1 SO, HOW MANY TIMES DID THE OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE OF ANY DRONE, SAVE YOUR BACON? SHORT DESCRIPTION WOULD BE NICE.2 HOW MANY DRONE PILOTS FLY WITH OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE SWITHCED MOSTLY OFF? OR  MOSTLY ON? I WON,T ASK FOR BOTH, WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TECH GETS USED.
THANKS

I normally keep the sensor on in flight. I fly MA over 100 times but not quite aware the sansor did saving my life things. It does keep me away from obstacle by the annoying beeping.

One case the sensor almost cause me lost the drone. I fly in front of cliff with a small space for take off. Problem is after flying the sensor keep MA away from the landing space. Because trees around the landing place so MA refuse to come close and stay outside the cliff. If I can't fly it back it will land under the cliff and unable to find again. Finally I fly it back on sideway which has no sensor. I will turn off the sensor when fly in this environment.

It didn't save me once since I always try to fly in a way that there is no way of harming my drone by obstacles. The sensors should really be the last second safety.

Quite a few times already and always ON!

Was wondering if the more experienced flyers around here, really have a need for the sensors, or if it is just mostly a "nice to have" feature?

I like flying with the sensors on, but sometimes the sensors literally park my shot. I am mostly using the "red pause brake" on the controller now & flying with the sensors off.

I fly a Mavic Pro which I've crashed 3 times. That's if you only count the times where it actually fell to the ground. I'm not calling minor propeller brushes with branches a crash. Each major crash has been during sideways flight. If the old Mavic Pro had sideways sensors, I'm sure it would've saved 2 of my 3 crashes. Forward collision avoidance never made much sense to me on the old Mavic. That's the LAST direction I want help with - I can see what's in front of me - It's what I'm shooting. I'm really looking forward to the sideways sensors on the Mavic 2. I usually take most of my shots while flying sideways. We don't have many trees around here, but for some reason that's what I always hit.

Only issue that OA saved me from was a branch I didnt see on my screen since I was trying to frame a shot and back OA triggered. Other than that, its just there as a precaution.

Depends on the situation mostly have on though, never really needed it as of yet. Always set it on RTH otherwise the pause button is my friend.

TrevorSK Posted at 2018-8-28 12:49
I fly a Mavic Pro which I've crashed 3 times. That's if you only count the times where it actually fell to the ground. I'm not calling minor propeller brushes with branches a crash. Each major crash has been during sideways flight. If the old Mavic Pro had sideways sensors, I'm sure it would've saved 2 of my 3 crashes. Forward collision avoidance never made much sense to me on the old Mavic. That's the LAST direction I want help with - I can see what's in front of me - It's what I'm shooting. I'm really looking forward to the sideways sensors on the Mavic 2. I usually take most of my shots while flying sideways. We don't have many trees around here, but for some reason that's what I always hit.

If I remember correctly, the side sensors on the MP2 only works in Quikshot mode. Was the two times side sensors would have saved your drone from crashing, while in quikshot mode, or normal flying mode?
I also fly with all sensors on, but only because I am still not experienced enough. Still, I never had one of the sensors help me to not crash, so might as well be off as well.

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 02:26
If I remember correctly, the side sensors on the MP2 only works in Quikshot mode. Was the two times side sensors would have saved your drone from crashing, while in quikshot mode, or normal flying mode?
I also fly with all sensors on, but only because I am still not experienced enough. Still, I never had one of the sensors help me to not crash, so might as well be off as well.

Side sensors on M2 only work in tripod and active track modes, not on quickshots.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-8-29 03:38
Side sensors on M2 only work in tripod and active track modes, not on quickshots.

Nice, even better. Had it wrong, thanks.Does it work in normal flying mode as well?

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 03:44
Nice, even better. Had it wrong, thanks.Does it work in normal flying mode as well?

No unfortunately.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-8-29 03:46
No unfortunately.

Would you say that sensors is a much needed feature for a experience drone pilot? Would you rather buy a drone with better camera for eg, without sensors, or a fair camera, but with sensors?

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-28 11:00
Was wondering if the more experienced flyers around here, really have a need for the sensors, or if it is just mostly a "nice to have" feature?

I feel that I'm still a beginner, as I have less than 50 hours of actual flight time, but feel knowledgeable because I did 3 months of research before even purchasing.

In the vote, i put that the sensors have saved my bacon more than once,  and that I keep the sensors on.  I think that the sensors are a 'nice to have' feature, that you only think about when you find that you needed it.  Once you are comfortable with your aircraft, and truly know it's capability, it becomes more of an extension of you rather than just a flying camera.  

I had to turn the sensors off on a few of my last flights, because they were stopping me from getting the dramatic river shots that I wanted.   In most cases, I'll leave them on, but I'm starting to find myself in many cases where I turn them off just to complete some cases like narrow corridors or riverbeds

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-8-29 03:38
Side sensors on M2 only work in tripod and active track modes, not on quickshots.

That's kind of disappointing.  I use tripod a lot but active track only when i'm playing around with friends and such.  And in those instances, I haven't had the need for any sensors much.

3-D Posted at 2018-8-29 04:00
I feel that I'm still a beginner, as I have less than 50 hours of actual flight time, but feel knowledgeable because I did 3 months of research before even purchasing.

In the vote, i put that the sensors have saved my bacon more than once,  and that I keep the sensors on.  I think that the sensors are a 'nice to have' feature, that you only think about when you find that you needed it.  Once you are comfortable with your aircraft, and truly know it's capability, it becomes more of an extension of you rather than just a flying camera.  

That is the difference between having a lot of experience, and still be a relative newbie. I would love to do some dramatic shots, fly low over water etc, but I don,t have the guts for it yet. I would think that the sensors can get you in some difficult situations if you have it on, flying over water etc?

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 04:06
That is the difference between having a lot of experience, and still be a relative newbie. I would love to do some dramatic shots, fly low over water etc, but I don,t have the guts for it yet. I would think that the sensors can get you in some difficult situations if you have it on, flying over water etc?

yes. having the sensors on did make a few things difficult.  When I was flying through the riverbed, with tree branches hanging over I found that the aircraft would stop and not go forward in many instances, ruining the flowing shot.  I would have to back up and try again, shifting the direction and such.

Also, getting out of the river bed proved to be difficult.  I had to increase the altitude to go over the trees and come down in a clearing instead of going through the trees to get back to where I was standing.  Still, I was appreciative of the sensors because it could have been much worse.  I could have hit one of the tree branches and dropped into the river!

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 04:06
That is the difference between having a lot of experience, and still be a relative newbie. I would love to do some dramatic shots, fly low over water etc, but I don,t have the guts for it yet. I would think that the sensors can get you in some difficult situations if you have it on, flying over water etc?

Flying over open water is different though.   The manual states you shouldn't fly over water because the sensors Vision system can be affected by 'transparent surfaces'.  (in my area, the water is NOT transparent, so i haven't had this issue)

I have flown over lakes and low over the ocean water at beaches with no problems.  when flying over water, I normally stay at least 5 to 10 feet above the water.  That still looks like you are skimming the water when you look at the video

3-D Posted at 2018-8-29 04:04
That's kind of disappointing.  I use tripod a lot but active track only when i'm playing around with friends and such.  And in those instances, I haven't had the need for any sensors much.

I think tripod is a great feature for flying in tight spaces, ie old buildings halls and side sensors are a big help.
In AT where usually controller is filming himself, running walking cycling etc, he tends not to want to look up at Camera as it spoils the look, whatever that is lol. So it is very useful in both these modes and I have from time to time used it in both.
I think the problem with side sensors not being able to detect in normal modes is to do with props getting in the way and there accuracy cannot be guaranteed, so they are not on in sports and P mode. In the two modes they are on in props going much slower, so maybe in the future we will see better sensors that can detect even using props at high speeds.

3-D Posted at 2018-8-29 04:18
yes. having the sensors on did make a few things difficult.  When I was flying through the riverbed, with tree branches hanging over I found that the aircraft would stop and not go forward in many instances, ruining the flowing shot.  I would have to back up and try again, shifting the direction and such.

Also, getting out of the river bed proved to be difficult.  I had to increase the altitude to go over the trees and come down in a clearing instead of going through the trees to get back to where I was standing.  Still, I was appreciative of the sensors because it could have been much worse.  I could have hit one of the tree branches and dropped into the river!

The MA was suppose to fly around objects if detected. Mine just stop and hover in front of them. (No real live experience, tested it out by flying straight to trees etc) Does yours fly around, or do you notice it just stopping most of the time?

3-D Posted at 2018-8-29 04:24
Flying over open water is different though.   The manual states you shouldn't fly over water because the sensors Vision system can be affected by 'transparent surfaces'.  (in my area, the water is NOT transparent, so i haven't had this issue)

I have flown over lakes and low over the ocean water at beaches with no problems.  when flying over water, I normally stay at least 5 to 10 feet above the water.  That still looks like you are skimming the water when you look at the video

So, you would suggest I turn off my sensors, when I fly over the ocean, etc? We do have transparent water here, so might be a problem.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-8-29 04:25
I think tripod is a great feature for flying in tight spaces, ie old buildings halls and side sensors are a big help.
In AT where usually controller is filming himself, running walking cycling etc, he tends not to want to look up at Camera as it spoils the look, whatever that is lol. So it is very useful in both these modes and I have from time to time used it in both.
I think the problem with side sensors not being able to detect in normal modes is to do with props getting in the way and there accuracy cannot be guaranteed, so they are not on in sports and P mode. In the two modes they are on in props going much slower, so maybe in the future we will see better sensors that can detect even using props at high speeds.

Makes sense. Since I could afford motorized transport, I don,t run or cycle that much, lazy.

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 03:50
Would you say that sensors is a much needed feature for a experience drone pilot? Would you rather buy a drone with better camera for eg, without sensors, or a fair camera, but with sensors?

I tend to switch them off sometimes particularly when I know I won’t have obstacles involved in my flight, around people yes always keep them on.
I think they are a great feature starting out and give some peace of mind particularly in RTH , I believe most use them whether they tell you or not, we complain when the set off beeping, because we forget that they always beep for a reason and we are in full control of that.
I do think safety first even before Camera , so money well spent, and you can’t bring sensors into Lightroom to reconfigure your drone lol .

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 04:25
The MA was suppose to fly around objects if detected. Mine just stop and hover in front of them. (No real live experience, tested it out by flying straight to trees etc) Does yours fly around, or do you notice it just stopping most of the time?

the few times that i tried to test this, it just stopped in front of the obstacle.  After the fact, i found that APAS was not turned on.  I've since turned it on, but haven't tested the feature again yet.   (once you have a crash, you tend to stop testing things that may cause a crash.     )

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 04:28
So, you would suggest I turn off my sensors, when I fly over the ocean, etc? We do have transparent water here, so might be a problem.

I would not turn them off.  I would just not think to depend on them. or expect them to keep  you above the water.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-8-29 04:32
I tend to switch them off sometimes particularly when I know I won’t have obstacles involved in my flight, around people yes always keep them on.
I think they are a great feature starting out and give some peace of mind particularly in RTH , I believe most use them whether they tell you or not, we complain when the set off beeping, because we forget that they always beep for a reason and we are in full control of that.
I do think safety first even before Camera , so money well spent, and you can’t bring sensors into Lightroom to reconfigure your drone lol .

True, lightroom and PS won,t fix the hardware....
I see and read of many drone flyers, that fly the racing drones, without any sensors, flying drones like the Anafi etc, and being perfectly happy with it. Flying the older drones, or the Spark, and not really complaining about not having better OA.
Hence the questions.

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 04:25
The MA was suppose to fly around objects if detected. Mine just stop and hover in front of them. (No real live experience, tested it out by flying straight to trees etc) Does yours fly around, or do you notice it just stopping most of the time?

You have to turn on APAS for that to work:

https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/ ... 20Manual%20v1.2.pdf

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 04:40
True, lightroom and PS won,t fix the hardware....
I see and read of many drone flyers, that fly the racing drones, without any sensors, flying drones like the Anafi etc, and being perfectly happy with it. Flying the older drones, or the Spark, and not really complaining about not having better OA.
Hence the questions.

Spark has OA, racing drones don’t need stopping they just crash them then fix them and mostly in controlled areas.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-8-29 04:32
I tend to switch them off sometimes particularly when I know I won’t have obstacles involved in my flight, around people yes always keep them on.
I think they are a great feature starting out and give some peace of mind particularly in RTH , I believe most use them whether they tell you or not, we complain when the set off beeping, because we forget that they always beep for a reason and we are in full control of that.
I do think safety first even before Camera , so money well spent, and you can’t bring sensors into Lightroom to reconfigure your drone lol .

It's always interesting to find the ways that people use their drones.  I have never really wanted to see myself on the camera, let alone have it follow me.  I'm sure it has some really good use, but for me, ActiveTrack is one of the 'novelty' features of it.  One of the features that I don't use

OneDoesNotSimply Posted at 2018-8-29 04:40
You have to turn on APAS for that to work:

https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/Mavic%20Air/20180525/Mavic%20Air%20User%20Manual%20v1.2.pdf

Thanks, I use to know that, but have not used it yet, so my brain got fried.....

3-D Posted at 2018-8-29 04:56
It's always interesting to find the ways that people use their drones.  I have never really wanted to see myself on the camera, let alone have it follow me.  I'm sure it has some really good use, but for me, ActiveTrack is one of the 'novelty' features of it.  One of the features that I don't use

Agree. There are a few things on the MA, that I would gladly trade for something else. One, being follow mode, the others being some, if not all of the Quikshot modes (they were fun in the beginning though.)
I also never use, the hand gesture controls, and don,t see a need to use them at all.  (Being a middle aged woman, no one will confuse me for a JEDI, if i go around controlling objects with my hands...he he he)
I would have loved to have a manual focus function (focus where I want to), shutter control dial on the RC, more camera functions etc. Also, would have liked to have the camera angle being able to tilt up more, like the new MP2. I don,t like the horizon being right in the middle of a image at all.

That,s just me. I know other people love those functions, and would not trade them for anything.
It would be very nice if we could have a frame, with a list of upgrades and functions that we would want, and they will build it to specification.

3-D Posted at 2018-8-29 04:56
It's always interesting to find the ways that people use their drones.  I have never really wanted to see myself on the camera, let alone have it follow me.  I'm sure it has some really good use, but for me, ActiveTrack is one of the 'novelty' features of it.  One of the features that I don't use

Agree. There are a few things on the MA, that I would gladly trade for something else. One, being follow mode, the others being some, if not all of the Quikshot modes (they were fun in the beginning though.)
I also never use, the hand gesture controls, and don,t see a need to use them at all.  (Being a middle aged woman, no one will confuse me for a JEDI, if i go around controlling objects with my hands...he he he)
I would have loved to have a manual focus function (focus where I want to), shutter control dial on the RC, more camera functions etc. Also, would have liked to have the camera angle being able to tilt up more, like the new MP2. I don,t like the horizon being right in the middle of a image at all.

That,s just me. I know other people love those functions, and would not trade them for anything.
It would be very nice if we could have a frame, with a list of upgrades and functions that we would want, and they will build it to specification.

Charissa Posted at 2018-8-29 02:26
If I remember correctly, the side sensors on the MP2 only works in Quikshot mode. Was the two times side sensors would have saved your drone from crashing, while in quikshot mode, or normal flying mode?
I also fly with all sensors on, but only because I am still not experienced enough. Still, I never had one of the sensors help me to not crash, so might as well be off as well.

I was not in Quick shot mode during any sideways accidents. The old Mavic Pro didn't even have Quick shot until a recent firmware update. Sure hope there is a good reason for sideways sensors not being active all the time on the M2P when flying sideways (at least a reason better than a marketing ploy for me to have to upgrade to the Mavic 3 in a few years)

Is it just me, or do other people shoot a lot of footage while flying sideways? I like to move past a subject while keeping the camera on it. It usually gives me the most cinematic of all my footage.  

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-8-29 03:38
Side sensors on M2 only work in tripod and active track modes, not on quickshots.

I wonder why not side sensors in other modes too. Would be great in 'Point of interest' mode, as that's a total sideways maneuver. Also Quick shot - 'Helix' it flies sideways. Doesn't make sense to me why they turn them off for most modes. Seems the front sensors are usually defaulted to on, and that's the sensors I don't need. Any object to the front is going to be in plain view on the screen. Maybe in future firmware updates we'll have more sideways sensing?

Very Good Feature

I almost always fly in sport mode to be able to fly at around 40-45kmh and to have the power usage % in the radar. They should have that showing in gps mode as well in my opinion, it is a very good indicator of what the wind is doing up there