I wanted to ask everyone here about how their drone hobby began and how it changed over time. For me, it started back in 2012 with some cheap nano drones that didn’t have cameras. Then in 2017, I got a Parrot Mambo that came with some fun attachments like a pellet gun, a grabber, and a 720p camera that took 5MP photos. It was fun at first, but then I started watching DJI drone videos and got hooked! I bought a used Spark and finally experienced flying with real stability. A couple years later, I got a Mini 2 which was awesome. I lost that one in a lake but got a replacement. Later I sold it to buy a Mini 4 Pro, which is an amazing drone!
Nice story!
My start was with a Traxxas Aton drone around 2016 or 2017. It ran Ardupilot on a modified PX4 system. I added an analog FPV camera after using it with a GoPro for a while. It was a lot of fun and I still have it.
After a break, I got a Mini Air 2S and was really impressed with DJI’s quality.
Then I tried some carbon fiber analog FPV drones but had trouble because my goggles were poor and I kept losing video signal and crashing.
When the Mini 3 Pro came out, I went back to camera drones and loved how portable it was.
Later I got a DJI FPV drone combo from a friend that was barely used. It was fun but I was too scared to try Manual mode. I then got a refurbished Avata drone and learned Acro mode on that.
Now I’m 5 or 6 FPV drones deep with DJI Air Units and O3 video systems. I started with nice iFlight BnF drones, then moved on to custom builds, including some analog.
Recently I got DJI Goggles 3 and am building a 2" O4 FPV drone with an O4 lite system. Planning to build something with the O4 Pro soon.
It’s an expensive hobby but really great. I’ve met a lot of cool people through it.
Honestly, I think it’s time to sell some gear because some drones just sit unused. For example, I have 2 Air 2S setups, and I barely use the DJI FPV or my Avata now, though I’ll keep the Avata and upgrade it a bit.
I’m mostly sticking with 3" FPV drones now. They feel like the perfect balance for size, noise, portability, and battery cost.
You should try an FPV drone! Maybe an Avata with Goggles 2 — you can get a good deal used and use it with O4 air unit BnFs if you like FPV.
Also, the N3 or Goggles 3 will work with your Mini 4 Pro and even have head tracking like the Avata with the motion controller! 
@Drue
I had a GEPRC TinyGo 4K FPV drone but didn’t get that into it much, so I sold it.
My lineup was: 1 cheap $30 toy drone, then a Parrot Mambo with a camera and RC screen, then a Parrot Bebop, a Mini race drone, a Mavic Pro, a Mini 4K, and a Mini 3.
Right now I only have one drone. I gave some away and some broke and I never fixed them. My mindset about drones now is totally different than back then
My hobby began when I bought some land and wanted to see it from above to really appreciate it. I learned a lot on my own with no tutorials, just open fields.
Now I take my drone on vacations to capture shots my phone can’t.
Mini 3 Pro > Mavic 3 Pro > Mavic 4 Pro.
Started with a $30 micro drone with no camera. Crashed it into fences a lot and it died. Now, about 7 years later, I have a Mini 4K.
I got a Mini 3 Pro and started taking photos of warehouses for sale and sent them to the sellers. Now I make an extra £1500 a month as a side hustle using a Mavic 3 Pro and Avata 2 for real estate videos.
@Nuri
How did you get started in that market? Did you email agencies? How much do you charge? Is it still possible to get into it?
Teegan said:
@Nuri
How did you get started in that market? Did you email agencies? How much do you charge? Is it still possible to get into it?
I did a lot of free work for people by saying, “I saw you have X for sale, here’s a free media pack I made for you. Just keep me in mind.” Some people responded, some didn’t.
I charge a day or half-day rate since the properties are big.
Teegan said:
@Nuri
How did you get started in that market? Did you email agencies? How much do you charge? Is it still possible to get into it?
I’m interested in this too!
I was gifted a HolyStone HSD 360 S. It was fun but didn’t have a real gimbal, so the video was shaky.
I crashed it into a tree while trying to return it home (no obstacle avoidance).
Then a year later, the same guy (my mom’s cousin) gave me a Mini 4 Pro with all the latest features and rock-steady video.
My goal was to fly long loops over my small town where I’ve lived all my life. I never did that with the HolyStone because it was too shaky, but now it’s a normal flight.
For me, it’s about seeing familiar places from a new angle.
Just got my first drone, a Mini 3 ^^ I played with some toy drones before but never owned one. Tried a Mini 3 with a friend while filming and decided to get my own. I wish I got the Pro version but the Mini 3 with the fly more bundle fit my budget and is my first drone.
I was way into building them myself. Arducopter, AlexMOS gimbal controller, Teranis and Spectrum RC, GoPro, homemade ground station, endless prop and motor combos, programming them myself, crashing a lot trying to adjust PIDs in the front yard. And then of course the legendary DJI Naza flight controller started to change the game entirely. I was reluctant to cave to the off-the-shelf variety but finally tried the original Air. That lasted for a little while until I purchased a Mavic 2 Pro, Crystal Sky, made a road case, and sold everything else to a science teacher for pennies on the dollar.
That’s where I stopped. I still feel the Mavic 2 is a respectable craft, but my situation changed and I rarely fly anymore. I live in LA near LAX so it seems like everything near me is NFZ and I don’t travel much or far. Hoping to get out of LA and buy some property near my family in the midwest and that would open some opportunities.
Started yesterday. Bought a barely used DJI Mini 3 fly more combo with remote for 500€.
Hope I get to fly it this week.
Oak said:
Started yesterday. Bought a barely used DJI Mini 3 fly more combo with remote for 500€.
Hope I get to fly it this week.
Not sure what that converts to in CDN$, but sounds like a good deal.
@Tan
That would be about 783.50 CDN$.
Not bad at all.
Welcome to your new addiction, lol. Enjoy your drone! Hope to see some great shots from you!
@Tan
Thank you!