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Autel EVO II V3 Released? Disappointing Specs

herein2021

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Looks like the EVO II V3 was just released. I don't see anything that would make me interested in it over my current V1 EVO II which is both good and bad: good because the V1 already meets all of my current needs, bad because as long as Autel keeps fiddling with the EVO II the EVO III seems less likely to come out anytime soon. Another good thing though is that the batteries remain the same so this might mean we will still be able to purchase EVO II batteries for at least another year or two.

The moonlight algo looks interesting but if its the same camera then they could easily enable that in the V1 as well, unless it requires processing power that the V1 doesn't have. Also, at least on Adorama's website, I don't see a way to buy the EVO II V3 without the smart controller. I haven't kept up with their HW options, but if you can't buy it with a standard controller and bring your own display device that is an epic fail in my opinion.

Autel Robotics EVO II V3 Pro Features (as per Adorama's website)​

  • EVO II V3 Pro 6K Drone Features
  • Leader In Picture Quality and Flight Intelligence
  • Exceptional Image Quality
  • Moonlight Algorithm 2.0
  • 4K HDR Video
  • Post-Production Flexibility with 12-bit DNG
  • Hyper-Lapse Photography in 6K
  • Autel SkyLink 2.0
  • 360 Degree Obstacle Avoidance
  • 6.4" Smart Controller SE Features
  • 6.4" HD Touch Screen
  • 4-Hour Long Battery Life
  • 14 Degree F to 104 Degree F (-10 Degree C to 40 Degree C) Operating Temperature
  • 8-Core Processor
  • Customized Android System
 
This actually looks like a pretty substantial upgrade to me and a good sign that our batteries will be around for a while.

This is an all new sensor, with a much higher performance in low light. Check for an Autel email or the link below. The original one already has night performance that can match or even exceed the Mavic 3 with the right settings, you can even see clouds in an apparently dark sky at midnight. (check out the vibrant color, clarity, and low noise at night here) , so with moonlight 2 I can't wait to see this.

And nearly 10 mile transmission is great to see.

More info here

 
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This actually looks like a pretty substantial upgrade to me and a good sign that our batteries will be around for a while.

This is an all new sensor, with a much higher performance in low light. Check for an Autel email or the link below. The original one already has night performance that can match or even exceed the Mavic 3 with the right settings, you can even see clouds in an apparently dark sky at midnight. (check out the vibrant color, clarity, and low noise at night here) , so with moonlight 2 I can't wait to see this.

And nearly 10 mile transmission is great to see.

More info here


I think it is a decent upgrade, but if you have the V1 or V2 I don't think it is worth paying another $2500.00 for what is mainly just an incremental improvement in lowlight capabilities, a forced purchase of a smart controller which we know by now won't work with future versions of the drones. and especially considering the endless software problems that just aren't getting fixed anytime soon if ever. Also, keep in mind that I don't doubt the lowlight capabilities have improved but the new sensor is not a RYYB sensor like the Lite so it won't be as good as that sensor in low light. and It is also still just 20MP like the V1 and V2.

so with moonlight 2 I can't wait to see this.

Their moonlight marketing speak is really just really good noise reduction, that's why I mentioned they could probably add it to the V1 and V2. But yes, the new sensor is definitely better in low light, Autel has a good example picture on their marketing page.

My only point is the original EVO II was so good that incremental upgrades just aren't going to be enough to convince me and possibly many other owners to upgrade. Like you mentioned, the original EVO II V1 and V2 already did incredibly well in low light and I have shot plenty of commercial projects at night thanks to that sensor; but that further proves my point that the V1 is already good enough for what I need. I would not be able to charge more just because I used this drone vs the V1.

IMO the EVO II could be better than the Mavic 3 in low light at least for video because Autel's ALOG is light years ahead of DJI's DLOG or at least it was when I last used DJI's products. DJI's DLOG throws away way too much unrecoverable information vs ALOG which is pretty much perfect at maximizing the DR of the sensor.

As far as the 10 mile transmission range, that is just marketing BS. The V1 and V2's range are limited by battery life and I am sure the V3 will be the same way. I have proven multiple times that in perfect conditions (no wind, over open ocean, 40' ASL, batteries less than 3 months old) the EVO II V1 will fly exactly 5.11 miles and return with around 5% battery remaining. There's no way the EVO II V3 will fly 10 miles unless it is a one-way trip since it uses the same batteries. Of course, improved transmission capabilities start to show their value when flying in a congested area; but for my type of work, I typically only need a few seconds of drone footage and the drone is rarely more than a few hundred feet away, so I don't really need that feature either.

IMO there is nothing Autel can do to the EVO II that would convince me to upgrade to a new EVO II version. I agree with @kenautelevo2pro the platform is maxed out. That's not to say that there is nothing that could convince to me upgrade. If I could think of what it would take below would be my short list:

  • Fix all of the current problems with their software
  • Add some or all of the features from my wish list (most of this DJI already had in their software over 3yrs ago)
  • Use a MFT sensor with at least 25MP. Normally I don't care about camera resolution, but for commercial drone jobs my clients have tried to print building sized advertising using my drone images and it definitely falls apart at those sizes. One customer was building a marketing gallery and wanted a wall-to-wall drone image and the resolution was too low for that as well. So drone footage is one of the few areas where I feel more resolution is needed which is kind of comical because my other cameras shoot way higher resolution but for clients that will typically just post to social media or websites which need low resolution
  • Improve flight time - my EVO II V1 has never gotten 40min of flight time, before it even leaves the ground it starts out at 32min, a drone with true 40-50min flight time in average conditions would interest me
  • Don't force people to buy a smart controller - I don't understand their logic at all on this one, I have no interest whatsoever in the smart controller and would be highly irate if they forced me to buy one just to fly their product.
  • RYYB Sensor- I am on the fence with this one, the Lite produces some pretty incredible night footage, but there's a reason why most camera makers stay away from RYYB (hint: colors are very difficult to get right with a RYYB sensor especially in mixed lighting and for certain colors).
 
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This actually looks like a pretty substantial upgrade to me and a good sign that our batteries will be around for a while.

This is an all new sensor, with a much higher performance in low light. Check for an Autel email or the link below. The original one already has night performance that can match or even exceed the Mavic 3 with the right settings, you can even see clouds in an apparently dark sky at midnight. (check out the vibrant color, clarity, and low noise at night here) , so with moonlight 2 I can't wait to see this.

And nearly 10 mile transmission is great to see.

More info here

Sony sensor!!!
 
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The Lite + does not. The standard lite does. The 1 inch option shares its roots with all versions of the Evo 2. It’s essentially the Nano + camera.
 
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The Lite + does not. The standard lite does. The 1 inch option shares its roots with all versions of the Evo 2. It’s essentially the Nano + camera.

Ahh ok, I haven't kept up with Autel's nomenclature, post updated. I would have thought the + meant the premium version. But yes, to me the RYYB night performance is impressive as is the 50MP sensor, but I am on the fence regarding daylight and mixed lighting color accuracy. I would take the color accuracy and ease of post processing the RAW images over improved lowlight performance since most of my projects are in the daylight.
 
I think it is a decent upgrade, but if you have the V1 or V2 I don't think it is worth paying another $2500.00 for what is mainly just an incremental improvement in lowlight capabilities, a forced purchase of a smart controller which we know by now won't work with future versions of the drones. and especially considering the endless software problems that just aren't getting fixed anytime soon if ever. Also, keep in mind that I don't doubt the lowlight capabilities have improved but the new sensor is not a RYYB sensor like the Lite so it won't be as good as that sensor in low light. and It is also still just 20MP like the V1 and V2.



Their moonlight marketing speak is really just really good noise reduction, that's why I mentioned they could probably add it to the V1 and V2. But yes, the new sensor is definitely better in low light, Autel has a good example picture on their marketing page.

My only point is the original EVO II was so good that incremental upgrades just aren't going to be enough to convince me and possibly many other owners to upgrade. Like you mentioned, the original EVO II V1 and V2 already did incredibly well in low light and I have shot plenty of commercial projects at night thanks to that sensor; but that further proves my point that the V1 is already good enough for what I need. I would not be able to charge more just because I used this drone vs the V1.

IMO the EVO II could be better than the Mavic 3 in low light at least for video because Autel's ALOG is light years ahead of DJI's DLOG or at least it was when I last used DJI's products. DJI's DLOG throws away way too much unrecoverable information vs ALOG which is pretty much perfect at maximizing the DR of the sensor.

As far as the 10 mile transmission range, that is just marketing BS. The V1 and V2's range are limited by battery life and I am sure the V3 will be the same way. I have proven multiple times that in perfect conditions (no wind, over open ocean, 40' ASL, batteries less than 3 months old) the EVO II V1 will fly exactly 5.11 miles and return with around 5% battery remaining. There's no way the EVO II V3 will fly 10 miles unless it is a one-way trip since it uses the same batteries. Of course, improved transmission capabilities start to show their value when flying in a congested area; but for my type of work, I typically only need a few seconds of drone footage and the drone is rarely more than a few hundred feet away, so I don't really need that feature either.

IMO there is nothing Autel can do to the EVO II that would convince me to upgrade to a new EVO II version. I agree with @kenautelevo2pro the platform is maxed out. That's not to say that there is nothing that could convince to me upgrade. If I could think of what it would take below would be my short list:

  • Fix all of the current problems with their software
  • Add some or all of the features from my wish list (most of this DJI already had in their software over 3yrs ago)
  • Use a MFT sensor with at least 25MP. Normally I don't care about camera resolution, but for commercial drone jobs my clients have tried to print building sized advertising using my drone images and it definitely falls apart at those sizes. One customer was building a marketing gallery and wanted a wall-to-wall drone image and the resolution was too low for that as well. So drone footage is one of the few areas where I feel more resolution is needed which is kind of comical because my other cameras shoot way higher resolution but for clients that will typically just post to social media or websites which need low resolution
  • Improve flight time - my EVO II V1 has never gotten 40min of flight time, before it even leaves the ground it starts out at 32min, a drone with true 40-50min flight time in average conditions would interest me
  • Don't force people to buy a smart controller - I don't understand their logic at all on this one, I have no interest whatsoever in the smart controller and would be highly irate if they forced me to buy one just to fly their product.
  • RYYB Sensor- I am on the fence with this one, the Lite produces some pretty incredible night footage, but there's a reason why most camera makers stay away from RYYB (hint: colors are very difficult to get right with a RYYB sensor especially in mixed lighting and for certain colors).
I didn't catch that they are only bundling it with a smart controller. I don't like that at all, the standard remote has been more than adequate for me. Hopefully that gets enough backlash where there's a standard offering.

As far as transmission, it's always BS, but it does give me a better sense of how much I can rely on it in dense urban environments where I frequently operate.

Sony's sensor performance is always stellar in my experience, having a new one with improved DR and the low light performance with that are the real selling point for me as night is when I prefer to fly the most. I've been pestering them on moonlight on virtually every channel all year and if I could only get one thing (better night perf) that's it.

I definitely second everything on your wishlist though, especially bug fixes, and all of the other points you made too. Ideally moonlight would be an update to V1 and V2, but given their financial incentive not to I doubt it.

One last thought I forgot to add, is this is a very positive development for the shelf life of our existing craft. As you said the E2 is already so good we don't really need an E3 yet in the absence of a generational leap in imaging, and I'm very pleased to know we will continue to have batteries readily available for quite some time.
 
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An integrated controller cuts-out one source of incompatibilities and errors - the unknown and unreliable $randomly configured phone-OS.
For 99% of customers, the integrated controller reduces dissatisfaction, crashes, confusion, RMAs etc.

As a mobile developer, I would not want an integrated controller for myself. I'm a knob-twiddler, and If I break something myself I laugh.
When some paternalistic software takes control away from me and then breaks, I curse like a sailor.
 
An integrated controller cuts-out one source of incompatibilities and errors - the unknown and unreliable $randomly configured phone-OS.
For 99% of customers, the integrated controller reduces dissatisfaction, crashes, confusion, RMAs etc.

As a mobile developer, I would not want an integrated controller for myself. I'm a knob-twiddler, and If I break something myself I laugh.
When some paternalistic software takes control away from me and then breaks, I curse like a sailor.

My biggest problem with the controller is that it is not compatible with future or past models, I am not even sure that it is compatible across drone models, it adds to the cost of the drone, and I have seen more people having problems with the SC on this forum than I ever did with people using the standard controller.

I agree with you that in theory it should cut down on smart phone / tablet misconfigurations, but when Autel's software and firmware is less reliable than my own 6yr old iPad that's a major problem to me.

Initially I was not a fan when DJI integrated the camera into their Phantom series of drones, but it grew pretty quickly on me when I discovered that it was superior in every way over the Gopro configuration; the smart controller on the other hand is a major step down from my current setup IMO.
 
On one hand good news as batteries will (or should) continue to be in supply for the EVO II v1 & v2.

For those who need (or want) live deck, the v3 brings that capability back.

Otoh, not a fan of having to use a smart controller, so no rush to get a v3, maybe in a year or so when time to start replacing the v1's and if a regular controller appears will re-evaluate options.
 
The Skylink transmission protocol of the AE2P V3 (also shared with the Lite+) has not only improved range but also a significant improvement in resolution, as reported by Ken Booth. With the Lite+ the video downlink is 2.7K up to 1 KM distance (versus 1080p with AE2 v.1 and v.2) and 1080p beyond that out to the theoretical range limit. (But 1 KM is about my VLOS limit so I'm good with that). That said, 2.7K for the AE2 v.3 going to be tempting only if it doesn't require HDMI out of the Live Deck II, but rather a Standard Controller simply connected to a WQXGA res tablet via USB-C. Presumably the Std Controller will work with both the Evo Lite+ and the new AE2 v.3 if the Smart Controller SE works with both (?) . Otherwise the Lite+ seems the value proposition
 
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Personally, based on Autel's track record of intentional obsolescence, I think I'd be fit for commitment to a lunatic asylum if I spent that kind of money on two devices, each of which is useless without the other, and neither of which will ever work with anything else that Autel ever releases.

Autel's product-stewardship track record is one of treating devices that cost more than I paid for some cars that I've owned like cereal box toys. That unfortunate history overrides my overall satisfaction with my EVO II V1; and until and unless they rectify that practice -- for example, by backporting RemoteID, even if it requires a hardware chip purchase at a reasonable cost -- they have seen the last of my dollars.

Even the good news here -- that batteries for V1 and V2 should be available for a while -- is conjectural. How hard would it be to flip an integer somewhere in the firmware to disable backward-compatibility? Based on this company's history, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

They still have time to reform. Unless that happens, I'll fly my V1 until it dies on its own or I kill it; and then it will be goodbye to Autel.

Richard
 
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Personally, based on Autel's track record of intentional obsolescence, I think I'd be fit for commitment to a lunatic asylum if I spent that kind of money on two devices, each of which is useless without the other, and neither of which will ever work with anything else that Autel ever releases.

Autel's product-stewardship track record is one of treating devices that cost more than I paid for some cars that I've owned like cereal box toys. That unfortunate history overrides my overall satisfaction with my EVO II V1; and until and unless they rectify that practice -- for example, by backporting RemoteID, even if it requires a hardware chip purchase at a reasonable cost -- they have see the last of my dollars.

Even the good news here -- that batteries for V1 and V2 should be available for a while -- is conjectural. How hard would it be to flip an integer somewhere in the firmware to disable backward-compatibility? Based on this company's history, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

They still have time to reform. Unless that happens, I'll fly my V1 until it dies on its own or I kill it; and then it will be goodbye to Autel.

Richard

My thoughts exactly. Given Autel's track record in SW, HW, and FW, there's no way I would commit to buying a drone with the SC at this point. I do doubt they would alienate literally every customer they have by disabling the batteries from working with V1 and V2 EVO's, but then again I would have said the same thing about forcing people to buy the SC yet here we are so who knows what they will do next to try to squeeze a few more dollars out of their customers.

Unfortunately, I cannot say I would leave Autel at this point in time if my EVO II 6K V1 were to die tomorrow. It has paid for itself many times over, and as bad as Autel is, DJI's geofencing is worse in my book, so here's to hoping my EVO II 6K continues to work flawlessly until a worthy successor comes along.
 
Well from what I have seen in other releases of E2's many have complained the orig controller was not what they wanted included.. they wanted the SC like the M2P. So the SC for Autel came out, it was about as pricey, but the number of v1 users that bought into it was very low... SO much for that.
Again the market was changed, chip issues and other issues pushed the E2P V2 into a different chipset for the SC. They offered as many V1 SC's as they could. There were not as many purchases as there were the dozens of users that wanted the SC's because DJI had them... lol

Other options in Tripltek presented themselves to standard controller users not just for Autel, but other brands as well. Not everyone is sold on proprietary SC's... that was evident in the sales numbers. Autel isn't 1/100 as big as DJI so there is more consideration when it comes to ROI...
Users here, and other forums type away about what they want to see, things that THEY want and some get on the bandwagon, but essentially those same users never really buy into the products when they have those features in future releases... then the DJI comparisons.. lol


Forums, FB groups, YT channels, and the likes are all the same. I see the same in camera groups, drone groups, computer groups... "I don't like this, I don't like that... YEAH I don't either" posts and then the mfg gives them the flippy screen or something, and the crap still piles on...
Autel users went berserk over Dynamic Track they expected to be like a Skydio or other performance tracking drone. Well, the tracking though improvements made still isn't good enough.


Users asked Autel for a 180 deg tilt camera like the Anafi... most in the drone game decided that was not a worthwhile feature to redesign the camera system.

Our company will grab a few V3 E2P kits but we are also thrilled that our V1 and V2 drones (14 of them) will all use the same batteries.

Batteries for any device... drones, cameras, gimbals, etc are all an issue for any product when they are no longer available. There are expected shelf life and design changes that may require those batteries to no longer be made... we also get that part. Just thankful it wasn't too soon.
 
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Which Sony module is installed in v3?
For example, v1 and v2 have Sony IMX383.
 
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Which Sony module is installed in v3?
For example, v1 and v2 have Sony IMX383.
I have exactly the same question. I asked Dobo on YouTube to do a comparison with his V3 unit, he refused claiming its the same sensor. So either autel's marketing is messed up, or he doesn't know what he's talking about, either way is plausible.
 
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