Test: Is the Parrot Anafi a competitor for DJI?
21.9.2018
Translation: machine translated
Parrot usually produces rather inexpensive entry-level drones. The latest model is also relatively inexpensive, but Parrot is taking on top dog DJI. Unfortunately, Anafi hit its mouth on its second mission and injured itself.
The Parrot Anafi is the quietest drone I have ever flown. This is thanks to its very low weight and aerodynamic propellers. The scope of delivery also includes a small 16 GB SD card, which is enough for a few minutes of 4K recordings. The drone comes in an elongated and sturdy hard case.
It can be unfolded in seconds. This is much easier than with the competition. The remote control is a real hulk. It sits well in the hand, but takes up a lot of space in a rucksack or bag. What I like about the remote control is the smartphone holder - as soon as you open it to place the smartphone, it switches on.
Basic noise and a camera with unique angles
The drone's unique selling point (USP) is the ability to swivel the camera 180 degrees from bottom to top towards the sky. This allows completely new angles to be filmed. Unfortunately, this is also a point of criticism. To enable such a large pan, the gimbal only stabilises on two axes. With the third, the yaw axis, an arm would be in the way and the camera would not be able to pan upwards. The missing axis is therefore stabilised by software for videos, which works well. Electronic stabilisation does not work in photo mode. This means that longer exposure photos are not possible.
Back to the camera and its special angles. I want to shoot a video with the Anafi that demonstrates as many of them as possible. When I ask my work colleagues for ideas, the first thing they always say is: what do you want with it, it only works with the blue sky and that's boring! Of course, not only the sky works, as I quickly realise when filming. The possibilities are varied, but the flying manoeuvres are usually a bit riskier, as you have to fly under or close to objects. Manoeuvres between trees, under bridges or close to facades/rock faces etc. are conceivable. Feel free to share more ideas in the comments below.
The camera films videos at 4k with 25 frames per second and a maximum data rate of 100 mbps. There is the option of filming in a standard, log or HDR profile. Log to extend the dynamic range and have more options for colour processing. I have not filmed in HDR - because I have read several times that the image is not usable in this mode. The pictures turn out well in the standard setting. What I did notice, however, was the constant presence of background noise. Even in sunshine and at the lowest ISO value.
Anafi flies in the face - but can't help it
I hike with little Anafi in my rucksack from the Lidernenhütte above Riemenstalden for around two hours up to the Chaiserstock, 2515 metres above sea level. As Anafi doesn't take up much space in my rucksack, I take her with me. Rocks, mountains and the opportunity to shoot from completely new angles appeal to me. Passing beautiful landscapes, I get closer and closer to the Chaiserstock.
A huge rock face appears. The terrain is somewhat sloping and I take off - not in an exemplary manner - from the hand. A short flight to the rock face and back to the starting point. Everything goes well until the landing. Once again, the drone is supposed to land directly in my hand. I hold on to it, but the drone just won't switch off its rotors and pulls upwards like crazy. I give up and let go. The Anafi turns to the side and lands roughly on the stony path. A moment later, having digested the initial shock, I realise that one of the arms on which the motors are mounted is broken. Fortunately, the drone can still be flown.
How to do it correctly: If you want to land the drone in your hand, simply take it and tilt it 180 degrees. The drone switches off immediately. A safety measure that also works perfectly with competitor DJI. Alternatively, set "Yes" in the menu under "Hand-launch" and do it as demonstrated in this video.
Good battery performance
During aerial missions, the connection is unfortunately interrupted time and again and I only see a still image on the smartphone. Even at distances of barely more than 20 metres. Unfortunately, the only thing that helps is to close the app, remove the cable and try again. This also works when the drone is still in the air. And it stays up there for around 20 minutes at a time. This is a good value compared to the Mavic Air. Unfortunately, only one battery is included. Additional batteries are available for an expensive 126 francs. The battery of the drone and the remote control is charged via a USB-C cable supplied. Unfortunately, only one USB-C cable is included and you have to use your own charger. Depending on the output power of the charger, it may take several hours before you can fly the drone again.
No sensors and paid features
We are now used to competitors DJI equipping their drones with sensors, at least at the front and rear. The sensors are designed to detect obstacles and prevent the drone from colliding with objects. The Anafi has no such sensors installed. A minus point. But if we turn the tables, I would venture to say that sensors can lull you into a false sense of security and allow you to fly riskier manoeuvres. As we know, technology cannot always be relied on one hundred per cent. So without sensors, there are not necessarily many more accidents because pilots know that they can only trust their own abilities.
Of course, Parrot does not do without various smart modes called CineShots (cinema-style videos), SmartDronies (automatic selfies), Cameraman (drone automatically keeps the object in focus) or Follow Me (automatically follows an object). Unfortunately, the latter can only be used with an in-app purchase. At 1.20 francs, it's not particularly expensive, but I still think that such a feature should be free. Especially when we compare it with its competitor DJI, which offers such features as standard.
Yes, but...
The drone is small and compact, fun to fly and stands out from the competition thanks to the 180-degree swivelling camera. The digital zoom option is also exciting. Parrot even sells this as lossless. This feature was new and unique at the time of testing. In the meantime, however, DJI has made improvements and even installed an optical zoom in the Mavic Pro Zoom.
Overall, I really liked the Parrot. My gut still tells me that I would buy the Mavic Air or one of the new Mavic Pro - if I needed one. I've always had good experiences with DJI and have a large Community to fall back on if I have any problems. <p
Manuel Wenk
Communications Manager
Manuel.Wenk@digitecgalaxus.chAs a Multimedia Producer, preparing multimedia content and knowing about cutting-edge technology is my business. My main focus at digitec is producing videos. I can’t wait to try out new products such as cameras, drones or smartphones as soon as they’re launched. This is where being at the source comes in rather handy. When I’m not working, I’m probably skiing, biking or hiking – the mountains are my place to be.
Photo and video
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
9 comments
later