EVO experience - worth it?

[JS1500]

I've had a DJI Spark for a while now. Overall I like the drone for what it is, but after getting into the drone hobby, I'm wanting more. For one thing, the 1080p camera on the Spark is a limiting factor in terms of footage quality. Secondly, due to the Spark's small size, it can't withstand stronger winds like bigger drones can. Lastly (but certainly not least), the no-fly-zones are extremely frustrating. I don't like not being able to fly my drone where I want to (yes, I abide by the FAA's regulations, but DJI's flight restrictions/geo-fencing sometimes go too far).

All of that is to say, I'm strongly considering the Autel EVO for my next drone. It seems like the perfect combination of size, portability, camera capability, and other features. What has been your experience with the EVO? Should I continue to consider it for my next drone purchase?

 

[mjbok]

I can't speak for everyone and can only talk from my own POV, but here's what I think and why.

First a little background: I got the first Phantom when it was originally released. Expensive (not for the time), no camera, no app, no limitations. I flew it for a bit, put a GoPro on it. Pictures were okay, but video was jello garbage. Sat out of the hobby for a year. Got a Yuneec 4k drone. Crashed it on my second flight. Replaced it with a Typhoon H. Huge bird, huge controller, great video (to me), great pics, limited range. I love the drone, but it is a pain to transport just due to the size. Great in wind though because of how huge it is.

Picked up a Spark purely from a size perspective. Fun little drone. Somewhat limited compared to others and the flight time sucks, but still a good little bird.

Got an Air. Really nice video. Range isn't nearly what is promised. No Fly zone issues. Battery life not great, but can't argue it is an upgrade from the Spark. I like it, but have had more problems with it compared to any other drone.

Got an Evo. An upgrade from the Air in almost every way. Only quibble is it is a little lacking in specialty shots and there have been some firmware issues.

Got a Karma. Never would have got it except it was basically free with purchase of Karma Grip and GoPro 6. Would never recommend it, but it is fun to fly. Has zero sensors to prevent flying into things or for landing. Image quality is great, except you have to process 4k to get rid of fish-eye. Range is garbage and I don't trust it, but it is a fun drone to fly.

With the above said my Evo is my goto bird. I'll often go out with my kids and fly multiple drones, but the Evo is always one of the ones that gets flown. It is easy to fly, fun to fly, takes great video and pics. Has decent battery life, good controller, have had few if any issues with it. The things of note are that there are almost zero 3rd party things available for the Evo. This includes alternate apps, cases, tablet holders, etc. For the most part you are stuck with 1st party items or items not custom tailored for the Evo. There is now a tablet holder available (Lifthor), but it is 4 times more expensive than tablet holders you can find for other drones. I have it and it is great, but pricey. My case is a generic case that I adapted to fit the Evo, compared to getting laser cut cases for DJI drones for 20 bucks.

I love the Evo. If I had to recommend a drone for someone in that price range (Air/Evo/Anafi) I would suggest the Evo. It is a little more than the others, but I think it is worth it. With the 900 deal with two extra batteries and props it is almost a wash with the Air fly more bundle.

 

[JS1500]

I can't speak for everyone and can only talk from my own POV, but here's what I think and why.

First a little background: I got the first Phantom when it was originally released. Expensive (not for the time), no camera, no app, no limitations. I flew it for a bit, put a GoPro on it. Pictures were okay, but video was jello garbage. Sat out of the hobby for a year. Got a Yuneec 4k drone. Crashed it on my second flight. Replaced it with a Typhoon H. Huge bird, huge controller, great video (to me), great pics, limited range. I love the drone, but it is a pain to transport just due to the size. Great in wind though because of how huge it is.

Picked up a Spark purely from a size perspective. Fun little drone. Somewhat limited compared to others and the flight time sucks, but still a good little bird.

Got an Air. Really nice video. Range isn't nearly what is promised. No Fly zone issues. Battery life not great, but can't argue it is an upgrade from the Spark. I like it, but have had more problems with it compared to any other drone.

Got an Evo. An upgrade from the Air in almost every way. Only quibble is it is a little lacking in specialty shots and there have been some firmware issues.

Got a Karma. Never would have got it except it was basically free with purchase of Karma Grip and GoPro 6. Would never recommend it, but it is fun to fly. Has zero sensors to prevent flying into things or for landing. Image quality is great, except you have to process 4k to get rid of fish-eye. Range is garbage and I don't trust it, but it is a fun drone to fly.

With the above said my Evo is my goto bird. I'll often go out with my kids and fly multiple drones, but the Evo is always one of the ones that gets flown. It is easy to fly, fun to fly, takes great video and pics. Has decent battery life, good controller, have had few if any issues with it. The things of note are that there are almost zero 3rd party things available for the Evo. This includes alternate apps, cases, tablet holders, etc. For the most part you are stuck with 1st party items or items not custom tailored for the Evo. There is now a tablet holder available (Lifthor), but it is 4 times more expensive than tablet holders you can find for other drones. I have it and it is great, but pricey. My case is a generic case that I adapted to fit the Evo, compared to getting laser cut cases for DJI drones for 20 bucks.

I love the Evo. If I had to recommend a drone for someone in that price range (Air/Evo/Anafi) I would suggest the Evo. It is a little more than the others, but I think it is worth it. With the 900 deal with two extra batteries and props it is almost a wash with the Air fly more bundle.

I really appreciate the info! Definitely confirmed that the EVO will be my next drone. As for the 3rd party stuff like tablet holders, I just use my phone when I fly, so I'm not too concerned about that. Thanks again for the help.

 

[YuKay]

Good grief! And you've just had the one wife?

 

[Franlac]

Bonsoir
Je vous écris depuis la France
Je vole avec EVO depuis 6 mois et je suis toujours épaté des qualités de ce très beau drone.
Pour moi sa caméra est a ce jour ce qui ce fait de mieux, et je sais de quoi je parle !
J'ai volé des centaines d'heures, et fait des tonnes de vidéos avec !
je n'ai eue qu'un seul crash et c'était de ma faute !!
Même vivant en France, et n'ayant pas de support client, je suis très heureux de mon choix .
N’hésitez pas, vous ne le regretterez pas et si vous voulez voir ce que je fait avec ..
4K Autel Robotic EVO - YouTube

 

[mjbok]

Good grief! And you've just had the one wife?

My Evo doesn't take half my stuff when I fly my Mavic Air. My Typhoon doesn't sell my car when I fly my Spark. Honestly the Spark is the only one I really no longer have a use for as it is kind of a crippled Air. I originally kept it so the kids would have one to start with until they "graduate" to the bigger/better drones. I gave up on that and they can fly any one they want.

There are specific use cases for all of the drone types (minus the Spark). Air is the travel/goto kid drone. Karma is hyperlaspe. Typhoon is for 360. Evo is for everything else.

All of them were bought at substantial discounts and my average OOP was probably less than 50% of MSRP for all of them (except the Evo).

 

[JS1500]

My Evo doesn't take half my stuff when I fly my Mavic Air. My Typhoon doesn't sell my car when I fly my Spark. Honestly the Spark is the only one I really no longer have a use for as it is kind of a crippled Air. I originally kept it so the kids would have one to start with until they "graduate" to the bigger/better drones. I gave up on that and they can fly any one they want.

There are specific use cases for all of the drone types (minus the Spark). Air is the travel/goto kid drone. Karma is hyperlaspe. Typhoon is for 360. Evo is for everything else.

All of them were bought at substantial discounts and my average OOP was probably less than 50% of MSRP for all of them (except the Evo).

Is there any special way you got all of those drones at such a discount, or did you just wait for the right deals?

 

[Ansia]

I've had a DJI Spark for a while now. Overall I like the drone for what it is, but after getting into the drone hobby, I'm wanting more. For one thing, the 1080p camera on the Spark is a limiting factor in terms of footage quality. Secondly, due to the Spark's small size, it can't withstand stronger winds like bigger drones can. Lastly (but certainly not least), the no-fly-zones are extremely frustrating. I don't like not being able to fly my drone where I want to (yes, I abide by the FAA's regulations, but DJI's flight restrictions/geo-fencing sometimes go too far).

All of that is to say, I'm strongly considering the Autel EVO for my next drone. It seems like the perfect combination of size, portability, camera capability, and other features. What has been your experience with the EVO? Should I continue to consider it for my next drone purchase?

I was in the same boat as you. I own a Phantom 4 Pro v2.0 that suffers from the same Geofencing problems you do. I have been doing research since November on my next drone and after all my research and joining this forum, I purchased my Evo 40 minutes ago. Can't wait to take it out flying.

 

[Ansia]

Is there any special way you got all of those drones at such a discount, or did you just wait for the right deals?

Selling your soul will get you discounts.

 

[mjbok]

Is there any special way you got all of those drones at such a discount, or did you just wait for the right deals?

It was a lot of getting the right deals and averaging down my total costs. Example: I was able to get a couple of Spark Fly More combos for about 350 in 2017. I kept one, sold the other for close to retail and my Spark ended up costing around 200. Also there is a huge market for parting out Tyhpoons so I purchased a bunch of them (that were on clearance well below MSRP) and sold the parts individually (controller, the camera, the drone body) until I had a zero cost for the ones I kept.

 

[Bulldoggboyz]

Love my Evo, but I am hankering for something else now. Not sure I want to drop the coin on an Enterprise Dual and then have to deal with NFZ and the like. I thought about an Air, but I don't really want a Wifi drone. If the Air had Occusync I might strongly consider it in spite of the NFZ crap. The thing I DO NOT like about my Evo/Autel is lack of 3rd party Apps and accessories, the fact I can't launch by hand and have to really try hard to hand catch it. I dislike the fact it won't adjust itself to climb up and down hills in it's version of "follow me" mode, and the fact it will some times stop and wait for manual input instead of going around objects in autonomous modes. I'm hoping they fix many of these things in a near future firmware update. Until they do, they will never compete enough with the "Evil Empire" and will lose the little ground they have managed to gain with the introduction of the Evo.

 

[Ansia]

Love my Evo, but I am hankering for something else now. Not sure I want to drop the coin on an Enterprise Dual and then have to deal with NFZ and the like. I thought about an Air, but I don't really want a Wifi drone. If the Air had Occusync I might strongly consider it in spite of the NFZ crap. The thing I DO NOT like about my Evo/Autel is lack of 3rd party Apps and accessories, the fact I can't launch by hand and have to really try hard to hand catch it. I dislike the fact it won't adjust itself to climb up and down hills in it's version of "follow me" mode, and the fact it will some times stop and wait for manual input instead of going around objects in autonomous modes. I'm hoping they fix many of these things in a near future firmware update. Until they do, they will never compete enough with the "Evil Empire" and will lose the little ground they have managed to gain with the introduction of the Evo.

Do your research. Search what you are looking for and pick 3 top drones that meet your criteria. Compare them and finally choose the one. I came from the other side knowing the limitations of the EVO. It's not perfect, but for an easy to fly drone to amuse myself and fellow peers and as a backup for work, it gets the job done well. I am extremely happy. That being said, it won't replace my other drones. Each performs a specific job that excels from the others.

 

[KeyMB]

I just bought my Evo a few days ago. Coming from the Mavic Pro, I still am very pleased. The camera is great imo compared to the MP1. I do not have anything negative to say in regards to the Evo. My only noticeable difference(to me) was overall flight stability/maneuvering, yaw, etc compared to The Mavic Pro. I feel the Evo is a bit more jumpy and quick in and out of movement. I had my settings super slow on The Mavic. Adjusting my EXP in the Evo helped a little but, again for me, I have to finesse the controls a bit more to obtain the same smooth video as I did with The Mavic. If I was to pick up another drone to play with, based off what I’ve own before, the PH4 Pro or The Mavic 2 Pro would be my only other choices

 

[mjbok]

I just bought my Evo a few days ago. Coming from the Mavic Pro, I still am very pleased. The camera is great imo compared to the MP1. I do not have anything negative to say in regards to the Evo. My only noticeable difference(to me) was overall flight stability/maneuvering, yaw, etc compared to The Mavic Pro. I feel the Evo is a bit more jumpy and quick in and out of movement. I had my settings super slow on The Mavic. Adjusting my EXP in the Evo helped a little but, again for me, I have to finesse the controls a bit more to obtain the same smooth video as I did with The Mavic. If I was to pick up another drone to play with, based off what I’ve own before, the PH4 Pro or The Mavic 2 Pro would be my only other choices

The biggest issue I have with the Evo is what you mentioned. On the DJI series you can specifically tweak the raw rate easily. I find the Evo to be very jumpy from side to side compared to other drones.

 

[Ansia]

I just bought my Evo a few days ago. Coming from the Mavic Pro, I still am very pleased. The camera is great imo compared to the MP1. I do not have anything negative to say in regards to the Evo. My only noticeable difference(to me) was overall flight stability/maneuvering, yaw, etc compared to The Mavic Pro. I feel the Evo is a bit more jumpy and quick in and out of movement. I had my settings super slow on The Mavic. Adjusting my EXP in the Evo helped a little but, again for me, I have to finesse the controls a bit more to obtain the same smooth video as I did with The Mavic. If I was to pick up another drone to play with, based off what I’ve own before, the PH4 Pro or The Mavic 2 Pro would be my only other choices

The biggest issue I have with the Evo is what you mentioned. On the DJI series you can specifically tweak the raw rate easily. I find the Evo to be very jumpy from side to side compared to other drones.

Consider the Evo to be a peppy sports car and DJI as a heavy sedan/saloon. If you keep this in mind, you move the joysticks accordingly.

 

[YuKay]

Since I am usually flying in Precision Mode, allegedly at 4mph (although it seems much faster), with EXP reduced to 24, my EVO seems quite sedate. I did have a jumpy yaw when shooting in PAL but NTSC is a lot smoother.

 

[Ansia]

Since I am usually flying in Precision Mode, allegedly at 4mph (although it seems much faster), with EXP reduced to 24, my EVO seems quite sedate. I did have a jumpy yaw when shooting in PAL but NTSC is a lot smoother.

If you get a gust of wind, what happens to the evo if it can only fly at 4mph?

 

[YuKay]

It goes real slow! But I think the motors compensate to prevent it being pushed backwards. I have only flown in light winds so can't be sure yet.

 

[Ansia]

It goes real slow! But I think the motors compensate to prevent it being pushed backwards. I have only flown in light winds so can't be sure yet.

Autel Customer Support wasn't able to awnser this question either. They replied to my question, saying the exact same thing I said. I will be testing this this weekend.

 

[mixchief]

Consider the Evo to be a peppy sports car and DJI as a heavy sedan/saloon. If you keep this in mind, you move the joysticks accordingly.

the problem with that is for those of us that get it as an aerial camera system and not just for the joy of flying. The EVO should be adjustable infinitely as the DJIs are, the app should provide at least the range of autonomous modes as the well ... others, That jerky habit is a real shortcoming in mho, stability is also an issue, and maybe the reason there is no pano in the app. I'm not against doing manual panos, but in this dy and age a 360 pano should be automated for the sake of clarity and accuracy.