Buying advice greatly appreciated

[Stevieve]

Hi everyone,

I am currently considering buying a Mavic Pro. I had a lesson on Sunday with a P4 Pro and have well and truly been bitten by the bug.

Due to budget, etc. I currently have the choice between a Mavic and a P4. My main reason for purchase would be photography and video. I am a keen amateur photographer and would see the drone more or less as another camera, albeit one that can fly.

The Mavic has several advantages to me - portability (more likely to use it more), less noise (I will be doing some horse videoing), and performance/cost.

The controller is the main sticking point. Firstly, I would like to use an Ipad Pro 9.7" with it for an increase in screen brightness. I understand that I can do this using a third party Mavmount. Any advice on these would be appreciated.

Secondly, some reviews have said that the controller isn't good for those with big hands. Being 6'4", I have big hands. Has anyone here had any issues similar to this.

Any other advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance and have a good day,

Steve

 

[RaRaRasputin]

Well, if budget and portability are main issues, then you have pretty much sold yourself on the Mavic as opposed to the P4 - Although, the camera is supposed to be better on the P4

I am an amateur photographer too, but went with the Mavic purely on the portability factor. Have also seen some great photos/videos from the Mavic, so the difference in quality for me was negligible compared to the P4, being only an amateur.

I purchased an iPad 4 mini yesterday (yet to fly with it due to weather), but did fit it to the controller (no mount required) and have a sun hood coming for it.

My main problem was the screen size when I was previously using my iPhone 7 plus and the sun.

Everyone gets sun glare, only the crystal sky would be able to compete with that, hence getting a sun hood.

I went for the ipad mini 4 as opposed to a larger ipad with mount as I have read a lot of favourable reviews regarding the ipad 4 mini. Another thing that put me off a larger ipad was the added weight factor of the larger tablet w/ mount and its portability.

I am fairly new to drone flying, but this forum and youtube are fantastic resources and have helped me spend loads more money than I originally planned to lol.

 

[Doecliff]

Well the price is pretty close for either one. I would say it boils down to camera vs portability. The P4 camera is better than the Mavic's but the mavic travels well. I don't think hand size is an issue, I have big hands and I don't have a problem.

 

[frostbyte]

Honestly, for a first quadcopter, I don't think you'll notice or miss the difference in camera quality on the mavic compared to the P4. There is a huge difference but I was like you and bought the P4 for the camera to take on hikes with me and it sucked carrying that beast around. I couldn't really go on any hikes that were longer than a day trip because I had no room in my pack for sleeping bag, tent, food etc...
Also, the remote on the P4 is cumbersome in my opinion, I like its simplicity and sturdiness but its not practical for what you want to do. Its a finger width smaller than the hobby transmitters out there but its in no way portable. If you can use a game console controller then the mavic controller should be no problem. Its like a playstation or Xbox1/360 controller.

About the ipad on the mavmount that is a great idea and many people use that and have a great time. Its a worthy investment.

 

[beach_Dr]

I was under impression that standard P4 and mavic cameras are essentially the same, just with slightly wider FOV on P4 (not talking about P4P with its lovely large sensor!)
So I would go with Mavic, just for portability,as you're not really loosing anything vs the standard P4.

 

[Anthony Viscomi]

As other have stated...portability = Mavic

 

[msinger]

I would like to use an Ipad Pro 9.7" with it for an increase in screen brightness. I understand that I can do this using a third party Mavmount. Any advice on these would be appreciated.

There are a lot of 3rd tablet mounts available. Here are some of the commonly used mounts:

• FStop Labs
• Hooshion
• MavMount (see video)
• PGYTECH (see video)
• SKYREAT (see video)

Isome reviews have said that the controller isn't good for those with big hands. Being 6'4", I have big hands.

With the Mavic remote controller arms folded out, it's nearly the same size (height & width) as a Phantom remote controller. I find it just as comfortable to hold with a phone (or tablet mount) wedged between the remote controller arms. I'm only 6'1" though

 

[Bertro]

Just want to share my viewpoint. I currently own Mavic Pro, bought it several months ago from www.aeromotus.com The main reason for me was portability and camera because I travel a lot and I had no opportunity to carry Phantom with me (though I really appreciate the camera of this drone). It is very easy to use Mavic with a remote controller, no issues (even for big hands)))) Besides, this drone makes really amazing footage. The battery life allows to fly around 25 minutes. I have an additional battery with me but I don't use it frequently.

 

[Hauptmann]

The best camera to have is the one you have with you. Mavic camera is OK, so I opted for portability. Didn't even consider the Phantom. In your case, If you plan your shoots, and are never far from motorized transportation, Phantom. Portability, go Mavic. Camera, go Phantom

 

[Hauptmann]

The iPad 9.7" won't fit between the arms on a mavic controller. The iPad Mini fits fine, but just barely. For the 9.7, you'd need a mount as listed by msinger, above. I use the Pgytech. It fits a 9.7, it's well made, it's aluminum, and only 21 USD.