Alternative to Phantom 4 Pro V2

[Lambda]

I got told today by DJI that the Phantom range is discontinued
I was about to buy a P4P because of mechanical shutter - well now I'm in a bit of a pickle

What is a good alternative to the P4P for mapping?
Thanks

 

[Meta4]

What is a good alternative to the P4P for mapping?

A good, lightly used P4 pro would be the best option for mapping.
Failing that, a good, lightly used Mavic 2 pro.

 

[Gagey52]

A well looked after P4 will last for years. It should last until something of equal or better configuration comes on to the market.
Regards

 

[Saladshooter]

Ditto with my opinion. Buy a P4P... either the V1 or the V2 will do. There are still new and almost new ones out there. Stock up on batteries and take care of them and you should have everything you need for a long while yet.

 

[spamgnome]

A good, lightly used P4 pro would be the best option for mapping.
Failing that, a good, lightly used Mavic 2 pro.

I'm under the impression that a Mavic 2 Pro does NOT have a mechanical shutter?

 

[Saladshooter]

I'm under the impression that a Mavic 2 Pro does NOT have a mechanical shutter?

It does not....

Anyone who hasn't flown a Phantom 4 Pro should fly one before they disappear. Mavics are easier to transport but the Phantom was super smooth to operate because of its balanced design and of course the mechanical shutter hasn't been replicated on DJI's newer offerings.

 

[Meta4]

I'm under the impression that a Mavic 2 Pro does NOT have a mechanical shutter?

It doesn't ... just like most drone cameras.
But it's still an acceptable drone for mapping purposes with a good camera and the ability to fly waypoints.

 

[Mavic Merrick]

For mapping I would get a M3 or M3P

 

[Debaser_AZ]

Given that both the P4P and M2P are both discontinued (except as 'enterprise') models, I'd say currently there are no good alternative low-cost mapping drones. Scrounging around for used or NOS models isn't going to work for entities that buy from reliable sources.

We use a P4P for mapping and it's excellent for those purposes. I also personally use a M1P and a M2P for mapping, and both are decent platforms and extremely reliable.

I think the only low-end offering at the moment is the P4P RTK, which I'm inclined to purchase for professional use, but I much rather add a PPK kit to a standard P4P.

 

[Debaser_AZ]

For mapping I would get a M3 or M3P

Right now, both these drones wouldn't be useful for serious mapping. Neither of these drones have a mechanical shutter, and they don't support waypoint flight (yet). It's unlikely there will be any support for uploading a waypoint mission, which helps when signal might drop and connection is lost with the controller. Lastly, there's currently no SDK for these models, so no support from automated flight software like Drone Deploy or Drone Harmony.

I'm hopeful the M3 SDK will be released later this year. In the 'dream' category is the M3 platform being expanded to give us a real P4P replacement. That is, a foldable drone with PPK, mechanical shutter, 4/3 sensor and a lens optimized for photogrammetry. It's truly a pipe dream that it will cost less than 10k, though. Nope, DJI will force something like this as an enterprise-level drone. Depending on the SDK implementation, I'd gladly use an M3 for mapping and continue to survey GCPs with a total station/survey gnss at the cost of increased field time.

 

[snowghost]

B&H has them in stock. I got my P4P v2 there with extra batteries last summer.

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[Lambda]

I'm under the impression that a Mavic 2 Pro does NOT have a mechanical shutter?

Correct, but it can be used for mapping