So I hope I do not get tarred and feathered for posting this, but I am really torn between the Evo and the M2 Zoom.
Zoom Pros
- 2X optical and 4X optical+digital lossless zoom (1080p) and smooth zoom at that, not the jump to 2X that Evo has - I hate flying close to things and in most of the videos I capture with my Spark everything looks really small
- Ocusync 2.0 - by all accounts, it seems to offer the best connection on any of the consumer drones out there
- Better active tracking
- More smart modes
- 360 degree obstacle avoidance
Zoom Cons
- Price
- Geofencing (I live in the DC suburbs - nuff said)
- Sends your data to China (not too bothered about this - it's just flying data not my SSN and bank account number)
Evo Pros
- Apparently more solid construction
- NO Geofencing
- Slightly better image quality
- 4k @60 fps (I'm just a consumer, so not critical for me)
- Customer service
- Price
Evo Cons
- Limited smart modes
- Limited accessories
- RC/AC connectivity not as good as Ocusync
Would like to hear people's thoughts and I know that it's a matter of personal preference whether to get a drone with zoom or not. Anyone with experience with both birds would provide some really good insights.
This is perfect timing.
I just went through the exact thing as you mention and I decided on the EVO.
I currently have and enjoy a DJI Spark and was looking to upgrade basically for more range and better picture video quality. I researched and actually almost pulled the trigger on a Mavic Pro and researched the Mavic2 pro and zoom and was leaning to the zoom primarily for the price and the worrisome issues with the pro's "super camera"
My concerns with the DJI's is primarily the app! It is a resource hungry and intrusive piece of programming that wouldn't run properly on a few devices including my daily phone ( Motorola Z2 play) I dedicated a used, but still decent, tablet to just flying and tried many others (including state of the art top line tablets just to experiment and then return) for the best performance.
I need to run an older version of the app just to have it reliable.
Not a well-written app... but probably because of it's trying to do all the drones and all the "monitoring/sharing" it does?
I am not affected by the imposed NFZ and geo-fencing of the DJI app but I can understand the problems it would cause.
I am also fairly tech savvy and can work through most issues but that DJI GO app is nasty.
I also believe in having competition and will give a decent competing product a chance, for sure.
So, after doing some research on the EVO, I pulled the trigger on one the other day. So far, after aprox 2 hrs total flight time, I can say that I made the right choice!
The Autel Explorer app works perfectly on ALL my devices including my daily cell phone (the Motorola) which is a very pleasant experience!
Just a word of advice..the Autel is an "Android-friendly" device/app as opposed to the DJIs which are primarily " IOS Friendly"! They don't even include a cable to hook to an Apple device in the box! Since I don't use IOS, it is all good. I guess they have a working IOS app now but its development/update is FAR behind the Android app
The flight dynamics are superb and are still being tweaked with updates but the current beta app and firmware are great.
The camera is fantastic! I looked at too many comparisons between the EVO and the Mavic 1 and 2 and I thought the EVO images were better at defaults and that looks to be the case in practice!
The range is comparable to the Occu-sync Mavics and better than the Mavic Air ( which is not Occu-sync...which I was able to test side by side with a Mavic Air pilot at a local park/test area) It appears that under the same conditions, the Occu-sync drones may go another 1/2 to 1 mile farther and be more reliable in the toughest areas (dense urban) but I have had great luck flying over my neighborhood in Phoenix. Much better than the Spark or the Yuneec Q5000!
Waypoints work great and can be set up and saved before the flight... which I see a lot of the reviews missed by saying you have to fly the route first!
No NFZ warnings at all and no intrusive messages about buying a craft or updating before flying!! The initial set up was painless and the updates/firmware have been easy and flawless so far!
Build quality is as good or better than any of the DJI products that I've had occasion examine and it would probably survive a slight crash better.
The gimble/camera mount appears to be a bit "flakey" but I can't comment on it's durability but, I bet it will be easier/cheaper to repair if it needs it! It does function well, though.
The only things that I am missing in the operation is a few of the automated modes such as "dronie" and the Panorama picture capture option!
The obstacle avoidance needs some tweaking but that doesn't affect me, personally. It works but needs some tuning! It will never have the same avoidance ( 360 degrees) of the Mavic but I won't miss that just as long as the front is operational and the rear is just currently giving a warning only (except in certain modes, I guess)
If you have any specific thoughts/questions, please let me know? Either way you go it is an investment and you are trying to make the best decision.