DJI Phantom 3 vs the Xiaomi Mi Drone:Which one I should buy?

I raised a question on Quora that should I buy the DJI Phantom 3 or the Xiaomi Mi Drone? Here are some answers for you if you also don’t know which one to choose.

#”The Xiaomi, as a brand new product, is definitely a risky choice. With the price point where it’s at, and the incredible specs, I can see why you would be interested in buying it. However, the DJI Phantom 3 series offers comparable specs at basically the same price point. DJI is the biggest player in the game, and they have excellent service and reliability.

I have dealt with these Xiaomi lowball products before, with the Yi Action Camera, and was pretty disappointed with the quality of product I received. I got it at the same price as the Gopro Hero, but it had higher specs. Despite this, The footage was basically the same. I would have much rather had the reliability and versatility of the GoPro if the video quality was the same.

I would suggest that you read as many reviews as possible. I’ve had my Phantom 3 Standard for two month now and I am very happy with my purchase.

One thing to keep in mind, that I noticed when looking at the specs, is that the descent speed for Xiaomi Mi drone is a painstakingly slow 1.5 m/s. I already thought mine was slow, at 3 m/s. I think the 2 extra minutes of battery life would be spent on landing, because it will take twice as long, which is a big deal if you flew high.”

#“If you are a beginner for drone or have the higher requirements on drones, of course DJI drones are the best options for you. You can choose from the beginner drones like DJI Phantom 3 standard(Buy Phantom 3 Standard | DJI Store) to the high end drones Inspire pro(Buy Inspire 1 Pro | DJI Store).

Xiaomi Mi drone is a new drone product, it may satify your basic aeriel photos, but there are some uncertain factors like the photos’ quality.

So I would like to suggest you buy DJI phantom series and or you can wait for the matured Xiaomi Mi drone.”

#“The DJI Phantom 3 Standard is a more tried and tested model and has better support in terms of spare parts and troubleshooting. The Xiaomi Mi drone however has better specs in many areas such as a longer flight time (27 vs 25 minutes), better range (2000m vs 1000m), has a larger field of view and also is much more portable which makes traveling with it much easier.

I would recommend the Xiaomi Mi drone for the price, however the price is higher now than it was initially advertised to be selling at, so it is not quite the bargain it was initially advertised to be.”

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Hover Camera Passport at CES 2017

You are a follower of selfies and you want to take the height with dronies? The Hover Camera Passport we discovered at CES 2017 should become your new friend.

Remember the Lily drone? This quadcopter that follows you to film you with its function follow me. Since then, many drones have been set up and we have been able to meet the Hover Camera Passport, a foldable and compact drone that is carried everywhere with you. Its design does not mean a drone, but rather a bird that would be enclosed in a cage. Because the propellers are protected, impossible to cut their fingers on takeoff for example.

The drone is capable of filming in 4K and its camera is stabilized numerically. Its face recognition algorithms facilitate the flight in perfect autonomy, but the drone does not know how to avoid the obstacles. We are finally in the presence of a totally autonomous flying camera. Except that if we talk about autonomy, the Hover Camera Passport comes with only 8 minutes of flight time. It is shot, very shot!

It can fly at speeds up to 17mph (about a third of what the Phantom is capable of), but while you can take a big drone and fly it up to a mile away from home base, Hover Camera recommends that you keep the Passport within 65 feet (20 meters) of your phone. A short battery life is a big reason for that.

The Hover Camera Passport is available at 599 dollars, or about 600 euros once the various taxes are added. It is a bit expensive compared to a Bebop 2 of Parrot which has recently equipped with automatic tracking features and which is much more powerful.

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Are you ready for GoPro Karma’s re-launch?

On November 8th, 2016, GoPro issued a global recall for the Karma drone following cases of electrical failures causing a loss of power during flight. GoPro advises that owners can return their units to GoPro, or their place of purchase for a full refund.Will GoPro resume selling Karma?

The answer is yes, GoPro says it will be re-launching the Karma drone this year, though it doesn’t have a specific date to share yet.

For GoPro, the launch can’t come soon enough. The company said it would cut 15 percent of its workforce in a restructuring in November last year, and its third-quarter earnings report was nothing short of very bad. In the past year, the stock has been absolutely crushed, as major questions have arisen as to whether people basically need to buy new GoPro cameras.

The company said at CES that it is completing its testing and will have more details on the re-launch in early February. The whole “this year” is super vague, but it’s kind of to be expected for a company that’s going through a lot of turmoil as it tries to figure out what it looks like in 2017.

Anyway it’s good to see that GoPro is confident enough in the Karma to start providing a timetable, the news won’t be very comforting to prospective (and former) owners. It will have been roughly 3 months since the recall before GoPro even starts talking about the relaunch. Will buyers be enthusiastic after all that time, especially with both the recall and the competition lingering in the back of their minds? GoPro’s name is still synonymous with action video, but there’s a concern that it may have seriously hurt its chances at becoming an equally big name in the drone world.

 

 

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Guess what I am loving on the Mavic Pro?

(Video from Philip Bloom)

This is the a feature that I am loving on the Mavic Pro… Here is what it is:

“There is also a new Tripod Mode that drops Mavic Pro’s maximum speed to just 2.2 mph (3.6 km/h) and reduces the sensitivity of the control inputs, to allow precision positioning for photography as well as to make it easier to fly indoors or in other confined spaces.”

I fly several Phantoms and a Yuneec Typhoon H. The best video that I have ever shot is easily on the Typhoon H because it has a “Turtle mode” which reduces the speed and movement of the drone as well as the sensitivity of the controls. If you want Hollywood style movement and pan shots, this is the ticket. Most pilots ignore it because they think it is “beginner flying mode” and they end up with the typical video showing their flight course correction and not so smooth pans.

The Mavic Pro is small and will show abrupt movements in the final video especially if it is fighting against the wind. The GoPro Karma has already been reported (in some reviews) to produce abrupt movements when the craft is panning and gimbal is moving up/down in flight. You really have to be soft on the sticks and it takes some practice. However, since the Mavic Pro has “TRIPOD” mode, it should be super simple to get those amazing cinematic slow moving shots & pans with no sudden jerking when flight course correcting or following a subject (moving the drone while at the same time moving the camera).

I believe the still shooters will appreciate the new Tripod mode, which slows the maximum speed considerably, making it easier to make very precise adjustments to the drone’s position so you can set up the perfect shot.

 

 

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Hover Camera follows you everywhere

The Hover Camera Passport ($599) is a delightful little gadget: It’s a foldable, portable drone that has a built-in camera and auto-follow features.You could throw it up in the air and take selfies whenever and wherever you like.

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 — but believe it or not, the camera itself isn’t as interesting as what’s behind it. The Hover Camera Passport stands apart from other portable drones thanks to image recognition software, which (along with a quad-core Snapdragon processor) allows the drone to not only sense/track faces and bodies, but also maintain its position in space without the aid of GPS.

So it could recognize and follow a target. Just previously you had to use the companion app on your phone, and pick out the subject you wanted to follow on screen. With the new feature, you essentially “register” your face via the app once, and then you can forget about the phone. The next time you launch Hover Camera, it will fly in place, turning around until it spots you. Once it has you locked, it’ll follow you as before. To grab a selfie, just raise your hand until the front LED flashes, and gives you a three-count.

We’ve seen selfie drones before, and visual recognition is becoming a more popular way of tracking subjects than GPS. Using the camera to track isn’t always as dependable as GPS , but it does solve a few problems. Namely, no need for a separate GPS device (or phone), one less thing to charge, and your chosen target is easier to keep in the center of the shot (GPS doesn’t always exactly where you are, but obviously the camera does).

In general, battery life is fairly short at 8-10 minutes. Expect about 10 minutes of air time from Hover Camera. Though with a charge time of about 40 minutes, it won’t be long until you’re back in the air again.

Another limitation is the camera stabilization.It’s obvious that the electronic stabilization the Passport uses is working overtime, and without it videos would be un-watchable. It’s definitely doing its job. The problem I had was that even with the electronic stabilization working overtime, the videos often came out choppy. This detracted from the actual video quality, making the output look more like 720p than 4K video.

If you’re looking for a second drone to supplement a beast like the DJI Inspire or Phantom, or looking for a entry-level drone you can fool around with indoors or around friends, Hover camera could definitely be for you.But at $599, the Hover Camera doesn’t come cheap, so let’s hope these new features keep on coming.

 

 

 

 

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DJI CES 2017: Which product interests you most?

DJI, the world leader in drone industry, introduced five distinct products in LAS VEGAS on Jan. 4, 2017.Below are all new products from DJI.

Handheld: Osmo Mobile Silver & Zenmuse M1

 

The Osmo Mobile turns a smartphone into a smart motion camera, giving creators the tool to effortlessly create cinematic videos. The new Osmo Mobile Silver was created with lifestyle in mind and shares the same high-quality build and ergonomic design found in the rest of the Osmo family. Using the DJI GO app, users can track their subject automatically, create motion timelapses, take dramatic long exposures, make 9-shot panoramas, and livestream their story to social media.

Further enhancements have been added to the Osmo Mobile Silver to make every moment you shoot look smooth, professional and ready to share. A new Beautify mode uses automatic identification and intelligent processing technologies inside the DJI GO app, allowing users to do minor touch ups and give their videos that perfect, professional sheen. The Osmo Mobile Silver will also work with FiLMiC Pro, a professional filmmaking mobile app that gives creators more flexibility and creative freedom with their handheld device.

With the goal to make products scalable and to provide a way for existing Osmo customers to capture cinematic videos with their smartphones, the Zenmuse M1 gimbal will be made available as an add-on accessory. Similar to the Zenmuse X5 and X5R gimbals, the Zenmuse M1 allows owners of the original Osmo stabilizer to mount a smartphone and take full advantage of their existing Osmo handle.

Energy efficiency and high-capacity batteries give the Osmo Mobile Silver a maximum run time of 4.5 hours. The Osmo Mobile Silver is compatible with a range of smartphones, from 2.3 inches to 3.3 inches (58.6 mm – 84.8 mm) in width. The U.S. retail price of the Osmo Mobile Silver is $299 and the Zenmuse M1 gimbal is $169 (without the Osmo handle). Both products will start shipping in the second half of January.

Aerial:Phantom 4 CNY Edition

To celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, DJI is putting out a special limited edition of the Phantom 4 with designs from renowned illustrator Martin Sati. This reddish Phantom 4 Chinese New Year edition has a phoenix at the very center of its body, symbolizing good fortune and happiness. The drone will sell for $1,199 and will exclusively be found at Apple Stores, DJI Flagship Stores (except Korea), DJI Online Store, and Tmall DJI Store. It is expected to be delivered on Jan 23.

App: Ground Station Pro

Ground Station Pro (or GS Pro) is an iPad app designed for professional operators to plan and control autonomous flights for DJI aircraft. Through the app’s concise, easy to use interface, complex flight missions can be planned with just a few taps. GS Pro was designed to improve workflow and dramatically increase efficiency in a wide range of industries, especially those in aerial mapping, architecture, precision agriculture and electrical inspections.

The 3D Map Area function allows the aircraft to generate efficient flight paths after the operator has set their required flight zone and camera parameters. The aircraft will then follow this route throughout its mission. The image data captured during these flights can be input into 3D reconstruction software to generate 3D maps, while the mission itself can be saved for re-use.

The Tap and Go Waypoint feature allows for up to 99 waypoints per mission and each waypoint can have up to 15 consecutive actions, including aircraft rotation, gimbal pitch, start/stop recording, photo capture, and hover. A Virtual Fence increases safety and ease of use by locking the aircraft’s height and speed within a designated area. As the aircraft approaches the virtual fence, it will brake and hover to ensure it stays within the flight area.

Compatible with most DJI aerial platforms and Zenmuse cameras, the DJI GS Pro will serve as a powerful and convenient tool for many industries and give critical missions added accuracy and reliability. The GS Pro iPad app is free and available for download at the App Store.

Display: CrystalSky Monitor

Created for outdoor aerial imaging, the CrystalSky monitor features an ultra-bright screen that is clearly visible in sunlight. It is designed from the ground up to work seamlessly with the DJI GO app, giving camera operators total control.

A maximum 2000 cd/m² of brightness means the CrystalSky monitor is more than four times as bright as typical mobile devices. On-screen details are clear and sharp, and colors are vibrant, giving the quality needed to fine-tune image composition. Optimized video decoding is used to provide smooth, real-time video with minimal latency. The monitor supports H.264 and H.265 video decoding, allowing it to play back files at up to 30 fps and 60 fps respectively.

The CrystalSky monitor’s HDMI port allows up to 4K video to be output to FPV goggles and other display devices. The monitor’s storage can be extended, or footage recorded on a Micro SD Card can be played back directly on the monitor. It can also be used for footage backups. The embedded DJI GO app provides full access to all DJI GO features including aircraft parameter adjustment, camera control, footage management, and playback.

A two-cell 4920 mAh external battery gives the CrystalSky monitor a longer operating time than comparable mobile devices. It supports quick charge, and controls its discharge rate well even in low temperatures. The external battery has been designed for more extreme temperatures. CrystalSky is able to operate in as low as -4°F (-20°C) and, with its internal cooling system, functions normally in temperatures as high as 104°F (40°C).

The CrystalSky monitor will come in two sizes with 7.85″ and 5.5″ screens, and can achieve a maximum operation time of 4-5 hours and 5-6 hours respectively. Pricing and availability of the CrystalSky monitor will be announced at a later date.

 

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