Mavic Mini Yaw Issue Is A Deal Breaker For Me!!

[mrreddog]

I realize technology needs to move forward, but lets look at the facts. This drone was designed mostly for beginners and younger kids, so young people can experience a drone for the 1st time, alot of parents don't want or don't know about FAA Registration or the hassle of it, so they wont allow their kids to get a drone. In walks Mavic Mini, 249g, perfect. now many parents are much much more willing to allow their kids to own it, but most young kids don't own the latest most Expensive Iphone or the newest Galaxy, no, most younger kids and teens own a hand me down or a cheaper mid-grade phone that wont be compatible with the Fly App?? Dji is soon to be releasing Mavic 3, I can see it making sense then, but on a drone designed to be for the young and beginners?? I think it was a terrible business choice.
DJI comes up with some very clever ideas, but then some times I question, what were they thinking......
Even the Fly App was designed to be thin and stripped down and very minimalistic, wouldn't a minamalistic Device (phone/tablet) be a better fit??

 

[E92Vancouver]

Mavic Mini Yaw Issue Is A Deal Breaker For Me!! Anyone else??? This is my 2nd brand new Mavic Mini and its headed back to the store like the 1st for a return due to laggy Yaw, with no braking upon letting off stick.
All other DJI drones Brake when letting off Yaw Control, or "Steering Control", Not Mavic Mini?? DJI cheaped out.
It does NOT feel like all other DJI Drones like many youtubers reported??
Here are 2 quick video's I made to show what Im talking about comparing to a Spark. I started a Post about it, with very little response, So I bought a 2nd unit just to be sure I didn't have a dud, then made these 2 vids for othrs wondering the same thing...
Mavic Mini

DJI Spark

Not an issue for me. I fly a lot of different drones, RC airplanes and RC helis. All fly different and I just adapt to the specific aircraft's flight characteristics that I am piloting. Once you get more hours flying, your skill level will increase and you won't have anymore issues, fears or difficulties in flying.

 

[mrreddog]

Better view of Crisp Yaw in ATTI mode...(Tape on bottom VPS sensor & Copper tap over GPS Inside house)

 

[mrreddog]

Tape removed from bottom in VPS Mode= slow Yaw responce and bad lag...

 

[mrreddog]

Not an issue for me. I fly a lot of different drones, RC airplanes and RC helis. All fly different and I just adapt to the specific aircraft's flight characteristics that I am piloting. Once you get more hours flying, your skill level will increase and you won't have anymore issues, fears or difficulties in flying.

Over 150 hours Flight time, 8 million feet travelled, just on DJI Dones, much more on fixed wing, I should have the hang of it...,I Think?? The only fear I have is when I start my drone and DJI has another Firmware update screaming at me. Will it work, or do I have to use a backup, Thats what scares me.

 

[Molto33]

Same thing here, i've noticed 0.497 seconds of delay between stick order and reaction of the drone, why ? Because the camera starts the movement in place of the drone.
The camera slightly starts the rotation, and the drone follows a half second later, which is uncontrollable...

 

[scro]

I too have noticed that the gimbal starts yawing in advance of the aircraft body yawing on the current firmware (0.400). I can't test it any more, but I'm sure it was the opposite way around on older firmware (0.200 IIRC) - ie push the stick for yaw input and the aircraft body immediately starts rotating, with the gimbal smoothing the abrupt start by yawing in the opposite direction, and then yawing back to straight ahead just after neutralising the stick.

From what the camera sees I'd expect the end result is essentially the same, with the ramp-up and ramp-down of yaw movement being smoothed/damped with a combination of gimbal and AC movement, just the camera angle either goes in advance of the aircraft angle or behind it.

 

[sar104]

I too have noticed that the gimbal starts yawing in advance of the aircraft body yawing on the current firmware (0.400). I can't test it any more, but I'm sure it was the opposite way around on older firmware (0.200 IIRC) - ie push the stick for yaw input and the aircraft body immediately starts rotating, with the gimbal smoothing the abrupt start by yawing in the opposite direction, and then yawing back to straight ahead just after neutralising the stick.

From what the camera sees I'd expect the end result is essentially the same, with the ramp-up and ramp-down of yaw movement being smoothed/damped with a combination of gimbal and AC movement, just the camera angle either goes in advance of the aircraft angle or behind it.

In the example yaw data from the OP, the gimbal does yaw first:

 

[scro]

@sar104 That matches @Molto33 's video and my unscientific direct observation of the drone/gimbal during yaw on 0.400 FW - ie gimbal initiates yaw, followed by the drone body. On completion of the manoeuvre the gimbal returns to centre position, followed by movement stopping on the drone body.

 

[mrreddog]

Than why does FPV still feel so laggy?? but just on Yaw?

 

[scro]

@mrreddog Of the 6 degrees of freedom on the AC only 3 are damped/compensated by the 3axis gimbal: rotation about the X, Y and Z axes.

The only one of these 3 degrees of freedom that will "feel" strange and laggy when the camera feed is used in FPV is yaw movement, and it's the only one you have direct control over on the sticks. rotation about the 2 horizontal axes are by-products of movement along these axes, and ones you don't have "direct" control over.

Hopefully that explains why just yaw "feels" laggy on FPV

Quite different on a typical racing drone or 3D helicopter where the sticks control rotation around the horizontal axes and hence indirectly linear movement along these axes. To move a racing drone forward 1m and stop you need to give it some fwd stick to start movement followed by some reverse stick to brake, and then some fwd stick to level the AC for hover.

 

[mrreddog]

Mavic Air has 3 axis gimbal, but does not behave this way or feel laggy in Yaw movements??

 

[mrreddog]

Im not talking about fPV MODE, This takes place in FOLLOW MODE? I understand fPV MODE, I may have cofused some? When iI originally said FPV, I was pertaining to just onscreen movements view, Not actual fPV MODE.

 

[scro]

I assume you're talking about "feel" when using FPV? I've never flown or owned an Air so don't know how it behaves but it sounds like it has a lot less damping on the yaw movement compared to the MM.

You can adjust the gimbal pitch speed and smoothness on the MM. If you push the smoothness up to a high value the pitch continues changing long after you stop giving the pitch-up command on the fingerwheel. Put it down to the lowest setting and it stops pretty much immediately. It's all down to how much smoothness (aka damping) is being applied. Unfortunately there's currently no option on the MM to control the amount of damping on the yaw.

Edit: just saw your new post @mrreddog - Don't think I'm confused about "FPV mode" on the MM, where upon sideways movement of the AC the gimbal doesn't try to keep the horizon level. I took your reference to FPV to mean either wearing FPV goggles or flying by looking at the screen rather than up at the AC. Incidentally there's a lag on the video feed on "FPV mode" when moving sideways as the gimbal damps (and hence delays) the AC rotation to the side.

 

[mrreddog]

Yep, you got it....

 

[mrreddog]

Thank You @sar104 for the detailed graphing, your work is very much appreciated....

 

[Dirvine1]

Mavic Mini Yaw Issue Is A Deal Breaker For Me!! Anyone else??? This is my 2nd brand new Mavic Mini and its headed back to the store like the 1st for a return due to laggy Yaw, with no braking upon letting off stick.
All other DJI drones Brake when letting off Yaw Control, or "Steering Control", Not Mavic Mini?? DJI cheaped out.
It does NOT feel like all other DJI Drones like many youtubers reported??
Here are 2 quick video's I made to show what Im talking about comparing to a Spark. I started a Post about it, with very little response, So I bought a 2nd unit just to be sure I didn't have a dud, then made these 2 vids for othrs wondering the same thing...
Mavic Mini

DJI Spark

I'm probably wrong but it appears from your video you are flying it strictly from the controller / no phone
You need to cable to your phone or tablet (use the DJIFLY APP in order to change settings....Mine scoots at about 29 mph in sport mode...

 

[dcrum]

Do You own any other DJI Drones???

I do/have. However, from the Phantom, to the Pro, or my grandsons Tello and the wife's Mini, I bought with certain expectations. Depends if my day is for inspections or backyard time with family. I try not to get myself too hung up on the semantics for each of the mentioned are in a category/league of their own. Return both and get yourself a Syma X8C (my very first) and then you have yourself a true $39 quad...

 

[Jjkflies]

Mavic Mini Yaw Issue Is A Deal Breaker For Me!! Anyone else??? This is my 2nd brand new Mavic Mini and its headed back to the store like the 1st for a return due to laggy Yaw, with no braking upon letting off stick.
All other DJI drones Brake when letting off Yaw Control, or "Steering Control", Not Mavic Mini?? DJI cheaped out.
It does NOT feel like all other DJI Drones like many youtubers reported??
Here are 2 quick video's I made to show what Im talking about comparing to a Spark. I started a Post about it, with very little response, So I bought a 2nd unit just to be sure I didn't have a dud, then made these 2 vids for othrs wondering the same thing...
Mavic Mini

DJI Spark

not a problem for me.....it’s $400 bucks and definitely made better than a toy.

 

[John Locke]

Yes you are right, it is unfair. It has great video and pictures, from a very good gimbal and many other great qualitys, but its not worth the $400 entry fee.

I'm unaware of a better value drone. This opinion, "not worth the $400" seems baseless for the masses.

I understand the disappointment in yaw responsiveness. It appears DJI has "built in" yaw smoothing for beginners, not appropriate for fast tracking of objects, promoting overshoots, passing up the subject when using fast camera moves. I think you should return it as mentioned, if you can't adapt. This is an entry drone, made light to avoid registration, quieter, with twice the flight time as Spark. The video is 2.7 and Spark is 1080, it has 3 axis gimbal, which by itself is a miracle device IMO. I've had other drones with poor latency that do similar things, but that was years ago. I was able to learn these quirks and adapt. For the hobbyist tasks you have I would think you would want an Ocu-Sync drone, something higher end, if that's the kind of hobby things you demand performance for, like tracking moving objects. Yes, ocu-sync costs more, but you need better capabilities.

Although I would never buy a MM due to the Wifi communications, I find it a miracle DJI got the weight down to 249G and still have such good quality video. I'm just surprised it didn't have 4K support, but most folks don't use it anyway, so it's not that important to most, kinda like the yaw lag issue. The yaw lag may be a compromise, but I tend to believe it's intentionally built-in for beginners, not experienced DJI pilots.

As for the relabeling of Tripod to Cinematic, I personally think the label of "Tripod" is extremely lame, always have. There are no similarities to a "Tripod"! A tripod is fixed to the ground, it's purpose is to keep the camera FIXED, so doesn't move. I tripod's purpose is to NOT MOVE, clearly. It's a lame name for slowing a drone's actions, apples and oranges. The new name "Cinematic" is better name, more analogous to "slow moves", the name they should have used from the beginning. I guess we can fault DJI for correcting a past naming mistake, because we can't adapt to a new name "Cinematic". Pretty funny.

But I hear you about DJI disappointments. I was really bummed the M2P didn't support 4K 60FPS with their new whizbang Hasselblad camera. I just expected 4K 60FPS like they produced before with 1' sensor, but no joy, similar to how you "expected" identical yaw response as you experienced in the past. Without 4K 60FPS, I decided to go with the M2Z for the zoom support, which I love! Yes, disappointed, waiting for M3. I'd really like a 1" sensor with 4K 60FPS, like my 2017 P4P, works better in low light.