Parrot ANAFI - New 4k HDR 21MP Portable Drone for $699

F

Fahnon

Well-known member
I'm shocked there's no thread on this already, but Parrot has a new drone that looks like a real contender. One of the most interesting features is the digital zoom, which they claim has no loss in quality in video mode because of the 21MP sensor. Sounds like a dynamic sensor crop rather than simply zooming in on the video image, which if it works as advertised could be extremely useful. It only weighs 320g. The only negatives I can see are the bitrate for video is only 100mbps, they don't mention any kind of obstacle avoidance and it relies on wifi for transmission. Can't wait to see user footage.

https://nofilmschool.com/2018/06/parrot-anafi-hdr-4k-drone
https://anafi.parrot.com/us/?utm_so...edium=homepage&utm_content=&utm_campaign=menu
 
It would be nice with some test footage, can't see anything on their websites except pics, and they aren't really super even if they are really good.
 
As soon as I heard Parrot I was about to dismiss it as a budget DJI not quite as good but a nice try, But Parrot seems to have delivered on this, it has some killer features, Great to see DJI under pressure now, this is a contender for my next lightweight drone.
 
I was excited until I found it was made in France. I'll be the first to say the French have the market cornered on the best wine, cheese and gourmet food in general but electronics and cars? Not so much. Although Aaton and Angenieux aren't too bad. Hmm...But Aaton and Angenieux make premium, high end products, not low end price point contenders that are going head to head with the Chinese. Or is it designed in France but made in China?
 
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ozmorphasis said:
Link to YouTube video
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Lord, is that… err… not that beautiful.

Or rather, if I look at my Mavic Air and the remote and use that as reference in terms of design sophistication, with an index of 100, this comes in at maybe 25-30.

Perhaps an error on my part, but I really do judge products somewhat by their "cover". Unlike humans or organically growing things, I believe the appearance of manufactured products to be a reflection of the sophistication that went into the thinking when designing it and the skills that were available at the time of assembly.

Another case in point: perhaps the one thing that kept me from buying a RED more than anything else is that they never managed to transition away from "let's build a camera in our garage" style of putting components literally in a box.

Like with everything else, it is often quite easy to get 80% 'there' with little effort. It's the last little bit that's a *****. I try to buy my products from teams that reach for a bar that's a little higher.
 
AndreeOnline said:
Another case in point: perhaps the one thing that kept me from buying a RED more than anything else is that they never managed to transition away from "let's build a camera in our garage" style of putting components literally in a box.
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The irony here is that their modularity is a state-of-the-art beautiful experience.

They are also filled with certain features not seen in any other cameras.

Personally, I think the boxes are beautiful...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRm4pdkhnqE

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I'm not much of a drone guy, but I feel like they all have looked similar/the same for the past 5 years.

Every time I see something really impressive, it ends up being a cinema camera on a mini helicopter (or on one of those heavy-duty drones with camera casings).
 
NorBro said:
The irony here is that their modularity is a state-of-the-art beautiful experience.
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If you feel the current "modularity" of RED is one of their strengths (which is totally fine of course), we would definitely need a separate thread if we were to bring that discussion to any form of conclusion—even if we agree to disagree at the end. =)
 
AndreeOnline said:
Lord, is that… err… not that beautiful.

Or rather, if I look at my Mavic Air and the remote and use that as reference in terms of design sophistication, with an index of 100, this comes in at maybe 25-30.

Perhaps an error on my part, but I really do judge products somewhat by their "cover". Unlike humans or organically growing things, I believe the appearance of manufactured products to be a reflection of the sophistication that went into the thinking when designing it and the skills that were available at the time of assembly.
Click to expand...

In my opinion this couldn't be more wrong. The Alexa is basically just a grey brick, and yet it's the most successful camera in the business, with the most liked image.

It's a tool. It doesn't need to look pretty. It just needs to do the job is made to do. ;)

Now ergonomics is definitely needed. But that is very different from looking pretty or cool. Actually trying too hard to look cool normally puts me off gear. Shows the priority is in the wrong place to me.
 
Sttratos said:
In my opinion this couldn't be more wrong.
Click to expand...

You misunderstand me completely.

I didn't want to write "Lord is that ugly", so I changed the wording a bit.

What I then go on to talk about is appearance/looks as a proxy for design sophistication. The Alexa reeks of sophistication. THAT, one could argue, makes it beautiful. I'm not talking about a shiny coat of plaint or "daring lines" just for the sake of looking futuristic.

This is what RED looks like when you mount the battery:

red_scarlet-w_camera_hire.jpg

Not exactly flowing lines. And the handle covers half of the monitor. Please.... I haven't managed to get over that so far....

I'm well aware of the Redvolt -V. That's more appropriate So why don't they make those awesome and in 3 sizes?

Anyway, looking at the ANAFI on the home page it looks slightly more polished. Let's hope it delivers!
 
Seems a lot to like here, uncomplicated sturdy design, Sony 4k DCI .43 inch cmos, 180d gimbal, zoom dolly effect, AI, flight time, recharge time. About the only negative for me is that it's not here until 7/2 at the soonest. Mavic Air is available everywhere no wait.
 
You don't need to use that handle; there are other options for configuration. And if it was back anymore it would block the batteries from locking in.

Plus, when standing over the camera and when it's tilted back, it's never a problem.
 
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