Where to next?

[TimMc]

My 3 year old Mavic air is starting to exhibit battery problems. It is a gift from my son and has enough sentimental value that my plan is put it on the shelf and not risk a total loss.

so, if you where buying today, or in a couple of months , what do you think you would buy for fun and sunset/landscapes?
thanks

 

[AlanLichty]

Mavic 3. Sunrise and sunsets demand a camera that can handle the wide dynamic range. My Mavic Air 2 is not what you want for that kind of light.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Look at Air 2s. The Mavic 3 gives you marginal improvement for more than 2x the cost. Check out some online reviews which compare the 2. I did quite a bit of reaearch before opting for the 2s.

if your interest is more video than photography and in fairly challenging environments, then a mavic 3 may be worth splurging on.

 

[JimFox]

If you can hold off a bit, the Mini 3 is on the horizon. It has some serious upgrades. 3 Obstacle avoidance sensors, an over 1" sensor (I forget the exact size), and a new controller with the display built into it.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Mini 3 is still a lot of speculation and haven’t been announced yet. Here is one such speculation.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle...e-dji-mini-3-drone/ar-AAUwlyT?ocid=uxbndlbing

Given the price point I doubt they will make it competitive over their higher priced offerings.

 

[TimMc]

Right now a 1 inch sensor equates to $1000 while a 4/3 sensor equates to $2100. While I wait to see what the Mini 3 is in real life I will try to decide if I am comfortable putting $2100 in the air and over water. Not sure right now.

Thanks to all for the input

 

[pepper]

we're having connection issues with the mavic 3s at work. we're using crystal sky controllers and ipads and that are listed as compatible, but we either can't take off or we loose connection during the flight. there have also been issues reported with the mavic 3 controller. we've shelved the fleet for now until dji fixes the issue. i'm sure they'll fix it eventually, but i wouldn't recommend it right now.

 

[JimFox]

Mini 3 is still a lot of speculation and haven’t been announced yet. Here is one such speculation.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle...e-dji-mini-3-drone/ar-AAUwlyT?ocid=uxbndlbing

Given the price point I doubt they will make it competitive over their higher priced offerings.

Thanks Jameel. I am sure that DJI doesn't want to give up the sub 500gram Drone market, so the Mini series is due a refresh. The rumors I had heard seemed to fall into line with other articles. A larger sensor and avoidance sensors. Those are the 2 big things that all Mini and Mini 2 owners are asking for. So while rumors can be false, in this case, where there is smoke, I believe there is fire. But.... time will tell either way. I am still totally happy with my Mini 2, so I am in no rush.

As far as a Mini being competitive with a full size drone? I can't imagine anyone expecting that. The Mini fills a certain part of the market, I don't think anyone is expecting it to be able to beat out a Mavic 3 or the Air 2s.

To me the question isn't whether the Mini is competitive, but does it fit your needs. For me, the Mini 2 has totally fit my needs. I have saved anywhere from 60 to 80% of the price on those various full sized drones. That's a huge, huge, huge savings of money. I have not for one minute regretted getting the Mini 2, and wished I had spent $1000 to $2000 more to get the full size drones. Not one second even have I regretted my choice. The Mini 2 flies awesome, takes great photos and videos. It lacks a couple of pano features, but that's no big deal because you could still just manually move the gimbal or drone if you wanted to do a Pano. I typically don't, I like the field of view as it is, since it matches the video field of view.

So the question to me isn't about if a Mini is competitive, it's about whether the Mini 2 or Mini 3 will perform the tasks you want? For me it does, hands down and I have extra money to spend or save.

 

[JimFox]

Right now a 1 inch sensor equates to $1000 while a 4/3 sensor equates to $2100. While I wait to see what the Mini 3 is in real life I will try to decide if I am comfortable putting $2100 in the air and over water. Not sure right now.

Thanks to all for the input

Tim, if you aren't sure about your current drone. Just go buy a Mini 2. They work great and I had gotten mine on sale at Costco for like $375. That's pocket change when you think about it. Use it for a while until some new models are released, and then give the Mini 2 to one of your grandkids to use.

 

[TimMc]

we're having connection issues with the mavic 3s at work. we're using crystal sky controllers and ipads and that are listed as compatible, but we either can't take off or we loose connection during the flight. ...

I am totally addicted to using my iPad as the controller screen. Until this is solved the Mavic 3 appears to ruled out. Thanks for the info

 

[TimMc]

Tim, if you aren't sure about your current drone. Just go buy a Mini 2. They work great and I had gotten mine on sale at Costco for like $375. That's pocket change when you think about it. Use it for a while until some new models are released, and then give the Mini 2 to one of your grandkids to use.

5 & 2/3 s grand kids, so buy 7 and keep the one I like

 

[JimFox]

5 & 2/3 s grand kids, so buy 7 and keep the one I like

Ha ha.... yep! Now you are thinking!

 

[JimFox]

Rumors are coming in strong on the Mini 3 now.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/dronedj.com/2022/04/02/dji-mini-3-photos-video-leaked/

 

[TimMc]

With just enough information left out to keep me confused about a path forward. I did see a suggestion that the full release will occur by the end of the month

 

[JimFox]

With just enough information left out to keep me confused about a path forward. I did see a suggestion that the full release will occur by the end of the month

Yeah, it's just rumors, so it will be vague.

I just saw another news article yesterday that said there will be a Mini 3 and a Mini 3 Pro. The Mini 3 should be announced at the end of April.

I don't know if you can wait, but I would wait a few more months before making a decision.

 

[TimMc]

I am in no rush. I solved my initial problem by charging the drone batteries just prior to use. If my batteries sit a week or more they drop their charge in half.

I am really wanting to see the details on the new cameras.

 

[pepper]

I am in no rush. I solved my initial problem by charging the drone batteries just prior to use. If my batteries sit a week or more they drop their charge in half.

I am really wanting to see the details on the new cameras.

most of the dji batteries that (all of the newer batteries, i'm not sure if all of the older ones do). the batteries are designed to discharge 40% of their load over 5 days to reduce the chance of battery swelling.

 

[TimMc]

I knew it was intentional . I am suspect (ie I am guessing) that a firmware update added or increased the discharge. In any case I have noticed it more in the last year than before.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Tim!

I am happy to hear that perhaps the issues with the drone then are solved!

The intentional draining can be a pain in the butt. I just make sure to stick my 4 batteries in the charger before I leave on a trip. I am not sure how many days it is as to when they start discharging. I have seen them 5 or 6 days after I charged them to 100% and they were still at 100%.