I’m still on the fence

[bSquared]

Greetings MP community. I am a new Mavic Pro owner (thanks Costco Bundle at $799, which expires in 2 days btw), and a fairly new quad hobbyist. I’ve owned a few smaller trainers like the Bladeheli Blade mQX.

Learning on the smaller, more affordable quads has left me with a small sense of competence when it comes to piloting one of these more expensive rigs.

I purchased the MP based on price point, and based on many posts here discussing the OcuSync vs WiFi. Flight time was also a consideration as we will be taking shots from a boat quite a bit. There live in the burbs and I was concerned about interference if I choose to fly in nearby parks or in our neighborhood.

I haven’t put the MP up in the air due to weather. I am also waiting on a buddy’s Mavic Air to arrive so we can Pepsi challenge them both in a side by side environment.

Some of my concerns:
As a first time pilot, should I be concerned about the MPs lack of rear facing collision sensors?

The AIR seems to have a lot of ‘point and shoot’ type functionality. Ease of use is going to be big for us. Does the adjustable focus of the MP require a lot of fiddling to get good shots?

Gimble talk about the MP also has me a bit concerned. It sounds as though the MP is prone to gimble quirks. From what I am reading, the AIR appears to have a bit more robust gimble assembly. Should I be concerned?

Given the price point is the same on both of these units, should I stop trying to justify the MP purchase over a new AIR? Have I just bought outdated tech that will be abandoned when an MP v2 is released?

I’ve got 90 days (thanks Costco return policy) to make a final decision. Thanks for reading the post, and any input is appreciated.

 

[kiwi flyer]

I got the MP at Christmas and flew it a few times. I love the controller and the video feed stability. I like the long running battery. (I bought the std kit + 1 spare battery) . I fly VLOS, but the thought of interference of wifi concerns with with the MA.

 

[JohnC]

I have had my MP since Dec 2016, flow about 1000km with it and I still love the way it handles and the stability.

I bought a Spark for its portability but found its WiFi based RC almost unuseable in an urban environment, I could get 750mtrs in the country.

When Air came out I sold the Spark and bought the Air, it’s an upgrade to the Spark but it’s not a Pro! It has better range than the Spark, it’s more portable, it does tricks like APAS which is great as far as it goes.

I’m keeping them both as they each have their own place, the Air is ultraportable, the Mavic is more stable from a video feed point of view.

Depends what you need it for, flying ad hoc, close in then the Air is great, flying further away, the Pros stable Ocusync wins.

 

[JakeS]

I totally agree. This fills a place of good quality footage and some good smart features in a ultra portable package. I would still like a foldable portable (more so than the Phantom series) with comparable imaging quality.

 

[MichiganMavic]

I have 2 MP’s, and just returned the Spark today. Stared at the MA, but walked out the store. Awaiting more owner reviews on this forum. In the meantime, I’ll fly my P4 or MP. [emoji16]

 

[dronerdave]

The only thing I like about the MA is that it's very compact for travel and it would attract less attention having a more toy look. But I fly with 5 & 7 inch Crystal Sky monitors and even the 5.5" requires different batteries and chargers. Kind of hurts the portability edge of the MA but that's just me... I won't fly with a phone. Since switching to a Crystal Sky 7" UB, I have less focusing issues with the MP. Usually I can see I'm out of focus. I'm wanting a better camera than the MP has now so I'm waiting to see if the next model will fit my needs. Still the MP is quite portable and you can always make up a small package bundle but it's not a pocket drone like the MA.

I don't worry about rear sensors because if I'm at distance it's in open space. If I'm hovering around tree cover or vertical obstructions I fly at altitude and/or keep VLOS moving in cover. I would like to keep a Mavic Air on board my 4x4 to capture quick trail shots and what not, but I'll wait to see what DJI has up their sleeves before I jump. I just can't justify the added cost of a MA when the MP is working so well for my needs but I'd sure like to have one.

 

[colinfowler]

Hi and welcome
Your experience with the blade etc is an advantage as you will have the skill to get your MP back if anything goes wrong.
Have a read of some of the threads on lost, flyaway and gimble damage. Many are pilot error due partly to not fully understanding how the tec. Functions work (or fail)
Yes the gimble is fragile and exposed in a crash.
As for the lack of rear sensors, I have backwards flying disabled in tracking.
Focus issues are more about you remembering to tap screen to focus (I have set C1 to focus)
Start in beginner mode till your comfortable with the controls and functions.
Practice returning and landing yourself rather than RTH
As you probably did with you blade, take off and land with the MP facing away from you.

Have fun and don't worry about thinking you've got the wrong drone, there will always be another round the corner as with any new tech