Using the CineSSD for CineDNG RAW and ProRes on the DJI Inspire 2

One of the key differences with the Inspire 2 is its ability to shoot ProRes and RAW codecs, thanks to the CineCore 2.0. To many people, shooting in RAW is new territory so in this article I'm going to explain what RAW is, what the SSDs are capable of and walk you through the workflow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK0CZ_l-Apk

What You Will Need To Shoot RAW or ProRes:

• DJI Inspire 2 with X5S or X4S
• ProRes and/or CineDNG license key (if you have bought the Premium Combo setup, the license will already be installed and activated)
• CINESSD (120Gb, 240Gb or 480Gb)
• CINESSD Station

How is the Workflow Different to Working With Standard H.264 and H.265 Codecs?

Shooting in H.264, H.265 or ProRes will all create a standard .mov file which is a video clip that you can view and edit immediately (like most people are probably used to). Shooting in CineDNG creates a .dng sequence. So for example, if you shoot 1 minute of footage at 25fps, you will have a sequence of 1,500 (5.2K res) RAW photos. Before you can start editing and grading your footage, you first have to convert the .dng sequences into usable video files while preserving as much of the data from each frame as possible.

What Is The Best Resolution and Codec the Inspire 2 Can Shoot Without An SSD?

Without the SSD, you can shoot in either H.264 or H.265 and up to 4K res in 10 bit colour.

Benefit of Using SSDs for Taking Stills

The only benefit to using SSDs for photography is that you can now shoot RAW DNG at 20fps continuously in full res (20.8MP).

3 Different Workflows for Post Processing CineDNG Raw Files

Once you have shot your There are three different ways you can work with the Inspire RAW files.

• Covert in Adobe After Effects
• Convert using DaVinci Resolve
• Native in Adobe Premier Pro

If you don't have any of these programmes, you can download DaVinci Resolve for free.

Retrieving the files from the SSD

Hook up the CINESSD to your computer using the DJI CINESSD Station. This should then appear as a new drive named 'DJI_A' followed by a few numbers. Disclaimer: DJI do not recommend inserting or ejecting the SSD from the CINESSD Station when it is powered on. This also applies to the aircraft itself. You can then back up your rushes and import the files into your programme of choice.

Interested in Upping your Game?

If you are yet to make the jump to shooting RAW or ProRes with the Inspire 2, hopefully that will have given you a rough idea on what you need to consider and how to go about it. If you're looking to purchase any of the items mentioned in this blog (apart from the license keys), you can find them on our e-store or by clicking on the item names in the list near the top of this article.