Drones for Photography, Videography, who has em and who uses em?
- Thread starter neliconcept
- Start date
goldtooth
Member
For my own part I try to be really careful about where I fly because the replacement cost would sting, I don't want to make more trash or give "ammunition" to people who want to close and ban everything. That means I sometimes miss out on shots that I envision would be cool.. ah, I'm no professional so there's no consequence to missing cool shots.
Agreed!
nate
We have a DJI Mavic Air 2 (MA2) and use it primarily for landscape photography and a bit of wildlife photography. The landscape stuff is straight forward where most of our concern deals with lighting, angles, composition, protecting the drone and not bothering anyone else who may be around (we usually fly only in remote areas where we're pretty confident we won't accidentally spoil anyone else's solitude).
We've found successful wildlife photography much more difficult as it is hard to keep the drone from altering the behavior of animals or disturbing them. It can take 1/2 to 2/3 of a battery to ease the drone into position slowly so that animals get used to it an tolerate getting close enough for a reasonable image. Initially we tended to fly further and then start an approach only to find we needed to return and change batteries before getting any shots. Now we start much closer so that more of the flight time is available for the approach. At the end of this message are two of our images: one from the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (we confirmed that flying drones there was permitted before our trip) and the other from Casa Colorada unit of the The Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex in the Rio Grande Valley, NM. Both were recorded as DNG images and post-processed for color correction then resolution reduced considerably to ease posting them here.
We just ordered a DJI Mini 2 (M2) for bikepacking and hiking trips. The M2 is reputed to be a bit quieter, about 1/2 the size of the MA2, supports USB 3 charging - all advantages for biking and hiking; but it has a smaller image sensor, 4k video limited to 30 fps, no obstacle avoidance ability and may be less stable in windy situations. Those tradeoffs seem reasonable for a small package that can be almost always available.
The MA2's video and single frame imagery is surprisingly good. When we purchased it, I'd thought we might consider a Mavic Pro 2 for it's larger sensor and better imagery if we got hooked. Now I'm patiently waiting for the Mavic Pro 3.
Howard Snell
We've found successful wildlife photography much more difficult as it is hard to keep the drone from altering the behavior of animals or disturbing them. It can take 1/2 to 2/3 of a battery to ease the drone into position slowly so that animals get used to it an tolerate getting close enough for a reasonable image. Initially we tended to fly further and then start an approach only to find we needed to return and change batteries before getting any shots. Now we start much closer so that more of the flight time is available for the approach. At the end of this message are two of our images: one from the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (we confirmed that flying drones there was permitted before our trip) and the other from Casa Colorada unit of the The Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex in the Rio Grande Valley, NM. Both were recorded as DNG images and post-processed for color correction then resolution reduced considerably to ease posting them here.
We just ordered a DJI Mini 2 (M2) for bikepacking and hiking trips. The M2 is reputed to be a bit quieter, about 1/2 the size of the MA2, supports USB 3 charging - all advantages for biking and hiking; but it has a smaller image sensor, 4k video limited to 30 fps, no obstacle avoidance ability and may be less stable in windy situations. Those tradeoffs seem reasonable for a small package that can be almost always available.
The MA2's video and single frame imagery is surprisingly good. When we purchased it, I'd thought we might consider a Mavic Pro 2 for it's larger sensor and better imagery if we got hooked. Now I'm patiently waiting for the Mavic Pro 3.
Howard Snell
hilgeg
Member
We picked up a DJI mini 2 and love the fact it is so much quieter than any drone before. Battery is good and 4k video is amazing. Also it can handle any weather you throw at it. Unfortunately with 4k even the smallest demo shots are too big for the ExPo servers.
Super easy to fly and durable....been in many a pine tree already.
4000lbsOfGoat
Well-known member
We started out with a Mavic Mini but sold it and upgraded to the Mavic Air2 after only a couple of months. The Mini is a good intro unit but it has pretty limited functionality (we sold it to a guy who basically wanted a toy for his kids to play with). The inability to manually rotate the camera up and down made use *very* limiting. Yes, the Air2 is probably a bit noisier than the Mini but the Mini is not exactly quiet. If you fly it out over a peaceful mountain lake you can still clearly hear it at 800 feet away - and everyone else in the campground can hear it too...
4000lbsOfGoat
Well-known member
Not sure when you got yours or which version it is but ours did not have that capability (purchased late 2019). That being said, they do update\add features pretty often.
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
The mini has always had a 3-axis gimbal with controls for UP-DOWN
Here is a review of the first generation, back in 2019
www.engadget.com
If for some reason you did not have the controls, it was likely an app issue, or a firmware update that you didnt do.
Here is a review of the first generation, back in 2019
DJI Mavic Mini review: A tiny drone with big ambitions
What a difference four years make in the world of drones. If you spot someone with an iPhone 6s today, you'd barely flinch. But if you see someone rocking a Phantom 3, it feels quaint thanks to the major advances in size, weight and power. Enter the Mavic Mini ($399), the company's most...
www.engadget.com
If for some reason you did not have the controls, it was likely an app issue, or a firmware update that you didnt do.