Mavic Pro or Phantom 4 Pro

[SLVSRFR]

I have the opportunity to trade my Mavic Pro for a Phantom 4 Pro with me adding some cash to the deal (still would be below retail of a P4P)

The Phantom 4 Pro is sealed in the box.

I need help deciding, would you trade your Mavic Pro for a Phantom 4 Pro?

I had the Phantom 4 and sold it for the Mavic because I thought I could sacrifice quality for portability and the portability is nice. However, the issues and quality of the Mavic Pro is worrisome. The 1080p at 60fps is terrible, the tap to focus, the sun glare, potential TBE, compass errors (possibly HW issue), and the list goes on...is it all worth the portability?

 

[NYCMAV]

I have the opportunity to trade my Mavic Pro for a Phantom 4 Pro with me adding some cash to the deal (still would be below retail of a P4P)

The Phantom 4 Pro is sealed in the box.

I need help deciding, would you trade your Mavic Pro for a Phantom 4 Pro?

I had the Phantom 4 and sold it for the Mavic because I thought I could sacrifice quality for portability and the portability is nice. However, the issues and quality of the Mavic Pro is worrisome. The 1080p at 60fps is terrible, the tap to focus, the sun glare, and the list goes on...is it all worth the portability?

To you, evidently not. Ive found work arounds for some of the issues you mentioned (using a sun hood, NOT shooting in 1080, enabling autofocus, etc) but it seems your head is already turned. Get the Phantom if you don't care about so much about the portability and convenience.

 

[TRP]

In my opinion, many of the "issues" you spoke of are easily fixable. I switched over to 2.7k on all of my recording devies (gopro 5 black + Mavic) because 1080 looks very outdated and Youtube does not compress them very well. Tap to focus was a big issue for me but I have learned to really appreciate it and use it very thoroughly now. Sun glare is always apparent, use an nd/cpl filter or sunshade on the screen.

The Phantom has a substantially bigger footprint, the controller is the size of the Mavic and overall isnt all that portable. If all you are doing is flying around your neighborhood/town and portability isnt a concern, I dont see why you shouldnt get the Phantom. I know for sure the video is much better but for a constant traveler such as myself, a Phantom would not be an easy carry on item.

At the end of the day, its your money and whichever platform suits your specific needs best is the option you should go with.

 

[LonsdaleSkyPixel]

Please let me know who wants to trade you that P4P new in box for a Mavic. I will gladly do that trade.

 

[NorthEastJohn]

I own two Phantom 4s that I use for my small side business. They are seasoned and rock solid dependable.

The Mavic is a new animal, totally new design and folks should have expected there to be some glitches to iron out. I still think that it is the best compact flying camera on the market for what it provides. Size and weight are amazing.

I have looked at adding the 4 Pro to my collection, but just don't see the glaring improvements above the older 4 for my needs. Yeh better camera, a little faster, a litter longer flight time, a little quieter, additional sensor. If you ask me, I would say you should buy another 4. Best value out there I believe.

PS Note to self and others looking to buy. Expect glitches and minor bumps when you are the first to buy the latest and greatest of any new technology. Give any new product 6 months if you have the patience to wait.

 

[james_mav]

I have the opportunity to trade my Mavic Pro for a Phantom 4 Pro with me adding some cash to the deal (still would be below retail of a P4P)

The Phantom 4 Pro is sealed in the box.

I need help deciding, would you trade your Mavic Pro for a Phantom 4 Pro?

I had the Phantom 4 and sold it for the Mavic because I thought I could sacrifice quality for portability and the portability is nice. However, the issues and quality of the Mavic Pro is worrisome. The 1080p at 60fps is terrible, the tap to focus, the sun glare, potential TBE, compass errors (possibly HW issue), and the list goes on...is it all worth the portability?

If you want it for fun & portability there is no comparison. Its like comparing a Ferrari to a mini-van. If you want it mainly for photo/video then P4 pro.

The drone takes a little technical ability but the problems you cite are minimal for 99% of all users.

 

[Andart]

Read the phantom4 pro forums and there are just as many complaints . Considering the amount of units sold it is good .
Phamtom4 pro main complaints are no range gimble problems galore can't calibrate and focusing and camera quality.
So if your going to change don't change because of reported problems change because you want too .
The only question is quality camera verses compact.
And remember mavic camera as good as old phantom 4 .
Now have you had a problem with your mavic? How would you feel if your p4p had problems , personally if I was going to change I'd sell my mavic and bye a phantom 4 pro new as if you ever need a refund it will be the purchasers credit card not yours

Sent from my SM-G935F using MavicPilots mobile app

 

[SLVSRFR]

I am not complaining about the Mavic and all it's issues. I understand that a new product is going to have early growing pains.

I personally wouldn't say a potential hardware flaw is a minimal issue. I love the Mavic but I'm not blinded by the fact that DJI may have rushed the platform with the compass issue that could possibly cause your drone to fall victim to a spiraling death combined with potential to possibly injure property/people. I'm content with my purchase but I'm not ignorant enough to justify these quality control downfalls (hardware and software) from a company that had $1B worth of earnings this year.

Anyway, I was just seeking opinions of other members if you were afforded the same opportunity, would you do the trade.

 

[MavicMo]

Thats the thing to decide. Portability vs. Image Quality. The Mavic is a "jack of all trades" and gives up things in certain areas. While the P4P is a hobbyist's Aerial Photography platform and thats it. So decide what is more important to you..

For me I have a P4 which I use for my Litchi missions and is my workhorse. I used to take it on my ADV bike in a top box but it took up almost the entire topbox not leaving room for much else. With the Mavic, it will allow me to capture the pictures and video I want and be able to take it on my ADV bike and still have lots of room for other things....

I have the opportunity to trade my Mavic Pro for a Phantom 4 Pro with me adding some cash to the deal (still would be below retail of a P4P)

The Phantom 4 Pro is sealed in the box.

I need help deciding, would you trade your Mavic Pro for a Phantom 4 Pro?

I had the Phantom 4 and sold it for the Mavic because I thought I could sacrifice quality for portability and the portability is nice. However, the issues and quality of the Mavic Pro is worrisome. The 1080p at 60fps is terrible, the tap to focus, the sun glare, potential TBE, compass errors (possibly HW issue), and the list goes on...is it all worth the portability?

 

[Spirytus]

Thats the thing to decide. Portability vs. Image Quality. The Mavic is a "jack of all trades" and gives up things in certain areas. While the P4P is a hobbyist's Aerial Photography platform and thats it. So decide what is more important to you..

There's more to it than size vs image quality < this is a cop-out answer from most reviews I watched / read about this particular comparison.

First, the P4P has a more powerful propulsion system, as such its flight characteristics are better (maximum ceiling, maximum speed, payload capacity, thrust). Mavic's smaller drag profile does negate some of this, but not enough to place them both in the same tier (nice try little mavic).

Second, the Phantom series went through several generational iterations with considerable improvements in each -- at this point, it has matured to unbeatable flagship product. The Mavic on the other hand is on it's first and is definitely starting to show issues. The major flaw I see right now is its delicate camera gimbal which has a finicky retaining mechanism and questionable vibration absorbers. This is further aggravated by lack of protection and sudden shock may lead to a torn ribbon cable for the camera (which is unprotected and offers little leeway in tension). Low ground clearance and lack of manual ATTI mode (which may or may not be incorperated in further FW revisions) may be a nuisance to veteran flyers and I've already read 2 posts this week about structure issues one of which required the poster send it back to DJI.

Someone above compared the Mavic to a Ferari and the Phantom to a Minivan -- a very poor analogy if there ever was one... How about the mini-cooper sport vs the 5-series BMW? If you want a quad equivelent of a Ferrari, google an impulse Alien RR5 or equivalent.

 

[MavicMo]

If you want to call it a cop-out so be it, but size/portability vs. Image Quality is the major decision point for the majority of the people on this forum when they were making the decision to buy. Check the Phantompilots forum too or any forum that has topics where people are considering buying the P4/P4P or the Mavic. The Mavic is such a success because its appealed to so many. Why? Sure wasn't because it was the best consumer AP drone... Reading through this forum you can see the sheer number of new people to drones. Its because its better than most other drones out there for its size. It will shoot images and videos good enough for the vast majority of people. Same for me. If for whatever reason I need to do work with a drone, I've got an Inspire or P4... The Mavic is a great "jack of all trades" drone. But like all jack of all trades and as the saying goes; "Jack of all trades, Master of None"...

And sure the Mavic is new, but its NOT all new. It has benefitted from all the years experience that DJI has put into all its drones to this point.

I'll agree that calling the Mavic a Ferrari and a P4/P4P a minivan is a poor analogy, but so is using a mini-cooper and 5 series. IMO, any analogy thats in the same group/category is poor. Its more generic than autos/cars. Its more like a car vs. a tractor. Sure they both have 4 wheels (in some cases), a person sits in it, it has an engine, it uses fuel, etc. Just because they share similar abilities/capabilities, they aren't built for the same purpose. Its about "purpose" and what concessions are you willing to make to get more of what you want...

There's more to it than size vs image quality < this is a cop-out answer from most reviews I watched / read about this particular comparison.

First, the P4P has a more powerful propulsion system, as such its flight characteristics are better (maximum ceiling, maximum speed, payload capacity, thrust). Mavic's smaller drag profile does negate some of this, but not enough to place them both in the same tier (nice try little mavic).

Second, the Phantom series went through several generational iterations with considerable improvements in each -- at this point, it has matured to unbeatable flagship product. The Mavic on the other hand is on it's first and is definitely starting to show issues. The major flaw I see right now is its delicate camera gimbal which has a finicky retaining mechanism and questionable vibration absorbers. This is further aggravated by lack of protection and sudden shock may lead to a torn ribbon cable for the camera (which is unprotected and offers little leeway in tension). Low ground clearance and lack of manual ATTI mode (which may or may not be incorperated in further FW revisions) may be a nuisance to veteran flyers and I've already read 2 posts this week about structure issues one of which required the poster send it back to DJI.

Someone above compared the Mavic to a Ferari and the Phantom to a Minivan -- a very poor analogy if there ever was one... How about the mini-cooper sport vs the 5-series BMW? If you want a quad equivelent of a Ferrari, google an impulse Alien RR5 or equivalent.

 

[ElGuapo]

Think about for a second, the P4 PRO has a slew of issues.

I owned a P3 PRO which I sold for the Mavic, I still have the P4. It crossed my mind to sell the P4 for the P4 PRO, however I decided to keep an eye on the P4 PRO forum. In terms of bugs, the P4 PRO is not bug free either. For now my P4 is bugs free, it flies rock solid. If I decide to sell the P4 for the PRO I know I am going to inherit new bugs that may need to be worked out. With the purchase of this aircraft you are going to have different set of issues that are not as easy to work around like on the Mavic. Clear example is the RTH bug on the P4 PRO.

Ask yourself these questions, do I want portability? Do I want a better camera and give up portability?. Think about the platform that suits your needs, at the end of the day is your money.

The Mavic has a similar camera like my P4. I want to keep the P4 for flying around locally, I am a traveler and want the Mavic to take on trips (airplanes, airport security, etc). If you are not much of traveler who flies within driving distance the P4 PRO is an option.

Remember "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence".

 

[limbows]

Its different purposes i guess, i choose mavic is because of its portability. I travel alot and made a holiday video afterwards, by using mavic im hopping to have a unique point of view in my video. For me drone footage is like a sugar icing on top of a beautiful cake, not very good if it is too much. Just my thought tho


Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

 

[TheloniasMark]

If the Inspire is another step forward from Phantom- and then DSLR another step forward from Inspire and so on...
In the bigger scheme of things, I see the quality difference between Mavic and Phantom much more marginally. Something more like VHS to beta or SVHS.


Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

 

[SLVSRFR]

I understand the whole portability thing...that's not what I was asking opinions for. Has the portability been enough to justify the quality? This is aimed more towards people who do this on a daily basis, as myself. That's all I'm asking, I know the specs of both items.

Once again, I'm not complaining about the issues of the Mavic. I was just stating that there are issues and that people try to justify the fact that portability supersedes these downfalls. I didn't pay good money for a half finished product, if you're okay with that then that's fine, I personally am not and know many other enthusiasts that wouldn't be.

Anyway, to the tractor-vehicle analogy... that's all wrong. The Mini Cooper-5 series comparison fits the bill. They're both meant to get you to Point A-B, how fast it completes its purpose or how luxurious it is, that's all personal preference and what your priorities are. As for DJI Drones, they are built for the same purpose, and that's to capture moments, whether it's photos or footage. How portable it is or how much better the image quality is, that's all personal preference and what your priorities are.

People always make the analogy with a DSLR and a phone camera when talking about the Mavic. That the 'best camera is the one you have on you.' However THAT is a terrible analogy because the DSLR is only for capturing moments, the cell phone is for a whole different purpose that happens to have a decent camera. A DSLR will outperform a cellphone camera any time of the week. What's the point of a camera always on you, if the footage is subpar to the rest of your collection. The DSLR has a good portable form factor as well so you can take it everywhere you go and have it on standby in the car or at the office. In comparison to the drones, The Mavic and Phantom's are both meant to do the same purpose and have the same end state. If you're buying a DJI drone to capture moments (because that's what they make it for) that should be the forefront. If image quality wasn't important and portability was all I wanted, the Yuneec Breeze costs $399 and has a small footprint.

If it means anything, I decided to keep my Mavic. ONLY because, the difference in image quality is not too far off from the P4 and to a regular YouTube browser, they wouldn't really be able to tell the difference. And the portability gives that slight edge over that slight loss in image quality.

 

[f3honda4me]

Not much else to add other than I upgraded from a P4 to P4P for the following reasons, hope this helps:

-10mph faster (can go 30mph) in P mode.
-backtrack feature for loss of signal is nice, rather than just returning home, allows you to reconnect at a point where you lost connection
-the camera is spectacularly better than the P4/Mavic camera. being able to adjust f-stop and the bigger sensor (same as the RX100 sensor) is amazing. The dynamic range is huge, measured to around 12 stops of dynamic range, compared to about 5-6 stops of DR for the P4/mavic. I especially noticed this in brighter (sunny) and dark/night conditions.
-the side/back sensors are very useful for tripod mode when flying in tight spaces

 

[LakeTravis]

Spoil yourself, get both like I did... that is if you can, you only live once. For me, if it came down to one or the other, I would keep the Mavic Pro. The difference in video is insignificant for what most people are going to use. I've been using 4K-24fps (sometimes 2.7K) for the most cinematic quality, tweaking some other settings and I think it looks superb straight from the Mavic. If I do a little post processing, I can't tell them apart. I think it is more about portability than quality--unless you're making serious productions for broadcast or cinematic presentation. I want the Mavic for when I go out walking, hiking, on the boat or just going on a day trip somewhere in the Texas hill country. I've also taken it to Aspen and Santa Fe, it's just SO MUCH easier to haul around.

 

[SLVSRFR]

Just an update, I sold my Mavic for $1100 over the weekend before the going rate drops to sub $800's when supply catches up.

I bought a P4P off of CL with some extras for $1250.

The difference in image quality is crazy, of course the portability isn't as convenient. However, shots/footage I had to 'work' for with the Mavic, come easy with the P4P.

Anyone who is thinking about switching to the P4P, do it! You will not be disappointed