Phantom 4 Pro vs Mavic 2 Pro

One of the things we've been most impressed about is how the Mavic 2 handles in the wind. We do cell tower inspection through our pilot network. We recently just finished nearly 1000 towers in Texas and the pilots out there were fighting high winds. We've all been very surprised at how the Mavic preformed as well if not better than the Phantom 4. You will get 360 degree obstacle avoidance with the Mavic and not with the Phantom. Also you flying with OcuSync 2.0 on the Mavic so you get a smooth 1080P signal while flying up to 4.8 miles out. We feel that the Phantom is an amazing work horse, but the Mavic has the latest tech inside of it. During the last few cell tower training classes I have been using the Mavic 2 Pro. It has been the perfect training drone. If you ever need any advise or gear give us a shout.
 
One of the things we've been most impressed about is how the Mavic 2 handles in the wind. We do cell tower inspection through our pilot network. We recently just finished nearly 1000 towers in Texas and the pilots out there were fighting high winds. We've all been very surprised at how the Mavic preformed as well if not better than the Phantom 4. You will get 360 degree obstacle avoidance with the Mavic and not with the Phantom. Also you flying with OcuSync 2.0 on the Mavic so you get a smooth 1080P signal while flying up to 4.8 miles out. We feel that the Phantom is an amazing work horse, but the Mavic has the latest tech inside of it. During the last few cell tower training classes I have been using the Mavic 2 Pro. It has been the perfect training drone. If you ever need any advise or gear give us a shout.
Thanks so much. Great feedback. Cheers
 
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.
 
I am interested in the responses to this topic.

I have flown the P4P+ extensively at work but don't have a personal drone myself.

I am currently weighing up the options to buy my first personal drone but I have a couple of questions:

1) As someone who is a regular flyer of the P4P+ but has never flown any other drone, how easy will it be to adapt to the Mavic 2 Pro? From what I have seen on Youtube the controls look basically identical so I am assuming the transition wouldn't be too difficult?

2) How big of a difference does Occusync make to the range of the drone? Does a Mavic 2 pro have significantly better signal than the P4P+ due to Occusync?

3) I know that the Mavic 2 has 10 bit colour etc. but as somebody who doesn't own good editing software and has no clue how to colour grade, how does the raw footage compare to the P4P+ ? Is there much noticeable difference in quality?

4) Does the Mavic 2 really handle just as good as the P4P+ ? I keep seeing posts that it does but it just doesn't seem likely since the Mavic 2 is so much smaller.


Thanks for any help :)
 
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.
Thanks so much for Your advice and info. It’s been a great help and greatly appreciated.
Safe fun flying.
Cheers
 
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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.

I agree with much of that. One correction though - you can fold up and store the M2P with the props attached.
 
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I am interested in the responses to this topic.

I have flown the P4P+ extensively at work but don't have a personal drone myself.

I am currently weighing up the options to buy my first personal drone but I have a couple of questions:

1) As someone who is a regular flyer of the P4P+ but has never flown any other drone, how easy will it be to adapt to the Mavic 2 Pro? From what I have seen on Youtube the controls look basically identical so I am assuming the transition wouldn't be too difficult? It is nearly identical and with a smaller profile, the M2P is less susceptible to movement caused by the wind.

2) How big of a difference does Occusync make to the range of the drone? Does a Mavic 2 pro have significantly better signal than the P4P+ due to Occusync? The P4P+V2.0 has occusync so I didn't notice a difference in the transmission quality or difference. I think the M2P has a greater distance capability than the P4P+.

3) I know that the Mavic 2 has 10 bit colour etc. but as somebody who doesn't own good editing software and has no clue how to colour grade, how does the raw footage compare to the P4P+ ? Is there much noticeable difference in quality? If you have the choice, you would want to go with 10-bit but I cannot tell the difference either. Remember to always shoot in RAW.

4) Does the Mavic 2 really handle just as good as the P4P+ ? I keep seeing posts that it does but it just doesn't seem likely since the Mavic 2 is so much smaller. It really does handle the same. Remember you can always adjust the settings on nearly every aspect of the flying experience to fit your preferences. But to answer your questions... if you've flown a P4P+, you can fly a Mavic 2 Pro without any issues.
Hope this all helps!


Thanks for any help :)
 
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Thank you AerialPaolo5286 :) Other people I have spoken to seem to agree with what you're saying so I am thinking the Mavic 2 Pro is the way to go.
 
I think it is too. Let us know what you decide.
 
I own both and I like them both, but I find that the phantom four reaction in turning is more quicker then the Mavic pro, but the Mavic flys better in the wind, just my opinion.
 
...after recently experiencing my first fly away and subsequent loss I was in a similar position...P4Pv2 or M2P?

...in the end, for me, it came down to slomo 60fps 4K...which the phantom can do but not the mavic (...unless they added that with firmware recently?)

I also chose the phantom. All those reasons plus seems sturdier and I prefer the size. I will not travel out of country with this so might buy a Mavic in the future.
 
We have been flying Both now for the last couple weeks side by side.

Each one is of course is geared with the Wet Suit but that should not make a difference in these opinions.

They both fly really well in the wind however , when it comes to hand catching something that is very important , there is always anxiety about catching the Mavic in the wind, snow, rain where as with the Phantom its so easy to hand catch securely because of the extended legs..

Keep in mind they both are wrapped with Neoprene which provides a more secure hold but the Phantom just offers easier access to hand catching in all conditions..

When I think about the last 200 flights or so and how many times that the hand catch has saved the drone, I realize that I would have never been able to do many of those saves with the Mavic 2

With the Mavic 2 everything has to be lined up perfectly where is the Phantom has room for error.

When it comes to which one is more fun , flying something bigger is better in the sky, something no one mentions.

When it comes to visual line of sight, and quick Orientation the Phantom wins again.

All the Tech is very close but the slow motion 4K is hard to beat on the Phantom 4 Pro

Now that you can use LItchi on the Pro Plus contoler for the Phanton 4 Pro Plus , the dimensions change again and therefore only one thing remains.

The elephant in the room is that its small, compact , put it your pocket , wear it around your neck, lol
This is true of course but it is the ZOOM that inspired the purchase.

Ultimately its the zoom that could be the deciding factor as it changes the way you fly.

Overall it stops you from having to take so many risks with your drone and this provides some added safety

When it comes to getting caught in the Rain, the Mavic 2 took on water in the battery after only 4 minutes in the rain causing it to flash red lights.

Its because of this we decided to make the Wet Suit for the Mavic 2 Series drones so it would be equal to the Phantom 4 as it was our hope that we could film the Phantom 4 with the Mavic 2 in flight.

In the end I cannot let go of either drone as each one can add safety to the flight in different ways.

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