DJI announcement on May 15

[Shon]

Just in case folks are still thinking this is an underwater ROV announcement:

 

[Former Member]

So. I think that the "unleash the other side" thing also refers to the fact that it has a lens-facing display, which makes it really nice when shooting selfie-kind of footage.
Also notice that there are two versions, one of which seems to have a knurled ring around the lens, giving it the impression that you can control something by rotating the lens. This could be anything like the Canon S110 series, which gave the user the ability to set either the aperture, the iso or the shutter time with that ring, orrrrr, it might indicate a zoom camera.

All in all, I think it makes perfect sense for DJI to move into this market:

1. They are already developing small size cameras, so they have the knowledge
2. It is an easy, low-investment kind of move to monetize the already available knowledge
3. They may want to take a bit of revenge on GoPro, as GoPro moved onto DJI's turf by trying to make drones as well...

I think youre the only person who actually reads my epic posts! Thank you! lol

 

[JoostGT3]

Yes but that is only one aspect of GoPros and DJIs past, somewhat tumultuous, relationship. The Phantom 1 used GoPro cameras. DJI unceremoniously dumped GoPro in favor of making integrated cameras. Thats all fine and good, but that left GoPro in a precarious position. DJI made no attempt to further partner with GoPro in any of their future projects, with DJI thinking that they could do it better themselves. DJI succeeded in their goal, and have since used integrated, DJI produced cameras in all their drones.

So what happened to GoPro? At that point in time, drones were just being born. One of the only drones that could lift a GoPro was the Phantom. GoPro decided that since DJI no longer needed their services, they would have a go at making a drone alone. GoPro already had an absolutely stellar reputation for making cameras, and great customer service. It was a no brainer to buy one of their drones. Thus came the Karma. It was groundbreaking, revolutionary, and high quality. When it was finally announced, it took the world by storm. A GoPro drone with a removable GoPro gimbal-on-a-stick! Amazing right?

Well, along comes the Mavic, which, to me, is a Karma ripoff. DJI must have had a spy in GoPro, and stole the concept of a foldable drone with 4k camera. DJI improved on the design in some respects, but failed in others. DJI also announced the Mavics release much sooner than it was prepared to do, so it could compete with the Karma. Yes, the Mavic was a better drone, but it was not ready for mass production, but the Karma was. DJI took peoples money, held it for months, including mine, and were random in how they sent drones out. We are talking about thousands of customers.

So what am I getting at? The word "revenge" came into play, so if anyone is seeking revenge, it would be GoPro. DJI beat the Karma to market, wasnt ready to produce it, but id so just to beat GoPro.

I wish GoPro all the best if they ever wish to release a drone again. The unfortunate Karma was plagued with problems, and was recalled, and GoPro had to give up because of the rushed announcement of the Mavic. As for DJI, I hope they are able to overcome any setbacks they have had in the past year. They do make a great product, no doubt about it. But they are not the only company in the world who can.

Oh wow! I didn't know they used to be partners. I guess there is no better enemy than a former friend, right?
I only knew that the Karma was announced, then had the issues with it's fame being stolen by the announcement of the not nearly ready Mavic Pro and the battery falling out issues after that.

 

[JoostGT3]

I think youre the only person who actually reads my epic posts! Thank you! lol

I have to admit I don't always though!

 

[Former Member]

I have to admit I don't always though!
View attachment 72053

Cant say I blame you.

 

[Smalls]

If all this is true, action cam, where will they price it to grab some of the already saturated market. GoPro and Sony have a pretty good hold of action cams, and if specs are what we have heard, DJI cam doesn’t have as many features as GoPro does. I’m a little disappointed In DJI for trying to jump into this market. I am a huge, super fan of DJI, so it hurts to say I’m disappointed in them. I don’t want to see them fail at something, even more so now because of the scum bags that stole all that money from the company. I kinda bummed about a action cam, sorry for being a crybaby about it. I’m gunna hope that Wednesday will bring something other than the cam. It’s probably a waste of time to hope for something different but hey I’m retired so what is time anyway

 

[Former Member]

If all this is true, action cam, where will they price it to grab some of the already saturated market. GoPro and Sony have a pretty good hold of action cams, and if specs are what we have heard, DJI cam doesn’t have as many features as GoPro does. I’m a little disappointed In DJI for trying to jump into this market. I am a huge, super fan of DJI, so it hurts to say I’m disappointed in them. I don’t want to see them fail at something, even more so now because of the scum bags that stole all that money from the company. I kinda bummed about a action cam, sorry for being a crybaby about it. I’m gunna hope that Wednesday will bring something other than the cam. It’s probably a waste of time to hope for something different but hey I’m retired so what is time anyway

I feel the same way. But then I asked myself, what do I expect from this poor company? Do I hang on every word that DJI says? Unfortunately, yes I do. Im a tech junkie and they are my dealer.

You know, DJI has us all spoiled. Dont ya think? They have come out with so many outstanding products in just a few short years, that I expect miracles from them in every product release. Im probably contradicting myself to some things I might have previously said, maybe its my immaturity, impulsiveness, and need for material techie things, but I am a victims of my own need for technological advancement and innovation. Sometimes I take out my neediness on DJI for not fulfilling every fantasy I think they should have fulfilled. Im needy, and I need more stuff from DJI. They have created a needy monster in me, and its my own fault.

Almost every DJI product I have ever owned has improved my life in one way or another. Whether it be the need to explore aloft, or simply tearing apart a brand new drone to see what DJI has created, DJI has impacted my life in a very positive way.

I might have become cynical when it comes to DJI products because they have so spoiled me with technological innovation, that I expect something amazing every few months from them.

People criticize me for criticizing DJI, and maybe they are right. I think I appreciate DJI more than ever since the intro of the fabulous Mavic 2, and maybe I will just back off criticizing them. They allow me to play with toys I never dreamed 20 years ago would ever exist, and Im glad they are part of my world.

 

[Smalls]

I feel the same way. But then I asked myself, what do I expect from this poor company? Do I hang on every word that DJI says? Unfortunately, yes I do. Im a tech junkie and they are my dealer.

You know, DJI has us all spoiled. Dont ya think? They have come out with so many outstanding products in just a few short years, that I expect miracles from them in every product release. Im probably contradicting myself to some things I might have previously said, maybe its my immaturity, impulsiveness, and need for material techie things, but I am a victims of my own need for technological advancement and innovation. Sometimes I take out my neediness on DJI for not fulfilling every fantasy I think they should have fulfilled. Im needy, and I need more stuff from DJI. They have created a needy monster in me, and its my own fault.

Almost every DJI product I have ever owned has improved my life in one way or another. Whether it be the need to explore aloft, or simply tearing apart a brand new drone to see what DJI has created, DJI has impacted my life in a very positive way.

I might have become cynical when it comes to DJI products because they have so spoiled me with technological innovation, that I expect something amazing every few months from them.

People criticize me for criticizing DJI, and maybe they are right. I think I appreciate DJI more than ever since the intro of the fabulous Mavic 2, and maybe I will just back off criticizing them. They allow me to play with toys I never dreamed 20 years ago would ever exist, and Im glad they are part of my world.

I couldn’t have said it better

 

[tleedom]

View attachment 71999

Thanks;

Now every time I think of GoPro this is what I see.

 

[gnirtS]

Yes exactly! They made money on one product alone! Thats their bread and butter and people believe in GoPro. I do too.

Their investors, share holders and customer base dont believe in them at all. They were losing massively amounts of money, have competition thats potentially superior, made some horrific management decisions and now the whole company depends on the success of a single product that can easily be made 2nd rate by the competiton.
GoPro is pretty much a text book example of how NOT to develop and run a company and they are in serious trouble. They havent innovated for years either. Refresh is about the best.

 

[gnirtS]

Yes but that is only one aspect of GoPros and DJIs past, somewhat tumultuous, relationship. The Phantom 1 used GoPro cameras. DJI unceremoniously dumped GoPro in favor of making integrated cameras.

Because integraton wise it made perfect sense. Sticking a camera that isnt ideal onto a drone was only ever going to be a temporary gap.

[quote[
Thats all fine and good, but that left GoPro in a precarious position. [/quote]

That's hardly DJIs fault. Blame GoPro for bringing nothing new to the table

DJI made no attempt to further partner with GoPro in any of their future projects

Why would they? It makes no business or technological sense to.

Thus came the Karma. It was groundbreaking, revolutionary, and high quality. When it was finally announced, it took the world by storm. A GoPro drone with a removable GoPro gimbal-on-a-stick! Amazing right?

Hardly, there were several others in the works, most of which offered more.
Karma (when it wasnt falling out of the sky) was an incredibly basic first attempt version. Nothing more.

Well, along comes the Mavic, which, to me, is a Karma ripoff. DJI must have had a spy in GoPro, and stole the concept of a foldable drone with 4k camera.

Bold claim to make given DJI mavic development started long BEFORE GoPro did. Maybe the reverse was true.

DJI improved on the design in some respects, but failed in others.

You mean better stabilisation, better video quality, better battery life, intelligent flight modes, obstable avoidance, increased range and so on. It was substantially better. It also didnt randomly drop out of the sky.

DJI also announced the Mavics release much sooner than it was prepared to do, so it could compete with the Karma. Yes, the Mavic was a better drone, but it was not ready for mass production, but the Karma was.

Nothing really to back that up. Mavic was mature when released and got added to. Nothing unusual there. As for the Karma being ready for mass production, the recall and other issues hint that isnt true.

GoPRo is a text book example of how NOT to run and develop a company. Its gone from huge into being ready for sale and falling to pieces. They WERE good but a combination of no innovation and atrocious management means they've lost now. Their single only product is not significantly better than the competition and its a market thats getting more and more crowded.

 

[wellington_drone]

GoPro is finally shaking off the pain of quitting the drone business

Just in time for DJI to unveil an action camera.

www.theverge.com

 

[mavicn00b]

The only thing the Karma drone had going for it was that it was modular. You could upgrade the camera without upgrading the whole drone. Some have even fitted it with a GoPro Hero 7 thus giving you 4k60 etc. Downside is the drone was absolute crap and has very little in common with the Mavic. There is no way DJI just cooked the MP overnight. Literally took the competition 2 years to even come close to producing something vaguely comparable (Autel, Hubsan, Fimi etc).

GoPro literally had their arses handed to them when the MP was announced - why they even bothered is anyone's guess. They would have fared better if the co-developed the drone with another existing manufacturer who could build a half-decent quad-copter (Parrot, Yuneec etc) and wanted a detachable camera.

As for this action cam, unless DJI are going to offer something compelling feature-set, It might be a struggle to compete in this already over-saturated market. The Hero 7 has already been out quite a while and I think DJI are now playing in GoPro's backyard.

 

[Former Member]

GoPro is finally shaking off the pain of quitting the drone business

Just in time for DJI to unveil an action camera.

www.theverge.com

Now thats inspiring!

 

[Former Member]

Their investors, share holders and customer base dont believe in them at all. They were losing massively amounts of money, have competition thats potentially superior, made some horrific management decisions and now the whole company depends on the success of a single product that can easily be made 2nd rate by the competiton.
GoPro is pretty much a text book example of how NOT to develop and run a company and they are in serious trouble. They havent innovated for years either. Refresh is about the best.

Is it always gloomy where you live? Glass always half empty? I think you could make it rain on a sunny day. joking

I'll tell you what, @gnirt. You short the stock today, and I will go long. Lets talk at the end of the second quarter when earnings are released. I hope you have a healthy margin account.

Current GoPro price $6.41.

 

[Former Member]

The only thing the Karma drone had going for it was that it was modular.

Well, not exactly. It was made by Gopro who everyone knew and trusted. It also had a removable gimbal which DJI missed the boat on again with the Mavic 2.

There is no way DJI just cooked the MP overnight. Literally took the competition 2 years to even come close to producing something vaguely comparable (Autel, Hubsan, Fimi etc).

Who said anything about overnight? I think DJI got their hands on some Karma plans and made their drone better. Then, by rushing the Mavic to market, and taking preorders for drones that were months away from being produced, but that DJI claimed were ready to ship, its more evidence that DJI was well behind GoPro from the starting line. China has a history of copying designs. They even do it with Mercedes, Ford, GM, and then just wait to get sued and settle. In China, foreign companies lose in court almost automatically. The Chinese government stands by domestic companies because they pretty much control what the companies do and say.

GoPro literally had their arses handed to them when the MP was announced - why they even bothered is anyone's guess. They would have fared better if the co-developed the drone with another existing manufacturer who could build a half-decent quad-copter (Parrot, Yuneec etc) and wanted a detachable camera.

Why did they even bother? The Karma would have been the first of its kind. Foldable drone? Detachable camera? Incredible. The question is, why would they partner with Parrot or Yuneec? The Karma was way more advanced than anything those other companies had.

As for this action cam, unless DJI are going to offer something compelling feature-set, It might be a struggle to compete in this already over-saturated market. The Hero 7 has already been out quite a while and I think DJI are now playing in GoPro's backyard.

I agree that the market is oversaturated, but still dominated by GoPro. In the USA, the top-six cameras sold by unit volume in the action camera category were GoPro cameras in Q3 2018.

As far as you thinking that DJI is playing in GoPros backyard, they can come and play, but most GoPro owners will largely ignore them.

 

[Wrinkle249]

I know there is a lot of “leaked” info but I am moving back to a waterproof/resistant Mavic because of the water scene and/or a Mavic with a 360 camera, hence “the other side”. This guy added a 360 GoPro fusion to a Mavic to show the possibilities.
Mavic w/ 360 Fusion

 

[Former Member]

I know there is a lot of “leaked” info but I am moving back to a waterproof/resistant Mavic because of the water scene and/or a Mavic with a 360 camera, hence “the other side”. This guy added a 360 GoPro fusion to a Mavic to show the possibilities.
Mavic w/ 360 Fusion

Very possible!

 

[AlexSP]

Yes but that is only one aspect of GoPros and DJIs past, somewhat tumultuous, relationship. The Phantom 1 used GoPro cameras. DJI unceremoniously dumped GoPro in favor of making integrated cameras. Thats all fine and good, but that left GoPro in a precarious position. DJI made no attempt to further partner with GoPro in any of their future projects, with DJI thinking that they could do it better themselves. DJI succeeded in their goal, and have since used integrated, DJI produced cameras in all their drones.

So what happened to GoPro? At that point in time, drones were just being born. One of the only drones that could lift a GoPro was the Phantom. GoPro decided that since DJI no longer needed their services, they would have a go at making a drone alone. GoPro already had an absolutely stellar reputation for making cameras, and great customer service. It was a no brainer to buy one of their drones. Thus came the Karma. It was groundbreaking, revolutionary, and high quality. When it was finally announced, it took the world by storm. A GoPro drone with a removable GoPro gimbal-on-a-stick! Amazing right?

Well, along comes the Mavic, which, to me, is a Karma ripoff. DJI must have had a spy in GoPro, and stole the concept of a foldable drone with 4k camera. DJI improved on the design in some respects, but failed in others. DJI also announced the Mavics release much sooner than it was prepared to do, so it could compete with the Karma. Yes, the Mavic was a better drone, but it was not ready for mass production, but the Karma was. DJI took peoples money, held it for months, including mine, and were random in how they sent drones out. We are talking about thousands of customers.

So what am I getting at? The word "revenge" came into play, so if anyone is seeking revenge, it would be GoPro. DJI beat the Karma to market, wasnt ready to produce it, but id so just to beat GoPro.

I wish GoPro all the best if they ever wish to release a drone again. The unfortunate Karma was plagued with problems, and was recalled, and GoPro had to give up because of the rushed announcement of the Mavic. As for DJI, I hope they are able to overcome any setbacks they have had in the past year. They do make a great product, no doubt about it. But they are not the only company in the world who can.

So basically the Karma was a huge flop because DJI beat it to the market with a rushed (allegedly) Karma rip-off and some shady commercial practises. And not because the Karma sucked and was plagued with REAL, serious flaws and failures that totally killed expectations and never delivered on its promise of greatness. Also not because GoPro had no track record in making reliable drones or being an innovative, revolutionary company while DJI was already well established in that scene and advancing in large strides - so much so that 9.5 out of 10 pilots decided it was better to take chances with the dodgy chinese and pay in advance for a foldable drone that wasn't even out there yet, than to put money on an "amazingly released" one that basically never took off (literally speaking here) and was even deemed "dangerous"by many including its manufacturer.

Well time proved it was a wiser decision to go with DJI, despite all the rage that went on with the delays and all at the time. The Mavic is already on its successful second gen and... well, how much is worth a Karma today? How many flying around? The Mavic Pro and Platinum are still amazing, reliable, powerful drones by any standard, still selling, still impressing.

GoPro can't beat back at DJI because, well... they can't. It's tough but that's a fact. They came early to the action cam game with a good product and still they take a punch here and there in their own turf. Because they're not innovating, much less revolutionising anything. Not taking risks (honestly, the Karma looks like it but it was really just a badly implemented developmental and commercial extravagance), just working on making a better wheel. The Hero 7 as good as it is doesn't make many Hero5 and even 3 owners itch enough o drop the old and pay for the new. I didn't, went straight to the Insta360oneX (absolutely love it) and my GoPro is being perfectly used for construction time lapses. Yeah that's not much action for an action camera, sadly.

I've no crystal ball but it isn't hard to imagine a more robust 360 cam coming soon and killing GoPro definitely. Heck if I was a GoPro exec I'd be scared with this DJI release already. Hanging by a thread, unless they have something really original in the pipeline, something that allows people to do stuff they can't already do with a Hero3, 5 or 7 or whatever. Because we've reached a limit with that format, and we need to move forward with what we can do with a cam.

Sure a 1"sensor Hero8 or whatever might give them some extra life. But then someone else could do that too. So regardless of DJI's future and whatnot, I don't hold much faith in GoPro. I wish they could come up with something truly amazing, but I just can't see it based on what they've been doing pretty much since they started.

 

[kidologist]

All I know is DJI is probably going to get more of my money LOL