What to buy

[Cwaldner]

Trying to figure out what drone to buy right now. I'm swaying between the lite+ and the air 2s, but all the issues I'm seeing from the lite+ and autel are concerning. The most concerning issues for me would be the gimbal issues and the bad performance in wind. Are those issues that I can trust will be resolved via future firmware updates? Can one trust the stability of autel right now on future firmware updates?

And another option on the table.. would i be better of buying the Evo II pro.

Thanks.

 

[Cicero24]

Air2s. It just works. In all this time, Autel has been slow to fix the known Lite+ issues after a few updates now and has gone silent.

 

[Detritalgeo]

Is this your first drone or have you had DJI before? What do you use your drone for.. hobby? Pro photography / videography?

I have had the Mini, Mini2, Air, Air2, MP, M2Z, P4P and if you want another grey drone that will do what those drones do then go for the Air2s, another grey drone that works. If you are a little more technical and interested in a new experience and an alternate paradigm then try the Lite+ and enjoy the refinements as they are released. Or get the Air2s now and try the Lite+ after the big FW updates are actually released. You should have a few months before DJI makes you feel inadequate with the Air3 release.. lol

I don't think there is any issue with the Lite+ and the wind?... that may be confusion with the Nano+ although has improved in latest update.
I can test out something to see if there are Gimbal issues if you want... let me know what you want to see.

... and to be fair, DJI is always silent when they are working on issues and they never admit issues. I remember when my new Air 2 had a botched live view after a firmware update (it froze as soon as image was taken)...

 

[Cwaldner]

Is this your first drone or have you had DJI before? What do you use your drone for.. hobby? Pro photography / videography?

I have had the Mini, Mini2, Air, Air2, MP, M2Z, P4P and if you want another grey drone that will do what those drones do then go for the Air2s, another grey drone that works. If you are a little more technical and interested in a new experience and an alternate paradigm then try the Lite+ and enjoy the refinements as they are released. Or get the Air2s now and try the Lite+ after the big FW updates are actually released. You should have a few months before DJI makes you feel inadequate with the Air3 release.. lol

I don't think there is any issue with the Lite+ and the wind?... that may be confusion with the Nano+ although has improved in latest update.
I can test out something to see if there are Gimbal issues if you want... let me know what you want to see.

... and to be fair, DJI is always silent when they are working on issues and they never admit issues. I remember when my new Air 2 had a botched live view after a firmware update (it froze as soon

I haven't owned a drone in a while, the one I had was a phantom 3, but I do have access to a few djis like the mavic 3 the mavic 2 pro.
I'll be flying mostly as hobbyist.
The reason I'm interested in the lite+ is because it seems to be the better drone hardware wise, I guess something that comes with being almost a year newer, and the autels just seem better made in my opinion.
I don't mind buying a newer drone that has quirks to work out as long as it doesn't turn out to be an expensive paper weight.
The gimbal issues I've seen people have are mostly it wondering around by itself and not staying stable.

 

[gophcc]

My Lite+ is quite alright now, with latest FW upgrade, and the latest SKY app is just fantastic.

Whenever someone asks, however, I always recommend Air 2S, just as some Youtubers says, it's still the best choice. Turn it on and setup the phone, you're readly to go.

With Lite+, you really need to know what you want and what you will get.

And DJI after service is great.

 

[bkushner]

Trying to figure out what drone to buy right now. I'm swaying between the lite+ and the air 2s, but all the issues I'm seeing from the lite+ and autel are concerning. The most concerning issues for me would be the gimbal issues and the bad performance in wind. Are those issues that I can trust will be resolved via future firmware updates? Can one trust the stability of autel right now on future firmware updates?

And another option on the table.. would i be better of buying the Evo II pro.

Thanks.

Selling my Hardly Used Autel Evo Lite Plus Drone Premium Bundle + $999

 

[Cwaldner]

Selling my Hardly Used Autel Evo Lite Plus Drone Premium Bundle + $999

Don't you have it listed on ebay?

 

[DARKSeifer]

If you are going to fly always within the rules and with the drone limited buy DJI, if not Autel is the way because otherwise you'll get eventually busted by DJI Aeroscope, specially in Europe.

Lite+ has some software issues mainly (I can't update to the last firmware for example), but it's a way better drone than the Air2S.

I had an Air2S before the Lite+ with 170 hours of flight and more than 5.000Km and DJI drones are also full of bugs (just look around the forums). I sold the 2S but I still have my Mini 2, but don't fly it anymore, Lite+ is just better and keeps me under the radar.

I changed from the 2S to the Lite+ mainly to get rid of the Aeroscope, I considered it a bridge drone before picking the Mavic 3, but now I'm just on the Autel wagon, waiting for the Evo III.

The only downside of having an Autel in Europe is that there isn't any hack available to change it to FCC, but even on CE the Lite+ beat my hacked Air2S in signal range.
I recently modded the controller and now I can boost the 2.4Ghz signal and use an external antenna that just overperforms anything I had before.

 

[Cicero24]

Nah…the gimbal still wanders back and forth. It also rotates either to the left or right depending which way it decides to at any given point, so static or long shutter and time-lapse shots are ruined. It also wags back and forth even static on the ground not in flight. Because of the slow rotation in flight, the drone flies slightly off degree to whatever side it is slowly rotating and not straight. Three firmware updates and it’s still present! No DJI drone I’ve ever had has done this gimbal nonsense, but the two Autel drones I’ve had have done this. My E2P did it too. Autel leaves you guessing if it’ll ever be rectified. It is what it is, so if you want something that will work and be more refined without wondering what issue you may encounter with Autel, or if the issues will get fixed months later, go with DJI for sure. You shouldn’t be, or get frustrated flying something that should bring peace and relaxation. Can’t go wrong with a smart controller too! Great combo. I was really hoping the Lite+ would be the one that would’ve been finally it and it’s just not. Not yet at least.

 

[Cicero24]

And…I can totally agree about the whole Aeroscope dissent as well, but I do not have that worry. I do have both my M2P and A2s modded, but that doesn’t negate Aeroscope though. Yet at least. Time will tell.

 

[DARKSeifer]

And…I can totally agree about the whole Aeroscope dissent as well, but I do not have that worry. I do have both my M2P and A2s modded, but that doesn’t negate Aeroscope though. Yet at least. Time will tell.

Yep, Aeroscope can't be hacked/disabled, Aeroscope systems are just universal "listeners" that can receive and save all the telemetry, serial number, email direction, etc from any DJI drone nearby... and they don't even need to be flying. Just turn on your DJI Mini on the table inside your house to update the firmware and you appear on the map. That's mainly a privacy violation.

In Spain you have Aeroscope (portable and fixed antennas) all over the place. Fly a DJI near Madrid or Barcelona for example, where there are DJI Aeroscope fixed antennas (50Km range) and they'll send the cops on you, and with the rules that are currently applied drones are basically forbidden for hobbyst, unless you are basically flying in A3 scenario which is at 150m from anything, at more than 8Km from any airport/heliport/aerodrome and out of any natural space/protected area, so basically if you live on massificated areas you have to drive from 10 to 50Km to fly a single battery legally in a spot where there's literally nothing to photograph/film.

In that scenario, the least thing you want is a drone that broadcast all your data around without you having any control over it, or else prepare to pay a 4 digit bill just for taking some sunset/architecture/landscape pictures.

PS: The main problem in consumer drone market is that the quality standard is basically chinese. We need a japanse/german drone from Canon, Nikon or similar to rise the quality standard to something decent. DJI get good reviews all over the place because they give their latest drones to Youtubers for free, but you can check on the forums that is the same buggy/half baked thing as Autel, which is a shame, because DJI is the major drone manufacturer and makes a ton of profit while Autel/Skydio/Parrot and others are more marginal and can't compete.

I understand that marginal drone manufacturers get some bugs on their drones, what I can't understand is for example, that in first flight of my Mini 2... my first drone ever, I almost lost it because of the "black screen" bug, a bug which nowadays still occurs from time to time in DJI Fly app. Also, I can't understand Mavic 3 coming out half-baked and with GPS problems, Air2S having a battery that underperforms, Fly App still being full of bugs and crashing every 10 flights or so, firmware updates that introduce signal problems (Mini 2), etc.

DJI drones took all the fame, but side to side with 100+ hours of flight in each one and without taking into account Aeroscope (wich is the main DJI killer), I'd choose the Lite+ over the 2S because it has better stills, better flight time, better range, less software restrictions (800m alt vs 500, you can turn the lights off, there's no geofencing) and better controller (more comfortable).