Trying to Decide - Mavic 2 Pro or Autel Evo 2 Pro - Camera Quality

Ron Fisher · Jan 18, 2021

Hello everybody. I am ready to purchase a new drone that I intend to use for commercial use. My choice is between the Mavic 2 Pro and the Autel Evo 2 Pro. I am convinced that the Evo is the superior product except for one thing... image quality. I know that the Evo produces sharper images which is very important for me. However, in virtually every video comparison I have seen on You Tube between the two, I find the Autel colours to be muddy, over saturated and generally dark in appearance, usually with an overall warm brownish cast. In comparison, most of the Mavic footage has clean, neutral whites, pleasant grass and foliage greens and crisp and bright blue skies. I have also viewed videos that have been independently posted (mostly on this site) and I'm afraid my assessment of these is the same. I looked here in the hopes that my opinion could be proven incorrect.

Can anybody explain why this is? I have had very little experience with post production work so I would not appreciate having to spend a lot of time adjusting the video using post production software.

I certainly don't intend to denigrate the product but this issue could be a game changer for me. Any feedback and recommendations for Evo videos that show crisp, bright and pleasant colours would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Mavikhan · Jan 18, 2021

WELCOME ABOARD! ?

UasDriver · Jan 18, 2021

not experienced enough to be much help;
I find everything "is there" just "lack-luster". after an hour + with post and another 45minutes to render a video, I can get good results. movement seems to be lacking, trees or grass blowing might be fine in one area but fuzzed in another. My software, or my lack of experience can't seem to "fix that".

kenautelevo2pro · Jan 18, 2021

is this one of the yt videos you watched?

Cicero24 · Jan 18, 2021

Go with a Mavic. I own both and can positively state that the M2 is much more reliable and enjoyable to fly. The E2P has been lackluster at best and a pain with issue after issue in regards to firmware and refinement. I fly my M2P with Smart Controller almost exclusively now. My M2P....or any of the other drones I have owned, have given me the amount of issues this single drone has given me since owning it last March. If you spend any time scrolling through the boards here, it won’t take long to see what I mean. Just to name a few...horizon tilt(still a big issue to date), drifting with no input, yawing with no input, body cracks, obstacle avoidance/calibration error issues, flight log errors(still iffy to date), a buggy application that has been consistently buggy since the realease and every consecutive update, and focus issues for some. I could keep going, but I think you get it. All for $2000! I would seriously dump my E2P if I wouldn’t eat so much in resale.

Cicero24 · Jan 18, 2021

Cicero24 · Jan 18, 2021

rcee · Jan 18, 2021

Video quality from 5:40 min

Ron Fisher · Jan 18, 2021

kenautelevo2pro said:
is this one of the yt videos you watched?

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Thanks for pointing me to this. I had already seen it but I am overwhelmed with the amount of footage I have seen and I had forgot about this one. He seems very impressed with the Evo and this has helped to diminish the concerns that I expressed in my original post.

Ron Fisher · Jan 18, 2021

rcee said:
Video quality from 5:40 min

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Thanks for this. The reviewer confirms that the Evo is the clear winner here. Very comforting and definitely will help with my decision making.

Ron Fisher · Jan 18, 2021

Cicero24 said:
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Thanks for this. Hopefully the horizon issue isn't common to all Evos but I agree it is disconcerting.

xval · Jan 18, 2021

We have here a few (just one?) consistently toxic user. Others are more or less fine.

Video quality, sharpness.. check 6K videos from youtube. this is 2x pixels from 4K. Just keep in mind youtube recompresses them to lower bitrate. Colors depend on settings. Anyway you want to adjust them in posrprocessing if you are serious.

If you are not in a hurry better wait for Mavic3, DJI most likely to drop support for M2 as M3 comes out.

Cicero24 · Jan 18, 2021

xval said:
We have here a few (just one?) consistently toxic user. Others are more or less fine.

Video quality, sharpness.. check 6K videos from youtube. this is 2x pixels from 4K. Just keep in mind youtube recompresses them to lower bitrate. Colors depend on settings. Anyway you want to adjust them in posrprocessing if you are serious.

If you are not in a hurry better wait for Mavic3, DJI most likely to drop support for M2 as M3 comes out.

Just stating the facts. These are real issues. Even the guy who LOVES his E2P (808Stat3) has trust issues because of the concerns and reliability now a days AND he already has had to have a replacement drone from a bunk one with a separated arm. It’s not toxic, it’s true issues from a $2000 drone that a bunch of people will be using for business ventures. Good luck correcting your crooked horizons in post.

verticalflyer · Jan 18, 2021

Out of all of the issues others have stated about the E2P, the gimbal horizon is the only one that I still have. It's noticeable and could cause angst depending on what a pilot does with their footage on a commercial scale but it's one that shouldn't exist on a product that's this "old". In the tech world, a year is OLD.

rcee · Jan 19, 2021

Cicero24 said:
Good luck correcting your crooked horizons in post.

Crooked horizons are for those who dunno how to calibrate their drone in a correct way. You will see them in every brand, Even if so, the horizon can be adjusted in flight. Not a problem at all to me.

claudius62 · Jan 19, 2021

Wait for the DJI Mavic Pro 3, it's coming soon and going to Shadow the Evo. Announced, it will be able to shoot in 8k at 60 FPS and in 4K at 240 Fps. Dji was not going to give up like that.
Will DJI Mavic 3 capture 8k 60 fps and 4k 240 fps video? - DroneDJ

Cicero24 · Jan 19, 2021

rcee said:
Crooked horizons are for those who dunno how to calibrate their drone in a correct way. You will see them in every brand, Even if so, the horizon can be adjusted in flight. Not a problem at all to me.

That’s just an ignorant response. It is well documented that both the EVO I & EVO II series have had horizon issues. Calibration doesn’t fix the horizon issues. When yawing the horizon doesn’t self adjust and it worsened with the last two FW updates. Good luck self correcting that. Heck, some people haven’t been able to “calibrate” like you suggest because the drone states “gimbal shaking, unable to calibrate” when the drone is on an even surface with no motion. Yes. I have been critical of the thing, but these are my true experiences. I am happy for anyone who hasn’t experienced any of these issues because it has great potential. It needs polishing. And no, I never had crooked horizons with my M2Z, M2P, Mavic Air or Anafi, nor the issues I have had with the EVO.

Cicero24 · Jan 19, 2021

Two minutes in is the really good part!

kenautelevo2pro · Jan 19, 2021

^yeah those houses in town along the coastline look like they are about to slide off into the valley. luckily my camera doesn't do that.

Cicero24 · Jan 19, 2021

Mine does. I just popped on the 8k gimbal to see if I get the same. Just got in now from 3 batteries flown and it does it with both gimbals unfortunately. Just like in the video. No calibration is gonna fix that! Waiting for a firmware fix hopefully soon. Not holding my breath though.