So I finally upgraded to the Mini 4 Pro from my old Mini 2 and honestly Im kinda annoyed because the flight time in this coastal wind where I live is nowhere near the advertised specs. My logic was the Plus batteries would fix it but now I'm over the 250g limit and stressing about registration for my trip to Oregon next week. I've got maybe $150 left to spend.
I was thinking ND filters are a given for the D-Log M footage but do I actually need a sunhood for the RC2 or is that just overkill? And what about those prop guards or a hard case? The gimbal feels so much more fragile than my old gear and I dont want to wreck it on day one...
@Reply #1 - good point! Safety and staying legal is definitely the priority for a trip. Since you're on a budget and worried about the wind, honestly skip the prop guards. They just catch the breeze and make the motors work harder, which kills your flight time even faster. Heres what I would grab with that $150:
Regarding what #2 said about staying legal, I'd caution against the pricey hard case. I would suggest a Sunnylife Mini 4 Pro Gimbal Cover to save cash, just make sure you dont wreck that sensor!
Congrats on the upgrade, but man, the battery weight thing is such a trap. I remember my first trip with the Plus batteries... I was so paranoid about the FAA that I barely enjoyed the flight. Honestly, just pay the five bucks and register it on the FAA DroneZone site. Its way better than stressing while youre trying to get the shot in Oregon. For the coastal wind, you really gotta be careful because the Mini 4 Pro is still super light, even with the bigger cells. I was flying near some cliffs last year and almost lost mine because I didnt account for the gust speed versus my ground speed. It just stood still in the air while the battery hit 10 percent. Since you got 150 left, definitely grab the Freewell DJI Mini 4 Pro ND Filters All Day 6-Pack. Without them, your D-Log M footage is gonna look choppy because the shutter speed will be way too high in that bright coastal sun. For protection, forget the prop guards... they just act like sails in the wind and make your flight time even worse. Instead, I would suggest a solid case. I use the Lykus Titan MA210 Hard Case for DJI Mini 4 Pro and it has saved my gimbal more than once when my gear got tossed around in the trunk. Skip the sunhood for the RC2 for now, the screen is actually decent, just spend that money on a fast card like the SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB microSDXC UHS-I so you dont get write errors while recording 4k60.