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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DJI PHANTOM 4: IN AUTOMATIC PILOT MODE

They begin with the introduction of a stereoscopic detection system: based on the presence of 4 sensors in front and below the drone, it provides recognition of obstacles. The range of this system is 15 m at the front and 10 m below. Used in automatic mode, it allows the Phantom 4 to brake automatically in front of an obstacle until it stops to avoid the collision and, in the “Return to Home” mode, it allows to automatically return to its original position more efficient thanks to an optimization of its trajectory.

The intelligent functions of the Phantom 4 are operated in the “TapFly” autonomous flight mode. Simply specify the destination by clicking on the touch screen of the control box so that the drone goes there by adapting to its Environment and bypassing obstacles.

More interestingly, the DJI engineers worked on a tracking method called “Active Track”. The Phantom 4 will automatically follow a moving subject while leaving the user with control over camera movements as well as the ability to rotate around the subject that will always remain in the center of the frame. At any time, the user retains the possibility of pressing the “pause” button of the drone control to place it in the stationary position and resume control of the flight conditions.

Other features include “Sport” mode, which allows faster acceleration and deceleration of the Phantom 4 and a top speed of 20 m / s in flight. This speed can be reached thanks to the redesigned engines.

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Yuneec Typhoon G wifi comparing the DJI Phantom 4’s Lightbridge

“I have been losing Yuneec Typhoon G wifi connectivity as of late. I look down and the display as saying it is trying to reconnect. This was a short flight. I was at 55 feet and 267 feet away. One flight I lost connectivity and it never re-connected. I hit home, landed craft, and had to cycle power to Typhoon to re-establish connection to camera. Any ideas??”

“I have had the exact same issue three times now…..but it displays the last connected still video frame instead of plain black….have to land, power down and wait for a new connection to get rid of the still frame video image stuck on the st10. …will test again to see if i was not keeping the st10 pointed directly at the Q500 within a 30¤ window.”

These are some cases from Yuneec forum, Yuneec Typhoon G wifi issues still bother some pilots.

Compared to Yuneec Typhoon G wifi, DJI’lightbridge is a great work. Lightbridge is a DJI proprietary communication link technology used to broadcast 720P live “near real time” video from a drone to the ground, over a mile, often 2+ miles. Lightbridge uses the same 2.4Ghz frequency band that Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi uses, however Lightbridge is much different than the standard WiFi communications other drone manufactures use (think Yuneec, Blade, 3DR). Lightbridge is a one way stream of data with no two way handshaking. It’s literally a broadcast of data, like TV broadcasters use from the top of hills. This is very different than Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi that requires constant two way “hand shake” communications with every packet of data. With WiFi, each data packet has to confirm a packet was received, and all 512 bytes in the packet was received intact. If one byte is lost, the whole 512 byte packet is sent again! This is where latency occurs. Resending data for one byte loss is a waste of time in the wireless video world of drone flying. Although wifi is very fast from a data point of view, the two way handshaking of the TCP/IP protocol WiFi hinders the goal of “real time” video, which everyone needs to fly drones FPV. There is NO TIME for resending packets when real time video is the goal.

When you reach the distance limits with Lightbridge the screen will typically show streaks and you’ll get a warning of connection weakness. Most of the time reconnecting is generally fairly quick, because there’s NO requirement for two-way handshaking to re-establish connection, like Yuneec Typhoon G Wifi. Lightbridge is much faster at re-establishing a connection when it reaches it’s distance limit.

Another weakness of Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi is wooded flight locations. Briefly going behind a tree with leaves can disrupt Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi signals and affect video a lot easier than Lightbridge. Wifi is more sensitive to lockups and disconnects with tree/leaf interferance. Trees contain moisture, a signal blocker, and will trigger Yuneec Typhoon G WiFi will lose a few bytes, triggering re-sending of large packets, impacting the latency and video consistency. Lightbridge reacts a little different with slight data is lost from trees. This looks more like video streaks or static, but you’ll always see an image, with a low latency of 100 to 200ms.

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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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DJI Phantom 4 tutorial

In this article, we will guides you in getting the best results from DJI Phantom 4.

I’ve put together a video tutorial for achieving the best video settings on the DJI Phantom 4. Watch the above tutorial if you haven’t already, it features a nice cinematic intro. (All Phantom 4 Footage)

So having used the Phantom 4 on my last two trips abroad I was able to familiarise myself several of the video settings. My aim is always to try and get the best out of these drones where possible. I noticed quickly that the Phantom 4’s colour profiles are different to that of the Phantom 3’s. I actually prefer the D-LOG footage from my Phantom 3 than compared with the Phantom 4, it seems sharper and less muddy. Both my Iceland and Norway videos were shot on the P4 in D-LOG, you can see there are some nice scenes and some scenes where the software has failed to pick-out the detail. Whereas on my Phantom 3 D-Log footage I’d say it’s more consistent but can also depending on the natural light suffer in areas.

White Balance

One reason Auto White Balance is a ‘No No’, the color temperature can jump around in the same clip. This can look very unprofessional, use a Custom white balance of around 5600K which is quite neutral. It is easy to adjust again in Premiere using the Lumetri Colour System.

Recommended Phantom 4 Video Settings

I recommend shooting in any of the following Colour profiles :

• DJIColor (None) with a custom Style of either -1, 0, -1 or 0, -1, -1
• D-CineLike with a custom Style of either -1, 0, 0 or 0,0,0
• Art -1, 0, 0 or 0,0,0

Try to keep the variables to either plus or minus ‘1’ or ‘0’. That way we know our image should be more balanced.

Extra Tips for Editing Workflow

I can suggest if you have the time and hard drive space to convert your drone clips to ProRes HQ 422. This will give you more latitude for colour correction in Premiere, Final Cut and Davinci Resolve. If you have the Adobe Creative Cloud, use Adobe Media Encoder to transcode the h.264 drone footage to ProRes 422 HQ.

( Via rcgeeks )

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Hover Camera from Zero Zero Robotics

Imagine a flying camera that you carry easily, that you deploy and that is hovering autonomously, with the help of a vertical camera and a front camera. This is the principle of the Hover Camera, a selfie drone developed by Zero Zero Robotics. Its design is not as sexy as that of the Lily. On the other hand, it seems much safe, with 4 rotors placed behind the carbon fiber that protect the propellers.

The Hover Camera measures 18.2 x 13.2 x 3.25 cm when unfolded, for a weight of 238 grams, below the 250 grams which allows to fly unrestricted in the United States. Because the aircraft is clearly intended for indoor and urban flights. Hover Camera on White-1200 not only does it stay hovering, but it also knows how to follow a subject with the help of its front camera and strong algorithms of recognition of shapes, and faces. It can also pan. The camera, which shoots in 13 megapixels and films in 4K, is able to pivot on the axis of the pitch (inclination upwards and downwards). It is equipped with a digital stabilization without mechanical nacelle, in the manner of the Parrot Bebop 2. The goal, according to the designers, is to propose an autonomous flying camera, which flies without the need to control it, which captures its images “with a minimum of interaction”, ie without the need for a radio control, With a smartphone to control the image.

This quadcopter can fly up to 2,000 meters above sea level, or 6,562 feet. This isn’t the actual height above the ground you can fly; that distance is determined by the operating range, which is 20 meters for the Hover Camera Passport.This is one of the worst operating ranges available among all drones, where the average is 100 meters (328 feet).

At a top speed of 8.0 m/s, or 18 mph, the Hover Camera is one of the slowest drones out there. Remember that this is the horizontal top speed, and you’ll also need to account for wind strength and direction when flying, which will affect the rate of travel.

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.

The Hover Camera offers a limited battery life of 8 minutes (the battery will be removable), lack of cameras on the sides and back to avoid the obstacles, of a difficulty to fight against the wind. It doesn’t come cheap which is priced at $599.

 

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Major causes of Yuneec Breeze indoor crashes…

Scan the Yuneec Breeze forums to discover Breeze drone crashed every now and then, especially indoors. What’s the major causes of indoor crashes?Let’s see the two stories firstly.

“I had several crashes indoor, I would say out of 8 flights the Yuneec Breeze went drifting and ignoring my command 6 times. I could catch her a few times then shutting off, but I got my piano and some probs damaged.

It is certainly an issue with the optical flow sensor or some similar sensor. When the drone flies over a carpet, my black or my grey couch I noticed slow response to my commands. The Breeze drone starts drifting. In two cases, after a short side drift, it went crazily fast to one direction until it crashed (the motors are switched off then).

Please be very careful indoors. At the moment I cannot recommend the Yuneec Breeze indoors. Even an experienced pilot can’t do anything as the drone ignores all commands from my phone in these cases (except emergency shutdown). Low light conditions seem to have a big impact on the sensor.

Yuneec should provide a manual control mode to fly the drone without the optical sensors or just let the pilot override the automatic reactions. Until then I’ll stay outside.”

“Indoor light can be insufficient for the infrared sensors to gauge height. I cannot use the Yuneec Breeze in my studio indoors as I have a dark floor and it cannot map a thing. I have to place a piece of paper under it to get the flow sensor working to take off. Once in the air, it was not good and did do things on its own. This time I was prepared and managed to not crash like the first time I tried this same scenario. My house there is no problem during the day because I get natural light from windows.

I purchased the controller. It’s good and gets you back to being the pilot not a swiping fiddling fool.

The headset is useless for flying as the latency is too nutty for me. I may try it again in a more open space but my FPV needs to be real time. The larger phones are great for the controller and I’m very happy with touch controls for camera being separate from sticks. The tilt has a trim on the dpad that makes it actually work smoothly. It is now a very reliable quick pop up and grab a shot tool. 8 mins is about right for the battery. Battery times are always over stated by everyone in this biz.”

I think the major causes of indoor crashes are:

1. Flying over counters, couches, chairs will throw off the ground distance sensor.
2. Flying with GPS “on” indoors
3. Lots of wifi signals in the area, condos especially
4. Poor piloting

 

 

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