Yep, I would agree the
M3 with the telephoto lens would be the best for remote spotting of poachers, however it is very hard to scan a large area with a long lens, but the “7x” should be able to keep you out of gun range. If you have the cash, defiantly the way to go.
Given that budget seems to be a concern, then by all means the
M2Z. The added power and wind resistance as well as speed (in sport mode) make it superior to the MM3P. Also, as some have mentioned, the
M2Z will do a 4x zoom in 1080p/30 or less, yes it is only 2x optical but the digital zoom at 4x is actually not zoomed at all, it is the camera imager’s native resolution and the image quality improves when going from 2x to 4x because the image isn’t being downgraded from the 4K imager chip, it’s just cropping the image down to the native resolution of 1080p. The MM3P is cropping the 4K imager until it get to 2x, where it gives its best image, between 2x and 4x it is digital zooming and the quality degrades significantly in my opinion.
Another thing to consider seriously is top speed and range. Range may be limited if FCC mode is not enabled (I know BVLOS is not allowed in most countries, but neither is poaching, which is the bigger crime? I’d say poaching). Install NoLimitDronz and the FCC mode can be enabled and speeds significantly increased. I haven’t installed NLZ on my
M2Z but I did install it on my Mavic Pro and
P4P, WOW what a difference. With the MP I was able to get up to 58MPH horizontal and 21MPH vertical climb speed, when I switched to 3 bladed props the speeds stated about the same but the MP accelerated even faster. The
P4P with 3 bladed repeatedly broke 60MPH. No reason to believe that the
M2Z won’t have similar improvements. While you won’t outrun a bullet, the greater speed, acceleration, and maneuverability with make it harder to hit. Being shot down, while a concern can be minimized by using a longer lens, the sky becomes a very very big place when you can put a little more distance between you and the subject.
Don
Current aircraft -
P4P+, P4Poe, P4cne,
M2Z,
M3, MM3P, MM
Previous aircraft - P3,
P4, MavicPro,
MA2, Tell, and a few other toy drones.