Newbie To Drones - Choosing between Mavic, Spark, Phantom and Inspire

[EarlAdam]

Hi I am new to drone piloting but have flown RC vehicles as a hobby for several years now.

I have a friend from the US who owns a drone service company and is willing to sell me 1 of his older drones.

I have a $500 budget for one of these but he says he can sell 2 of the cheaper models for me since he is upgrading to newer models for each series after he disposes of the older models.

I need your input regarding which should I choose.

I am planning to start learning videography and possibly cinematography using drones for extra income.

I have read the specs already and I am inclined to the phantom series (plus the looks of the drone)

However I need actual inputs from users who have experience with the phantom series.

 

[BigAl07]

Hello @EarlAdam and welcome to the Phantom Pilots forum. We are glad to have you on board. I'm confident you'll find lots of helpful and enlightening information throughout this forum.

If you haven't already done so, consider adding your LOCATION to your forum profile to help us know where you are when you post suggestions or ask for assistance. It helps a lot more than you might think especially because this is an international forum with members are from all parts of the world. Here's a direct link to yours:

https://phantompilots.com/account/personal-details

I would imagine most people on the PHANTOM pilots forum are going to be fairly partial (maybe very partial) to the Phantom series of sUAS. The Phantom is a very good and reliable option but so are all of the ones listed. Some have additional features that may or may not appeal to you. It depends on your skill level and what the end product is. Without knowing exactly what you'll be trying to produce it is hard to suggest which "tool" will be best for you.

It also depends on which model of Phantom he is looking to sell to you. There is a WORLD of difference between the camera on the Phantom3S and the Phantom4Pro.

The P4P will have the best camera but also the highest price tag of the Phantom series.

The Spark isn't what I would "build a business" around. It's a neat and very fun platform but I wouldn't consider it my business tool.

The Mavic is a solid platform with the added features of portability and a small form factor but the camera is pretty much the same as the P3 series cameras.

The Inspire (you didn't mention which series 1 or 2 but for $500 I'd bet Inspire 1) is a solid work horse of the sUAS world. The ability to swap out additional cameras is a huge plus if you plan to upgrade cameras in the future. Keep in mind the "Cost to Operate" the Inspire is a good bit more than models like the Mavic because everything for it costs more. Just a good solid travel case for my Inspire cost me almost exactly what your total budget is.

Keep in mind that the purchase of the aircraft system is only a portion of your total output needed. You'll probably want extra batteries, a tough and reliable carry case, additional battery chargers, filters, this and that and all of this adds up. When we set up a new sUAS platform we usually take the price of the aircraft and at least double it (usually more) to allow for all the extras you will need to procure in order to do this efficiently and safely.


Safe Flights!
Allen

 

[msinger]

I would not recommend an Inspire for a $500 budget. The accessories are very expensive. Just the case alone for my Inspire 1 was almost $500.

Which Phantom model are you considering buying? What type of commercial work do you plan on doing?

 

[EarlAdam]

Thanks for the Input guys! The good thing is, my friend is willing to include most of his accessories that go with any of the said drones. I'm currently contemplating between the Phantom 3 and Inspire 1 but is leaning towards the Phantom 3 mainly because of how it looks

What I aim to do is shoot overhead natures hots of beaches and beach-side resorts and similar themes as part of a service to tourism or travel & tour agencies.

I have a little bit of background in video editing so I really want to decide on a decent quality between the models. Accessory wise My friend is really willing to include what he has as he is replacing all of them as he upgrades his models.

I will have to verify which accessories are coming with, what would be the recommended set of accessories to come with aside from extra batteries and carrying case?

But from your feedbacks, it seems that inspire 1 is a good choice as well.

 

[msinger]

it seems that inspire 1 is a good choice as well

I love my Inspire 1. However, I would never have purchased it if I knew I was going to have such a small budget. Even if someone gave me all of the accessories I needed for it, just crashing it could cost me well over $1,000 to fix it.

I'm currently contemplating between the Phantom 3 and Inspire 1 but is leaning towards the Phantom 3 mainly because of how it looks

I don't recommend buying a drone for the way it looks (or what you think people will think of you when you're flying said drone). Buy the tool you need for the job.

The Phantom 3 Advanced/Professional are nice drones. If you're referring to the Phantom 3 Standard, I'd personally take the Mavic Pro instead.

 

[LarBear360]

Thanks for the Input guys! The good thing is, my friend is willing to include most of his accessories that go with any of the said drones. I'm currently contemplating between the Phantom 3 and Inspire 1 but is leaning towards the Phantom 3 mainly because of how it looks

What I aim to do is shoot overhead natures hots of beaches and beach-side resorts and similar themes as part of a service to tourism or travel & tour agencies.

I have a little bit of background in video editing so I really want to decide on a decent quality between the models. Accessory wise My friend is really willing to include what he has as he is replacing all of them as he upgrades his models.

I will have to verify which accessories are coming with, what would be the recommended set of accessories to come with aside from extra batteries and carrying case?

But from your feedbacks, it seems that inspire 1 is a good choice as well.

I've shopping for a second Phantom and based on my research I think $500 for a Phantom 3 Advanced or Pro is fair. That may be just a bit high for a Standard unless it's really loaded with extra batteries, accessories, and case.

Based on your proposed business application, either of those should serve you sell. I would also suggest a set of ND filters and maybe some prop guards.

 

[EarlAdam]

I'm pretty sure it wasn't a standard.

Well the reason I like how it looks, because it looks sturdy. Whereas inspire looks like I need to be really really careful when filming. But since I am planning to shoot in open air most of the time.

The reason that I want to buy it from my friend is because I am from the Philippines. It would be 10~15 times more expensive if I pay "retailers" here.

But if I have it shipped from my friend over the US my $500 will go a long way. I have ample time to decide which one to get so I am aiming as much input as I can get.

I want to upgrade to a drone as much as possible as gas prices are starting to increase here. What I use for filming right now is just a GoPro mounted on a gas powered helicopter RC. Its quite hard to maintain and I feel that the small engine needs to be changed soon as my recent captures are starting to shake quite often.

 

[LarBear360]

I'm pretty sure it wasn't a standard.

Well the reason I like how it looks, because it looks sturdy. Whereas inspire looks like I need to be really really careful when filming. But since I am planning to shoot in open air most of the time.

The reason that I want to buy it from my friend is because I am from the Philippines. It would be 10~15 times more expensive if I pay "retailers" here.

But if I have it shipped from my friend over the US my $500 will go a long way. I have ample time to decide which one to get so I am aiming as much input as I can get.

I want to upgrade to a drone as much as possible as gas prices are starting to increase here. What I use for filming right now is just a GoPro mounted on a gas powered helicopter RC. Its quite hard to maintain and I feel that the small engine needs to be changed soon as my recent captures are starting to shake quite often.

The Phantom 3 series includes a Standard model. The Advanced and Pro models look very similar but are more robust in their technology and capabilities. Even though the Phantom 3 series is almost all but discontinued, there is a great deal of information about each on the DJI website to help you compare and understand what you might be buying

The camera and gimbal on the Phantom series is more than adequate to provide rock-solid video.

 

[Macfawlty]

First priority is 4k. The Mavic Pro would probably be the most versatile. The P3-4k, less portable, but a used one would be cheap.

 

[loonie01]

There is a good deal on the spark. $350 with controller.
DJI Spark Drone Quadcopter (Meadow Green) B&H

 

[msinger]

There is a good deal on the spark. $350 with controller.
DJI Spark Drone Quadcopter (Meadow Green) B&H

If you're in the market, they are even a bit cheaper here on Amazon.

 

[alokbhargava]

I think its a personal choice. For example, even if some one gives an Inspire 1 and P4P at the same price, I will go for P4P. I m not a professional photographer and would not like to carry heavy load on me.

 

[LarBear360]

First priority is 4k. The Mavic Pro would probably be the most versatile. The P3-4k, less portable, but a used one would be cheap.

With all due respect the OP I doubt anyone starting out with a $500 budget for camera gear/drone already has a system capable of editing 4K. And anyone who does own a system capable of editing 4K can probably spend more than $500. 4K is nice if you have the firepower to edit the stuff and an audience who can actually tell the difference. He wants to market to tour & travel agencies. I personally do not see the need for 4K, especially if it means another $2500 hardware and software editing tools.