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Sell me on the Mavic 3 Classic, or not.

Paulis

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As a current Mavic 2 Pro owner, perhaps it's time to consider an upgrade. I understand the concept that the latest isn't always the greatest. I currently have five batteries (3 with less than 5 cycles) for plenty of flight time for me. The feature I'm most interested in with the M3 classic is cruise control. With the M2P, I'm hooked on waypoints. Naturally I can't have the best of both worlds. Help me see the light. What else am I missing?
 
Does the M2P currently fufill your needs, you say you have three batteries with less than five charge cycles on them. Is the usage of the other two batteries much heavier?
If not is it worth forking out $xk for a drone that you are probably not going to use that much. Plus there will probably be teething troubles.
Do you use the M2P's camera to the limit of its capablities? If not why would you want a 'better/newer' one.

If flying at a steady speed isreally something you desire I am sure you could have come up with a way to do it with the M2P, perhaps little wooden/plastic spacers etc. to keep the stick in one position etc.

Have you looked at the fly App and compared it to Go4? The Fly app is a significant leap backwards in my opinion.
 
Does the M2P currently fufill your needs, you say you have three batteries with less than five charge cycles on them. Is the usage of the other two batteries much heavier?
If not is it worth forking out $xk for a drone that you are probably not going to use that much. Plus there will probably be teething troubles.
Do you use the M2P's camera to the limit of its capablities? If not why would you want a 'better/newer' one.

If flying at a steady speed isreally something you desire I am sure you could have come up with a way to do it with the M2P, perhaps little wooden/plastic spacers etc. to keep the stick in one position etc.

Have you looked at the fly App and compared it to Go4? The Fly app is a significant leap backwards in my opinion.
The other batteries charge cycles are in the 30's. I replaced several due to minor swelling. Hence the low counts. And with everything I have read about the fly app, I am going to agree with you. As for the camera on the M2P, it is still great for my needs.
 
I have 2 M2's and I just bought the M3C.....for me it is the LONGER FLIGHT TIMES that are so appealing. I just had a job that required me to be in the air, looking at people, waiting for them to do something interesting and then film them doing it.

Sometimes with the M2, I would wait and wait and then FINALLY they would do something.....but it was not enough and the battery time was then LOW....so I would have to fly home, replace the battery and then....wouldn't you know it.....while I'm changing the batteries, they would start doing stuff.....so I would quickly get in the air......and YEP, they would stop.....so back to waiting.

In so many of those cases....if I would have had just 5 more mins of flight time I would have finished the job.

So for me....that is the big deal......

By the way, I have 8 batteries.....3 are showing major puffing, 2 have less than 10 charges, and 3 have more than 40 charges and are doing well. So, if I were honest, I have 3 good batteries and 5 on their last leg.....so I'm about to have to drop some money on new batteries.....or, sell off one drone with older batteries and keep the 3 with the other one as a backup system.

Kirk
 
I forgot, another thing that I have done for years is upgrade to the latest model when it comes out. I used to have the INSPIRE model...then, they made it so fancy, and made it do so much that it was MORE than I needed.

I thought that DJI had done the same thing with the Mavic 3.....all the fancy zoom and cine stuff...the 1 TB drive internal and all of that fancy swanky stuff was more than I needed.....I'm NOT Steven Spilburg!!! So, I had decided that I was NOT going to upgrade...that I was a M2 guy and just gonna click along with it.

But the Classic stripped off all the stuff I don't need, and the price became more inline with what I wanted to pay for a drone.

PLUS....and forgive me for being such a freak......but they way they sell the full M3....were if you buy the remote with the screen on it you end up with 2 remotes, one with a screen and one you use with your phone .....well, for me, that was just WAISTING MONEY!!!! I hated that......but with the classic they changed that....you get only one remote.

SMART!!!

Kirk
 
The two main things I think for you would be the larger sensor and the longer life batteries that allow USB-C for charging. I am coming from the Air 2S so both of those apply to me plus the variable appature and reported lower noise. I think it will be a good compliment to the Mini 3 Pro I also own. Maybe for me an Air 3 would have been my next step and who knows, maybe it will still but until that is a thing I think its a great update/option compared to my Air 2S without having to justify the full M3.
 
I think that if you need to have the M 3 Classic "sold" to you, then you probably don't need or want it.

I did, thats why my new M 3 Classic is sitting next to me charging up :cool:
 
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As a current Mavic 2 Pro owner, perhaps it's time to consider an upgrade. I understand the concept that the latest isn't always the greatest. I currently have five batteries (3 with less than 5 cycles) for plenty of flight time for me. The feature I'm most interested in with the M3 classic is cruise control. With the M2P, I'm hooked on waypoints. Naturally I can't have the best of both worlds. Help me see the light. What else am I missing?
A couple of years ago, I got tired of waiting for the Mavic 3 and bought a Mavic Air2 as an interim machine (I’d had a Phantom 4 but decided it was too bulky to carry around all the time and I don’t like to leave valuables in a parked car for various reasons). When it came out, the price of the Mavic 3 here in Australia put me off. After all, anything I shoot—bit of real estate, business promo stuff—is only going to be used on the web or in an A4 flyer, so unless I get a gig shooting pix for billboards or similar, the Mavic Air2 is fine. I did think about the the Air2S, but bearing in mind my current needs, decided to wait a bit. The Mini 3 Pro might make more sense, given the way regulations have skewed to the sub 250g category. Or how far away can an Air3 be…Oh, and if you want waypoints, there are some good 3rd party apps.
 
I do not have the Mavic 3 or M3 Classic. Just the Mini 3

but I have been considering the Mavic 3; and I have no reservations about buying a refurbished-by-DJI drone. So, I have noticed that the M3 Classic+RC-N1+65W charger is $1599. And a refurbished Mavic 3+RC-N1+65W charger is $1639 at DJI

in other words, for $40 more I can get the Mavic 3 with the 7X zoom, lockable gimbal, and better harness. Forty dollars

DJI is also selling a refurbished Mavic 3 FMC that has the M3+three batteries+3 way charging hub+65W charger+8 ND filters+accessories+carry bag for $2279

to get an equivalent package for the M3 Classic you'd be at $1599 (M3C)+$649 (FMC). That's $2248 which is only 31 dollars less and does not include any ND filters

I suppose if you did not want the 7X zoom and were only interested in brand new, that insignificant difference in price wouldn't matter. But to be able to get the M3 FMC for only 30 dollars more is pretty hard to ignore
 
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Of course, larger sensor and newer tech has led to improved quality of pictures.
But, a downside with the M3 is DJI Fly and the sensor ratio, which is apparently 4:3 instead of the more traditional and the M2P's 3:2.

I still find it hard to compose with this ratio (with the Mini 3 Pro) and no ability to hide the UI as I could with DJI Go4 by swiping up.

So yes, technically it is improved but unfortunately, some points have been worsened aka dumbed down to my taste.
 
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Dunno... I have been looking for a backup/second drone. (unloaded the previous 4 drones) Level 5-6 Winds are normal in my area. Currently have the M2P. Makes lots of great pics for postcards and magnets! Done some fire mapping and training videos for Police and Fire, Now I'm working on the King tide project. (and real estate, of course) The M2P is absolutely perfect for these use case scenerios. Except Fire and search and rescue. I want to be sold on the Classic also. Always learning.
 
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Dunno... I have been looking for a backup/second drone. (unloaded the previous 4 drones) Level 5-6 Winds are normal in my area. Currently have the M2P. Makes lots of great pics for postcards and magnets! Done some fire mapping and training videos for Police and Fire, Now I'm working on the King tide project. (and real estate, of course) The M2P is absolutely perfect for these use case scenerios. Except Fire and search and rescue. I want to be sold on the Classic also. Always learning.
See post #10 above for a better alternative to the Classic. Basically, a DJI Refurbished Mavic 3 for the same price as the "new" Classic. More for your money, and much better resale value! Refurbished is not used. It is an unflown aircraft returned to DJI within 7 days of purchase, bench tested, and repackaged like new as Refurbished. Same 12 month warranty and DJI Care is also available. It is indistinguishable from new.

The additional flight time adds 12 minutes per flight over the M2P, and the Mavic 3 7x-28x zoom is invaluable for SAR!
 
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See post #10 above for a better alternative to the Classic. Basically, a DJI Refurbished Mavic 3 for the same price as the "new" Classic. More for your money, and much better resale value! Refurbished is not used. It is an unflown aircraft returned to DJI within 7 days of purchase, bench tested, and repackaged like new as Refurbished. Same 12 month warranty and DJI Care is also available. It is indistinguishable from new.

The additional flight time adds 12 minutes per flight over the M2P, and the Mavic 3 7x-28x zoom is invaluable for SAR!
Read the post and really appreciated it. Thanks. It is not the price I am concerned with... it is weather I will actually use the new features, some of which are really not on the "wish list". It is crazy how these awesome machines can do so much. I want the camera, Waypoints and wind resistance. Not to mention "rain resistance" and @Phantomrain.org is helping me out with that.
Still Undecided.
 
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Read the post and really appreciated it. Thanks. It is not the price I am concerned with... it is weather I will actually use the new features, some of which are really not on the "wish list". It is crazy how these awesome machines can do so much. I want the camera, Waypoints and wind resistance. Not to mention "rain resistance" and @Phantomrain.org is helping me out with that.
Still Undecided.
I have never regretted getting extra features that weren’t on my initial wish list, basically for free, or for just a little bit more. You will grow to appreciate them! Think of the 7x telephoto as your binoculars during flight, to scout interesting nearby photo opportunities. You may never take a photo with your "binoculars," but I have never regretted having a pair of weightless binoculars handy on my Mavic 3 to see if it is worth getting closer to take a picture or video.

After a year, I wanted a backup to my Mavic 3, and when the Clasic was announced, I thought it might be worth it, for all the new features that were not available on the Mavic 3. When those same features became fully available upon the Mavic 3 within 48 hours with a FW update, and someone pointed out that Refurbished Mavic 3's were now finally available for $1549 (now $1699), getting the Refurbished Mavic 3 instead was a no brainer for me. I use the 7x camera as binoculars to explore from the air, and even create super high res panos with them! Not having to fly closer to explore keeps me from disturbing wildlife and people. Rain resistance can be a great feature to take advantage of flying just before, during, and after inclement weather!
 
So I opted for the standard Mavic 3. I got a refurb from Drone Nerds. It was delivered on Tuesday the 10th of January. $2139.00 with fly more kit. All three batteries had a zero charge cycle count. Everything is pristine, and the price was amazing. Now if only the price would drop a bit on the RC Pro.
 
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So I opted for the standard Mavic 3. I got a refurb from Drone Nerds. It was delivered on Tuesday the 10th of January. $2139.00 with fly more kit. All three batteries had a zero charge cycle count. Everything is pristine, and the price was amazing. Now if only the price would drop a bit on the RC Pro.
I got mine from Drone Nerds too. It's looks brand new and no cycles on the batteries. Everything has been pristine

now, I paid $2199 so you must have timed it perfectly because I see that right now the price is $2349. So it has increased $150 from when I bought it late December. That would be $210 more than your price

the FMC is finally back in stock at DJI for $2279

by the way, if anybody is planning on buying more Mavic 3 batteries, Amazon has a 2 for 1 sale for $350

Mavic Battery 2-Pack
 
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I purchased a refurbished P3P in 2018 from DJI and until now that has been my only aircraft. Still flys perfectly. I have watched all the new releases since then and until now I really couldn't justify the expense of upgrading considering the new abilities that have been added over the years to the various models. IMO the M3 Classic comes in with all the new features at the right price point to justify upgrading from a perfectly good Phantom 3 pro which I still love to fly. When my M3 Classic arrives I look forward to learning this new bird and exploring all its capabilities I've never had (active track, cruise control, and full obstacle avoidance) as well as enjoying twice the flight time.
 
I do not have the Mavic 3 or M3 Classic. Just the Mini 3

but I have been considering the Mavic 3; and I have no reservations about buying a refurbished-by-DJI drone. So, I have noticed that the M3 Classic+RC-N1+65W charger is $1599. And a refurbished Mavic 3+RC-N1+65W charger is $1639 at DJI

in other words, for $40 more I can get the Mavic 3 with the 7X zoom, lockable gimbal, and better harness. Forty dollars

DJI is also selling a refurbished Mavic 3 FMC that has the M3+three batteries+3 way charging hub+65W charger+8 ND filters+accessories+carry bag for $2279

to get an equivalent package for the M3 Classic you'd be at $1599 (M3C)+$649 (FMC). That's $2248 which is only 31 dollars less and does not include any ND filters

I suppose if you did not want the 7X zoom and were only interested in brand new, that insignificant difference in price wouldn't matter. But to be able to get the M3 FMC for only 30 dollars more is pretty hard to ignore
I took advantage of the M3 with Flymore kit it was a much better deal than the Classic. It also has all the warranty of a NEW system.
 
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