My Year-Long Struggle with DJI Support’s Incompetence (and why this matters to you)

[Lewberry6]

Is this the issue you were having? Although mine would jump whilst holding the gimbal tilt and panning and not on release, but the drone itself would stop rotating even with yaw input...

After a replacement it worked fine, and hadn’t notice any further issues with my subsequent recordings....

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[Kilrah]

As you yaw, activate and release (let it jump back to center under spring tension) the gimbal tilt control periodically.

(4) Whenever you release the gimbal tilt control, the yaw motion will ‘hesitate’

Firstly it makes sense why yaw is linked, see below.
Secondly, there's an option that may disable it, but your result might be worse (Synchronised Gimbal Pan Follow in gimbal settings)
Thirdly and most importantly - If you want to make good looking images, you NEVER "let the control jump back to center" in the fist place, you accompany it as smoothly as you can to make fluid motion - so it's not an issue at all. I've shot dozens of hours of footage with my MP and VERY often tilt and pan at the same time, but not once did I have a "jump" when releasing the tilt control since... well I never release the tilt control, and never would since that WOULD for sure lead to crappy footage even with no yaw jump.

So your "issue" is 100% academic and doesn't apply to the real world at all. Go shoot stuff and train yourself to operate controls smoothly instead of putting the fault on a perfectly good tool.

 

[brett8883]

Frankly I’m generally trying to slow down my yaw not speed It up but literally the first person who responded to you on the other forum nailed it. If it bothers turn on enable synchronized Pan follow which will smooth out the gimbals yaw movement.

Also this IS a post issue just put a little camera tracking or warp stabilizer and poooof problem fixed and footage will look better anyway. There’s not much motion tracking and a little sub pixel motion can’t fix.

It also doesn’t make sense that it happens on IOS and not Android or in DJI Go but not Litchi. Those functions yaw and gimbal tilt aren’t controlled by the mobile app unless is a function mode. This has to be a designed feature meaning it was put there for a reason. I’d try turning up your gimbal pitch smoothness since I think the drone is trying to compensate for an abrupt gimbal stoppage. By increasing the gimbal smoothness thid will slowly release the gimbal pitch and theoretically damped the yaw hesitation.

 

[brett8883]

Firstly it makes sense why yaw is linked, see below.
Secondly, there's an option that may disable it, but your result might be worse (Synchronised Gimbal Pan Follow in gimbal settings)
Thirdly and most importantly - If you want to make good looking images, you NEVER "let the control jump back to center" in the fist place, you accompany it as smoothly as you can to make fluid motion - so it's not an issue at all. I've shot dozens of hours of footage with my MP and VERY often tilt and pan at the same time, but not once did I have a "jump" when releasing the tilt control since... well I never release the tilt control, and never would since that WOULD for sure lead to crappy footage even with no yaw jump.

He beat me by 30 seconds hah

 

[tcope]

What's the point of that comment, tcope? Just curious why you felt the need to share it with such disdain. What is it with people on this forum?

Looking for people in a public forum to start a class action lawsuit is 100% pointless. It indicates that the post is nothing more than a rant and accomplishes nothing. If you _really_ want to hold DJI accountable.... file a small claims lawsuit against them. People wonder why a company like DJI gets aways treating customers like crap? It is because people simply do nothing about it. You want to start a class action lawsuit that would yield you a couple of bucks, everyone else a few cents and great great hardship on yourself but you won't spend the 2 hours and $100 to file your own lawsuit against DJI?

Where I'm coming from is that I understand your frustration. I know it first hand.What I'm saying is... do something about it.

 

[Inspirephil]

OP, if you’re that unhappy with the aircraft buy one that’s better that’s built to do the things you want it to. Such as a Inspire 2 or Matrice. Stop expecting a miracle from something that wasn’t built to deliver a miracle.

 

[430Ferrari]

My vote is for the filing of a class action lawsuit to get their attention so they don’t continue down this road with other drones and buyers.

A small claims lawsuit won’t change corporate behavior for the good of all drone owners, current and future.

 

[dirkclod]

If I had a dollar for every thread I have seen that class action posted in the last 4 years I could pay cash for your Ferrari in your avatar .

 

[Joe4flight]

My Year-Long Struggle with DJI Support’s Incompetence (and why this matters to you)


First, let me get this out of the way: DJI support is completely incompetent. All they know how to do is ask you (repeatedly) to send your drone in after which they will send you a new drone in the hopes that it will resolve whatever problem you are having. Their ability to think beyond that is nonexistent.

Also, the Mavic Pro is currently unacceptable as a platform for serious cinematography. I discovered this after taking my brand-new Mavic Pro Platinum on a trip to Iceland, where much of my footage was ruined due to the issue described in the thread referenced below. I was even chatting with DJI from Iceland about the issue from camp at night. Since then, I’ve spent over a year working with DJI Support trying to get them to fix a bug that afflicts ALL Mavic Pros equally.

First, I tried to convince them there was a problem. Then I had to demonstrate it via video. Then I had to explain it to them, again and again. Then I had to get help from other MP owners on the DJI forum to troubleshoot and identify the problem as being widespread (probably universal), so I could convince DJI support there was indeed a problem (apparently they never watched the video).

I’ve sent my drone(s) in 4 times, and they’ve returned to me brand new ones 2 times, all with exactly the same issue. They couldn’t be convinced that the odds of that being HW-related was miniscule, or that sending it in yet again was, well, going to produce a different outcome. The last three times I included detailed instructions on how to test fly the drone to insure that the issue was resolved prior to sending it back, but that was never done, even though one support rep ‘guaranteed’ me that she would personally oversee the repair to ensure that it was fixed this time. She didn’t. And it wasn’t.

I finally got them to elevate the issue to their R&D department, who did the test I recommended, and they finally acknowledged that there is indeed an issue with the drone (that isn’t HW-based). Actually, thanks to me and a multitude of other MP owners on the DJI forum who took the time to test their own drones under various configurations and confirm that they too exhibited the problem, we determined that the issue was SW related and most likely in the Go4 App that affects all Mavic Pros in the same way. You’ve all probably all experienced it, didn’t know it, or just thought that it was something you had done wrong. The issue disappears when using the Litchi app, according to one user who did the test. So there’s that. However, DJI still has not released an update to their app which would fix this issue for all Mavic Pro owners, nor have they indicated that one is coming.

You can read the thread and watch a video of the problem on the DJI forum here, as well as other posts my me on this forum. Most people don’t even know they have the issue and think that it is just something they’re doing by mistake. It isn’t. It’s a defect. And DJI now knows it.

I initially asked for a refund, but after the first two round trips to DJI support, and the first (of two) brand new drone replacements, they informed me that it was beyond their return policy window. So I then spent time troubleshooting the issue for them so perhaps they could fix it. I had to start over with someone new with every new contact with Support, explaining it all over again, and all they ever wanted was for me to ‘send it back in’. They didn’t even pretend to care beyond the same old template response they all sent me. Once they finally acknowledged that there was an issue, I waited several months for resolution. Nothing. Now this (likely) affects every Mavic Pro out there, but DJI appears uninterested in resolving the issue for us with a SW update. Why should they, the Mavic Pro 2 is now out. So, welcome to being screwed. It’s good to know this, DJI.

After nothing from DJI, and for my troubles, I asked that they either refund me my cost in a return, or apply that cost toward an trade-up to the Mavic 2 Pro (which we determined doesn’t exhibit the same behavior), offering to pay any additional retail costs associated with the exchange. I thought that was fair. They first denied it outright. Then they softened and offered me a new MP! Seriously. Then they offered me a $799 credit for the brand new MPP they just sent me to ‘fix’ my problem, and if I paid them an additional $700, they’d send me a Mavic 2 Pro. After explaining that I had spent over $1,500 on my MPP Fly More Combo, additional battery and props (which, btw, thanks to them are completely incompatible with the Mavic 2 Pro), they softened further and said that since I had the Fly More Kit, that they could offer me $625, versus the additional $700, for a Mavic 2 Pro. Yeah, $75.

If there are enough Mavic Pro owners interested, perhaps a class action lawsuit for collective damages, or replacement, would prompt DJI to take the time to debug their DJI Go4 App and fix it for everyone. Until that fix comes, I will not buy another DJI product.

Anybody interested in a brand new MPP FMC, extra battery, and props for sale?

Hey GrizzlyAK, I read your post with great interest. But I’m still trying to understand exactly what the problem is. You wrote about a video link that describes the issue. Sorry, but I couldn’t find that link. Please re-post. Thx!!

 

[Bigbird48]

I have not read all the post but have read many of them. Didn't I see somewhere that this problem did not occur when using litchi ?and if so why not just use litchi?

 

[Bigbird48]

Hey GrizzlyAK, I read your post with great interest. But I’m still trying to understand exactly what the problem is. You wrote about a video link that describes the issue. Sorry, but I couldn’t find that link. Please re-post. Thx!!

Mavic Pro Platinum Owners - can you replicate this behavior?

 

[Mr. Salty]

This forum is a serious waste of time. See ya. Good luck.

The problem is that you don't really want anyone's help, you just want to rant, threaten lawsuits and insult anyone who doesn't fawn over you. If you'd taken any number of pieces of advice --- including using Litchi, or adjusting gimbal settings --- you'd be out flying your Mavic and enjoying yourself. And that's what this forum really is about --- helping each other enjoy the hobby with simple, immediate and effective solutions, not re-engineering the product.

You yourself said you had to artificially exaggerate the problem in your video for people to be able to see what you're talking about. I'd like to see a video where you didn't have to fake the problem so we can see what the problem really looks like.

 

[GrizzlyAK]

I have not read all the post but have read many of them. Didn't I see somewhere that this problem did not occur when using litchi ?and if so why not just use litchi?

As I’ve said, that is an option.

 

[GrizzlyAK]

The problem is that you don't really want anyone's help, you just want to rant, threaten lawsuits and insult anyone who doesn't fawn over you. If you'd taken any number of pieces of advice --- including using Litchi, or adjusting gimbal settings --- you'd be out flying your Mavic and enjoying yourself. And that's what this forum really is about --- helping each other enjoy the hobby with simple, immediate and effective solutions, not re-engineering the product.

You yourself said you had to artificially exaggerate the problem in your video for people to be able to see what you're talking about. I'd like to see a video where you didn't have to fake the problem so we can see what the problem really looks like.

I don’t recall asking for help. My post was merely for information for those affected. If you are not affected, your input is neither requested, nor necessary (but I know that’s not going to stop you). Also, just an FYI, it was through my efforts that determined that Litchi was immune, so I’ve known that is an option for some time. Also, gimbal settings have zero effect on this issue, which you would know if you had read my posts (or done your own tests). If you want to see another video, make it yourself. I’ve already done the research, and as I pointed out, this freeze is noticeable no matter how softly you release the gimbal control. I even show examples of that in the video. I can assure you the problem is not “fake”, and I’d be happy to accept help and advice from anyone who actually provided any. So far...

 

[tcope]

I have not read all the post but have read many of them. Didn't I see somewhere that this problem did not occur when using litchi ?and if so why not just use litchi?

I can understand the OP's point in this... it is not about a work around to a problem. The OP's complaint is that the problem exists, DJI knows it exists and they refuse to do anything about it. If you bought a car and the tires were defective, should the solution be that _you_ replace the tires... or should the solution be that the manufacture correct the problem?

 

[LmLphx]

This forum is a serious waste of time. See ya. Good luck.

Grizz......sorry you didn't get the feedback you wanted, but I really appreciate you sharing your experience here. Good info.

 

[dirkclod]

Sorry guys I forgot to reopen this when I had to take out some trash but just got back in and saw what I had done so is open again.
Sorry bout that

 

[Madmax229]

I'll give you $76 for your Fly More Combo.....what a deal. As Confucius once said "COMPLAIN less FLY more" or so said

 

[GrizzlyAK]

If I had a dollar for every thread I have seen that class action posted in the last 4 years I could pay cash for your Ferrari in your avatar .[/QUOTE

Looking for people in a public forum to start a class action lawsuit is 100% pointless. It indicates that the post is nothing more than a rant and accomplishes nothing. If you _really_ want to hold DJI accountable.... file a small claims lawsuit against them. People wonder why a company like DJI gets aways treating customers like crap? It is because people simply do nothing about it. You want to start a class action lawsuit that would yield you a couple of bucks, everyone else a few cents and great great hardship on yourself but you won't spend the 2 hours and $100 to file your own lawsuit against DJI?

Where I'm coming from is that I understand your frustration. I know it first hand.What I'm saying is... do something about it.

Do something? Are you daft? I spent the last year doing something. Now I’m raising awareness, because based on my experience, many users don’t even realize they have this issue. All the trolling here is not helping. It’s only a distraction.

If anyone is serious about understanding and resolving this, or need more details in their own tests, PM me.

 

[tcope]

Do something? Are you daft? I spent the last year doing something. Now I’m raising awareness, because based on my experience, many users don’t even realize they have this issue. All the trolling here is not helping. It’s only a distraction.

So this was a PSA about DJI's poor customer service? If so, it's already a well documented fact. But you are choosing to simply accept this poor service for yourself and doing nothing to change the situation. This is part of the reason why you went through what you did... because you and other people are unwilling to change it. So what we are left with is person after person complaining about a situation but they choose to simply allow it to continue.

To be frank, if someone is not willing to solve a problem that they are complaining about... I don't care too much. I suspect others might feel the same way.

But I also now understand that perhaps you are just pointing out an issue with the Mavic. Personally, I have never experienced the problem you mentioned or at least, it has never affected me.