Help me decide - questions I can't find answers to

[PretendPilot]

All right - I have slept on it (and, of course, spent far too much of my kid-free time looking over Youtube videos again) and I have decided.

Before revealing what I am SURE is something that has kept you all awake in anticipation for days, I want to thank everyone again for their thoughtful and kind replies. It's really nice to see this kind of support, and on the Internet of all places!

So, without any further ado, I am going to order:

The Skydio 2 Plus.

What put it there for me were the following:

- I realized that I was totally happy with my GoPro Hero 8 footage for what I am doing, which is mostly to document family outings in Alaska. It was "good enough," and the Skydio should have similar output, based on what I am seeing.

- When I put it all together, I needed simplicity. Though I would love to have the time to practice my flying skills, I have two young kids (one of whom is NOT a sleeper) so I have limited "non-kid" time. The keyframe option really allows for the type of cinematic shots I would use without the need for being a great pilot.

- I realized that I rarely think about shooting at night, so in the end I think that will be OK. Still would like to get footage of the northern lights from cool angles, but I can live without it. For now.

- I do enough active stuff like mountain biking, hiking up mountains, trail running, snowmachining, and other things (sometimes alone) that having the Skydio would be really cool.

- I like not having the geofencing

The things I know I'll miss about the 2s and Mavic 3:
- The unwavering connection
- The spectacular and vivid imaging (in comparison to the Skydio)
- Some of the special abilities such as rotating around objects that the Skydio won't recognize as a tracking point
- The nighttime ability
- Probably more things

Ordering now.

Once again, thank you all. I'll check in once I get the Skydio!

 

[kenmavic2zoom]

good choice, pretty sure you will love the skydio 2+. you can read the other threads to see all of our experiences with the drone so far and personally i suggest you get the pro kit because it comes with everything you need (beacon is a must) and especially Skydio Care

 

[PretendPilot]

good choice, pretty sure you will love the skydio 2+. you can read the other threads to see all of our experiences with the drone so far and personally i suggest you get the pro kit because it comes with everything you need (beacon is a must) and especially Skydio Care

Good advice - after all of the reading/watching I've done, I jumped for the full-blown Cinema kit with a 2yr Skydio Care. It helped that I was just able to sell my older point-and-shoot camera to fund the upgrade.

Worst case scenario: As noted by others like Sky Cyclist, I can just sell it if things go poorly!

 

[RiverEagle]

Good advice - after all of the reading/watching I've done, I jumped for the full-blown Cinema kit with a 2yr Skydio Care. It helped that I was just able to sell my older point-and-shoot camera to fund the upgrade.

Worst case scenario: As noted by others like Sky Cyclist, I can just sell it if things go poorly!

Sounds like a plan! As mentioned you have a 30 day period to play with it and decide if you want to send it back for full refund. Clock starts day you get it.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Ray

 

[Sky Cyclist]

Good advice - after all of the reading/watching I've done, I jumped for the full-blown Cinema kit with a 2yr Skydio Care. It helped that I was just able to sell my older point-and-shoot camera to fund the upgrade.

Worst case scenario: As noted by others like Sky Cyclist, I can just sell it if things go poorly!

Yes, you got it.

As long as Skydio's 10-15 business-day shipping policy continues, it is quite easy to sell the Skydio 2/2+ drone at a reasonable price and in a short time.

So, even in the worst case, it will not cost too much money. Just doing it carefully is in your best interest and also people who live in the US.

However, pls be noted, the Skydio Care is not transferable, totally not transferable, you can sell the drone but not the Care in any means.

The 30-day return period is truly the most important next step.

https://support.skydio.com/hc/en-us/articles/4414198246555-Skydio-Care-Frequently-Asked-Questions

The things I know I'll miss about the 2s and Mavic 3:
- The unwavering connection
- The spectacular and vivid imaging (in comparison to the Skydio)
- Some of the special abilities such as rotating around objects that the Skydio won't recognize as a tracking point
- The nighttime ability
- Probably more things

1. Connection -- new Skydio 2+ has improved a lot and it is quite ok now. Well, Skydio 2 is also quite ok and it just takes some time to learn how to use its strength.

2. Image quality -- This difference is relatively significant in still images. If it is talking about the dynamic video with or without post-processing, it would be another story. Skydio will bring you unique video footage. You will enjoy it.

3. I think it is still able to make with KeyFrames and it could be quite easy to make.

4. Night scenery -- I have no experience with this topic.

5. Fly it with creativity and it should be fine. The Skydio 2+ is a good drone. Take advantage of its strengths.

 

[Matrixxdg]

All right - I have slept on it (and, of course, spent far too much of my kid-free time looking over Youtube videos again) and I have decided.

Before revealing what I am SURE is something that has kept you all awake in anticipation for days, I want to thank everyone again for their thoughtful and kind replies. It's really nice to see this kind of support, and on the Internet of all places!

So, without any further ado, I am going to order:

The Skydio 2 Plus.

What put it there for me were the following:

- I realized that I was totally happy with my GoPro Hero 8 footage for what I am doing, which is mostly to document family outings in Alaska. It was "good enough," and the Skydio should have similar output, based on what I am seeing.

- When I put it all together, I needed simplicity. Though I would love to have the time to practice my flying skills, I have two young kids (one of whom is NOT a sleeper) so I have limited "non-kid" time. The keyframe option really allows for the type of cinematic shots I would use without the need for being a great pilot.

- I realized that I rarely think about shooting at night, so in the end I think that will be OK. Still would like to get footage of the northern lights from cool angles, but I can live without it. For now.

- I do enough active stuff like mountain biking, hiking up mountains, trail running, snowmachining, and other things (sometimes alone) that having the Skydio would be really cool.

- I like not having the geofencing

The things I know I'll miss about the 2s and Mavic 3:
- The unwavering connection
- The spectacular and vivid imaging (in comparison to the Skydio)
- Some of the special abilities such as rotating around objects that the Skydio won't recognize as a tracking point
- The nighttime ability
- Probably more things

Ordering now.

Once again, thank you all. I'll check in once I get the Skydio!

Hey PP, Let me know how it goes. After living in Anchorage and Fairbanks for many years I would be concerned about the 6 months with little to no sun. I am not sure where you live. The wife and I go to Alaska every year to visit family and I was definitely going to take my 2+ -MG-

 

[Anna's Dad]

DJI drones are technically good, but I just couldn't buy from them given their human rights, data collection, and geofencing issues. Skydio is an excellent alternative and has none of those concerns. Best wishes.

 

[jamez247]

I am in the market for a new drone after a less-than-savory experience with the GoPro Karma, which found its best use in helping me string Christmas lights over a 60ft tree.

Plan to use a new drone for the next several years, mostly just for family trips and various Alaskan sports/hiking/camping.

Been looking at reviews and nitpicks of lots of drone options but have a few questions that I cannot find easy answers to.

The 3 drones I have it whittled down to are the Skydio 2 Plus, Mavic Air 2S, and Mavic 3 (just the base kit with 1 battery). I know the Mavic 3 is much more expensive, but by the time you get all of the accessories for the Skydio 2+, it's pretty close to the base Mavic 3.

I know all the pros and cons of the various imaging and obstacle avoidance of these drones (and limitations) and have become OCD enough that I'm keeping a spreadsheet of this info, but have some comparison questions for those of you with the Skydio 2+.

- Mavic 3 seems to suck right now at getting in the air quickly due to slow GPS lock (sometimes minutes before safe flight can occur). Not an issue on Mavic Air 2S. How long does it typically take for the Skydio 2+ to calibrate itself and take off from the point that you want to fly it? (I would probably start with the sport kit using Beacon connected to my iphone for manual movement, though considering going for the controller as well).

- It doesn't look like the Skydio ever needs a manual calibration - is that true? (My Karma constantly needed calibration and still lost GPS and signal all the time - Ugh). For those who have have experience with DJI drones, do they need to be calibrated often? I really want to be able to take the drone out and quickly get it in the air.

- I see a number of videos that mention flying the Skydio in low light. No one has been able to clarify HOW low that light is before the drone won't fly, probably because it's hard to quantify. Any rules of thumb that seems to hold true?

- This is more of a DJI question, but if anyone has an answer it would be appreciated - I live in Alaska where there are lots of small, unregulated airstrips. Will geofencing with DJI be an issue with those? I know it's not an issue with Skydio.

- Love the new waypoint option with Skydio, really put it up the list for me as I can arrange to do cinematic shots more easily. Anyone compared it to their experience with DJI drones through Litchi?

- A LOT of video I've seen with the Skydio seemed to show more jerky motion when following a subject than similar video from DJI drones, but I also saw that some of the firmware updates over time may have improved that. I understand that this may be due to the Skydio's better obstacle avoidance, but I like smoother video. Anyone have opinions on this?

Probably more questions, but this should give me the info I really need.

Appreciate everyone's thoughts

You mentioned getting the drone up in the air quickly. If that is a big concern, you do not want to go with any DJI. I have the mini, but I hate that you have to ask permission each time you fl;y due to the geofencing. Plus there is the 30 min before dusk and 30 min after dawn or whatever you can fly. I had my mini with me multiple times cause it easy to pack it so small, but I have been shut does a lot want to put in the air for a brief second still plenty of daylight, but I am over their mark time wise, or it will say it can't unlock close the app and restart it. Great to travel with, I assume all the dji drones because they fold. Getting them up is frustrating when you want them up that second.

QUESTION. So you said you live in Alaska, do you live in an area where i is like dusk for 6monthe where it never gets fully bright outside but never really dark? Just think of the DJI when it comes to this because that would suck to be down, causes it doesn't get light enough to fly. I live in AZ and just the other day I tried to get the mini up at my Horus real fast I was right there in time when I may have 30 minutes before DJI won't let me fly it unlocked, but it would let me fly, i kept trying and trying. Spoke to DJI and that is what happened when you get 5 to 10 minutes to at 30 min before dusk cut off. It was still sunny out, so irritating. Jusdt my experiences and thoughts for ya

Skydioi I don't like packing it around all bulky, but that is it for the skydio um, I have had bad customer service with them. I mean real poor , only 4 times I have dealt with them, and it was horrible each time.

 

[onlysublime]

you guys are spoiled. I had a 3DR Solo and that thing felt like years before it connected...

 

[jamez247]

you guys are spoiled. I had a 3DR Solo and that thing felt like years before it connected...

some people call it spoiled, some call it pure joy, I just call it what it is, stepping up in tech. In mean, I did s start out with a paper airplane. LOL!

 

[VEGASROBBI]

In a lot of ways the 3DR Solo is still ahead of the S2. Rock solid cable cam, unsurpassed autonomous flight, Free Look, dynamic height control, Mission Planner...... Check out this old video I did on my Solo:

 

[NEDroner]

Catching-up on this thread.
Sounds like you chose the Skydio 2+. How's it working out?

I started with a GoPro Karma. I actually kinda miss it. Big, loud, and very few automated flight capabilities but the Hero cameras took buttery smooth video and I could fly mine in very high winds w/o incident. I may buy another some day because they are cheap and fun (in a weird, twisted kind of way).

I've had the Karma, a Parrot Anafi, Evo II, and now Skydio 2. I've never owned DJI because (a) I prefer to minimize Chinese iP/content and (b) geofencing.

Every drone I owned required substantial pilot time to learn it's strengths and weaknesses. I'm still learning the Skydio 2 and think it may become my favorite. Having said that, my prior Evo II never let me down. Always worked, never lost gps or controller connections, never behaved unexpectedly, had very effective obstacle avoidance and was ready to fly virtually seconds after unpacking and turning on. The Evo could also track, but the skydio can track WAY better but is more likely to crash when left to it's own flight automation and mine is sometimes loses connection to the beacon.

 

[anthonydotcom]

This thread was an interesting read. I'm fairly new to drones (one year now) but in my limited time I've been exposed to quite a few. Seems like you made the right choice. I think the only thing I was concerned about was that you mentioned low light. I've shot my Skydio, Evo2pro, and an Air2s side by side in really low light (20 mins after sunset) and the Skydio really couldn't hang at all. In good light however it's more than adequate.

One funny thing that happened on that day was my friend went to launch his Air 2s and it was prompting him for a code and refusing to let him take off. He was eventually able to bypass it, but it was annoying to say the least. It's also not the first time his DJI prevented him from taking off. One time was on BLM lands. My drones (autel and skydio) went right up without issue.

I've had my Skydio2+ for close to a month now and I think it's great. It's definitely different than any other drone on the market as it's obvious as soon as it launches that it's made for tracking. The beacon has to be one of the best tech tools I've used in some time. Dragging and dropping a drone is sweet.

One last thing, anyone else notice how loud the skydio 2 is?

 

[Mark C. Gary]

I have experience with the Skydio 2 which is great and nice. The skydio 2+ will be more updated and improved than the skydio2. Especially the battery life and range improvements in the 2+. According to this calculation, Skydio 2+ Is better. But you can save some $ money If you choose the Dji Air 2s. It has almost near-quality features like Skydio 2+. Some users complained about the DJI Air 2s has a software issue. It’s up to you which one you will take, anyway best wishes.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

I'll put in my two cents. I think DJI drones are excellent however I avoid them like the plage. Between no fly zones, cybersecurity, geofencing.... I've been stuck in the middle of nowhere without a drone to fly. I firmly believe the CCP has ties to DJI so it rubs me wrong. As far as capability goes they are excellent and a good choice if that's what you're looking for.

The Autel specs look really good, Autel has a 6K camera and I've read very good reviews about it; but since I have no first hand experience I cannot comment.

Hands down the S2 is the winner if you want top notch tracking. If tracking is a priority get the S2.

I have used DJI tracking since the Phantom 3. Actually the Phantom 3 tracked better than some of the active tracks in my opinion because it used GPS.
I own the original mavic, mavic 2, P4.... None can hold a candle to the S2 when it comes to tracking but the S2 pretty much falls short on everything else.

If tracking is not a priority - but range, being able to fly in low light... is your priority then DJI is a good choice. I do not trust active track, any of them 1, 2.0, 3.0 they all suck imo.

I have the Autel and it's a great 'manual' drone. Good flight time. you can get it up to 47mph which is AMAZING. Good flying at night if needed. The obstacle avoidance and auto tracking features are awful compared to Skydio. Nothing comes close to the Skydio for that. The camera is REALLY good. For me the Autel is the Ying to the Skydio Yang.

I suspect whenever Skydio releases the Skydio 3, we may have the one drone to rule them all. Until then, you have to make compromises.

 

[kenmavic2zoom]

I have the Autel and it's a great 'manual' drone. Good flight time. you can get it up to 47mph which is AMAZING. Good flying at night if needed. The obstacle avoidance and auto tracking features are awful compared to Skydio. Nothing comes close to the Skydio for that. The camera is REALLY good. For me the Autel is the Ying to the Skydio Yang.

I suspect whenever Skydio releases the Skydio 3, we may have the one drone to rule them all. Until then, you have to make compromises.

uh, that's going to be one heck of a drone if the s3 can surpass what a mavic 3 can do today and keep it's oa skills. i have all the faith in skydio but i'm going to go with a "not so much" and not in 2023.

 

[ZombiePhysicist]

uh, that's going to be one heck of a drone if the s3 can surpass what a mavic 3 can do today and keep it's oa skills. i have all the faith in skydio but i'm going to go with a "not so much" and not in 2023.

I think there is a VERY good chance they release the Skydio3 in 2023. The Skydio 2 + is very clearly a minimal bump and stopgap drone IMO. As always, YMMV.

 

[yohdah]

I think there is a VERY good chance they release the Skydio3 in 2023. The Skydio 2 + is very clearly a minimal bump and stopgap drone IMO. As always, YMMV.

Skydio 3 will come out any day now because I just bought the 2+..

 

[kenmavic2zoom]

I think there is a VERY good chance they release the Skydio3 in 2023. The Skydio 2 + is very clearly a minimal bump and stopgap drone IMO. As always, YMMV.

i think so too but it won't rival the mavic3. if skydio actually continues to operate in this consumer space, i think it will take more like 2025 to catch up and compete with the autels and the djis. skydio needs to focus on oa and maintain superiority in that area because dji for sure is gunning for them. if they lose this, no more consumer skydio. and i love this 2+.

 

[Waldo Pepper]

I would be happy to see a controller for Skydio 2+ similar to the Skydio enterprise controller not costing an arm/leg, would definitely order one for my Skydio 2+.

A Smart controller for us regular type fliers not tied in with the enterprise commerical hassle, no monthly/yearly fee, etc.

Current Skydio 2+ range is good, Smart controller would definitely increase signal strength eliminating issues in areas with interference or obstacles. Actually, Can see this happening end of 2022 probably 2023.