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Do you wish you had gotten the P4P instead?

LivinLarge

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I have come into some "found" money, enough to buy a Mavic or P4 Pro. I am trying to decide between the two. To those who bought the Mavic: Do you miss the features of the P4P such as better video quality?
There were lots of discussions early on about out of focus, tilted sensors, watercolor images, and tilted horizons. Have these issues been resolved?
To those who own both, which would you buy now if you could only choose one?
 
I have a friend that has a P4 Pro and I have a mavic. For me it's a mavic hands down. We cannot find much difference in picture quality. My friend is thinking about selling his p4pro and buying a mavic. Because of size portability and does not look like your typical drone.
 
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I have a friend that has a P4 Pro and I have a mavic. For me it's a mavic hands down. We cannot find much difference in picture quality. My friend is thinking about selling his p4pro and buying a mavic. Because of size portability and does not look like your typical drone.
I agree with this, P4 Pro technically has the edge for video and photo, but the Phantom format now seems cumbersome to carry and set up.
If you go back to a Phantom after getting used to the Mavic it feels almost quaint - and very noisey.
 
I'm a photographer and would love to have the camera quality the P4P has. But I came to the Mavic from a Phantom 3 and don't think I could go back to the Phantom family because of the size. It's just so much easier to take the Mavic with me and get it into the air quickly. I use it far more than I ever would a P4P.
 
I bought a P4 (before the Pro model) and had it for a month or so - loved it! Then I got the Mavic and the P4 sat in the corner, in a rucksack bigger than my wife, waiting to be taken out. Is it better than the Mavic? Difficult one - it seemed to hold position a bit better in strong winds but I rarely fly in those - seems an unnecessary risk. I found that I was taking the Mavic everywhere, in my 'custom' backpack I had made for it (still tiny), to the official Mavic bag and even in the back of my everyday rucksack. The portability won out over the (slight) increase in picture quality as, frankly, I can't really tell the difference. And whilst I'm sure the P4P has better photo / video quality, the portability is the key. So the P4 got sold another month or two down the line and I've used the Mavic everywhere - even after climbing up a blooming' big mountain! The camera you have with you is the best, etc....
 
Nah I don't wish I got the P4P, I wouldn't mind having it has a back up though. The portability of the Mavic wins for me. Back when P3S I had to lug around a big Range bag that I converted into a bag for my Phantom, wasn't fun lugging it around, now I just throw on my backpack and go.
 
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Hmmm.... let me think.....

... would I give up the super-portability, quietness, cooler-looking, longer flight time, newer/sleeker form factor, faster top speed, nimbler handling, MAVIC, to get a more expensive, bulkier, uglier, louder, giant white thing that was originally released 4 years ago, JUST so I could have a drone that can take pictures which are maybe 5% better, and that only a very small portion of the population could even tell the difference in the images?

A camera isn't worth jack-squat if you don't have it with you when you need it. I keep my mavic and ALL it's accessories charged and ready to go with me in my car or on my bike at all times (and on vacation) in a light bag the size of a small lunchbox. My friends who haven't yet sold their Phantoms (and they are getting fewer every day) have to carry around a giant suitcase - so they don't. And I can have my mavic in the air and 1/2 mile away before they finish screwing on their props, if they did happen to bring their Phantom Trunk with them.

... so I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it some more. The Phantom is easier to hand catch, so it's a tough decision. :confused:
 
IMHO it depends entirely on why you want a drone. IF you're essentially a hobbyist, who enjoys having photos and footage for show-n-tell purposes, then I imagine that the consensus on this thread is absolutely correct, and you'd be MUCH happier with a Mavic due to it's portability, ease of flight, etc.

However, if you (like me), are a professional videographer (or photographer) who's looking to add aerial footage to some of their productions, then it becomes a slightly tougher question. The above argument re: portability still applies, and for me (who often has to travel/fly to jobs/shoots), means that I rarely regret having the Mavic over a P4P. HOWEVER, it is certainly true that the Phantom DOES give higher quality images, particularly in the most (photographically) challenging situations. The image processing is better, leading to reduced moire and aliasing, and the dynamic range is also higher, which can help A LOT when shooting in golden hour (which is also when you're likely to get your most standout footage).

Just my ten cents, but I must admit there have been a few times when I've got the footage from my MP back into post, and let out a slight "oh, I wish I had the Phantom's I/Q" sigh...

What's your primary usage would you say?

Cheers,

jason
 
IMHO it depends entirely on why you want a drone. IF you're essentially a hobbyist, who enjoys having photos and footage for show-n-tell purposes, then I imagine that the consensus on this thread is absolutely correct, and you'd be MUCH happier with a Mavic due to it's portability, ease of flight, etc.

However, if you (like me), are a professional videographer (or photographer) who's looking to add aerial footage to some of their productions, then it becomes a slightly tougher question. The above argument re: portability still applies, and for me (who often has to travel/fly to jobs/shoots), means that I rarely regret having the Mavic over a P4P. HOWEVER, it is certainly true that the Phantom DOES give higher quality images, particularly in the most (photographically) challenging situations. The image processing is better, leading to reduced moire and aliasing, and the dynamic range is also higher, which can help A LOT when shooting in golden hour (which is also when you're likely to get your most standout footage).

Just my ten cents, but I must admit there have been a few times when I've got the footage from my MP back into post, and let out a slight "oh, I wish I had the Phantom's I/Q" sigh...

What's your primary usage would you say?

Cheers,

jason
I won't be using it professionally. I am a serious photographer and rather picky about quality. Having said that, I am more likely to take my pocket camera and leave my DSLR and bag of lenses at home as I do more travel and hiking these days since retiring. No one has answered my questions about the early issues reported about the Mavic. Have these been resolved?
 
There were lots of discussions early on about out of focus, tilted sensors, watercolor images, and tilted horizons. Have these issues been resolved?

I've not heard of the 'tilted sensor' problem. The camera can lose focus occasionally, but rarely. The 'watercolour image' problem was caused by setting sharpness to 0 or lower, so is not a problem. The horizon only tilts when flying sideways at high speed or against wind, and can be corrected using tilt compensation setting in the app if desired.

Basically, AFAIK, the problems you have read about are uncommon, or can be worked around. Far be it from me to tell you to buy a MP, but don't hesitate on the basis of those past/rumoured problems.

IMO, the biggest problem you'll have once you get your Mavic will likely be holding down your job at the same time as your new flying habit!

Cheers, jason
 
I have come into some "found" money, enough to buy a Mavic or P4 Pro. I am trying to decide between the two. To those who bought the Mavic: Do you miss the features of the P4P such as better video quality?
There were lots of discussions early on about out of focus, tilted sensors, watercolor images, and tilted horizons. Have these issues been resolved?
To those who own both, which would you buy now if you could only choose one?
If you are planning on traveling with your drone, I would say the video quality is not different enough to counter the ease of transport.
 
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I've not heard of the 'tilted sensor' problem. The camera can lose focus occasionally, but rarely. The 'watercolour image' problem was caused by setting sharpness to 0 or lower, so is not a problem. The horizon only tilts when flying sideways at high speed or against wind, and can be corrected using tilt compensation setting in the app if desired.

Basically, AFAIK, the problems you have read about are uncommon, or can be worked around. Far be it from me to tell you to buy a MP, but don't hesitate on the basis of those past/rumoured problems.

IMO, the biggest problem you'll have once you get your Mavic will likely be holding down your job at the same time as your new flying habit!

Cheers, jason
The tilted sensor issue I referred to was where the lens axis was not perpendicular to the sensor, resulting in one corner or one half of the image being out of focus.
No worries about holding down a job. I am retired and Livin Large.
 
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I have both and if push came to shove there is no question P4P would win hands down! For flying with ease the Mavic wins but in my opinion the phantom is worth the extra effort. Luckily for me I can keep both! Btw just realized I have not even flown my Mavic in two weeks!
 
I have both and when my Mavic Pro and as being repaired I found a really good deal on LETGO. Soon as it was back in my possession I haven't picked it up since. I can say the P4P handles the wind a lot better
 
Mavic fits in my bike bag and lets me get footage where I'd look like a weirdo if I was hauling a gigantic box or backpack around. The phantom is just way too big.
 
Well this is being asked in a Mavic forum so no surprise at the answers. I just bought my very first drone and after looking at virtually everything out there and factoring in the price I bought the Mavic Pro "fly more" package from Massdrop. So far I love it.
 
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