MINI 3 PRO RULES !!! Or....does it ???

[loyukfai]

Sorry for an off-topic question, is Autel going to put ADS-B receiver on its drones?

 

[GeoDrone SRL]

Sorry for an off-topic question, is Autel going to put ADS-B receiver on its drones?

No...you have one already on Enterprise edition, but will not be on Nano or Lite.

 

[loyukfai]

No...you have one already on Enterprise edition, but will not be on Nano or Lite.

thx!

 

[Darkmatterx76]

Why does this feel like it's turning into a sh*tshow?

Autel rep in another thread I believe, answering a question just below a question about a proper raw colour profile. Autel rep ignores question about raw colour profile....

I hear M3P (Mini 3 Pro) is rock solid in wind, but has range disconnect problems. M3P I hear has a camera that isn't as good as the N+ (Nano+) but what's the point if light wind knocks it around and you can't get a decent RAW colour profile from the company, even though they must have one or they wouldn't be able to correct their JPGs!

At this point, I am so confused I'm not even sure where to start, so I'm just going to start listing questions that I have running through my head as I compare these 2 drones.


1) I still don't know if N+ has 10bit video yet, or if it will.

2) What is the difference in speed between the 2 drones when flying into wind at top power output setting?

3) Has DJI addressed the camera issues or the disconnect problems?

4) Autel seems to be flirting with geofencing with some drones, although I think it's a warning, not a lock out, for now.

5) What exactly does geofencing do to the M3P? Does it work the same as with the larger DJI drones? I heard that the M3P just gives a warning about air space, but I don't know if that's true or not.

6) I also hear that DJI has a locked elevation limit. Is this the same with the M3P? If I'm on the side of a mountain in BC (Canada) is the damn thing even going to take off???

7) How does the M3P do LOG and/or "10 bit D-cinelike videos" (what is D-cine"like" even mean??) if it uses limited RGB values? That seems like an oxymoron to me.


Uh.... yea. Very simple comparison. lol

Thanks to anyone who is willing to take the time to answer this huge list of questions.

DM

 

[GeoDrone SRL]

Why does this feel like it's turning into a sh*tshow?

Autel rep in another thread I believe, answering a question just below a question about a proper raw colour profile. Autel rep ignores question about raw colour profile....

I hear M3P (Mini 3 Pro) is rock solid in wind, but has range disconnect problems. M3P I hear has a camera that isn't as good as the N+ (Nano+) but what's the point if light wind knocks it around and you can't get a decent RAW colour profile from the company, even though they must have one or they wouldn't be able to correct their JPGs!

At this point, I am so confused I'm not even sure where to start, so I'm just going to start listing questions that I have running through my head as I compare these 2 drones.


1) I still don't know if N+ has 10bit video yet, or if it will.

2) What is the difference in speed between the 2 drones when flying into wind at top power output setting?

3) Has DJI addressed the camera issues or the disconnect problems?

4) Autel seems to be flirting with geofencing with some drones, although I think it's a warning, not a lock out, for now.

5) What exactly does geofencing do to the M3P? Does it work the same as with the larger DJI drones? I heard that the M3P just gives a warning about air space, but I don't know if that's true or not.

6) I also hear that DJI has a locked elevation limit. Is this the same with the M3P? If I'm on the side of a mountain in BC (Canada) is the damn thing even going to take off???

7) How does the M3P do LOG and/or "10 bit D-cinelike videos" (what is D-cine"like" even mean??) if it uses limited RGB values? That seems like an oxymoron to me.


Uh.... yea. Very simple comparison. lol

Thanks to anyone who is willing to take the time to answer this huge list of questions.

DM

I have both DJI and Autel, mate, as I am not so "in love" of any producer but I need good drones...
So...to answer to your questions:
1. Nano+ as it heard will have 10 bit color. Also important thing is that have Full RGB gama, Mini 3 have only Limited RGB = Dynamic range sucks.
2. Let's say that with Nano+ you fly in light breeze (very light), with Mini 3 you fly in windy conditions. For example if today I have winds of 20km/h, I go with Mini 3 but no way to go with Nano+.
3. No, camera have ghosting and blur from aggressive denoise profile. Not yet fixed. Can use 48 FPS to clear ghosting (from HQ mode), but blur remains. Disconnect = will be an issue in high urban area where you can go max 300m, outside works at 2000m.
4. Autel will have geofence only if guv. reinforce this. At this point only China and Japan have it. DJI have it everywhere.
5. In some areas you can unlock by using your phone number, in other areas you need to demand unlock based on papers sent to DJI. Also if you have no internet, will be impossible to self unlock the drone in some areas.
6. The limit for take-off is 3000 m from sea level, as from that height the props do not have enough power to lift off the drone. So, I believe you will not pass even 1800m, you should be fine. PS. Nano+ on mountain is not recommended, remember: slight breeze, not powerful currents like on mountain.
7. Have nothing to do the 10 bit color range with the Limited Gama Range. There are 2 separate things:
a) Color = 8 bit or 10 bit in this case, 10 bit will give you a lot more gradual pass through colors at sunset for example.
b) Range of gama = limited or full. Practically is the one that gives you also the Dynamic Range...Imagine that you have a full gamma from 0 (total black) to 255 (pure white)...between them are darks, shadows, light, highlight and specular light...now, Limited range put the total black to 16 and pure white to 235...everything under 16 or above 235 will be just black or just white, without details in it. This is why Mini 3 videos will have an issue even in D-Cinelike profile (a mix between normal and LOG profile), as you will loose details for all that is outside the Limited Range RGB (remember? remains only black and only white, without details).

So...the answer to your question is at you...
I took Mini 3 also because it has one thing that was not on Nano+: POI wherever I want, not a human or a car or a dog ****...just I draw the box and can make any movement but camera remain at that POI. Is making my work more easy.
I had Nano+ for camera, but after 2 pieces that were faulty, I renounced at it...One thing I never understood at Autel Nano+ was how they made the damn algorithm (or they did not) in order to compensate the wind when you are in motion....as it does not...so if you get some wind guts from front but you have a linear video footage, you will see the drone decelerating then accelerating as wind guts hits...and does nothing to instantly compensate the speed lost...stupidity? Yes.

 

[Darkmatterx76]

Wow GeoDrone SRL, thanks for all the info!

So, 10bit is currently not available, but Autel says they will add it later. We'll see.

Wind. This is a problem. I live on Lake Huron in Ontario. Right now we have 14km/h winds with 24km/h gusts. This is pretty average for here. We do get less wind here sometimes, but I'd say we get days with more wind, or higher gusts here then we do calm days. Has Autel said anything about their drones terrible wind resistance? I mean, it supposedly has a level 5 rating, if I'm remembering the info correctly. The M3P also has the same level, but the performance is totally different. Unless this is fixed, I would say this is a case of faults, or incorrect advertising on Autel's part. Especially if they refuse to fix it, change their advertising, and admit their error. From what I've seen, their rep that responds to things here sometimes does a good job of cherry picking what he responds to, and what he completely ignores as if that post wasn't right above the question that he did answer.

For DJI geofencing, how can I find out if most of my area is either unlocked, or can be unlocked just by entering my phone number? That's the kind of thing you sort of want to know before you buy a drone. Both for locked out, and for alt limit.

Has DJI said anything about the camera issues?

Has Autel said anything about the RAW colour profile issues? (Which makes no sense since they can process their own jpgs in the drone just fine, so they must know how to convert the sensor data to proper colours.

Honestly, this whole thing is a huge sh*tshow. I feel like I'm picking between crappy option #1, or crappy option #2. I wanted to go sub 250g as this is my first drone, and it makes travelling and use in other countries a bit easier, but here in Canada, our drone laws aren't nearly as draconian as they are in many other countries. I'm starting to wonder if there is no sub 250g that's right for me...

If that's the case, I'm sort of back and square one as for as my research into possible drone purchases. Over 250g doesn't bother me from the online test perspective, but I don't have $2000-2500 to drop on a first drone that I could quite easily crash. I still have to look into if drone damage insurance is even viable here in Canada. I'm not going to be flying this thing in between a lot of trees at low alt inside a forest or anything, so I would say that wind is probably going to be my biggest threat.

Thanks for all your info and if you have any insites that you can provide from what I've written here, that would be extra awesome.

DM

I have both DJI and Autel, mate, as I am not so "in love" of any producer but I need good drones...

 

[Detritalgeo]

Wow GeoDrone SRL, thanks for all the info!

So, 10bit is currently not available, but Autel says they will add it later. We'll see.

Wind. This is a problem. I live on Lake Huron in Ontario. Right now we have 14km/h winds with 24km/h gusts. This is pretty average for here. We do get less wind here sometimes, but I'd say we get days with more wind, or higher gusts here then we do calm days. Has Autel said anything about their drones terrible wind resistance? I mean, it supposedly has a level 5 rating, if I'm remembering the info correctly. The M3P also has the same level, but the performance is totally different. Unless this is fixed, I would say this is a case of faults, or incorrect advertising on Autel's part. Especially if they refuse to fix it, change their advertising, and admit their error. From what I've seen, their rep that responds to things here sometimes does a good job of cherry picking what he responds to, and what he completely ignores as if that post wasn't right above the question that he did answer.

For DJI geofencing, how can I find out if most of my area is either unlocked, or can be unlocked just by entering my phone number? That's the kind of thing you sort of want to know before you buy a drone. Both for locked out, and for alt limit.

Has DJI said anything about the camera issues?

Has Autel said anything about the RAW colour profile issues? (Which makes no sense since they can process their own jpgs in the drone just fine, so they must know how to convert the sensor data to proper colours.

Honestly, this whole thing is a huge sh*tshow. I feel like I'm picking between crappy option #1, or crappy option #2. I wanted to go sub 250g as this is my first drone, and it makes travelling and use in other countries a bit easier, but here in Canada, our drone laws aren't nearly as draconian as they are in many other countries. I'm starting to wonder if there is no sub 250g that's right for me...

If that's the case, I'm sort of back and square one as for as my research into possible drone purchases. Over 250g doesn't bother me from the online test perspective, but I don't have $2000-2500 to drop on a first drone that I could quite easily crash. I still have to look into if drone damage insurance is even viable here in Canada. I'm not going to be flying this thing in between a lot of trees at low alt inside a forest or anything, so I would say that wind is probably going to be my biggest threat.

Thanks for all your info and if you have any insites that you can provide from what I've written here, that would be extra awesome.

DM

If you are just starting out... Mini 2 fly more bundles are very cheap these days as everyone is ditching for the latest release. Still a decent kit although I prefer the Nano. Just a thought.

 

[Darkmatterx76]

Starting out with drones yes, but I'm a photographer so my needs may outstrip what a sub 250g can get me. I was basing it off of some expectations that (obviously) haven't quite been met yet.

 

[BillD]

I would not recommend any of the sub 250g drones for flying in windy conditions. I would look at the Autel Evo Lite+ or the DJI Air 2S, both of which have 20mp 1" sensor cameras. Not sure about the Lite+, but the Air2S handles wind very well, and is quite capable in the conditions you describe.

You can check the DJI Geo map to see if there are any restrictions in your area.

 

[Darkmatterx76]

I would not recommend any of the sub 250g drones for flying in windy conditions. I would look at the Autel Evo Lite+ or the DJI Air 2S, both of which have 20mp 1" sensor cameras. Not sure about the Lite+, but the Air2S handles wind very well, and is quite capable in the conditions you describe.

You can check the DJI Geo map to see if there are any restrictions in your area.

Ya, I was starting to wonder if this was going to end up being the case, but I kind of wanted a somewhat cheaper (but still useful) drone to be "the first drone I crash."

A Mini 2 doesn't quite cut it, and unfortunatly the Nano+ and Mini 3 aren't living up to the hype. Or was it merely hope?

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

wow, you guys talk as if you are flying manned aircraft not drones...in windy conditions. yeah, i get it if you live on the beach or at the lake then it's a huge problem. i live in a fairly windy area and i found the original mini pretty much useless. before i could unfold the drone, power it up, connect and lift off, the winds would gust and no flying was possible for the next hour. i literally had to pack up and go home after 30 minutes drive time to the park with zero flight time for that trip. sold that drone and now the mini 2 is nothing like it. nano+ not quite as good as mini 2 but nothing like the original mini that you are bound to lose because you spend all of your time fighting the wind. the nano is more than acceptable for most places if all you are doing is light work recreational pictures and videos. it's not suitable for flying fpv a mile out.

 

[Felix the Cat]

it is much more restrictive in Europe unfortunately!

Set to get even worse soon - you wait 'til the EASA start rolling "U-Space" out

 

[Felix the Cat]

Real battery life on the Mini 19minutes ....pretty meh
Wireless penetration in urban area very poor as well

also the Mini3 Pro uses Li-Ion batteries: the Nano+ LiPo's. The current over-draw warning all Mini3 owners see is as a result of the Li-Ion battery not being able to cope with excessive power drain. Fighting a head-wind while RTH is where the LiPo wins hands-down. The Li-Ion is better in one respect: recharge cycles: roughly 1,000. Li-Po craps out after about 300. But that prolonged burst of power for when it is REALLY needed balances that book more than adequately.

 

[dronescope59]

I have the Mini 3 Pro and love it. Absolutely no range problems in my crowded area with the RC-N1 controller. EASILY 4 miles out and back with 30% left on the larger battery. It can fly under just about any wind condition. I trust it as much as my EVO 2.

 

[moldorf]

also the Mini3 Pro uses Li-Ion batteries: the Nano+ LiPo's. The current over-draw warning all Mini3 owners see is as a result of the Li-Ion battery not being able to cope with excessive power drain. Fighting a head-wind while RTH is where the LiPo wins hands-down. The Li-Ion is better in one respect: recharge cycles: roughly 1,000. Li-Po craps out after about 300. But that prolonged burst of power for when it is REALLY needed balances that book more than adequately.

I do not believe that's accurate

a Li-Po battery is actually a lithium-ion polymer battery that uses a polymer electrolyte. A Li-On battery uses a gel as the electrolyte.

The Mini 3 batteries, at least the 7 batteries I have, are all Li-Po....lithium-ion polymer

Lithium polymer battery - Wikipedia

 

[Felix the Cat]

I do not believe that's accurate

a Li-Po battery is actually a lithium-ion polymer battery that uses a polymer electrolyte. A Li-On battery uses a gel as the electrolyte.

The Mini 3 batteries, at least the 7 batteries I have, are all Li-Po....lithium-ion polymer

Lithium polymer battery - Wikipedia

Official DJI Mini 3 Pro specs - straight from the DJI web page.

Intelligent Flight Battery​

• Capacity​

• 2453 mAh

• Weight​

• Approx. 80.5 g

• Voltage​

• 7.38 V

• Charging Voltage Limit​

• 8.5 V

• Battery Type​

• Li-ion

• Energy​

• 18.1 Wh

Intelligent Flight Battery Plus [7]​

• Capacity​

• 3850 mAh

• Weight​

• Approx. 121 g

• Voltage​

• 7.38 V

• Charging Voltage Limit​

• 8.5 V

• Battery Type​

• Li-ion

• Energy​

• 28.4 Wh

Autel EVO Nano Technical Specifications

Aircraft Battery

capacity: 2250mAh

Voltage: 7.7V

Max charging voltage: 8.8V

Battery Type: Li-Po 2S

Energy: 17.32Wh

Charging temperature: 5~45°C

Single battery charging time: 90min

Max charging power: 30W

 

[moldorf]

Official DJI Mini 3 Pro specs - straight from the DJI web page.

Intelligent Flight Battery​

• Capacity​

• 2453 mAh

• Weight​

• Approx. 80.5 g

• Voltage​

• 7.38 V

• Charging Voltage Limit​

• 8.5 V

• Battery Type​

• Li-ion

• Energy​

• 18.1 Wh

Intelligent Flight Battery Plus [7]​

• Capacity​

• 3850 mAh

• Weight​

• Approx. 121 g

• Voltage​

• 7.38 V

• Charging Voltage Limit​

• 8.5 V

• Battery Type​

• Li-ion

• Energy​

• 28.4 Wh

Autel EVO Nano Technical Specifications

Aircraft Battery

capacity: 2250mAh

Voltage: 7.7V

Max charging voltage: 8.8V

Battery Type: Li-Po 2S

Energy: 17.32Wh

Charging temperature: 5~45°C

Single battery charging time: 90min

Max charging power: 30W

I'm looking at the actual batteries. Right on the batteries it says lithium-ion polymer.

 

[Felix the Cat]

I'm looking at the actual batteries. Right on the batteries it says lithium-ion polymer.

They're the specs right off DJI/Autel. DJI: LIthium ION - Autel: LIthium POLymer.

Just the messenger.

 

[moldorf]

They're the specs right off DJI/Autel. DJI: LIthium ION - Autel: LIthium POLymer.

Just the messenger.

I'm reading the battery description...from the back of the battery itself: lithium ion polymer. That sure seems to suggest the electrolyte is a polymer



The difference between lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries - Battery Power Tips

this may be one of those distinctions with very little difference. Technical semantics.

I just know from the experience of about 80 flights with the Mini 3 those plus batteries work very well, and recharge rather quickly. Never a problem at this point

 

[Felix the Cat]

I'm reading the battery description...from the back of the battery itself: lithium ion polymer. That sure seems to suggest the electrolyte is a polymer

View attachment 14964

The difference between lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries - Battery Power Tips

this may be one of those distinctions with very little difference. Technical semantics.

I just know from the experience of about 80 flights with the Mini 3 those plus batteries work very well, and recharge rather quickly. Never a problem at this point

The Mini 3 batteries will also last up to 3 times longer than the Nano's. You just can't push them as hard without getting that 'overdraw' red-flag warning on the top of the telemetry screen.