It felt like time for a change, so when the EVO 2 Pro reviews started showing up online I became very interested. I have had a succession of DJI drones since the first Phantom, and about every incremental upgrade they had released since. Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, and Mavic 2 Pro as well. A Spark, too. DJI makes good stuff, and I have been very happy as a customer -- even getting three free replacement batteries for the Mavic Pro 2 when the originals started to swell when they were just out of warranty. I think they saw my purchase history and felt sorry for me.
The Mavic 2 Pro is a really fine aircraft, and the Hasselblad camera takes excellent photos and 4K video. No real complaints, and I think they set a pretty high bar for other manufacturers. Still, the NFZ issues, the time-consuming updates, frequent compass calibrations, and other little irritations can wear on you. So I now own an EVO 2 Pro.
I have only had the EVO 2 Pro for a few days, but here are some early observations...
Pros:
Nice to have the extended flight time.
Color display on the remote is superior.
Autel Explorer app loads quickly, and is equal to, or better than the DJI Go 4 app.
Phone holder is in a better position and easier to use than the one on the Mavic controller.
Huge photos from that 1" sensor, and 6K video that is so detailed that any frame can be satisfactorily used as a still photo.
Easy to install and retrieve the Micro SD card (a pain with the M2P).
Big and ORANGE makes it easier to see in the sky than the M2P.
Cons:
There are a few aircraft settings missing, like EXP settings for pitch, roll, and elevation (but Precision Flight mode can offer similar results).
The vision system is great, but it is over-protective -- slowing and stopping the aircraft too far from obstacles in manual flight.
The beeping from the vision system is irritatingly loud when obstacles are detected.
The joystick handles are too short, and it doesn't look like they can be replaced with third party options (like the ones I have for the M2P).
Photos and video using auto settings are dull and washed out (fixable in post, though).
Slightly noisier than the M2P (but understandable due to its weight).
The gimbal protector is difficult to use, but it is substantial and should work well.
Actually, the EVO 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Pro are more alike than different, and switching from one to the other is pretty straight forward. The Mavic is easier to fly smoothly under normal operation, so I will be using the Precision Flight when shooting most videos with the EVO. I still have to work with the photo and video settings to get the most out of the camera, just as I did when I got the Mavic. I'll get around to testing RAW and Log next. I've ordered the LifThor tablet holder to accommodate a larger display -- similar to the nice MavMount I use with the Mavic controller. A bigger display with a sun shade is a must, and a lanyard to carry the weight makes it easier to control the aircraft.
The EVO seems very well made, and has a tight, solid feel to it.I was a bit disappointed that there were no spare props or phone cables to connect to the controller included in the package -- especially for the price paid. (My mistake! As Spazman pointed out below, they were hidden in the bottom of the box). I'm still not sure which bird will become my favorite yet, but I feel I am already leaning toward the EVO. I wonder how I will react to the inevitable Mavic 3 Pro?
The Mavic 2 Pro is a really fine aircraft, and the Hasselblad camera takes excellent photos and 4K video. No real complaints, and I think they set a pretty high bar for other manufacturers. Still, the NFZ issues, the time-consuming updates, frequent compass calibrations, and other little irritations can wear on you. So I now own an EVO 2 Pro.
I have only had the EVO 2 Pro for a few days, but here are some early observations...
Pros:
Nice to have the extended flight time.
Color display on the remote is superior.
Autel Explorer app loads quickly, and is equal to, or better than the DJI Go 4 app.
Phone holder is in a better position and easier to use than the one on the Mavic controller.
Huge photos from that 1" sensor, and 6K video that is so detailed that any frame can be satisfactorily used as a still photo.
Easy to install and retrieve the Micro SD card (a pain with the M2P).
Big and ORANGE makes it easier to see in the sky than the M2P.
Cons:
There are a few aircraft settings missing, like EXP settings for pitch, roll, and elevation (but Precision Flight mode can offer similar results).
The vision system is great, but it is over-protective -- slowing and stopping the aircraft too far from obstacles in manual flight.
The beeping from the vision system is irritatingly loud when obstacles are detected.
The joystick handles are too short, and it doesn't look like they can be replaced with third party options (like the ones I have for the M2P).
Photos and video using auto settings are dull and washed out (fixable in post, though).
Slightly noisier than the M2P (but understandable due to its weight).
The gimbal protector is difficult to use, but it is substantial and should work well.
Actually, the EVO 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Pro are more alike than different, and switching from one to the other is pretty straight forward. The Mavic is easier to fly smoothly under normal operation, so I will be using the Precision Flight when shooting most videos with the EVO. I still have to work with the photo and video settings to get the most out of the camera, just as I did when I got the Mavic. I'll get around to testing RAW and Log next. I've ordered the LifThor tablet holder to accommodate a larger display -- similar to the nice MavMount I use with the Mavic controller. A bigger display with a sun shade is a must, and a lanyard to carry the weight makes it easier to control the aircraft.
The EVO seems very well made, and has a tight, solid feel to it.
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