Trying to decide if I should return the Mini 3 Pro and just get a Mini 2 FMC? Help me decide!

[shadow3467]

So on the 10th of may I saw the M3P presentation and got super excited. I had been wanting a drone for a while and was waiting to see what the 3 was and deciding to go with it or the mini 2.

I saw the 3 pro and thought hey what the hell go big or go home, I ordered it on that very day.

Fast word to June 4th and I got the drone. I was so excited to try it out. After doing the activation and the setup and all that, I took it out for a spin. I twas super fun but i noticed that I lost signal all over the place (Canada), and was struggling to do stuff I thought these drones were capable of. Things like flying further than 500m away, expliring the area and sometimes dropping to 30-40m altitudes further away

I realized quickly that this drone seemed to struggle with keeping a consistent signal, after looking it up online I noticed a lot of other people experiencing the same.

I contacted DJI and they said to provide them with videos, which is where the creation of this youtube channel came from. I provided them with the videos and they basically said I can return it to them for replacement (which could take months) or return it for a refund.

The thing is, this being my first drone, I actually really enjoyed flying as a hobby and don't want to give it up entirely.

So now I'm looking at the Mini 2 which will cost me half of what the mini 3 has (which is great to be honest), but I'm afraid the quality might not be anywhere near as good as the 3?

In terms of picture quality mainly, how much worse is it than the 3? What about in terms of battery life and signal strength?

Is the Mini 2 really too much worse than the 3?

 

[slup]

Without going too deep into the picture & video quality, I can promise you that the quality from the Mini 2 camera are much much better than only half as good as from a Mini 3 (as the Mini 2 was half the price of a Mini 3) ... if you will notice the difference depends on your earlier experience with camera output quality & what you will use the pics & videos for.

But more important as you say you're new into the hobby ... below some info regarding the possibility for a good connection.

No matter what DJI drone you go for, you will experience major connection problems if you doesn't keep the line of sight between your RC & drone free of obstacles. Going out on 500m & drop down to 30-40m will in most cases mean that you get hills, trees & houses in between & that destroys the connection big time. And this time of the year with all trees fully leafed you are putting up a wall of water in the line of sight if flying behind one.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Maybe the Mini 3 might be a better idea to compare to, as the extra battery power would be a plus as well.
Im still trying to figure out if the Mini 3 has zoom for Pictures as the Mini 2 does ,

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain. Land on the Water.

 

[shadow3467]

What I'm thinking is like, will the Mini 2 give me more than 50% of what the Mini 3 does? Because The mini 3 ends up costing me double (or even slightly more) than what the M2 fly more does

 

[zeusfl]

Out of the drone the stock video quality from the Mini 2 will look better than the Mini 3. The mini 3 shine when you post process the video.

The mini 3 still needs to be fine tuned since is very new in the market and you will learn with DJI that this is a normal process until the fix things.

You can just wait for a fix, return the drone or sell it and get a more stable platform like the Mini 2 since you are in Canada, otherwise I will suggest get an Air 2S.

 

[Richard1970]

I can't voucher on the mini 3 but the mini 2 is a very good drone for the money flight times are roughly the same they use the same app and remote your paying for the better camera ,the mini 2 shoots 4k and is a great addition to anybody Fleet
Personally I don't think the mini3 is twice as good a the mini2 ,I would get the mini2 and have fun with it and wait till the bugs in the 3 are ironed out

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

Out of the drone the stock video quality from the Mini 2 will look better than the Mini 3. The mini 3 shine when you post process the video.

Your opinion puts you squarely in the minority...

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

In terms of picture quality mainly, how much worse is it than the 3? What about in terms of battery life and signal strength?

Is the Mini 2 really too much worse than the 3?

Buy the best available for your budget and needs.

Looks like you already have. As always in this industry, near perfection is just a few firmwares away.

 

[Chrislaf]

So on the 10th of may I saw the M3P presentation and got super excited. I had been wanting a drone for a while and was waiting to see what the 3 was and deciding to go with it or the mini 2.

I saw the 3 pro and thought hey what the hell go big or go home, I ordered it on that very day.

Fast word to June 4th and I got the drone. I was so excited to try it out. After doing the activation and the setup and all that, I took it out for a spin. I twas super fun but i noticed that I lost signal all over the place (Canada), and was struggling to do stuff I thought these drones were capable of. Things like flying further than 500m away, expliring the area and sometimes dropping to 30-40m altitudes further away

I realized quickly that this drone seemed to struggle with keeping a consistent signal, after looking it up online I noticed a lot of other people experiencing the same.

I contacted DJI and they said to provide them with videos, which is where the creation of this youtube channel came from. I provided them with the videos and they basically said I can return it to them for replacement (which could take months) or return it for a refund.

The thing is, this being my first drone, I actually really enjoyed flying as a hobby and don't want to give it up entirely.

So now I'm looking at the Mini 2 which will cost me half of what the mini 3 has (which is great to be honest), but I'm afraid the quality might not be anywhere near as good as the 3?

In terms of picture quality mainly, how much worse is it than the 3? What about in terms of battery life and signal strength?

Is the Mini 2 really too much worse than the 3?

I really think you expected too much. Unless you change your expectations you will not be happy with any DJI drone!

Chris

 

[shadow3467]

I really think you expected too much. Unless you change your expectations you will not be happy with any DJI drone!

Chris

In what sense?

I mean this guy is in Philly flying in a SUPER urban area and manages to get a solid signal the entire time he flies, meanwhile I get inconsistent signal in mostly empty farmlands. Is it expecting too much to want close to what he's getting in a much less dense environment?

Camera wise and everything else, the mini 3 is great

 

[Daybreak98]

You should sell it here in the classifieds cheap. Since it doesn't function the way you want. Give the gift of a DJI Mini 3 Pro with DJI RC at say 50% off price.

 

[Chrislaf]

In what sense?

I mean this guy is in Philly flying in a SUPER urban area and manages to get a solid signal the entire time he flies, meanwhile I get inconsistent signal in mostly empty farmlands. Is it expecting too much to want close to what he's getting in a much less dense environment?

Camera wise and everything else, the mini 3 is great

Rated distance specs and real world specs vary considerably depending on the area you are flying and sometimes even daily. If your main purpose for buying the Mini 3 was to fly long distances then I would say you have chosen the wrong drone because even if you could maintain a signal for those long distances, at some point you will likely loose your drone or get into trouble for those distance flights for not following the regulations (flying in an unsafe manner). As others have alluded to, the Mini 2 drone will not change this situation - you will still have the problems you are experiencing.

Chris

 

[shadow3467]

Rated distance specs and real world specs vary considerably depending on the area you are flying and sometimes even daily. If your main purpose for buying the Mini 3 was to fly long distances then I would say you have chosen the wrong drone because even if you could maintain a signal for those long distances, at some point you will likely loose your drone or get into trouble for those distance flights for not following the regulations (flying in an unsafe manner). As others have alluded to, the Mini 2 drone will not change this situation - you will still have the problems you are experiencing.

Chris

Did you not watch the video I linked? The guy gets better signal in a metroplitan area than I do in wide open farm land with 0 interference

That has nothing to do with "just fly in a area with less interference lul"

I'm not trying to fly 5km away, I'm trying to fly 500m away without signal warnings

 

[Chrislaf]

Did you not watch the video I linked? The guy gets better signal in a metroplitan area than I do in wide open farm land with 0 interference

That has nothing to do with "just fly in a area with less interference lul"

I'm not trying to fly 5km away, I'm trying to fly 500m away without signal warnings

If you bought the drone directly from DJI, then return it and have them assess it. I have never had to deal directly with DJI as all of my drones have always functioned properly but I have read many good stories on this forum and the other related forums I belong to about their service. If you got it from Amazon, then return it and get another one shipped out. You have nothing to lose since the drone is within warranty.

Chris

 

[MS Coast]

So on the 10th of may I saw the M3P presentation and got super excited. I had been wanting a drone for a while and was waiting to see what the 3 was and deciding to go with it or the mini 2.

I saw the 3 pro and thought hey what the hell go big or go home, I ordered it on that very day.

Fast word to June 4th and I got the drone. I was so excited to try it out. After doing the activation and the setup and all that, I took it out for a spin. I twas super fun but i noticed that I lost signal all over the place (Canada), and was struggling to do stuff I thought these drones were capable of. Things like flying further than 500m away, expliring the area and sometimes dropping to 30-40m altitudes further away

I realized quickly that this drone seemed to struggle with keeping a consistent signal, after looking it up online I noticed a lot of other people experiencing the same.

I contacted DJI and they said to provide them with videos, which is where the creation of this youtube channel came from. I provided them with the videos and they basically said I can return it to them for replacement (which could take months) or return it for a refund.

The thing is, this being my first drone, I actually really enjoyed flying as a hobby and don't want to give it up entirely.

So now I'm looking at the Mini 2 which will cost me half of what the mini 3 has (which is great to be honest), but I'm afraid the quality might not be anywhere near as good as the 3?

In terms of picture quality mainly, how much worse is it than the 3? What about in terms of battery life and signal strength?

Is the Mini 2 really too much worse than the 3?

Since this will be your first drone, you're going to be absolutely dazzled by either one. They both fly well and have similar flight features. For most photo and video needs, either one will yield results better than the phones, tablets, and computer monitors that most people are using are capable of displaying.

For the least cost and risk, I'd say go with the Mini 2. You might find a good deal on this forum if you post a want-to-buy note in the classifieds. Learn to fly with the Mini 2 and in a few months if you find yourself wanting even better photos and videos and slightly better flight characteristics, you can trade up to the Mini 3.

In either case, stick around on this forum. It's a wonderful source of information, advice, tech support, and amusement.

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

Has anyone seen a major complaint on range from someone in the US?

 

[March411]

I can't voucher on the mini 3 but the mini 2 is a very good drone for the money flight times are roughly the same they use the same app and remote your paying for the better camera ,the mini 2 shoots 4k and is a great addition to anybody Fleet
Personally I don't think the mini3 is twice as good a the mini2 ,I would get the mini2 and have fun with it and wait till the bugs in the 3 are ironed out

I would have to agree, I dont own a M3P but I have been flying the MM2 for about 6 months. It's a great little bird. I was going to pick up a M3, watched the video's of the M3P and thought for my purposes the MM2 was a good fit.

Get the Mini 2, learn to fly and enjoy! If at some time in the future they improve the M3 or you want to upgrade it's there for you to grab one.

 

[shadow3467]

Since this will be your first drone, you're going to be absolutely dazzled by either one. They both fly well and have similar flight features. For most photo and video needs, either one will yield results better than the phones, tablets, and computer monitors that most people are using are capable of displaying.

For the least cost and risk, I'd say go with the Mini 2. You might find a good deal on this forum if you post a want-to-buy note in the classifieds. Learn to fly with the Mini 2 and in a few months if you find yourself wanting even better photos and videos and slightly better flight characteristics, you can trade up to the Mini 3.

In either case, stick around on this forum. It's a wonderful source of information, advice, tech support, and amusement.

I've thought about that, the concern there is that if I do end up enjoying it and actively partake in drone flying/photography, trading up will result in me losing more money than if I had just stuck with the M3P to begin with

It's such a tough decision

Honestly DJI is making it worse because of the signal issues with the Mini 3, as well as my fly more combo not being even shipped yet so the allure of having 3 batteries on the Mini 2 is huge at the moment where as with the mini 3 my flights feel short lived and kind of annoying (having to land and go charge for an hour, it also makes driving 30+ mins to somewhere scenic just to have 17-20 mins of flight time kind of pointless)

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

Stick with the M3P. Don't pay attention to anyone who doesn't have a M3P. They just don't know. The bugs will get worked out.

 

[Robert Prior]

You can just wait for a fix, return the drone or sell it and get a more stable platform like the Mini 2 since you are in Canada, otherwise I will suggest get an Air 2S.

An Air 2S is not a micro drone like the Mini. This means that before flying you'll need at least your Basic sRPAS Certification. It also means you are subject to more restrictions on where you can legally fly.

If you already have (or can easily get) the certification and are in a location without many restrictions this may not matter to you. Certainly the Air 2S has a better camera.

Just be aware that with a 250g or heavier aircraft you're limited to 500 m or VLOS, whichever is closer. Can't fly closer than 30 m to people. Check out this page for all the limits:

Flying your drone safely and legally

How to fly a drone legally and safely in Canada

tc.canada.ca

Find your category of drone operation

Categories of operations for drones

tc.canada.ca