DJI Mini 3 and 4 Pro

[John Gaffen]

Has anybody  got experience with either of these two drones?  Have you manages to submit any aerial images from them that pass Alamy QC? I'm asking because these drones are sub 250grams, and consequently  can be flown closer to people of property that a larger, heavier DJI drone.  I am considering purchasing one of these small drones, but the decider would be the quality of the images they produce and wether they would meet Alamy QC standards? 

 

Thanks

 

John G. 

[sb photos]

4 hours ago, John Gaffen said:

Has anybody  got experience with either of these two drones?  Have you manages to submit any aerial images from them that pass Alamy QC? I'm asking because these drones are sub 250grams, and consequently  can be flown closer to people of property that a larger, heavier DJI drone.  I am considering purchasing one of these small drones, but the decider would be the quality of the images they produce and wether they would meet Alamy QC standards? 

 

Thanks

 

John G. 

 

I have been thinking along the same lines as you John, initially re the DJI Mini 3, and now the DJI Mini 4 as well. Am following this thread with interest.

[Allan Bell]

18 hours ago, John Gaffen said:

Has anybody  got experience with either of these two drones?  Have you manages to submit any aerial images from them that pass Alamy QC? I'm asking because these drones are sub 250grams, and consequently  can be flown closer to people of property that a larger, heavier DJI drone.  I am considering purchasing one of these small drones, but the decider would be the quality of the images they produce and wether they would meet Alamy QC standards? 

 

Thanks

 

John G. 

 

14 hours ago, sb photos said:

 

I have been thinking along the same lines as you John, initially re the DJI Mini 3, and now the DJI Mini 4 as well. Am following this thread with interest.

 

I do not fly drones but I did used to build and fly model aircraft some years ago. Drones were coming in at the time I ended my participation in the sport.

 

If I remember correctly even with sub 250 gram drones you will still have to register with the authorities as a drone pilot.

 

Allan

 

[sb photos]

5 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

 

I do not fly drones but I did used to build and fly model aircraft some years ago. Drones were coming in at the time I ended my participation in the sport.

 

If I remember correctly even with sub 250 gram drones you will still have to register with the authorities as a drone pilot.

 

Allan

 

 

For sub 250gm drones you only have to register for a reference number that I believe has to be attached to the drone. No license, training or exam required. Easy peasy. 

[Sultanpepa]

Would contributor relations not be able to advise you of their suitability?

[spacecadet]

1/1.3" is a tiny sensor, about 9x12mm, a quarter the size of APS-C, with a fixed lens. The odds are against it having a ghost of a chance with QC. As SP says you could ask, but as there's no longer a list of unsuitable cameras you may not find out until you fail QC. Or wait for someone who has regularly got them through QC, not just by chance in a sub where they were missed.

[Rebecca Ore]

My undrstanding is the minimum sensor size is the one inch one that's in the various small pocketable Sony fix zoom lens cameras. 

[GP Essex]

Purchased a Mini 2 in spring last year and a couple of months ago I upgraded from to a Mini 3 Pro and for stills I don't feel it's worth the upgrade. For film it produces superb images, the stills, despite being 48mp it doesn't come across that different to the Mini2 (and we all know that it's not just about the pixel count)

I have some images on here from the Mini 2, they all passed QC, and I have sold some. But there's little room to crop anything. It does have it's limitations, as does the Mini 3 pro. they're ok in average winds, up to 20ish knots. Neither do low light at all well (angle of sun as well as lumens) So no stunning sunsets etc. Fixed wide aparture lens, F1.7, battery lasts 15 or so mins on the Mini2,  20 or so on the 3 Pro. But this varies a lot depending on the wind. Sat hovering it lasts a lot longer than moving around. Mini 3 Pro is noticeably quieter than the Mini 2.

If you're after catching stills of moving objects, panning one of these smoothly is harder than panning a camera. 

You're meant to keep it within "visual line of sight" at all times. which can be limiting. The max altitude for these is 120 metres, which is ample, if doing aerial shots of buildings etc you don't need that much altitude to be honest

I considered going for a larger model, but as the sub250g category exists the same across the EU and pretty much all of the rest of Europe I kept with that, as it's much easier for travelling, as there's minimal rules & regs.

It's come in very useful for the work I do on illustrated feature articles for magazines, another string to my bow that most other photojournalists don't have. But looking back I'd have probably kept with the Mini 2 if I had known they image quality wasn't that much of an upgrade. There's quite a big price difference. And if you're doing it seriously you need at least 2 batteries, a set of ND filters, and spare propellor blades, which all add to the initial cost. A separate charger that can do the second battery is also useful, I keep it charging off a power bank whilst flying with the other battery. 

Mini 2 can be purchased new for about £300, 3 Pro is over £600. 

Several drone geek channels on Youtube suggest that there's plenty of additional income to be had from doing video & stills for folks like estate agents - though then you will need commercial insurance. Ordinary 3rd party insurance can be obtained by joining one of the drone clubs.

I'm still not sure if it's worth it for stock photos on their own. I do some work for magazines, and they certainly like that added aspect, and for film making & stock video it's useful. 

Hindsight being the only useful science, I'd stick with the Mini 2 for what I do now. If I was being serious about doing just stills in the UK only I'd probably go for a bigger drone that had a decent size sensor. Though be aware that the CAA is reviewing the drone regs in the UK, they just had a consultation that ended a month ago, categories etc may be changing in a couple of years.



 

[NYCat]

These threads about drones always make me think of George Steinmetz who specializes in aerial photography from a motorized paraglider. The old-fashioned way. I wonder how much drones have cut into his business.  He uses drones himself now. https://www.georgesteinmetz.com/about

 

Paulette

Edited October 4, 2023 by NYCat

[sb photos]

15 hours ago, GP Essex said:

Purchased a Mini 2 in spring last year and a couple of months ago I upgraded from to a Mini 3 Pro and for stills I don't feel it's worth the upgrade. For film it produces superb images, the stills, despite being 48mp it doesn't come across that different to the Mini2 (and we all know that it's not just about the pixel count)

I have some images on here from the Mini 2, they all passed QC, and I have sold some. But there's little room to crop anything. It does have it's limitations, as does the Mini 3 pro. they're ok in average winds, up to 20ish knots. Neither do low light at all well (angle of sun as well as lumens) So no stunning sunsets etc. Fixed wide aparture lens, F1.7, battery lasts 15 or so mins on the Mini2,  20 or so on the 3 Pro. But this varies a lot depending on the wind. Sat hovering it lasts a lot longer than moving around. Mini 3 Pro is noticeably quieter than the Mini 2.

If you're after catching stills of moving objects, panning one of these smoothly is harder than panning a camera. 

You're meant to keep it within "visual line of sight" at all times. which can be limiting. The max altitude for these is 120 metres, which is ample, if doing aerial shots of buildings etc you don't need that much altitude to be honest

I considered going for a larger model, but as the sub250g category exists the same across the EU and pretty much all of the rest of Europe I kept with that, as it's much easier for travelling, as there's minimal rules & regs.

It's come in very useful for the work I do on illustrated feature articles for magazines, another string to my bow that most other photojournalists don't have. But looking back I'd have probably kept with the Mini 2 if I had known they image quality wasn't that much of an upgrade. There's quite a big price difference. And if you're doing it seriously you need at least 2 batteries, a set of ND filters, and spare propellor blades, which all add to the initial cost. A separate charger that can do the second battery is also useful, I keep it charging off a power bank whilst flying with the other battery. 

Mini 2 can be purchased new for about £300, 3 Pro is over £600. 

Several drone geek channels on Youtube suggest that there's plenty of additional income to be had from doing video & stills for folks like estate agents - though then you will need commercial insurance. Ordinary 3rd party insurance can be obtained by joining one of the drone clubs.

I'm still not sure if it's worth it for stock photos on their own. I do some work for magazines, and they certainly like that added aspect, and for film making & stock video it's useful. 

Hindsight being the only useful science, I'd stick with the Mini 2 for what I do now. If I was being serious about doing just stills in the UK only I'd probably go for a bigger drone that had a decent size sensor. Though be aware that the CAA is reviewing the drone regs in the UK, they just had a consultation that ended a month ago, categories etc may be changing in a couple of years.
 

 

A most interesting reply, just what I was hoping for. Last week I was staying with my sister in Yorkshire, she and her husband don't own a drone but often go on photographic outings with someone who does. They fly a larger drone than I would budget for and all 3 are licensed to fly it. It's a shame one of their trips didn't take place while I was there.

[John Gaffen]

Thanks all  for you input and experience  with the DJI Mini drones

[BradleyPhoto]

I find the Mini 3 pro images sell well for news and turn into repeat sellers later on as stock. 
no issue with qc so long as one takes images in decent conditions and don’t over process them. 
video footage very good and sells well with minimal processing too.