The best Autel drone to buy today

[ssb73q]

Hi, IMO the best Autel drone to buy today to produce great video is either the EVO ll 8k or 6k drone. I have both the 8k and 6k Autel EVO ll drones, Live Decks, and Smart Controller. They are all v1. The Nano's are a disaster and the Lites have limited use. The EVO ll 6k has shown itself to be a better video drone than the DJI Mavic 3 in many reviews. It has a greater sharpness, low light capability, and definition. The Explorer app mission capability for doing rectangular and polygon missions for mapping is a gold standard. Not long ago the EVO ll 8k refurbished was on sale for $950. IMO for daylight use, the 8k has shown itself to have a greater definition and sharpness for me than the 6k version. It maybe that the upcoming EVO lll will be a superior drone, but for today what to buy I think that the EVO ll 8k and 6k drone are the best drones value available today. You may have a different opinion and I would like you to comment if you disagree.

Regards,
Richard

 

[Jericho7]

I agree Richard! I just invested in the Evo 2 Pro 6k with the smart controller and am phasing out of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro (footage looks so much better.). I have a question about the smart controller - seems like a flaky transmission resolution and I'm wondering why. Am I missing something? Tried both High Resolution and Smooth in Transmission settings but it's the same.

 

[herein2021]

Hi, IMO the best Autel drone to buy today to produce great video is either the EVO ll 8k or 6k drone. I have both the 8k and 6k Autel EVO ll drones, Live Decks, and Smart Controller. They are all v1. The Nano's are a disaster and the Lites have limited use. The EVO ll 6k has shown itself to be a better video drone than the DJI Mavic 3 in many reviews. It has a greater sharpness, low light capability, and definition. The Explorer app mission capability for doing rectangular and polygon missions for mapping is a gold standard. Not long ago the EVO ll 8k refurbished was on sale for $950. IMO for daylight use, the 8k has shown itself to have a greater definition and sharpness for me than the 6k version. It maybe that the upcoming EVO lll will be a superior drone, but for today what to buy I think that the EVO ll 8k and 6k drone are the best drones value available today. You may have a different opinion and I would like you to comment if you disagree.

Regards,
Richard

I agree with you, the Nano isn't even a consideration for me and my EVO II 6K V1 has been rock solid. I haven't updated the firmware since I bought it and every quirk/problem that the FW version that I am using has I have a fix or workaround for. My EVO II 6K has earned its keep many times over and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

As far as the EVO III, I would wait at least 6 months to upgrade to it if at all given how many problems the Nano has had from day one. Autel is really having to re-learn all of the DJI lessons the hard way and it is the end users who have to foot that bill as they repeat DJI's mistakes.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

I agree with you, the Nano isn't even a consideration for me and my EVO II 6K V1 has been rock solid. I haven't updated the firmware since I bought it and every quirk/problem that the FW version that I am using has I have a fix or workaround for. My EVO II 6K has earned its keep many times over and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

As far as the EVO III, I would wait at least 6 months to upgrade to it if at all given how many problems the Nano has had from day one. Autel is really having to re-learn all of the DJI lessons the hard way and it is the end users who have to foot that bill as they repeat DJI's mistakes.

i say that too but i'm a sucker for the proper adverts and if the evo 3 is anything like the evo 2....

i remember back several years when looking for a good drone, during those times, price mattered and good specs were a thing. well, after seeing this autel video with all those features, major battery life, killer camera.... i was totally convinced:

 

[StrikesuitCeroRonin]

Hi, IMO the best Autel drone to buy today to produce great video is either the EVO ll 8k or 6k drone. I have both the 8k and 6k Autel EVO ll drones, Live Decks, and Smart Controller. They are all v1. The Nano's are a disaster and the Lites have limited use. The EVO ll 6k has shown itself to be a better video drone than the DJI Mavic 3 in many reviews. It has a greater sharpness, low light capability, and definition. The Explorer app mission capability for doing rectangular and polygon missions for mapping is a gold standard. Not long ago the EVO ll 8k refurbished was on sale for $950. IMO for daylight use, the 8k has shown itself to have a greater definition and sharpness for me than the 6k version. It maybe that the upcoming EVO lll will be a superior drone, but for today what to buy I think that the EVO ll 8k and 6k drone are the best drones value available today. You may have a different opinion and I would like you to comment if you disagree.

Regards,
Richard

Agree to disagree.

It varies on your usage. I recently bought the Lite+ because of its insane low light mode. The Evo II Pro 6K is a beast but it doesn't have the Super Night Mode -- and I intend to shoot a lot at night with it. The Lite+ will not have 10 Bit or a Smart Controller or Missions, but the app will make my content immediately available to post and/or send to my employer. I also love the fact that I can take stills while its filming without having to stop to take a still altogether. The Evo II Pro 6K can't do that at the moment.

I will definitely buy the Evo III when it comes out but for the Evo II not to have that low light mode available for it's professional model is a bit weird. Then again, it could be because the Lite+ has the updated camera.

For now, I think the Lite+ best suits me.

 

[herein2021]

i say that too but i'm a sucker for the proper adverts and if the evo 3 is anything like the evo 2....

i remember back several years when looking for a good drone, during those times, price mattered and good specs were a thing. well, after seeing this autel video with all those features, major battery life, killer camera.... i was totally convinced:

The slick marketing does have a way of being very persuasive; I love new gear as much as anyone so I keep thinking about my bottom line when new products come out that I don't necessarily need. Due to Autel's relatively short shelf life after a new product comes out, I will definitely upgrade to the III but I want to make sure it is stable and reliable before doing so.

Agree to disagree.

It varies on your usage. I recently bought the Lite+ because of its insane low light mode. The Evo II Pro 6K is a beast but it doesn't have the Super Night Mode -- and I intend to shoot a lot at night with it. The Lite+ will not have 10 Bit or a Smart Controller or Missions, but the app will make my content immediately available to post and/or send to my employer. I also love the fact that I can take stills while its filming without having to stop to take a still altogether. The Evo II Pro 6K can't do that at the moment.

I will definitely buy the Evo III when it comes out but for the Evo II not to have that low light mode available for it's professional model is a bit weird. Then again, it could be because the Lite+ has the updated camera.

For now, I think the Lite+ best suits me.

I agree the Lite+ has some pretty incredible low light capabilities. For me though outdoors it is not an option due to the increased wind handling capabilities of the larger drones. I live on the coast of FL and 10-20mph sustained winds are pretty common depending on the time of year.

I also love the fact that I can take stills while its filming without having to stop to take a still altogether. The Evo II Pro 6K can't do that at the moment.

The EVO II 6K can also do that as well all you have to do is press the stills shutter button while recording but I never recommend that. The stills are JPG and they are nothing more than screen grabs from the video. If you are filming in LOG the stills will be practically unusable and even if you are filming in a different color profile the motion blur and compression artifacts will ensure the screen grab is far lower quality than stopping the filming, hovering in mid air, and taking a proper still in a RAW format.

I will definitely buy the Evo III when it comes out but for the Evo II not to have that low light mode available for it's professional model is a bit weird. Then again, it could be because the Lite+ has the updated camera.

For now, I think the Lite+ best suits me.

Sony makes the sensors for the Autel drones, it is highly unlikely that the new RYYB technology in the Lite+'s sensor was available at the time the EVO II 6K was being built. I will also be interested to see if the technology makes its way into larger sensors. New sensor technology tends to hit smaller sensors first then eventually make their way into FF sensors at some point once the manufacturing process has matured.

 

[StrikesuitCeroRonin]

The slick marketing does have a way of being very persuasive; I love new gear as much as anyone so I keep thinking about my bottom line when new products come out that I don't necessarily need. Due to Autel's relatively short shelf life after a new product comes out, I will definitely upgrade to the III but I want to make sure it is stable and reliable before doing so.



I agree the Lite+ has some pretty incredible low light capabilities. For me though outdoors it is not an option due to the increased wind handling capabilities of the larger drones. I live on the coast of FL and 10-20mph sustained winds are pretty common depending on the time of year.



The EVO II 6K can also do that as well all you have to do is press the stills shutter button while recording but I never recommend that. The stills are JPG and they are nothing more than screen grabs from the video. If you are filming in LOG the stills will be practically unusable and even if you are filming in a different color profile the motion blur and compression artifacts will ensure the screen grab is far lower quality than stopping the filming, hovering in mid air, and taking a proper still in a RAW format.



Sony makes the sensors for the Autel drones, it is highly unlikely that the new RYYB technology in the Lite+'s sensor was available at the time the EVO II 6K was being built. I will also be interested to see if the technology makes its way into larger sensors. New sensor technology tends to hit smaller sensors first then eventually make their way into FF sensors at some point once the manufacturing process has matured.

Same here. I live in South Florida. I'll probably stick with Air 2s to shoot during the day and save my Lite+ for night photography and cinematography. The winds haven't been too bad at the moment but that changes often though. I'll adjust by buying two more batteries just in case too. I know the premium bundle comes with two but I feel that it's size will present some challenges on gusty days.

Ahhh, I didn't know that. You bring up a good point though. I'll probably won't take too many screen grabs since I prefer RAW. That said, if I do need something done and turned in insanely quick it's a nice feature to have. I'm not sure if I'll ever have an employer that impatient or a project that is that time sensitive though. I'm prepared nevertheless.

That's what I'm thinking too. During the development of the Evo II Pro 6K, the RYYB sensor likely wasn't available at the time. It sucks because I wanted the Evo II Pro 6K but knowing me I love to shoot at night and I can't imagine not having the best camera for that situation even if the gimbal wanders and no DLOG is available for it.

I'm hoping the Evo III will be the best of both worlds but we won't find out until next year (hopefully).

 

[Dave Pitman]

The Explorer app mission capability for doing rectangular and polygon missions for mapping is a gold standard

ummm... compared to what ?

 

[tuxontodd]

It all depends on what you want to do. Can you use Litchi with Autel drones yet? I'd like to program a route that doesn't stop at each waypoint. How is the follow me function of the drones. 4K 6K 8K is pretty much irrelevant at this point.

 

[Rubik3x]

Not long ago the EVO ll 8k refurbished was on sale for $950. IMO for daylight use, the 8k has shown itself to have a greater definition and sharpness for me than the 6k version. It maybe that the upcoming EVO lll will be a superior drone, but for today what to buy I think that the EVO ll 8k and 6k drone are the best drones value available today. You may have a different opinion and I would like you to comment if you disagree.

Regards,
Richard

The smaller 1/2" sensors, as used in the EVO II 8k, do amazingly well in broad daylight. I have the 6K and have to turn down the sharpness to get good results (at least I can do that on this drone). Your 6K camera may not be as well focused as it should be. Otherwise, I agree. From all the testing that I have seen comparing Autel EVO II Pro drones against comparable DJI products, the Autel drones give better results in all lighting situations.

 

[MNT DRONE SOLUTIONS]

Extremely pleased with my E2P V1 Not a fan of any brand smaller drones. If the E3 or E3P is as good as the E2P I'm sold already.

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Extremely pleased with my E2P V1 Not a fan of any brand smaller drones. If the E3 or E3P is as good as the E2P I'm sold already.

Same here, Very happy with the Evo 2 V1 Pro model. Glad I stuck with it, at the beginning had many bugs eventually fixed. Still, Not perfect but prefer it over Mavic 2 Pro.

Still have my original Mavic 2 Pro from its first release, it was my preferred drone until getting an Evo 2 Pro. Eventually, Will sell off Mavic 2 Pro haven’t flown it since last year and that was only 3-4 times at most. Evo 2 Pro gets about 95-98 percent of my flights now, Another factor of the Evo 2‘s high usage is adding on the SmartController V1, That made flying even more enjoyable and worth every penny with the SmartController purchase..

If an Evo 3 does get released, Will definitely look into getting one if the improvements suit my flying needs.

 

[jcamevo]

Does the Evo Lite have mission planning capabilities?

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

Does the Evo Lite have mission planning capabilities?

someone else will chime in if they know differently but my understanding is no, the evo lite does not have mission planning capabilities.

 

[StrikesuitCeroRonin]

Does the Evo Lite have mission planning capabilities?

No, I don't think they'll add them either since Autel considers it an entry level drone but I don't miss it to be honest, especially since I have an Air 2s already.

I acquired the Lite+ for the night modes.

 

[ssb73q]

Does the Evo Lite have mission planning capabilities?

Hi jcamevo, I asked Autel if they ever intend on supporting missions on either their Nano, or Lite. The answer is that Autel has no intentions on supporting missions on those drones. If you want missions, the EVO ll is the place to go.

Regards,
Richard

​

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

No, I don't think they'll add them either since Autel considers it an entry level drone but I don't miss it to be honest, especially since I have an Air 2s already.

I acquired the Lite+ for the night modes.

i dont think it follow you. the lite is not entry level and a2s does not have waypoints. but i do agree with you, the lite/nano will not be getting missions in teh future.

 

[StrikesuitCeroRonin]

i dont think it follow you. the lite is not entry level and a2s does not have waypoints. but i do agree with you, the lite/nano will not be getting missions in teh future.

Autel considers it an entry level drone which explains why it comes with 8-Bit instead of 10-Bit, and no smart remote and mission capabilities.

In retrospect, I should have bought the Evo II Pro 6K but the Lite+ has best camera for night photography. Plus, the Evo III Pro is on the horizon.

 

[Cornern]

Do anyone even know where I can buy a refurbished 8k under $1200? Seems like there out of stock everywhere..

 

[GeoDrone SRL]

Do anyone even know where I can buy a refurbished 8k under $1200? Seems like there out of stock everywhere..

I don't think you will find easy....I see someone in Spain just posted to sell Evo 2 Pro, try at him.

Agree to disagree.

It varies on your usage. I recently bought the Lite+ because of its insane low light mode. The Evo II Pro 6K is a beast but it doesn't have the Super Night Mode -- and I intend to shoot a lot at night with it. The Lite+ will not have 10 Bit or a Smart Controller or Missions, but the app will make my content immediately available to post and/or send to my employer. I also love the fact that I can take stills while its filming without having to stop to take a still altogether. The Evo II Pro 6K can't do that at the moment.

I will definitely buy the Evo III when it comes out but for the Evo II not to have that low light mode available for it's professional model is a bit weird. Then again, it could be because the Lite+ has the updated camera.

For now, I think the Lite+ best suits me.

Sorry, but I disagree.
Evo 2 Pro with HDR + LOG is waaay over the Super Night Mode of Lite+ if you know how to use it fully manual.
Also Lite+ have a lot of noise in night, Evo2 PRO with HDR mode have almost none.
Not to mention that you play with a 10bit footage on E2P...