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DJI Mini 4 Pro

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Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro

#141

Post by dreamcompiler »

ben7799 wrote: post #22

I've had the original Mini since it came out. Other than damaging a prop from it hitting a blade of grass on landing it is in perfect shape. Yes, they are so fragile I landed very smoothly in the grass and soft grass is enough to damage the props! I don't fly it as much as I used to. These new ones are certainly an engineering marvel with how much they have added and still kept it under 249g. The big one to me though…

I'd like to find a good competitor too, and not just because of the geofencing. DJI has been identified as a national security threat by the US DOD, essentially because there's no way to be sure that every second of GPS-tagged video shot by a DJI drone isn't going into a giant server farm owned by the Chinese intelligence service.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/270608...

Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro

#143

Post by mlindner »

roshin wrote: post #138
ben7799 wrote: post #22

I've had the original Mini since it came out. Other than damaging a prop from it hitting a blade of grass on landing it is in perfect shape. Yes, they are so fragile I landed very smoothly in the grass and soft grass is enough to damage the props! I don't fly it as much as I used to. These new ones are certainly an engineering marvel with how much they have added and still kept it under 249g. The big one to me though…

Do you have a recommendation of a drone with similar features that doesn't require jailbreaking?

I've heard good things about Skydio.

Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro

#144

Post by steve_adams_86 »

GenerocUsername wrote: post #50
ramenmeal wrote: post #21

Streaming 1080p/60fps up to 20km wirelessly is mind boggling to me. What kind of tech is used to make that happen? seems like it'd require a lot of power.

First off, those numbers are a huge asterisk for perfect atmospheric conditions. In reality you will see about a 2km max in relatively clear conditions, and as few as half a km in even normal suburban/urban conditions.

This is my experience with the mini 3. It’s incredible for sure, but once some trees and/or structures are in the way, it falls apart in a hurry.

Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro

#145

Post by bri3d »

roshin wrote: post #138
ben7799 wrote: post #22

I've had the original Mini since it came out. Other than damaging a prop from it hitting a blade of grass on landing it is in perfect shape. Yes, they are so fragile I landed very smoothly in the grass and soft grass is enough to damage the props! I don't fly it as much as I used to. These new ones are certainly an engineering marvel with how much they have added and still kept it under 249g. The big one to me though…

Do you have a recommendation of a drone with similar features that doesn't require jailbreaking?

Autel drones tend to fall around a generation behind DJI's in terms of capability, and they don't have geofencing. Unfortunately, they are much more expensive like-for-like and if you are also concerned about China, they share the same China-problems.

There are no US or European drones that really come close, unfortunately. Parrot are 2-3+ generations behind DJI in terms of capability: wireless link, camera, and even basic flight stability are all quite a distance behind. Skydio had unique autonomy capabilities which were really cool but were a long way behind in controller capability, camera, and wireless tech and exited the consumer market.

Honestly, DJI no-fly zones in the US are not too onerous in my opinion - most of the places that are banned probably should be banned. I would recommend a DJI drone with a standalone remote (to avoid needing to install DJI apps on your phone). However, generally speaking in Europe their no fly zones are more restrictive and can be quite frustrating.

Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro

#147

Post by steve_adams_86 »

brentm wrote: post #74

I always look at these and think I want one but also can't think of what i'd actually use it for. I just picture it sitting in a closet next to my GoPro and Oculus after about 3 days of messing around. Anyone own one? What do you use it for?

I use a mini 3 with my son. He likes to edit together footage and make little movies, I like to explore new areas. It’s tough if you can’t go to relatively private areas; it’s not cool to annoy people with these things. We typically get it high enough not to hear it as quickly as possible in case anyone is around, which can be a bit limiting.

Even so, it’s incredible to get so much perspective. I’ve learned so much about the places we visit from the aerial footage. The videos my son makes are pretty cool, too. Overall I wouldn’t expect one to be life changingly awesome, but I’m glad we got it.

Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro

#148

Post by cheesemayo »

hashtag-til wrote: post #53
cheesemayo wrote: post #47

Beware that DJI's software to control these craft is super sketchy to install and use. It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection.

I don’t have any of these, but is the software some apk you download, and at that point can’t that be inspected?

The APK is a thin shell that downloads even more code to execute, from the internet. So, what you download and inspect isn't what's executed, and what you execute now might be different in 5 minutes.

Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro

#149

Post by nicbou »

photonbeam wrote: post #44
ben7799 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mini is pretty damn quiet. At 50ft of altitude people don't hear it. AT 100ft of altitude people don't even see it. I've flown one hundreds of times and other than other drone owners no one has ever said a thing or noticed. The drone owners notice and come over to talk drones.

Lots of people avoid confrontation

There's the "if you're breaking this social convention, I'm not willing to figure out how many others you'll break" problem.

Re: DJI Mini 4 Pro

#150

Post by grecy »

Sohcahtoa82 wrote: post #34

I've been looking forward to the release of the Mini 4 Pro so I can hopefully get a Mini 3 Pro on the cheap. I want something that can autonomously follow me on my mountain bike or follow my RC car as it goes over jumps for under $500.

I read the article and watched the video, I'm not sure that the Mini Pro 4 or 3 have true "follow me" ability.

I saw the Mini Pro 4 has "Active Track 360", but I think that is just going to fly a 360 around whatever you choose and follow it as it goes.

I have the OG mini, and it certainly can't just "follow me" as I ride my mountain bike wherever. It's purely a software limitation to offer segmentation for their more expensive drones

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