Another Nublet Agonizing Their Purchase Discovers MavicPilots

Hegemone · May 21, 2019

Hiya folks. Just digging and digging through the posts as I consider the mavic pro vs the mavic air. I thought I would say hello since I am a big fan of forums communities. I built a teardrop camper with my shop students and the TNTT and TearJerkers forums were hug resource and the amount of experience to be found in good communities is invaluable.

I am a teacher (Art and Technology Education) with a background in communications, some experience with editing (AVID, Premier), film/digital photography and generally just an avid tinkerer. Recently I have been a bit stir crazy and looking for ways to get back into my hobbies now that career stuff has kind of peaked and stabilized for me. I have always loved photo and video editing and want to start making some actual content. Not commercially but just for the fun of it. I live in the Blue Ridge Moutains and after growing up in Ohio so its quite the inspiring place to take a walk.

I have been agonizing decisions ever since I got a bit of a bonus for work (unexpected bonus approved for some extra duties I perform) I started looking at the Parrot Anafi and slowly discovered the Mavic Pro and Mavic Air since they are all in about the same price range. I would just go with the mavic air because of the newer tech and added sensors but the obsessive side of me wants the Ocusync for the piece of mind (and in my head a stronger connection trumps a rear oa sensor) I would totally go with the Mavic 2 even if it means sacrificing some extra batteries and stuff like that but I just can't find it in me to spend the extra 500ish to pull that off.

Ah well. I am sure I will be stoked with whatever I end up getting once the sticker shock wears off, get some hours under my belt, and have some piece of mind knowing I paid for DJI care.

I look forward to learning a lot from you folks. --Michael (Hegemone)

Drbobk · May 21, 2019

Hegemone said:
Hiya folks. Just digging and digging through the posts as I consider the mavic pro vs the mavic air. I thought I would say hello since I am a big fan of forums communities. I built a teardrop camper with my shop students and the TNTT and TearJerkers forums were hug resource and the amount of experience to be found in good communities is invaluable.

I am a teacher (Art and Technology Education) with a background in communications, some experience with editing (AVID, Premier), film/digital photography and generally just an avid tinkerer. Recently I have been a bit stir crazy and looking for ways to get back into my hobbies now that career stuff has kind of peaked and stabilized for me. I have always loved photo and video editing and want to start making some actual content. Not commercially but just for the fun of it. I live in the Blue Ridge Moutains and after growing up in Ohio so its quite the inspiring place to take a walk.

I have been agonizing decisions ever since I got a bit of a bonus for work (unexpected bonus approved for some extra duties I perform) I started looking at the Parrot Anafi and slowly discovered the Mavic Pro and Mavic Air since they are all in about the same price range. I would just go with the mavic air because of the newer tech and added sensors but the obsessive side of me wants the Ocusync for the piece of mind (and in my head a stronger connection trumps a rear oa sensor) I would totally go with the Mavic 2 even if it means sacrificing some extra batteries and stuff like that but I just can't find it in me to spend the extra 500ish to pull that off.

Ah well. I am sure I will be stoked with whatever I end up getting once the sticker shock wears off, get some hours under my belt, and have some piece of mind knowing I paid for DJI care.

I look forward to learning a lot from you folks. --Michael (Hegemone)

Welcome Michael. All of the favorable aspects of forum communities will be found here. I myself have a Mavic 2 Pro with smart controller, and I love it. But I can’t compare that to the Air or Pro since my previous bird was an Inspire1. The M2P is so convenient, so compact, and so packed with technology and photographic quality that it’s hard to beat. Good luck with whatever you choose.

sas8888 · May 21, 2019

It's quit interesting that people often look at the specks of the drone but forget that these are really a camera platform. Unless you want to just go out and fly around a bit which I have to admit is a lot of fun, I looked more at what I wanted in a camera system. I am a still photographer first but trying to get into video more for our business. To me the camera system (including the gimbal and platform) was the most important part and it came with a pretty cool drone. I ended up with the m2p

old man mavic · May 21, 2019

the air if you want super portability,but are not to bothered about flying range,the mavic pro 2,for the better range, performance,both good UAVs

Hegemone · May 21, 2019

sas8888 said:
It's quit interesting that people often look at the specks of the drone but forget that these are really a camera platform. Unless you want to just go out and fly around a bit which I have to admit is a lot of fun, I looked more at what I wanted in a camera system. I am a still photographer first but trying to get into video more for our business. To me, the camera system (including the gimbal and platform) was the most important part and it came with a pretty cool drone. I ended up with the m2p

I couldn't agree with you more. I am far from my daredevil days and what I am really looking for is to get into those spots I just couldn't get to before and to add some variety to my archives. I am sure I will be content for a while with any of them once I get past my fear of missing out. The m2p definitely is pretty with that big sensor, the sample footage from even the most novice folks is very nice to look at. Thanks for the reply.

Hegemone · May 21, 2019

old man mavic said:
the air if you want super portability, but are not to bothered about flying range,the mavic pro 2, for the better range, performance, both good UAVs

Thanks for the response. At the end of the day I really just need to decide to take the hit to go for the m2zoom and the base package and upgrade the camera down the road or go with a fly more combo on the air or mavic pro. I tend to obsess so I am sure I will eventually just need to make a decision and be ok with it and it sounds like I will be pretty ok with any one in the mavic line I end up with. After a while I just make purchases like ripping off a bandaid. It all hurts but eventually I will forget about the pain.

Hegemone · May 21, 2019

Drbobk said:
Welcome Michael. All of the favorable aspects of forum communities will be found here. I myself have a Mavic 2 Pro with smart controller, and I love it. But I can’t compare that to the Air or Pro since my previous bird was an Inspire1. The M2P is so convenient, so compact, and so packed with technology and photographic quality that it’s hard to beat. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Thanks for the welcome. I may just have to dip into Christmas and birthday budgets and get what really does seem to be the best choice for me rather than settling for the air or pro and wondering. It also seems like the m2 has the better resale if I ever think of doing something different down the line.

dirkclod · May 21, 2019

Hegemone said:
Hiya folks.

I look forward to learning a lot from you folks. --Michael (Hegemone)

Welcome to the forum.
I hope you will find our site helpful and look forward to any input , photo's/video's you might post .
Don't be shy and ask anything if you can't find it by searching . Thumbswayup

msinger · May 21, 2019

Welcome to the forum!

Aerial-Pixel · May 21, 2019

Hegemone said:
Hiya folks. Just digging and digging through the posts as I consider the mavic pro vs the mavic air. I thought I would say hello since I am a big fan of forums communities. I built a teardrop camper with my shop students and the TNTT and TearJerkers forums were hug resource and the amount of experience to be found in good communities is invaluable.

I am a teacher (Art and Technology Education) with a background in communications, some experience with editing (AVID, Premier), film/digital photography and generally just an avid tinkerer. Recently I have been a bit stir crazy and looking for ways to get back into my hobbies now that career stuff has kind of peaked and stabilized for me. I have always loved photo and video editing and want to start making some actual content. Not commercially but just for the fun of it. I live in the Blue Ridge Moutains and after growing up in Ohio so its quite the inspiring place to take a walk.

I have been agonizing decisions ever since I got a bit of a bonus for work (unexpected bonus approved for some extra duties I perform) I started looking at the Parrot Anafi and slowly discovered the Mavic Pro and Mavic Air since they are all in about the same price range. I would just go with the mavic air because of the newer tech and added sensors but the obsessive side of me wants the Ocusync for the piece of mind (and in my head a stronger connection trumps a rear oa sensor) I would totally go with the Mavic 2 even if it means sacrificing some extra batteries and stuff like that but I just can't find it in me to spend the extra 500ish to pull that off.

Ah well. I am sure I will be stoked with whatever I end up getting once the sticker shock wears off, get some hours under my belt, and have some piece of mind knowing I paid for DJI care.

I look forward to learning a lot from you folks. --Michael (Hegemone)

Welcome to Mavic Pilots from Dayton Ohio USA! Fly safe and have fun!

Thomas B · May 21, 2019

Hegemone said:
Thanks for the welcome. I may just have to dip into Christmas and birthday budgets and get what really does seem to be the best choice for me rather than settling for the air or pro and wondering. It also seems like the m2 has the better resale if I ever think of doing something different down the line.

I think you will be happier with a Zoom or M2P in the long run. Be sure to take the time to learn the bird, what to expect from it, and read the full online manual. I love my MPP, but it’s not nearly the machine my M2P is.

Bruce Lythe · May 22, 2019

Can I buck the concensus and say that I am more than happy with small size, portability and camera of the Mavic Air. I take it with me everywhere. It fits in one anorak pocket. Unless I plan to fly I fit everything I need into the tiny case and use my daily driver Huawei phone + controller to drive her. I put two spare batteries in a second pocket. That's everything. As to photos, and videos, I have been completely happy. Of course you need to leach ideas and settings off YouTube! As to range.... I am almost always flying on a coast or wide open wild places. I get 2km range and maintain vlos. Very happy with that. Sure, it's not an MP 2, but I enjoy getting better photos off my 60D than others get with their pro guns! Incidentally I have seen some brilliant videos and photos from the Spark.....

Hegemone · May 22, 2019

Bruce Lythe said:
Can I buck the concensus and say that I am more than happy with small size, portability and camera of the Mavic Air. I take it with me everywhere. It fits in one anorak pocket. Unless I plan to fly I fit everything I need into the tiny case and use my daily driver Huawei phone + controller to drive her. I put two spare batteries in a second pocket. That's everything. As to photos, and videos, I have been completely happy. Of course you need to leach ideas and settings off YouTube! As to range.... I am almost always flying on a coast or wide open wild places. I get 2km range and maintain vlos. Very happy with that. Sure, it's not an MP 2, but I enjoy getting better photos off my 60D than others get with their pro guns! Incidentally I have seen some brilliant videos and photos from the Spark.....

That is great insight. The Air is really what started me down the rabbit hole and I am sure I would be very happy with it. And frankly I will likely be going the new/refurb mavic pro or the air route. A new Air is right in my bang for the buck sweet spot if i buy the base with the ed discount and tag on a couple batteries. I am sure after some time I will want to upgrade to the mavic 2 because I always seem to wander like that.

I feel the same way about my Olympus EPL-6. A lot of photography is more about the person then the tool they are using. I still love shooting film with vintage cameras and frankly love the whole experience. Pretty much anything I buy is going to blow my yearly splurge budget so I am probably just agonizing more than I should and about things like an added oas sensor, noise levels, and ocusync vs wifi. Stupid fear of missing out. The whole ocusync and signal strength is the biggest hangup for me even though I am pretty sure I dont have the nerves to push the range at all. At short distances I have just convinced myself its added piece of mind. Sometimes more information can make my decisions harder.

Talking to folks here has definitely been a great thing for me.

OFAP · May 22, 2019

venice, florida here.

before the mavic series came on the scene, i just assumed i would go for one of the phantoms. as i began reading and hearing more and more about the mavics' virtues, my choices became less clear...i agonizingly pored over the details of each model, changing my mind several hundred times, weighing the appeal and practical aspects of each before finally settling on the M2P. at this early stage of my learning, i figured this bird had feature strengths, the experience with which i could take in any professional direction.

but they are all amazing!

Bruce Lythe · May 23, 2019

Hegemone said:
That is great insight. The Air is really what started me down the rabbit hole and I am sure I would be very happy with it. And frankly I will likely be going the new/refurb mavic pro or the air route. A new Air is right in my bang for the buck sweet spot if i buy the base with the ed discount and tag on a couple batteries. I am sure after some time I will want to upgrade to the mavic 2 because I always seem to wander like that.

I feel the same way about my Olympus EPL-6. A lot of photography is more about the person then the tool they are using. I still love shooting film with vintage cameras and frankly love the whole experience. Pretty much anything I buy is going to blow my yearly splurge budget so I am probably just agonizing more than I should and about things like an added oas sensor, noise levels, and ocusync vs wifi. Stupid fear of missing out. The whole ocusync and signal strength is the biggest hangup for me even though I am pretty sure I dont have the nerves to push the range at all. At short distances I have just convinced myself its added piece of mind. Sometimes more information can make my decisions harder. Talking to folks here has definitely been a great thing for me.

What I bought was the flymore combo. I use the extra batteries all the time and the bigger case is ideal for those times I am planning to use the drone. It goes into my rucksack. So my planned flight "toolkit" is: drone, controller, three batteries, Anker high quality usb cable, my old Samsung Tab 2 (9 inch tablet), a cheap tablet holder which attaches to the controller, ND 4, 8, 16 and their P equivalents, ND32, ND64, sunshade for the tablet, realtively heavy folding landing mat, spare props, propellor straps, memory cards and
case, USB 2.0 cable, laptop. I have, but I have yet to use regularly (I am an amazon prime addict!) parabolic range extender, longer controller thumb pieces, master air propellors, car charger, sunshade for my phone, landing gear extenders....

Oh and my range record on an unusual project (I am normally VLOS) with no loss of signal was 2.65km along a marine cliff top (with a couple of spotters en route for safety if I needed them, contactable via mobile). I did not need them.

Former Member · May 23, 2019

Welcome to Mavicpilots.com. If you ever need advice or repair questions, feel free to reach out to the forum.

Best regards and good luck,

Rob
Thunderdrones

Hegemone · May 23, 2019

Thunderdrones said:
Welcome to Mavicpilots.com. If you ever need advice or repair questions, feel free to reach out to the forum.

Best regards and good luck,

Rob
Thunderdrones

I have heard good things about you and your services. I am sure you will hear from me once I find that bird I can afford and cant live without. Thanks for the welcome.

Hegemone · May 28, 2019

Waiting on "Out for Delivery" is the worst. I took everyone's feedback and purchased the mavic 2 pro. Seems like the right choice and should give me the experience I was looking for without worrying about the upgrade for a longer period. Dji refresh and loss insurance are already in the works.