There Can Be Only One (drone)...

[TAMU1996]

I've owned my X-Star Premium for over a year and it's been very reliable and fun to fly. However, I got the new-toy "itch" as much as y'all get and decided to plunk down for a new, smaller bird, something more portable.

However, I got myself in a bind.

I ended up with an Evo Rugged Bundle ($1,250) AND a Mavic Air Fly More Bundle (BB at $990).

I have to make a choice. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. One will go back, one will stay.

I know they're very different drones with different pros/cons and features. I've done my homework on both and have to make a decision fairly quick.

Anyone with some experience with both care to share your impressions? Do I dare abandon Autel and go to that Dark Side?

Thanks.

 

[alekaras]

I've owned my X-Star Premium for over a year and it's been very reliable and fun to fly. However, I got the new-toy "itch" as much as y'all get and decided to plunk down for a new, smaller bird, something more portable.

However, I got myself in a bind.

I ended up with an Evo Rugged Bundle ($1,250) AND a Mavic Air Fly More Bundle (BB at $990).

I have to make a choice. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. One will go back, one will stay.

I know they're very different drones with different pros/cons and features. I've done my homework on both and have to make a decision fairly quick.

Anyone with some experience with both care to share your impressions? Do I dare abandon Autel and go to that Dark Side?

Thanks.

Evo hands down. If you were comparing it to M2 or M2Zoom, that would be a tough choice (i'm in that conundrum myself). But compared to the Air it's a no-brainer. Better image quality, better range, no geofencing, better remote, better app, better customer service, better construction. The only thing the Air has over the Evo is more smart flight options, but the ones you will probably use the most Evo has them.

 

[TAMU1996]

Evo hands down. If you were comparing it to M2 or M2Zoom, that would be a tough choice (i'm in that conundrum myself). But compared to the Air it's a no-brainer. Better image quality, better range, no geofencing, better remote, better app, better customer service, better construction. The only thing the Air has over the Evo is more smart flight options, but the ones you will probably use the most Evo has them.

The portability and flight modes are the real draw of the Air. It can do some amazing things without much manual intervention. I don't need 4K 60FPS; 30 FPS of the Air is more than adequate for my needs. Short, cinematic shots are easier on the Air, and I can still use it for the rare real estate job.

I understand the issues you've raised, I've considered them all. The wifi range of the Air is also a drawback, but a $150 4Hawks Raptor is also in the works (and I'd still be under the cost of the Evo Bundle). I don't need to fly beyond LOS and I'll hopefully get adequate range, again, for my needs.

Regarding geofencing, I do live within 5 miles of a Class B airport. I've been able to use Airmap to submit LAANC electronic waiver requests to fly with great results and was hoping the DJI NFZ override procedure wouldn't become intolerable. Most areas are unlockable, right?

 

[joshmentele]

I've owned my X-Star Premium for over a year and it's been very reliable and fun to fly. However, I got the new-toy "itch" as much as y'all get and decided to plunk down for a new, smaller bird, something more portable.

However, I got myself in a bind.

I ended up with an Evo Rugged Bundle ($1,250) AND a Mavic Air Fly More Bundle (BB at $990).

I have to make a choice. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. One will go back, one will stay.

I know they're very different drones with different pros/cons and features. I've done my homework on both and have to make a decision fairly quick.

Anyone with some experience with both care to share your impressions? Do I dare abandon Autel and go to that Dark Side?

Thanks.

I would go with the Evo. It has more benefits than cons for me. I fly it a lot and it has never glitched.

 

[alekaras]

The portability and flight modes are the real draw of the Air. It can do some amazing things without much manual intervention. I don't need 4K 60FPS; 30 FPS of the Air is more than adequate for my needs. Short, cinematic shots are easier on the Air, and I can still use it for the rare real estate job.

I understand the issues you've raised, I've considered them all. The wifi range of the Air is also a drawback, but a $150 4Hawks Raptor is also in the works (and I'd still be under the cost of the Evo Bundle). I don't need to fly beyond LOS and I'll hopefully get adequate range, again, for my needs.

Regarding geofencing, I do live within 5 miles of a Class B airport. I've been able to use Airmap to submit LAANC electronic waiver requests to fly with great results and was hoping the DJI NFZ override procedure wouldn't become intolerable. Most areas are unlockable, right?

As @joshmentele mentioned, the Evo has more pros. The portability is more or less the same. And once you add the range extender, I'd venture to say the Air will be more of a drag. Not to mention you'll get about 7-8 additional minutes of flight time and, although there have been quite a few flyaway reports with the Air, there have been none for the Evo.

As for geofencing, NLD hasn't been able to unlock the Air yet to disable NFZ and it could take a long while until they do. So if you don't want to deal with waivers, Evo would be the more hassle-free choice.

Oh, and you can fly the Evo without having to connect a phone.

Or you could go for a Mavic 1, which will set you back about as much as the Air nowadays and has most of the kinks ironed out. But between the Air and the Evo, I'd go for the Evo.

 

[TAMU1996]

Thanks for the input.

The scales are definitely tipping to Evo...

I just did a little more research on the DJI Go 4 unlock procedure and it appears a pain. Living in a major metro area, surrounded by B and C airports and innumerable helipads/heliports (oil industry, hospitals), the ability to fly with just the LAANC clearance is a big plus. One less layer of administration...

If I have remaining concerns, they're Autel's longevity and continued product support and firmware improvement if they were to tank. DJI isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[TAMU1996]

If Autel would release the SDK for some third-party support, that would sell me on the Evo instantly.

 

[mjbok]

I have both. I've almost abandoned flying the Air since getting the Evo. I have had zero issues with the Evo and a few (magnetic interference, disconnects) with the Air. For me a huge one is the ability to shoot video and take pictures at the same time.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

You should mention that getting pictures is only a screen capture of the video you are shooting. Not a big deal as I screen capture a lot of my 4K videos but its not something that make the EVO good compared to other UAV's

 

[WayneH]

The portability and flight modes are the real draw of the Air. It can do some amazing things without much manual intervention. I don't need 4K 60FPS; 30 FPS of the Air is more than adequate for my needs. Short, cinematic shots are easier on the Air, and I can still use it for the rare real estate job.

I understand the issues you've raised, I've considered them all. The wifi range of the Air is also a drawback, but a $150 4Hawks Raptor is also in the works (and I'd still be under the cost of the Evo Bundle). I don't need to fly beyond LOS and I'll hopefully get adequate range, again, for my needs.

Regarding geofencing, I do live within 5 miles of a Class B airport. I've been able to use Airmap to submit LAANC electronic waiver requests to fly with great results and was hoping the DJI NFZ override procedure wouldn't become intolerable. Most areas are unlockable, right?

 

[WayneH]

The portability and flight modes are the real draw of the Air. It can do some amazing things without much manual intervention. I don't need 4K 60FPS; 30 FPS of the Air is more than adequate for my needs. Short, cinematic shots are easier on the Air, and I can still use it for the rare real estate job.

I understand the issues you've raised, I've considered them all. The wifi range of the Air is also a drawback, but a $150 4Hawks Raptor is also in the works (and I'd still be under the cost of the Evo Bundle). I don't need to fly beyond LOS and I'll hopefully get adequate range, again, for my needs.

Regarding geofencing, I do live within 5 miles of a Class B airport. I've been able to use Airmap to submit LAANC electronic waiver requests to fly with great results and was hoping the DJI NFZ override procedure wouldn't become intolerable. Most areas are unlockable, right?

If you lived near me (less than 5 miles from Disneyland), there would be no question. There are NO exceptions to the Draconian NFZ surrounding this amusement park, which has been in place since nine-eleven. Was SUPPOSED to be a "temporary" NFZ, but Disney's pull, along with the inertia of government, ensures it will never be released.

I've been flying electric park flyer fixed-wing aircraft at a nearby park for many years, and have no problems with anyone, including uniformed Park Rangers (Anaheim has specific wording in their municipal code ALLOWING drones in their parks!). Before I was aware of the above mentioned limitation, I purchased a DJI Mavic Pro, and a complete kit of necessaries. Guess what happened the first time I went to the park with the quad?

Thanks to Autel I can now fly the whole Air Force (Safely and sanely, of course).

 

[Jagerbomb52]

So are you saying you were flying in a No Fly Zone or just that the DJI Mavic Pro was confused with where you should be flying?

 

[WayneH]

So are you saying you were flying in a No Fly Zone or just that the DJI Mavic Pro was confused with where you should be flying?

Get real!! It was pretty clear I was (and still am) flying in the ridiculous "No-Fly-Zone" surrounding Disney's playground, which is roundly ignored by the majority of civi aircraft showing their passengers the sights. I fly several miles from Disney's property, and follow all other FAA rules to the letter - no flying above 400 feet, always within LOS, and NEVER above (or even near) spectators or other local park users. In other words, I use my own brain to decide how and where to fly, not DJI's automated CYA system. Thanks to Autel...

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Get real!! It was pretty clear I was (and still am) flying in the ridiculous "No-Fly-Zone" surrounding Disney's playground, which is roundly ignored by the majority of civi aircraft showing their passengers the sights. I fly several miles from Disney's property, and follow all other FAA rules to the letter - no flying above 400 feet, always within LOS, and NEVER above (or even near) spectators or other local park users. In other words, I use my own brain to decide how and where to fly, not DJI's automated CYA system. Thanks to Autel...

I'm sorry about getting real. I am old and maybe did not understand your post. You Sir need to calm down.

 

[Felipe]

I've owned my X-Star Premium for over a year and it's been very reliable and fun to fly. However, I got the new-toy "itch" as much as y'all get and decided to plunk down for a new, smaller bird, something more portable.

However, I got myself in a bind.

I ended up with an Evo Rugged Bundle ($1,250) AND a Mavic Air Fly More Bundle (BB at $990).

I have to make a choice. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. One will go back, one will stay.

I know they're very different drones with different pros/cons and features. I've done my homework on both and have to make a decision fairly quick.

Anyone with some experience with both care to share your impressions? Do I dare abandon Autel and go to that Dark Side?

Thanks.

One word.....EVO
Two words....Customer Service
Three words.......No geo fencing

 

[mjbok]

You should mention that getting pictures is only a screen capture of the video you are shooting. Not a big deal as I screen capture a lot of my 4K videos but its not something that make the EVO good compared to other UAV's

The pics taken during video mode are the same dimensions of the video and are not a screen shot. The difference is slightly different resolution. Pictures in video mode are 3840x2160. Pics in picture mode are 4000x3000.

 

[mjbok]

The pics taken during video mode are the same dimensions of the video and are not a screen shot. The difference is slightly different resolution. Pictures in video mode are 3840x2160. Pics in picture mode are 4000x3000.

Of course that could be what you meant. However (to me) the ability to grab them on the fly and not have to go back and pull them is very beneficial. You can run video the entire time while taking pictures and not have to make two passes.

 

[TAMU1996]

If you lived near me (less than 5 miles from Disneyland), there would be no question. There are NO exceptions to the Draconian NFZ surrounding this amusement park, which has been in place since nine-eleven. Was SUPPOSED to be a "temporary" NFZ, but Disney's pull, along with the inertia of government, ensures it will never be released.

I've been flying electric park flyer fixed-wing aircraft at a nearby park for many years, and have no problems with anyone, including uniformed Park Rangers (Anaheim has specific wording in their municipal code ALLOWING drones in their parks!). Before I was aware of the above mentioned limitation, I purchased a DJI Mavic Pro, and a complete kit of necessaries. Guess what happened the first time I went to the park with the quad?

Thanks to Autel I can now fly the whole Air Force (Safely and sanely, of course).

I installed the iOS DJI Go 4 app and checked the Geo Zone Map. There's actually still a lot of places well within 5 miles of IAH that DJI wouldn't require any input/approval. If fact, it's WAY less restrictive than the B4UFly zoning, at least in my area.

That tips the scales back to the Air a bit...

 

[TAMU1996]

One word.....EVO
Two words....Customer Service
Three words.......No geo fencing

I've never used even Autel's customer service.

Checked the DJI GO 4 map and I'm good to go in most areas around me. Houston is a sprawling place, there are plenty of unrestricted areas, even within airport zones covered under LAANC.

Has anyone heard more on whether Autel will be releasing the SDK for the EVO? More importantly, will any 3rd-party developers or apps eventually support it?

 

[TAMU1996]

One word.....EVO
Two words....Customer Service
Three words.......No geo fencing

Yes, there are many DJI horror stories. I've read many.

It definitely seems to be a roll of the dice in terms of whether the unit you eventually get in your hands will be the bomb or a dud.

It takes a commitment to jump into the DJI brand.