Anyone else thinking about returning Solo?

[brunoferreiro]

I did not work promises something that i dont have, I work in docuementaries and events for years and i had the phantom 2. 3dr promisses to ship my product maximum in late May! Yes. may! So I sold my phantom 2 to cover the new investment. And now I receive customers call to ask for work and I can not perform them for being without drone or am forced to rent them and lose money.

 

[GoodnNuff]

If someone (3DR) has based a business on a new untested product (SOLO) that hasn't even been released....

I don't think I have seen anyone posting that they booked jobs for their solo. Just people who expected that they would have it in a timely fashion to be able to book work with it.

Then you must not be reading posts on this thread? Second or third post here the person tells how he had to give up 4 jobs because he doesn't have his Solo gimbal, and how the delay is costing him "work and credibility." No, booking clients without the tools in hand to do the job you've booked is what is costing you credibility. Trying to blame your poor business decisions on 3DR just doesn't work in my world. Again, booking clients on a new, untested product/tool is a presumptuous and foolish way to run a business. If you don't even have the ability to do aerial photography without the gimbal, and don't have a back up means to film what you've sold your client, then you have no business booking jobs. Quite simple.

 

[Kevin Nelson]

FWIW, there are some "updates" on 3DR's official Facebook page. Alas, the content is thin - their replies have the quality of something you might get from a Magic 8 Ball. Me: "When will the gimbal be available?" Them: "Be patient".

 

[GoodnNuff]

I did not work promises something that i dont have, I work in docuementaries and events for years and i had the phantom 2. 3dr promisses to ship my product maximum in late May! Yes. may! So I sold my phantom 2 to cover the new investment. And now I receive customers call to ask for work and I can not perform them for being without drone or am forced to rent them and lose money.

I'm sorry that you have put yourself in this predicament.

 

[JonW]

I received my Gimbal last Monday. Here are my thoughts. I am extremely aggravated with the way 3dr has handled this launch. Between the underestimated demand, the multiple missed ship dates, and the fact that not everything promised has been delivered (flight simulator) I think they were trying to be a big player in the market before they actually were.

With that said, the Gimbal is awesome!!! It is exactly what I expected of it. The smart shots do what you would think they would do. Orbit is the best, Trying orbit with a phantom you can see how it can take years of practice to get the right stick movement to keep that object in the center of the frame. It is so simple with solo it is unreal.

So, do people have a right to be Mad? YES!!!!!! But, returning it at this point will not effect 3DR, it will only effect you. With that said, anyone who is feed up and returns it, I would understand.

Thanks for posting. This is exactly the constructive input I am looking for. It's great to hear that you are delighted with your gimbal. That sways me back toward holding on and waiting. I have actually been practicing trying to duplicate smart shots like orbit in Fly:manual to prepare in the event I decide to switch to DJI. It's not easy. And would be nearly impossible to manually control the gimbal while flying. That's what sold me on Solo to begin with. So for now I may wait it out a little longer and hope to get a shipping notification.

 

[JonW]

I received my Gimbal last Monday. Here are my thoughts. I am extremely aggravated with the way 3dr has handled this launch. Between the underestimated demand, the multiple missed ship dates, and the fact that not everything promised has been delivered (flight simulator) I think they were trying to be a big player in the market before they actually were.

With that said, the Gimbal is awesome!!! It is exactly what I expected of it. The smart shots do what you would think they would do. Orbit is the best, Trying orbit with a phantom you can see how it can take years of practice to get the right stick movement to keep that object in the center of the frame. It is so simple with solo it is unreal.

So, do people have a right to be Mad? YES!!!!!! But, returning it at this point will not effect 3DR, it will only effect you. With that said, anyone who is feed up and returns it, I would understand.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, whether or not returning my Solo affects 3DR isn't my point. I just don't want to have money tied up in something that i don't have for too long.

 

[JonW]

As far as I know, B&H policy is they don't charge your card, until item ships.

As to Gimbal, If anyone else had the Gimbal for sale right now, i would tell B&G to cancel order.

As to Solo, If there was anything better out there offering better, i would be interested. that said, Company would have to match 3DR warranties and been in the business for a good while.

I think your experiencing the same feeling like we all our, we all want to take GREAT video and can't due to the gimbal not being available.

Well, it's now available, just takes a little more time.
If you like the Solo, Love i know you do, Give it a little while longer...

I do agree that whenever we do finally all get our gimbals, if I do decide to wait it out, the Solo will be the best option on the market.

As far as payment, I used Paypal credit. B&H charged the full purchase the day I ordered. So yes, I am making payments. The good news is that it was no interest for 6 months.

 

[Earldgrayjr]

why not wait? its not like the gimbal came out with the solo. when you purchased it , the gimbal was to come later on. now that the first waves of shipments are coming , its better off to just wait it out

Do what you want, but if you ordered 1st of June (or any time around then) you knew you weren't getting the gimbal with it. From that point there has been one 3 week delay.

As far as the gimbal goes as a tool, it works well. As for Solo, it is the most flexible platform out there, and the PixHawk2 is new, so support will exist for a long time. There are already numerous people adding to it with various gimbals, lidar, loggers, etc. and that has just begun.

The Solo however is also new, and so anyone wanting a tightly integrated (and closed) system with everything released on day one, simply has the wrong thing.

There are trade offs to everything though, and with a closed system you get what you get. For the most part, if the manufacturer doesn't make or support an add on, you don't get it.

As for me, I also do video exclusively and have two, one with gimbal, and one impatiently waiting for one. I also have a P3P (purchased previously) that has been down for 8 weeks getting repaired (stress cracks) and will come back this week.

I see value in both, and am happy to have a usable unit and a backup on the way. Now that I see what the gimbal can do (I actually had little doubt before) I am placing new bets on Solo.

Again, do what makes you happy. In the end it is your choice. But rest assured, the Solo and 3DR will do very well, and their biggest problems right now are incredible demand. I seriously doubt that will change.

 

[JonW]

Do what you want, but if you ordered 1st of June (or any time around then) you knew you weren't getting the gimbal with it. From that point there has been one 3 week delay.

As far as the gimbal goes as a tool, it works well. As for Solo, it is the most flexible platform out there, and the PixHawk2 is new, so support will exist for a long time. There are already numerous people adding to it with various gimbals, lidar, loggers, etc. and that has just begun.

The Solo however is also new, and so anyone wanting a tightly integrated (and closed) system with everything released on day one, simply has the wrong thing.

There are trade offs to everything though, and with a closed system you get what you get. For the most part, if the manufacturer doesn't make or support an add on, you don't get it.

As for me, I also do video exclusively and have two, one with gimbal, and one impatiently waiting for one. I also have a P3P (purchased previously) that has been down for 8 weeks getting repaired (stress cracks) and will come back this week.

I see value in both, and am happy to have a usable unit and a backup on the way. Now that I see what the gimbal can do (I actually had little doubt before) I am placing new bets on Solo.

Again, do what makes you happy. In the end it is your choice. But rest assured, the Solo and 3DR will do very well, and their biggest problems right now are incredible demand. I seriously doubt that will change.

Thanks for the input Earldgrayjr. Add one to the "pleased with the gimbal" column. You're pulling me a little more off the fence on returning. BTW I ordered 5/5. At the time Solo and gimbal were supposed to release simultaneously.

 

[JonW]

FWIW, there are some "updates" on 3DR's official Facebook page. Alas, the content is thin - their replies have the quality of something you might get from a Magic 8 Ball. Me: "When will the gimbal be available?" Them: "Be patient".

I just checked out their FB page. I hadn't visited it before. I actually did get a chuckle or two out of it. I kind of goes like this:

3DR: Check out this picture of Solo flying in Mexico

Comments: WHERE'S MY GIMBAL!

3DR: Here's how smart shots work:

Comments: WHERE'S MY GIMBAL!

3DR: Here's a video on how to install the gimbal

Comments: WHERE'S MY GIMBAL!

And I love the magic 8 ball reference. I think that first shipment that B&H got from 3DR was actually a bunch of magic 8 balls to help them answer customer inquiries about shipping dates

 

[brunoferreiro]

I do not complain me anymore, but for those who criticized me for offering a job with something I do not have it in my hands, I ask something. Is not the same, they are defending a company that sold us something that neither had in their hands? It is the same anti professional behavior that you emphasize.

 

[JonW]

Then you must not be reading posts on this thread? Second or third post here the person tells how he had to give up 4 jobs because he doesn't have his Solo gimbal, and how the delay is costing him "work and credibility." No, booking clients without the tools in hand to do the job you've booked is what is costing you credibility. Trying to blame your poor business decisions on 3DR just doesn't work in my world. Again, booking clients on a new, untested product/tool is a presumptuous and foolish way to run a business. If you don't even have the ability to do aerial photography without the gimbal, and don't have a back up means to film what you've sold your client, then you have no business booking jobs. Quite simple.

I guess I missed this post. But, to be fair, it doesn't sound to me like he booked work and had to cancel it. Just that he has missed several opportunities because his clients wanted aerial shots and 3DR hadn't delivered his Solo yet. No need to attack him or how he runs his business. He probably should have kept his Phantom but not everyone can afford two craft

 

[GoodnNuff]

I do not complain me anymore, but for those who criticized me for offering a job with something I do not have it in my hands, I ask something. Is not the same, they are defending a company that sold us something that neither had in their hands? It is the same anti professional behavior that you emphasize.

I agree, I imagine both you and 3DR will lose business over your individual business decisions.
But your decision to sell your only means of aerial photography based on 3DR's marketing of a brand new-untested-in-the-real-world product lies with you and you alone.
I am not defending 3DR in any way by pointing that out.

 

[GoodnNuff]

I guess I missed this post. But, to be fair, it doesn't sound to me like he booked work and had to cancel it. Just that he has missed several opportunities because his clients wanted aerial shots and 3DR hadn't delivered his Solo yet. No need to attack him or how he runs his business. He probably should have kept his Phantom but not everyone can afford two craft

And a good business can't afford poor decisions...

 

[brunoferreiro]

Unfortunately I had to pay the credit card because BH photo charge me the payment via paypal the day i preordered the solo. And I did not offer jobs without drone, but I am unable to work since they do not meet their deadlines y I cant offer that service anymore. We can not all expect to have the new product to sell old

 

[JonW]

And a good business can't afford poor decisions...

I hope you are wrong because I would like to see 3DR stick around

 

[1264_Solo]

while frustrated with the communication of 3DR, i knew this was going to happen.
Its like dealing w/ Kickstarter campaigns haha

 

[GoodnNuff]

I hope you are wrong because I would like to see 3DR stick around

LOL

I was not referring to 3DR.

I doubt the Solo fiasco will be the end of 3DR.
DJI has not only survived but thrives despite their problems and total lack of customer support!

 

[JonW]

while frustrated with the communication of 3DR, i knew this was going to happen.
Its like dealing w/ Kickstarter campaigns haha

You know 1264_Solo, that's EXACTLY what this whole product launch has reminded me of

 

[JonW]

LOL

I was not referring to 3DR.

I doubt the Solo fiasco will be the end of 3DR.
DJI has not only survived but thrives despite their problems and total lack of customer support!

Let's hope.

And I have never, EVER heard a single good thing about DJI customer support. One of the reasons I went with Solo.