Is the DJI Mini 4 Pro good enough for professional work?

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

I'm assuming, for Professional work, it means to get the work done just before the sky opens up to a torrential downpour and allows you to land your drone. Maybe. But unless the plastic absorbs water, I can't see routing the water away from sensitive areas would work 100% of the time. Water has a way of getting into areas where it shouldn't. Not saying the wetsuit is a bad product, just not for me. But then, I'm in the high desert where it doesn't rain a lot and gets to be 95-110 degrees in the summer. This wet suit would not work well for me. I do like the idea of the rescue jacket though, since I fly around the river... but I haven't purchased anything like that. Probably won't

I may be wrong and PhantomRain can correct me if needed, but as I understand it the downward propwash keeps the lens clear of rain and snow. So protecting the aircraft from water intruding on the frame is the key issue allowing you to continue flying. Then the camera does it's job completing your flight mission.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Nice that one was directed toward me,and no it it not useless sarcasm its called the truth.
Sorry you can't handle it.
Done

I appreciate your sympathy.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

I may be wrong and PhantomRain can correct me if needed, but as I understand it the downward propwash keeps the lens clear of rain and snow. So protecting the aircraft from water intruding on the frame is the key issue allowing you to continue flying. Then the camera do it's job completing your flight mission.

Your correct, ,the biggest miss conceptoion of flying in the pouring rain is that the lens will not be clear and yet after 6 Years of flying in the Rain , the lens has remained 90% clear all thru out all Flight , add a little bit of skill to your flying and that becomes 95% clear.

Here are two good videos showing a New Client caught in the rain and how he panics and recovers , just a fantastic video.

Client Caught in the Rain

How to fly in the Rain - where are the drops

You wil find it very difficult to even show that it is raining unless its Pouring and Hard.
This is why so many of the sport games , soccer , football are recorded in the rain with the wet suits the world over.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain, Land on the Water. Capture the Storm

 

[Dusty DJI]

Your correct, ,the biggest miss conceptoion of flying in the pouring rain is that the lens will not be clear and yet after 6 Years of flying in the Rain , the lens has remained 90% clear all thru out all Flight , add a little bit of skill to your flying and that becomes 95% clear.

Here are two good videos showing a New Client caught in the rain and how he panics and recovers , just a fantastic video.

Client Caught in the Rain

How to fly in the Rain - where are the drops

You wil find it very difficult to even show that it is raining unless its Pouring and Hard.
This is why so many of the sport games , soccer , football are recorded in the rain with the wet suits the world over.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain, Land on the Water. Capture the Storm

For me, it's not just about keeping the lens clear. It's keeping water out of everything else.
But, like I said... it's not for me. It probably works for everyone else.

 

[Wreckhunter]

lol , our journey into drones started with the Swell Pro water proof drone and a man in the UK who made them , but bad design and a rotten camera system , left little to work with.

DJI is already making very water resistant drones , and with a little help from the Wet Suit to support the weak links , you now have several drones that can Dominate the Extreme Weather .

If your a Professional making money with your drone, than being able to fly without the worry of Weather to beat you down is Priceless. It stops you from having to extend a weeks worth of work into months waiting for those Marry Popins like days to fly.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your drone in the Rain, an Capture the $$$$

And lets say you are not a professional,then what sense does it make to somewhere down the road more than likely
shorten the life of your costly product by flying in rain.Which DJI does state they do not recommend.Sorry but still
a non believer here.Wet suit or not no way.

 

[Meta4]

And lets say you are not a professional ...

Even if you are a professional.
I think the scenario put forward to support the idea that professionals work in the rain is far-fetched and extremely unlikely.
The number of professional flyers that might work the way that was suggested would be an extremely small number.

 

[Dusty DJI]

Even if you are a professional.
I think the scenario put forward to support the idea that professionals work in the rain is far-fetched and extremely unlikely.
The number of professional flyers that might work the way that was suggested would be an extremely small number.

As in maybe security personnel, first responders, or private investigators.. that's the only good reason I can think of, which if it were me I would choose a SplashDrone 4 by SwellPro instead. It's manufactured for that kind of use. And fairly decent. And really off topic so...
Although the lightning photos are impressive.

 

[Droning on and on...]

For me, it's not just about keeping the lens clear. It's keeping water out of everything else.

That's what @Phantomrain.org's products are all about. With a wetsuit, go fly, wipe it off with a towel on return.

 

[Droning on and on...]

As in maybe security personnel, first responders, or private investigators.. that's the only good reason I can think of,

What about professional photography of storms?

which if it were me I would choose a SplashDrone 4 by SwellPro instead. It's manufactured for that kind of use. And fairly decent. And really off topic so...
Although the lightning photos are impressive.

Only counter-argument is its rather expensive (Mavic 3 pricing and up), and @Phantomrain.org's solution and expertise is well-proven. Over a decade.

Not sure what facts substantiate your concerns.

 

[Wreckhunter]

What about professional photography of storms?



Only counter-argument is its rather expensive (Mavic 3 pricing and up), and @Phantomrain.org's solution and expertise is well-proven. Over a decade.

Not sure what facts substantiate your concerns.

Water is water it will eventually find a way in and wreck your costly product.So called expertise or not
makes no difference.This point can be argued around the clock,wet suit or not will not matter.
But hey your money your drone.Just not what some pilots on here are willing to risk.

 

[Droning on and on...]

This bears repeating: It's always amusing to watch people criticize as impossible, useless, etc. out of ignorance that which others are accomplishing, using, and succeeding with.

Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

 

[Dusty DJI]

Water is water it will eventually find a way in and wreck your costly product.So called expertise or not
makes no difference.This point can be argued around the clock,wet suit or not will not matter.
But hey your money your drone.Just not what some pilots on here are willing to risk.

I also don't see a warranty that if anything happens to the drone during a rainstorm due to the wetsuit that it will be covered.
And, I know that's a reach of warranty issues, but.. still.. a consequence to the manufacturer of the wetsuit.
It may work... I just don't want to trust it by word of mouth. I'd rather buy a drone manufactured for use in rain and rivers IF that's what I am going to use it for.
For now... DJI for day and night flights in average weather is good enough for me.
I knew someone that got a wetsuit for an Air 2S. It constantly gave overheating warnings flying in summer, and even setting in front of AC and even refrigerator couldn't get the suit off without destroying it.

 

[Felix le Chat]

I'm looking into upgrading my trusty old Air 2 and choosing between the Mini 4 Pro and Air 3.

The Air 3 seems a bit expensive, and it doesn't have a 1 inch sensor for that price.

I find the Mini 4 pro better at value per price, as native vertical video is something I would benefit from, especially for hotel promo videos, etc...

So I want to ask owners of these drones, how are they?

The mini 3/4 series carry very good cameras with the same size sensor as the Air 3's dual cameras. Both mini cameras have a party piece that the Air 3 lacks - they can shoot in portrait orientation using the whole sensor (no cropping). The output DNG's are astonishingly good with both types of drone. The Air 3 tips the scales for handling slightly stronger winds and offering a lens that's equivalent to a fixed 3x optical zoom, but the mini 3/4 portrait flip balances the scales in the other direction.... AND you can fly a lot closer to built structures and urban areas with the mini's.

 

[MS Coast]

This bears repeating: It's always amusing to watch people criticize as impossible, useless, etc. out of ignorance that which others are accomplishing, using, and succeeding with.

Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

Blissful though it may be, ignorance is not good when it comes to flying machines. So, let's please help reduce or eliminate it. Several questions have been posed about protecting DJI drones from rain and snow, but not resolved.

Looking at the Mavic 3 as an example, these areas seem likely to potentially allow water to reach the internal electronics and electrical components. Are they protected?

• Sensors, 10 - Are they be protected without interfering with function?
• Exposed perimeter of the battery compartment - ?
• Air vents, four on upper side, two on sides, one behind camera/gimbal - Is water entry blocked without reducing air flow?
• Camera and gimbal - not protected?
• Motors - not protected. Motors may be somewhat water tolerant?
• Lesser concerns
  • Joints between fuselage pieces - All covered by urethane pieces?
  • Cover for USB connector and card slot - probably secure as is?
  • Pivot connections where arms join fuselage - Is there a path for water to the interior?
  • Switches for battery and drone - ?

 

[Droning on and on...]

I can't answer those questions, as I'm not the expert. They're good questions.

What does come to mind is whether they're meaningful or not. Again, I don't know. Do those areas need to be protected?

The one experience I do have is with the sealed nature of the Phantom 4 camera, it's waterproof. Mine hit some thin wispy branches while is was poking around down low in a sloping grassy field many years ago. Since it fell through about a 10ft high area of bushes, it was undamaged. However, it landed, right-side up, in a little flowing stream with the entire camera submerged.

Took me 10 minutes whacking around in the bushes to find it. I got 10 minutes of boring underwater footage. No fish, just grains of sand and other tiny detritus flowing by.

Wiped it down, no damage. Still good today.

BTW, the brushless motors on our drones are just fine getting wet, and dry themselves pretty quickly from spinning, and then warmth after landing. The most vulnerable part are the bearings, which are sealed.

Can't speak for the rest of the items in your list, but I suspect many of them are simply non-issues.

 

[BigAl07]

Alright folks. Several of the "comments" on this thread are getting "personal" and snarky. Let's not go down that path regardless of which side of the debate you're on.

Some of you need to check your PM's . . . .

I've deleted some posts and left some "messages".... We are better than this . . .

Allen

 

[Droning on and on...]

@Phantomrain.org, would you share with us an estimate of the mix in your customer base between p107 professionals buying your products for for-profit commercial work, and pure recreational hobbyists?

If anyone knows facts for how this breaks down, it's you

 

[Dusty DJI]

Blissful though it may be, ignorance is not good when it comes to flying machines. So, let's please help reduce or eliminate it. Several questions have been posed about protecting DJI drones from rain and snow, but not resolved.

Looking at the Mavic 3 as an example, these areas seem likely to potentially allow water to reach the internal electronics and electrical components. Are they protected?

• Sensors, 10 - Are they be protected without interfering with function?
• Exposed perimeter of the battery compartment - ?
• Air vents, four on upper side, two on sides, one behind camera/gimbal - Is water entry blocked without reducing air flow?
• Camera and gimbal - not protected?
• Motors - not protected. Motors may be somewhat water tolerant?
• Lesser concerns
  • Joints between fuselage pieces - All covered by urethane pieces?
  • Cover for USB connector and card slot - probably secure as is?
  • Pivot connections where arms join fuselage - Is there a path for water to the interior?
  • Switches for battery and drone - ?

These are all the questions I have about water resistance. None have really been answered but always deflected to the camera and how it's pointed when raining.
I do know... in a hot climate... the skin will create a temp warning on certain drones. A friend of mine had that happen on an air 3s. We tried to remove the skin in one piece by placing it in front of ac. and even put it in refrigerator. Didn't come off in one piece though and couldn't reuse it. Could be a different adhesive used now.
Anyway, yesterday I wanted to fly my drone in Prineville Oregon. There was just a little misty fog, slight rain. I thought, If I could put this skin on my drone and remove it afterwards to reuse again, this is the conditions that might make it work for me. But, I won't spend the money for a one time use

 

[Phantomrain.org]

These are all the questions I have about water resistance. None have really been answered but always deflected to the camera and how it's pointed when raining.
I do know... in a hot climate... the skin will create a temp warning on certain drones. A friend of mine had that happen on an air 3s. We tried to remove the skin in one piece by placing it in front of ac. and even put it in refrigerator. Didn't come off in one piece though and couldn't reuse it. Could be a different adhesive used now.
Anyway, yesterday I wanted to fly my drone in Prineville Oregon. There was just a little misty fog, slight rain. I thought, If I could put this skin on my drone and remove it afterwards to reuse again, this is the conditions that might make it work for me. But, I won't spend the money for a one time use

One of the Fantastic Things about Phantomrain.org is that every single client has to after there purchase contact me for the Video Install an In doing so they get my peronal email with a Life time warranty on any an all parts.

There is not a single made that they do not have contact me personally for those instructions , this give me a person to person communication where I am able to interact with every single client.


I am going to Ask to have this thread shut down, because of the number of Lies that are being told

Here is the First LIE you have been caught on.
Just to give you some understanding , the Air 2 only has 1 air tight cover and that is the Air Tight Battery Cover , and there # 3 of them bud, you decide if you want to use the Battery cover. ? UGH !


Now your saying its an Air 3 , Please stop Lying an Hijacking the OP thread.



Mods please shut this thread down.
I never thought my first reply to the OP would cause this to be Hi Jacked like this.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain, Capture the Storm.

 

[clackey]

Thread closed - seems to have gone off topic.