Mini 3 build quality compared to the Mini 2? had me surprised...

[Brojon]

I read other reviews that agree with the OP. Basically saying the plastic seems thinner making it feel cheaper because they they were putting so much more into it, they had to cut the weight somewhere else. Probably why they got rid of the legs too. Hence the frog look.

View attachment 150444

My Air 2S I call Fledermaus.
Given the frog looks of the Mini 3 Pro, when It gets here I will christen it FlederKröte.

 

[Brojon]

A Faraday cage will block GPS signal. When I was in Greenland the locals used aluminum foil on their drones to block GPS and ignore geofencing. Very relaxed about EU regulations, they were .

Greenland is no longer part of the EU last I heard.

 

[EpicFlight]

Greenland is no longer part of the EU last I heard.

In fact it was just announced yesterday that they've left Earth as well.

 

[MS Coast]

Greenland is no longer part of the EU last I heard.

I was wondering about that, too. And it's too hot to be outside right now, so I looked it up.

It looks like they left the EU in 1985 but became an EU OCT (overseas countries and territories) because of their association with Denmark. Greenlanders are EU citizens, but Greenland isn't fully tied into the trade and economic aspects of the EU. So, it seems like no they aren't but yes they are.

Greenland and the European Union - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Brojon]

I was wondering about that, too. And it's too hot to be outside right now, so I looked it up.

It looks like they left the EU in 1985 but became an EU OCT (overseas countries and territories) because of their association with Denmark. Greenlanders are EU citizens, but Greenland isn't fully tied into the trade and economic aspects of the EU. So, it seems like no they aren't but yes they are.

Greenland and the European Union - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Trade doesn't imply they're subject to drone rules and regs.

 

[MS Coast]

Trade doesn't imply they're subject to drone rules and regs.

No, I wasn't suggesting that at all. I didn't run across anything to do with drone operation in Greenland.

 

[Claymans]

At even 50 feet up - what's to see? Looks are secondary - it ain't art.

Well yes, but also in my opinion, the design (and look) of the mini 3 is way better than the other DJI drones. people who dislike the 3 are just used to the cool shark- look, which is just very childish. the look of the 3 is a big plus for me, because since DJI made that shark design, every single drone manufacturer, for example autel, copied this design. it got old. I love that DJI got away from this design, and engineered a new look, if you're somebody that likes design and engineering, you will love that new design. it is just a nice peace of engineering without any BS left. (the shark look just to be cool lookin). the camera has more uptilt, and I LOVE that this is now a frog instead of a shark. a frog has evolutionary advantages compared to sharks too. it can live in the water but also on land.. and a frog is tiny. fits way better to the whole concept of a "mini" drone. when it is folded, with the legs and all, it also looks kinda like a frog just sitting there, always ready to jump up...
IDK about DJIs intention, but that is how I see it. anyway, they just went away from their used-to design, in exchange for functionality design, disadvantage: people get something they're not used to. we should be glad that DJI is doing stuff like this. they just took the extra step to make this one the perfect mini drone, but people still complaining it seems.
I would be disappointed if they just continued that shark design, just because. that is how you make a drone worse, and make the progress less efficient.

love my mini3 pro and I also think frogs are at least the same level of coolness as sharks.
the frog is more advanced. that is how nature works. and I think DJI got it brilliantly right.

 

[Drbobk]

If you have a fixed weight limit (250 g), and you want to add features, you have to save on weight somewhere else. One of the most common ways to do that is to make things thinner...more flimsy.

I don't have a Mini-3 (I have 3 Mini-2s), but I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened in this case.

Just curious - why 3 Mini-2’s? (Says the guy with 2 M2P’s!)

 

[Flashheart]

Ah, the ramblings of an overactive imagination. The M3 looks like a drone. Not a frog, or a shark, just a drone.

 

[Claymans]

well the previous design was clearly shark inspired. and this one indeed looks more like a frog, than the previous mavics looked like sharks..

 

[Flashheart]

Stick a laser pointer on it. Then you can call it a shark with a frickin laser beam attached to its head.

 

[test2000Anafi]

Just curious - why 3 Mini-2’s? (Says the guy with 2 M2P’s!)

If you fly all 3 of them, and take a picture at the same time and combine the 3 pictures, you have the same dynamic range as the mini 3

 

[boldblue737]

So I got the 3 about two weeks ago and have been flying it nearly every day

This is my first mini drone so I decided to buy the mini 2 bundle from Costco just to try it out, see how it compares and probably return it

To my surprise, the Mini 3 feel more flimsy when compared to the Mini 2. I have both with me at the moment and the Mini 2 feels so well built when opening it up, but the Mini 3 feels like I'm going to break it every time I go to open up the legs.

I think it might be because the legs on the 3 are longer. It just feels so awkward opening it up every time.

I also just dislike the way it looks in general though, prefer the sleeker look of the 2

I wish I could get the camera and sensor of the 3 in the body of the 2 (don't care for obstacle sensors)

- Everything in the Mini lineup is all about 249 gram target weight. Because the Mini 3 is larger to fit a bigger camera and gimbal, bigger more efficient props etc. the actual body itself must get lighter vs. the Mini 2 and obviously some of that comes from lighter "flimsier" materials. I think they will hold up just fine but the bottom line is you can't expect these mini drones to feel "solid" like the bigger lineup.

- Opening the legs I prefer (despite feeling "flimsy") because for the first time in a foldable DJI drone you can do it in any order unlike the previous drones where you had to do a particular set first before the other legs were unblocked.

- I'm mixed on the drone. I do think it looks worse folded and sitting on the ground. In the air the very staggered height of the rear vs front props and the way it sits when hovering level seems very cool to me vs. all the old "Mavic" style drones.

- I hear you on the Mini 2, I do wish the Mini 3 was the same dimensions more for the pocketability... the Mini 3 is very small but it is take a lot more volume folded compared to the Mini 2. I could use the smaller size. I would NEVER trade the HUGE increase in capability and camera quality however... I still love my new Mini 3.