This was the time when everything was still unknown. Building a 6 rotor “+” configuration platform, that had one of the arms directly above the camera, which signifies the very early stage of multirotor design. Only later a “Y” option became available for hexacopter platforms, making things much easier, especially for filming.

The single-servo gimbal you see in the picture is actually a pricey piece of equipment. It used to cost $699 from manufacturers in Germany, and the gimbal was made out of CNC-cut bits of carbon-infused fiberglass. The gimbal would carry a SONY NEX camera, although that did not mean you could take pictures right away- things like picture “Jell-o” were a thing from hell, resulting in restless nights balancing the already pre-balanced “Graupner” propellers in hopes that it will solve the persistent problems. It’s something you would not pay $20 for today. Things have moved forward so much since then.