Yuneec Typhoon H: when two extra propellers don’t compensate for camera and control issues

Yuneec Typhoon H is a hexacopter and the landing gear retracts during flight. The design – with six rotors as opposed to four in the DJI Phantom 4 – is supposed to be futuristic. But this apparent aesthetic appeal of the Yuneec Typhoon H is easily lost among in the complexity to handle the drone. To make it worse, the additional weight caused by the six propellers actually compromised the flying time and altitude limit of the drone.

As experienced by many pilots, the sheer weight of the Yuneec Typhoon H makes it more cumbersome to travel with, as evidenced by a DJI Phantom 4 comparison. A Yuneec Typhoon H unboxing may manage to impress the user at first glance. The carbon-fiber material looks neat. The build quality looks good. The controller feels and includes a built-in screen.

However, the impressions start to turn negative when a simple DJI Phantom 4 vs Yuneec Typhoon H benchmarking is carried out. The concerns start appearing soon after a quick inspection of the Typhoon H remote controller. Also, the various ways of controlling the DJI UAV compared to how the Typhoon H is handled make an interesting comparison.

As seen in almost any DJI Phantom 4 review, the drone’s neat and compact control has thoroughly impressed UAV experts and pilots alike. Compared to Yuneec Typhoon H reviews on forums like DroneCompares or yuneecpilots.com, DJI Phantom 4 has received overwhelmingly positive responses. The icing on the cake is the cool DJI Go app, which allows users to do a lot of stuff from their smartphones or tablets. Moreover, features like ActiveTrack or TapFly – that are nowhere to be found on a Typhoon H – make flying the Phantom a cakewalk. Yuneec drone relies solely on GPS and instances of signal loss are far too frequent.

The deal-breaker for the Yuneec Typhoon H actually comes through its video. Its 4K video quality doesn’t appear as crisp and clear as they’re supposed to. The colors look washed out. And the frames look edgy. One Typhoon H reviewer on a popular social media network actually complained that he “couldn’t capture close to the level of video quality that was possible even with the Phantom 3.” The camera is a modular one, but it’ not supported by a live streaming technology as good as the Phantom’s Lightbridge 2.

Although on paper the Yuneec Typhoon H does remain a strong, high-end drone, it’s the little details that made it an inferior proposition than the Phantom 4. There’s nothing majorly wrong with the machine itself and Yuneec China seems to have put in a lot of R&D efforts to offer a ‘whole package’. However, unfortunately, when control and connectivity features are taken into account, Yuneec Typhoon H simply didn’t reach the top-notch level of engineering. It is ‘just another OK drone” – and that’s a pity because Typhoon H did promise to be something spectacular especially after the Yuneec Intel alliance was announced.

 

 

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Does DJI Phantom 3 SE Crush Xiaomi drone 4K Dreams?

DJI recently released Phantom 3 SE and now you can preorder one for a promotional price of RMB 2999 (The regular price is RMB 3499) before March 31. Our editor was considering getting a Xiaomi drone 4K but ended up of turning to a SE. In this post we would like to talk about these two eye-catching entry-level drones – the DJI Phantom 3 SE and Xiaomi drone 4K.

Appearance

The Phantom 3 SE inherits the classic design of the Phantom series, and the Xiaomi drone 4K is no different with the 1080P version except for the newly added golden ornament.

The improvements of Mi Drone (4K version) in appearance are its quick release propellers and foldable landing gears, however, it doesn’t come with a professional backpack which is a drawback. The Phantom 3 SE is built on the base of previous products, it is compatible with multiple accessories and fit with a series of professional backpack DJI launched.

4K Image Quality & 3-Axis Mechanical Gimbal

Aerial photography is the major selling point of today’s consumer drones.

Both of these two drones carry 4K cameras with aperture F2.8 and FOV 94°, are capable of recording 4K video and 12M stills, the shooting performance outperform most consumer drones in the market.

From my experiences of flying DJI Phantom series, I can tell that basically the Phantom families are almost the same with each other, and the Phantom 3 SE can also shoot cinematic videos.

The two drones are equipped with 3-Axis mechanical gimbals, which are more reliable than those built with the electronic anti-shake technologies, but the ultimate shooting performance of these two still needs to be seen. The image distortion of Mi Drone (1080P) is really terrible, I wonder if the 4k version has solved this problem.

4km Video Transmission

How far can a Wi-Fi video transmission system reach? Both Phantom 3 SE and Xiaomi drone 4K can transmit video away from 4 km (FCC compliant), but Mi Drone’s 5G frequency band beats the Phantom 3 SE in anti-interference performance.

Restricted Flight Distance: 500m

Restricted Flight Altitude: 120 m

What surprises me the most is the 500m restricted flight distance and 120m restricted flight altitude showing on the Mi Drone’s specification web page, are you kidding me? I am not buying a drone just to fly it indoors!

The maximum restricted flight altitude of the Phantom 3 SE is 500m, and the maximum service ceiling above sea level can even reach 6000m, plus the controllable distance is of 4000m, allowing me to take it in mountain climbing and fly it far. I hope the Mi Drone can loosen the restriction on the flight distance and altitude in its following products.

Flight Time of 25 min VS 26 min

The maximum flight time of the Phantom 3 SE is 25 minutes, while the 26 minute flight time of the Xiaomi drone 4K put itself in an intermediate level position among consumer drones. But if its actual flight time lasts that long still remains to be tested.

What you can’t ignore is the “Beginner Mode” in Mi Drone, the drone is automatically locked in “Beginner Mode” in your first 300 minute flight, if a battery can really ensure a 26 min flight, you will have to fly almost 12 times to exit the Beginner Mode….. it is so inconvenient and it’s one of the things that Mi Drone users are complaining about. I don’t know if this 4K version spares experienced pilots from the Beginner Mode.

Dual IMUs and Dual Compasses

Last year not long after the shipment of Mi Done 1080p version, crash accidents began to occur frequently, the poor performance of anti-interference and robustness in flight controllers, less powerful propulsion system were calmed to be the main reasons to these crashes, so last year Xiaomi offered its users “Free Maintenance” services (Free replacements with more powerful motors), which was essentially a recall.

This time in 4K version, Mi Drone adopts enhanced dual IMUs and compasses, thus the flight safety can be increased theoretically, but I would like to give it a violent test on its real performance. While the Phantom 3 SE inherits the same flight controllers and sensors in Phantom 3 series, there is no question of its reliability. (I really feel like comparing these two drones through violent tests.)

Both drones adopt vision positioning technologies, the Phantom 3 SE is able to hover indoors without GPS, however, when I flew Mi Drone last year, it failed to take off when GPS is less than 14 signals, I am not sure if the Mi Drone 4K can take off indoors and hover in place only relying on its downward vision system.

Aftersales Service

I think for beginners, the most common problem they have is crashing the drones before actually grasping the skills of how to fly them…Xiaomi’s drone forum was filled with all kinds of aftersales complaints last year, the company just didn’t expect that the aftersales of drones is such a troublesome problem. I even heard that an insurance company almost went bankruptcy due to its business on drone insurance.

But I do think the DJI Care for the Phantom 3 SE is very useful, especially for beginners, you don’t have to argue with an aftersales representative after a crash, just pay for extra RMB 399 and you will get a new drone, this DJI Care service costs only RMB 800 and it ensures you a worry-free flight, maybe it seems unnecessary for experienced pilots, but it is really a great deal for beginners.

Others

It’s obvious that the Phantom 3 SE is launched to compete with Xiaomi drone 4K because the functionalities of both drones are almost the same, but one is from a well-known brand “DJI”, the other is from a new brand “Xiaomi”, both of their target consumers are beginners, I am super curious that is Xiaomi really be prepared for this competition?

The live broadcasting of Mi Drone launch in May last year was really impressing, because the drone crashed in front of millions of audients, and the 1080P version wasn’t ready for sale until November, the 4K version was supposed to be on the market in last July but being postposed to today, what was happening during this period? I think what Xiaomi’s the engineers were busy with is fixing bugs while DJI kept launching Mavic, Phantom 4 Pro and Inspire 2…

Apparently Xiaomi doesn’t have any advantages on high end drones, so the Xiaomi drone 4K is positioned as the best cheap entry-level drone, but we need to be aware that a drone can be a very dangerous product, manufacturers can’t ignore the reliability and safety of a drone just because it’s for beginners. By the way, stay tuned for our next violent tests! I will show you if the Xiaomi drone 4K is worth for the money and if the DJI Phantom 3 SE can continue to be a success.

 

 

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GoPro Karma vs DJI Mavic:See What They Think

GoPro Karma and DJI Mavic are considered two entirely different drones, however, it is inevitable for users and enthusiasts to have it compared neck-and-neck. These are two of the more popular brands from the competitors with almost the same features and specifications so it is understandable why comparisons are necessary. Almost is an understatement as one may have more than the other.

The site MyFirstDrone provides some thoughts on this battle.DJI Mavic is going to be the better choice because of how small it is and the additional automated features that it has. While the GoPro owners out there are going to love it. In a way, it’s almost like the 3DR Solo drone, but made by GoPro. He thought what it comes down to is price. People who have GoPros and don’t want to spend as much money will probably get the Karma, and people who want the smallest drone with the most features are going to get the DJI Mavic.

Unfortunately, there’s no follow features on the Karma. You get a 2 point cable cam mode, dronie mode, reveal mode, and orbit mode. These are the same features that other drone manufacturers have had for the past year. Upon its initial launch, the Karma was criticized for a lack of functionality, even the basic ‘Follow Me’ was missing.

The site Gizmodo thought it depends who is flying and under what conditions. On basic specs, the DJI Mavic Pro seems to have bested the GoPro Karma in several categories. Some aspects such as top speed, battery life, portability, remote controller, features modes, it looks like DJI Mavic wins.

When it comes to versatility of video recording, the GoPro Karma easily beats DJI. It was built to combat these type of situations. It can be outfitted with the new GoPro Hero 5 Black, the Hero 5 Session, Hero 4, and Hero 3 cameras and its removable stabilizer that can be used as a handheld gimbal for shooting nice clean shots on or off the drone.

As added by FASTCOMPANY, GoPro may have missed its chance to claim a substantial share of the market, let alone be a serious challenger to China’s DJI, the undisputed industry leader. That’s particularly true since the initial release of the Karma was delayed for about a year, and because the recall came not long after DJI launched its Mavic Pro, which was seen as a direct Karma competitor offering more features like obstacle avoidance and follow-me features that the Karma can’t match.

In conclusion, DJI Mavic Pro is better than GoPro Karma, at least on paper. We’re hoping to get our hands on both drones when GoPro Karma is on sale this year so we can really test the claims both companies are making.

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Compared to DJI,Yuneec is also full of power

Now the consumer drone market is becoming crowded and companies like Yuneec, and DJI, will have to focus on honing drones and software for business users.

Flying a drone is tricky business. The prosumer models are powerful, fast and can get into trouble in a hurry if you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s why smart, logical design and intuitive controls are so important in the drone game.

Don’t get me wrong, the $1,299, six-rotor drone is expertly designed. It has a third more rotors than, say, the DJI Phantom 4 and, unlike virtually every other drone I’ve tested, folds up for relatively easy transport: the rotor arms fold down to the body when not in flight.

The Yuneec Typhoon H is also an intelligent drone, more or less matching DJI on autonomous flight control features, including built-in obstacle avoidance and the ability to track objects on its 4K camera.

It is paired, though, with one of the more confusing remote controls, called a ground station, I’ve encountered in some time.

Like the DJI Phantom 4, Yuneec’s Typhoon H arrives in a rather large gray foam box. Lacking a handle, it doesn’t quite qualify as a carrying case (you can buy a drone backpack separately). Inside is the drone, with all its rotors folded down, the sizable remote control (the ST16 Ground Station), a bag of a dozen propellers, a large drone battery, AC/DC charger with cables for both the drone and remote, a sunshade for the remote’s 7-inch screen, a neck strap to hold the remote and a 16GB micro SD card and SD card-sized micro SD card adapter.

Before we get to flying, it’s worth spending some time talking about the remote control. Unlike the DJI Phantom 4, which uses a much smaller and lighter remote that’s paired with your iPad or iPhone running DJI flight software, Yuneec’s Ground station is an all-in-one device. The centerpiece is a 7-inch screen running Yuneec’s Android-based ground control interface, which offers real-time updates on altitude GPS and satellite availability, current position, altitude, speed, distance from pilot and photography presets. It’s also where you access most of the drone’s deeper settings and more powerful modes.

Yet despite my reservations about the Yuneec Typhoon H, especially its bloated Ground System, I still think it’s a really good prosumer drone. Yes, it will take more time to figure out.

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Phantom 3 SE vs Xiaomi Mi drone 4K:entry-level drone at war

DJI has just released a somewhat brand new drone called the Phantom 3 SE, while the Xiaomi Mi drone 4K will go on sale at March 3. Many people maybe not sure which one to go with, we’ve decided to do a comparison of features and specs.

MAXIMUM SPEED

The Phantom 3 SE has a claimed top speed of 57 km/h, while the Xiaomi Mi drone 4K can fly up to 57.6km/h.

Winner: Xiaomi Mi drone 4K

MAX FLIGHT TIME

The DJI Phantom 3 SE can fly for 25 minutes, and the Xiaomi Mi drone 4K can fly for up to 26 minutes.

Winner: Xiaomi Mi drone 4K

MAX DISTANCE

Both of them have claimed a max distance of 4km.

Winner: Tie

CAMERA

Both the DJI Phantom 3 SE camera and the Xiaomi Mi drone 4K are capable of 4K video. The former is capable of shooting both JPEG and DNG photos, while the latter could shoot JPEG and RAW photos.

We won’t know how the image quality of the cameras compare until they’re pitted against one another.

Winner: Uncertain (for now)

STABILIZER

Both drones feature a gimbal for 3-axis stabilization.

Winner: Tie

INTELLIGENT FLIGHT MODES

The Phantom 3 SE will return to you at the press of a button.Built-in GPS records your Phantom’s takeoff point and remember it as you fly. Then at your command, or if the control signal is ever lost, your Phantom comes back to you instantly.

There are also the drone-standard features you would expect, including takeoff, landing, return to home and point of interest functionality.

Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K has an auto-pilot feature included along with the easy to use flight controls. It has automatic takeoff and is also capable of landing and returning to you with just a simple command from the handheld controls.

Winner: Uncertain (for now)

PRICE

The Phantom 3 SE costs $430 while The Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K costs $460.

Winner: Phantom 3 SE

Conclusion

Both of them are entry-level drone with an afforable price. DJI is the old brand and professional, but Xiaomi drone is one of the new players in the drone industry. So consider well before buying.

 

 

 

 

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GoPro Karma vs Phantom 4: Duel of drones

The GoPro Karma was recalled last year due to sudden loss of power which would cause the drone to crash mid-flight. The re-release for the Karma drones fixed the issue by adding latches to keep the battery secure during flight.

Note that since we did not have the New GoPro Karma in our hands at the moment, we can only rely on what the manufacturer says about the old version, namely the technical data sheet.

Control and functionality

Let’s start with the item that we have … the least information. Indeed, for lack of test, difficult to get an idea on what is worth the GoPro Karma in flight. However, on paper, the Phantom 4 seems to us far better provided than its competitor.

The TapFly has two very interesting functions: the TapFly, which allows it to fly to a destination marked on the smartphone and tablet, and the ActiveTrack, which is the tracking mode. Without target beacon) of the Phantom 4.

These automatic modes require the presence of an obstacle detector at the front of the drone, which it is actually equipped with.

The GoPro Karma only has an “auto path” mode, which aims to optimize the shooting and avoid the hazards of manual driving by making the flight more fluid.

As for controlling, DJI and GoPro have taken quite different paths: when the first one is displaying on a smartphone (or a tablet), GoPro proposes a dedicated controller, with a large screen rather bright on the paper (900 nits ). The counterpart is that if this controller is damaged, you have no choice but to replace it.

Finally, GoPro allows, with its Passenger App, to share video in real time with other users (available on iOS and Android). The latter can, while you are piloting the drone, take care of the capture and the shooting.

Performance and autonomy

Regarding performance and autonomy, once again, the Phantom 4 seems to be still ahead of GoPro Karma. Whether it is the top speed (20 m / s, compared to 15 for the Karma), the range (3.5 km, versus 1 km for the GoPro drone) or the maximum altitude (6,000 meters, while the Karma only “4,500 meters”), the Phantom 4 data sheet surpasses that of the Karma drone.

From the point of view of autonomy, the observation is identical; DJI announces 28 minutes of flight, against 20 minutes for GoPro. The battery onboard the Phantom 4 (81.3 Wh against 75.4 Wh for Karma) is probably not unrelated to this difference of 8 minutes.

Compactness

The GoPro Karma is considerably heavier: counting the mass of the drone, the battery, the camera and the stabilizer, we arrive at 2,144 kg. The Phantom 4 is 300 grams less. Its width and length are also larger than those of the DJI drone (411 x 305 mm, compared to 229 x 229 mm for the Phantom 4).

On the other hand, it is less than 6 cm high and above all, its articulated structure allows it to take more compact dimensions, which allow it to fit in a backpack (delivered by GoPro). A real asset for Karma.

The quality of the shot

It is certainly in this area that the difference between the two drones is the most significant. The Phantom 4 has a dedicated camera, this is not the case with Karma, where you can adapt a GoPro Hero 4 (Black or Silver), a Hero 5 Session or a Hero 5 Black.

This choice makes the GoPro Karma very scalable, and from this point of view, GoPro was rather smart, rightly focusing on the quality of its pocket cameras.

In the case of the Phantom 4, a 9-element lens overhangs a 1/2-inch sensor that shares 12 million pixels, an aperture at f / 2.8 and a sensitivity that ranges from 100 to 3,200 ISO. GoPro is less hard on the subject: just know that the GoPro Hero 5 has a 6-element aspherical glass lens, which brings light to 12 million pixels as well.

In video, performance is similar, but GoPro reaches 30 fps in 4K, where the Phantom 4 is content with 25 fps. Both drones can shoot in Full HD at 120 fps.

In Conclusion

This comparison between these two drones highlights their different orientation: when GoPro Karma relies on the simplicity and the quality of the videos, trying to attract a large audience, Phantom 4 are oriented more towards the users more demanding, which will have uses more exotic than a “simple” shot.

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Parrot Bebop 2 vs Phantom 3 Standard:The choice may come down to…

The Phantom 3 Standard has a famous reputation for being an affordable all-rounder and quite frankly it is the best choice that can be made. The Parrot Bebop 2 on the other hand is most certainly a very well thought out machine. Both of them are fit for beginners, are lightweight and compact and deliver 25mins flight time according to the drone companies. Both drones can fly faster than the 15 m/s average (36 mph) and have the same flight features. So which one you’ll be purchasing?

Design&Remote Control

Coming to the more hardware oriented side of things is where the Parrot Bebop 2 really starts to shine like the little gem it really is!  The Bebop features a feather light (almost 400g) fully reinforced ABS molded quadcopter frame and finished off with a very light yet extremely durable EPP (expanded-polypropolene) foam body that protects the parrot p7 dual-core CPU and quad-core GPU with its internal 8GB flash memory built onto a magnesium shelf that essentially acts as a cooling plate that shields all software from electromagnetic interference!

The Parrot Bebop 2 has all of its function buttons layed out on an app which is a bit too crowded to concentrate on everything that’s going on. Some of the functions, like the Emergency button, is well marked and at the middle-top of the tablet on the app. All the other nice features that can be utilised when filming or just when flying for fun require going into different menu’s while flying which is not very user-friendly.

The Bebop 2 does become a very well tamed machine once the use of the Parrot skycontroller is incorperated and is definitely a neccessity if you plan on filming with the Bebop. It can be flown directly from the Parrot freeflight3 app (which is free) but is much harder to fly by use of the accelerometer on your tablet or smartphone. The one other issue with flying the Bebop from the App itself is that the drone will only fly as far as the WiFi connection will allow between the drone and the apple or android device.

The Phantom 3 Standard on the other hand, has a iconic white plastic body. It is a very good machine to learn on due it’s gimbal and camera being removable and of course the size of it. It’s a large drone but it is big enough to handle wind quite nicely. It’s GPS system works very well and has all the function buttons marked with nice icons in a very comfortable and easy to operate layout for the user.

The remote control reminds me of a scaled-down version of the one that shipped with the Phantom 2 Vision+. It’s streamlined, so there’s no need for a separate Wi-Fi extension module, and the AA batteries are replaced by an internal rechargeable battery. A micro USB port sits at the bottom to recharge. Four LED lights indicate the charge level, and a single power switch turns it on. A clamp sits on a metal rail to hold your smartphone—it’s big enough to hold an iPhone 6 Plus, but it can’t handle a tablet like the remote for other Phantom 3 models can.

Range

Parrot Bebop 2: 300m (2000m with skycontroller )

Phantom 3 Standard: 1000m

Camera

The Phantom 3 Standard records footage at 2.7K (1520p) resolution at 30fps or 24fps with a 40Mbps bit rate. The Standard tops out at 48fps when shooting at 1080p, but can shoot at 50fps or 60fps at 720p. All standard lower frame rates—24fps, 25fps, and 30fps—are supported for those resolutions.

Image quality is on par with the Phantom 3 Professional and Advanced. The 1/2.3-inch sensor captures 12-megapixel JPG or Raw DNG images at a 4:3 aspect ratio. Image quality is similar to a point-and-shoot camera with Raw support.

While the Parrot Bebop 2 boasts a 14-megapixel camera that can capture 1080p video. For capturing images and video, the Bebop 2 takes a different approach than most drones: it uses a fisheye lens attached to the nose instead of an external camera mounted on a gimbal. Instead of using a remote to manually pan and tilt a camera, you can shift your focus within the wide field of view generated by the fisheye, a trick accomplished through software.

The Bebop 2 has done a nice job improving the quality of video when you are panned straight down to the ground, a viewpoint that is unique to aerial filming and can produce some magical results over interesting terrain.

Unfortunately, the camera itself hasn’t been upgraded much. When you compare the blurry, compressed footage to what some pilots shot at identical locations with camera from Phantom 3 Standard, the Bebop is clearly far inferior.

( Video via Patrick Jourdheuille )

Price

the Parrot Bebop 2 is priced at $483 and $549 with FPV Bundle, while the Phantom 3 Standard is $499.

The last choice may come down to the camera and price.

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Xiaomi drone vs Phantom 3 standard

Surely you already know the DJI and Xiaomi? Xiaomi is a famous smart phone brand , while the DJI is an old player that focuses on the drones (unmanned aircraft) for commercial and personal activities of aerial photography and videography.

Xiaomi Drone was introduced on May 25, 2016. Today we will compare the Xiaomi drone with Phantom 3 Standard to help those who are confused in choosing the drone.

Design

The drones belong to the category of quadcopter, which means that this drone has four motors and four propellers. Xiaomi drone has a simpler design than its rivals, but DJI Phantom 3 standard looks slimmer. But Xiaomi mi drone had a stent design and camera gimbal that can be folded while the DJI Phantom 3 standard stents fixed type. Given its portability, it looks like Xiaomi drone is superior to Panthon 3 Standard.

Specification

Secondly, we will compare its specs. Xiaomi provides two options for the quality of the camera. Namely, 1080p quality and 4K quality camera. The drone is priced at $460 USD for the 4K version reaching a distance of 2 km and $380 for the 1080P version reaching distance of 1 km.While the Phantom 3 Standard is price at $499 with 1km.

Phantom 3 Professional: EXMOR 1/2.3” Effective pixels: 12 M, 720P at 30 fps.

Xiao mi drone:The Mi Drone has two variants, the 4k and the 1080p variant.

• 4k: 12.4 megapixel Sony sensor, with an Ambarella image processor and can shoot 4k (3,840×2,160-pixel resolution) at 30fps.
• 1080p: 16.4 megapixel Sony sensor and an Ambarella image processor and can shoot 1080p video at 60 fps.

Both of them come with 3 axis gimbal mounts and provide excellent stutter correction.

Xiaomi drone 1080P also has its own advantages in video shooting. Lens with field of view of 104 ° will shoot more content than Phantom 3’s 94-degree. Xiaomi drone is more transparent than P3S in the screen resolution of the image. So it would be better to take a static photograph. The 4K version has a maximum video resolution of 3840 × 2160 which is the same as DJI Phantom 3 standards. But we should note that Xiaomi drone only have two functions with a single photo and video catching, slightly worse than the Phantom 3 Standard with the shooting mode.

Phantom 3 Standard is not equipped with an ultrasonic sensor that allows it to fly low over the floor in the room, while Xiaomi drone has an ultrasonic positioning module, although it was not open to the indoor function. Both of them are equipped with a GPS system that is useful to know the position when operated drone in the air, but the GPS function of mi more is more sophisticated than Phantom 3 Standard’s. Xiaomi drone can fly 27 minutes, which is two minutes longer than the Phantom 3.

Remote Control

In terms of function remote control, Xiaomi drone have some innate features such as Automatic Take Off / Landing, one key to return, holding altitude, guidance flying, airline planing, hovering automatic, real-time power monitoring, electricity shortage reminds return. DJI Phantom 3 Standard also has the same features as above, but DJI Phantom 3 Standard has the advantage that features a “Follow Me” which will follow wherever its controller holder.

Conclusion

According to the comparison above, both of them have advantages and disadvantages. DJI is the old brand and professional, but Xiaomi drone is one of the new players in the drone industry. So consider well before buying.

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Mavic Pro vs GoPro Karma

Now that the two “sensations of the moment”, the GoPro Karma and the DJI Mavic Pro, have been presented to the public and the minds are gradually calming down, I would like to take the time to compare their main technical characteristics.

Many users tend to rely mainly on purely technical characteristics to compare “high-tech” products, which does not always give a faithful image to the reality of things (fan boys Of Apple will surely recognize here …).

It is true that the Mavic Pro really looks great on paper but the two drones have not been really tested, it is important not to bury the Karma drone which still has some assets on paper .

Most of the videos available online today are commercial videos and do not reflect the reality of things in my opinion.

This article is a means of comparing the technical characteristics of these two products by putting them face to face. Although not exactly the same position and the same targets, these two companies are currently boosting the industry and pushing it forward by the competition generated by these devices.

Ok these two quadcopters share some similarities, they are both foldable and compact but also possess characteristics of their own.

Gopro clearly has a positioning targeting fans of extreme sports or outdoor activities in general and offers here a versatile and ultra portable drone.

Let’s start by comparing their main differences:

Characteristics	Mavic DJI	Gopro Karma
Autonomy	27 mins	20 mins
Wight	734g	1006g
Dimensions	L: 198 / W: 83 / H: 81	L: 365 / W: 224 / H: 90
Max Transmission Distance	7 kms	1 km
Built-in Camera	Yes	No Gopro
Return screen	Yes	Not on the input pack
Camera	FOV 78.8° 28 mm f/2.2	FOV 94° 17.2mm f/2.81
Resolution	4K / 2.7k 30p + C4K 24p	4K 30p / 2.7k 60p1
Subject Tracking	Yes	No
Avoiding Obstacles	Yes	No
Vision positioning system	Yes	No
Transport bag	Optional	Included
Battery prices	$104	$94

What is the best?

On paper, the Mavic Pro beats Karma in the following areas:

• Autonomy in flight (27mins against only 20mins for Karma). Claimed by the manufacturers.
• Special Flight Modes, Follow me, Active track, Tap to Fly …
• 4 Sensors to avoid obstacles.
• Range of 7km.
• Top speed of about 65 km / h in sport mode.

On paper, GoPro Karma beats Mavic in the following areas:

• Versatility thanks to the integration of the GoPro which can be detached to be used in different ways.
• No need to buy a product in addition to have the video return (if you own the remote control)
• Possibility to use the old versions of the GoPro (Hero 4)
• The Gimbal is detachable to take videos in manual
•  Appearance of a flat mode on the Hero 5 to correct the effect fish eye that some do not appreciate!

Conclusion

For many users of quadcopter, GoPro Karma will offer a better added value in its versatile side. Perfect for a sportier mode of use and for “moving” videographers.

Mavic Pro will offer more interest for budding dronists and / or DJI enthusiasts looking for more versatility and portability without sacrificing quality or functionality.

It’s up to you to see what your preferences are!

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3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k: when neither machine succeeds in matching the excellence of DJI drones

3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k is a debate that revolves around two different sets of considerations – cost and quality. While 3DR Solo isn’t a bad machine given its low price and the reasonably well-built design, the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k price advantage soon becomes irrelevant when you consider the price of the camera and the gimbal. Yes, you heard it right – 3DR Solo is a drone that doesn’t come with a built-in gimbal; you have to pay separately to get one! On the other hand, when the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k debate concentrates on the quality aspect of the flying machines, both RC quadcopter models frustrate the pilots almost as much as each other.

3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k comparison isn’t always an easy one. 3DR made its Solo drone as a carrier for GoPro and as such their drone and the gimbal are designed to work with GoPro Hero cameras. That could be a great advantage given that the Q500 4k’s camera performance in a 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k comparison isn’t always the greatest. The more recent models in the GoPro Hero series are pretty nice and surely shoot better footage than the Yuneec Q500 4k does.

So, if you don’t own one of the compatible GoPro cameras, the total cost to own a 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k gets very close to the price of the Yuneec drone. In fact, for that much money, you should ask yourself why you are not opting for the far better and more established DJI Phantom 4. There’s no winner in 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k to that end.

On the other hand, 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k does reveal some unique features and qualities that make the Solo stand out. Comparing 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k, UAV drone manufacturers like 3DR give you the option to swap out cameras for the Solo.

Focusing on the Yuneec Q500 4k and forgetting the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k debate for a minute, the Yuneec Q500 4k quadcopter is way behind against a DJI Phantom 4 comparison. In terms of overall quality and flying experience, DJI Phantom 4 review scores are way more positive, and stand as a testament to DJI’s superior R&D capabilities.

The two factors go in favour of the Yuneec Q500 4k in the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k debate. For starters, the Q500 4k has two unique features called Follow Me and Watch Me. And then comes the basic difference between the 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k – you don’t get a camera when you buy the 3DR Solo. And therefore, you lose out on the advantages of integration and synchronisation.

And, perhaps the other important differentiation between 3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4k is the after-sales service and customer support. A lot of reviews on sites like dronecompares or yuneecpilots suggest that the Q500 4k, much like its sibling Yuneec Typhoon H, is prone to signal loss and crash landings. Unfortunately, Yuneec China doesn’t cover crash landing damages in its warranty and service.

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Hover Camera or Dobby? Read this before you choose

A pocket drone capture amazing high-quality video, and are so well-constructed for the price that they keep everyone from simple hobbyists to those who are looking for a full-fledged movie director’s tool interested. So which one should you choose? Hover Camera or Dobby?

Design

The Dobby has a folding design and is finished in white.The Dobby pocket drone that absolutely feels like something from visionary shows such as “Futurama” or “Blade Runner”, and its propellers fold up very nicely into its tiny pill-like shape. The entire drone weighs just under half a pound, and is controlled by a smartphone app like many others out there on the market.

 

While, the Hover Camera by Zero Zero Robotics has a body made with carbon fiber that makes it lightweight and strong. This Hover Camera has a compact, small and light body is a combination of a camera and a drone. It also has four motors and propellers that are attached to the body. This is due to the design of the body that could be easy on the wallet.

Size&Wight

Hover Camera: 182 x 132 x 33mm, 238g, about the size of an iPad mini
Dobby:135mm x 67mm x 36.8mm, 199g, about the size of an iPhone 6

Obviously, the Dobby drone is smaller and more portable.

Price

At the current time the Zerotech Dobby can be found on sale for $349, which includes the drone, its battery, a charger and 4 blades; there are no prop guards or any other accessories.

The Hover Camera Passport will, on the other hand cost $599 and the package includes the drone, protective case, case strap, easy-carry bag, two rechargeable LiPo batteries, charger, an USB 3.0 cable and 4 spare propellers.

Controls

There’s no dedicated remote control. Instead you fly using your smartphone. The free Do.fun app, available for Android and iOS, is required to control the quadcopter.

The Dobby is pretty easy to fly. It automatically takes off from flat ground—don’t try from a stony driveway or a grassy lawn, however, as the rotors are too low to the ground to spin up on anything but a flat surface. Takeoff and landing are automatic, but you may have to calibrate the aircraft compass and the phone compass before your first flight. The app walks you through that process, which involves spinning the Dobby and waving your phone in a figure-eight pattern.

There are two control schemes available. Selfie mode adjusts the directions in relation to your position. It can also be set to a landscape videography mode, which flies the drone in relation to the position of its nose.

A control pad on the left side of the app adjusts altitude and spins the Dobby about its axis. To move it forward, backward, left, or right in space you hold your thumb down on the right half of the screen and tilt your phone in the direction you want it to fly.

There are a few automated flight modes. You can set it to orbit around a point in space, keeping its camera pointed at the center. It also has Target and Face Tracking, perfect for the selfie crowd—target yourself and the Dobby will follow you around. Finally there’s Return-to-Home, which brings the quadcopter back to its launch point.

As for the Hover camera, the Passport has an accompanying app that gives you a fair number of controller layout options. You can fly with two virtual joysticks if you’re familiar with traditional controls; use the simplified layout if you just need to get the camera in position; or even turn on tilt mode and steer the drone around by tilting your phone in any direction. As with most smartphone-based controls, the Passport’s manual modes do feel a bit loose and imprecise.

It does Orbit mode, in which the drone will fly in a circle around you regardless of where you move; as well as 360 Panorama mode, in which the drone will execute a 360-degree spin and then stitch together a single panoramic image.

The most impressive modes are the two that make use of the Passport’s image recognition software: Face Track and Body Track — both of which are self explanatory. To use them, you simply tap on the face or body that you’d like to follow, and the Hover Camera will do whatever it takes to keep the subject in frame. The software isn’t quite as robust or intuitive as DJI’s Active Track technology (which can track any object you select), but it’s pretty effective, and definitely one of the Passport’s best features.

Performance and Video Quality

Video is recorded at 1080p quality. It’s silent, which is fine as propeller noise is all a microphone would pick up. Stabilization is digital, and the result is wobbly, jittery video. Colors look good, but I’ve seen better detail from 1080p video before.

Stills are captured in JPG format at 13MP resolution. Image quality is on par with what you get from a midrange smartphone. But if you’re used to Snapchatting with your phone’s front camera you’ll be happy with the Dobby‘s imaging capabilities. Just don’t expect anything more.

(via Dobby)

On the other hand, the Hover Camera Passport is touted as a selfie camera, the camera itself is admittedly rather lackluster compared to what’s available on some other drones like Mavic Pro. It can shoot in 4K, 1080p, or 720p — but is limited to 30 frames per second regardless of the resolution. It also doesn’t have a gimbal, and relies on a combination of digital stabilization and a single-axis swivel to stabilize images. Effectively, this means you’ll need to shoot in 1080p if you want smooth video, since 4K video is only stabilized along one axis and will likely be shaky.

(via Hover Camera)

In terms of the image quality and stabilization, Dobby is ahead of the Hover Camera. And it comes with 100m operating range range compared to 20m of Hover Camera.

Flight time

Hover Camera: 10mins
Dobby: 9mins

Both of them are good for social media sharing, easy to carry around and shot battery time, the choice may come down to camera and price.

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3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500

3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500,which one would you buy?

If you’re going to get the 3DR Solo, you probably already have or like a GoPro, you’re new to quadcopters, you like open source.

For starters, the Solo is the drone that boasts not one, but two dedicated 1GHz Cortex-A9 Linux computers. There’s one in the controller, and one onboard the drone itself that handles all high-level flight scripting, freeing Solo’s Pixhawk 2 autopilot to focus solely on keeping the copter in the air. This configuration makes the drone incredibly reliable, as there’s a much lower chance of a firmware freeze.

Second of all, you won’t find a camera on this drone. You’ll need to bring your own GoPro to the party, and it’s only compatible with Hero models 3, 3+ and 4. Obviously, the downside of this is that if you don’t already own a GoPro, you’ll need to drop an extra $400 or $500 before you can film anything from the air. The upside? You’re not married to the same camera forever, and can upgrade to a nicer model when better tech becomes available. And if you’ve already got a GoPro handy, you’re golden.

Third, this drone can fly like a bat out of hell. 3DR doesn’t boast about it very much, but Solo can hit over 55 MPH if you take the training wheels off. That’s 10 MPH faster that DJI’s new Phantom 4, and it’ll go even faster with a good tailwind behind it. If you need a drone that can keep up with a car, motorcycle, snowboard, mountain bike, or anything else that moves fast, Solo would be a fantastic choice.

Solo’s autonomous flight modes, which include Selfie, Cable Cam, Orbit, and Follow, are designed to make it easier to get professional-looking aerial video. The drone handles all the flight, which allows you to focus solely on capturing a great shot.

If you’re not keen on keeping up with every new iPhone release, Yuneec’s Q500 Typhoon 4K is a solid option.

Rather than relying on a smartphone as half of the controls, the Yuneec’s Android-based remote controller has a built-in touchscreen for flight monitoring. This design not only expedites the setup process but also removes the pressure on you to sport the latest and greatest mobile device.

As the name implies, the Yuneec Q500 4K shoots 4K video, which is gradually replacing 1080p, and captures raw-format still images. It does offer useful navigation features such as Waypoints and Follow Me, and its camera is removable and replaceable (a bonus if it ever sustains damage or if Yuneec releases a better model). And though this model is monstrous in comparison with the others we tested, its stealthy gunmetal-gray design is aesthetically pleasing.

Both of drones come with smart controls designed to ease the learning curve for beginners, an intuitive control scheme. Your choice between the two may come down to the camera and price.

 

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Yuneec DJI comparison – Phantom drones make it an uneven battle

The Yuneec DJI comparison is a popular topic among drone enthusiasts given the fact that DJI and Yuneec are probably two of the most important players in the consumer drones market so the battle between them is quite fierce.

Yuneec has been putting a lot of effort to challenge DJI, which currently enjoys the biggest market share in the consumer drone market. Yuneec DJI comparison reports or reviews often put a model from each UAV drone manufacturer side-by-side and compare their specs and performances. The most common Yuneec DJI comparison standard is the Yuneec Typhoon H vs DJI Phantom 4 benchmarking.

DroneCompares has done a lot of Yuneec DJI comparison work and almost all the commentators agree that the Phantom 4 has a much better camera than the Typhoon H. While the Yuneec drone has similar specs – both cameras being QHD and high megapixels – the Phantom delivers final outputs that are clearer, sharper and crisper. If you ask a neutral analyst about which camera is the winner in Yuneec DJI comparison, expect to hear that Phantom 4 offers better video quality. The captured aerial videos are crispier with better dynamic range and more ‘natural’ colour contrasts.

And it’s not just the quality of images and video footage that determine the Yuneec DJI comparison. DJI Phantom 4 reviews endorse its proprietary Lightbridge 2 technology and the best available video downlink solution. A Yuneec DJI comparison based on live video streaming is therefore obviously in favour of DJI.

One of the biggest advantages of the Phantom over the Yuneec Typhoon H is the DJI drone’s much greater flight range, first person view and altitude range. Certainly, Phantom 4 wins in terms of control range over Typhoon H in a Yuneec DJI comparison, allowing the Phantom about five times higher distance flights.

In terms of ease of operating the drones, a Yuneec DJI comparison seems evenly poised towards DJI. Both UAVs come in as ready to fly, which mostly means there’s no assembly required – just charge the batteries and fly. However, a closer Yuneec DJI comparison reveals that it takes much longer to get the Typhoon airborne due to the long time it takes to pair with the control unit and to lock its GPS.

Contrary to the Typhoon H unboxing experience, where after few flights you will find that you need to purchase additional accessories, the DJI Phantom 4 package is very rich. Some factors that differentiate the Yuneec DJI comparison are the carrying case, the battery, the remote control unit and, of course, the DJI GO app.

On a Yuneec DJI comparison, both models have a nice design in their own ways. Doing a Yuneec DJI comparison solely based on the looks of the drones is difficult. Some people love the rugged and aggressive look of the Yuneec Typhoon while a lot of people appreciate the clean, contemporary, elegant lines of the DJI Phantom 4.

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3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500 4K: Who is for you?

3DR Solo vs Yuneec Q500,which one would you buy?

Your choice between the two may come down to other factors such as:

FEATURES & SPECS

Easy to use yet sophisticated, the Yuneec Q500 grants even amateur photogs the ability to produce professional-grade images and video. The fully controllable 3-axis gimbal camera can shoot straight ahead to capture the horizon, or pivot up to 90 degrees down to capture overhead footage.

Aside from its optical fortitude, the drone packs two unique autonomous modes “Watch we” and “Follow me” to give beginner pilots a hand. And the ST10+ gives you a front row seat to exactly what the drone sees as it flies.

While,the 3DR Solo is the drone that boasts not one, but two dedicated 1GHz Cortex-A9 Linux computers. There’s one in the controller, and one onboard the drone itself that handles all high-level flight scripting, freeing Solo’s Pixhawk 2 autopilot to focus solely on keeping the copter in the air. This configuration makes the drone incredibly reliable, as there’s a much lower chance of a firmware freeze.

Solo’s autonomous flight modes, which include Selfie, Cable Cam, Orbit, and Follow, are designed to make it easier to get professional-looking aerial video. The drone handles all the flight, which allows you to focus solely on capturing a great shot.

In addition, Solo also has a number of flight modes that provide advanced pilots with full (or only slightly assisted) manual control over the drone’s flight.

CAMERA

With the term 4K part of this quadcopter’s name, it should come as no surprise that the Q500 boasts a hell of a camera. Mounted directly underneath the craft, the CGO3 packs a 115-degree field of view, 1080p full HD, and 4K ultra-high definition at 30 frames per second. The ST10+ controller allows for advanced tinkering with the camera’s video settings, or novice flyers can rely on automatic settings.

If shooting 4K video isn’t quite your speed, the Yuneec Q500 also allows users to capture 1080p/120fps slow motion video, granting videographers added flexibility. Switching to slow motion on the ST10+ controller requires minimal navigation, and makes it a snap to switch modes when the need arises.

On the other hand, you won’t find a camera on the 3DR Solo. You’ll need to bring your own GoPro to the party, and it’s only compatible with Hero models 3, 3+ and 4. Obviously, the downside of this is that if you don’t already own a GoPro, you’ll need to drop an extra $400 or $500 before you can film anything from the air. The upside? You’re not married to the same camera forever, and can upgrade to a nicer model when better tech becomes available. And if you’ve already got a GoPro handy, you’re golden.

For the time being, that’s all you can get — but 3DR allegedly has a lot more in the pipeline. An open SDK allows third-party developers to design custom apps and integrations for the drone. And it’s not just open to new software either — Solo is also equipped with an open accessory bay, which allows users to attach aftermarket hardware onto the drone as well. The Solo does scores high marks for upgradability.

FLIGHT PERFORMANCE

The flight performance is arguably where Yuneec Q500 shines brightest. Not only do its smart modes allow for some of the simplest flying we’ve ever experienced, but we also found the controller’s easy-to-use dual joysticks make even the free-flying Angle mode incredibly natural — especially for novices. Because of this, very little prior experience is needed to get the Typhoon quadcopter into the air after unboxing.

When it comes to 3DR Solo, it boasts one of the easiest, most straightforward piloting experiences we’ve ever encountered. There are two reasons for this. First, the controller was built from the ground up to look, feel, and operate more like a video game controller, which makes piloting feel very familiar and intuitive for users that are new to hobby aircraft. Second, the drone’s numerous autonomous flight modes allow you to perform maneuvers that would otherwise take lots of practice and skill.

Unlike traditional controllers that feature a dizzying array of buttons, knobs, and switches; Solo is stripped down to the bare essentials. All the other settings and controls (including GoPro settings) are handled inside the accompanying mobile app, which keeps the main controller interface very uncluttered and easy to navigate. The only downside? You can only fly if you’re connected to a smartphone or tablet, which is yet another thing that you have to worry about keeping charged up. The fact that you typically need to keep the screen on full brightness only exacerbates the problem. A couple of our flying expeditions were cut short due to a rapidly-drained smartphone battery, but so long as you’ve got everything charged up and running smoothly, the Solo is a breeze to fly.

BATTERY LIFE,PRICE

As much of a downer as it is to have to stop enjoying the Yuneec Q500 after just 20 minutes, an extra battery allows you to get the drone right back up into the air. It is now priced at $799.

As for the battery, 3DR equipped this badboy with a rechargeable 5,200 mAh 14.8Vdc lithium ion battery, which allegedly gives it 25 minutes of flight time without the camera, and about 20 minutes with it. As the 3DR are no longer making Solo drone,now it comes in at a price of about $349,that price doesn’t include the camera gimbal or the camera itself.

 

 

 

 

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IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO HOVER CAMERA

There’s nothing more captivating to tech nerds these days than a cute indoor drone that you toss up into the air, have it take a picture of you and your friends, then drops into your hand, folds up and goes back in your pocket. That’s where the Hover Camera comes in.

The Hover Camera drone is equipped with a pretty decent little camera. It shoots video in 4K, stills at 13 megapixels, and even has a built-in flash.The Hover Camera Passport stands apart from other portable drones thanks to image recognition software, which allows the drone to recognize and follow a target. You could toss it up into the air and just let it go to capture photos. The Hover Camera is a practical and appealing device drone enthusiasts will enjoy using though the battery life is fairly short at 8-10 minutes.

Hover Camera Passport does not come cheap. It is priced at $599 so you’ll have to decide if its features are worth the money, or if you might be better off with other cheaper foldable drones.

The Zerotech Dobby is one of the most popular foldable drones due to the fact that it’s readily available, and relatively good hardware & software. It can shoot 1080p video with EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) and packs different features such as Face Tracking, Follow Snap and gesture based motion controls.

This foldable drone is fueled by a 970mAh battery and can fly for about 9 minutes on one charge. At the current time the Zerotech Dobby can be found on sale for $349, which includes the drone, its battery, a charger and 4 blades; there are no prop guards or any other accessories. You can discover more about the Hover Camera vs Dobby by visiting our Learn More page.

If you’re looking for a more powerful foldable drone, the Mavic Pro could definitely be for you.

It can shoot high quality 4k @30fps with 3-axis IS, it packs tons of features from ActiveTrack to precision hover, obstacle avoidance, OcuSync video transmission and more. The big 2970mAh capacity battery gives it the amazing flight time of around 27 minutes.

The Mavic Pro comes with the following features:

1 Light, small and foldable design;

2 Powerful camera for shooting stable and clear videos and photos;

3 Competitive flight time and long-range control;

4 Creative camera features including Obstacle Avoidance, Gesture Mode and ActiveTrack;

The “small size” only makes sense when the drone have these features. For Hover Camera vs Mavic Pro comparison please visit here.

Will you buy Hover Camera or not?

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What sets DJI Phantom 4 and Yuneec Typhoon H apart?

With all of the core specifications being similar such as flight time, 4K camera, obstacle avoidance,what sets DJI Phantom 4 and Yuneec Typhoon H apart?

Currently the Phantom 4 wins because of its lower price (when you include the realsense module on the Yuneec Typhoon H). Although the obstacle avoidance system is not perfect (especially with small objects like smaller tree branches), the fact that it also allows for visual object tracking makes it easier to record professional looking videos with ease by keeping your subject in shot as you fly around (most of the time). However if you prefer to film yourself doing stuff from the drone, then the Yuneec Typhoon H follow me functionality is better when using the wizard wand as it still relies on GPS to track you.

The key feature of these two flagship drones of 2016 is the fact that they include object avoidance / anti collision technology. This is a game changer as it takes the safety factor of flying your drone to the next level. This means that when you are flying and your drone detects that it is approaching an obstacle in front of it like a person, tree, or a building, the autopilot will take over and stop your quadcopter, preventing a crash.

Both the Phantom 4 and Yuneec Typhoon H have the ability for obstacle avoidance to prevent you crashing. Assuming you upgrade to the realsense module on your Typhoon H, the performance should be similar as I don’t think the basic ultrasonic sensor will be very useful for smaller obstacles like poles. So what sets the two apart?

For starter the price, when you add the realsense module the overall unit price will be more than the Phantom 4. That said the key thing here is that because the typhoon as a 360 degree gimbal it means that for obstacle avoidance it’s much more useful. If you are flying your Phantom backwards, it’s got no way of detecting an obstacle. If flying the Typhoon you can fly it forwards to the realsense module will detect obstacle, but you can turn the camera gimbal to face backwards allowing you to look backwards without needing to worry about crashing into something.

So there you have it, I tried to keep things brief so you get the basic idea.Which do you prefer the Phantom 4 or Typhoon H and why? Or do you prefer neither?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GoPro Karma vs DJI Mavic Pro:Which one is for you?

Now the GoPro Karma drone is back. It is once again listed on the GoPro website but disappointingly with no accompanying editorial to provide explanation for the recall and relaunch story, nor detail of any enhancements. What we know is that GoPro has improved the battery latch of the device to avoid it from slipping out of place which leads to a loss of power. This design reportedly keeps the battery intact and in place even when there are strong vibrations of the drone. And it maintains its portability compared to other drones available to the public. It was reported that the drone also has the removable gimbal stabilizer.

If the re-released GoPro Karma remains the same as on its initial launch except the improvements mentioned above, then we could make a comparison between the relaunched GoPro Karma and the Mavic Pro.

Design

The Mavic Pro is about the size of a water bottle when folded, and if you’ve had any one-liter beverages lately, that’s not far off. Folded up, the Mavic Pro has dimensions of 83x83x198mm. By comparison, the folded up Karma measures 89.9×224.3×356.2mm. It’s not that small when folded up. The Karma is still a drone that you would need a specially made case for when transporting it. The Mavic is a completely different story. You can fit the Mavic into almost any backpack or bag.

The Mavic Pro weighs in 734g while the Karma weighs 1006g.

Remote Control and Operating Range 

The Mavic Pro remote controller features an LCD screen with essential flight info and can be paired with your smartphone for powerful auto-flight features and a live 1080p video feed from the drone.  It’s small—smaller than an Xbox controller when folded—and flying a drone with joysticks offers more control. Since you can use various phones, the specs of your touch display are up to you. The Karma controller has a built-in 5-inch, 720p touch-screen display, making for a flying experience that feels a bit like a video game.

The Mavic Pro can be flown at a distance of 4.3 miles (7 km) away from its controller, flight time is 27 minutes (in best conditions), max speed is 40mph while in Sport mode.As for the GoPro Karma,the max controlling range is 1.86 miles (3 km), flight time is 20 minutes (in best conditions), max speed is 35mph.

Flight Modes

Just like the Phantom 4 the Mavic Pro has front facing obstacle avoidance, and it has all of the same flight modes like tap fly and active track. It also uses the DJI Go app, which means that it should work with third party apps for additional functionality in the future. On the other hand, GoPro says you should be able to fly the Karma with little to no experience with drones, and capture amazing shots with some of it’s preprogramed flight modes. Unfortunately there’s no follow features on the Karma. You get a 2 point cable cam mode, dronie mode, reveal mode, and orbit mode. These are the same features that other drone manufacture has had for the past year. Upon its initial launch, the Karma was criticized for a lack of functionality, even the basic ‘Follow Me’ was missing.

There are no sensors on the bottom of the GoPro Karma. Sensors like cameras and ultrasonics are what make drones more stable when hovering or when GPS isn’t available and the Karma doesn’t have any of these things. This means that the Karma is not going to be a good choice if you ever want to fly it indoors.As for the Mavic, it has two cameras for 3D vision positioning and ultrasonic sensors for accurate hight holding. Not only that, it also has dual gyros, accelerometers and compasses for more accurate data and redundancy. all of these features work together in the background, so you don’t have to worry about setting any of this up.

Video Quality 

Mavic Pro comes with a built-in camera that can shoot footage in 4K at up to 30fps and 1080p resolution at 96fps. It’s also capable of snapping 12-megapixel stills. The minimum focusing distance is 0.5m and the sensor itself is a 1/2.3-inch unit. Those are some pretty impressive specs that match DJI’s Phantom 4 drone.

When it comes to GoPro Karma, it has opted to make its drone compatible with its latest action cam, the Hero 5 Black. But the Karma’s Stabiliser, which holds the camera, will also work with the more affordable Hero 5 Session and even the 5’s predecessor – the Hero 4 Black and Silver.

If you’re using the latest Hero 5 Black, you can expect to get similar specs to the Mavic Pro. That’s 4K footage at 30fps, 1080p footage at 120fps – a higher frame rate than the Mavic’s 96 – and 12-megapixel stills.

Making the camera detachable in this way has several benefits, and chief among these is the attachment mechanism itself, which comes in the form of the Karma Grip.

The grip comes with the drone, and features a professional-quality stabiliser that should make for fluid footage. But most impressive is the fact that the grip can be removed from the drone and used as a grip to shoot freehand – with the added stabilisation feature – or mounted on other gear such as the Karma Case or Seeker sportpack. It’s also got built-in controls so you can operate the attached camera without having to touch it.

Price

The DJI Mavic Pro costs $999 for the drone or $1299 for the bundle. As for the GoPro Karma, it is basically available in the two options. One is Karma without a GoPro camera which costs $799.99 and the other is Karma bundled with GoPro Hero5 Black which will cost $1099.99.

So which drone should you really buy?You must have an answer now.

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Could the Hover Camera crush DJI?

Unfamiliar to most costumers, the Zero Zero Robotics company has stirred the drone industry with the Hover Camera, a drone with a compact and unusual design. At launch, it was widely covered in traditional media and went viral on social media for a number of reasons: being the first selfie drone on the market, a charismatic CEO, exposure on talk shows, etc.

Could the Hover Camera crush DJI? Let’s take a closer look at the drone.

Zero Zero Robotics’s original idea was a selfie drone but what it actually came out with it more like a “tracking drone.” It’s a rather abrupt shift from one concept to another and possibly dangers as consumers prefer to stick with what they know.

Launched with first-class advertising and web design, the company even advertised on TV, which is an even more powerful platform. Yet, the moments following the launch weren’t in as high of a spirit.

DJI’s impressive Mavic Pro may not have had the impactful launch of the Hover Camera. But while Zero Zero Robotics has $25M in venture capital from investor, it seemingly has little more than this following their lackluster launch.

1. Market

This year has seen a number of portable drones being launched, including Dobby, Yuneec’s Breeze, GoPro’s Karma, DJI’s Mavic Pro, Tencent’s Ying, etc. Looking at how it’s positioned in its market, the Hover Camera competes directly with Dobby and not so much with DJI.

2. Timing

A successful launch needs more than a good concept; marketing, distribution, manufacturing capacity, and especially timing is crucial for success.

Based on this, the Hover Camera looks weak as a competitor. Dobby beat it to their launch, while the Mavic Pro performs significantly better for serious aerial photography.

3. Product

The Hover Camera has a unique design and unique functionality. But uniqueness doesn’t guarantee the survival of Zero Zero Robotics, and it doesn’t mean they can challenge their giant competitors.

4. Pricing

The Hover Camera’s pricepoint is seemingly far too high. Its launch price of $599 meant competing with the Mavic Pro and Phantom 3. It’s also significantly more expensive than the Dobby at $399. This is something that could have and should have been controlled during the design process.

Mavic Pro	$999	Yuneec Breeze	$599	Dobby	$399
Mavic w/o RC	$749	Phantom 3 Standard	$499	AR Drone	$299

5. Performance

While DJI’s Phantom and Inspire series set standards for aerial photography, but we’re yet to see a clear standard setting product in the selfie drone market. Hover Camera has traded performance for “100% safety” as they call it and that’s possibly something they regret. Like DJI did with the Mavic Pro, both performance and safety needs to be taken into consideration.

Conclusion

Unlike other companies in the selfie drone market, Zero Zero Robotics did not crowd fund the launch of the Hover Camera. Still, it faces intense competition from players like DJI and Xiaomi and the company has a tough road ahead. To say the least.

( Source )

 

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Hover Camera VS Dobby: Who is the king of selife drone?

The foldable drone trend is getting hotter week by week. Zerotech initiated it back in May 2016 with the Dobby drone, a tiny ‘cute’ drone with foldable arms. More recently, we got introduced to the Hover Camera Passport; another little book-sized drone which folds like one as well. Thus let’s compare the two drones!

Both drones automatically hover and let go and they can automatically follow you or your pet around. I am pretty sure your get will be excited about the prospect of a drone following it around. The Dobby and the Hover Camera carry a 13MP camera capable of recording 4K video. Both stream video via Wi-Fi to a smartphone. A smartphone app is used to control the drones. The Dobby also reacts to voice commands and gestures.

The Zerotech Dobby has an advertised speed of 40km/h while the Hover Camera Passport can fly at up to 27km/h. Maximum speed in this case is very important if you want the drone to follow you during a bike ride or other kind of activities with fast movements. The Hover Camera Passport might not be able to catch up!

Another important feature for those who get into drones for the first time, is the presence of some sort of hovering assistance, as it may come hard to keep the drone in a determined position when there’s wind and you still aren’t fully trained. Because of that, the Zerotech Dobby packs a GPS as well as GLONASS dual satellite navigation system to guarantee accurate hovering both indoor and outdoor, with wind speeds up to 28km/h.

On the other side, the Hover Camera Passport doesn’t seem to feature GPS-supported hover modes.

The Zerotech Dobby does seem like a strong contender to the Hover Camera Passport, and it might just be a good idea to get one right now. On the other hand, the Hover Camera Passport seems much more suited for first time drone pilots and folks who wish to film indoors.

Below are two video reviews of Hover camera and Zerotech Dobby:

(From Tested)

(From Dustin Dunnill)

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The GoPro Karma is coming back,will you buy it?

After a November recall last year caused by an insecure battery latch, the GoPro has started shipping its Karma drone back to stores. Buyers can opt for the Karma drone bundled with a GoPro Hero 5 for $1099 or $799 without a camera.

Unfortunately, say some analysts, GoPro may have missed its chance to claim a substantial share of the market, let alone be a serious challenger to China’s DJI, the undisputed industry leader. That’s particularly true since the initial release of the Karma was delayed for about a year, and because the recall came not long after DJI launched its Mavic Pro, which was seen as a direct Karma competitor offering more features.

“Yes, I think it is,” says Frost & Sullivan drone analyst Michael Blades when asked if it was too late for GoPro to make an impact with the Karma. “After they were already delayed, then they [lost] their opportunity to get into that market before it’s saturated.”

Blades says he thinks it was a “bold” move for GoPro to recall the Karma when there was no legal requirement for the company to do so, and that he appreciates that the company seemed to have wanted to show its customers good faith by refunding their money and fixing the problem.

“It was a pretty good PR move,” he adds, “but coming back and trying to relaunch now, I hope they do well with it, but I don’t think anybody’s expectations are that high.”

For its part, GoPro argued that the Karma—which comes with an image-stabilizing camera grip that can be held by hand or worn—and which it markets as “Hollywood in a backpack,” capable of shooting professional-caliber photos and video, will do just fine on re-launch.

“GoPro has a legacy in image capture and a passionate global user base,” a spokesperson tells Fast Company. “We are well positioned to compete in the drone market with Karma, which is a versatile and complete capture solution for aerial, handheld, and wearable image stabilization.”

It’s inarguable that GoPro has built a worldwide community of users of its many different action cameras, and it is known for masterful marketing. Those two facts formed the basis for initial optimism when word first emerged in late 2014 of the company’s plans to get into the drone market. After all, the thinking went, people had long been mounting GoPro cameras on other manufacturers’ drones, including early DJI models, before the two companies began to face off as competitors rather than continue to work together as partners.

Still, not even counting the initial launch delays, the Karma faces two major hurdles to wide customer adoption. First, it lost valuable ground over the last two months to the Mavic Pro, which DJI unveiled just a week after the September launch of the Karma. While DJI had its own problems fulfilling customers’ orders for the Mavic Pro, that drone, which is feature-rich and similarly priced to the Karma, has been a big hit.

Second, and perhaps more problematic, is that the Karma is well behind both the Mavic Pro and other DJI drones when it comes to features, as well as compared to other companies’ drones. The Mavic is smaller than the Karma, and has a rich suite of obstacle avoidance and follow-me features that the Karma can’t match.

“It’s a 2015 drone in 2017,” says drone analyst Colin Snow. “It’s an overpriced, too-big foldable drone that doesn’t have as many features. Just feature by feature, the Mavic blows everybody out of the water.”

(Via Fastcompany )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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