Standard Controller vs the Pro Controller (a downgrade in some ways)

[fiddlepilot]

I did a few calculations.

Because the DJI Go Fly app uses what’s call “safe margins” on the iPhone, the RC Pro should actually be a little larger.

All “diagonal” screen Measurements are not equal. The RC Pro is 16:9 aspect ratio and the iPhone Pro is 19.5:9 aspect ratio with round corners and a notch. That’s 3 things against effective screen real estate.

The effective area the Go Fly app uses on iPhone Pro 13 with 6.1 screen is 12.1 sq inches. The RC Pro with its square corners, No notch and taller screen should end up at about 12.96 sq inches. I’ll confirm when I get it.

This is great news because that was a hard thing to get past in my head

If anyone wants to share the width and height of the actual App on the RC Pro screen (including camera controls) I’d appreciate it. I came up with 4.8” x 2.7” (that’s the whole 5.5” screen in 16:9)

iPhone Pro 13 comes out to 4.875” x 2.5” by the actual app on the screen. Actual size of iPhone Pro 13 screen is 5.5” x 2.5” but it is not all used. Some apps allow full screen with notch and corners cutting into the app and smarts to layout around the notch and round corners. But DJI Go Fly takes the lazy approach and uses the largest rectangle that fits unobstructed by round corners and notches. Called the safety margins. I write iPhone apps for a living and have to deal it and sometimes I take the lazy approach too.

 

[fiddlepilot]

Never really understood why people put a case on their phones. IT makes it bigger and, in my view; uglier. At the same time it 'protects' the phone, I agree, against scratches and other damage. But for me a phone is a tool in the first (and only) place. If it has a few scratches, it just means that it has been used, as it is meant to be.

My ultra thin case and glass screen protector that is barely noticeable on my $1200.00 iPhone has saved it numerous times. Also fits in the standard controller fine.

Never understood why folks wouldn’t use at least a minimal case. The company I work for, a mega billion $ company, shipped me the same phone, in the same case and same screen protector. I had to buy another case though, because I couldn’t tell them apart

My phones are like new when I sell them and I usually get top dollar.

I also put e-grip on the back of my phones for better grip. I put it on my MacBooks too because they are as slippery as a greased pig.

Very worth while. Also could care less what it looks like.

 

[fiddlepilot]

Cool my original deliver date of February moved up to tomorrow

Not thrilled with this current slow variable strength GPS issue. Doesn’t instill a lot of confidence.

 

[fiddlepilot]

The RC Pro controller is pretty awesome.
Feels like the whole package is a Pro now.

But I screwed up. I had and old email I rarely use in my notes to login to DJI but that’s not what I used on the Mavic 3. It refused to switch to the new controller because I wasn’t in the account registered with the Mavic 3. Finally sorted that stupidity out and all was fine. Lots of 4 letter words.

But when the controller first booted up it asked for an account and the DJI GO Fly app asked for an account. I put the wrong account in BOTH. I fixed the DJI Fly App but I’m not sure if I need to find/fix the other spot I entered the wrong account. Worried I registered it to the wrong account.

Not sure if I should factory reset and start over.

Not sure what happens with DJI Care now.

Screen definitely feels larger than my iPhone 13 Pro 6.1” screen. Feels like a Pro 13 Max.

Now I gotta get a neck strap and screen protector for it. Always something.

 

[SkywalkerFeng]

Your iPhone is 1200 nit peak brightness than last for seconds. Sustained brightness is what you are looking for and your iphone is about 700 nits. The RC PRO will be 1000 nit sustained and that is a large difference under sunlight. However, the screen is a little smaller, and with the new MA3 active track functions, you need to touch the screen to change the functions and it is very difficult to be accurate. The only extra control you get on the RC PRO is the zoom wheel, although I find out it is more intuitive to use it pinching on the screen to zoom in and out, My personal experience with the M3 is that you need a larger display to easily use all the features touching the screen.

Compared to iPhone, Samsung S21 Ultra (auto/peak brightness 942/1500 nits) is a better suit to pair with the standard remote controller.

I paired S21 Ultra with RC-N1 controller and had over 200+ flight this summer, most of these flights under very strong sunlight. I never had any problem seeing the information on the screen. Its screen is almost as bright as the one for RC Pro controller, but much bigger (6.8" v.s. 5.5").

 

[fiddlepilot]

Compared to iPhone, Samsung S21 Ultra (auto/peak brightness 942/1500 nits) is a better suit to pair with the standard remote controller.

I paired S21 Ultra with RC-N1 controller and had over 200+ flight this summer, most of these flights under very strong sunlight. I never had any problem seeing the information on the screen. Its screen is almost as bright as the one for RC Pro controller, but much bigger (6.8" v.s. 5.5").

You can’t compare screen Diagonal of different aspect ratios devices.

Not sure how Go Fly app is laid out on your S21 but the only way to compare is to compare the actual app size on each device. On iPhone Pro 13 Go Fly is heavily cropped so it doesn’t come close to using 6.1”. They have to maintain the aspect ratio of the Camera which is 4:3. The RC Pro aspect ratio comes closer to 4:3 than the S21 or iPhone does (less cropping). S21+ is probably larger but probably not nearly as much as you think. I suspect the S21 6.2” screen (like the iPhone 13 Pro non Max 6.1” screen) is probably the same or smaller than RC Pro 5.5” 16:9 screen.

 

[RocketBrew]

I found these specifications:

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)
1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density)
800 nits HBM (High Brightness Mode), 1120 nits (peak).

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
1000 nits HBM (High Brightness Mode), 1200 nits (peak)

DJI RC Pro
5.5 inches,
1080 x 1920 pixels,
constant 1000 nits average brightness

 

[fiddlepilot]

I found these specifications:

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
6.8 inches, 112.1 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)
1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density)
800 nits HBM (High Brightness Mode), 1120 nits (peak).

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
1000 nits HBM (High Brightness Mode), 1200 nits (peak)

DJI RC Pro
5.5 inches,
1080 x 1920 pixels,
constant 1000 nits average brightness

Your point?

If you had a screen that was 100” x 1” with a diagonal of 100.004” and 100 square inches area along side a 4” x 4” screen with a diagonal of 5.6” and 16 square inches of area which screen would be better for Go Fly app. The huge Diagonal with large area one or the small Diagonal one with a small area?

My example is of course in the extreme, but it to help understand you can’t just look at diagonal or area. But modest differences in aspect ratio can make a big difference. RC Pro is 16:9 and the others closer to 20:9 (a lot of that is wasted real estate that cannot be utilized). Because it’s too skinny for the native 4:3 camera.

All those phones you listed have different aspect ratios.

It’s like watching Standard Definition TV show with a super wide screen TV. You get the black bars on the side. Or you can stretch it to fit. Or you can crop it to fit. DJI doesn’t stretch it or crop it. In fact the 4:3 Camera in Mavic 3 is from standard definition TV. And you are talking about wider screen phones.

With phone or RC Pro in landscape what is the height? That will tell you relatively the difference. RC Pro is taller than iPhone Pro 13. I don’t know the height of S21+. It probably is bigger but only by a tiny bit.

I just looked it up. S21+ is 71mm tall. RC Pro is 68mm tall. So S21 will show a whopping 4.4% taller Camera View while maintaining the same 4:3 aspect ratio. It will be barely noticeable. You’ll have a lot more black bar on the sides of the S21+

 

[ianwood]

I have no complaints about the screen on the RC Pro. It is actually really good. For serious work, I more commonly fly an Inspire with an external monitor (SmallHD 1303) in addition to an ipad on the controller.

The only place where the RC Pro falls flat on its face is the lack button customization. There is a degree of customization but not for any of the settings I most commonly need to access.

 

[R.Cowan]

I maybe would not go as far as saying the other controller blows away the standard M3 controller.
I t is built better has a better phone mounting system,and more compact antenna system.rather than the floppy
old antennas.I use the same standard controller as the mavic 3 and love it,and I am not alone there.
I kinda think there are a lot of people that like the M3 standard controller also, so it goes both ways.
Sure for the cost of the M3 the RCpro controller should have been standard issue,but it's not.

I have the Mavic 3 standard controller with a Tripltek 8. I also have the Air 2 with the smart controller. I love the larger screen with the Tripltek, but really miss the additional thumb wheel and multiple function buttons of my SC. Hopefully DJI will come out with a reasonably priced upgraded standard controller for the M3 with more functionality.

 

[Wreckhunter]

I have the Mavic 3 standard controller with a Tripltek 8. I also have the Air 2 with the smart controller. I love the larger screen with the Tripltek, but really miss the additional thumb wheel and multiple function buttons of my SC. Hopefully DJI will come out with a reasonably priced upgraded standard controller for the M3 with more functionality.

They could probably do a little better on a standard controller for the M3,considering the cost.
Maybe keep the same design but add another thumb wheel,and make it more functional.
Even a small screen in the middle,there is plenty of room for one,to show enough on it so you
could make it back safely should ones phone or tablet die on them.
Have a great day,and Merry Christmas to you

 

[SkywalkerFeng]

They could probably do a little better on a standard controller for the M3,considering the cost.
Maybe keep the same design but add another thumb wheel,and make it more functional.
Even a small screen in the middle,there is plenty of room for one,to show enough on it so you
could make it back safely should ones phone or tablet die on them.
Have a great day,and Merry Christmas to you

DJI might release something like that two years down the road, and bundle it with an upgraded version of the Mavic 3 (Mavic 3 Pro).

 

[jforester]

I fly a Air S2 and just upgraded from a smart controller to the new pro controller. WOW, what a difference! Every thing from boot up to response and best of all distance is greatly increased. The only downside was the price. But compared to some of my other hobbies this one is a bargain.,

 

[canadian drone videos]

what I mean is.... for me the Pro Controller would be more of a downgrade because of the screen location also because the screen size is on the small side. Plus... the weight and cost factor of the Pro Controller if you want to add another screen. Yes I know what I am talking about.... instead, you might as well save your money and purchase an Air 2s for less!

I agree, that pro controller is a step backwards. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t go for the Cine version. I use a full-size tablet so I can clearly see wtf I’m doing.