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Mid-2018 State of the Drone Market – Predictions and more…

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Mid-2018 State of the Drone Market – Predictions and more….

or, 2018 Drone Report…

As of mid-2018 there are a number of factors affecting the current Consumer and “Consumer Enterprise” drone market – some of which we will explore in this article.

Consumer Enterprise – what’s that?

Oh, it’s just a term I made up on the fly. Traditionally, the civilian drone (UAV) market has consisted of a few segments:

1. Toys – generally semi-disposal models to learn on. Some things have changed in this market as the higher ($100-$300) end of this range now features programmable models as well as some equipped with GPS.

2. Consumer Camera Drones – this has been the real driver of sales and profits over the past 4 years and consists of GPS drones with app control and stabilized cameras. Current prices run from $400-$1500, although there are some “prosumer” models at the higher end with better cameras (Phantom 4 Pro).

3. Enterprise Drones – Starting at about 3K (DJI Inspire) and headed up to many 10’s of thousands of dollars, these are typically used for professional videography such as the drone shots you might see on network and streaming hollywood productions. Smaller agricultural and security drones as well as surveying models (with software designed for such) are also part of this group.

My new category, Consumer Enterprise, covers the segment which would appeal to contractors, inspectors and many others who use their drones for various tasks that either make…or save…them money and time. An example would be roofing or landscape development companies, land trusts, solar PV installers and various other construction trades. Up until now, this segment has settled for the consumer models, however their tool budgets allow them to easily step up to better models. These firms, usually relatively small businesses, are accustomed to spending money on better tools even though the consumer grade might do the job in many cases.

Two examples of such products are either available now…or will be very soon. The Phantom 4 Pro with the CrystalSky display offers features which are very important to the contractor – from the better picture and video capabilities to the vastly superior display. The upgraded Obstacle Avoidance system is also a big plus for this group of users, as their pilots may not be as experienced or well trained as those of us who have spent years navigating through trees and wires and other barriers. Another upcoming unit from DJI, the Mavic Pro 2 series, will feature more portability, a zoom lens and even better obstacle avoidance. [Read more…]

DJI PRIME DAY deals – and update on New DJI Mavic 2 (rumored)…

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DJI will reportedly offer discounts up to $300 for drones such as Spark and Mavic Pro as part of the Amazon Prime day promotion. These discounts will start on July 16 at 12 pm EDT and will be valid for 36 hours – discounts will be available on the DJI Store as well as on Amazon – see links lower in article or:
DJI Store – which will show all models and the particular deals…check it from now to and including July 17th.
Mavic Pro – basic and Fly More – At Amazon – https://amzn.to/2uksutr

More below…..

Updates on the consumer drone market – mid-summer, 2018.

Further to the article below regarding a new DJI announcement, the rumor mill – probably accurate in this case – is saying that the new bird will be a higher priced and higher capability Folding Drone – the Mavic Pro 2. Leaked pictures as well as a price list are located here.

Bottom line – buyers on a budget are likely to skip this new model – it appears designed more for prosumers and pros.

Rumored Mavic 2 Prices

Amazon Prime Day super-deals on some DJI Models

US and Canadian buyers are being offered some great pricing on the existing models of DJI consumer camera drones, especially the Mavic Pro which will reportedly be as low as $600 for the basic unit.

Amazon Prime Day starts July 16 and goes for 1 1/2 days. The same deals will be available on the DJI web site…and, if the past is any indication, DJI may offer them for a slightly longer period of time. In any case, you should bookmark these links and put a note in your calendar to start looking approx. July 15.

Mavic Pro – basic and Fly More – At Amazon – https://amzn.to/2uksutr

DJI Store – which will show all models and the particular deals…check it on July 15th or so.

Other new models from Autel and Parrot are shipping

The Autel Evo and the Parrot Anafi are now both available. The Parrot, being lightweight and only $699, is gaining some attention from budget consumers. The Evo provides an alternative for consumers who don’t want the DJI brand…while providing some differences, like a small color monitor built into the remote controller (no phone or tablet needed).

Parrot Anafi – in stock at Amazon Link.

Autel Evo – in stock at Amazon

New Consumer Drones for Summer 2018, Parrot, Autel and DJI entries

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The 2018 consumer drone market is shaping up close to predictions. Sales have leveled off as many potential customers already have a camera drone which is functional enough to serve their needs. Our informal estimates still have this market (The $500-$2000 consumer camera drone mkt.) at these levels:

80% of sales (dollars spent) = DJI
5% each for Parrot, Yuneec and Autel (slices may vary, but at best the 3 total 15%)
5% “other”.

The 3 companies that are in second place are looking to grab a bit more of a market share or at least retain what they already have. To this end, Parrot and Autel have released new models somewhat similar (compact and light) to the DJI Mavic Series. Yuneec is sticking with more expensive machines, some of which are out of the mass consumer price range. These are basically their Typhoon H models with a larger camera sensor and/or modified software. The lack of any mid-size or portable gimbal-based model is a serious ding for Yuneec – and makes it very likely that their sales will lag the other players who seem to be producing what most consumers desire.

Parrot and Autel have both produced brand new models – straight from the drawing board. The Autel unit is named “Evo” while the Parrot entry is christened “Anafi”. As mentioned above, both are compact and feature 4K cameras, albeit with smaller (smartphone sized) camera sensors.

Features and Pricing

From a pure feature perspective, neither of these new compacts rise to the level…or above…that of the DJI Mavic series. For example, neither features advanced obstacle avoidance. Instead, these manufacturers have stressed other advantages. For example, the Parrot Anafi is being sold for a list price of $699, which is $100 or mor under the competition (Mavic Air). It is also very light in weight and claims some decent “follow me” capabilities (to be determined by actual user experience). Another Anafi feature is the ability of the camera to point directly up – allowing for such capabilities as inspection of the underside of various objects.

Parrot Anafi – Folded and Unfolded

The Anafi is shipping now….or very soon. You can order them at Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/2Kzbo1Q

The Autel Evo is being offered at $999. It claims a much longer range than the Parrot model and is probably more comparable to the DJI Mavic Pro. Autel has gained a small following among those who want a reliable camera drone, but for whatever reason don’t want to buy DJI equipment.

Auto Evo Folded and Unfolded

Autel Evo can be purchased at Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/2KvIboE

DJI – “See the Bigger Picture” – New Drone or Drones rumored

As per our article below, DJI has annouced a Launch Event on July 18 and the rumor mill claims the new model may be a “Mavic 2 Pro” – a compact model with a larger sensor. Others have claimed a Phantom 5 or equivalent, which would be a mid-sized model with interchangeable lenses.

Our Advice – For other than the most impatient pilot, it would pay to wait until August or September to make a choice as to an upgraded model. This will allow you to read more unbiased reviews on the Parrot and Autel models as well as see what DJI has up their sleeve.

The serious pilot and prosumer photog probably already has equipment which is “good enough”. However, new drone buyers are going to get more for their money and the longer term pilots will also have more choice when they decide to upgrade or crash/lose their existing models.

DJI Teases new Drone “See the Bigger Picture” for July 18, 2018

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Mavic 2? Phantom 5? – The Rumor Mill says the Mavic Pro 2 is very likely, although it is possible more than one product will be introduced. The MP2 should be a significant upgrade with a larger sensor, more obstacle avoidance and other such tricks. Perhaps a CrystalSky controller would be an option for the more professional Pilot? But the main difference is rumored to be a large sensor for the camera…and perhaps basic zoom capabilities.

DJI has sent out invitations for a NYC launch event for a new product or products. The invitation promises that we will “see the bigger picture” as in the graphic below:

Unlike some other DJI products, there are not yet (as of June 17) any reputable rumors as to exactly what this could be. Our guess, here at Droneflyers.com, is perhaps a Drone with a 360 degree view to take full panoramas. Actually, that may be our #2 guess or tied for #1. Another guess is a model with various lenses (zoom, wide angle, etc.) which can be fitted to it. This has been rumored before as being a potential feature of a “Phantom 5” model.

Others have suggested it could be the Mavic Pro 2 – maybe it has a 1″ sensor and/or wide angle and other features.

Current buying advice – if you have $$ and are considering a Mavic Pro Platinum, it might pay to hold off for a couple weeks. On the other hand, the Mavic Air is quite new and up-to-date, so if this model is in your sights you can probably go ahead and purchase it.

For now we will have to guess…..and wait. We have a forum thread if you want to comment – or leave your FB comments at the bottom of this page. Thanks!

https://www.droneflyers.com/talk/threads/dji-promised-bigger-picture-for-july-18-launch-even-in-nyc.4276/

 

LaCie DJI Copilot Hard Drive – First Look

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LaCie DJI Copilot Hard Drive – First Look – By Droneflyers.com

Unlike the DJI/Segate Fly Drive which we reviewed earlier, the CoPilot is designed to work without the need for a companion computer. This means that Drone and Image/Video pros no longer have to tote a laptop along to enjoy backup and larger storage capacities. As many of us have learned, the newer 4K video files can easily outstrip the storage capabilities of SD and MicroSD cards and even tax our laptops, most of which have only 256G or 512G of SSD storage – and less than 1/2 that after the basic OS and other programs and some photos and music are installed.

What it Does

The LaCie DJI CoPilot has a built in rechargeable battery and numerous ports to allow connection to most any device. It also features a built-in LCD screen which gives status messages. The entire system is controlled by a smartphone or tablet (IOS or Android) and an app provided by LaCie. This app is effectively a File Manager, allowing the copying of various media to the CoPilot drive. In addition to the battery powered storage, the CoPilot can also serve as a USB charger – meaning it can be the single device you bring with your kit into the field. If your phone runs low on power you can plug it into the included full size USB port and quickly gain enough power to get that last great shot or video clip.

In addition to these features, the drive is part of the LaCie Ruggedized line – and also slash and water resistant. It is completely surrounded by thick rubber bumpers which even covers the ports – some of them can even be covered while in use (a small slot in the sides allows the wires to extend out for connection).

Who is it for?

Given the price of $349 (suggested list – street price may be lower), this drive is most suited for those who make income from their drone and/or camera services. Pros are well aware that trusting their data to a single source (the drone MicroSD card, etc.) can be chancy – therefore they often desire to back up “on set”. The Copilot allows them to do so without lugging a larger laptop and external drive. When they get back to their office or studio, they can mount the CoPilot as a hard drive and either use the files directly from it or move them to a desktop machine or other larger storage and editing arrays.

A hobbyist who travels or often gets “once in a lifetime” shots may want to spring for a solution such as this, despite the relatively high cost. After all, losing the footage from that trip to Iceland or Africa would be very disappointing. The same goes for important images such as those taken at weddings and other such events.

Lacie DJI Copilot Drive

Our Experience and Initial Testing

The box, packing and included accessories all indicate a product that was built with quality in mind. Included are the hard drive with a rubberized bumper (built-in battery), a power supply and a number of cables and ports which allow connection tThe o most any phone, tablet, computer, drone, camera or SD/MicroSD card. Plug the power supply in so that you can charge the CoPilot internal battery while you learn the basics.  [Read more…]

Editing your RAW Drone Photos in Apple Photos

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Note- A Mavic Pro was used for these photos – but the advice given will apply to most all DJI drones and to some other brands.
This article is for Beginners and Advanced Beginners – those who know their imaging will likely already have other programs (Lightroom, etc.) that process their RAW and other photos. This article involves editing with the free (included) MacOS program “Apple Photos”, formerly called iPhoto.

What is RAW?

RAW is a photographic file type – one that takes as much as possible of the information from the camera sensor and stores it in a larger (usually 5X the size in bytes) format than the JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg) that most are familiar with. Most DJI Equipment now allows you to set the Photo type as RAW…or, as both RAW and JPEG at the same time. In the later case, the Drone will take and store two photos – one processed with your JPEG settings and one RAW.

Should you use RAW as your Photo file type?

This is an open question. If you do a lot of work on your photos after you download them (this is called post-processing), then RAW is the preferred format due to it containing more actual light and color information…which then gives you more to work with. However, if the majority of your work is “as-is” or only slightly adjusted afterwards (crop, light, etc.), then the JPEG format should work fine. However, it will benefit you to check and test the JPEG photo settings on your machine before you take it into the field. DJI provides various options – I currently use “Landscape” on my Mavic Pro and the result are quite good. Reports from the field indicate that DJI has occasionally changed these settings with firmware updates, so it’s important that you check to make sure the photos are satisfactory before doing any important flights. This can be done by checking the settings in the DJI Go (4) app while connected to the Drone – and also taking a couple photos outdoors. I just hover a few feet above my house and do so, but you could also do it hand held. Make certain to touch the screen to focus and try to take a sample photo of something at a distance – then inspect it closely on your computer or any larger screen.

RAW Photos will often look “washed out” compared to JPEGS – this is because JPEGS are automatically improved inside the camera. In other words, the basic work (sharpening, brightening, colors popping) is done for you – whereas with RAW you have to do the post-processing.

Up until recently, working with RAW files often meant you needed expensive programs like Lightroom – and also the education on using them. However, the free (included) Apple Photos App on Macs now has the ability to process these files. Following is a short tutorial on editing RAW (and other) photos in Apple Photos.

Selecting a Photo in Apple Photos

The screenshot below shows part of a typical Apple Photos “Photos” screen. These Photos have been imported from the Micro-SD card plugged into an adapter on my Mac. The thumbnails which have a “J” at the upper left also show a second shadow behind that “J” – this indicates that both a JPEG and a RAW copy of the photo are in the program. If nothing is shown, that means only a JPEG exists – if the upper left only contains an “R”, that means only a RAW photo was taken. Note that RAW photos will have a .DNG (or .dng) extension.  [Read more…]

Ryze Robotics Tello – a DJI, Intel and Ryze Robotics $99 Drone

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In January 2018 a small $99 drone was announced by DJI.  The model was called the Tello from a company called Ryze Robotics, a new startup we had not heard of before. Like many before it the Tello promised a number of intelligent features at a very low price point, small toy drones don’t usually get a lot of attention but this one was different as it has 2 very large names associated with it, DJI and Intel.

Order Tello Now for $99 

So what is Tello ?

At first look its a small $99 FPV camera drone thats designed to be flown indoors or at very low level outdoors, at this price point most would assume its in the “toy’ category however that is really not the case because unlike ones before it its packed with a lot technology and specifically DJI’s intelligent flight control system and Intel Movidius Vision systems.
This is similar to what DJI have on their own larger models and means the Tello is extremely easy and stable to fly because its fitted with a version of DJI’s Vision Positioning System its able to hold its position when flying above a well lit surface and gives GPS Mode like hold performance.

However being a fun flying drone is not Tello’s only purpose, its also an educational tool and Ryze Robotics have opened it up to support programming from Scratch and Drone Blocks, these are simple educational programming platforms that help young people learn coding and programming via number of hardware platforms such as Anki Cozmo, this is a whole new area for young people to explore and it makes the Tello an even more interesting product as a result.

A Closer Look at the Craft

The Tello its self is a hand held size quad, its compact and housed with in plastic body with the main electronics are located in the bottom of the aircraft with the battery sliding into the middle to fill the body,looking underneath you can see the Vision system that consists of a small camera and infrared sensors, these are used to measure distance from the ground as well as hold the crafts position.

Propulsion is handled by four brushed motors with small plastic push on props, these are protected by the included prop guards. [Read more…]

Parrot SWING VTOL Drone – First Look and Review

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Introduction

I recently purchased a Parrot Swing VTOL Drone (quadcopter) along with the Bluetooth Controller pad. The Swing is remarkable in that it is very different than any Drone currently on the market…due to the VTOL abilities. For the uninitiated, that means it can take off and land (and fly) like a quadcopter, but it has X-shaped wings which can then allow it to fly like an airplane. VTOL will be a big part of the future of drones due to the longer distances and larger payloads they will be able to haul.

Let’s be very clear – the Parrot Swing is a “toy grade model” with brushed motors, yet at the same time it’s head and shoulders above any toy grade machine I’ve ever operated. It has many options – flying forwards, backwards, at different angles and even programmable flights (looks, circles, etc.

It can be operated with a mobile phone attached – or not. The mobile device is mostly for settings and other such monitoring and changes since it does not have a front facing camera. There is a tiny (and poor quality) camera on the rear which is part of the “ground sensing” system. In other words, it has a “VPS system” using sound waves and the rear camera to allow it to know when it is close to the ground – an option usually only seen on much more expensive machines.

At launch the Parrot Swing sold for approx. $130, but they have now come down to about 50% of that price. Refurbs can be purchased for even less, sometimes as low as $40 or less. You’ll have to buy at least one extra battery to get the hang of this machine as you don’t want to have to go out to the field and have only 10-12 minutes of flying.

Note: the Youtube Video Embedded at the bottom of this article will repeat a lot of the written information here – and go much further into some details. You’ll see the model in flight and get a much better idea of how it works!

Parrot Swing (new) at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2pHi7xF

Parrot Swing Refurb at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2pHi7xF

3 pack generic batteries and charger – https://amzn.to/2pHi7xF

Who and What it is for

The Parrot Swing is not a camera drone or a “FPV or Racing model. It is unique and the VTOL aspect is the major feature. [Read more…]

2018 is a Drone Bargain Hunters Paradise!

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2018 is a Drone Bargain Hunters Paradise!

The Past

Droneflyers.com is now over 5 years old. It seems like just yesterday when this site started due to my interest in the new “flying robots” which seemed to be finally hitting the mainstream. Companies like Parrot and Walkera can be credited for developing some of the first RTF (ready to fly) quadcopters, although whether they were truly “ready to fly” is another story! As a point of trivia, this site was started a year before that time (beginning of 2012) by Kerry Garrison, who now owns a large Drone retail company. He sold his existing site (ARDRONETIPS.COM) to us – which was rolled into Droneflyers.com.

The market for Drones sped up quickly and they started selling like the proverbial hotcakes. The reader should keep in mind that most of these drones didn’t work very well. There was no true “Camera Drone” available at consumer prices, so hobbyists at the time were trying everything – from strapping GoPro cameras to their AR Drones to building their own drones (which, more often than not, crashed early and often). Toy Grade machines dominated the consumer market (Hubsan, Walkera, Syma) because a hobbyist would tolerate losing $40-$100 in a crash whereas losing $1K plus wasn’t in the cards. This all changed with the release of two “watershed” models that introduced a level of reliability and capabilities that were formerly unheard of. A third release solidified the consumer drone market into a multi-billion dollar business. These stepping stones, in our opinion, were:
1. The Phantom (1) – introduced a truly mass-produced GPS equipped (the key to success!) RTF drone – which could carry a GoPro or other lightweight camera.
2. The Phantom 2 Vision Plus (V2) was arguably the first reliable RTF drone which was complete with camera, gimbal, smart battery and software which allowed the pilot to control the camera functions.
3. The Phantom 3 (2015) perfected the “consumer camera class” of drones with a 4K camera, longer range and improved software. In a sense, the Phantom 3 is similar to the Boeing 737 in that, even years later, it is not dated in terms of functionality.

If you want to delve further into the history of the manufacturer of these models (DJI), check out these articles:
https://www.droneflyers.com/dji-dominates-world-drones-aerial-robotics/
https://www.droneflyers.com/dji-won-consumer-drone-war/

The Present…and the Bargains!

After years of tremendous growth, the consumer drone market is slowing. Many of the original hobbyists have purchased newer models and are therefore not looking for the “next new thing” as they were during the boom years. In addition, companies like DJI, Yuneec and Parrot built up both their hopes and production – creating a surplus of drones which can be a Gold Mine for both hobbyists and those looking for a new consumer-level drone. Add to this the very reasonable prices of some NEW drone models and it completes the “special sauce” which 2018 is serving up.

Example One: New Drone RTF Bargain – DJI produced a compact model called the Spark which has capabilities that should satisfy many drone users. A complete kit, which was $699 when introduced a short time ago, is now down to $466. on Amazon:
http://amzn.to/2Gf5Bx2

Example Two: Parrot New and Refurbs – Parrot missed out on a lot of the growth in the consumer drone market by focusing on their toy models…and not listening to consumers when it came to their higher-end camera drones. As a result they found themselves having to lay off a vast number of drone employees..and with quite a bit of stock of older models. Most of their current models can also be found at 1/2 or less of the original prices – BeBop 2, for example, as well as toy grade models. Older models are as low as 75% or more off their original prices! Techrabbit (via eBay) sells a refurished AR Drone for $49.99 – this is 90% off the original price – https://goo.gl/tMei6B

Parrot FPV BeBop 2 Kit

NOTE: Examples given are just that – examples – there are a mutitude of great deals at present but the buyer should know exactly what they are buying. Many of these bargains are suitable only for hobbyists…defined as those who may want to hack, modify or experiment with their drones. Others are fine for even the newbie drone pilot…but, again, please research the model(s) you are looking at and make certain your requirements are met.

Below are additional examples (links) to low priced models which might suit your fancy.

Parrot Swing Refurb – $21.99:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Parrot-Swing-Quadcopter-Camera-Drone-with-Plane-Mode/152926200054
Parrot Bebop (1) NEW – $159 (was $499 originally):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-Parrot-Bebop-Quadcopter-Camera-Drone-14MP-Full-HD-1080p-Red-Black/182950826266
Yuneec Breeze – NEW $149. (introduced at about $500):
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yuneec-Breeze-Drone-With-4K-Camera-Bluetooth-Controller-Included/902348798
Yuneec Typhoon H with RealSense $1149 (first introduced at $1899-$1999):
http://amzn.to/2FPcd7Q
DJI Spark $337 – New (introduced recently at $499):
http://amzn.to/2tJHNyR

Occassional Drone Bargains can also be found at:
https://dronesavings.com/

DJI maintains their own Refub page (DJI refurbs are also on eBay and Amazon at various times:
https://store.dji.com/refurbished?pbc=oUO3hPYG&pm=link&as=0005

The Future

Drone makers are going to have to come up with some tricks to make consumers flock to their new models. In the meanwhile, they are lowering prices and offering more for less in order to make room on the shelves for whatever might come next. The consumer is now in the drivers seat and it looks to stay that way for 2018. Happy Hunting!

Lykus Mavic Pro Bag – holds everything and more!

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We recently started using the Lykus bag (backpack OR shoulder or hand bag – universal o) and find that it holds much more than the Mavic Pro stock (Fly More) bag from DJI. Sure, the DJI bag is more compact so you might find yourself using both – the DJI bag when you do a quickie flight or two, but the Lykus when you are going out for the day or doing some traveling.

Unlike the DJI bag, this one easily holds all the chargers (car and AC) as well as lots of additional goodies you may have for your Mavic – stuff like antenna boosters, ND filters, and much more can fit into this case.

Please check out our video and pics below. An Amazon link to the bag is here.

 

Click to Enlarge Photos!

Click to Enlarge Photos