Mini 3 case review feat."Frankencase" and Skyreat

[vindibona1]

I started out doing a case comparison review and as I was surprised that toward the end of my conclusion I changed my mind entirely. I love tinkering and love putting abstract things together. I was an am proud of what I did with a basic Apache 2800 hard case ($29) and some foam padding lying around the house. I had ordered a commercially sold "Skyreat) case for $35 and initially was disappointed at the injection molded interior vs foam interiors of other cases I've owned.

While I never had any use for the case that came with the Mini 2's FMC, for some reason I like it better with the Mini 3. I can take the BASIC gear with me in the FMC case, but it offers almost no protection. I had good success with my Mini 2 and Apache 2800. It's too bad that the Mini 3 is enough different that it requires its own case (at least the foam cutout part). The 2800 is small enough to fit in my backpack, so that's a plus. I know there are hard cases for over $50, but I guess I'm both cheap and love the challenge of DIY stuff. One of the forum members just turned me on to "Plasti-dip", so I suspect on another boring day I'll pull out the pick n pluck foam, lay out the equipment, pluck out what I need and Plasti-dip that foam. But I think I did pretty well to scavange the foam that came with a string of light bulbs and another product that I can't remember what it held. It was just laying around the house waiting to be recycled.

I suspected Skyreat case to be smaller than the 2800 but questioned how much gear I could get inside it. Foam is easy to modify for extra stuff. But instead of foam, they vacuum molded some soft of plastic to the shapes of the drone, controller and charging hub. I had similarly constructed case for my Mini 2 but never used it because of the injected liner. The Skyreat has that same injected liner, but somehow, even after thinking it wouldn't accomodate my stuff, it actually (mostly) did. I like to leave, thumbscrews on the controller that secure a lanyard and/or a screen shade. Could I pack the screen shade in the Skyreat? What about the leg extensions (yeah I know.. the Mini 3 has no legs).

I had built my "Frankencase" several days before getting the Skyreat and actually anticipated returning the Skyreat. I'd been using the FMC case for "compact" transport, but I think the FMC case wil have limited use and the 2800 will be used when a hard case is neeeded. I don't know. I'll cross those bridges when I come to them.

In the meantime I thought I'd just share my personal evaluation of some possible cases.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Got this one... love it.

Judunmsk Hard Case for DJI Mini 3 Pro, Compact Portable Carrying Case for Mavic Mini 3 , DJI Mini 3 Large Capacity Case, Professional DJI Mini 3 Pro Accessories (Mini 3 Pro RC)​

BTW, got a new, never used FMC bag that's free to anyone that wants to do the work and pay for shipping... PM me and send me the prepaid shipping label, and I'll send it to you.

 

[vindibona1]

Meh.

Got this one... love it.

Judunmsk Hard Case for DJI Mini 3 Pro, Compact Portable Carrying Case for Mavic Mini 3 , DJI Mini 3 Large Capacity Case, Professional DJI Mini 3 Pro Accessories (Mini 3 Pro RC)​

BTW, got a new, never used FMC bag that's free to anyone that wants to do the work and pay for shipping... PM me and send me the prepaid shipping label, and I'll send it to you.

I like the Judunmsk foam configuration very much. The case itself is similar in dimensions to the Apache 2800. The $29 cost of the 2800 was appealing knowing that I could cut my own scrap foam the way I wanted. FWIW for roughly 30 years I carried some expensive studio strobe equipment in a large Pelican case and the Apache cases are very, very close in quality at a fraction of the cost of Pelican, ($29 vs $110, roughly). How is the seal on the Judunmsk?

Initially I was going to give the Skyreat a less positive review and then I decided to see what I could actually fit inside. My hot buttons for these cases are: 1) Can I put the drone in the case without taking off the strobes. Because the front arms fold under, reverse of the Mini 2, the strobes have to tuck under the arms, so the Mini 3 needs a little encouragement to get in its space, but works. 2) Can I leave the thumbscrews on the controller often with the lanyard attached so I'm not fumbling when I'm trying to deploy quickly. 3) Is there room for leg extensions and a screen shade and possibly a space for a wall charger? I was pretty surprise when i could get all my essentials and some accesories in as small a case as the Skyreat. 12" x 9" x 3.5". The one thing that I have to take note of with the Skyreat is that the top quite flexible and will not protect like a hard and semi-hard case will. It's got sidewall support, but if you were to accidentally step hard on this case, the probability of damaging the controller and drone would be fairly high IMO. But it is small enough that can easily be put in a medium size backpack.

 

[Droning on and on...]

it's waterproof as advertised. Just tested in the shower, 'cause you asked

If you have any non-stock needs, it would be a hassle, and the route you went would be better.

Unless detachable stuff fits in the 3 storage areas. I still haven't used the large hole at bottom right for anything yet. Arc V fits fine on top of Mini-3 with the case-top foam. Same with the sticks... no problem just leaving them mounted on the RC.

Finally, the OCD in me makes the extra $25 worth seeing all those PERFECTLY organized and fitting items every time I open the case. It works hard against doing what you did. It's an expensive problem. YMMV

 

[akdrone]

I'm a 5 battery kind of guy. 1 in drone, 4 spares. the GPC case works well for me. GPC Case for Mini 3

 

[Droning on and on...]

I can see that!

I got the FMC+, and I'm finding 80+ min of flying is about all I can handle in one venture. Still have the 249g-compliant battery if I need a bit more

That extra storage on the bottom right can hold 2, so with drone you can haul around 6 batteries with the Judunmsk case, 1/3 the cost of the GPC.

 

[vindibona1]

I'm a 5 battery kind of guy. 1 in drone, 4 spares. the GPC case works well for me. GPC Case for Mini 3

You're right. More batteries might be needed especially if you don't have ready access to charging.

I could sacrifice the spot for the wall charger and put an extra battery there instead. If I can find a place in the lid for the leg extensions I have 2 more additional spots. In essence, if pressed I could have on battery in the drone, 3 in the charging hub one in the wall charger slot and two where the leg extension lives. What's that, seven ( )?

But as I don't have to worry about staying under 250g, it only made sense to get the one standard battery with the drone and get two extended batteries which I did via the FlyMore plus kit. After doing some practice missions with the Mini 3 it was reassuring that I had extra flight time if I needed which for me is just peace of mind. If I have to travel where the weight restrictions are strict, then I'll just get one more regular battery. But if the weight isn't an issue, then at least in my mind the extended batteries are the only way to go as they are only $30 more than the standard ones to get 37% more mah's and one would presume at least 30% more flight time per battery.

You made me think of other things I might need in the 2800. I'm glad I posted. You guys inspire me with so many ideas that I didn't think of on my own.

 

[akdrone]

If you're designing your case consider room for a set or even two sets of ND filters. That's one issue with my case but there is room to simply lay it on the controller with a cloth between them and I have a clear screen protector on the controller too.

 

[vindibona1]

If you're designing your case consider room for a set or even two sets of ND filters. That's one issue with my case but there is room to simply lay it on the controller with a cloth between them and I have a clear screen protector on the controller too.

Another good thought.
But as far as ND filters are considered valuable I am skeptical about their value with a fixed aperture lens. If your ISOs are locked down and aperture is locked in and you need shoot in manual mode at 1/50 or 1/60 sec, and the ND filters are in 1 stop increments the exposure, even if you pick the closest ont to “right” could be off in either direction by up to 1 f stop. Unless you are close to a feature how much help are they? We don’t want to over expose and lose highlights which are unrecoverable and while less damaging don’t want to introduce noise in the shadows. Getting it right with ND filters is challenging because if nothing else because any miscalculation has to be corrected on the ground. That’s why my Mavic 2 pro will remain my #1 until I replace it with another variable aperture drone. What I’d like to see is DJI programming incremental ISO, lowering the bottom to ISO 50 or even 25. Given the nature of the 2:1 fps/shutter speed it only makes sense to have more fine control over the ISO if ND filters are required for that cine-blur effect.

Having said that

 

[akdrone]

The fixed f1.7 makes ND filters even more important. A lot of sets jump 2 or more stops as they get higher. I did a time lapse with my Mav 3 the other day and had to go to F11 to get the slow shutter speed I wanted. For anything but the most discerning videographer shooting in ISO 200 or 400 is acceptable but it's normally fairly easy to just turn the drone on and point it around and get an idea as to what ND filter you want. While the 2x fps rule is useful if you shoot 3x it's not the end of the world and putting an ND filter on that will get you close is better than nothing when you are wanting that motion blur. I don't need any ND filter for 80% of my filming as it is done from altitude without concern for motion blur but when you are low to the ground or shooting moving cars or whatever then an ND filter is really important and for most hyperlapses they are critical and for hyperlapses you often want to get down to 1/5sec for a shutter speed or some nonsense like that. Black shadows are always preferrable to blow out whites and are best avoided by using the histogram and shooting raw. I always shoot raw any time there are any clouds and frankly nearly all the time. I agree that the any variable aperture drone is better for any video than a similar fixed aperture of course but the Mini 3 makes a strong case for the need for ND filters for anyone wanting to do hyperlapses or wanting some motion blur.

 

[amajamar]

I have the Skyreat case and I actually find that it carries everything that I need except my small cooling fan. I can leave the joysticks on and my lanyard on. It's obviously not crush proof, but for having the whole kit together and transporting it, seems to be great.

 

[globetrotterdrone]

I find it fascinating how different approaches to drone flying can be.
Are these hard cases purely for storage at home or is it to take it on a long travel or do you even use it on a daily basis?

Reason for asking, as I cannot imagine carrying around while exploring in the field, ie climbing, walking, bicycling, etc.
I have a shoulder bag which certainly does not offer this kind of protection but is easy to take with you while these cases, I guess, are most likely to be taken with you by car for flying.

Happy flying!

 

[Droning on and on...]

Ultimately, we're all just gadget geeks at heart. Bought a really cool flashlight?

It needs a case!

 

[KLRSKIR]

I find it fascinating how different approaches to drone flying can be.
Are these hard cases purely for storage at home or is it to take it on a long travel or do you even use it on a daily basis?

Reason for asking, as I cannot imagine carrying around while exploring in the field, ie climbing, walking, bicycling, etc.
I have a shoulder bag which certainly does not offer this kind of protection but is easy to take with you while these cases, I guess, are most likely to be taken with you by car for flying.

Happy flying!

I have GPC cases for my entire fleet. Yes, they are great for storage at home but they really excel when you are out camping, boating, canoeing, etc., and want to be absolutely certain that you have bulletproof and waterproof protection. They can be thrown into the back of the truck, piled on (read wife's suitcase) and generally abused. They get you there and protect you there.

I find the SKYREAT case is fantastic for quick trips from the house, e-scooting or just hiking a few miles away from camp. It's a very good quality case.

I really gave up years ago worrying about battery capacity of cases. I decided to get a case just for batteries. Sooo many batteries!

 

[globetrotterdrone]

@KLRSKIR
Thanks for that, seems completely plausible if you have a lot of outdoor activities that lasts a couple of days and the drone is exposed to the weather, especially to water while storage.

 

[mattcaz]

Design your own foam. I've used this company for 3 drone cases and they're fantastic to work with and they already have many DJI components pre-designed for your layout. This is my Air 2 s case.

MyCaseBuilder Custom Foam - Pelican, SKB, Storm and others

If you need custom foam, you need MyCaseBuilder. Design your own custom foam case with our easy-to-use web application.

mycasebuilder.com

 

[djwak59]

Got this one... love it.

Judunmsk Hard Case for DJI Mini 3 Pro, Compact Portable Carrying Case for Mavic Mini 3 , DJI Mini 3 Large Capacity Case, Professional DJI Mini 3 Pro Accessories (Mini 3 Pro RC)​

BTW, got a new, never used FMC bag that's free to anyone that wants to do the work and pay for shipping... PM me and send me the prepaid shipping label, and I'll send it to you.

I bought one of the Judunmsk cases for my MA2. It fits the whole FlyMore kit, and why I bought this case in particular was the extra storage space that’s underneath the top level. I can put my tablet in there and a fold up landing pad too !
My complaint about it though is that it has a HORRIBLY strong chemical smell to it ! I aired the thing out for 2 days in my garage and maybe it’s a little less, but it’s still there. Like the case, HATE the smell !
Do you have the smell in your case too ??

 

[Zandian]

I started out doing a case comparison review and as I was surprised that toward the end of my conclusion I changed my mind entirely. I love tinkering and love putting abstract things together. I was an am proud of what I did with a basic Apache 2800 hard case ($29) and some foam padding lying around the house. I had ordered a commercially sold "Skyreat) case for $35 and initially was disappointed at the injection molded interior vs foam interiors of other cases I've owned.

While I never had any use for the case that came with the Mini 2's FMC, for some reason I like it better with the Mini 3. I can take the BASIC gear with me in the FMC case, but it offers almost no protection. I had good success with my Mini 2 and Apache 2800. It's too bad that the Mini 3 is enough different that it requires its own case (at least the foam cutout part). The 2800 is small enough to fit in my backpack, so that's a plus. I know there are hard cases for over $50, but I guess I'm both cheap and love the challenge of DIY stuff. One of the forum members just turned me on to "Plasti-dip", so I suspect on another boring day I'll pull out the pick n pluck foam, lay out the equipment, pluck out what I need and Plasti-dip that foam. But I think I did pretty well to scavange the foam that came with a string of light bulbs and another product that I can't remember what it held. It was just laying around the house waiting to be recycled.

I suspected Skyreat case to be smaller than the 2800 but questioned how much gear I could get inside it. Foam is easy to modify for extra stuff. But instead of foam, they vacuum molded some soft of plastic to the shapes of the drone, controller and charging hub. I had similarly constructed case for my Mini 2 but never used it because of the injected liner. The Skyreat has that same injected liner, but somehow, even after thinking it wouldn't accomodate my stuff, it actually (mostly) did. I like to leave, thumbscrews on the controller that secure a lanyard and/or a screen shade. Could I pack the screen shade in the Skyreat? What about the leg extensions (yeah I know.. the Mini 3 has no legs).

I had built my "Frankencase" several days before getting the Skyreat and actually anticipated returning the Skyreat. I'd been using the FMC case for "compact" transport, but I think the FMC case wil have limited use and the 2800 will be used when a hard case is neeeded. I don't know. I'll cross those bridges when I come to them.

In the meantime I thought I'd just share my personal evaluation of some possible cases.

View attachment 152208
View attachment 152209

 

[Zandian]

I’ve been through 3 cases now and so far settled on the Skyreat. Frustrating thing for me is wondering why most of these cases make it so the controller sit with the screen up? I worry about anything I might have in the pouch could scratch it. I bought one case they does have a liner that protects from the pouch but it’s a bit bulky. Another has the controller sitting upright and sideways but the case is too big and deep.

The Skyreat is working for me so far because I simply turn the controller upside down. Ir seems to provide sufficient protection and the sticks do not touch. So for now the Skyreat is going to work well for me.

Z

 

[Droning on and on...]

I bought one of the Judunmsk cases for my MA2. It fits the whole FlyMore kit, and why I bought this case in particular was the extra storage space that’s underneath the top level. I can put my tablet in there and a fold up landing pad too !
My complaint about it though is that it has a HORRIBLY strong chemical smell to it ! I aired the thing out for 2 days in my garage and maybe it’s a little less, but it’s still there. Like the case, HATE the smell !
Do you have the smell in your case too ??

Sorry about your experience! Fortunately, not a whiff of any odor at all from my case.