Thinking about down sizing to the Mavic air any thoughts on this. I just fly for fun and take pictures and video for my own amusement.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Sell my Phantom 4 Pro?
- Thread starter Nightwind15
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msinger
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If you want to see how the Mavic Air stacks up against your Phantom 4 Pro, you can compare the specs side-by-side here.
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I downsized to a Mavic pro, played around with it (2 actually) for over a year, and now I'm going back to a P4P and here's why:
Comparing a MP / MA to a P4P is really comparing apples/pears to oranges. They are in fact two separate classes of drone.
Portability of both the MP and MA is without a doubt their best feature, on the other hand the obvious benefit of a P4P is the camera.
If you're a photographer by trade/interest than the choice is rather clear, but for most people you really need to figure out what you want out of the thing. For me and my uses, the Mavic camera, though slightly less capable them my old P4P, was fine. Quality difference was noticeable when you compared them side by side, but when you watched them individually, it really became hard to discern whether the P4P quality was really that much more superior - for an untrained eye, it really wasn't.
From the portability aspect, hauling around my P4P vs the MP was really incomparable. I bike and hike so bringing the P4P really took a dedicated effort and if I brought it, I felt obligated to use it. On the other hand, I would throw my Mavic into my day-pack (with room to spare) and use it only when I felt the need - if I didn't use it, I certainly didn't feel bad when I didn't use it.
So why am I going back to the P4P?
It's quite possible that I may have outgrown the MP. Now that I'm making an effort to really learn photography, I'm starting to notice the limitations of the Mavic sensor. However, though it's certainly a factor, that is not what pushed me to sell the MP and get a P4P again. Almost all the reviews I watched and read miss one very important benefit of the Phantom series; its flight characteristics.
I went through 2 Mavic Pros and I have no doubt the Air is in a similar boat; they are far more delicate/finicky inflight. The phantom feels planted in the air, solid, like a tank in comparison. By far the weakest link in the Mavic design is the camera gimbal system - I will refrain from ranting going through my experience (and no I didn't crash or hard-land) but I'll tell you that this is the primary reason why I gave up on the Mavic platform. Yes, I know the Air's gimbal is different - but it is derived off the Spark design and a friend of mine who I convinced to buy a spark sent his in 2 times already because of gimbals issues.
TL;DR : If portability is very important to you, then get a Mavic, otherwise keep your Phantom.
Comparing a MP / MA to a P4P is really comparing apples/pears to oranges. They are in fact two separate classes of drone.
Portability of both the MP and MA is without a doubt their best feature, on the other hand the obvious benefit of a P4P is the camera.
If you're a photographer by trade/interest than the choice is rather clear, but for most people you really need to figure out what you want out of the thing. For me and my uses, the Mavic camera, though slightly less capable them my old P4P, was fine. Quality difference was noticeable when you compared them side by side, but when you watched them individually, it really became hard to discern whether the P4P quality was really that much more superior - for an untrained eye, it really wasn't.
From the portability aspect, hauling around my P4P vs the MP was really incomparable. I bike and hike so bringing the P4P really took a dedicated effort and if I brought it, I felt obligated to use it. On the other hand, I would throw my Mavic into my day-pack (with room to spare) and use it only when I felt the need - if I didn't use it, I certainly didn't feel bad when I didn't use it.
So why am I going back to the P4P?
It's quite possible that I may have outgrown the MP. Now that I'm making an effort to really learn photography, I'm starting to notice the limitations of the Mavic sensor. However, though it's certainly a factor, that is not what pushed me to sell the MP and get a P4P again. Almost all the reviews I watched and read miss one very important benefit of the Phantom series; its flight characteristics.
I went through 2 Mavic Pros and I have no doubt the Air is in a similar boat; they are far more delicate/finicky inflight. The phantom feels planted in the air, solid, like a tank in comparison. By far the weakest link in the Mavic design is the camera gimbal system - I will refrain from ranting going through my experience (and no I didn't crash or hard-land) but I'll tell you that this is the primary reason why I gave up on the Mavic platform. Yes, I know the Air's gimbal is different - but it is derived off the Spark design and a friend of mine who I convinced to buy a spark sent his in 2 times already because of gimbals issues.
TL;DR : If portability is very important to you, then get a Mavic, otherwise keep your Phantom.
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