MAVIC 3S ??

[Suren]

Hey Suren

Check out this video from 1:16

Cheers

Bussty

Thanks, So Dji does not give him the drones to test anymore.

 

[Bussty]

Thanks, So Dji does not give him the drones to test anymore.

Appears that way, makes him a good source of unbiased reviews I guess.

 

[maggior]

This is true however some like Mads and Captain Drone (I'm pretty sure they purchased their drones or borrowed them from friends) came out with fairly honest views and neither gave the M3 a "must have" rating. Maybe those are the reviewers you hunt out? The ones that paid with their own money. I don't think DJI ever sends Captain Drone a unit as he has told it like it is in the past. It's hard to navigate the truth in Youtube and even forums (e.g DJI's forum) are becoming tricky places to gain solid information. What is a prospective drone purchaser to do? I'm taking the wait and see approach and get a feel from forums, youtube, Amazon reviews etc and well after launch will make my call. If we all did that wouldn't companies like DJI have to release finished products otherwise they would never sell anything?

Like your avatar on DJI Forum by the way

I'm a fan of Captain Drone but I wouldn't base a purchase on his opinion any longer. He reviews a ton of drones and as in-depth as the reviews may seem, he's only flying a battery or two and moves on. I've purchased some budget drones in the past based on his stellar reviews only to find some nasty problems that only became apparent after flying them for a while. The same can be said for most youtube drone reviewers.

I agree that going through Amazon reviews, forums, etc. well after launch can give you a strong good sense of the reliability of a product. I do the same. If there is an issue, you can usually spot a trend in the reviews. You learn to look past the fan boy gushing reviews as well as the company hater reviews. It was for that reason that when I decided to get my first DJI drone a year ago, I went with the MA2 rather than the brand spanking new A2S. In hindsight, the A2S would have been a good choice, but to me the amount of money these drones cost isn't worth the gamble.

 

[Bussty]

I'm a fan of Captain Drone but I wouldn't base a purchase on his opinion any longer. He reviews a ton of drones and as in-depth as the reviews may seem, he's only flying a battery or two and moves on. I've purchased some budget drones in the past based on his stellar reviews only to find some nasty problems that only became apparent after flying them for a while. The same can be said for most youtube drone reviewers.

I agree that going through Amazon reviews, forums, etc. well after launch can give you a strong good sense of the reliability of a product. I do the same. If there is an issue, you can usually spot a trend in the reviews. You learn to look past the fan boy gushing reviews as well as the company hater reviews. It was for that reason that when I decided to get my first DJI drone a year ago, I went with the MA2 rather than the brand spanking new A2S. In hindsight, the A2S would have been a good choice, but to me the amount of money these drones cost isn't worth the gamble.

It's a good point, a couple of flights by a Youtuber is not going to be a thorough test of a drone. Just off the top of my head issues that were never picked up in many of those initial reviews but have only showed up after time...

Gimbal rubbing
Cracking around arms
Some units with uneven sharpness
Slow GPS
Disconnects with RC-Pro
Flyaways during Mastershots (talk to Suren!)

I guess the other side of that coin is (and I think this had been brought up before) forums tend to concentrate all the issues with drones and for many owners they may have not had any issues at all and not even had the inkling to join a forum as they had nothing to sort out.

I think the key is be prepared to wait and make sure your supplier is reputable and prepared to return/refund if something does go wrong.

Mini 3 will be an interesting case to see if it's purchased from day one by the masses. Given what has happened with the M3 you would think anybody aware of the issues it would be prudent to wait. As you say for many the cost isn't worth the gamble.

 

[Chaosrider]

DJI isn't here and won't see your comment

To be fair to reviewers, the drones they tested didn't have the fault that was introduced in the December firmware update.

Despite the prevailing opinion, most DJI drones are released without major flaws and work perfectly.
A few have had minor tweaks needed, but the Mavic 3 is in a class of its own for a bungled release.

I don't have a Mavic 3, but of the Mavic 3 owners who responded to the poll here, the overwhelming majority like it or love it.

Just sayin'...

There are statistical characteristics to most complex manufacturing processes.

MM

 

[maggior]

I think the key is be prepared to wait and make sure your supplier is reputable and prepared to return/refund if something does go wrong.

For sure! This is why I always order from Amazon if I can since returns are ridiculously easy and there is a good return period.

 

[itallica]

I've been sitting on $3.500 and DJI will not get a penny until it fixes the MAVIC3

I mean, the 's' version may well be the fixes - I bought the air2 and then the air2s and it's a wonderful drone.

That said, with the tech I've seen coming out of Autel, my next drone may be a Mavic3(s) or Evo3. They gotta earn it.

 

[Bussty]

I mean, the 's' version may well be the fixes - I bought the air2 and then the air2s and it's a wonderful drone.

That said, with the tech I've seen coming out of Autel, my next drone may be a Mavic3(s) or Evo3. They gotta earn it.

The longer they go on the more of a threat that EVO 3 becomes (if it comes) but seems Autel have dropped the ball too which is lucky for DJI. The longer this all goes on the more inclined people will be to wait for the "next best thing" Here we are almost at half a year now! DJI have certainly learned a lot with the M3 launch like users love the idea of the Tele (I think it is a total game changer) so bring out a crisp version of that designed to be used for imagery and Autel would have to be working hard to combat. I hope history doesn't repeat and there is a rush again for both DJI and Autel for end of year release for say a M3s and Evo 3. TOTAL SPECULATION but stars are aligning a bit??

 

[GadgetGuy]

You can keep your money just now for the M3S, but I bet you another year down the line the M4 gets released. Are you going to keep your money for that one and never get anywhere.

I’ve purchased the Mavic 3 and going to enjoy it as much as I can

(life’s too short)

EDIT: I’m actually retracting the comment ‘going to enjoy it’ as I no longer am!

Went outside earlier and it took more than 11min+ to get to even 10 satellites, and it was still in ‘GPS Signal Weak’ test on screen. I’m absolutely raging at this, one of the factors is due to the Home Point not being able to record for any RTH.
Looks like I’m sending it back to Amazon until they fix this issue.

You must live in a "high latitude" area, whatever that means!

Seriously, before you completely give up on it, try some of the many workarounds.

1. Power cycle the battery at 8 satellites. HP will be set almost immediately.
2. Launch straight up as high as it will let you, and let it acquire the HP from there.
3. Launch without a HP and when the HP gets set while underway, reset it to the location of the RC.
Use #3 for immediate deployment.
Use #2 if you insist upon a HP before moving away from your launch site.
Use #1 for the least battery consumption before setting the HP.
4. Lastly, if you have a second battery, use it for acquiring the HP, and immediately swap batteries with a 100% battery, and then top off the battery used for acquiring the HP for your next flight, so it will be at 100%. Perfect use for a 96% battery that can't be otherwise topped off, between 2 and 5 days after charging.

All subsequent flights within 40 minutes of each other will have no delay in acquiring the HP.

It only affects the very first flight in that location. It's annoying, but for those that are still affected, one of the above methods will definitely shorten the acquisition time, while prolonging the battery percentage for flight. Before the last update, by using a combination of the above workarounds, I was able to consistently acquire the HP within 2 minutes or less. Not using any of the above workarounds resulted in 7-10 minute acquisition times after the December update. My manufacture date, as displayed by AirData, is October 15, 2021, and I am using the RC-Pro, connected to the internet by hot spotting to my iPhone, before turning on the Mavic 3 non-Cine version.

Give it a try. You have 30 days to try and enjoy it before returning it!

 

[CactusJackSlade]

Any reviewer on Youtube who got a $3000 or a $5000 drone comped for the review is suspect.

Are there any who waited and purchased it themselves and posted their reviews later?

Exactly why I did not accept freebies when I was doing helmet cam reviews a decade ago.

 

[TonyPHX]

One final thought I have about "reviews" and where I consume information from that can influence a purchase decision. Although I generally make up my own mind initially based upon a few "hype" resources such as company marketing and community commentary, I do find great value in this particular forum. The resources here are quick to identify issues, but also thoughtful enough to explore them.

Until I have more confidence in DJI, I intend to let others lead the charge and see what this forum's contributors ultimately conclude. I enjoy my Mavic 3, although it is not useful for any commercial work other than nighttime videography. The M2P seems to be my favorite go-to for consistency. When DJI has another hit like the M2P, then I will know it's time to buy again.

 

[Bussty]

One final thought I have about "reviews" and where I consume information from that can influence a purchase decision. Although I generally make up my own mind initially based upon a few "hype" resources such as company marketing and community commentary, I do find great value in this particular forum. The resources here are quick to identify issues, but also thoughtful enough to explore them.

Until I have more confidence in DJI, I intend to let others lead the charge and see what this forum's contributors ultimately conclude. I enjoy my Mavic 3, although it is not useful for any commercial work other than nighttime videography. The M2P seems to be my favorite go-to for consistency. When DJI has another hit like the M2P, then I will know it's time to buy again.

So true! The forums are invaluable.

I used to imagine the China DJI Forum was a privileged site and they didn't have to deal with the same issues we did, or got a more prompt/complete hearing from DJI that we did but spending some time over there 御 Mavic | 产品-大疆社区 using Google Translate, they have all the same issues we do and because it's a much larger forum population they seem to have a lot more background information on issues (video, testing etc)

 

[Suren]

So true! The forums are invaluable.

I used to imagine the China DJI Forum was a privileged site and they didn't have to deal with the same issues we did, or got a more prompt/complete hearing from DJI that we did but spending some time over there 御 Mavic | 产品-大疆社区 using Google Translate, they have all the same issues we do and because it's a much larger forum population they seem to have a lot more background information on issues (video, testing etc)

But on that forum at least the Mods or Admin there know what they are talking about and come back to the thread and give feedback unlike the English Dji Forum where the Admin and Mods are just copying and pasting and offer little to no help at all. All they are good for mostly is to say what a nice video you posted.

 

[Suren]

So true! The forums are invaluable.

I used to imagine the China DJI Forum was a privileged site and they didn't have to deal with the same issues we did, or got a more prompt/complete hearing from DJI that we did but spending some time over there 御 Mavic | 产品-大疆社区 using Google Translate, they have all the same issues we do and because it's a much larger forum population they seem to have a lot more background information on issues (video, testing etc)

Also, remember that in that forum they have an official post detailing the future upgrades that is coming to the M3 whereas the English one has nothing, so YES, they are more privalged

 

[Bussty]

Also, remember that in that forum they have an official post detailing the future upgrades that is coming to the M3 whereas the English one has nothing, so YES, they are more privalged

Yes I agree they do get more updates as to what is going on. Still a lot of unhappy campers on there. Lots of talk of reporting DJI to a "315 Gala" it's like a consumer watchdog in China. This I guess is similar to the talk on the forums (English DJI mainly) about law suits etc

 

[ZoneAerial]

Yes I agree they do get more updates as to what is going on. Still a lot of unhappy campers on there. Lots of talk of reporting DJI to a "315 Gala" it's like a consumer watchdog in China. This I guess is similar to the talk on the forums (English DJI mainly) about law suits etc

I assume they are complaining about the disastrous GPS issues as well? Or do they think they are in a "normal latitude" area?

 

[Bussty]

Unless it's buried or they are just waiting I can't find much recent feedback on the GPS issue which I did think was odd...

 

[langcpht]

Unless it's buried or they are just waiting I can't find much recent feedback on the GPS issue which I did think was odd...

Most of the discussion has already been discussed, I'd wager. It's all speculation at this point, some theories with more credit than others. The thing about issues and problems with consumer electronics is that it's hard to really tell how widespread the issue is. The Internet can easily turn into an echo chamber with the vocal minority making the most noise. I'm not saying that the issue isn't real (it quite clearly is) but people are far more likely to complain about problems than they are to sing praise for a feature that is working as intended. I'd also assume that the majority of pilots that fly DJI products just put their bird in the air, share their photos/videos, and call it a day. They're probably not coming to message boards unless they DO have problems, adding to that echo chamber.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Most of the discussion has already been discussed, I'd wager. It's all speculation at this point, some theories with more credit than others. The thing about issues and problems with consumer electronics is that it's hard to really tell how widespread the issue is. The Internet can easily turn into an echo chamber with the vocal minority making the most noise. I'm not saying that the issue isn't real (it quite clearly is) but people are far more likely to complain about problems than they are to sing praise for a feature that is working as intended. I'd also assume that the majority of pilots that fly DJI products just put their bird in the air, share their photos/videos, and call it a day. They're probably not coming to message boards unless they DO have problems, adding to that echo chamber.

Amen to that!

 

[Dougcjohn]

The M3S Thread took the recycled discussion on M3 defects route. Always informative, but now essentially rehashing previous threads.

Back on the M3S... my guess it'll incorporate M3 corrections that may include new electronics vs FW updates. This may introduce new issues to chase down or like the A2S, was at a further completed stage than the A2 on release.

As with the A2, those that purchased... how many also purchased the A2S? A good percentage, which at kit prices was a mild sting to obtain new craft and shelf the A2. Release of M3S, so soon after M3... will have a much higher irritation for M3 Owners. The price will be substantial higher for many 1 yr after M3 purchase to absorb to keep pace with the newest platform. Many will express DJI should correct the M3 and they left it half-baked and moved attention to M3S.

That indirectly indicates to me the M3S will gain several new features in hardware & software. Justifying the new hardware and ignoring the complaints with the M3S... sounds poor, but it is common business practice with several industries.

I have a M3 Cine... would enjoy more features & corrections. Some of these updates will occur but to gain more, will require a M3S purchase! As with MA2 Owners and the MA2S... you can continue to happily use the M3... still a great craft or if the thought or need supports a upgrade... then purchase a M3S.

LOL... beware there will be a M4 or something better 12-24 months too.