M3- for Pro use it flies like a pig.

[christangey]

I enjoyed the footage thank you for sharing, but I think you exaggerated a little about the Mavic 3 it’s really a beast of a drone once you get to understand it and a feel for the sticks. It was a learning curve coming from the Mavic 2 to the Mavic 3 for sure. But once you make the adjustments to your liking, you will find it to be an amazing drone. Also I might had, I purchased the RC Pro controller and find it to be even smoother experience with the controls in every way. The Rc pro is what the Mavic 3 should have come with in the first place. Just give the Mavic 3 a few more flights and you will will be able to tame the beast lol.

I've given it 6 weeks of flights and if I don't "have a feel for the sticks" by now I should retire I think.

 

[SmilingOgre]

I'm just hoping I can keep my MP2 going for a good long time. I see that Mavic (1) batteries are still available. Maybe there's hope. It has just become gold.

 

[sar104]

I've given it 6 weeks of flights and if I don't "have a feel for the sticks" by now I should retire I think.

Assuming that you have made appropriate changes to the stick gains with no success, are you quite sure you don't simply have a bad unit, as suggested earlier?

 

[christangey]

yes all EXP settings and calibrations repeatedly. There are TWO separate issues, one is the constant drift and the other is the lack of the ability to truly fly slowly as in the M2P which affects fine control especially on closer objects, say, rotating a round a tree or tracking over ground at slow speed. I might have a bad unit but in the back of my mind are stories I've heard about people wasting weeks returning aircraft only to have them continue to have the same issues when they get them back. So I'll wait for the next update, supposedly not far away but who really knows?

 

[sar104]

yes all EXP settings and calibrations repeatedly. There are TWO separate issues, one is the constant drift and the other is the lack of the ability to truly fly slowly as in the M2P which affects fine control especially on closer objects, say, rotating a round a tree or tracking over ground at slow speed. I might have a bad unit but in the back of my mind are stories I've heard about people wasting weeks returning aircraft only to have them continue to have the same issues when they get them back. So I'll wait for the next update, supposedly not far away but who really knows?

If you know anyone else with an M3 it might be interesting to fly it for comparison.

 

[christangey]

Just occurred to me that I should maybe explain what I mean by "cinematic speed" and "cinematic movement" which many people here would not be familiar with and why low speed is so critical. In Cinematography we often use the 180 degree shutter rule, originally developed for mechanical film which simply means that the "number" of your shutter speed should be double your frame rate. We've moved onto digital but the effect is largely the same. So for example at 25P we ALWAYS shoot at 1/50th to get a cinematic movement. This gives the look people are used to from over 100 years of filmmaking and, know it or not, we all are used to the way things move in film. This is also why you rarely see quick pans or tilts in a normal scene as it causes what is known as motion blur and sometimes jittering (of course it doesn't matter in action movies etc.) Most of what I do is slow and deliberate and the last thing I want is a pronounced motion blur or some sort of jittering. This is why it is hard to put an exact speed number on what is too fast as it can vary too with how close you are to the subject. All I can say it that the M2P could achieve cinematic movement and the M3 can't, or at least my one can't!

 

[christangey]

If you know anyone else with an M3 it might be interesting to fly it for comparison.

Yes it would be, but I happen to live in one of the most isolated towns in the world so I doubt if I'll find one right now!

 

[sar104]

Just occurred to me that I should maybe explain what I mean by "cinematic speed" and "cinematic movement" which many people here would not be familiar with and why low speed is so critical. In Cinematography we often use the 180 degree shutter rule, originally developed for mechanical film which simply means that the "number" of your shutter speed should be double your frame rate. We've moved onto didgital but the effect is largely the same. So for example at 25P we ALWAYS shoot at 1/50th to get a cinematic movement. This gives the look people are used to from over 100 years of filmmaking and, know it or not, we all are used to the way things move in film. This is also why you rarely see quick pans or tilts in a normal scene as it causes what is known as motion blur and sometimes jittering (of course it doesn't matter in action movies etc.) Most of what I do is slow and deliberate and the last thing I want is a pronounced motion blur or some sort of jittering. This is why it is hard to put an exact speed number on what is too fast as it can vary too with how close you are to the subject. All I can say it that the M2P could achieve cinematic movement and the M3 can't, or at least my one can't!

You might be interested in an analysis of the cinematic problem using Nyquist sampling theory and an extended analysis taking into account human eye characteristics:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/whp/whp-pdf-files/WHP282.pdf

 

[CactusJackSlade]

Yes it would be, but I happen to live in one of the most isolated towns in the world so I doubt if I'll find one right now!

I just looked at your location.... no wonder you have such incredible footage! Thank you for the post and info, I've been holding off on the M3 for several reasons.... and you just added to it. Recently I went back to FPV after several years and I have found with the new HiDef FPV (compared to my old FatSharks) that I now prefer FPV, especially in tights quarters.

My main reason, previous to your post here, for not getting the M3 was the incompatibility with the new v2 Goggles - IMO, very dumb on DJI's part.
Anyway, you video is one of the best I have seen of recent memory, thanks again for sharing your video and concerns

 

[SmilingOgre]

and sometimes jittering

This is where I often want to slap myself. I'll pan with a shoulder rig and when I get it in post it's like watching a flip pad out of a cracker jack box. Takes on a similar effect to a time lapse of still shots, discussing. Note to self, Don't do that!

 

[GadgetGuy]

No, not this beast.

Are you using the RC-Pro or the RC-N1 with it?
If you are using it with the RC-Pro, then you likely have a lemon, and should exchange it with DJI. If it isn't working for you currently, no loss in sending it in for a properly operating replacement. Use your M2P in the interim. I'm very happy with my Mavic 3 and the RC-Pro, except for the long time for satellite acquisition, and the loud heart attack beeping below 15% battery.

 

[christangey]

I just looked at your location.... no wonder you have such incredible footage! Thank you for the post and info, I've been holding off on the M3 for several reasons.... and you just added to it. Recently I went back to FPV after several years and I have found with the new HiDef FPV (compared to my old FatSharks) that I now prefer FPV, especially in tights quarters.

My main reason, previous to your post here, for not getting the M3 was the incompatibility with the new v2 Goggles - IMO, very dumb on DJI's part.
Anyway, you video is one of the best I have seen of recent memory, thanks again for sharing your video and concerns

Thanks Cactus, I have had concerns with this release even before I bought it but I do want to make clear that the camera-side (potentially) is a great improvement. I don't like the Hasselblad color science (too contrasty and saturated) and the fact that it is only 8-bit means my clients wouldn't use it anyway. Also no HLG (HDR) format as promised is also a big negative. But it potentially has a GREAT picture, especially in lower light and I am still wanting to cheer on DJI's efforts in the field but it just isn't there yet.

 

[sar104]

Thanks Cactus, I have had concerns with this release even before I bought it but I do want to make clear that the camera-side (potentially) is a great improvement. I don't like the Hasselblad color science (too contrasty and saturated) and the fact that it is only 8-bit means my clients wouldn't use it anyway. Also no HLG (HDR) format as promised is also a big negative. But it potentially has a GREAT picture, especially in lower light and I am still wanting to cheer on DJI's efforts in the field but it just isn't there yet.

But doesn't the L2D-20c do 10-bit DLOG?

I'll second the other comments on your M2P video though - very nice.

 

[christangey]

Are you using the RC-Pro or the RC-N1 with it?
If you are using it with the RC-Pro, then you likely have a lemon, and should exchange it with DJI. If it isn't working for you currently, no loss in sending it in for a properly operating replacement. Use your M2P in the interim. I'm very happy with my Mavic 3 and the RC-Pro, except for the long time for satellite acquisition, and the loud heart attack beeping below 15% battery.

The RC-N1, as I prefer to use a larger screen. But that's another frustrating thing. Once I started using my ipad mini the monitoring went into picture meltdown (literally melting streaks all over the image making it impossible also to see where you were flying) so I was forced to buy a brand new ipad for $US700 as the fly app (as opposed to the old GO4) is so processor-intensive it couldn't handle talking to the M3. It would have been nice to know this was the case beforehand, now I am left to decide on whether to spend another 1000 bucks on an RC-Pro with no guarantee on a functional improvement anyway.

 

[christangey]

But doesn't the L2D-20c do 10-bit DLOG?

I'll second the other comments on your M2P video though - very nice.

Not sure what you a referring to there, I should have been clearer and say that I meant the "normal" picture setting which I understand is a kind-of Hasselblad LUT. I know d-log is 10-bit, I shoot in that of course as there is not an HLG/HDR option... yet. I still hope.

 

[GadgetGuy]

The RC-N1, as I prefer to use a larger screen. But that's another frustrating thing. Once I started using my ipad mini the monitoring went into picture meltdown (literally melting streaks all over the image making it impossible also to see where you were flying) so I was forced to buy a brand new ipad for $US700 as the fly app (as opposed to the old GO4) is so processor-intensive it couldn't handle talking to the M3. It would have been nice to know this was the case beforehand, now I am left to decide on whether to spend another 1000 bucks on an RC-Pro with no guarantee on a functional improvement anyway.

The RC-Pro results in significant functional improvement. If nothing else, the gimbal control and the zoom functions are independently controlled through adding a second scroll wheel on the left side, like on the M2P. It also adds programmable C1 and C2 buttons, and a 5 way programmable button, like on the M2P RC. As much as I like flying with the larger 7.9” iPad, the RC-N1 cripples the control. In order to make any functional use of the Explore zoom function on the M3, one must have independent control over the gimbal and the zoom, as maintaining the framing during zooming requires simultaneous elevation of the gimbal, and zooming out requires lowering of the gimbal. That is impossible on the RC-N1, since both zoom and gimbal elevation are on the same scroll wheel. Lastly, the stick controls on the RC-Pro are the same as those on the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2, which are optimized for precision flying. Try it. You'll like it! You can always still add a larger screen of any size through the HDMI out. You can even use the Tripltek 8” Pro with a Lifthor mount designed for the RC-Pro. It mirrors the main screen, while keeping the required touch responses on the RC-Pro screen.

 

[Ralph thompson]

I'm just hoping I can keep my MP2 going for a good long time. I see that Mavic (1) batteries are still available. Maybe there's hope. It has just become gold.

Don’t worry about m2 batteries for now, DJI launched the M2 Enterprise Advanced last year, they use the same batteries.

 

[shb]

They need to put tripod mode back in. Cine mode is too fast.

 

[SmilingOgre]

Don’t worry about m2 batteries for now, DJI launched the M2 Enterprise Advanced last year, they use the same batteries.

Thank you! Sigh of relief. That bird does everything I need and I have a good amount of practice to put in before I max it's capabilities out.

 

[sar104]

Not sure what you a referring to there, I should have been clearer and say that I meant the "normal" picture setting which I understand is a kind-of Hasselblad LUT. I know d-log is 10-bit, I shoot in that of course as there is not an HLG/HDR option... yet. I still hope.

I was just puzzled by your comment about it being only 8-bit. The still images should be 12-bit DNG and the video 10-bit D-Log.