Aloha,
With some new additions to the drone series from DJI, I was wondering what drone you are currently using, if using a drone, and why that is your choice.
Thanks!
Aloha
Dave K
Share photos for critiques or for fun, ask questions, and connect with other passionate, like-minded photographers. A PRO membership unlocks access to our tutorial library.
I just bought the DJI Mini 3 Pro. It has its pros and cons. It is small and easier to pack for travel and it is less expensive (about $1,000 with the new RC controller and Fly More kit which includes two extended flight batteries which claim up to 45 minutes of flight time each but I have not tested this as yet). On the con side, it does not do well in wind as it is so light. Also it over heats easily. To keep its weight under 250g so it need not be registered with the FAA, DJI did not put in a fan to cool it. It relies on air vents. Therefore, if it hovers too long, it will overheat. Also, with the Fly More extended batteries, the weight does shift to over the 250g limit, so you actually do have to register it. This is not a problem really as registration costs $5 and you then need to put the number they give you on the exterior of the drone. I have found it hard to see the screen on the RC controller in bright sun and purchased a sun shade on Amazon for about $23 that does help. I also find that when the drone is pretty high, I have trouble maintaining visual on it as it is so small. However, maybe that is because I am old and my eye sight isn't what it was when I was younger. But be aware that FAA regulations require that you always maintain visual on your drone. Should you lose sight of it, it has a Return to Home button, which I did use on that occasion. It also has obstacle avoidance and the camera can be set in Pro mode where the photographer controls the camera settings or Auto mode where you can modify the exposure with the EV slider. You can flip the gimbal between landscape and portrait. It also has two buttons for customized settings. The video has some Quick Shots and Master Shot options to experiment with. These do some fancy manuevers that can be fun to try out. It does 4K video. I am enjoying it but I don't see it as a high end professional drone like the Mavic 3. However, the photos and video I have taken so far (spoiler alert: I've only tried it for 3 days so far) are pretty good and it will be fun to try some aerials of lakes and rivers when I am in Florida this winter. New fliers should read up on the FAA regulations for drones, which are much more complex than I had realized. For recreational flying, you should take the TRUST test, which is readily available on line and very easy to pass (even I got 100%) but it does give you the basic laws like you can't fly above 400 feet, can't fly over people and buildings without permission and not near Controlled airspace without permission. For commercial use, however, one must take the much more difficult and comprehensive 107 exam for which there are a number of preparatory classes. If your intent is to sell photos you take with your drone, you are in 107 territory! Sorry to have droned on (pun intended) like this!
Hi David, I am using the Mavic 3. Although it is currently DJI's most expensive consumer drone, I chose it for the following reasons:
Superior image quality. It has a micro four-thirds sensor, which is larger than the 1 inch sensors in DJI's previous flagship drones. The file size is 20mp, but with the larger sensor, there is less noise and higher dynamic range as compared to smaller sensor models.
Great flight time: the Mavic 3 has new batteries that give me over 30 minutes of flight time, which means my drone is more likely to be in the air when the light gets good.
Overall great flight performance. I don't need any fancy flying for shooting photos, but the drone is stable, fast, and capable of handling windy conditions, which extends my shooting opportunities.
Wide-angle adapter: DJI makes a useful wide-angle attachment, which makes it easier for doing shots looking down at the landscape below (you don't need to fly as high to get the framing you want). But be aware that the wide-angle adapter results in a fisheye look, which has to be corrected if you include the horizon in your composition.
That said, the Mavic Air 2S and the new Mini 3 Pro are both very interesting, and they are less expensive. Either might be a good option for you if you are new to droning.
I've attached a few recent shots from my Mavic 3 (I've had it this year only). These are a mix of photos from Ireland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.