As a Pro are you still (unexpectedly to yourself!) NOT buying Mavic 3?

[Crashdummytest]

@Crashdummytest
I really feel glad that you are fully satisfied with the M3 and even think, that leaving features, we had, aside, is good. Well honestly, you know, what they say: love is blind.

Thinking of all the points that have been mentioned, I still have not seen that shot/video, that only the M3 is able to produce from DJI. Some low light comparison though promise to have that advantage for the main lens. Maybe that is to come with future updates, but who knows.

I see, you want some facts .
This video and picture is from yesterday, taken directly from the camera, no processing.
I was stresstesting the AC in terms of height and range. The pic and video is not representative of what I am after, but showcases the M3 somewhat, everything on auto camerawise.
It was clear afternoon and the temperature about -10 degC

DJI_0074.MP4

drive.google.com

DJI_0049.JPG

drive.google.com

Edit:
Slightly better video from earlier in the day yesterday:

DJI_0052.MP4

drive.google.com

 

[globetrotterdrone]

@Crashdummytest
You are missing the point: I've never said, that the M3 with its bigger sensor isn't something we all were looking for. And for some people and some cases it is fine as it is.

But there are other users with other needs and it baffles me, that DJI gets away with selling a drone, lacking features, which have been made standard in their predecessors. It's not like, I demand pictures in portrait mode (what we had with the Mavic Pro and the much smaller sensor & gimbal) or near silent running. But panoramas, waypoints, clear messages if the SC 1 will ever be supported, what is the roadmpa for DJI Go4 or will all the preferences and when be implemented.

Just what real professional users were asking beforehand.
That again, doesn't mean, you can't have fun or make good videos/pictures with your drone. What DJI promotes and the user gets is unbalanced imho.

I really wish you happy flying.
PS: Can't watch that video, it's not loading and 360p anyway.

 

[John Locke]

I often wonder why DJI felt is was necessary to abandon Go4. Does anyone have an opinion about that?

 

[Crashdummytest]

I see, you want some facts .
This video and picture is from yesterday, taken directly from the camera, no processing.
I was stresstesting the AC in terms of height and range. The pic and video is not representative of what I am after, but showcases the M3 somewhat, everything on auto camerawise.
It was clear afternoon and the temperature about -10 degC

DJI_0074.MP4

drive.google.com

DJI_0049.JPG

drive.google.com

@Crashdummytest
You are missing the point: I've never said, that the M3 with its bigger sensor isn't something we all were looking for. And for some people and some cases it is fine as it is.

But there are other users with other needs and it baffles me, that DJI gets away with selling a drone, lacking features, which have been made standard in their predecessors. It's not like, I demand pictures in portrait mode (what we had with the Mavic Pro and the much smaller sensor & gimbal) or near silent running. But panoramas, waypoints, clear messages if the SC 1 will ever be supported, what is the roadmpa for DJI Go4 or will all the preferences and when be implemented.

Just what real professional users were asking beforehand.
That again, doesn't mean, you can't have fun or make good videos/pictures with your drone. What DJI promotes and the user gets is unbalanced imho.

I really wish you happy flying.
PS: Can't watch that video, it's not loading and 360p anyway.

I just uploaded to Google, it will take some time before you can view it in any quality. If you bother to download you will see original untouched M3 video from yesterday, with a ND32 filter, in 5.1K 24fps.

Thanks! I am not a loyal DJI fanboy, but surely I find them innovative in the flying camera field. Wish the M3 was looking a bit less militaristic though, it looks weaponized for sure. I would have liked it in off-white.

 

[globetrotterdrone]

I often wonder why DJI felt is was necessary to abandon Go4. Does anyone have an opinion about that?

As I said in another thread, they maybe really tried to ease the access to drones for their smaller ones with a reduced GUI. Like Samsung has with their phones. But the difference is, I can re-enable everything, that I like.

Not DJI: they simple introduced this Fly app without bringing all those features we already had - and Go4 is not an app I would have called perfect but no match for Fly.

My point is: DJI reduces costs of software engineering by simplyfing the app, therefore the programming, testing, debugging. If we ever see the full amount of features, we know from Go4, is yet to see.

@Crashdummytest
Thx, Norway is a beautiful country.

 

[Smooth Rhythm]

Chris, thanks so much for sharing your extremely thoughtful and well written comments, and congratulations on the many awards and accolades you have received for your work in photography. While I am not a “pro” photographer, I certainly want to learn as much as possible about the M3’s current shortcomings and potential for improvement in the future, and your comments were extremely enlightening in that regard. Continue being vocal as you are (along with others like HOsiHO) and possibly DJI will make a pro, or enhanced, version of the Fly app that includes the Go4 features you mentioned. Hopefully, DJI will better understand the importance of communication with the public and it’s customer base, as you astutely wrote in your comments.

 

[Crashdummytest]

As I said in another thread, they maybe really tried to ease the access to drones for their smaller ones with a reduced GUI. Like Samsung has with their phones. But the difference is, I can re-enable everything, that I like.

Not DJI: they simple introduced this Fly app without bringing all those features we already had - and Go4 is not an app I would have called perfect but no match for Fly.

My point is: DJI reduces costs of software engineering by simplyfing the app, therefore the programming, testing, debugging. If we ever see the full amount of features, we know from Go4, is yet to see.

@Crashdummytest
Thx, Norway is a beautiful country.

Thanks! I have to agree regarding Go4 and Fly. A good example would be the hyperlapse feature which is more like a joke in the Fly app. The radar is however good/better in Fly, or maybe now updated in Go4 as well.

 

[JTeRoller]

I purchased a Mavic 3 and have been using it for almost a week. This is my 5th DJI drone. It seems DJI lost their their customer focus and decided to put a drone in the market long before it was ready to launch. The hype says it's a pro grade product, which they failed to deliver. It seems what we have is an overpriced toy with an impressive camera sensor (wasn't it supposed to be 6K?). What happened to DJI? How did they miss the mark by that much?

 

[Crashdummytest]

I purchased a Mavic 3 and have been using it for almost a week. This is my 5th DJI drone. It seems DJI lost their their customer focus and decided to put a drone in the market long before it was ready to launch. The hype says it's a pro grade product, which they failed to deliver. It seems what we have is an overpriced toy with an impressive camera sensor (wasn't it supposed to be 6K?). What happened to DJI? How did they miss the mark by that much?

Depends depends. I have flown my M2P to pieces, spent more than a full bottle of superglue on it. Let's see in a year how the M3 fares. My first impressions are that it is just stellar, the finest dronekit (with the RC Pro) for the money in 2021 (and possibly beyond). Yes, the Fly app needs to be beefed up considerably to make us M2/Go4 users happy, but the HW is sound. Love everything about it including the facemask - so 2020.

 

[smashse]

I am waiting and have that same question, IF I should buy the M3, no longer WHEN I should buy it? But the article confuses me, since a lot of the things it says are not in the Fly app, I do have in my A2S and Mini2 in the fly app, like changing acceleration of the sticks, etc. Is the M3 somehow not able to use some of the features already in Fly?

I do really want the extended flight time, and larger sensor, but I almost think this misses the mark and I'd be better off with a used Inspire 2, I can get a real camera with a real shutter, swap cameras out when needed for zoom or even LiDAR, sure it isn't in a neat compact little package, but it is so much more "Pro" than the M3.

I do mostly automated flights for mapping and modeling right now, and I don't see the M3 being supported where the INspire and other drones already are. I am kind of disappointed that the reports are less than stellar on this, since functionality is very important to me. I might wait a few more months and see if they fix the issues.

 

[UAVquadman]

I am waiting and have that same question, IF I should buy the M3, no longer WHEN I should buy it? But the article confuses me, since a lot of the things it says are not in the Fly app, I do have in my A2S and Mini2 in the fly app, like changing acceleration of the sticks, etc. Is the M3 somehow not able to use some of the features already in Fly?

I do really want the extended flight time, and larger sensor, but I almost think this misses the mark and I'd be better off with a used Inspire 2, I can get a real camera with a real shutter, swap cameras out when needed for zoom or even LiDAR, sure it isn't in a neat compact little package, but it is so much more "Pro" than the M3.

I do mostly automated flights for mapping and modeling right now, and I don't see the M3 being supported where the INspire and other drones already are. I am kind of disappointed that the reports are less than stellar on this, since functionality is very important to me. I might wait a few more months and see if they fix the issues.

The end of January is your best bet. Sometimes they also make hardware changes like they have done with the Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom so waiting may also help in ways other than the major firmware update. Plus you will start off with a new warranty in few months instead of now. Let us Beta testers figure things out first... then buy!

 

[Sully53]

I really didn't expect to be where I am today. I fully expected to pay much more for the Mavic 3, no problems. The "zoom" lens not great? Well I don't care much as it's effectively a bonus feature compared to the M2P anyway. Active tracking etc? Can take it or leave it really.

But here I am a week after launch still deciding not just when I will buy the Mavic 3, but even IF I will buy the aircraft at all, and I have had the money sitting in a separate bank account for nearly 2 years ready to pay the money. Take my money DJI! But no, that hasn't happened.

Just for some context as to what I do: I've owned 4 DJI drones. On the M2P I've shot for Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures and BBC. Shot films under Director Werner Herzog and DP Russell Boyd ACS, ASC. This year I was a finalist in the Boston Drone Film Festival, "Landscape" winner in AZDroneFest Arizona and have won 14 other international drone awards including 3 different festivals in New York City, blah, blah blah.....but just trying to point out I know my stuff a bit, and get paid to do it.

What is it with this "DJI Fly" thing? Really? I'd never heard of the app until yesterday and we are being forced to use this instead of DJI Go4? What? Why bring out a Pro drone and then go way backwards in app functionality, pretty much to beginner level? In all sorts of ways this drone is a beta version. Now that is fine, if DJI want to keep us updated on what they are doing and when, but are they really....and fully? Yes, we have all heard of this January 22 firmware update, but what about all the other features? Sami Sarkis from Hosiho(dot)net writes a great blog article on all this, translated from French to English in his site, it is easily understood. These are just some of his questions:

• The Dji Fly App is too simple for a professional pilot: why did you drop Dji GO 4? Are there any plans for a Dji Fly Pro?
• Pros shoot manual! Why is it so hard to enter manual settings on DJI Fly? The Fly app may well be the dealbreaker for me.
• Why is it impossible to install Dji Fly on your CrystalSky monitors?
• We have listed the shortcomings of the version to be released in early November 2021: can you tell us what is likely to be added in terms of features, settings, etc.?

Other questions:

• We would like a real Tripod Mode with the possibility to adjust the Horizontal and Vertical speed as well: is this envisaged?
• Rough and aggressive behaviour of the M3C in flight even in Cine mode: could we access and modify the parameters to adapt them to each pilot?
• Should there be a stop when zooming with the 24mm from x0 to x4 in order to avoid going to x7 with a jump of images?
• Zoom only at 30p: no 25p for Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore?
• Bring back a HQ/FOV mode like on the Mavic 2 pro please?
• Iso at 400 or 800 in DLog Profile: why not from 100 to 1600 Iso like M2p?
• Bring back the choice of file indexing mode, e.g. Continuous as on Dji GO 4?
• ProRes recording on the 1Tb SSD: why not also record a H265/264 file on a microSD card like on the Inspire 2?
• Will there be Waypoints?
• Can you allow keyboard input of Distance or Altitude limits?
• Allow the pilot to enter the battery warning thresholds like on Dji GO 4?
• No HLG? Many Pros require an HDR format

Anyway my hope is that DJI will keep us "in the loop" and be honest and open about what they are doing as every day that goes by they risk Pros looking elsewhere
for other drones in this price and weight segment. Ok I've said my piece and now I'm going to clear my head in the "Outback"

"Outback"

The Australian Outback is at once familiar... yet other-worldly strange. It is a place of stark beauty and empty landscapes, and one of planet Earth's gems.…

vimeo.com

I have the same view as you do as well. I feel like the Mavic 3 falls short of what it should be and it really should be named a Mavic 2.5...

To go along with some of the posts I read this morning, you should wait a full year before making a decision or never buy the first year‘s model.

In my opinion, a side by side comparison with still shots or video between the MP2 & M3 there isn’t that much of a difference to justify spending that money right now.

 

[ortopeet]

I really didn't expect to be where I am today. I fully expected to pay much more for the Mavic 3, no problems. The "zoom" lens not great? Well I don't care much as it's effectively a bonus feature compared to the M2P anyway. Active tracking etc? Can take it or leave it really.

But here I am a week after launch still deciding not just when I will buy the Mavic 3, but even IF I will buy the aircraft at all, and I have had the money sitting in a separate bank account for nearly 2 years ready to pay the money. Take my money DJI! But no, that hasn't happened.

Just for some context as to what I do: I've owned 4 DJI drones. On the M2P I've shot for Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures and BBC. Shot films under Director Werner Herzog and DP Russell Boyd ACS, ASC. This year I was a finalist in the Boston Drone Film Festival, "Landscape" winner in AZDroneFest Arizona and have won 14 other international drone awards including 3 different festivals in New York City, blah, blah blah.....but just trying to point out I know my stuff a bit, and get paid to do it.

What is it with this "DJI Fly" thing? Really? I'd never heard of the app until yesterday and we are being forced to use this instead of DJI Go4? What? Why bring out a Pro drone and then go way backwards in app functionality, pretty much to beginner level? In all sorts of ways this drone is a beta version. Now that is fine, if DJI want to keep us updated on what they are doing and when, but are they really....and fully? Yes, we have all heard of this January 22 firmware update, but what about all the other features? Sami Sarkis from Hosiho(dot)net writes a great blog article on all this, translated from French to English in his site, it is easily understood. These are just some of his questions:

• The Dji Fly App is too simple for a professional pilot: why did you drop Dji GO 4? Are there any plans for a Dji Fly Pro?
• Pros shoot manual! Why is it so hard to enter manual settings on DJI Fly? The Fly app may well be the dealbreaker for me.
• Why is it impossible to install Dji Fly on your CrystalSky monitors?
• We have listed the shortcomings of the version to be released in early November 2021: can you tell us what is likely to be added in terms of features, settings, etc.?

Other questions:

• We would like a real Tripod Mode with the possibility to adjust the Horizontal and Vertical speed as well: is this envisaged?
• Rough and aggressive behaviour of the M3C in flight even in Cine mode: could we access and modify the parameters to adapt them to each pilot?
• Should there be a stop when zooming with the 24mm from x0 to x4 in order to avoid going to x7 with a jump of images?
• Zoom only at 30p: no 25p for Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore?
• Bring back a HQ/FOV mode like on the Mavic 2 pro please?
• Iso at 400 or 800 in DLog Profile: why not from 100 to 1600 Iso like M2p?
• Bring back the choice of file indexing mode, e.g. Continuous as on Dji GO 4?
• ProRes recording on the 1Tb SSD: why not also record a H265/264 file on a microSD card like on the Inspire 2?
• Will there be Waypoints?
• Can you allow keyboard input of Distance or Altitude limits?
• Allow the pilot to enter the battery warning thresholds like on Dji GO 4?
• No HLG? Many Pros require an HDR format

Anyway my hope is that DJI will keep us "in the loop" and be honest and open about what they are doing as every day that goes by they risk Pros looking elsewhere
for other drones in this price and weight segment. Ok I've said my piece and now I'm going to clear my head in the "Outback"

"Outback"

The Australian Outback is at once familiar... yet other-worldly strange. It is a place of stark beauty and empty landscapes, and one of planet Earth's gems.…

vimeo.com

Absolutely agree and beginners especially are far better off investing in a M2P, even a good used one, sad the M3 does not work with SC either.

 

[Crashdummytest]

I have the same view as you do as well. I feel like the Mavic 3 falls short of what it should be and it really should be named a Mavic 2.5...

To go along with some of the posts I read this morning, you should wait a full year before making a decision or never buy the first year‘s model.

In my opinion, a side by side comparison with still shots or video between the MP2 & M3 there isn’t that much of a difference to justify spending that money right now.

The Air2s camera clearly beats the M2P on quality, the M3 beats the Air2s..
The Air2s is such a good deal considering the competition. DJI needs to fix the Fly app features and there you go. Finest drones for the money.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

Just to be clear...perhaps DJI didn't give it the "Pro" name for a reason. It's only Mavic 3. They might perhaps come out with a Pro version later but I couldn't really see it using the FLY app unless there was a serious reworking.

 

[Crashdummytest]

Just to be clear...perhaps DJI didn't give it the "Pro" name for a reason. It's only Mavic 3. They might perhaps come out with a Pro version later but I couldn't really see it using the FLY app unless there was a serious reworking.

But how 'Pro' was 'Pro'? Go4 isn't that great, and it should definitively be possible to accommodate more specialist features in Fly. Soon we will see how the hyperlapse will be for M3, which is such a good candidate for that type of capture. DJI should incorporate more creative features, perhaps involving the telephoto-lens in HL and so on.

 

[christangey]

I put myself in this category as well.

I have spent A LOT of time reading posts and watching videos about this thing. I'm starting to think that the only people that give this thing glowing reviews are people that either don't want to jeopardize DJI sending them something to review in the future or people that feel as though they need to defend their purchase to save face.

Yes, well you certainly have to start questioning these so called "Pro" reviewers after this. So MANY points were missed, but some are the bleeding obvious, so why did they ALL miss those?

 

[RonBower]

Well, I have spent the last 10 days devouring every piece of information I could find. I placed my order on the 5th, mostly as a placeholder. The Flymore Combo arrived today but I have decided to return It. Actually decided 2 days ago. Only a small part of my decision was based on features not being ready. Many of those features don't affect me much as a still photographer. A significant disappointment, though, was the realization that my existing SC wouldn't work with the M3. I didn't want to pay an additional $1200, on top of the $3200, to buy another SC. And going back to my phone/iPad seemed like a step backward. My M2P has been a fantastic tool for me. I am still amazed at what it can capture. Another issue.... when I do get a gig involving video I am dependent on Litchi to get smooth footage. But, the decision to return is mostly based on the understanding that my growth and improvement as an aerial photographer isn't a function of the sensor size or an improved camera. Throwing money at the drone/camera (for me) would be avoiding my best avenues to improvement. I need to plan, study, practice, learn from others, advance my Photoshop skills, and refine my "eye". When people buy my work it's always because of an unusual scene I have captured, composition that pleases the eye, or maybe a unique perspective at a familiar location. My customers view my work as art rather than an example of technology. So I am waiting for now. I could change my mind down the road, but at this moment a slightly better camera on my drone isn't as important as the practices mentioned above. Having said that, I will keep following this saga, and will enjoy seeing the great results I know this group will produce. Best of luck to everyone in this group! Over the last few days I have really learned a lot!

 

[christangey]

Chris, thanks so much for sharing your extremely thoughtful and well written comments, and congratulations on the many awards and accolades you have received for your work in photography. While I am not a “pro” photographer, I certainly want to learn as much as possible about the M3’s current shortcomings and potential for improvement in the future, and your comments were extremely enlightening in that regard. Continue being vocal as you are (along with others like HOsiHO) and possibly DJI will make a pro, or enhanced, version of the Fly app that includes the Go4 features you mentioned. Hopefully, DJI will better understand the importance of communication with the public and it’s customer base, as you astutely wrote in your comments.

Thanks Smooth, appreciate your comments. Who knows, maybe DJI will one day reach out to me to review a new aircraft? Hmmm..I might be a little too honest for their liking too

 

[Yves007]

Very intereting read, you guys! I use my MP2 mainly professionally and love it, but the kind of shots I normally do would be so much easier if I could see separately where I'm flying, and what I'm filming. So something that I'd been hoping for and got VERY excited about when news broke of the second camera on the M3, was an additional FPV camera, like on the Inspire 2. On launch day I enquired with DJI about any customizability of that zoom camera to be used as FPV, or future firmware etc, but no, nout, nada, niente. And without that feature the MP3 is only marginally cheaper than the Inspire 2, and not really much better thanb my MP2, so I think for me I'll eventually go Inspire instead.