Official verdict for me. Not buying M3 Cine.

[christangey]

There a certain people accusing others of posting "lame" yet they hardly know the tiniest bit of a professional production it seems. I mean, please at least be so decent and read through the thread and stop insulting people in general, especially when they showed their acclaimed work here.

For the SD card: don't be lame, make your homework and start reading, that recording ProRes is not possible on the SD card. Only on the internal SSD. There's not even an option for shadow-copying later on or so ...

The transfer speeds vary but are likely to go down to something 200 - 250 Mbyte/s (or even lower) ... a full internal SSD would at least require 1 h 20 mins at that speed. And it certainly has nothing to do with @canadian drone videos "this guy needs to have a MacBook to use in the professional field". It has to do with the connections. Latest TB3, TB4 or other USB 3.x transmitting speeds and (NVMe) SSD hardware is certainly part of everyday's PCs and laptops too. So why it's not transmitting faster or throttling from the drone ... no one knows by now. Interfaces could do more throughput. And Philip Bloom is showing the transfer on a Mac, so I guess, he knows, what he's talking about.

And as said, it's not just a few minutes, it can be quite long especially with the change of loading batteries etc. The usual way is shooting, shooting, shooting and offload or hand over your material at the end. Or offload it while changing batteries by inserting a new SD ... but exactly that flexible handling is not possible anymore with ProRes without investing 15 mins+.

That might not be a problem to you or others (it's not even for me) but COMPARED to today's standards, that is a sub par condition. DJI claims, that a removable media would talk to much weight and reduce flight time, but yet, having the option would still be a great thing.

Well, I guess it is, or is not. But don't label it "for the pros" and keep talking they are doing it wrong.
They know their stuff and how the workflow is supposed to be.

Yes this thread seems to be breeding a few "know everything but know nothing" types here Honestly, it's just embarrassing. Just haven't got time respond to people who won't bother to read all of the information, which is all in this thread. Thanks for your contribution.

 

[canadian drone videos]

There a certain people accusing others of posting "lame" yet they hardly know the tiniest bit of a professional production it seems. I mean, please at least be so decent and read through the thread and stop insulting people in general, especially when they showed their acclaimed work here.

For the SD card: don't be lame, make your homework and start reading, that recording ProRes is not possible on the SD card. Only on the internal SSD. There's not even an option for shadow-copying later on or so ...

The transfer speeds vary but are likely to go down to something 200 - 250 Mbyte/s (or even lower) ... a full internal SSD would at least require 1 h 20 mins at that speed. And it certainly has nothing to do with @canadian drone videos "this guy needs to have a MacBook to use in the professional field". It has to do with the connections. Latest TB3, TB4 or other USB 3.x transmitting speeds and (NVMe) SSD hardware is certainly part of everyday's PCs and laptops too. So why it's not transmitting faster or throttling from the drone ... no one knows by now. Interfaces could do more throughput. And Philip Bloom is showing the transfer on a Mac, so I guess, he knows, what he's talking about.

And as said, it's not just a few minutes, it can be quite long especially with the change of loading batteries etc. The usual way is shooting, shooting, shooting and offload or hand over your material at the end. Or offload it while changing batteries by inserting a new SD ... but exactly that flexible handling is not possible anymore with ProRes without investing 15 mins+.

That might not be a problem to you or others (it's not even for me) but COMPARED to today's standards, that is a sub par condition. DJI claims, that a removable media would talk to much weight and reduce flight time, but yet, having the option would still be a great thing.

Well, I guess it is, or is not. But don't label it "for the pros" and keep talking they are doing it wrong.
They know their stuff and how the workflow is supposed to be.

A video was posted on this thread showing 50 min to transfer a TB from the M3. So ya around 16 min to transfer one batteries worth, which in my world translates to a few min. And at no time have I said pro res can be used on an SD. Don’t think I’ll bother reading the rest of your rant.

 

[canadian drone videos]

There a certain people accusing others of posting "lame" yet they hardly know the tiniest bit of a professional production it seems. I mean, please at least be so decent and read through the thread and stop insulting people in general, especially when they showed their acclaimed work here.

For the SD card: don't be lame, make your homework and start reading, that recording ProRes is not possible on the SD card. Only on the internal SSD. There's not even an option for shadow-copying later on or so ...

The transfer speeds vary but are likely to go down to something 200 - 250 Mbyte/s (or even lower) ... a full internal SSD would at least require 1 h 20 mins at that speed. And it certainly has nothing to do with @canadian drone videos "this guy needs to have a MacBook to use in the professional field". It has to do with the connections. Latest TB3, TB4 or other USB 3.x transmitting speeds and (NVMe) SSD hardware is certainly part of everyday's PCs and laptops too. So why it's not transmitting faster or throttling from the drone ... no one knows by now. Interfaces could do more throughput. And Philip Bloom is showing the transfer on a Mac, so I guess, he knows, what he's talking about.

And as said, it's not just a few minutes, it can be quite long especially with the change of loading batteries etc. The usual way is shooting, shooting, shooting and offload or hand over your material at the end. Or offload it while changing batteries by inserting a new SD ... but exactly that flexible handling is not possible anymore with ProRes without investing 15 mins+.

That might not be a problem to you or others (it's not even for me) but COMPARED to today's standards, that is a sub par condition. DJI claims, that a removable media would talk to much weight and reduce flight time, but yet, having the option would still be a great thing.

Well, I guess it is, or is not. But don't label it "for the pros" and keep talking they are doing it wrong.
They know their stuff and how the workflow is supposed to be.

And what “pro” even uses a Mavic Pro? It’s a low level consumer drone not marketed to pros. The very idea a so called pro uses one to make money turns my brow up. Based on what I’ve seen this M3 is also not a drone suited for professional use, obviously, hence the title of this thread. The only use this drone is on a professional set (if there even is a use) is due to the logistics of getting something like an I2 to the location. What drone maker makes a drone for professional use that has no removable SSD? What’s that tell you?

 

[canadian drone videos]

And what “pro” even uses a Mavic Pro? It’s a low level consumer drone not marketed to pros. The very idea a so called pro uses one to make money turns my brow up. Based on what I’ve seen this M3 is also not a drone suited for professional use, obviously, hence the title of this thread. The only use this drone is on a professional set (if there even is a use) is due to the logistics of getting something like an I2 to the location. What drone maker makes a drone for professional use that has no removable SSD? What’s that tell you?

That fact it shoots pro res is a money grab for DJI, that SSD probably cost them $60, they already had the pro res software, and they ding you for the license. I bet it cost DJI an extra $90 to make the Cine, and you paid and extra $2500, who’s laughing now.

 

[Yoak]

ProtesAnother lame post.

Use a micro SD and your “problem” is solved!

I have NO issue connecting my Cine to my Mac and downloading from the internal drive. Use the supplied cable and plug it in directly, not through a hub

You can’t use prores on a SD card, so the problem isn’t solved that way

 

[Donnie Frank]

Ok, that's it. As a Pro I have unfortunately now eliminated the Cine as an option.

JBSonic's post in another forum "Who All Has Returned Their M3 Due to Issues?" outlines a MAJOR problem for Pros with having a single, non-removable SSD drive:

"...my Cine version doesn't connect to my PC, can't get any footage from it. Dji support couldn't solve it either. So guess it's gonna go back for a refund"
It brings to mind the old saying "Don't put all your eggs in one basket", which DJI has, and which no Pro can ever afford to do.

Kinda glad in a way.... I just saved myself some serious money and I don't have to stress over the pros and cons of each version any more! A faulty SSD as an integral part of the aircraft makes the Cine version totally and utterly unacceptable for Pros. I have NEVER had an issue with the 20 or so SSDs (mainly Samsung) I own and use in other cameras. On a commercial job the contents of that drive could well be worth many thousands of dollars (or tens of thousands!) and Pros can't afford to lose the data OR have a delay in accessing it, as often jobs are time-critical for the client. At least that option is now off the table, now I am just left with the decision on whether to buy a standard M3 at all.

Back to the outback with my M2P I guess!

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Yep....as we say, "If the data isn't in 3 places, it doesn't exist."

I regularly dump the data to my computer hard drive and from there to an external drive. The footage is reviewed via the external drive (last device in the data transfer chain), which let's us know that there was no data loss during the transfers. The inability to QUICKLY and EASILY save video/photo files is definitely a deal breaker.

D

 

[canadian drone videos]

Ok, that's it. As a Pro I have unfortunately now eliminated the Cine as an option.

JBSonic's post in another forum "Who All Has Returned Their M3 Due to Issues?" outlines a MAJOR problem for Pros with having a single, non-removable SSD drive:

"...my Cine version doesn't connect to my PC, can't get any footage from it. Dji support couldn't solve it either. So guess it's gonna go back for a refund"
It brings to mind the old saying "Don't put all your eggs in one basket", which DJI has, and which no Pro can ever afford to do.

Kinda glad in a way.... I just saved myself some serious money and I don't have to stress over the pros and cons of each version any more! A faulty SSD as an integral part of the aircraft makes the Cine version totally and utterly unacceptable for Pros. I have NEVER had an issue with the 20 or so SSDs (mainly Samsung) I own and use in other cameras. On a commercial job the contents of that drive could well be worth many thousands of dollars (or tens of thousands!) and Pros can't afford to lose the data OR have a delay in accessing it, as often jobs are time-critical for the client. At least that option is now off the table, now I am just left with the decision on whether to buy a standard M3 at all.

Back to the outback with my M2P I guess!

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This is a professional cinematic drone, this is what they look like… not a Mavic 3, which is what it is, a consumer drone marketed to hobbyists.

Airpeak S1

 

[Meta4]

This is a professional cinematic drone, this is what they look like… not a Mavic 3, which is what it is, a consumer drone marketed to hobbyists.

That's an imaginary drone, one that was announced a year ago, but still hasn't been released.
If/when it is released, it's just one model that some professional might use for some jobs.

There's no such thing as a "professional drone".
A professional drone is any drone that a professional user chooses for a particular job.
That could be an expensive heavy lifter or a Mini 2 or anything in between, depending on what the pro needs for the job.

 

[canadian drone videos]

That's an imaginary drone, one that was announced a year ago, but still hasn't been released.
If/when it is released, it's just one model that some professional might use for some jobs.

There's no such thing as a "professional drone".
A professional drone is any drone that a professional user chooses for a particular job.
That could be an expensive heavy lifter or a Mini 2 or anything in between, depending on what the pro needs for the job.

I see.

 

[dmdomokos]

Beautiful video, with stunning subject, and masterfully captured. But the video does show the limit of Mavic 2 Pro (e.g., lower Bit rate, poor handling of highlights in some higher dynamic range scene). I see you have been complaining about various issues with Mavic 3 in different forums - but even with all of that, I bet you can shoot the same video with vastly improved quality and more interesting angle (e.g., much higher Bit rate, 4K/60P/120P, telephoto lens, ultrawide lens, better handling of the highlights), even with a standard version of Mavic 3. A true master knows how to get the most of the tool. The combined benefits this new drone bring to the table still out-weight its drawbacks.

I agree SkywalkerFeng, I also think the Mavic 3 flys smoother with less deviations from course. I have the CINE and do share the concerns about the SSD, but it also has an SD card slot that can be used for everything except ProRes. There are a lot of issues right now, but I am of the opinion that a lot if it will get fixed, and what it does right now is pretty amazing. I don't think you realize it until you fly it for awhile.

 

[Yoak]

I agree SkywalkerFeng, I also think the Mavic 3 flys smoother with less deviations from course. I have the CINE and do share the concerns about the SSD, but it also has an SD card slot that can be used for everything except ProRes. There are a lot of issues right now, but I am of the opinion that a lot if it will get fixed, and what it does right now is pretty amazing. I don't think you realize it until you fly it for awhile.

So what’s amazing about it?

 

[canadian drone videos]

So what’s amazing about it?

Amazing isn’t a word I’d use to describe the M3, had the drone come out 4 years ago yes I’d use amazing to describe it. As far as we know the only thing that’s going to be in the January update is 1080 200 FPS, and autonomous flight modes.

As far as the Cine goes we saw all the same issues with 1” sensor 4K when it first came out, folks lacked the computer power to work with 4K and told DJI their software was no good. Now we have 5k pro res which many people are unfamiliar with, their computers are having trouble working with it, to my knowledge there is nothing wrong with the SSD or the software in the drone. None of the regular YouTube reviewers of drones are having problems with their SSD. Many computers capable of handling 4K from a one inch sensor will be incapable of handling 5k pro res from a 4/3rds sensor, that’s just a given. So what we have here are many people who bought the Cine are now realizing they need an ever more powerful computer to run it, but have yet to come to terms with that. And that’s certainly nothing DJI is going to tell you on the outside of the box.

Anytime you make sensors bigger and add more res you increase the workload on a computer. Best bet is to reach out to a tech expert and find out if your existing computer can handle the Cine video before you buy the Cine.

As far as smoother flight, I can’t agree with that, the P4P is equally as smooth. As far as actual flying smoothness goes there is no remarkable difference between the M3 and many other DJI drones. Sometimes when I start a slow pass in Cine mode with zero wind the M3 wonders to the left or right till it begins to fly straight, this was annoying yesterday while trying to fly tight to trees... with the sensors off, it gets worse with them on. The P4P does the same thing.

My opinion is the only reason to buy the M3 is because your tired of lugging around a bulky Inspire 2. It’s the only reason I bought mine, and sold the I2.

 

[Meta4]

I also think the Mavic 3 flys smoother with less deviations from course.

What DJI drones don't fly smoothly?
I've not seen any making deviations.

 

[Yoak]

All the DJI drones I've had (Phantoms and Mavic Pros) sometimes do odd things in the air, ruining shots. I kind of expect it happening very now and then. It's something I can live with for the price.

 

[canadian drone videos]

All the DJI drones I've had (Phantoms and Mavic Pros) sometimes do odd things in the air, ruining shots. I kind of expect it happening very now and then. It's something I can live with for the price.

I agree, I can live with it, work around it, flying drones takes a certain amount of creative thinking. It’s 100% smooth at higher speeds, but all DJI drones are.

 

[ianwood]

What DJI drones don't fly smoothly?
I've not seen any making deviations.

Every single Inspire, A3/A3 Pro and everything that came before them!

But I agree with you that a "professional" drone is defined by the profession and the task at hand.

 

[Point Zero]

What DJI drones don't fly smoothly?
I've not seen any making deviations.

Apart from the Mavic 3 with OA turned on.

Sorry sir, I couldn't help myself

 

[canadian drone videos]

Every single Inspire, A3/A3 Pro and everything that came before them!

But I agree with you that a "professional" drone is defined by the profession and the task at hand.

Actually my I2 in tripod mode with the max speed turned down it’s the smoothest I’ve ever seen any drone perform at low speed. Problem was the drone was too big to really take advantage of it. I want low slow and smooth when I’m flying around lots of objects, the I2 was just too big for it.

 

[dmdomokos]

Amazing isn’t a word I’d use to describe the M3, had the drone come out 4 years ago yes I’d use amazing to describe it. As far as we know the only thing that’s going to be in the January update is 1080 200 FPS, and autonomous flight modes.

As far as the Cine goes we saw all the same issues with 1” sensor 4K when it first came out, folks lacked the computer power to work with 4K and told DJI their software was no good. Now we have 5k pro res which many people are unfamiliar with, their computers are having trouble working with it, to my knowledge there is nothing wrong with the SSD or the software in the drone. None of the regular YouTube reviewers of drones are having problems with their SSD. Many computers capable of handling 4K from a one inch sensor will be incapable of handling 5k pro res from a 4/3rds sensor, that’s just a given. So what we have here are many people who bought the Cine are now realizing they need an ever more powerful computer to run it, but have yet to come to terms with that. And that’s certainly nothing DJI is going to tell you on the outside of the box.

Anytime you make sensors bigger and add more res you increase the workload on a computer. Best bet is to reach out to a tech expert and find out if your existing computer can handle the Cine video before you buy the Cine.

As far as smoother flight, I can’t agree with that, the P4P is equally as smooth. As far as actual flying smoothness goes there is no remarkable difference between the M3 and many other DJI drones. Sometimes when I start a slow pass in Cine mode with zero wind the M3 wonders to the left or right till it begins to fly straight, this was annoying yesterday while trying to fly tight to trees... with the sensors off, it gets worse with them on. The P4P does the same thing.

My opinion is the only reason to buy the M3 is because your tired of lugging around a bulky Inspire 2. It’s the only reason I bought mine, and sold the I2.

I haven’t had those issues. Mavic 3 has never drifted on me (yet) and is more stable than our Mavic pro, Air, Air2 and our P4. However I do think our P4 had issues, we sold it. So far the Mavic 3 out performs everything we have from a flight and camera perspective. We do wish it had the other autonomous capabilities, especially spotlight. Soon, right? BTW we use FCPX on a 2017 MacPros. ProRes isn’t the issue, 5k H.265 is a bit. Had to go back to using optimized files to edit.

 

[canadian drone videos]

I haven’t had those issues. Mavic 3 has never drifted on me (yet) and is more stable than our Mavic pro, Air, Air2 and our P4. However I do think our P4 had issues, we sold it. So far the Mavic 3 out performs everything we have from a flight and camera perspective. We do wish it had the other autonomous capabilities, especially spotlight. Soon, right? BTW we use FCPX on a 2017 MacPros. ProRes isn’t the issue, 5k H.265 is a bit. Had to go back to using optimized files to edit.

That’s weird, I have the 2018 MacBook Pro only one year newer and it has no issues at all with the H265 5k 50 FPS video, even in Dlog, converts it to pro res pretty fast, doesn’t even get hot doing it. Are you converting the 265 to PR 422 in FCPX or another pro res codec?

I noticed yesterday my M3 drifted to the right every time I slowly hit forward, but when I spun the drone 180 degrees to try the shot from the opposite direction it didn’t, and there was no wind at all either direction. To get around it I just backed up some started the pass sooner and corrected it before I hit where I actually wanted to start from. I don’t notice much difference between my P4P and M3, both fly pretty good overall.