Controlling a 3 Pro with RC-N1?

[GroovyGeek]

Hi, I just purchased a Mavic 3 Pro with a RC Pro controller on the Classifieds forum. As a hiking photographer the RC Pro is too much, both size and weight wise, so I am thinking of selling the Pro and replacing with a RC-N1. Yup, the RC-N1, not the RC with the built in screen. The rationale is straightforward

1. Better range with the N1, I often fly over ridges and around hills
2. Better battery life, even if I recharge the phone
3. Smaller size - even if marginally so
4. I am about to upgrade my aging phone with a S25U, which has 2000 nits peak brightness that simply wipes the floor with the RC

However I am wondering if the N1, with its limited buttons and customization is capable of lens and aperture selection on the 3 Pro, and whether it is just too much hassle to go back to the screen for everything. Thoughts?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Hi, I just purchased a Mavic 3 Pro with a RC Pro controller on the Classifieds forum. As a hiking photographer the RC Pro is too much, both size and weight wise, so I am thinking of selling the Pro and replacing with a RC-N1. Yup, the RC-N1, not the RC with the built in screen. The rationale is straightforward

1. Better range with the N1, I often fly over ridges and around hills
2. Better battery life, even if I recharge the phone
3. Smaller size - even if marginally so
4. I am about to upgrade my aging phone with a S25U, which has 2000 nits peak brightness that simply wipes the floor with the RC

However I am wondering if the N1, with its limited buttons and customization is capable of lens and aperture selection on the 3 Pro, and whether it is just too much hassle to go back to the screen for everything. Thoughts?

It is too much hassle, and you are severely limited when shooting video.

The range on the 1000 nit RC Pro is much better than with the RC-N1.
The RC Pro has two external antennas, while the RC-N1 utilizes the phone's antenna (when used with a mobile device). The RC Pro's dual antennas contribute to a more stable and potentially wider range

The many additional buttons and second scroll wheel with their customization options allows simultaneous elevation of the gimbal and digital zoom when shooting video. This is especially critical when using the Explore mode for continuous 1x-28x video zoom. If you are only shooting stills, you might be able to make do with just the RC-N1.

2000 nits is also only perceived as 25% brighter than 1000 nits.

Experts estimate that the perceived brightness difference between 1000 nits and 2000 nits is closer to 20-25%

 

[GroovyGeek]

It is too much hassle, and you are severely limited when shooting video.

The range on the 1000 nit RC Pro is much better than with the RC-N1 and the additional buttons with their customization allows simultaneous elevation of the gimbal and digital zoom because of the second scroll wheel when shooting video. This is especially critical when using the Explore mode for continuous 1x-28x video zoom. If you are only shooting stills, you might be able to make do with just the RC-N1.

2000 nits is also only perceived as 25% brighter than 1000 nits.

Experts estimate that the perceived brightness difference between 1000 nits and 2000 nits is closer to 20-25%

Except that... I am dunce who has never shot a second of video on their camera or drone, and have little interest in doing so at any point in my life. This is why I went for the 3 Pro instead of the the Air 3S - because the stills from the Air 3S are very low quality in comparison, looked lower quality than the Air 2S even, despite what many review videos would have you believe.

The only thing I will ever do on a drone are stills, and pretty much the only controls I will use are gimbal up/down, EV compensation, lens selection, maaaybe aperture selection and ISO occasionally. Pitiful, I know...

 

[GadgetGuy]

Except that... I am dunce who has never shot a second of video on their camera or drone, and have little interest in doing so at any point in my life. This is why I went for the 3 Pro instead of the the Air 3S - because the stills from the Air 3S are very low quality in comparison, looked lower quality than the Air 2S even, despite what many review videos would have you believe.

The only thing I will ever do on a drone are stills, and pretty much the only controls I will use are gimbal up/down, EV compensation, lens selection, maaaybe aperture selection and ISO occasionally. Pitiful, I know...

In that case, pick up a used RC-N1 for under $100, and see for yourself. I like having the option of both, where I can also use my RC-N1 with my giant 12.9” iPad Pro, for creating Waypoints, or a better view while flying. I like options!

 

[Cymruflyer]

Something else to remember is that your bright phone will only be that bright for a very limited time. Once it starts to heat up those NITS will drop and drop, so don't be fooled by that 2000 number. Your Smart Controller does not dim as it gets hot, This alone is worth thinking hard about, because if you can't see the screen very well, you can't compose a still shot. I have shot a lot in the Austrian Alps and a phone was impossible to see much of the time. I bought the FeelWorld 7 inch monitor that is 2,400NITS and does not dim at all.

 

[The Norwegian Drone Pilot]

Something else to remember is that your bright phone will only be that bright for a very limited time. Once it starts to heat up those NITS will drop and drop, so don't be fooled by that 2000 number.

This is mostly an iPhone issue.

I use a 'Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6' with my 'DJI RC-N1' controller for my 'DJI Mavic 3 Pro' drone. It works perfectly. I have never ever seen the screen dim at all because it gets too hot.

And my 'Z Fold6' has a 2600 nits 'Dynamic AMOLED 2X' display that simply wipes the floor over the screen on the 'DJI RC' controller I got with the drone. The screen on the Z Fold6 simply looks a million times better than the poor LCD-screen on the 'DJI RC' and 'DJI RC Pro' controllers.

Now, the 'DJI RC Pro' have a 1000 nits display that is 300 nits more over the 'DJI RC' controller, but that still doesn't even comes remotely close to the 2600 nits on my Z Fold6. And the 'RC Pro' controller have the ability to install apps (apk) which the RC controller can't. So, except for that, there isn't many differences between them.

I actually made a comparison between the 'DJI RC-N1' and the 'DJI RC' controller here a while back where you can see what advantages and negative sides each controllers have.

Here it is: DJI RC-N1 vs DJI RC in combination with a high-end smartphone. (some of the points listed will not be valid against the 'DJI RC Pro' controller.

P.S: I had the Z Fold5 back in 2023 when I made that topic. Now I have the Z Fold6 which is even better.

 

[GadgetGuy]

This is mostly an iPhone issue.

I use a 'Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6' with my 'DJI RC-N1' controller for my 'DJI Mavic 3 Pro' drone. It works perfectly. I have never ever seen the screen dim at all because it gets too hot.

And my 'Z Fold6' has a 2600 nits 'Dynamic AMOLED 2X' display that simply wipes the floor over the screen on the 'DJI RC' controller I got with the drone. The screen on the Z Fold6 simply looks a million times better than the poor LCD-screen on the 'DJI RC' and 'DJI RC Pro' controllers.

Now, the 'DJI RC Pro' have a 1000 nits display that is 300 nits more over the 'DJI RC' controller, but that still doesn't even comes remotely close to the 2600 nits on my Z Fold6. And the 'RC Pro' controller have the ability to install apps (apk) which the RC controller can't. So, except for that, there isn't many differences between them.

I actually made a comparison between the 'DJI RC-N1' and the 'DJI RC' controller here a while back where you can see what advantages and negative sides each controllers have.

Here it is: DJI RC-N1 vs DJI RC in combination with a high-end smartphone. (some of the points listed will not be valid against the 'DJI RC Pro' controller.

P.S: I had the Z Fold5 back in 2023 when I made that topic. Now I have the Z Fold6 which is even better.

Which limitations of the DJI RC are improved with the newer DJI RC 2, as you allude to in your linked post? How does the DJI RC Pro compare, for the Mavic 3 Pro?

 

[AlanL]

The RC-N1 was the first controller that DJI included in the box when I first bought my Mavic 3 Fly More package. All of the above comments about the display being hard to see in bright sunlight are entirely correct. Yes it will work with the 3 Pro but it sucks IMHO.