deliver your flying camera, and are incredibly grateful for your support as a pre-order customer. Thank you for believing in our vision and giving us the opportunity to get this far. We hope our contribution will help pave the way for the exciting future of our industry.

Sincerely,
Antoine and Henry
Lily Founders

Refund Details:

Lily will be offering a refund to customers over the next 60 days. We will be initiating refunds to the payment card used for the original transaction (no action is required on your part; please allow 14 days for the refund to appear on your statement).

If the card you used is expired, please fill out this form so we can work with you on providing a refund by other means (e.g., PayPal or check).

Alexthegrater

Fair play to them, they will still refund the unfortunates that put faith in them. I had suspected that they would do a bunk..

Paulw

And on top of their closure and refunds - http://www.diyphotography.net/lily-robotics-sued-san-francisco-district-attorneys-office/

CabanSail

There was speculation that the sample video's were shot using a DJI unit after the take off and just before the landing. There were differences in the video quality. Maybe that is proving to be true.

CabanSail

One of my first training flights. A quick circuit over a park in town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGkpY6MvkBw

mrboswell

Kind of glad they are offering a refund now as I've gone off the boil in terms of the idea. Too much regulation for me in terms of IAA (not suggesting its not needed).

CabanSail

Regulation here is fairly simple at present.

Under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, UAVs weighing 2kg or less cannot fly: higher than 400 feet (121m) in a controlled airspace (generally meaning any populated area) closer than 30m during takeoff, flight or landing to anyone not involved in flying the drone.

pegasus1

CabanSail wrote: »

Regulation here is fairly simple at present.

And fairly strict...

https://www.iaa.ie/docs/default-source/misc/drone-safety---dos-and-don'ts.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Any drone over 1Kg must be registered... and that's including the weight of any camera attached.

CabanSail

Think I will stick with the "Under 2kg" legislation and keep it within the applicable airspace. The other seems too much bother.

pegasus1

CabanSail wrote: »

Think I will stick with the "Under 2kg" legislation and keep it within the applicable airspace. The other seems too much bother.

Oh yes you're in upside down land!

CabanSail

It's harder flying inverted!