Are you a "thumber" or a "pincher"?

[volition]

Pinch vs thumb

Tried pinching but I couldn’t pinch & control camera tilt at same time.

1 if you fly the DJI drones just for fun and not stressed about video it really doesn’t matter the assistance in flying software overcomes any need for high accuracy.

On that, FPV drones where you want to perform complicated manoeuvres requiring sharp accurate inputs it will definitely help. But that’s a specific discipline of quads/drones

2 Now if video is Important - input smoothness not input speed is most needed.
With the camera drones you can achieve everything needed as a thumbed. No doubt and it also allows your camera tilts to be more accurate.

Always beware bearers of black & white opinions. Ken could definitely explore this subject more. I am afraid he has locked it in as with other topics and that has definitely made me take all his videos with a pinch of salt.

Something that I concentrate on and I find it easier with thumbs is having really soft endings & beginnings to inputs. I mainly use my drone for the intention capturing footage. So my style is adapted to that utility. I’m a pretty decent flyer as is too. Lots of vlos practice at a park practicing lots of exercises in all different directions.

Whatever style one chooses they will become proficient with stick time.

If I ever got into fpv aerobatic or racing stuff I would force myself to learn the pinch.

Good topic & nice to talk about the nuances rather then accepting dogma as given

 

[hiflyer201]

you can't pinch when you fly the Spark or the Air with the mobile device ..praying helps

 

[Droning on and on...]

Pinch Pilots tend to be more precise and thumb pilots quicker.

This is just a myth perpetuated by pilots who can't fly with their thumbs...

 

[ehje]

Pinching the sticks as I used to flyin’ model airplanes so I am still doing it in flyin’ my drone(MM2). And I believe it all depends on how comfortable we use the sticks since there are controllers with rounded and short sticks that the thumb is appropriate to use.

 

[Vic Moss]

If I'm flying precision (video or whoops), it's pinch. I start the camera, then pinch for best control. I'll also thumb the left stick for gimbal control.

For stills, it's thumbs.

And on occasion, for small steady movements, I'll use thumbs with some back pressure applied by my index finger.

 

[Skerrabrae]

I've always just used thumbs to fly. Yesterday I went out to just practice flying some trickier movements with my MA2 so decided to try pinching the sticks this time. This felt so unnatural to me I was afraid I'd crash it into the ground. So I deferred the complex moves I was trying and just went with basic one stick at a time flying and still did not feel comfortable. Not only the flying but the gimbal wheel and photo button felt all wrong.

I guess years of thumbing playstation games is so ingrained in my brain that anything different feels wrong. I'll give it another go since so many swear by pinching the sticks for precision flying but I suspect if I decide to keep at it, this will be a very, very long learning curve for me.

I have no goals of becoming some wicked YouTube FPV flyer, so perhaps it doesn't matter.

 

[Tentoes]

I've always just used thumbs to fly. Yesterday I went out to just practice flying some trickier movements with my MA2 so decided to try pinching the sticks this time. This felt so unnatural to me I was afraid I'd crash it into the ground. So I deferred the complex moves I was trying and just went with basic one stick at a time flying and still did not feel comfortable. Not only the flying but the gimbal wheel and photo button felt all wrong.

I guess years of thumbing playstation games is so ingrained in my brain that anything different feels wrong. I'll give it another go since so many swear by pinching the sticks for precision flying but I suspect if I decide to keep at it, this will be a very, very long learning curve for me.

I have no goals of becoming some wicked YouTube FPV flyer, so perhaps it doesn't matter.

Oh, alas. You're a permanent thumber