Help me pick which Mavic is right for me...

GoBigGuy · Jan 30, 2018

Hello All,

Want to purchase my first drone before the camping season starts for me in April and was ready to pull the trigger on the Mavic Pro Platinum but then the news of the Mavic Air was coming out so I waited in hopes the price of the Platinum would drop.

After watching the Air event things changed and I was torn on which one to get and still can't make up my mind.

I love the new shooting modes, 100mb video rate and safety features the Air offers but worried about the noise and range which is why the Platinum is still in the running.

This being my first drone I want to start with a DJI drone but have no idea of my needs yet. I plan on taking it with me on all our camping trips which are normally either at the beach and sometimes the mountains but go out monthly, (size is important). I want to take photos and videos of my kids and do some great family shots in and around town. I use to have a photography business so image quality is something I look at.

I know that there are rumors of the Mavic Pro 2 coming out this year but I don't want to go through the whole summer without flying.

My first idea was to get the Air fly more combo and get comfy flying with that and when the Mavic Pro 2 comes out just sell it for that. My fear is that the noise and short range will turn me off and I won't get into the hobby as much as if I started with the Platinum. But I also know that the Platinum prices will drop greatly when the Pro 2 comes out and I don't want to throw money out the window.

Would love some feedback from everyone on what you think I should do and please feel free to ask me any questions you think will help me pick my first drone

Thanks!

earlyretirement · Jan 30, 2018

I'm in the same position as you. I was about ready to get the Mavic Pro when I started seeing the reviews (from the people that got the Mavic Air free) and almost got sucked into the hype. I even ordered one on BestBuy but then cancelled the order yesterday after seeing some real life reviews.

I also don't want to wait the entire summer but would be willing to wait if the Mavic Pro II comes out in March as some are speculating it will. Decisions, decisions.

Anthony Viscomi · Jan 30, 2018

If money isn't an issue then the Mavic Pro is a great choice.

scott rand · Jan 30, 2018

Haven’t received my Mavic Air yet, have a Mavic Pro and love it. The Air has new improved features I’m excited about, including smart flight features and safety features. Also the better portability has me excited as well. I never flew much further than a mile with my Pro, so the mile + range of the Air isn’t a minus in my book. The pluses outweigh the minuses in my book, therefore I bought the Air. Thinking about selling my Pro.

jon.pictures · Jan 30, 2018

If the rumours are true that the Mavic Pro II will be out / announced end of March and you don't need it till start of April does it not make sense to just wait till then? This is ultimately what I've decided to do as I've been waiting for a Mavic with an improved camera for 9 months already.

I was and still am tempted by the air as I'm after one to take with me when I go on hikes. The smaller size (and price) are tempting along with the 100mbit increase on the recordings over the 60 on the Mavic Pro / Platinum. I don't think I need the extra range but from I can see it doesn't have portrait mode on the Air, nor course lock (though don't know if I'll actually need that). However after waiting for ages for hopefully a Mavic with a 1" sensor camera on it (and potentially 4k 60p) and likely quieter I'm going to hang on a bit longer and see what March brings to the table.

Of course you could fall into the trap of forever waiting for the next model... I would have already got a Mavic Pro if they were able to supply them end of October as originally planned but after the delays in supply at launch and seeing the results people were putting up the camera footage left me a little underwhelmed.

SafariMan · Jan 30, 2018

GoBigGuy said:
Hello All,

Want to purchase my first drone before the camping season starts for me in April and was ready to pull the trigger on the Mavic Pro Platinum but then the news of the Mavic Air was coming out so I waited in hopes the price of the Platinum would drop.

After watching the Air event things changed and I was torn on which one to get and still can't make up my mind.

I love the new shooting modes, 100mb video rate and safety features the Air offers but worried about the noise and range which is why the Platinum is still in the running.

This being my first drone I want to start with a DJI drone but have no idea of my needs yet. I plan on taking it with me on all our camping trips which are normally either at the beach and sometimes the mountains but go out monthly, (size is important). I want to take photos and videos of my kids and do some great family shots in and around town. I use to have a photography business so image quality is something I look at.

I know that there are rumors of the Mavic Pro 2 coming out this year but I don't want to go through the whole summer without flying.

My first idea was to get the Air fly more combo and get comfy flying with that and when the Mavic Pro 2 comes out just sell it for that. My fear is that the noise and short range will turn me off and I won't get into the hobby as much as if I started with the Platinum. But I also know that the Platinum prices will drop greatly when the Pro 2 comes out and I don't want to throw money out the window.

Would love some feedback from everyone on what you think I should do and please feel free to ask me any questions you think will help me pick my first drone

Thanks!

Grab the Mavic Air (which you should see as a Spark on steroid) for the portability and for the safety (front and rear OA). As a first drone it should suit all your needs with a camera at least as good as on the Mavic Pro. And go later for the Mavic Pro 2 if it gets a bigger sensor and much better specs. At the moment the main advantages of the Mavic Pro are its flying range and its battery capacity