Starting small and cheaper or larger and more expensive

[scro]

Think of choosing a drone as a bit like choosing a car. You may need a cheap economical car, or a fast car, or one that has space for 6 adults, so you need to define what you need the car to do to guide you towards the best one for you. There's a good range of good drones and no single drone is the perfect solution for everyone. I think the generalisations below hold reasonably well:

• If you need utmost image quality go for a larger drone like the Mavic 3
• If you expect to be flying in very windy conditions lean towards the faster (and usually heavier) drones. Outright speed is needed to fight wind, weight aids in stability in that wind.
• If you travel a lot then look at the smaller offerings (Mini2, Mini 3, Zino mini pro etc). Sub 250g is an advantage in many countries, and the smaller size/weight makes it easier to pack
• If you need speed and agility then perhaps consider the FPV-style drones like the Avata.

Definitely avoid the ultra budget options that don't have GPS/optical positioning. Invariably these are a bitter disappointment, end up sitting on a shelf collecting dust, and don't represent a worthwhile investment. I've yet to see a positive review of a drone that cost $30.

I'd suggest going straight for the drone that suits your needs rather than starting small and growing, assuming you're not too financially constrained, otherwise you may find you need to upgrade prematurely.

 

[Droniac]

I haven't flown a drone yet, but really want one! I have flown RC gliders and helicopters in the past, and photography is one of my major hobbies. So it seems a good fit. But I'm struggling with whether to jump to a larger more expensive drone, such as the Mavic 3, that I can grow into vs. starting smaller with the Mini 3...but then risking outgrowing it. That said...I have read articles and watched videos of those who feel they are two different tools for different applications. Sooo...I guess I wouldn't actually outgrow the smaller drone, but eventually would want something with more bells and whistles and more stability in winds. I don't have immediate plans to try to shoot video/stills with the drone for professional purposes, but that certainly is a real possibility.

Would love to hear from those of you who have gone through the same dilemma.

Wait until the new (and improved) bird coming out will be. Just a couple of days.

 

[Droniac]

Think of choosing a drone as a bit like choosing a car. You may need a cheap economical car, or a fast car, or one that has space for 6 adults, so you need to define what you need the car to do to guide you towards the best one for you. There's a good range of good drones and no single drone is the perfect solution for everyone. I think the generalisations below hold reasonably well:

• If you need utmost image quality go for a larger drone like the Mavic 3
• If you expect to be flying in very windy conditions lean towards the faster (and usually heavier) drones. Outright speed is needed to fight wind, weight aids in stability in that wind.
• If you travel a lot then look at the smaller offerings (Mini2, Mini 3, Zino mini pro etc). Sub 250g is an advantage in many countries, and the smaller size/weight makes it easier to pack
• If you need speed and agility then perhaps consider the FPV-style drones like the Avata.

Definitely avoid the ultra budget options that don't have GPS/optical positioning. Invariably these are a bitter disappointment, end up sitting on a shelf collecting dust, and don't represent a worthwhile investment. I've yet to see a positive review of a drone that cost $30.

I'd suggest going straight for the drone that suits your needs rather than starting small and growing, assuming you're not too financially constrained, otherwise you may find you need to upgrade prematurely.

Lucid thinking!

I can still remember flying stunt kites as a kid and then later on with my kids on the Long Island shores. No zoom. . Great times.

 

[Droniac]

I fly a Mini 2 and I love it. I've flown the Phantom P4 and the highly thought of Mini 3 pro and it's Great too. But I learned to fly on a Non-GPS $50 drone from eBay... I use to fly RC Aircraft years ago, but a Quadcopter is a whole new can of worms... Perhaps the one greatest advantage with a GPS Drone is that you can put your controller down and go drink a soda and eat a Twinkie and when you come back, your drone is exactly where you left it... As you know with an RC aircraft or copter, if you take your eyes of it for a moment, you can put your controller down, because you will now be going over to pick up the pieces,,, With a Non GPS drone, just to hover, you have to fly it to keep the wind or even a breeze from blowing your drone away.

And once you've experienced First Person View, or FPV, where you are flying your drone through the screen, as if you are actually piloting the drone from inside it, it's a hard habit to break...

“Have a Twinkie”. Man, havnt had a Twinkie in I don’t know how long. I’m doing it just in general principle.

 

[karlblessing]

Unlike a helicopter, I'm excited about flying something that doesn't need constant input to be stable!

Just make sure you have least 12 or more satellites locked before take off and it should be relatively stable... otherwise you're looking at it right after take off wondering why it's drifting one direction and you don't even have your fingers on the stick.

 

[YVRGUY]

Buy a used DJI Mini, set it to ‘mode 2, fly the bejesus out of it, and when you’re comfortable going through everything from startup to shutdown procedures…go buy a Mini 3 Pro. It’s that simple.

 

[MarkSS]

I haven't flown a drone yet, but really want one! I have flown RC gliders and helicopters in the past, and photography is one of my major hobbies. So it seems a good fit. But I'm struggling with whether to jump to a larger more expensive drone, such as the Mavic 3, that I can grow into vs. starting smaller with the Mini 3...but then risking outgrowing it. That said...I have read articles and watched videos of those who feel they are two different tools for different applications. Sooo...I guess I wouldn't actually outgrow the smaller drone, but eventually would want something with more bells and whistles and more stability in winds. I don't have immediate plans to try to shoot video/stills with the drone for professional purposes, but that certainly is a real possibility.

Would love to hear from those of you who have gone through the same dilemma.

I started small and then went big. Think if photography is your thing, I'd go right to the Mavic 3. Its camera really is superior to the Air2S (which I started with). Mavic 3 has longer lasting batteries, more stable in wind IMHO. Get the Fly More package. Get the insurance from DJI. Go slow.

 

[okw]

2) I'd say crashing is almost inevitable and, depending on your luck, a small crash could wreck the drone.

Since @swilson317 is coming from flying RC helicopters, I'd say that crashing will be a non-issue. These DJI drones fly themselves, compared to the unstabilized helicopters.

As @LoudThunder said, taking your eyes off of a helicopter for even a second would result in you needing to pull out the garbage bag (which we all kept a good supply of). Having flown helicopters for nearly 30 years before picking up a Mavic, I can attest to the soda and Twinkie statement.

 

[Dale D]

I haven't flown a drone yet, but really want one! I have flown RC gliders and helicopters in the past, and photography is one of my major hobbies. So it seems a good fit. But I'm struggling with whether to jump to a larger more expensive drone, such as the Mavic 3, that I can grow into vs. starting smaller with the Mini 3...but then risking outgrowing it. That said...I have read articles and watched videos of those who feel they are two different tools for different applications. Sooo...I guess I wouldn't actually outgrow the smaller drone, but eventually would want something with more bells and whistles and more stability in winds. I don't have immediate plans to try to shoot video/stills with the drone for professional purposes, but that certainly is a real possibility.

Would love to hear from those of you who have gone through the same dilemma.

Every single one of us has a drone for a different reason. Your mention of photography would push me into thinking that the best camera available would be in the M3 with the large sensor.

Unlike many on this forum, I've only had a few drones (Mavic 1 (red), Mavic 2 Pro, Mini 2, and M3. If all of these, the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 3 were the best.

Dale
Miami

 

[LoudThunder]

“Have a Twinkie”. Man, havnt had a Twinkie in I don’t know how long. I’m doing it just in general principle.

Actually, my childhood favorites are Tru-Ade (and orange soda) and a Sno Ball (Coconut coating over a marshmallow layer, over a chocolate cake, stuffed with a crème filling… back in the early 1960s, my best friend, Mike, and I shared three paper routes. He delivered on one side of the street while I delivered on the other side and it was easy to do three routes that way… Afterwards, we always treated ourselves to a soda and usually a Sno Ball, I usually had a Tru Aid and Mike had a Grape Nehi. Nothing like a trip down Memory Lane…

 

[EricJT]

With your past RC experience, size shouldn't matter.

Yesterday I had my 8 year old granddaughter out with me and she flew my M2P quite well...mind you, she does play video games with PS controllers so joysticks are familiar to her.

After my P2V, I opted for the M2P because I am big into photography and videography. If I were buying a new drone now, I would probably opt for the M3P.

 

[Crash Pro]

Definitely start with the Mini 3. Do all your learning and crashing with that drone. The picture quality is good enough to more than just get by. And you’ll likely keep the Mini 3 in your arsenal of drones anyways.

Once you feel confident flying and have obtained your license, you’ll want to move up to something more professional. Coming from a photography background, you’ll probably want to upgrade sooner than later.

 

[Grandpa]

With your past RC experience, size shouldn't matter.

Yesterday I had my 8 year old granddaughter out with me and she flew my M2P quite well...mind you, she does play video games with PS controllers so joysticks are familiar to her.

Just to further illustrate this point, my 6 year old grandson has been flying my P3P since he was 3. He also flies a Syma X5C in atti mode (always on the sticks) since it has no gps.

 

[Droniac]

Actually, my childhood favorites are Tru-Ade (and orange soda) and a Sno Ball (Coconut coating over a marshmallow layer, over a chocolate cake, stuffed with a crème filling… back in the early 1960s, my best friend, Mike, and I shared three paper routes. He delivered on one side of the street while I delivered on the other side and it was easy to do three routes that way… Afterwards, we always treated ourselves to a soda and usually a Sno Ball, I usually had a Tru Aid and Mike had a Grape Nehi. Nothing like a trip down Memory Lane…

View attachment 156421

Mmmmm grape nehi well, Dang!! (Although I think the orange nehi was somewhat underrated.Yup. And you forgot the classic white snowball. (The pink was cooler to eat somehow, I’d agree). Now, I have to find Twinkie’s and snowballs. Any other suggestions to increase my caloric intake. And jarring my memory ?

 

[Droniac]

Definitely start with the Mini 3. Do all your learning and crashing with that drone. The picture quality is good enough to more than just get by. And you’ll likely keep the Mini 3 in your arsenal of drones anyways.

Once you feel confident flying and have obtained your license, you’ll want to move up to something more professional. Coming from a photography background, you’ll probably want to upgrade sooner than later.

Great handle !

 

[LoudThunder]

you forgot the classic white snowball

Actually, back then, I seem to remember them also being Dark Red, I think they were Raspberry, they were my favorite, then the White... Nowadays, they've added a whole rainbow of colors, blue, green, yellow, etc... but I do not believe there is a difference in flavor, only color...

Now, here is a "bumpy" spot in my trip down memory lane... If you were sharing a slug of my Tru-Ade, you would say, "thanks..." But if Mike offered you a slug of his grape, you'd says "no thanks..." real quick... after he took a bite of his Sno-Ball, he would take a slug of his grape and let a bit of soda "back-wash" into the bottle... Yuck, who would want a sip of his soda with bits and pieces of Sno-ball floating around...

Years later, I teased Mike about finally breaking his back-wash habit, and he said it was t was self-defense... He said remember, I had 4-younger brothers and if I wanted anything to myself, I had to make it gross... And that he did...

 

[slozukimc]

I bought a drone called the Beast used on Craigslist for like $60. I flew it around a bunch, crashed into things and had a bunch of fun with it. Then I got a DJI Mini 2 and it was all over. I have Mavic Pros now and just picked up a used Inspire 1 Pro. My point is, you can have a lot of fun without breaking the bank on the newest models. I have less into my Inspire than a Mini 2 Fly more kit cost new. Actually, I have less into my entire collection of drones than one M3 costs.

 

[offtheback]

Sounds like you're mostly a stills photographer so it might be helpful to look at some raw photos from each drone you are considering.I have a Mavic 2 Pro and have no problem with 16x 20 enlargements.Also made a couple of 20x24's.What camera do you shoot with now?I believe once you see the different world of photo ops from a drone you will be hooked.If you buy a Mini 3 you can sell it pretty well when you get sensor envy.Good luck!

 

[Droniac]

Actually, back then, I seem to remember them also being Dark Red, I think they were Raspberry, they were my favorite, then the White... Nowadays, they've added a whole rainbow of colors, blue, green, yellow, etc... but I do not believe there is a difference in flavor, only color...

Now, here is a "bumpy" spot in my trip down memory lane... If you were sharing a slug of my Tru-Ade, you would say, "thanks..." But if Mike offered you a slug of his grape, you'd says "no thanks..." real quick... after he took a bite of his Sno-Ball, he would take a slug of his grape and let a bit of soda "back-wash" into the bottle... Yuck, who would want a sip of his soda with bits and pieces of Sno-ball floating around...

Years later, I teased Mike about finally breaking his back-wash habit, and he said it was t was self-defense... He said remember, I had 4-younger brothers and if I wanted anything to myself, I had to make it gross... And that he did...

Great story. Brothers… Love it. Bet you and “backwash”Mike are very close even now. Btw I pretended somehow that the pink tasted better. Lol. Now, get him into Drones. Give him a ding dong or a yodel? Godspeed, Droniac.

Grrrr. Ima make a call or two. I’m in NY anything creata-able is buy-able here. Nehi grape. Tough one. My quest begins. Unless I need the $ for 11/2 Classic.

 

[Arnold LeVine]

My thought is start with the best drone you can financially afford to lose or crash, then move up. And think hard about care refresh for that reason.