How is karma in 2020

[dronelover]

Thanks for the replies guys.

iv just aquired an almost new mavic airfly more combo for thesame price it would get me to complete the karma and get it flying.
it needs a hero camera and a gimbal to be able to fly.

im still keeping the karma because it seems very cool to have it and it was my dream drone when it came out but i never had the chance to afford it. I was so jealous.

Iv asked the previous owner to be honest with me if he ever had a problem with the karma before.
He replied that other than it lost GPS theee times and crashed on its back while trying to land on high wind, it never gave him any issues at all.
he never had any fly aways for the three straight years he flew with it.
from iceland to the alps mountains in italy.To Over 3000 meters over the ocean.
and the crash never detroyed the drone, camera or the gimbal. it still flew perfectly.
thats why iv decided to keep it for later projects, when i can afford the parts because this drone is true and tried and never fails.
so im keeping it.

 

[de_lac]

I bought mine some months ago. First "serious" drone. I really like it.
Paid 400€ (Gopro excluded, but 1 extra battery). For that price I think, maybe you can take a brand new Mavic mini. But if you already have a GoPro, I think video quality is much better.
What I like of my Karma:

• it seems to me using something serious and professional, not a toy (just the feeling)
• I really use the karma grip a lot, detach the gimabl from the Drone, and use it with the Grip. Love it, very useful.
• it's big, so I can see it also very far, also in the night thanks to its lights
• the controller... watching around on Internet the others controllers, the karma controller it's just amazing. You don't have to worry about phone battery (mine it's ALWAYS low), or phone freeze, calls, whatsapp..
• you never see propellers in your videos (I don't know with others drone, maybe it's the same)
• auto flight are very easy to make. Even the follow-me it's just great.
• Passeger App. You can share the streaming video on a phone with that app. So if a friend installs that app and it's near the controller, he can see the live video.

What I don't like of Karma

• it's not pocket-size. So if you go on holiday and take an airplane, probably you have to consider an extra baggage/backpack. But, if you want to take with you recharges, power bank, gimbal, lights... may be you would it evenly
• you can't take off or land on your hand. If you are on your kayak in the sea, I think it should be very difficult to use Karma, unless you setup a "base" on the land and take off/land far from you
• it hasn't sensors. So if you fly toward a wall, you will crash it. This is important in auto flights, and on follow me. If you are using follow me, be very careful and always take a look to the drone, because if it's not very high, may crash agains trees, mountains and whatever. Other drones have sensors, but I don't know if they are so useful to avoid trees branches, electric cables... or if they are just for buildings (damn, you can avoid buildings by yourself ?)
• the landing... could have been smoother. Karma has not a sensor camera under the shell, so it's not so stable as a Mavic. Even if you don't touch the controller, near the ground it may move by itself of 1 / 1.5 meters. (not always, but it may). So if you are landing, in a windy day, you must be careful, take your time to land, approach the ground, and when you are ready go down! My bad, I have never used the auto landing, maybe it's easier (just scared to use it. Anyone can reassure me?). Never take off and land in small spots, near obstacles. Consider 3 or 4 meters at least of clear space around the landing point.
• Sometimes, it loses the connection. Not a big deal, drone can stand waiting the signal, or return home. Don't be scared. When it takes again signal, you can cancel the return home and control it. If you are not in empty areas, and have interferences, you can suffer of video lag around 2/300meters or signal loss. There exists Signal Extender (100€).

At the end, I am not an expert of drones, I have just this one. But read and watched a lot on the net. I can say that I really like it. A friend of mine has a Mavic Mini. I envy just its portability. You can take always with you. So it's a every-day drone. With Karma, you should decide to use it and setup a bit in advance.

Karma it's an Harley. Mavic it's a Suzuki ??

Some video of my Karma

 

[dronelover]

Nice experience with karma.

this got me thinking though.

Remember above that i asked the previous owner if he ever crashed the karma and he said he did once and once only.

he said that he was attempting landing on high wind and it suddenly flip 180 degrees on its back and crashed. Broke the propeller etc...

he claimed that the camera and gimbal was just a bit dusty and flew perfectly afterwards.
Well i forgot to mention that in the front of the drone, lower left corner of the round hole for the gimbal there us a crack that he admitedly used glue.
That can only happen if when that drone flipped upside down and smashed that gimbal to the bottom of the now upside down drone and hit that white collar hole and cracked it.
And if it cracked, shouldnt the gimbal be destroyed aswell?

For those that got their gimbal destroyed because of the crash, did it also cracked the white gimbal port?

 

[dronelover]

This is what i meant.

 

[de_lac]

Well... I don't like that crack. I leave the answer to more experts than me, it may be just an aesthetic issue... but I personally don't like it. How much would you pay that? Because I am pretty sure that you can find another deal (grip included). I found mine on Facebook marketplace

 

[Ironspear]

Well... I don't like that crack. I leave the answer to more experts than me, it may be just an aesthetic issue... but I personally don't like it. How much would you pay that? Because I am pretty sure that you can find another deal (grip included). I found mine on Facebook marketplace

No that crack sure doesn't look good.

 

[dronelover]

yes that was from facebook marketplace.
Im from sweden and i got it for 2000 kronor from 2400kr that he originally wanted it for.
Roughly 200 USD?
it also took 1 week of convicing him of the price.

i dont really know.i cant seem to see any other crash or scratch near or around the gimbal Neck hole other than that crack.
If that was the result of the gimbal hiting it, why would it be on the left side corner?

and why didnt he just give way way down discount if he knew that drone was not functioning? It doesnt make sense of him lying if he didnt give me a too cheap of a price.

it also came with everything including karma bag and 1 more extra battery.
Just no gimbal/grip and camera and said that his wife loved it so he is not selling it.

 

[dronelover]

I should point out that the gimbal neck seems to function normally?
i can slowly move that neck from upper position to full downwards position without noise or any loose/jerkyness or anything that would make it hard to move. All the springs inside for he gimbal neck are all there. No cracks on any platsuc parts or anything i could see for it not to function.

 

[dronelover]

About what i said about carma falling of the sky when a camera/gimbal suddenly turns off.

Scroll to 3:25.

now if that had propellers on and in the air, that drone would be in pieces.

it quickly lost power to the propellers right after the gimbal lost conenction ”mid flight”.

 

[de_lac]

Damn... that's dangerous. Anyway, it should be the 1st version (video is of 2017), just the one that fell from the sky. Youtube is full of video of Karmas destroyed for that reason. The updated version should not have that problem.
I think you can try as in the video, turn on the drone without propellers, simulate a take off, then detach the gimbal and see what happen... if engines turn off or not. I don't see a reason why engines should turn off without the camera or gimbal connected.

Anyway I don't like that crack, even because it's not "compound" (sorry, I don't know if it's the right english word). Like in bones fracture, compound is when bones are cracked, but in line.
Like this --- ---- and not this --/ ---. Yours is not compound.

===== update
reading the comments of the video, it seems that the problem was with the harness,

GoPro Karma Harness for HERO6 Black & HERO5 Black

This harness is the key to accessing all advanced Karma features. The integrated technology allows you to see a live view of what your Karma sees. GoPro

gopro.com

 

[dronelover]

Yeah i know man. Seems this drone is like a ticking time bomb. has lots of things that can/could fail.
Im happy to say though that mine seems to be the updated version with the bigger protruding battery latch in the drones battery compartment

Im still looking for someone that has a karma near my place to let me try out their gimbal/ camera.
My karma works even without the gimbal/ camera. It turns on and off from the botton on the back of the drone. It is also connected to the controller and even updated on both units. No probs.

 

[dronelover]

Ill repost what iv found in early thread.
For those that needs more better view of the guts of the karma.
Here:

GoPro Karma - Teardown

GoPro Karma Tear-Down Pictures The motors seem to be 2216-sized. JH-GH connector harness, Honeywell HMC5883 style compass embedde...

www.sub250quad.com

This will help others.

im very interested on that battery connector from the back of the drone. Of we could get that part we might be able to resurect dead karma cores.

 

[Paul in WA]

Love my Karma! Been using it for two years now and it has proven to be quite useful in a lot of ways, even fishing. The only problems I’ve ever had is me crashing it, I’ve never had technical or mechanical failures, and I’ve flown a lot in the last few years I’ve had it.
If you have trouble finding a stabilizer/gimble/grip let me know, I might be able to help you out.

 

[dronelover]

Love my Karma! Been using it for two years now and it has proven to be quite useful in a lot of ways, even fishing. The only problems I’ve ever had is me crashing it, I’ve never had technical or mechanical failures, and I’ve flown a lot in the last few years I’ve had it.
If you have trouble finding a stabilizer/gimble/grip let me know, I might be able to help you out.

Thanks for the kind offer.
Well i live in Stockholm Sweden to start with.

If anybody here in stockholm sweden it would be great to hook up and help me get this old bird up in the skies again.
I just really wanted to know if this karma core is worth investing or not.
If i do get to this to work then it would be one of the greatest deals iv ever made.

 

[Shon]

Shite!! I think. Im beggining to feel iv got a lemon here used. That explains it why the owner of my karma didnt include the stabilizer or camera and made excuses that his wife loves the stabilizer.

id did the newupdate on both the controller and the drone itself even with the missing parts and it was fine.

I still have and use my stabilizer. There are some shots you can take with it, that you cannot take with just a Hero 7 or 8.

For example, "jib shots", are where you might start low and move to a higher point (or Vice versa), while keeping the camera level and stable. I used it, for example...to start low on the ground following a tortoise at their face level...to up high where the camera was face to face with a giraffe. My Camera and Karma Grip were attached to a telescoping extension pole, and I was standing on a mid-level platform which aided in the shot...especially with the height distance of the subjects. I was able to reach down with the pole to view the tortoise, and reach up with the pole to view the giraffe.

Another way the Karma Grip is useful is if you need to reach around, under, or above something in order to get an unobstructed shot. With the Hero 7 or 8, you would have to guess at the camera, angle and hope that you guessed correctly (for example, shooting out of the passenger window of a moving car...or through the sunroof). I have often found after taking footage, that my Hero 8 footage was not level on the horizon (slightly tilted)...so I needed to crop and correct in post. This is not something I had to worry about with the Karma Grip.

I have been able to mimic "jib" shots with my 360 camera.... the pros are that I can carry lighter equipment...the cons are that the camera quality is not as high, and I have do to more work in post production to "Re-frame" the shots.

 

[dronelover]

Hi shon.

seems to be an interesting shot. Do you mind and share the link to the video you just made?

Iv just completed the karma 2 days ago and everything worked fine.
I conacted the previous owner and let him know how thankful i was for him being honest to me.
Even with the drone sustained a couple cracks from the front (see previous pics) after a crash, it all worked fine.
I got the gimbal grip system and hero 5 black i prestine new condition. Not even a wear out marks on the camera lens frame where the rubberized coatinh used to wear off. Its totaly new.
I also got a B&W 5000 hard shell case with tons of tons of attachments and a thick gopro book for film making. The case had already a vut out for the gimbal/grip to fit in with the camera

im also thinking that this case seems too overkill and i might buy a new foam and try to fit my karma in it with gimbal still attached to the drone.
All in all i so happy.

 

[dronelover]

I went with the completion because even though i told myself that id rather lost a bit of money for the incomplete done, than loosinh more money on it with more parts and not functioning. And i totally accepted that i might just sell this drone for parts.
But for whatever reason, i have an itch in me that somehow this bird still works, so i went with my gut feeling and the itch behind head. Or rather inside my heade.

 

[Ironspear]

I went with the completion because even though i told myself that id rather lost a bit of money for the incomplete done, than loosinh more money on it with more parts and not functioning. And i totally accepted that i might just sell this drone for parts.
But for whatever reason, i have an itch in me that somehow this bird still works, so i went with my gut feeling and the itch behind head. Or rather inside my heade.

Well done mate.

Have fun.

 

[dronelover]

Thanks.

last night i did a muckup if the drone would fit inside the b&w type 5000 and yes it does including the gimbal attached to the drone and still has lots of good foam all over the corners and sides
i do have to take off all the propellers and im fine with that.

this would be a future project later on.

 

[Shon]

Hi shon.

seems to be an interesting shot. Do you mind and share the link to the video you just made?

Here is is a short video I made entirely with the Hero 5 and Karma Grip (I also use the El Grande Extension Pole):

There are a few examples of the type of shot I mentioned in this video:

(0:10) Shot of flying squirrel: If you have your camera on an extension pole and just move the camera "up"...you might get this shot...but if your pole is extended in front of you...and you are moving it "up"...the camera will tilt up along with your pole... unless you have a camera gimbal like the Karma Grip.

(0:31) Moving from low in the creak to above the creek. The gimbal helps keep the camera level.

(NOTE: for the parts of the Video where I move the camera up to look at the top of the trees...hold down the lock button on the grip and you can move the camera this way...if you release the lock button...it will "hold the camera in that position. If you click the lock button once, the camera will recenter. You can also use your hand to "angle" the camera down. This could be helpful if you want to mimic a "Drone" shot without the use of a drone.

(1:21) This shot was taken walking along the trail next to the creek while holding the camera down near the creek to the side of me. It might look relatively simple... but pulling off this shot while keeping the camera level would not be possible without a gimbal.

(1:40) moving through the log while keeping the camera level... Not impossible if coming at it level...but if you were floating from above...down to the log and through it... the Karma Grip helps with this "floating" effect.

Here is another longer video for comparison. I used a combination of the Hero 8, insta 360, and Mavic Air (I also used The Telesin Extra long 9 foot long extension pole):

(0:28) "Jib shot using 360 camera. One of the nice things about the 360 camera is that it edits out the pole...so you can have a shot that looks like a "drone" shot, without using a drone. On the downside, Video from 360 cameras when "re-framed" are at a lower resolution..they can look "warped" depending on the camera angle... and they can look slightly blurry. I've taken similar shots using my Karma Grip... but it is harder to hide the extension pole when facing the subject holding it... and the shots are not as dramatic.

(0:44) Star Ferry. I had quite a bit of fun with these. Some of these shots would be difficult to take without a 360 camera, but the shot at (1:08) would probably have looked much more impressive with the Karma Grip. If you look carefully at this sequence, you can definitely ID Where I interspersed the much more high quality Hero 8 footage in with my Insta 360 footage.

(2:14) Jumbo's Floating Restaurant. Many of the shots in this sequence are only achievable with a 360 camera. This particular shot could be captured with your Karma Grip... but would be less dramatic. One way to achieve it...is to just go ahead and leave the extension pole in the shot...another would be to start from the point where your extension pole is not in the shot and continue over your head.

(7:40) Another example of a shot that is not only achievable with the Karma Grip...but probably would have worked better... Chasing around monkeys while keeping the camera level is also easier with the Karma Grip.