New to drones - Researching where to purchase DJI Mavic Air - DJI or dealer?

[billem16]

I am a wedding videographer and have realized I need a drone to stay current and capture the outdoor wedding venues I film at. I am looking at getting the DJI Mavic Air for $799.
I have two questions -
1) Should I purchase from DJI's website or from an authorized dealer online? I have heard to use extreme caution when choosing where to purchase because DJI has horrible customer service. Is this true and can anyone recommend a reputable DJI authorized dealer? Are there any perks of purchasing from DJI that would make me want to purchase directly from their website?
2) Any other wedding videographers out there - is the DJI Mavic Air a good beginner drone for me? I do this part-time, so wedding videography isn't my full-time job and I don't really need the BEST product available. More so looking for an affordable "good enough" drone to use in my wedding films. Thanks!

 

[billem16]

Oh and I forgot to mention - if I should purchase from an "other dealer" - what are some good options? Is there an obvious choice that has the best customer service and best reputation??

 

[msinger]

Should I purchase from DJI's website or from an authorized dealer online?

It's a great idea to purchase directly from DJI or an authorized DJI dealer. Not only will you likely have a better buying experience, you won't have to worry about DJI not honoring their warranty if you need to use it some day.

Is this true and can anyone recommend a reputable DJI authorized dealer?

If Amazon is an option, you can find lots of dealers with Phantoms in stock here on Amazon. Or check out DJI's list of authorized DJI dealers if you're interested in buying locally (or from other dealers).

Are there any perks of purchasing from DJI that would make me want to purchase directly from their website?

Here are a few perks of buying directly from the DJI Store:

• DJI will give you 1% back toward a future purchase (see more details here)
• You can pay with PayPal credit or finance your purchase through Affirm
• Purchases are tax free and shipped free
  

if I should purchase from an "other dealer" - what are some good options? Is there an obvious choice that has the best customer service and best reputation??

Some dealers/sellers are surely experts at closing the deal and getting the product to your doorstep quickly. After that point, many of them will not be of much help. Their knowledge of drones will likely never match the information and support that's available nearly 24-7 in places like this forum. Furthermore, if you need work done that's covered under warranty, those dealers/sellers will direct you to DJI for help. For those reasons, I don't recommend you buy from a dealer solely because they claim to offer expert service after the sale (unless you're seeing this confirmed by many other drones owners).

One tip I can give you is you should look at the return policy of your dealer/seller of choice. If the return policy does not easily handle things like DOA drones (like Amazon does), then you might want to buy elsewhere.

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to the forum .
I hope you will find our site helpful and look forward to any input , photo's/video's you might post .
Don't be shy and ask anything if you can't find it by searching and if you're only going to get
a Mavic you will do better to join our/Mavic forum . Good luck.

 

[DKG13CC]

I bought all my drones at Best Buy, no hassle returns if something is bad out of the box. You do pay tax but its peace of mind to me

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Hello,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Phantom Pilots forum.
I hope that you will be able to use the forum to further your safety knowledge and for the exchange of innovative ideas and as a resource for current developments in DJI quadcopters.
*GO 4 APP MANUAL: DJI Go 4 Manual

If the Air is your most likely choice take a look at our sister site - DJI Mavic Drone Forum

 

[ryantrax]

I've done a couple weddings, I've found actually the best drone to use for weddings is the Mavic Pro Platinum, or the Mavic Pro with the low-noise props. The Mavic Air is actually quite a bit louder than the MPP. Let me tell you the bride isn't happy if people are noticing the drone over her

 

[chazzm]

Welcome! If your going quality then forget the Mavic air,,, go for the Phantom 4 Pro, it’s now not much more than the Mavic Pro, I own quite a few DJI drones. Or wait awhile longer until the Phantom 5 series comes out either way you’ll be in good shape for video/photos!

 

[chazzm]

I've done a couple weddings, I've found actually the best drone to use for weddings is the Mavic Pro Platinum, or the Mavic Pro with the low-noise props. The Mavic Air is actually quite a bit louder than the MPP. Let me tell you the bride isn't happy if people are noticing the drone over her

How was the quality comparing a 12 megapixels camera to the Phantoms 20 megapixels? Would you have rather used the Phantom 4 Pro instead of the Mavic’s if given the chance? I wonder because I’ve heard both sides of the story and have used/own the drones in question both have pro’s and cons but in my opinion from a quality standpoint I’d much rather use the P4P! But like I said that’s just my opinion.

 

[ryantrax]

In my scenario with the P4P at my last wedding shoot I had to fly at a great distance to make the prop noise go down to an acceptable level. I would have had a lot better photo opportunities if I had just brought the Mavic with me, I would have been able to get much closer and lower. This is why I've started taking multiple drones to shoots now.

 

[DKG13CC]

I own an MPP, MA, and P4P, and in my eyes the MPP is useless and just sits. The 100mbps video of the Air looks way better side by side in my opinion, both using polarized ND filters. All my Mavic pro vids have a ton of noise that make the files almost unusable, and the drone makes hideous shots when stationary and panning. The gimbal is flimsy on the Pro too. The ONLY thing i use the Pro for is when i want a pleasure flight thats quiet. The Air is amazing