couple of concerns with the Mavic.........

[hidaven]

First, this is based on 30 years as a Pro photographer and RC hobbiest for the same 30 years.



1. The props are too close to the camera resulting in severe interference on the video anywhere near direct sunlight. Not talking head on either.

No fix for that so for me its a return.

2. Gimbal clearance from the metal failsafe bracket is too close to the gimbal throwing failure codes. That fix will require honing down or removal of the bracket.

3. The phone attachment is not a good solution at all taking numerous attempts to secure the USB plug correctly, I actually ended up bending my phones

female port. My guess is that you insert the phone first and try pluging it in once the phone is set.

4. The arms that hold the phone are too tight. Not fun having to remove your slim phone case everytime you want to fly. larger gaps and adhesive shims was the ticket.

5. My professional opinion is that this camera is not as good as the phantom series as it sits today. I know all about the focus niggles and even so, The P3 was a better image

hands down.



Im hanging on to my P3 and Inspire for professional work and believe that aside from the cool transformer fold up design, that smaller is not better in this case.

I have both the P3 and Inspire and rave about them constantly, I just think that there needs to be more of a consideration as opposed to size in this case.



davenphoto.com

 

[ajg_kestrel_PFAW]

First, this is based on 30 years as a Pro photographer and RC hobbiest for the same 30 years.



1. The props are too close to the camera resulting in severe interference on the video anywhere near direct sunlight. Not talking head on either.

No fix for that so for me its a return.

2. Gimbal clearance from the metal failsafe bracket is too close to the gimbal throwing failure codes. That fix will require honing down or removal of the bracket.

3. The phone attachment is not a good solution at all taking numerous attempts to secure the USB plug correctly, I actually ended up bending my phones

female port. My guess is that you insert the phone first and try pluging it in once the phone is set.

4. The arms that hold the phone are too tight. Not fun having to remove your slim phone case everytime you want to fly. larger gaps and adhesive shims was the ticket.

5. My professional opinion is that this camera is not as good as the phantom series as it sits today. I know all about the focus niggles and even so, The P3 was a better image

hands down.



Im hanging on to my P3 and Inspire for professional work and believe that aside from the cool transformer fold up design, that smaller is not better in this case.

I have both the P3 and Inspire and rave about them constantly, I just think that there needs to be more of a consideration as opposed to size in this case.



davenphoto.com

Totally disagree ... absolutely not the case with mine... picture is amazing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ajg_kestrel_PFAW]

(I have phantom 2/3/4 and inspire 1 and pro)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chris]

First, this is based on 30 years as a Pro photographer and RC hobbiest for the same 30 years.



1. The props are too close to the camera resulting in severe interference on the video anywhere near direct sunlight. Not talking head on either.

No fix for that so for me its a return.

2. Gimbal clearance from the metal failsafe bracket is too close to the gimbal throwing failure codes. That fix will require honing down or removal of the bracket.

3. The phone attachment is not a good solution at all taking numerous attempts to secure the USB plug correctly, I actually ended up bending my phones

female port. My guess is that you insert the phone first and try pluging it in once the phone is set.

4. The arms that hold the phone are too tight. Not fun having to remove your slim phone case everytime you want to fly. larger gaps and adhesive shims was the ticket.

5. My professional opinion is that this camera is not as good as the phantom series as it sits today. I know all about the focus niggles and even so, The P3 was a better image

hands down.



Im hanging on to my P3 and Inspire for professional work and believe that aside from the cool transformer fold up design, that smaller is not better in this case.

I have both the P3 and Inspire and rave about them constantly, I just think that there needs to be more of a consideration as opposed to size in this case.



davenphoto.com

return it?

#don'tgotodavenphoto.com

 

[F6Rider]

The Mavic is NOT aimed at the professional photography market, that's for your P4Pro and Inspire. The Mavic is a mass market consumer hobby drone and to expect it to take professional photo's is unrealistic and makes it a bit disingenuous of you to come on here and bash it. The Mavic is primarily a PORTABLE fold up drone that you can take with you everywhere and some compromises had to be made to keep it small and portable without lugging around a suitcase.

 

[AlexSP]

I haven´t tried the Mavic yet but from the start I´d disagree about the Inspire. I sold mine and glad I did, it´s an awesome AC but honestly... it´s a monster. It´s solid and nice and cool and the cam option is wonderful, but even for professional work it´s so huge and clumsy on the ground - and stay so little in the air - that my P3Ps get a lot more work for those two reasons alone.

I´m also a professional and I use drones for photo, filming, mapping, etc. so what good is a drone if you can´t have around with you or fly almost anywhere because it´s big and heavy and freak ppl out most of the time.

As for the image, well I´ve seen some really nice Mavic videos on the internet already, pretty close to the P3/P4 and as I said if you have it with you all the time then it´s more likely to get nice footage with it! But thanks for sharing your impressions and opinions anyway!

 

[F6Rider]

I haven´t tried the Mavic yet but from the start I´d disagree about the Inspire. I sold mine and glad I did, it´s an awesome AC but honestly... it´s a monster. It´s solid and nice and cool and the cam option is wonderful, but even for professional work it´s so huge and clumsy on the ground - and stay so little in the air - that my P3Ps get a lot more work for those two reasons alone.

I´m also a professional and I use drones for photo, filming, mapping, etc. so what good is a drone if you can´t have around with you or fly almost anywhere because it´s big and heavy and freak ppl out most of the time.

As for the image, well I´ve seen some really nice Mavic videos on the internet already, pretty close to the P3/P4 and as I said if you have it with you all the time then it´s more likely to get nice footage with it! But thanks for sharing your impressions and opinions anyway!

I agree 100%, doesn't do you one bit of good to have a drone that takes professional photography if it is so large you need a suitcase to haul it around in, as you miss way to many great shots. I would much rather have a lot of 'pretty good' movies and stills than none because the equipment was to big to lug with everywhere. I travel by M/C a lot and have missed some awesome scenery simply because my P3 kit was to large to bring with me, where as the Mavic will go in a saddle bag no problem. You don't shoe a horse with a jackhammer, right tool for the right job.

 

[scott rand]

First, this is based on 30 years as a Pro photographer and RC hobbiest for the same 30 years.



1. The props are too close to the camera resulting in severe interference on the video anywhere near direct sunlight. Not talking head on either.

No fix for that so for me its a return.

2. Gimbal clearance from the metal failsafe bracket is too close to the gimbal throwing failure codes. That fix will require honing down or removal of the bracket.

3. The phone attachment is not a good solution at all taking numerous attempts to secure the USB plug correctly, I actually ended up bending my phones

female port. My guess is that you insert the phone first and try pluging it in once the phone is set.

4. The arms that hold the phone are too tight. Not fun having to remove your slim phone case everytime you want to fly. larger gaps and adhesive shims was the ticket.

5. My professional opinion is that this camera is not as good as the phantom series as it sits today. I know all about the focus niggles and even so, The P3 was a better image

hands down.



Im hanging on to my P3 and Inspire for professional work and believe that aside from the cool transformer fold up design, that smaller is not better in this case.

I have both the P3 and Inspire and rave about them constantly, I just think that there needs to be more of a consideration as opposed to size in this case.



davenphoto.com

I appreciate this review, very thorough and makes some good points. It can't be all roses and rose colored glasses. That being said, I will still purchase one. I've seen a lot of positive reviews as well. But I appreciate a review not kissing the drone's ***.

 

[scott rand]

I agree 100%, doesn't do you one bit of good to have a drone that takes professional photography if it is so large you need a suitcase to haul it around in, as you miss way to many great shots. I would much rather have a lot of 'pretty good' movies and stills than none because the equipment was to big to lug with everywhere. I travel by M/C a lot and have missed some awesome scenery simply because my P3 kit was to large to bring with me, where as the Mavic will go in a saddle bag no problem. You don't shoe a horse with a jackhammer, right tool for the right job.

I've seen some excellent non doctored videos from people with Mavics. Not just "pretty good". I think people are getting insane as far as what is considered "professional video". The Mavic has a 4k video camera, that's pretty much as good as it gets for people NOT shooting movies/documentaries, etc. If you need to do that, you need a $12,000 drone, not a $1,000 drone.

 

[AlexSP]

I've seen some excellent non doctored videos from people with Mavics. Not just "pretty good". I think people are getting insane as far as what is considered "professional video". The Mavic has a 4k video camera, that's pretty much as good as it gets for people NOT shooting movies/documentaries, etc. If you need to do that, you need a $12,000 drone, not a $1,000 drone.

True, and in all honesty I´ve shot videos using the P3P camera in HD that were used for small commercials and the production/post production team was impressed with the usability of images. The major TV channel here uses the P3P for many of its aerial images of documentaries and news. Not every client demands octas with heavy ultra-sophisticated cams... also because not many can afford an S1000 with a Red Raven 4.5K or somethingto shoot their commercials either LOL

 

[kinsey]

First off the Mavic is a fun drone a lot of people here are not pro's some people just want to take them out of their bags and fly for fun not money.

 

[tchoupsley]

Good criticisms, but for me the small form factor just destroys the criticisms you made. It's a tiny drone that I can shove in a backpack and not take up very much space at all. Truly a take anywhere drone, where as the extra bulk of the phantom really limits it.

For a pro, this definitely isn't a solution for your situation though. For me the drone is an accessory, not my method of business.

 

[Chase R]

Sell it. Double your money. Buy a Phantom 4 or Inspire. This is an easy one.

 

[Romi]

First, this is based on 30 years as a Pro photographer and RC hobbiest for the same 30 years.



1. The props are too close to the camera resulting in severe interference on the video anywhere near direct sunlight. Not talking head on either.

No fix for that so for me its a return.

2. Gimbal clearance from the metal failsafe bracket is too close to the gimbal throwing failure codes. That fix will require honing down or removal of the bracket.

3. The phone attachment is not a good solution at all taking numerous attempts to secure the USB plug correctly, I actually ended up bending my phones

female port. My guess is that you insert the phone first and try pluging it in once the phone is set.

4. The arms that hold the phone are too tight. Not fun having to remove your slim phone case everytime you want to fly. larger gaps and adhesive shims was the ticket.

5. My professional opinion is that this camera is not as good as the phantom series as it sits today. I know all about the focus niggles and even so, The P3 was a better image

hands down.



Im hanging on to my P3 and Inspire for professional work and believe that aside from the cool transformer fold up design, that smaller is not better in this case.

I have both the P3 and Inspire and rave about them constantly, I just think that there needs to be more of a consideration as opposed to size in this case.



davenphoto.com

"Ignore"

 

[hidaven]

Apparently my firmware was corrupt. 2 hours of reconfigurations and I'll amend my statement on the camera. Its on par with the P3 and inspire.
The other issues still stand. Not bashing it as a fun portable toy, but for any semi serious photo work the props are too close to the camera causing too much flicker for my taste. The P3 is much better in this regard. There seems to be screws that hold the rubber inserts onto the TX arms, hopefully someone will figure out a fix at phone attachment is a PITA. leave the attachment cable free and put your phones into the arms first then attach the cable. You need to loose the small square plug holder inside the arm. If you can live with the above its not bad but not worth a grand if you have a P3 and don't need the utmost portability. Lastly, the TX drains QUICKLY. A bigger battery would have been better in this case.

 

[tomnjfl]

Sell it to me for normal price so I can have one on my vacation and make me a super happy guy!

 

[Rick]

Hi David,
I see you posted the same thread title on the DJI Mavic forum, where you also posted your web site. Having looked through your portfolio of images, I can't find any examples of aerial photography (folder mentioned "aerial", but there isn't a folder with that name). The only one I found that could have been an aerial shot was of NYC but I think that was taken from the Empire State Building. This isn't a criticism, just an observation. I was interested to see some examples of your aerial shots given the quality of your work, which covers a wide range of subject material.
I am an amateur photographer looking forward to my first drone having had a dabble in helicopter RC a few years ago.
I agree that in some of the footage published on the net from the Mavic you do occasionally see prop shadow, but far less than from Phantom examples where you see the full props in view. However, that's almost exclusively in video, not still photography, which I suppose is your concern. But you would always compose a still photo and wouldn't capture images that showed prop shadow in the viewfinder. The video I've seen from the Mavic, in the right hands, is stunning. Still photography in todays standards would demand a better capturing device than the Mavic can provide if used for professional purposes. But with saying that, it's perfectly adequate for the purposes most people would want the Mavic for.

 

[Anthony]

Just saw this today it only has a very short Mavic flight in it but OMG its stunning ..... are you sure there is not a problem with the Mavic you have if the images are off ...

 

[The Editor]

First, this is based on 30 years as a Pro photographer and RC hobbiest for the same 30 years.



1. The props are too close to the camera resulting in severe interference on the video anywhere near direct sunlight. Not talking head on either.

No fix for that so for me its a return.

2. Gimbal clearance from the metal failsafe bracket is too close to the gimbal throwing failure codes. That fix will require honing down or removal of the bracket.

3. The phone attachment is not a good solution at all taking numerous attempts to secure the USB plug correctly, I actually ended up bending my phones

female port. My guess is that you insert the phone first and try pluging it in once the phone is set.

4. The arms that hold the phone are too tight. Not fun having to remove your slim phone case everytime you want to fly. larger gaps and adhesive shims was the ticket.

5. My professional opinion is that this camera is not as good as the phantom series as it sits today. I know all about the focus niggles and even so, The P3 was a better image

hands down.



Im hanging on to my P3 and Inspire for professional work and believe that aside from the cool transformer fold up design, that smaller is not better in this case.

I have both the P3 and Inspire and rave about them constantly, I just think that there needs to be more of a consideration as opposed to size in this case.



davenphoto.com

Thanks for those comments Nick (Woodman).

Interestingly you gave the Mavic a self awarded 95 out of a 100 HERE extolling it's virtues in glowing terms but now you are 'VERY unimpressed' with it and decided to start another thread with a diametrically opposed viewpoint?

 

[hidaven]

Updated my comments above. Camera issues were as a result of a corrupt firmware. its now on par with the P series. Flicker from the props is worse than the P series lets hope theres a shade fix soon. The gimbal tolerance is too small and the cameras back hits the metal bracket that acts as a failsafe. Startup sequence needs to be slowed down to avoid it throwing error codes. I haven't returned it yet and will wait on potential remedies as I like you all like the portability and do indeed give it a 95 out of 100 but that 5% kills my professional work unless theres a work around (mainly the flicker due to the props being too close to the camera) I have the Phantoms 3, 4, inspire and the Mavic has more flicker than the other 3 due to the proximity. P.S. Haven't posted many aerial shots due to liability. I have a friend on the west coast who got nabbed by officials from a posted photo of his that violated a city ordinance. Not that I do that now, but in the past before all the hoopla, I was indeed in several wonderful places that are now off limits : ((( Also changed the title of this post to reflect my current views. PS, lets also hope theres a fix regarding these arms as no cell phone with a slim case fits. They should have left that area wider to support various thicknesses and given various sized shims to accommodate cases IMO.