I didnt think I would do it, but I just sold my Mini 3 Pro on Facebook. I decided to put it on the market and invest in Mavic air2 S as a backup drone. I may purchase a Mini 3 Pro again later but for now I can't afford to have this drone flying unless its working as expected with reliable firmware. The range issue was not the problem, the poor delivery of firmware updates is the issue. I have fully advised the new owner ( a local video producer ) of the shortcomings with the drone and he is completely of the understanding.

Cya Mini 3 Pro forum. Have fun. The GLOBAL HAWK is moving to a new airbase.

dont blame you.  thinking about selling mine as well.  haven't opened it yet so not sure when i can get to it.

'poor delivery of firmware updates'??? You have no idea how much poorer it is in the Mavic3 camp

Sad you had to sell it but you are going to really like the Air 2S.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 7-5 15:08
Sad you had to sell it but you are going to really like the Air 2S.

Yes, I know. I have an AIR 2 already and had purchased mini 3 as a backup. Its not reliable enough for me at the moment with jobs and cant afford issues so easier to ditch it and get an alternate backup unit.


Cheers,

GLOBAL HAWK Posted at 7-5 15:11
Yes, I know. I have an AIR 2 already and had purchased mini 3 as a backup. Its not reliable enough for me at the moment with jobs and cant afford issues so easier to ditch it and get an alternate backup unit.

I have the Air 2 also.  But when the Air 2S came out I wanted the upgrades, especially the camera upgrade.  I like DJI drones but I also have a Skydio 2+ that i use exclusively for sport's tracking.  Grandson races gokarts and motorcylces and it works fantastic for that purpose.  DJI has a bit better cameras but they can't touch the tracking ability of the Skydio 2+.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 7-5 15:53
I have the Air 2 also.  But when the Air 2S came out I wanted the upgrades, especially the camera upgrade.  I like DJI drones but I also have a Skydio 2+ that i use exclusively for sport's tracking.  Grandson races gokarts and motorcylces and it works fantastic for that purpose.  DJI has a bit better cameras but they can't touch the tracking ability of the Skydio 2+.

agreed dji can't touch the skydio in tracking; had mine out today....it's a small miracle.

DowntownRDB Posted at 7-5 15:53
I have the Air 2 also.  But when the Air 2S came out I wanted the upgrades, especially the camera upgrade.  I like DJI drones but I also have a Skydio 2+ that i use exclusively for sport's tracking.  Grandson races gokarts and motorcylces and it works fantastic for that purpose.  DJI has a bit better cameras but they can't touch the tracking ability of the Skydio 2+.

A friend has the Skydio 2+, and while I agree it's tracking capabilities are generally on another level, in certain circumstances (through and under overhanging trees seems to be the main one) it tracks like a drunken sailor whereas DJI tracking is much smoother. Would be perfect for what you are using it for though!

All drones have their quirks.  The key is to match the quirks of the drone up with the quirks of the owner!  Good luck finding your drone animal spirit!

Hello there GLOBAL HAWK. I am sorry to read and to know about your DJI Mini 3 Pro and thank you for reaching out. Again, thank you for your support and keep flying.

forbsie Posted at 7-5 19:10
A friend has the Skydio 2+, and while I agree it's tracking capabilities are generally on another level, in certain circumstances (through and under overhanging trees seems to be the main one) it tracks like a drunken sailor whereas DJI tracking is much smoother. Would be perfect for what you are using it for though!

yeah skydio looks crazy from standing outside but you really cannot tell that much when you watch back the video.  drone is flying all over the place but guess what?  not so bad:

Buying and owning the drone is an emotional business - do not like it - sell it - like it - crave it and buy it.
I like Mini 3 so much I almost stopped flying my Mavic 3 despite it being a lot better in all respects but weight and size and Air 2S for me was the faster-sold drone I ever owned - 14 flights and I put him on the market - hope for You it will be different!
Wish You good luck!

Sorry to learn you've had a disappointing experience with it. So Long!

TonyPHX Posted at 7-5 19:30
All drones have their quirks.  The key is to match the quirks of the drone up with the quirks of the owner!  Good luck finding your drone animal spirit!

An accurate observation

Blériot53 Posted at 7-5 22:07
Sorry to learn you've had a disappointing experience with it. So Long!

Hi, no my experience isn't disappointment. Its just legally I need a drone which is effective and reliable and the past month of reading forums posts, I dont feel confident in using the drone in the jobs I am tasked to complete for fear of drone failure. Basically, if I was playing around the local park lands I would keep it, but I need a reliable tool that I dont have to second guess. At this point its $1299 sitting there with one battery and the potential for flawed firmware to put my work at higher risk. I sold it for $1100 so no big loss.

I know the Air 2 s is a solid and well updated performer so it will take backup position.


Cheers.

GLOBAL HAWK Posted at 7-5 22:49
Hi, no my experience isn't disappointment. Its just legally I need a drone which is effective and reliable and the past month of reading forums posts, I dont feel confident in using the drone in the jobs I am tasked to complete for fear of drone failure. Basically, if I was playing around the local park lands I would keep it, but I need a reliable tool that I dont have to second guess. At this point its $1299 sitting there with one battery and the potential for flawed firmware to put my work at higher risk. I sold it for $1100 so no big loss.

I know the Air 2 s is a solid and well updated performer so it will take backup position.

OK I see the need for rock-solid reliability in a professional
Don't be a stranger to the forum however.
The more input we get, the better

Blériot53 Posted at 7-5 23:08
OK I see the need for rock-solid reliability in a professional
Don't be a stranger to the forum however.
The more input we get, the better

No, I am not leaving forum. Will tinker around the Mini 3 Pro forum to see how things progress. I do have slight regret selling, but it is what it is. I really believe DJI could have made a better decision to real world test the drone and many of their other drones before public release. I feel they and many other manufacturers like gopro seem to rush to the market when in actual fact they really dont have any competitor at their level to compete with. This little drone should have been released at the end of 2022 with plenty of time to real world test. Even for non-professional users, I would be very cautious with this firmware and would not update to the next until it is documented to be safe.  Flying a drone with potentially flawed software is like letting a large dog loose at a childrens play ground. It may not bite anyone, but the potential is there if the dogs mind is not correct because of its upbringing. A bit like the drones firmware, we still don't know what its capable of doing should it fail further.

GLOBAL HAWK Posted at 7-5 23:32
No, I am not leaving forum. Will tinker around the Mini 3 Pro forum to see how things progress. I do have slight regret selling, but it is what it is. I really believe DJI could have made a better decision to real world test the drone and many of their other drones before public release. I feel they and many other manufacturers like gopro seem to rush to the market when in actual fact they really dont have any competitor at their level to compete with. This little drone should have been released at the end of 2022 with plenty of time to real world test. Even as a non-professional user, I would be very cautious with this firmware and would not update to the next until it is documented to be safe.  Flying a drone with potentially flawed software is like letting a large dog loose at a childrens play ground. It may not bite anyone, but the potential is there if the dogs mind is not correct because of its upbringing. A bit like the drones firmware, we still don't know what its capable of doing should it fail further.

I have my fingers crossed on that score

So sorry you sold it but if you are doing professional work with your drone I am surprised that £850 is such a big issue. I would have thought 2 jobs would have paid that

The Saint Posted at 7-5 21:07
yeah skydio looks crazy from standing outside but you really cannot tell that much when you watch back the video.  drone is flying all over the place but guess what?  not so bad:

https://youtu.be/S6tEV04dTZY

I'm certainly not trying to disparage Skydio .. their tracking ability is outstanding, but I have witnessed quite pronounced course corrections that are evident on the captured video under the conditions mentioned in my previous post. My Air 2 took a more direct course (i.e. more pleasing in the video). The reason for this may be the Air 2 is erring on the side of caution due to lack of side sensors.

Bigplumbs Posted at 7-6 00:11
So sorry you sold it but if you are doing professional work with your drone I am surprised that £850 is such a big issue. I would have thought 2 jobs would have paid that

The money is not the issue, i just needed a reliable second unit drone. Why leave a $1299 drone sitting there for the occasional park fly which I dont bother with anyways. Drones for me are like tools in a toolbox. They only come out when a job is asking for drone footage. I am totally over the whole recreational drone flying. Here in Australia I work in an environment where we are filming motosport, commercial, corporate on any given day of the week. A lot of operators have dropped down to smaller drones as their quality is totally acceptable for TV standards and online content. You may have missed the point that I am not comfortable flying a potentially flawed drone in a work environment. The air 2 we use has flown megaloads of hours and keeps on going. Also, we only updated the firmware when purchased a few years ago, so its still untouched software wise.

Cheers

forbsie Posted at 7-6 00:17
I'm certainly not trying to disparage Skydio .. their tracking ability is outstanding, but I have witnessed quite pronounced course corrections that are evident on the captured video under the conditions mentioned in my previous post. My Air 2 took a more direct course (i.e. more pleasing in the video). The reason for this may be the Air 2 is erring on the side of caution due to lack of side sensors.

Yes lack of side sensors is a pain. The style of shots ordered by the DOP dont normally encompass slide movements. As odd as it sounds, when filming for clients you try to fly so the shot doesnt look like a drone shot....i know it sounds weird but sometimes drone shots look cheesy.

The Saint Posted at 7-5 17:27
agreed dji can't touch the skydio in tracking; had mine out today....it's a small miracle.

Indeed it is.  

forbsie Posted at 7-5 19:10
A friend has the Skydio 2+, and while I agree it's tracking capabilities are generally on another level, in certain circumstances (through and under overhanging trees seems to be the main one) it tracks like a drunken sailor whereas DJI tracking is much smoother. Would be perfect for what you are using it for though!

I haven't tried it on trails, etc so I can't say how it does there.  However, for tracking a gokart or a motorcycle during a race it does fantastic.  It is interesting that Skydio is leaning more into the commercial market, especially in the law enforcement field.  

I don't mind supporting DJI and Skydio.