Chris J Wilson

Yesterday was new iPad day for me.

Initial impressions:

1. I didn’t realise how bad my old iPad’s battery was!
2. FaceID is generally good
3. No home button feels stranger than with the iPhone
4. The “button” on the pencil pro is fantastic. Quick switching tools is so good.
5. The pencil staying on the side and wirelessly charging is amazing!
6. It’s SO thin
7. The setup process was decent, it took ages to download my procreate files though! I literally couldn’t use procreate all of yesterday.

I haven’t tried it with stage manager and a keyboard yet but I’m exited to. It’s crazy to think that this is my most powerful computer (though that was the case when I got my old iPad Pro too) I’m also keen to get one of these screen protectors like the Rock paper pencil or pentips pen mat that can go on and off the screen easily.

When I was a kid, I would go to the model shop every month or two. I looked at the remote control cars, planes and helicopters with great envy and usually came home with only a humble model plane to my name.

So when drones first became mass market, It felt like my childhood dream was finally within reach. And yet I waited. I didn’t have masses of disposable income and when an opportunity to get one did come up, there was always a better thing to buy.

Until this winter. Now, thanks to some vouchers for performance from work and the benefits of a tax write off combined with Black Friday sales I am the owner of a DJI Mini 4k, the cheapest drone around.

The Mini 4k

Why this drone? Well, it’s simple.

I know and trust the DJI brand (not perfect, but good enough).

I did wonder about their even cheaper NEO which has some pros (can be used without a remote, cheaper to start with, can do FPV too) but some big downsides too. The phone and handsfree modes have very limited distance, and when you add a remote, it’s more than the mini 4k.

So I went for the mini 4k without the fly more combo (mistake! I already want more batteries so i can have longer flights. I’m also envious of the mini 3 which can do vertical video and you can get a remote with a screen built in).

But even with the benefit of hindsight, I think this was probably the best decision I could have made with the information I knew at the time.

You could have told me all the points I’d made but it would probably have made me not get anything. So here are a few things I wish I had considered before getting my drone.

Get a micro SD card and a landing/launch pad

I had an old Micro SD card from back when I had an android phone (Yes, it’s been a while!) but I soon found problems. The write speed of those old cards just isn’t enough for 4k video.

Luckily, getting a 4x larger card with a faster write speed costs 10X less than what I paid back then! Still, I wish I had ordered one when I got the drone.

Similarly, I didn’t know about what you need/should have to launch and land a drone. While you can in theory launch from any old surface, it’s not a good idea and drones certainly don’t want to land on uneven dirt.

Enter a landing pad! A flat and bright surface to help launch and land your drone.

Most of my early expeditions have been at urban and concreted locations so I haven’t NEEDED a landing pad, I’m still planning to get one for more grassy launches.

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Will the novelty wear off

Yes, I’m sure it will.

Novelty ALWAYS wears off, but sometimes function, enjoyment and satisfaction fill its place. I’m hoping that will be the case here but I’m aware that it will most likely become like my photography hobby — something I indulge occasionally but don’t regularly pursue.

Still, for the moment I’m enjoying the drone and it is making me look to go out more.