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DJI, How I Hate Thee

Joined
Apr 3, 2017
Messages
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Age
60
Location
Baldwin City, KS
Website
blog.grumpysworld.com
...or, I guess we could call this the "Official DJI Haters Thread". In this thesis, I expose the Inspire 2 as an overpriced child's toy grossly inadequate for serious purposes. Where to begin. How about I tell you a few stories from recent memory, starting with this evening.
For the record, I shoot trains, meaning action of a moving target, and I only shoot stills, not video. So this means that timing is of the essence and everything has to work exactly right. Big mistake thinking a DJI product is suitable for this sort of activity. If you really need to get the shot, you really really need to find a different system. And that's no bull.
Tonight, against my better judgement, I opted to shoot a so-called "raw burst", which is basically a 4:3 full-frame CineDNG raw video capture at 20 fps. Miracle of miracles, I avoided any battery errors this time (see the next chapter of my story), and even managed to get my camera settings right, despite DJI's ever-vigilant attempts to prevent this. So what do you suppose could possibly go wrong to ensure that I wouldn't get my shot this time? The answer to that question didn't reveal itself until after I got home.
As I mounted the SSD on my PC, I noticed 2 folders on it; nothing odd about that. But guess what? The first folder was entirely empty! It had not recorded one single **** frame. The second folder was full of images, but these were already too late in the overall sequence, and were thus worthless. So as it turned out, the I2 managed to completely screw me out of a usable photo once again, and this is far from a rare occurrence, but is instead intolerably commonplace.
Allow me to back up to last night's tale, of how not to design a battery charger. Instead of making a charger that is useful and reliable, DJI chose to make one that is artsy-fartsy, no doubt to ensure as many charging errors as possible. For the second time in a month, I've had two batteries on this thing - and yes, I ALWAYS make sure the batteries are properly fitted and verify this by watching the charging lights - and the charger decided to only charge one of the batteries and not the other one. But when it had finished, everything suggested that both batteries were completely charged. Not so.
Now on any sensible system, this wouldn't be a problem, but merely an inconvenience, but not with a DJI product. You see, DJI knows full well that their products are mere toys, and that their customers are mere children, and they know that children can't be trusted and therefore DJI must strictly control their children's behavior. What am I talking about? The fact that you cannot fly with one battery, of course. Or the fact that you can't even fly with two batteries if the difference in charge between the two is much greater than 5% (I don't know the exact amount, but it's not much). Seriously?
Back in the days when I flew real UAVs (Freefly Cinestar8s), I would on rare occasion overlook a battery lead during my preflight, which is precisely why I always used 2 packs. There's no problem at all with one pack dead or failing, which is why we use two. For my applications, I'm only in the air for all of 150 seconds, and only fly about 100 meters, so battery life and flight time aren't a real concern of mine. But daddy DJI won't let me fly unless my batteries are just perfect, because they know so much better than I do what my needs are (and if you don't believe that, then why do they constantly obscure your screen with their incessant idiotic warnings about this, that, and the other thing). So chalk up a couple of missed photos due to this childish nonsense. But wait, there's more (you didn't expect me to quit so soon, did you).
No doubt many of you have experienced the sheer joy of a DJI firmware upgrade, for nothing brings more delight to Satan himself than a fresh release of software from DJI. I'm sure it takes great effort to ensure that each release is progressively less reliable than the prior. And try as you must to avoid these **** updates as long as possible, you'll eventually be driven insane by all the obtrusive and annoying update warnings here, there, and everywhere, so you give in and do the unthinkable, you consent to an update. And of course after that, all hope is lost.
Why DJI sees it necessary to completely wipe out all of your various settings during an update, I have no idea. What's worse, this doesn't always occur on the first power-up after an update. Oh no, that would be too easy, because that might allow you to anticipate this and take appropriate precautions. No, with DJI, the settings reset fiasco can happen at any time, most usually when you least expect it, and when it causes the greatest harm. Such was the case two days ago, with a mere RC controller update.
In this case, my stick exponentials got reset, making the bird spastic and nearly uncontrollable, and also my camera settings got completely trashed, and of course I had mere seconds to figure out where in the hell all these settings were buried in the plethora of poorly-thought-out menus, with the end result that I missed yet another photo opportunity. You've really got to hand it to DJI, for they practically guarantee that you will fail at what you are wanting to do no matter how hard you try. It takes real skill to screw things up to this extent; I might suggest they try politics next.
And my final story of the night, just in time for bed, is the perpetual and mysterious left-side blur problem that has been reported here and elsewhere. It is especially annoying, because you are forced to compose your shots in a way that anticipates the left 20% of the frame being ruined, and shoot accordingly. Now with my old Nikon D800s that I used to fly on my Cinestars, this wouldn't have been such a tragedy, since those things have resolution to spare, but not the X5S. Here, DJI's solution is both novel and effective: deny that the problem exists. Why am I reminded of a Solzhenitsyn novel?
But alas, I'm being so grossly unfair once again. At least my I2 has yet to catastrophically fail, only to be sent in for warranty repair, taking more than a month to be returned, and then come back in non-working condition. Ask my old friend (whose identity I will not reveal in order to allow him to remain above suspicion for associating with the likes of me) about that one. And he told me he doesn't even hate me for recommending the I2 to him a few months ago. He's far more generous than I would have been. I'd strangle the person that suggested DJI to me, if only that person weren't myself. Cheerio!
 
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...well,There are some reports of issies,but my I2 works well.As the just only problem,the red props ratted,but super glue method fixed it.Other functions have no problem at all and wonderful shooting has been done! For your mental health, i recommend that you forget about DJI and do not visit this forum as well.
 
...well,There are some reports of issies,but my I2 works well.As the just only problem,the red props ratted,but super glue method fixed it.Other functions have no problem at all and wonderful shooting has been done! For your mental health, i recommend that you forget about DJI and do not visit this forum as well.
That's sad to even see that typed. A rattle but the super glue method fixed it! A I1 I was in the process of buying off a fellow forum member (not here). Was great until he was forced to update the firmware. Camera is now dead. Due to extended storage warranty is gone. It arrived at DJI today and I made sure to let them know this was a damned firmware update issue! I'm starting to wonder about my choice!

Let alone two TB48 batteries and their committing suicide. Ironically guy has a phantom 2 which wasn't touched in a year. Guess what batteries as good as new still!
 

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