Mini 3 Pro for Indoor Real Estate

[BetterBizWorks]

Thanks for all of the indoor drone advice. Did a quick commercial real estate video with the first flight. Used an Air 2 on the outside and the mini on the inside. This is what I got. I put lots more indoor practice in after this so the next ones will be better but it works for what I wanted.

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[RUFFSTUFF]

Bought the Mini 3 Pro specifically for internal shoots (stills only). Prop guards for definite. Flip it into CINE mode to make it a lot less skittish. You won't get a GPS lock: so you'll be flying ATTI anyway. Be aware that you'll be in a home environment with a hell of a lot of powerful WiFi interference - flip the transmission signal up to 5.8ghz. Switch off proximity sensors (the prop guards will buffer the rotors and also keep your drone airborne in the eventuality of you actually coming into contact with an object). Make sure anything that can be knocked over or broken is moved out of the way before you put the bird in the air. Take note of anything and everything that hangs down from the ceilings and avoid them like the plague. Fly no higher than chest level. Be aware that you will have to counter for ATTI drift, and if the drone starts to act freaky: be prepared to CCS (Cross Control Sticks). OH! and finally... make sure you're carrying a metric tonne of P&P liability insurance.

Yeah... or a good mirrorless and a Mini RS3 and have far better results with less hassle.

 

[Bob Jones]

Has anyone flown the mini 3 pro indoors. I need to do real estate videos. Any tips?
Thinking Prop guards, No RTH, Radar Chart On, Visual Navigation Off, lower exp settings, ATTI Flight mode. Anything else? I would be curious if anyone is using it for indoor residential flights.

I have done re videos with my mini2. Prop guards are a must. Handheld gimble and a smartphone will help get shots the drone is not suited for.

 

[Matrix64]

Has anyone flown the mini 3 pro indoors. I need to do real estate videos. Any tips?
Thinking Prop guards, No RTH, Radar Chart On, Visual Navigation Off, lower exp settings, ATTI Flight mode. Anything else? I would be curious if anyone is using it for indoor residential flights.

I have flown mine in doors. Very tricky with no prop guards I must say. I am not a real state person but I know agents do quite frequently exactly what you’re wanting to do. That’s said, DJI is coming out with their version of prop guards for the Mini 3 and pro very soon. You can get on their reservation list here.

Buy DJI Mini 3 Series 360° Propeller Guard - DJI Store

Shop for DJI Mini 3 Series 360° Propeller Guard on the official DJI Online Store. Find great deals and buy DJI products online with quick and convenient delivery!

m.dji.com

 

[karlblessing]

I have flown mine in doors. Very tricky with no prop guards I must say. I am not a real state person but I know agents do quite frequently exactly what you’re wanting to do. That’s said, DJI is coming out with their version of prop guards for the Mini 3 and pro very soon. You can get on their reservation list here.

Buy DJI Mini 3 Series 360° Propeller Guard - DJI Store

Shop for DJI Mini 3 Series 360° Propeller Guard on the official DJI Online Store. Find great deals and buy DJI products online with quick and convenient delivery!

m.dji.com

Seems almost exactly like the ones they made for the Mini 1. If it's any similar in build quality you might actually be better off with some of the aftermarket ones.

Shame they can't make a little guy that has some sort of lidar sensor around it for more accurate position stability and avoidance. Though I'm inclined to agree that something more stationary (gimbal handheld camera, etc) may be more suitable depending on what you need, for example if you just need a 360 view of a room, they make several cameras that do a better job at that without the risks.

 

[AMann]

A soccer ball shaped guard would be helpful

 

[FlySkyJumper]

Even though the FAA does not govern indoor airspace, they still prohibit commercial operations (for compensation) by non-107 certificated pilots. Plus, no reputable insurer would provide commercial coverage for a non-licensed pilot.

Has anyone flown the mini 3 pro indoors. I need to do real estate videos. Any tips?
Thinking Prop guards, No RTH, Radar Chart On, Visual Navigation Off, lower exp settings, ATTI Flight mode. Anything else? I would be curious if anyone is using it for indoor residential flights.

Hey BetterBizWorks! Flying indoors for real estate is becoming the preferred way for realtors to really show off their properties for many reasons. (imo) Specifically the angles, you can't get with a traditional camera on a gimbal. I think a combination of shooting with a nice camera on a gimbal and drone footage is the way to go!

Customers just LOVE innovation and the shots you can only get with a drone. Angles and shots that you cannot get any other way.

I have flown the Mini 3 pro for this very reason. It just depends on the layout of the home, which drone I use. I would highly recommend prop guards as you mentioned. Protects your drone and the home you're filming. Helps a bit with the rotor wash as well. (a little) I personally would suggest ATTI flight mode in (most cases) not all. It all just depends...If the home has large open rooms with windows, I do like to fly with all sensors on. Smaller places, ya just can't. (Or I can't, I'm sure there will be plenty of opinions.)

I do a lot of my indoor shots with an FPV drone. It's just easier for me personally and preferred.

You probably already have done and know about this next part, but just in case...Get your part 107 which doesn't take long to get or cost much. (Also legally required if you're doing it for profit) I would also recommend getting liability insurance for sure! State Farm has worked great for me! If you get shut down the first time it's typically because the agen is newer and not aware of UAV insurance. Keep calling until you get someone. I pay 60 bucks a year per drone for a million bucks in liability insurance. Quite a deal if you ask me.

Good luck on your venture!

 

[BetterBizWorks]

Hey BetterBizWorks! Flying indoors for real estate is becoming the preferred way for realtors to really show off their properties for many reasons. (imo) Specifically the angles, you can't get with a traditional camera on a gimbal. I think a combination of shooting with a nice camera on a gimbal and drone footage is the way to go!

Customers just LOVE innovation and the shots you can only get with a drone. Angles and shots that you cannot get any other way.

I have flown the Mini 3 pro for this very reason. It just depends on the layout of the home, which drone I use. I would highly recommend prop guards as you mentioned. Protects your drone and the home you're filming. Helps a bit with the rotor wash as well. (a little) I personally would suggest ATTI flight mode in (most cases) not all. It all just depends...If the home has large open rooms with windows, I do like to fly with all sensors on. Smaller places, ya just can't. (Or I can't, I'm sure there will be plenty of opinions.)

I do a lot of my indoor shots with an FPV drone. It's just easier for me personally and preferred.

You probably already have done and know about this next part, but just in case...Get your part 107 which doesn't take long to get or cost much. (Also legally required if you're doing it for profit) I would also recommend getting liability insurance for sure! State Farm has worked great for me! If you get shut down the first time it's typically because the agen is newer and not aware of UAV insurance. Keep calling until you get someone. I pay 60 bucks a year per drone for a million bucks in liability insurance. Quite a deal if you ask me.

Good luck on your venture!

Got the part 107 and the insurance. The indoor flights have got some amazing results.

 

[FlySkyJumper]

Got the part 107 and the insurance. The indoor flights have got some amazing results That'd great to hear! My indoor flights have the same!

 

[zeppelin]

I tried to fly my Mini 3 Pro indoors and found it way too cumbersome. It's too wide to maneuver it precisely through door openings, especially if you add prop guards.

I even attached the wide lens for better spatial awareness, but the margin of error is so small you have to spend a few good hours in a new location if you want to get a one-shot view of a property without bumping into anything.

For wide open spaces like a restaurant or an open office plan this is less of an issue, but if you need to fly smoothly through tighter spaces then it's a pain in the neck.

The Mini is great for linear controlled outdoor shots, though, that's for sure, especially since it's under 250g so you can just pop it out really easily with no hassle.

 

[Bob Jones]

Zeppelin your right, you would have to be a master to get a clean flight through a house with a mini. However the mini is great for inside video in a decent sized room. The best way to get room to room video is with a handheld gimble and your smart Phone. I use both and edit them into a promo video. I'm a realtor. You can get different perspectives with a drone for inside pictures and video. Well worth the effort. Flying through hallways and tight spaces expecting to get footage you could use, in my opinion, is fruitless.

 

[BetterBizWorks]

I use both. You need to practice with it. It isn't good in small rooms with bare walls, but in that case nothing is. Hend held gimbals are goo but don't get you the height from high foyers. Use the right tool for each job and don't expect miracles from one tool. Photography is expensive and requires the right lens, camera and equipment for each type of shot.

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

A Sony A7IV with a G 20mm F1.8 OSS lens and a DJI RS3 Mini would be so much better.

 

[zeppelin]

I also use an RS2+Canon R5 w grip+17mm for montages and it's great for 4-5 second clips mashed into a 60 sec video. However, even with that sturdy setup the bobbing is hard to avoid on a one-shot full tour, especially if there are stairs involved. Drone footage is more impressive IMO as the camera flows smoothly over furniture and rails.

 

[projectarjun]

Could have just gone with a $100 DJI Pocket, containing the same exact camera as the Mavic 1 Pro

 

[zeppelin]

I'll look into it, I welcome exploring alternatives. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[NightFlightAlright]

Thank you for the response. I have the 107. I'vebeen practicing with smaller drones with prop guards and have noticed the suck to the sides and ceiling. I would love to see illustrations of the airflow in those scenarios so I could better understand the physics behind it.

Well, keep in mind that propellers are basically just little wings that are rotating.

Typical wing in flight has a low pressure area over the top of the wing "sucking" the aircraft up, and higher pressure area underneath the bottom of the wing pushing the aircraft up (think Newton), and at the wing tips you end up with a little whirlwind as the high pressure air under the wing gets sucked over into the low pressure area on top of the wing, creating the vortex.

All this is also generally true of a propeller, or the blades of a helicopter.

The science that describes this, or can model this, is referred to as fluid dynamics.

I have not tested the following theory using fluid dynamics calculations of any sort, so consider it a hypothesis:

The low pressure air on top needs to be filled with more air, usually the air immediately over the aircraft. When you get close to the ceiling there's not enough air above the aircraft to fill the low pressure area, with more air being pulled in from the sides, that results in an even lower pressure area over the center of each propeller, which causes the unexpected "magnetic ceiling effect".