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I had the same dilemma a few months back. I am a very keen amateur photographer and chose the Mavic 2 Pro. I can only say that I am completely delighted with the results. If it's not down to budget I'd recommend the MP2. Portability/weight difference is minimal and they all fold up relatively small (the reason I bought the Mavic 2 Pro even though I have a Phantom 4 Pro).
 
I keep seeing this type of comment and just isn't even remotely true and it's wrong to be making such claims. Perhaps if you compare straight out of camera jpegs between the drones it's true but it effectively cripples the Mavic 2 Pro as it loses out on its huge dynamic range advantage, something the OP specifically mentions as a requirement. You do not need to be printing on a large canvas to see the difference, even on the small screenshot I've posted above you can see a massive difference between the out of shot picture and the one with the shadows recovered. The large 1in sensor is what allows that level of recovery and it wouldn't be possible with the small 1/2.3in sensors, while you could use stacking to push the dynamic range that can be problematic on its own (especially with any movement) it's not viable at all on a multi-shot panorama.

Even then the 1in sensor is considered small for photography as it's the smallest of the 'large' sensors so for most photographers even that is a big step down but at least unlike the 1/2.3in sensors it does have a decent amount of latitude for dynamic range and strong high iso.
Have you owned both the Mavic air and MP2, and compared their DNG outputs in Adobe Lightroom post edit? I have, and there isnt much difference.

Your picture above is comparing pre and post DNGs for a M2P, not comparing a DNG from an Mavic Air and M2P - So your argument is redundant.
 
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He was looking at the air purely for portability as he has a backpack full of equipment as it is.
Let me put it this way, if he is using larger full frame or even cropped sensor cameras of the DSLR type, he could reduce his load and weight of equipment and buy a simple point and shoot. It will still take a photo but will not have the same options that his larger DSLR bodies give him. Will he agree to that, I doubt it?

Therefore, he would not be happy with the air and it's limited options, when compared to the M2P, though right now he does not know that since he is a beginner with the drone. As a long time photographer and wedding photographer, and Mavic 2 Pro flyer, I know what it is like hauling a bag or bags of stuff around all day. Could I have lightened my load? Yes of course but I would have lost the availability of features and functions on cameras, which I was not prepared to do. Therefore, I put up with the weight and bulk.

When the time comes that he understands about the three drones you mention (and that will be in the future), he will be pleased that he chose the M2P over the other drones because it will have given him all the functions and features he will, by then, have realized were well worth that very little bit of extra weight and space required, to fit the M2P in with his other stuff.
 
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I have used the inspire 1, the inspire 2, the Mavic 1 and other DJI drones. I have used digital cameras for over 20 years. Because of its many features, portability and, the Mavic 2 pro is by far my first choice.
 
M2Pro. In part, what is the planned use of the images? How will they be viewed or shared? Ensure one has good experience with post production software.
 
The Mavic 2 Pro is a photographers drone, for the reasons mentioned above. The low light performance, the 20mp Hassleblad, and 1in. sensor make it an excellent drone for photography. Its not a whole lot bigger than the air and is still small enough to be very portable for travel. He might also consider the smart controller so he has a brighter screen and doesn't have to mess with pairing his phone or tablet. If you would like I could send some quotes for a few different options for the M2 Pro and see about getting him into the setup he wants.


Thanks,
FDS Team
 
I'm watching this thread with interest as I am interested in the M2P for landscape photography.

I currently have a Spark and a Phantom 3 Standard and am trying to determine whether the upgrade to a M2P would be worth it for me as it is more than 4 times the cost of my Spark. I shoot mostly photos (landscapes) and occasional video and always fly within VLOS so I often wonder if I would be paying for lots of features on the Mavic that I would never use (Object sensing, 4K video, range, Occusync). The Spark takes amazing photos and I have never had problems with the WiFi transmission. I fly often (3-4 times/week or more).

The variable aperture and the ability to shoot in low light and get useable shots does appeal to me.

Chris
 
If he’s a photographer the name “Hasselblad” is all he needs to finalize his decision ...
 
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If he is not concerned over size the best is still the old Phantom 4 pro or advanced. Next would be the MP2 then the Mavic air. The original Mavic pro was not good especially in low light. I have a mavic 2 zoom which is pretty good but not up to the old P4P standards imo
 
From what I've read, the zoom is better placed for folks who want to do video, not photography. The things you can do with it -- the overhyped dolly zoom among them -- have greater effect with video. For example, you can run parallel with a moving object and zoom in or out as you go without having to try to fly forward and away at the same time.

I haven't read anyone suggesting the Zoom over the Pro for still photography, for what it's worth.
I for one fly with the Zoom for both stills and video. With the money saved over the Pro make sure to buy the Smart Controller if you want to fly in both the heat and cold.
 
My son is a keen photographer and is thinking of getting a drone.

The Mini is out as it doesn't RAW. And he wants RAW & HDR capability.
The 3 he is thinking of is the Air for portability with the rest of his photo gear, either the Pro 2 or Zoom.

For a photograph my opinion is the Pro 2 over Zoom, would you agree ?

The question is out of the 3 what do you photographers recommend and why ?

I can’t take him out to play with my stuff as I am still housebound after my accidented.

THIS should be a link to his albums so you get the idea of his style.
Photographs - M2P
Video - Zoom

You could buy one or the other, and buy just the camera that you don't have, and swap them out as needed. There are many how to on YT.
 
For stills, you can shoot with the MP and its 1 inch sensor has enough pixels to allow cropping equivalent to a longer focal length lens without the zoom function so basically a "digital zoom" is available for the MP in post processing for stills. I would also throw my recommendation in for the Mavic 2 Pro.
 
I feel you. Trust me I'm no stranger to having too much gear. For my wedding photography business we bring about $40,000 of photo gear with us in 4 large bags. We actually have hired an assistant just to haul the bags for us throughout the day and guard them from theives ?.

The air is definitely more portable. But like above poster said, I think he will tire quickly from it's lack of options and photo quality.

Look into the Manfrotto Aviator 25 backpack. It has a dedicated space for the M2P on the side, and can also fit a LOT of standard photo equipment in it's main pouch.
While I agree quality is important for some endeavors it's not a first consideration when starting out.
I see a lot of folks go out and get pro gear thinking it's what they need. What you need is practice practice practice as well as the ability to critically appraise your own images.

To the OP - What stage of photography is your son at?
The fact you say he wants to do HDR says that he expects it to be built in. Photographers have been doing it "by hand" for quite some time now.
I could be wrong but that "requirement" alone leads me to believe he's just starting out and is dependent on camera "features".
What is he going to do with the images? Unless you're going to print them larger than 16x20 I say JPG is fine. RAW is the ONLY way I shoot but it's because I do advanced editing where it is a requirement.
Seriously, if he's just posting to Facebook or online portfolios JPG is fine. Large prints are where you really need the resolution and other features of quality gear.
As he gets better at photography and grows into it then his equipment will evolve to meet his needs.
All that to say I think the Mini will be just fine to see if it's a useful tool and he can grow from there.
 
He is pretty advanced both in his technique & editing.
I know he likes the information available in RAW to tweak things to his liking and he does some large prints that he sells.

A drone is something he is considering to expand his options for views that aren't possible in any other way due to terrain and inability to get to the perfect position for a certain viewpoint.
 
He is pretty advanced both in his technique & editing.
I know he likes the information available in RAW to tweak things to his liking and he does some large prints that he sells.

A drone is something he is considering to expand his options for views that aren't possible in any other way due to terrain and inability to get to the perfect position for a certain viewpoint.
Perhaps best to learn on a Mavic Mini, and then upgrade to a Mavic 2 Pro. He'll appreciate the difference better, the two actually complement each other well, and the extra $500 for starting out with the Mavic Mini Fly More Kit is only 25% of the M2P cost. Most pro photogs also own and carry along a point and shoot of some form, which might just be their cell phone today. Same idea.
 
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He is pretty advanced both in his technique & editing.
I know he likes the information available in RAW to tweak things to his liking and he does some large prints that he sells.

A drone is something he is considering to expand his options for views that aren't possible in any other way due to terrain and inability to get to the perfect position for a certain viewpoint.

Definitely the Mavic 2 Pro. I regularly make large photographic wall art metal prints. The Mavic 2 Pro with a 1" CMOS and 5472×3648 resolution is good for images up to about 36"x50". Always shoot Raw.
 
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I'd go for the zoom. There are things you just can't achieve with a fixed focal length.

Of course people will say the same thing about the fixed aperture...
 
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