Is the Mavic Air really that good? A photographer's opinion.

[syotr]

Apologies, I misunderstood your original post. The following are JPEG’s but likely converted AFTER being edited as a DNG.

DJI Mavic Air Sample Images | PhotographyBLOG

I don’t do JPEGs so I’ve not actually seen any straight out of the camera.

Thanks, I found those but they are obviously converted from DNG.
Here is an example of Mavic DNG vs JPG. Way too much noise reduction in the JPG images and no way to fix them. I am hoping the Air is better.

 

[hit-n-run]

YoshiK1: I haven't criticised the Mavic Air whatsoever. Actually, I praised it as a good step forward in technology. And it's in everyone's interest that it sells and does well. I have simply stated it isn't a tool for a working photographer, with a few exceptions - contrary to the clear message given in the New York launch presentation.

The reality is that my wife carries everything. We use the P4P+ with only one extra battery. The collective weight is less than a Manfrotto tripod or a wildlife lens. And we are very familiar with challenging mountains. We aren't going for a hike on a weekend or holiday; it's work.

We wouldn't consider the Inspire 2 with a cost of four/five times that of a P4P+ because aerial photography is a bonus not a prime focus. And, importantly, the P4P+ delivers the required quality output.

mp5shooter: "nose-in-the-air" is the last thing anyone who knows me (pun intended) would use. I appreciate that my openness can be misinterpreted, but I chose my words carefully and - having re-read - remain happy with them.

Aside from the cost, the inspire + your sodas might be pushing the weight limit of your assistant to carry.

 

[MysUAV]

I can agree with pros needing/wanting the best, but I think DJI is going after the hobbyist not pros with this. Bringing in an adventure photographer was just a marketing deal. For someone like myself, a truck driver. I dont think I want something as big as a P4 because space is already at a premium on a semi. Plus, I'm not looking to make great photos as of yet just get a feel for it, better than a toy uav could. Something like an MJX is great as a trainer but if you are really considering uavs as a hobby than something like a mavic would be a great start.

 

[oskarx]

For small drones, I have a Mavic Pro Platinum and soon the Air. Going to the Himalayas in Spring. Trekking 3 weeks. Weight and size is a big issue. For high quality "ground" images my wife carries a SLR with 2 lenses.
I am going to compare at home (In the Rockies) and see.

Oskar

 

[Bad Andy]

I've just watched the Mavic Air launch on screen.

I'm an experienced professional, with three of my six titles being coffee-table books. Two are filled with top-quality wildlife and natural landscape images. Whereas I'm not keen on the label of "adventure photographer", I've worked in countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Bangladesh, and Nepal - plus more common destinations such as Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, India, Australia, and the US - always in remote locations. And you can add five films from years ago (Ethiopia, South Africa x2, Australia, plus the UK).

Today's presentation was slick and well done (with the exception of the "landscape" props which were tacky). And it could have been slightly better if the main presenter had put on an Obi-wan Kenobi cloak/hood for his demonstration of mind/hand control of the drone on stage.

Importantly, this drone is another step forward in technology.

But would someone like myself realistically choose this new drone? "No" is my considered answer, simply because the images/video it can produce are a step backwards when compared to the P4P's capability. We waited until the P4P was released and road-tested before adding a drone as a work tool.

Yes, it's compact. And in a very few situations this would be a decisive factor. But in most situations, the P4P's size and weight is small/light enough. Major film crews carry enormous amounts of equipment, and smaller operators are not shy of packing whatever is necessary to get the job done. I work closely with my fantastic wife. A tough head ranger in the Scottish Highlands affectionately called her "Pack Horse" because of what she was carrying - which included a heavy Manfrotto tripod, two camera bodies, and a big Nikon wildlife lens. Strap on an additional backpack to the front of her body containing the P4P and she wouldn't complain.

When it comes to still images and film, quality matters. The bar is set high and you only accept lower in certain circumstances, such as for inclusion in a here-today-gone-tomorrow news story. I doubt too many Limited Edition Prints will be made and sold, for example, from using a Mavic Air.

I appreciate that many on this forum are drone enthusiasts and I don't want to be offensive in any way. But today's launch featured a young adventure photographer as a selling point. Whereas this was a good marketing ploy, it will be viewed somewhat sceptically by experienced professionals like myself (with the few exceptions as noted above). The P4P is already relative small in size and light in weight compared to other drones able to offer quality output. Why would we want to go backwards?

My mother always carried tons of heavy high-end Minolta equipment accessories for my father and he still took poorly composed photographs, the preponderance of which were out of focus, poorly exposed, shot too slow, etc. Sometimes it ain't the hardware.

I consider the audience highly suspect too. I'm not gonna name names but my wife's friend goes around shooting small night club bands for her husband's promoting gig. The photos were awful, yet her friends would all tell her what a great job she was doing. I kept my lips zipped. Eventually I gave her a few informal tips and she struggled to put them to use. After about two or three years her work finally started looking better. Bob Gruen isn't lying awake at night wondering if this woman is gonna put him out of business. It might be insulting to say that folks will buy anything. But, they will.

Not all coffee table books have to be shot with 50 megapixel DSLRs or medium format. Implying that everything short of the best possible solution is essentially limited in usefulness to flash-in-the-pan journalism is preposterous. But do let me know when you can hang that big Nikon wildlife lens from a consumer level quadcopter.

Quality is certainly nice to have, of course, but I think sometimes some of us get too busy pixel-peeping and forget about what is really important.

If you really want to turn your world upside-down, look up lomography. There are even coffee table books about it! You might want to take a Zantac first.

I don't think anyone here thinks that a Mavic Air is going to be a substitute for an S1000 and a Zenmuse. And that platform still won't carry much more than a pancake lens.

Good enough is subjective. I remember the day when 3 or 4 megapixels was an amazing achievement, not to mention costly. Professionals didn't bat an eyelash over blowing five grand (US$) on a Nikon D1 and it didn't even offer 3 mp.

I've noticed that the worlds of photography and defensive firearms have an interesting common thread revolving around effectiveness and practicality. The issue is what you can and will carry around versus the effectiveness of the tool. Someone might like the power of a big .45 "Commander" with a full-size barrel but if they're not gonna carry it around all the time because it's too heavy, it won't do 'em any good.

In that respect, the ease of carrying and deploying something like the Mavic Air may lend itself to being used in more circumstances. There is much to be said for that, in spite of the quality limitations of the small sensor. In the end, the quality of what folks get will depend more on the folks piloting the platform than on the platform itself.

By the way, are the published specs for the Air right in that it only records in FAT32? Or is exFAT OK too?

 

[AndrewCCM]

Only have read a small portion of this thread. I have to wonder how I had images published on billboards, Sports Illustrated, etc all of those years prior to high megapixel cameras....As far as coffee table books? I have images in several that came from 8mp cameras. I get it..better cameras/sensors/lenses are preferable...and make the job easier...no doubt about it... But some seem to be poo pooing the idea that a 12mpix camera can make decent “Professional” images. IMHO... don’t be so caught up on specs. I see people all the time that think they have to have the latest and greatest of everything, yet don’t actually produce much of anything with it...

Perhaps I am reading all this wrong...If so, please forgive me.

Andrew
Crystal Clear Media

 

[Bad Andy]

Only have read a small portion of this thread. I have to wonder how I had images published on billboards, Sports Illustrated, etc all of those years prior to high megapixel cameras....As far as coffee table books? I have images in several that came from 8mp cameras. I get it..better cameras/sensors/lenses are preferable...and make the job easier...no doubt about it... But some seem to be poo pooing the idea that a 12mpix camera can make decent “Professional” images. IMHO... don’t be so caught up on specs. I see people all the time that think they have to have the latest and greatest of everything, yet don’t actually produce much of anything with it...

Perhaps I am reading all this wrong...If so, please forgive me.

Andrew
Crystal Clear Media

I can play devil's advocate. The P4P has a larger, lower-noise sensor as well as (for stills) shutter control. There is much to be said for the larger sensor in waning light and while shutter control is of limited use in a camera/lens with 80+ degrees FOV, I can see how it can still be desirable at times.

But I generally get the impression that some folks get a little too caught up in chasing technology.

I don't think anyone sees the Air as an upgrade path from the P4P but it could still make a handy addition to the stable, much in the same way that pro photogs as they upgrade carry their last generation DSLR body as a spare.

I could be wrong but I think a better question would be whether folks see the Air as an option for replacing a Phantom 3.

 

[AndrewCCM]

Yep. My comment was solely based on comments like, “It’s only a 12pix...I need more than that, Come on DJI, etc. etc. etc..”. I totally agree with what you’re saying. For me, I’d rather have a full frame sensor...even at the expense of higher megapixels. But I can totally work around the limitations of my poor 1” P4P 20mpix camera. Or can I? Should I sell it and wait for the P5P?

Basically, I didn’t comment based on the title of the thread...just on some of the comments within the thread (and a few others recently). Forgive me.

 

[ARM]

mavic air has a 3 axis gimbal, i agree with the term SparkPro!!!

 

[Macfawlty]

The best camera is the one that you have on you, and you could have the air in your possession all the time.
4k @ a higher bitrate than the mavic pro in a smaller package is awesome.

I agree. I'm looking hard at one. Traveling with a P4 is tough if you're also carrying a DSLR with a few lenses, tripod and such. I'm always looking for the best quality imagery, but portability can be the critical difference between getting 'good' shots and getting nothing. As far as being a minor upgrade to the 'hobby craft', camera manufacturers often release new cameras with improvements sooo minor, it's pointless.

 

[random-phantom]

Agree with the above. As somebody who travels a lot by motorcycle and bicycle, often for weeks at a time, I eagerly look forward to the day when I can take a drone with me in what I class as a reasonable amount of baggage. My P4 has thus far stayed at home on such trips, and the Spark seems a bit too Mickey Mouse for what I have in mind. I'm tempted by the Air, but will wait to read real world reviews from real world people - especially on the topic of WiFi / range.

 

[hit-n-run]

In 2018, new DJI high-end camera should be able to cope with 4K60, not 4K30. The original mavic struggled at some resolutions when it came to frame rate which is why I ended up buying a P4P, but the mavic is what reeled me in, in the first place.

RoOSTA

4k 60fps is a completely unrealistic expectation for any consumer drone. Can I ask what you need 60 fps for?

 

[YoshiK1]

4k 60fps is a completely unrealistic expectation for any consumer drone. Can I ask what you need 60 fps for?

Phantom 4 Pro is a consumer drone and 4K at 60fps. The answer you will get is to slow footage down. Personally I fly slow if I want slow footage.

 

[hit-n-run]

Phantom 4 Pro is a consumer drone and 4K at 60fps. The answer you will get is to slow footage down. Personally I fly slow if I want slow footage.

Yes you absolutely correct on both points. I should have added some more detail in my previous response, quality 4K video @ 60fps is unrealistic in a consumer drone. I also agree about the flying slow.
The 4k/60 on the P4P is garbage, cell phones shoot 4k/60 thats garbage as well.
I use an A7sii for video, full frame sensor, it shoots amazing video. but no 4k/60. $2,600 for body.
Panasonic GH5S (to be released in March) no 4k/60 $2,497 for body.
Cannon C300 shools 4k/60 $9,000
Even the inspire2 crops the sensor 2.7x @ 4k/60.

 

[Bad Andy]

Lemme know when you can hang that Sony body from a quadcopter.

 

[hit-n-run]

Lemme know when you can hang that Sony body from a quadcopter.

I don't know the exact timeframe, but I believe DJI had drones lifting DSLR/mirrorless cameras in 2013. Now there are heavy lifting drones that can lift payloads in excess of 20lbs.

 

[Bad Andy]

Read my post again. Carefully. Hint: This is a Phantom forum.

And FYI, none of DJI's offerings can handle a 20 lb payload as far as I can tell.

And you missed the point. But it's OK - I was being vague.

 

[hit-n-run]

I know it's a phantom forum.

Read my post again. Carefully. Hint: This is a Phantom forum.

And FYI, none of DJI's offerings can handle a 20 lb payload as far as I can tell.

And you missed the point. But it's OK - I was being vague.

Exactly, and this is a Mavic Air thread where someone was complaining that the mavic air can not shoot 4k/60.
I didn't say DJI can lift 20lbs. Freefly alta8 can.
DJI has the matrice and spreading wings that are quite capable w/the zenmuse gimbals for lifting dslrs and small cinema cameras.

 

[Bad Andy]

I know it's a phantom forum.

Exactly, and this is a Mavic Air thread where someone was complaining that the mavic air can not shoot 4k/60.
I didn't say DJI can lift 20lbs. Freefly alta8 can.
DJI has the matrice and spreading wings that are quite capable w/the zenmuse gimbals for lifting dslrs and small cinema cameras.

The M600 and S1000 are not quadcopters.

I did tell you to read carefully.

Nor are the M600 and S1000 considered to be even vaguely affordable by most folks who might consider purchasing the Air. Those folks don't care how superior your 60p video is with an Alta drone that costs upwards of $17K before you even put a gimbal on it. And so it goes, I'm delighted that your $2k-$9k cameras can shoot better 4k video at 60fps than a little consumer gadget that comes in under $1K including taxes and shipping needing nothing but a smartphone. At the end of the day, you can enjoy two or three road cases full of hardware that costs more than a Lexus for what you do and buyers of the Mavic Air will enjoy what they get from something they can whip out of an old laptop bag. They won't think it's "garbage" and they'll have paid less than what you'd pay for a set of batteries that would provide you half the air time.

 

[hit-n-run]

I'm very proud of you

The M600 and S1000 are not quadcopters.

I did tell you to read carefully.

Nor are the M600 and S1000 considered to be even vaguely affordable by most folks who might consider purchasing the Air. Those folks don't care how superior your 60p video is with an Alta drone that costs upwards of $17K before you even put a gimbal on it. And so it goes, I'm delighted that your $2k-$9k cameras can shoot better 4k video at 60fps than a little consumer gadget that comes in under $1K including taxes and shipping needing nothing but a smartphone. At the end of the day, you can enjoy two or three road cases full of hardware that costs more than a Lexus for what you do and buyers of the Mavic Air will enjoy what they get from something they can whip out of an old laptop bag. They won't think it's "garbage" and they'll have paid less than what you'd pay for a set of batteries that would provide you half the air time.