Product test

On holiday with the Dji Mavic Pro

20.7.2017

Translation: machine translated

When travelling, drones can be used to capture unique shots from the air. When planning a holiday with a drone, it turned out that there are a few things to consider.

Preparation

Two weeks before the planned holiday in French Polynesia, I could no longer resist. I still needed a flying camera for my holiday. I had been fascinated by Dji drones for some time. So when I read the report: "The foldable drone: Dji Mavic Pro" by Lilian
there was no stopping me. The innovative functions built into a handy, compact size were decisive for me. In addition to the basic set, I bought a second battery, a shoulder bag and the "PolarPro" filter set.

Drone

−41%

Used

CHF590.– currently CHF997.– new

DJI Mavic Pro

24 min, 743 g, 12 Mpx

First flight tests

During my first test flights in Switzerland, I was able to familiarise myself with the controls and functions. As a newcomer, it's best to concentrate on flying first and filming second.

Everything in the hand luggage

Almost all airlines require batteries to be carried in hand luggage. In addition, only a certain number of Lipo batteries per person are permitted on the aircraft. As each airline has different guidelines, it is best to contact the relevant airline before departure or find the information on their website. On the flights from Zurich-London-Los Angeles-Tahiti (with British Airways, Air New Zealand and Air Tahiti), I had no problems with my drone, two batteries and the charger in my hand luggage.

Storing your drone safely

Transport your drone safely and securely. For larger drones, transport cases are suitable. For smaller ones, a padded shoulder bag is often sufficient.

Accessories and replacements

Branches and trees are attractive. If a propeller breaks, that's not so bad. It's more troublesome if you don't have a replacement with you. It is therefore better to pack spare propellers. How many batteries you need depends on how intensively you want to fly or how long you have to get by without a power connection while travelling. Most drones film in high-resolution 4K. You should have at least a 64GB memory card. This can hold approx. 200 minutes of video or approx. 2,500 photos in DNG format.

RC drone accessories

DJI Mavic Propeller Set

DJI Mavic Pro

Memory card

Transcend microSDXC Ultimate 633x UHS-I U3 with adapter

64 GB, microSDXC, U3, UHS-I

RC drone accessories

DJI Intelligent Flight Battery

DJI Mavic

Before the first flight

Check all flight regulations for drones in the respective country. Pay attention to flight distances, restricted areas and bans. Find a quiet place for your first flight. Try not to disturb other guests with your drone
.

Settings

Film in manual mode. This gives you control over the ISO, exposure time and, if necessary, the focus.
In the settings for the gimbal, you can slow down the sensitivity for camera movements. This makes them a lot smoother when flying. Adjust the sharpness, colour, white balance and style to suit your taste.

Video tips

Smooth videos can also be created with an exposure time that corresponds to twice the frame rate. With a frame rate of 24fps, an exposure time of 1/50 should be set. As the aperture cannot be changed on the Mavic, you should use an ND filter for this in good weather. The Polarpro filter set is ideal for taking pictures in sunny weather. The set is equipped with three different filters. Always take a cleaning brush or microfibre cloth with you. It is almost impossible to mount the small filters on the camera without leaving fingerprints.

Included in the set:
CP filter: This circular polarising filter reduces reflections. For example on water or cars. It also increases the colour intensity.
ND8 filter: The grey filter lets less light onto the sensor. This allows you to film videos with lower exposure times. These appear less jerky at an exposure time of 1/50 and are therefore more pleasant to watch than at an exposure time of 1/1200.
ND16 filter: The higher the "ND" filter number, the less light is transmitted to the sensor. The ND16 filter is therefore suitable for very sunny days.

RC drone accessories

PolarPro Standard Series Filter

DJI Mavic Pro

Video editing

Back from holiday, it's time to edit the videos. I have to admit, video editing is not my strong point. Depending on what you want to do with your videos, different editing software is suitable. With the Quick app from Gopro, you can edit your video directly on your smartphone or tablet from Apple and Android. Adobe Premier Elements 15, iMovie or Microsoft Movie Maker are other practical programmes for beginners and advanced users.

Software

Adobe Premiere Elements 15

1 User

Helpful apps and websites

The website TravelbyDrone shows you drone videos on a world map. This allows you to see whether filming has already taken place in the desired destination and how it was filmed. I find the website very inspiring. In the Dji training guide you will find practical information and instructions for flying. You can find more on the topic of insurance here. Photos and videos from tomblend.com

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On holiday with the Dji Mavic Pro

Preparation

First flight tests

Everything in the hand luggage

Storing your drone safely

Accessories and replacements

Before the first flight

Settings

Video tips

Video editing

Helpful apps and websites

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