Haye Kesteloo is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at DroneDJ, where he covers all drone-related news and writes product reviews. He also contributes to the other sites in the 9to5Mac group such as; 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, and Electrek.
Haye can be reached at haye@dronedj.com or @hayekesteloo
Only today you can get your hands on a new DJI Mavic 2 Zoom or Pro drone with a $100 rebate on eBay. These promotions are part of a sitewide sale that eBay is running today. The Mavic 2 Pro can be bought for $1,349 shipped from Focus Camera using the promo code PICKSOON during checkout. The Mavic 2 Zoom can be had for $1,149 shipped from BuyDig using the same code.
The FAA’s funding and authorization expire on September 30th. The keep the agency functioning the Senate needs to approve the Reauthorization Bill before the end of the month. Electronic Frontier Foundation points out that the “current bill has been stuffed with last-minute provisions that would strip people of their constitutional rights,” and asks people to join the EFF in saying ‘no’ to the FAA Reauthorization Act.
Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) is urging its members to contact their congressional representatives to vote against the latest version of the FAA Reauthorization Bill of 2018. According to the AMA, the bill includes adjustments to Section 336 (the Special Rule for Model Aircraft) that will create burdensome restrictions on the use of model aircraft. The Senate will be voting on the bill this week.
Good morning, today we have a drone video of an area in North Carolina that has been affected by the flooding from Hurricane Florence. The footage was shot with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro+. I can only imagine how hard many people in those areas must have been hit by both the storm and the flooding. The video has been submitted by James C. who fly his drone there for work. For yesterday’s headlines, we have news about simulated drone strikes or an airplane wing, a passenger drone in the Philippines and the U.S. Border Patrol using drones to watch the border.
Update: In a world-first, two guys compete in flying racing cars
Philippine inventor, Kyxz Mendiola unveiled a passenger drone. He calls it a flying sports car that represents the future of transportation. He drove it out of a warehouse and took off among a cheering crowd, leaving them all in a cloud of dust.
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New numbers in a report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, show that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) flew more drone missions along the U.S. borders than ever before. CBP performed over 5,526 hours of flight in 635 drone flights in fiscal 2017.
Good morning, today we have a video for you that was made with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro to show off the color, contrast and dynamic range that you can get out of this camera. Since we have been talking about resolution so much, it seemed appropriate to show the other side of what this camera can do. Furthermore, in the category news, we have a video explaining the differences between the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom and an updated Litchi app that includes DJI latest drones as well. So, grab your coffee and let’s go!
The YouTube video below compares the resolution of the Mavic 2 Pro FOV (full field-of-view) and HQ 4K video modes to other DJI drones, such as the Mavic Air, Mavic 2 Zoom and the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0.
In these tests, the Phantom outperforms all of the other DJI drones in resolution and clarity, including the Mavic 2 Pro. Understandably this caused a bit of an uproar among drone enthusiasts, especially those who just bought the Mavic 2 Pro with its ‘Hasselblad’ camera and 1-inch sensor.
Many people expected the video footage from the Mavic 2 Pro to be on par with the Phantom 4 Pro, but as you can see in the video that is not quite the case. The video maker suggests that DJI has most likely used line-skipping or possibly pixel binning to either create a barrier between the Mavic 2 Pro and the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 and future Phantom 5 series as a marketing decision.
Or, they decided to go this route to prevent the 1-inch sensor from overheating, which seems like a possibility considering the small packaging of the camera on the Mavic 2 Pro. It is even suggested that this may be the real cause of DJI’s decision to delay the release of the Mavic 2 Pro. We took a closer look at the video and reached out to DJI for an answer. Here’s what they had to say.
Litchi, one of the best known alternative software solutions to fly your DJI drones, just updated their app to include the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro drones. The previous update (version 2.6) from four days ago included support for the new Mavics. The latest update, version 2.6.1 fixes a waypoint curve display issue, according to the company.
Good morning, here are yesterday’s headlines with news about DJI that launched a new Pro brand and awarded Yann Arthus-Bertrand the DJI Master title. Furthermore, DJI upgraded their Amazon store and you can still buy the Mavic 2 Pro at the original, lower price at Apple.com. Lastly, we have a drone (and dive) video from a group of friends who went to the Indonesian Komodo Islands and brought their DJI Mavic Pro ($999) along to get some nice drone footage of the scenery and the Komodo Dragons. Check it out!
In another very good and detailed review from DC Rainmaker about the new GoPro Hero 7, he mentions that the action camera company actually went through the trouble of updating the firmware for the Karma drone and grip to be compatible with the camera’s new features… “For the six people still flying the GoPro Karma drone”, he said with a smirk. Of course there’s more to the new camera so jump right in!
DJI launches DJI Pro brand and acknowledges the famous French aerial photographer and film director, Yann Arthus-Bertrand as the first DJI Master. Arthus-Bertrand is very well known for his UNESCO-sponsored picture book “Earth from Above” that has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. For his upcoming film ‘Woman’ he used the DJI Inspire 2 drone with a Zenmuse X7 camera, supported by a team from DJI. The filmmaker really appreciates the shots you can create with a drone that would be nearly impossible to make any other way.
DJI upgrades their official Amazon store. Not only does it look better now, but it also creates a distinction between other parties selling DJI products and the official DJI store. Making it clear who you are buying your drone or drone accessories from. They even included a ‘Deal‘ page where you can find discounted, often refurbished, products from the world largest drone maker.
Recently, DJI has raised the prices on most Mavic 2 accessories. They also increased the price on the Mavic 2 Pro from $1,449 to $1,499. Many people were caught off guard by the world largest drone maker and it easy to understand why. The Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom drones were revealed on August 23rd. Why would DJI need to raise the price so soon after the introduction? All large online retailers, such as Amazon, B&H, BestBuy followed suit, except Apple. The iPhone maker still offers the Mavic 2 Pro at $1,449.
Good morning! Hopefully, you have had a great weekend? This Monday morning we have a very nice 4K drone video for you of the German city of Cologne. The footage was shot with the DJI Mavic Pro ($999 at DJI store) and shows many parts of the city. As far as the news goes, we have a drone racer’s perspective (Gab707) on the new GoPro Hero 7 and its HyperSmooth feature. A review of the Ryze Tello mini-drone. Dog fighting drones and DJI’s CrystalSky display finally works with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom models ($1,499 and $1,249 at DJI store). Jump right in!
A few days ago, GoPro released their new Hero 7 action camera. Many FPV drone racers use GoPro cameras to capture amazing footage. Just check out some of these clips from the NYC Drone Film Festival earlier this year. Gab707 gives his thoughts on the Hero 7 in a YouTube video that is first, exclusively shared with DroneDJ. Check it out below and find out if the GoPro Hero 7 is the new must-have camera to capture stunning, stabilized aerial footage with your FPV quad.
Since the launch of the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom, people who own the CystalSky displays had been quite frustrated as their displays were not compatible with these new drones. Many of them took to the DJI Forums to express their disappointment and to ask when an update would be available. Since the latest DJI GO 4.3.0 update, that problem has now bee solved and the DJI CrystalSky display works with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom.
Good morning, please welcome Chris Monti and Jack Towne to DroneDJ. They are experienced drone pilots and writers from Half Chrome. You will see more articles from them appear on DroneDJ going forward. Starting with this excellent post on why the Mavic 2 Zoom is the best drone for most people. We’re glad to have them as part of our team. Furthermore, there has been an update for the DJI GO 4 app and we have some amazing drone footage of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017/18. Lastly, we have a beautiful drone video of Cappadocia in the Goreme Valley, Turkey with the fascinating Cardak Underground City. So, grab your coffee and catch up with the latest news from DroneDJ!
Time to update your DJI GO 4 app to version 4.3.2 if you (or your phone) haven’t done so already, to get access to the latest features and improvements from DJI.
Check out some of the best drone video footage of the Volvo Ocean Race 17/18. We have reported on this race before with some amazing drone flying and catching skills. This time the video shows only the best drone footage that was collected during this epic event, in which 65-feet long monohull racing yachts compete. Check it out!
Good morning, have you ever been to Malta? Neither have I, but today you have the chance to see parts of this beautiful historic island through the lens of a DJI Mavic Air. As far as headlines we have news about the British Ministry of Defense that is testing with drones to investigate crime scenes where chemical agents may have been used. And, a very interesting article of a drone that is really inspired by, and flies like an insect. Grab your coffee and jump right in!
UK Ministry of Defense has announced that teams of officers in hazmat suits could be replaced by drones and robots to investigate crime scenes where chemicals were used, such as the novichok poisonings in Salisbury.
TU Delft researchers from the Micro Air Vehicle Laboratory (MAVlab) presented a novel insect-inspired flying robot in Science. In a collaboration with Wageningen University and Research, the scientists developed a first autonomously flying robot that mimics a fruit fly, called the DelFly Nimble. The development of the robot and its exceptional flying capabilities open up new possibilities for drone applications.
Good morning, today’s drone video is from John Kay who has made a short clip of the construction currently underway to build the Rams-Chargers LA Stadium. Projects like these are massive undertakings and it fascinating to watch them build it. Be sure to check it out! As far as yesterday’s headlines, we have news on drones being tested by the NSW Government in Australia to spot sharks. An Intel drone show during the Audi e-tron launch event. New hires for DJI. The DJI Multilink connector shows up in Amsterdam and wireless, in-flight charging for drones. Grab a coffee and jump in!