Will you be switching from Phantom series to the new Mavic 2 series?

[stickybit]

No, maybe one in addition to my current P4. That would only be so I can take one with me on trips for my work so I can put it in my bag in the office (the P4 is a little bit to big to take with me in meetings ;-).

But I think I first would like to upgrade to the P4P v2 or even the P5 before I would buy an extra Mavic 2

 

[Russ43Phantom]

I had the Mavic Air and the Phantom 4 Pro for a while. For applications where lighting was good (not low) and the final image that was needed was no larger than 11x14 or the video was not displayed on a screen greater than 27", you could not differentiate my Air from my P4P shots. The Mavic was so portable, and had features made possible by the higher speed chips ... so I sold my P4P. I found the P4P was collecting dust. (you can see some of my work at www.schundlerphoto.net, under "gallery/aerial photography" and "gallery/video").

But ... I have ordered the Mavic 2 Pro to replace the Air as I will have applications that will require better resolution, higher dynamic range (for low light), and less noise. The Mavic 2 Pro also has the benefits of faster chip speed, excellent obstacle avoidance, and more advanced Intelligent Flight Modes. I feel very strongly that the drone for me is one I can put in my normal camera bag along with a Nikon 750 and two telephoto lenses. The Phantom line does not meet that requirement.

 

[Alexis007]

I'm not switching... I'm happy with my P4P-Obsidian.
Still on the old firmware, and I can do anything I want.
Most of the time, I'm flying on Atti mode, and it'll just cut through the wind.

 

[Unique]

OK Phantom fliers....Are you going to switch from the good old white bird to the new-fangled Mavic? Please let me know your answers.

No, I like the Phantoms. One practical reason for using the larger UAV is that in VLOS, you could see it from further away. It depends what you use a drone for I guess.

 

[flyguy95]

The video footage from the M2P isn’t enough for me to switch up from a P4P. While there are some great advancements in the transmission and other features that we’d all love to have, I’ve been extremely disappointed with the video footage coming out as compared to the P4P’s video. If the size of the Mavic 2 is something youre after then you might want to go for it because the Phantom V may actually be a little bigger than that the P4P body. But if you were curious as to why DJI created two separate Mavics and didn’t just allow the user to switch out their own cameras (well officially at least)..... wait for it, there’s only going to be 1 Phantom V.

 

[Ade5]

Im gonna wait until next spring to switch out my P4P for the Mavic 2 Pro

 

[roosta]

Yeah like most above, as great as some of the M2P and M2Z features are, there's nothing obsolete about the P4Ps specs...so I'll keep mine. Neither of the M2s record in 40K60 like the P4P can either...

RoOSTA

 

[lasersbee]

I've got a P4P+ and a Mavic Pro and DJI Goggles...
Don't need another DJI Drone ATM...

 

[FlyingUser]

No, why? Why should I swallow 6-700$ trading my p4p only for the sake of portability and a few software-upgrades? The drone I'll be switch one day should have interchangeable lenses and ideally a four-thirds sensor.

 

[Pedelar]

No way to switch my P4P, an amazing & phantastic bird, with phenomenal software. I have everything with it, flying in the Colombian skies.

 

[Harleydude]

We'll see. I'm going to let the public beta-test both platforms. Once all the data/complaints/crashes are in, THEN I'll make an informed decision.

 

[WWK888]

Since I have the P4, the Mav 2 Pro is a step up as far as the camera. I love my P4 and it is on the old firmware which lets me do things I can’t with the new firmware. The addition of the Mav 2 Pro gives me the portability I have always wanted. Not sure if I had the P4P I would have gotten the Mav 2.

 

[Shaun Roster]

I have the Mavic Pro and the P4P V2.0. I love the Mavic but I decided to get the P4P because the Mavic doesn’t hold up well against the Texas winds.

Fully concur with that, the P4P is so much better in windier or gusty conditions.

 

[John Locke]

M2P can't do what my P4P1.3.509 can do. No brainer, I'm not switching. However, I may upgrade my MavicPro to the M2Z. I like the zoom for animal shots, and the lens in the M2Z appears to be much higher quality with less sun flares and sun spots when the sun isn't behind the drone. My current MavicPro is great for animal videos because it's smaller and less noisy. I can usually get very close, most animals aren't as intimidated with the MavicPro versus P4P. The M2Z is about the same size and noise level as my MavicPro, so it appears I would be able to get shots that are twice as close with the optical 2X zoom, making for some really interesting video.

Examples of close up animal videos with MavicPro

 

[monki77]

M2P can't do what my P4P1.3.509 can do.

What's so good about this firmware? (Genuine question)

I've kept my P4P up to date and it seems fine.

 

[FlyingUser]

M2P can't do what my P4P1.3.509 can do. No brainer, I'm not switching. However, I may upgrade my MavicPro to the M2Z. I like the zoom for animal shots, and the lens in the M2Z appears to be much higher quality with less sun flares ...

Is the M2Z better than the P4P+2x digital zoom/crop in post? I very much doubt. Zoom lenses are almost always lesser quality on the long end, not to mention that it's just f/3.8 there.

 

[monki77]

Is the M2Z better than the P4P+2x digital zoom/crop in post? I very much doubt. Zoom lenses are almost always lesser quality on the long end, not to mention that it's just f/3.8 there.

The Mavic 2 zoom's 2x optical will kick the *** of a Phantom 4 Pro using 4K crop to 1080.

 

[Yooper]

Love the deer video. Great job

 

[John Locke]

Is the M2Z better than the P4P+2x digital zoom/crop in post? I very much doubt. Zoom lenses are almost always lesser quality on the long end, not to mention that it's just f/3.8 there.

Everyone keeps suggesting zooming on 4K during post, as if that's something new. That's fine sometimes, but post editing doesn't let you see things up close DURING the flight, it's too late! Seeing the subject up close during the flight will influence the flight. Many time's I've been editing and see things that I had wished I'd seen during the flight, but didn't, because I didn't have the luxury of the zoom. I use the lossless 2X zoom on MP all the time when capturing in 1080, and that helps a lot for purposes of navigation during the flight. However I prefer the clarity of 4K, and now with M2Z I can have the 2X zoom and 4K, which I don't have with MP. But the bigger attraction is a higher quality optics on the M2Z. My MP has limitations in shooting with the sun in front or off to the side of the camera view, resulting in sun flares and sun spots. This limitation drives me nuts. I always have to be careful to fly with the sun behind the drone, more so than any other drone I have (P3P, P4, P4P). The MP lens just isn't very good, and the M2P seems much better.

 

[FlyingUser]

It will be a step up from the MP, that's clear. From the P4P - which the topic suggests - less so.
I do agree with your point about finding details on the scene. However, if you use the M2pro or P4P v2.0 with 1080p broadcast and a 10" tablet, then you can still find those details I suppose.

The Mavic 2 zoom's 2x optical will kick the *** of a Phantom 4 Pro using 4K crop to 1080.

I'd wait with that conclusion until we see some real untouched samples from the m2z. Why the crop is not crap:
- uses the sweet spot (frame center) of the camera, where resolution is the best, vignetting is practically absent
- the cropped sensor area is still a tad bigger than the full 1/2.3" sensor.
- pixels of the 1/2.3" sensor are simply too small for real 4k resolution. If you do a proper resolution test on the 4k material from these sensors with down-to-earth lenses, you will see, that they rarely resolve more than fullHD.