$1450.00 Mavic Pro 2 is for Rookies

[Tagmaster]

A writer for TechCrunch referred to the Mavic Pro 2 as a starter drone. That kind of manages to just not sit so well with me. DJI Mavic 2 review – TechCrunch I'ts like when homes marketed as nice starter homes when others can be bought for much less. I'm awaiting the delivery of my Mavic Pro 2 and hoping FedEx doesn't screw it up. I'm aware that Inspires or a Matrix etc. can cost thousands of dollars and from the perspective of getting it off the ground and the ease of flight in some regards I can see where he is coming from but In my opinion the Mavic Pro 2 definitely is not a starter drone. When most are buying their first drone they are pribably not ready pay near $1,500.

 

[FatherXmas]

Is your post about the new Mavic 2 Pro? You might want to edit the title and opening line since it says Phantom. Not trying to be a pain, just thought it's a bit confusing.

 

[Tagmaster]

Is your post about the new Mavic 2 Pro? You might want to edit the title and opening line since it says Phantom. Not trying to be a pain, just thought it's a bit confusing.

Thanks for pointing this out. Hard getting comfortable saying Mavic after 2 yrs with a Phantom

 

[Wilbur]

To be fair, he said "It's not a bad starter drone, if you can afford it." That last part makes a big difference. He was just saying it's a relatively user friendly drone. It's expensive sure, but if money isn't that big of a deal for you, this is a much better option than an Inspire or something of that sort. All in all, it seemed like he was mostly praising the Mavic 2.

 

[Tagmaster]

Mine arrived and so far it's been a bit of work and still trying to get the firmware to update. My biggest concern at first glance is the micro usb controller charging port. As per my experience with cell phones those type charging ports are prone to becoming dysfunctional. Because of that I'll try using only the usb port for connecting to phone.

 

[monki77]

To be fair, from the perspective of someone who flies a Freefly Alta, an M600 or even an Inspire; the Mavic is a starter drone.

All that money spent on tech, sensors and software coding (gimick modes, follow my pet hamster etc) could be used elsewhere in the drone, but instead it's used on hand holding.

Mavic 2 's good but it's not a top end drone.
Edit: I think starter drone was an odd word to use.... But I can see where they're coming from

 

[Tagmaster]

To be fair, from the perspective of someone who flies a Freely Alta, an M600 or even an Inspire; the Mavic is a starter drone.

All that money spent on tech, sensors and software coding (gimick modes, follow my pet hamster etc) could be used elsewhere in the drone, but instead it's used on hand holding.

Mavic 2 's good but it's not a top end drone.
Edit: I think starter drone was an odd word to use.... But I can see where they're coming from

 

[Tagmaster]

Yeah, I think its a marketing thing and agree they waste resources that could be well spent in other areas. Just like cell phones with fingerprint scanners and other gimmicky technology when phones could use other improvements more.

 

[Tagmaster]

Thanks for pointing this out. Hard getting comfortable saying Mavic after 2 yrs with a Phantom

To be fair that's sort of a contradiction in terms (expensive/starter drone)and either way did he not call it a starter drone?

 

[Wilbur]

I guess it's also hard to put labels like beginner, advanced, etc, on drones when there's such a wide variety in the market. You've got the cheap toy drones from $20-$50 on ebay, to the $100 knock off Phantoms, to DJI's user friendly drones anywhere between $400-$1500, to more high end industrial drones. It's hard for me to call a Mavic a starter drone when it's the best (most expensive and most advanced) drone I've ever flown. But it all comes down to what you're used to.

 

[monki77]

I guess it's also hard to put labels like beginner, advanced, etc, on drones when there's such a wide variety in the market.

You're right!

My micro drone is probably one of the hardest drones to try and fly.... And it cost £15!

 

[Tagmaster]

Compared to my P34K the Mavic 2 Pro is a big step up. While the P34K hovers somewhere within a defined area and strays a few feet side to side my new Mavic stays glued in place perfectly. The most notable difference to me is that while the P34K only uses Wi-Fi the Mavics controller while wired to phone represents such a huge upgrade since it dramatically increases connectivity/range. I guess you don't miss something you never had but now it's apparent how much difference a few hundred bucks can make. For that reason alone I'd recommend anyone to skip any P3 model and at minimum start with a P4 or better

 

[stealthbomber]

I paid $1850CDN for my first drone, a P3P. Then I paid $200 for an extra battery, $300 for a case, then $75 for a multi charger, then around another $100 for accessory crap that I didn’t need. So thats $2525CDN for my first drone. Your $1450USD drone seems rookie to me. Peace

 

[Phil DeVore]

Compared to my P34K the Mavic 2 Pro is a big step up. While the P34K hovers somewhere within a defined area and strays a few feet side to side my new Mavic stays glued in place perfectly. The most notable difference to me is that while the P34K only uses Wi-Fi the Mavics controller while wired to phone represents such a huge upgrade since it dramatically increases connectivity/range. I guess you don't miss something you never had but now it's apparent how much difference a few hundred bucks can make. For that reason alone I'd recommend anyone to skip any P3 model and at minimum start with a P4 or better

absolutely!!

 

[QuadPhillyFlyer]

To me it's hardly a starter UAV. You don't start at $1500 as your 1st UAV unless you have money to burn. I don't care about how crash proof it's supposed to be. If you turn off OA or not, you can crash any of them. A Spark or something in that arena may be a starter UAV. If it has joysticks and props the principles are all the same launch and land w/o any issues. Most people's starter car wasn't a new Mercedes Benz S550 or Audi S7 . I always recommend people start with a $200 or less UAV to get used to how it flies in certain situations. Then move up according to their pockets. I have 3 DJI UAVs to include an Inspire 2. I fly much more carefully according to the price of each, even with insurance. I know people who start with Inspires and they fly so tight due to potential loss if crashed. Meanwhile you have teh people with actual started UAVs zipping around without a care in the world.

 

[CFI-I]

My first drone was Free... a dear friend and the fellow that was my mentor when I began my photo journalism career in 1967, bought it for a special project.... flew it about 5 times and then gave it to me... Phantom 2 Vision. I did have to invest in two new batteries but it is the second best gift I was ever given. (My grandfather bought me a brand new 1970 Chevy Nova... wish I still had it!) Now that's a beginner drone.

 

[higherperspective]

I've gone backwards from a 3K + TurboAce Matrix for my first quad to a $150 Babyhawk for my latest. And guess which is the hardest of my fleet to fly? Go figger. It's all relative.

 

[Russ43Phantom]

TechCrunch completely fails to differentiate between the device and the pilot. I see extremely professional photography that is done with inexpensive cameras and very unprofessional work being done with very expensive cameras. That also applies to drones. Given TechCrunch's failure to be able to make this distinction, I'd say he is very unprofessional. IMO, the amount you spend for a drone to do photography has more to do with how your prints or videos are exhibited. It also has to do with how extreme the lighting and flight conditions are that you are being presented with. Finally, most professionals know the best camera is the one that is with you when the opportunity to capture a scene is presented to you. For that reason, they usually own both a "rookie" camera as well as a more "professional" camera ... and BTW, know how to use each.

 

[roosta]

Spot on Russ. About to reply with pretty much those same sentiments!

 

[Dave Smith]

Sold my Phantom 3 Pro on Ebay for $400 so that now I have the P4 Pro and the Mavic 2 Pro. After flying the Mavic 2 for two weeks now, my P4 Pro is quickly becoming just a backup. I find the photos and videos to be very similar to the P4 Pro, but I much, much prefer to fly the Mavic 2. I do aerial photos/videos along the north shore (Chicago) of lake Michigan for realtors, and the Mavic 2 is so quiet and easy to maneuver. The Flymore carrying case with all accessories and two extra batteries is very light. They need to work out a few minor bugs (I have to format the SD card every time I fly) but overall, I love the Mavic 2 Pro! The workmanship and materials are excellent. Nobody even notices me flying it compared to the buzzing bees noise of the P4 Pro.