M3 on order. Reconsidering

[vindibona1]

couldn't agree more! It's not the position of the phone, it's the security... and the flip flop antennas are a PIA as well.

If you don't like the antennae, then you won't like the new smart controller. Personally, I have a much more secure grip and ergonomic functionality with the M2 controller.

 

[akdrone]

Finally made up my mind. I'm going to take delivery. For me, wanting to film wildlife, the quiet nature of the drone and the battery life are the clincher. It was hard to accept the limitations and the realization that the tele lens is, for me, meaningless for photography or videography since I shoot log, but I gained little of value by choosing a 2s. The cost difference wasn't a major factor. I have been around and used drones for quite some time but always used a school's drone or a friends drone. My fpv is the first drone I bought and as fun as it is, when the Mavic gets here with 3 axis gamble...my filming will almost entirely be done by it with the FPV used to scout an area for wildlife or interesting features. I think the combination will work well as I often spend a fair bit of time looking for the right perspective or the most interesting geological feature. It's still two weeks away so....

 

[Wreckhunter]

Finally made up my mind. I'm going to take delivery. For me, wanting to film wildlife, the quiet nature of the drone and the battery life are the clincher. It was hard to accept the limitations and the realization that the tele lens is, for me, meaningless for photography or videography since I shoot log, but I gained little of value by choosing a 2s. The cost difference wasn't a major factor. I have been around and used drones for quite some time but always used a school's drone or a friends drone. My fpv is the first drone I bought and as fun as it is, when the Mavic gets here with 3 axis gamble...my filming will almost entirely be done by it with the FPV used to scout an area for wildlife or interesting features. I think the combination will work well as I often spend a fair bit of time looking for the right perspective or the most interesting geological feature. It's still two weeks away so....

Great to hear,enjoy your new drone when you get it.
Have a great day

 

[TonyPHX]

It will still make a great addition to your fleet. I do have some faith that eventually the features will be added, and hopefully the SDK released so I can fly it via Dronelink scripting.

 

[akdrone]

So much of this is new in spite of having flown drones 10 years ago. Previously we (I) had to simply watch the drone and fly it without looking at any video feed. It was really challenging for me and I often found myself going backwards when I though I was going to go forward. The FPV drone turned all of that on it's head. I used to be a full time hang glider pilot and flying the FPV is so reminiscent of those days. It is why I plan to use my M3 with a 12.9" iPad Pro. I'm very much looking forward to it.

 

[AnzacJack]

I'd cancel and see what the new EVO offers.

i wouldnt be holding my breath for that.

 

[LA 2020]

I have a Mavic 3 Combo in shipment but am reconsidering. Why? One of the huge reasons I ordered it was because of the tele lens and camera. I enjoy finding wildlife in Alaska but have no interest in stressing them, thus even a moderate tele lens was a big deal to me. I do a lot of video work and was planning on shooting in 10bit log without question but now I have learned the tele lens will not allow you to shoot in 10bit log. Wow. Color grading a file, choosing a lut and all that is straight forward. What is not straight forward is really doing a good job of matching the color grading of one image to another image, particularly if you have tele footage that is not 10bit and want to color grade it over to your normal lens coloration. This makes the ability to shoot in 10bit horribly crippled. You can't even shoot in RAW with the Tele lens. Unbelievable to me. I watched dozens of videos in preparation to making this big investment (I'm not shooting professionally) and just came across one that laid out this limitation. Can't use waypoints either and apparently there is no plan to add them in the update. Just spouting off here. Can't decide if I'll cancel this and save some money with a 2s which has fine video abilities. I like the battery and quietness of the drone and that is probably why I will keep it. I will still get closer to a harem of moose without spooking them but sheesh....

It seems by all that I've read that the M3 isn't really ready for prime time yet. I'd wait a while and keep monitoring the internet for issues. An Mp2 pro is a great drone and I get amazing video with the Hasselblad 1" sensor camera. The programming ability (I use Litchi for most programming) is great and it is a very dependable drone. I also attach a Marco Polo transmitter just in case. It can be tracked anywhere without relying on Cell or GPS. It's self contained. It's expensive but way less than a new drone and maybe priceless video

 

[Surge]

It’s honestly a huge improvement, the Mavic 3, over the 2 Pro, or anything below that in the lineup.
If it’s a cost issue, I get it. But the improvements are absolutely worth it, if you can afford it, or want to afford it!

 

[Surge]

It seems by all that I've read that the M3 isn't really ready for prime time yet. I'd wait a while and keep monitoring the internet for issues. An Mp2 pro is a great drone and I get amazing video with the Hasselblad 1" sensor camera. The programming ability (I use Litchi for most programming) is great and it is a very dependable drone. I also attach a Marco Polo transmitter just in case. It can be tracked anywhere without relying on Cell or GPS. It's self contained. It's expensive but way less than a new drone and maybe priceless video

Over a dozen flights in urban environments so far. It’s 100% ready for “prime time”.
Read the posts carefully - the guy in Chicago is refusing to post his logs… hmm…
And you get a lot of haters who can’t, or don’t want to, spend the money, so they put it down…

 

[Mikieh]

Just get the M2Z, the camera is fine and the zoom is great for wildlife at half the cost.

Yes I have one as well. BEAUTIFUL VIDEOS, and very smooth shooting. I also own the Inspire 1 and use the Olympus 4/3 14-42mm Zoom lens. Not quite as smooth, but perfectly useable.

 

[Kajtek]

I have a Mavic 3 Combo in shipment but am reconsidering. Why? One of the huge reasons I ordered it was because of the tele lens and camera. I enjoy finding wildlife in Alaska but have no interest in stressing them, thus even a moderate tele lens was a big deal to me. I do a lot of video work and was planning on shooting in 10bit log without question but now I have learned the tele lens will not allow you to shoot in 10bit log. Wow. Color grading a file, choosing a lut and all that is straight forward. What is not straight forward is really doing a good job of matching the color grading of one image to another image, particularly if you have tele footage that is not 10bit and want to color grade it over to your normal lens coloration. This makes the ability to shoot in 10bit horribly crippled. You can't even shoot in RAW with the Tele lens. Unbelievable to me. I watched dozens of videos in preparation to making this big investment (I'm not shooting professionally) and just came across one that laid out this limitation. Can't use waypoints either and apparently there is no plan to add them in the update. Just spouting off here. Can't decide if I'll cancel this and save some money with a 2s which has fine video abilities. I like the battery and quietness of the drone and that is probably why I will keep it. I will still get closer to a harem of moose without spooking them but sheesh....

I have M2 and now M3. I do not regret buying M3 but I am disappointed with the tele lens.
I am interested in photography, not so much in the video. Practically for me, the tele options are useless because of the quality.
The main lens is very good and is used for 5.1K video and is so good that I can use screenshots as photos.
It is also used for tele x2 I x4, It is a gimmick. If I want to crop I crop in my computer with a better result than digital zoom in the camera,
The second tele lens is 161 mm (native x7) and is used for digital zoom x14 and x28 The same applies to the quality of digital zoom. What disappointed me is the quality of the telelens in native 161mm. It is soft and useless for quality photos. I wish they made M3 with two quality lenses.
That is my view, many people like the zooming.

 

[Roamer105]

Which by now all owners that have the M3 are or should be aware of the missing firmware updates.
By now the whining is starting to sound like a broken record.The M3 will be top of the line when it is
updated in Jan. And that's probably when I will order.

January? Not holding my breath.

 

[Wreckhunter]

January? Not holding my breath.

You may be right on that

 

[Crashdummytest]

I am planning to fly my non-M3 aircrafts soon. But I am not holding my breath. The M3 is my go-to aircraft and I am using it all the time - it's my favorite aircraft of all time. It covers everything: Small, fast, quality sensor, telephoto, battery, range, trustworthy, agile.
I have some complaints though but nothing that would stop me from getting the SC Pro / M3 combo as it is now, January firmware or not. There are some obvious bugs and what about those fiddly menu items in Fly - that should be fixed asap. And also SC Pro compatibility issues. I flew my M2P to bits so I am comparing directly with that one in terms of M3 usability as it is now 12/28/21.

 

[TonyPHX]

Like everything, it will get updated, enhanced etc. Everybody just enjoy the state of the art. Sometimes it starts off a little bumpy.

 

[akdrone]

in the meantime...I'm flying mine and learning and having a lot of fun. Except when it's -40F...then I'm couch surfing at home.

 

[BBartol]

I purchased the M3 after reading and watching as much as I could and I’m comfortably happy with it. I can see why some folks need or want additional software features depending on use case; in my small personal bubble I figure anything beyond what’s already available will be bonus enhancements.

I’m just still riding high in the “honeymoon“ phase of a new drone/toy/tech. Very much in the same head space as akdrone, enjoying even couch surfing and learning.