Goodbye!...and...hello surely, but when?

[MavicKhan]

So, after 4 faithful years, my Mavic Pro is finally going out the door while it still has some commercial value.

The money will serve as seed for my next drone.

I don't fly a lot (...in fact, I seldom fly...) but, when I do, I derive extreme pleasure from the activity so there's no chance I won't be getting a new drone in the near future or in a medium time frame.

The advanced-enthusiast drones DJI currently features don't seem to fit my bill.

The Mavic 2 Zoom has the cool zoom feature, but the sensor is a minimal increment (if any) from this original Mavic Pro I am now letting go ( I am quite into videography and aerial photography).

The Mavic 2 Pro has a very good 1" CMOS camera but I can't wrap my head around the 77º FOV/28mm equiv. FL.

The new Mavic Air 2 would be perfect for me in what pertains to the sensor size compromise, overall size, weight and flight time but my next drone has to have 360º collision protection so I can let go of the double-approach I currently have for my Litchi waypoint missions (a version-A mission first flown with the drone always pointing forward, to see if the planning was completely OK for obstacles and a twin, B-same-track mission, with the drone then safely flying sidewyas, focused on the POIs).

The drone I am lusting for is something like a Mavic Air Pro 2 in size, weight, battery, camera specs and performance but featuring 360º protection, costing between 750 and 1500 EUR.

When do you guys think we will see something like this?

Thanks!

WK

 

[vindibona1]

I'm wondering why a 77° FOV is a major deterrent for you? I have a M2P and more often wish I could get closer to subjects without flying closer. I now also have a Mini 2, largely for flying indoors and on this drone I wish I had a wider FOV as I can fly in tighter spaces.

 

[DanMan32]

Also the M2Z may have the same size sensor as the M1, most consumer/prosumer drones did at the time, but you get 2x optical, 2x digital (in 1080p@30 or less) zoom, potentially 360 OA (side sensors are only used with tripod or active track), and many new flight modes.

You're going to have to compromise somewhere, especially if your budget is limited.

 

[MavicKhan]

I'm wondering why a 77° FOV is a major deterrent for you? I have a M2P and more often wish I could get closer to subjects without flying closer. I now also have a Mini 2, largely for flying indoors and on this drone I wish I had a wider FOV as I can fly in tighter spaces.

I feel that a wider FOV works better in natural scenic views.

It is just a personal preference, of course.

MK

 

[MavicKhan]

Also the M2Z may have the same size sensor as the M1, most consumer/prosumer drones did at the time, but you get 2x optical, 2x digital (in 1080p@30 or less) zoom, potentially 360 OA (side sensors are only used with tripod or active track), and many new flight modes.

You're going to have to compromise somewhere, especially if your budget is limited.

Experience has taught me that time handles extremely well the types of compromise at hand, hence my original question.

MK

 

[Platinum 4 ever]

So, after 4 faithful years, my Mavic Pro is finally going out the door while it still has some commercial value.

The money will serve as seed for my next drone.

I don't fly a lot (...in fact, I seldom fly...) but, when I do, I derive extreme pleasure from the activity so there's no chance I won't be getting a new drone in the near future or in a medium time frame.

The advanced-enthusiast drones DJI currently features don't seem to fit my bill.

The Mavic 2 Zoom has the cool zoom feature, but the sensor is a minimal increment (if any) from this original Mavic Pro I am now letting go ( I am quite into videography and aerial photography).

The Mavic 2 Pro has a very good 1" CMOS camera but I can't wrap my head around the 77º FOV/28mm equiv. FL.

The new Mavic Air 2 would be perfect for me in what pertains to the sensor size compromise, overall size, weight and flight time but my next drone has to have 360º collision protection so I can let go of the double-approach I currently have for my Litchi waypoint missions (a version-A mission first flown with the drone always pointing forward, to see if the planning was completely OK for obstacles and a twin, B-same-track mission, with the drone then safely flying sidewyas, focused on the POIs).

The drone I am lusting for is something like a Mavic Air Pro 2 in size, weight, battery, camera specs and performance but featuring 360º protection, costing between 750 and 1500 EUR.

When do you guys think we will see something like this?

Thanks!

WK

Think long and hard about selling your mavic pro. I have a platinum pro and at least for the foreseeable future it will stay. But whatever you decided on. I wish you luck....

 

[vindibona1]

I feel that a wider FOV works better in natural scenic views.

It is just a personal preference, of course.

MK

I'm trying to figure out and visualize what you are referring to above so I truly understand your point of view and perspective. Could you please explain what you mean by "natural scenic views". I may be misinterpreting the statement. I can understand how when flying through a tight area that extra few degrees could mean something significant. But when I think of that I think of the phrase "natural SCENIC views", I interpret that as meaning distant shots of scenery, with horizons, and meadows and mountains, etc. You get the picture.

While I confess I've never been a landscape photographer, but I've done photography for a living for 35 years, So unless I'm missing something, if you need more area in your shot and your run out of FOV you have no choice but to back up. But in doing so I've not seen the overall gestalt change for 5°. As far as the lens goes, as the FOV increases/decreases you get a proportionatly greater/lesser area in both the horizontal and vertical planes. If you're focus is infinity and you have a wide angle lens, depth of field doesn't come into play at all.

So, please help me understand how FOV changes the perspective of you see and shoot thing. Perhaps there is something I'm missing that I would like to understand. I truly want to understand your perspective on the issue.

 

[MavicKhan]

There is nothing to understand except that it is merely a question of personal preference.

Those personal preferences are the reason why most photographic equipment manufacturers offer 24mm and 28mm prime options (or equivalents) in their lineups.

MK

 

[charliej]

Think long and hard about selling your mavic pro. I have a platinum pro and at least for the foreseeable future it will stay. But whatever you decided on. I wish you luck....

Love my Platinum too!

 

[hiflyer201]

most photographic equipment manufacturers offer 24mm and 28mm prime

Yes..but land photographers don't always have the ability to back up. Just thinking here

 

[DanMan32]

It may be years before your shopping list is fulfilled at the price point you are comfortable with. Do you really want to stay grounded that long?

 

[Salty Sam]

You may want to take a look at the Autel EVO II or II Pro.

 

[MavicKhan]

It may be years before your shopping list is fulfilled at the price point you are comfortable with. Do you really want to stay grounded that long?

As I've said, although I love it when I fly, I go through long spells without actually doing it.

As an example, I just recently flown the Mavic Pro to make sure everything was fine for the sale but the previous time I've flown it was about 6 months ago.

One of the reasons for the low flight intensity, is that, no matter how small the drone is, it always fails to go in my photography backpack that already weighs 7 to 9Kg, whenever I travel.

Higher loads represent a problem in what comes to overhead bins limitations on aircrafts and sending expensive stuff to the holds is just an unnecessary source of stress.

Add these considerations to the fact that many destinations have severe limitatiosn regarding drone usage, and it is easy to understand how it stays at home so many times in spite of me wanting to take it along.

I have, also many times, considered doing "drone only" travels but, in the end, I always succumb to the lure of my photography lineup.

So, 6 months to an year waiting won't be much of a problem...

As for the offers, new ones have to go somewhere. Marketing and competition dictate things have to evolve.

As such, I don't see something akin to the Mavic Air 2 but featuring 360º protection or even with the zoom function added to the 1/2-inch sensor to necessarily be that far in the future.

In any case, thank you for your input.

MK

 

[MavicKhan]

You may want to take a look at the Autel EVO II or II Pro.

I will, most surely, look into those.

Thank you for the suggestion.

I am, however, all set in the "DJI ways". There's no single time I fly that I do not end up in awe at how perfect their whole approach is.

Even when grounded, they still amaze me.

When I crashed my drone, right at beginning, all I had to do was to pack it, print and stick a shipping label on the package, have it be picked up right at home and...off it went all the way from Portugal to the Netherlands, got repaired, then sent back directly to my address all for...I don't quite recall how much but is under 15 EUR, for sure. Simply amazing customer service.