I own both the
Phantom 4 Pro Plus V2.0 (built-in screen) and the
Mavic 2 Pro with the Smart Controller. I've logged roughly 150 flights on the
P4P+V2.0 and maybe 50 on the M4P.
There are things I like and dislike about both.
FYI - the P4P is not available on the DJI website. You can get it elsewhere.
The
P4P+V2.0 itself has landing skids which I like a lot especially when you're landing and worried about the camera getting damaged. I purchased landing legs for the
M2P so help mitigate any potential damage from landing on grass or debris.
The
M2P is more sturdy and would stand up to a crash better than the
P4P. The
P4P is all plastic and cracks so easily. With the said, the
M2P has a lower profile so wind doesn't affect it like it would with the
P4P.
Both models I opted for the built-in screen but that was personal preference.
The
M2P is smaller and easier to transport which is a huge plus no matter if you're going down the street or getting on a plane.
The controls are very similar, nearly identical but the
M2P has Waypoints 2.0 and, once the bugs are figured out, will become very helpful. Waypoints 2.0 allows you to select your POI on a map before flying. The original Waypoints made you fly to the POI first, select them as a POI then move onto the next one. The Waypoints 2.0 eliminates so much unnecessary fly time.
The cameras are very similar as well but the
M2P has a 10-bit color camera but the
P4P has only an 8-bit color camera... it doesn't sound like a big difference but it is. An
8-
bit video
camera outputs pictures where the RGB values are quantized to one of 256 levels. A
10-
bit camera quantizes to one of 1024 levels. 256 or 1024... I'd go with 1024 every day.
The gimbal on the
M2P is amazing... you're able to move the camera left, right, up, down, diagonally, anywhere you want while still flying straight. The
P4P is "fixed" meaning it can go up and down but NOT left and right. You would need to adjust your flying patterns to compensate.
Another thing like about the
M2P is the auxiliary light under the belly. It's a bright light so you can actually locate the drone relatively easily at night and assists you when landing to ensure the ground is clear of any obstacles.
The landing gear on the
P4P allows you to do more if you're interested in transporting goods but that wasn't factored into my decision at all but something to point out.
A negative about the
M2P is the fact that anytime you want to fold it up and store it away, you must take the props off. The
P4P's size is it's size with or without the props on. But you can always just leave the arms open on the
M2P. Personally, I felt safer when leaving the
P4P out as compared to the
M2P but again, that's personal preference. In a perfect world, you should never leave your $2000 drone out but in reality, sometimes you will.
The RC for the
M2P is way more ergonomic than the
P4P.
To wrap this ongoing madness up, it would seem I like the
Mavic 2 Pro more and
I do. I would pick the
Mavic 2 Pro with the smart controller over the
Phantom 4 Pro Plus V2.0 with the built-in screen. The biggest drawback to the built-in screens is not being able to add 3rd party apps to it. Other than that, I love not having to remember my phone or tablet and keeping it charged, but that's my preference.
FYI - GET DJI REFRESH CARE... It is 100% worth the investment.
I hope this helps. No matter which one you pick, you'll be happy with your choice.