M2P to M3 upgrade questions, re: screens, controllers, kits, etc

[OurAngryBadger]

Hi sorry I'm sure the information is out there I've just been managing some life crisis lately and hoping someone can just answer my questions concisely, . Long story short I am upgrading my M2P w/ Smart Controller to M3 but have some concerns.

1. I really liked the OG smart controller and how quick, easy, and reliable it was; but it's not compatible with M3 and the RC Pro controller I don't see as worth $800 considering it has no real upgrades besides OccuSync3 and is the same brightness which I am disturbed they did not upgrade. I found 1000 nits to not be enough for me in bright sunlight. I am wondering what's the best solution these days that is brighter than 1,000 nits and is fairly quick and portable? I guess it would have to be compatible with the stock controller if it doesn't have integrated controls like the smart controllers. My Samsung S22 Ultra does claim 1700 nits peak brightness but I think it only activates if it detects bright sunlight and has potential to overheat and kill the battery. So IDK. I see some $700 tablets that are 2000 nits and would work as a standalone device but is anyone using some bright screen connected to their phone? What's out there now? I guess CrystalSky is also not compatible with M3 either.
2. What's the status of the FAA remote ID regulations these days? Are they still gearing for drones to have to have transponders in them to communicate with air traffic? Is the M3 future proofed for this or will it be a paperweight in 2 years like the M2P?
3. Is the DJI Fly app as horrible as they say? Will I really hate myself for not being able to use DJI Go4 anymore?
4. Is there still a used market for M2P or do I basically just keep it as a backup?
5. Is the fly more kit worth it if all I really want is 1 extra battery? Or should I just buy the 1 extra battery separately? It looks like the kit includes 2 extra batteries, some extra props, and a carrying case that I probably won't use, and a multi charger. Am I missing anything else in the kit?
6. Are there any authorized vendors on here that can give me better price than MSRP?

 

[Darkabaz]

- I.M.O. the new RC Pro controller is much better than the regular Mavic 2 smart controller. The screen is also 60fps and that is a big difference for me. Everything looks smoother.

- I come from Mavic 2 zoom & pro and always used the DJI Go 4 app. I don't have any problems with the DJI Fly app. It runs smooth and the design is clear/professional. No green/orange/red bars. The menu structure is a bit better than DJI Go. The GO app does have more submenus, what is a bit unclear.

- I have my M2P and M2Z with smart controller on sale, but there are only some bids from < 1100€ for both drones. That is too les for me.

- I have 3 battery's extra on my mavic 3, but never used more than 1 battery in a day. Last week i made 2 sessions with 1 battery. That is amazing. Yesterday we had a bit more wind, and the battery was draining fast from 91% to 20% in less than 16 minutes.

But at last: if i have to made the choice again, i think i hold the Mavic 3 in stores. It is not complete, like so much people said. The telelens is almost unusable without RAW/DNG option and there are no manual controls and photo modes for this lens. There is also no 2.7K resolution. I am still confused and angry at DJI why they are selling products which are not complete. It goes about so much money .................

 

[GadgetGuy]

Keep your M2P and buy the M3 a la carte, buying an extra battery and the hub, and apply the additional Fly More savings to the purchase of the RC-Pro. You'll thank me later. MSRP is the best you can do now, as you missed out on the $150 savings offered briefly last month, but you can still save the sales tax if you buy from www.DroneNerds.com . Drones will never have transponders. They are receive only and it is a marketing gimmick. You won't like the Fly app at first, but you will get used to it. Stop filming in direct sunlight, or find some shade or an umbrella, if you must!

 

[mcde]

The Fly app is ok, it could be better, but overall it is usable and the interface to change the camera parameters is good. I don't miss the Go app that was required for Mavic 2 pro.

If you only need one additional battery, there's really no reason to buy the fly more kit. The charging hub is probably the most useful piece of equipment included, but you can buy that later. The nd filters are also something I need because I tend to shoot under harsh sun light, but I prefer the nd/pl ones from polarpro anyway.

Regarding the batteries, keep in mind that with the extended flight time that the Mavic 3 provides, it's a completely different situation than the Mavic 2 pro. You have more than 10 additional minutes to find what you are looking for and compose your shot without the anxiety that you should be returning just to swap batteries. I really can't stress how much of a difference this makes to me.

 

[Skywatcher2001]

darkabaz gadgetguy and mcde all have excellent responses. You will rarely use that second battery with the Mavic 3 . . .

 

[Dale D]

Hi sorry I'm sure the information is out there I've just been managing some life crisis lately and hoping someone can just answer my questions concisely, . Long story short I am upgrading my M2P w/ Smart Controller to M3 but have some concerns.

1. I really liked the OG smart controller and how quick, easy, and reliable it was; but it's not compatible with M3 and the RC Pro controller I don't see as worth $800 considering it has no real upgrades besides OccuSync3 and is the same brightness which I am disturbed they did not upgrade. I found 1000 nits to not be enough for me in bright sunlight. I am wondering what's the best solution these days that is brighter than 1,000 nits and is fairly quick and portable? I guess it would have to be compatible with the stock controller if it doesn't have integrated controls like the smart controllers. My Samsung S22 Ultra does claim 1700 nits peak brightness but I think it only activates if it detects bright sunlight and has potential to overheat and kill the battery. So IDK. I see some $700 tablets that are 2000 nits and would work as a standalone device but is anyone using some bright screen connected to their phone? What's out there now? I guess CrystalSky is also not compatible with M3 either.
2. What's the status of the FAA remote ID regulations these days? Are they still gearing for drones to have to have transponders in them to communicate with air traffic? Is the M3 future proofed for this or will it be a paperweight in 2 years like the M2P?
3. Is the DJI Fly app as horrible as they say? Will I really hate myself for not being able to use DJI Go4 anymore?
4. Is there still a used market for M2P or do I basically just keep it as a backup?
5. Is the fly more kit worth it if all I really want is 1 extra battery? Or should I just buy the 1 extra battery separately? It looks like the kit includes 2 extra batteries, some extra props, and a carrying case that I probably won't use, and a multi charger. Am I missing anything else in the kit?
6. Are there any authorized vendors on here that can give me better price than MSRP?

I am at the same stage- I own a perfectly fine Mavic 2 Pro with fly more and have used it for several great years. I finally succumbed to buying the Mavic 3 after the 2nd firmware, and am now becoming more comfortable flying it although I am still not loving the DJY Fly app as much as the DJI 4 Go app.

I rarely go beyond a single M3 battery, but I love the fact that the battery has 40 minutes on it and I use every minute of that time when doing a 500 image hyperlapse.

I am now toying with the idea of selling my soon to be obsolete M2P. I've seen the value go down to below $1,000 and am wondering if I should just keep it for a backup.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Dale

 

[GadgetGuy]

I am at the same stage- I own a perfectly fine Mavic 2 Pro with fly more and have used it for several great years. I finally succumbed to buying the Mavic 3 after the 2nd firmware, and am now becoming more comfortable flying it although I am still not loving the DJY Fly app as much as the DJI 4 Go app.

I rarely go beyond a single M3 battery, but I love the fact that the battery has 40 minutes on it and I use every minute of that time when doing a 500 image hyperlapse.

I am now toying with the idea of selling my soon to be obsolete M2P. I've seen the value go down to below $1,000 and am wondering if I should just keep it for a backup.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Dale

Why not keep the M2P as a backup? You already know it intimately. It's a good choice for a backup! I've kept mine! It still uses GO 4 and Litchi for additional capabilities that may take a year on the M3, when the SDK is finally released.

 

[Dale D]

Why not keep the M2P as a backup? You already know it intimately. It's a good choice for a backup! I've kept mine! It still uses GO 4 and Litchi for additional capabilities that may take a year on the M3, when the SDK is finally released.

I think I will just keep the lens as a backup. Anyone out there super interested in it?

 

[Jorge Vergara Latoja]

Why not keep the M2P as a backup? You already know it intimately. It's a good choice for a backup! I've kept mine! It still uses GO 4 and Litchi for additional capabilities that may take a year on the M3, when the SDK is finally released.

Very good answer you have given….I have done the same, keep my M2P, I have the M3 with the Fly more kit, I am still not convinced by the DJI Fly App, I think it lacks development or improvements in its interfaces, but it complies with what is needed. The M3 is still due so having the M2P in terms of flight modes still makes it a drone with good performance. I think that each version of a drone has its qualities and also its weaknesses, but when it comes to flying and being able to capture what you want, it's worth it. I still have my Phantom 4Pro Obsidian and my Inspire 2, excellent Drones…and I think I won't get rid of them…even less so with the Inspire2 since there is still no drone that surpasses it in terms of safety and image quality from its cameras…

 

[Dale D]

Very good answer you have given….I have done the same, keep my M2P, I have the M3 with the Fly more kit, I am still not convinced by the DJI Fly App, I think it lacks development or improvements in its interfaces, but it complies with what is needed. The M3 is still due so having the M2P in terms of flight modes still makes it a drone with good performance. I think that each version of a drone has its qualities and also its weaknesses, but when it comes to flying and being able to capture what you want, it's worth it. I still have my Phantom 4Pro Obsidian and my Inspire 2, excellent Drones…and I think I won't get rid of them…even less so with the Inspire2 since there is still no drone that surpasses it in terms of safety and image quality from its cameras…

With all of these positive replies I am more and more considering keeping the M2P.

Dale

 

[GadgetGuy]

With all of these positive replies I am more and more considering keeping the M2P.

Dale

You have our permission to keep it! We won't demand that you sell it!

 

[veryzebra]

Not exactly the same boat as I had been flying an Air2. Value is prob $500 since I have the flymore and will include an aftermarket hub. I think I'll keep it as a loaner for all those times when someone says they want to try things out. I ended up building my own flymore combo that got me better filters, diff bag, etc and saved me some money. I know folks say you don't need 3 batteries but I rarely start a flight with anything other than a fresh battery. Most of my flights are over water so it's just too important to make sure I have the battery duration. The fly app isn't so bad. I think it's a matter of what you get used to. Good luck though. Don't spend above your means though and if that means selling the old to help fund the new there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[KS-6]

Is the M3 future proofed for this or will it be a paperweight in 2 years like the M2P?

There are things you can do to ensure it does not become a paperweight which I am also very much doubting at this point will happen even if left in current state.

I plan on keeping mine for video work with it’s smart controller and 6 healthy batteries for as long as it lasts, it and the Smart Controller has not had a firmware update since 10/2019 and is always flown closed loop.

As far as the Mavic 3, I spent the better part of a month looking for DNG files to convince me that it was worth upgrading to over the M2P and found they all had smeared corners on an even wider lens, some quite badly de-centered at that and decided to fully skip it.

For stills I am using a highly impressive EVO II Pro Enterprise kit with a *perfectly* centered lens with far better corners, long flight time and huge and bright screened 2000 nits smart controller.

It looks like they at least got the zoom cam on the Mavic 3 to do raw now, that might have swayed me but those soft corners were a non-starter for a bird in that price range.