I'm wanting to purchase a drone.... any suggestions?

[Rick E]

As per the thread title, I'm looking at drones so that we can capture some aerial videos of our group riding.

The DJI and Mavic Mini have been suggested.

What are you guys using?
What do you prefer and why?
Do most have the "follow me" feature?
What other features are a "must have"?




Towards the end of this season, I plan to attempt an "in-the-air-triple-flip", and I want my family to have the memories on video. The video will be shown at my funeral.

 

[Nightsider]

I just got a Holy Stone 120. It is light enough not too need FFA registration but has lots of cool features. The price was cheap !!! Figured I can learn what not do with a drone that doesn't cost 2K!!!

 

[alstar]

I have a Mavic Mini and it is really easy to use. Takes really nice pictures and videos too. I am planning on bringing it with snowmobiling this winter, its really small and compact.

 

[GKR]

For the best follow me tech and object avoidance the best unit is the Skydio 2.
See this.

 

[Mjunkie]

From what I've read, and youtube reviews, I'll be looking at a skydio 2 also. I just need to sell a kidney, crack, or win the lottery first... but that's the same with most everything these days.

 

[christopher]

We fly a DJI Mavic Pro Zoom
Carry 4 batteries
Do not use it in self tracking mode, but always pilot it.
Results are STUNNING..

You will need to keep a close watch on your iPhone.
As it chills down it will SHUT OFF on you!
So I carry the control phone in an insulated slip cover with external heaters in my handlebar bag.
Losing control of your drone kinda sorta sucks hard

 

[SidewaysInto3rd]

We fly a DJI Mavic Pro Zoom
Carry 4 batteries
Do not use it in self tracking mode, but always pilot it.
Results are STUNNING..

You will need to keep a close watch on your iPhone.
As it chills down it will SHUT OFF on you!
So I carry the control phone in an insulated slip cover with external heaters in my handlebar bag.
Losing control of your drone kinda sorta sucks hard

you don't actually lose control of your DJI if your phone / tablet dies !!! happened to me .. after i stopped panicking i flew it back to my shaking hands with the control lol

 

[christopher]

How to use DJI’s Return to Home (RTH) Safely - DJI Store

store.dji.com

There are the 3 types of DJI’s Return to Home

Low Battery RTH:
As its name suggests, this RTH is triggered when the Intelligent Flight Battery is depleted to the point that it may affect the return of the aircraft. When this happens, a prompt will appear on your screen in the DJI GO/4 app, and the drone will automatically begin to ascend to the set RTH height and return if no action is taken after a 10-second countdown. If the battery power is critically low, then the drone will automatically land itself, and this can’t be canceled by the pilot. This type of RTH is one that is best avoided, just like pilots of airplanes never want to be in a situation where their fuel light starts blinking.

Failsafe RTH:
Failsafe RTH happens when your drone loses signal for 3 seconds when using the remote controller or 20 seconds if using Wi-Fi. When it kicks in it will do one of three things depending on how you have set it up. Firstly, if you have it set to RTH then it will ascend to the set RTH height and start to fly back to you, and once you get the signal back, then you can cancel it. Secondly, if you have it set to Hover then your drone will just hover in its current position, so you can walk towards it and re-establish your signal. However, if you fail to re-establish your signal and the Battery RTH is triggered then the drone will either return home or land depending on your Battery RTH settings. Thirdly, it can be set to land, so it’ll just land in its current position.

Smart RTH
This is a user triggered RTH when you tap the RTH button on your remote or in the app. Once the button has been tapped the drone will start its flight back to its home point. It can be stopped anytime by pressing the Flight Pause Button on the remote controller or by pressing the Stop icon in the app. If you’re flying the Phantom 4 Pro or Advanced, then the drone will retrace its flight path for 30 seconds before it starts to ascend and fly straight back to you. Something worth remembering is that if your drone is less than 20 meters away from you when you press the RTH button then it will land just where it is, however, if the landing zone is hazardous then it will try to find somewhere safe to land or just hover at a low height until the pilot takes control and lands it manually.

 

[goridedoo]

I bought a mavic mini a few months ago... I really like it, and seems like a good bare bones learner. Battery life has really impressed me. One thing I’ve not been impressed with is the range, I lose signal around 1/2 of a mile typically which seems like a long ways but really isn’t. Not sure if the higher dollar drones have better range.

I do kind of wish I would have splurged for one with a better camera and more options, but I still WOULD recommend the mavic mini, seems like a great drone for the money.

 

[tomx]

Mavic mini can't hang with wind very well. My buddy had one last year, freaked out in the snow and autolanded into snowbank twice same day. This summer while filming moto it just took off full speed on it's own and was lost forever. He said it was kinda windy so we think it caught updraft and was just whisped away.

I use Skydio 2 for follow. Mavic Air 2 for scenic shots. Lots of examples up on my youtubes. Nothing can hold candle to Skydio 2 for follow. Last spring we'd do downhill lines some 4-500 feet, turn around head right back up to the top and it just followed along. It's mind blowing. But it really helps if you go one constant direction for long periods of time, quick turns changing direction 180, sidehills can throw it off.

 

[bruce2111]

I often use DJI Mavic pro because it's small in size and has exciting technology of 3 active tracking nodes, better precision, and more advanced 3D collision technology.

 

[farmboy84]

For S&Gs this is my video from last winter. Drone shots were with 5 year old DJI phantom 3 standard which has been flown into a few trees. This drone went down the road, I'm hoping to have a Mavic Air 2 for this winter.

 

[jindsa1223]

Syma X20 Quadcopter may be a good choice.

 

[jindsa1223]

But make sure to read reviews befoer making any purchase decision.

 

[Bobandpamlemay]

As per the thread title, I'm looking at drones so that we can capture some aerial videos of our group riding.

The DJI and Mavic Mini have been suggested.

What are you guys using?
What do you prefer and why?
Do most have the "follow me" feature?
What other features are a "must have"?




Towards the end of this season, I plan to attempt an "in-the-air-triple-flip" Buy drone camera online in Bangladesh, and I want my family to have the memories on video. The video will be shown at my funeral.

I’m looking into getting a quadcopter for photogrammetry, but have no experience with them at all. Are there specific features that are better than others? What kind of camera resolution is best, and are shutter speeds and drone stability usually good enough to capture good quality, usable photographs? I’m at the beginning of my research, so any tips and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bjd68]

I have the mavic mini 3 and can say its pretty awesome how well it does video and vertical shots. I have flew it in 60 kph winds in the mountians and it had no problems. The follow me feature works well and has obstacle avoidance minus the sideways.
If u want something thats small and fits into your tunnel bag easily than I would say go with the mini 3. Also its nice not having to have your cell phone because of the new RC remote which has a screen built in remote, I can have the drone up in the air in about a minute which is great for when u want to get some quick footage.

 

[jindsa1223]

I have the mavic mini 3 and can say its pretty awesome how well it does video and vertical shots. I have flew it in 60 kph winds in the mountians and it had no problems. The follow me feature works well and has obstacle avoidance minus the sideways.
If u want something thats small and fits into your tunnel bag easily than I would say go with the mini 3. Also its nice not having to have your cell phone because of the new RC remote which has a screen built in remote, I can have the drone up in the air in about a minute which is great for when u want to get some quick footage.

yeah this one is also an excelent choice. I really love this one. However what about these in the list https://www.extremefliers.com/best-mini-drones/ the link I shared may help you find the best reviews about drones.