If price wasn't the issue- MA2 or M2Z or M2P?

[vindibona1]

If today you were granted a gift certificate for a drone and you could choose between the Mavic Air 2, the Mavice 2 Zoom or Mavic 2 Pro, which would you choose... but more importantly, why? [please be as specific as possible]

Why the question posed this way? Having gotten my feet wet with the Mavic Mini, I anticipate that in the next 12 months I would be wanting to move up to the next level (or two) of drone. I love my Mini, but because of it's light weight due to wind conditions I find myself not flying on days that any of the above drones would have no issues in. Or, on days when I can fly when I get up to or just over 150 feet I get strong wind warnings that limit what I can do. Obviously having 4k resolution wouldn't hurt things one bit.

I suspect that in the next few months DJI will come out with the Mavic 3 and there might be some discounting of the Mavic 2's. I dunno, just speculating. Some folks say that the image from the Mavic Air 2 is as good or better than the M2's without a lot of post production work. I have no idea. Perhaps someone here can provide some insight. TIA

 

[iaincaradoc]

I ended up with a Mavic Air 2 of those three, because it had the best all-around specs. The M2P has a better camera, and the M2Z has optical zoom, but I liked the price/breakdown of the Mavic Air 2 better than the others - especially for a first drone.

If you gave me that gift certificate today, I'd probably go for the Pro for the larger sensor and better imagery in low light. But only because I already *have* an MA2...

 

[THE CYBORG]

It would be the Pro 2 for me ( I may be biased because I have one )
It’s all in the camera for me.

 

[vindibona1]

I ended up with a Mavic Air 2 of those three, because it had the best all-around specs. The M2P has a better camera, and the M2Z has optical zoom, but I liked the price/breakdown of the Mavic Air 2 better than the others - especially for a first drone.

If you gave me that gift certificate today, I'd probably go for the Pro for the larger sensor and better imagery in low light. But only because I already *have* an MA2...

It is so difficult to make these decisions without any hands-on experience of any kind. I had a terrible experience with my "first" drone, a Eachine EX4 that resisted being controlled, wasn't stable and prone to run away. It was a problem on the first day. A problem on the second day on which I requested to return it. A nightmare first experience. I had no idea how much better the Mini was going to be but in my mind I'm thinking, as a new pilot do I want to crash a $400 drone or an $800 or $1500 drone? $1500 was out of the question, for the purchase, but for a potential loss, possibly within days of receiving it, largely based on my bad experience with the EX4.

However, now that I know how stable DJI drones can be, particularly with Occusync 2.0, I feel confident both in the DJI models and my developing skill... and judgement. I know that the Mavic 3 should be released soon, but my gut tells me that they'll add some cool new features, but bump the price another couple hundred $$ which would create a different conundrum altogether.

 

[vindibona1]

It would be the Pro 2 for me ( I may be biased because I have one )
It’s all in the camera for me.

I might lean in that direction too. But I'll flip the question on you. Given what you know today and considering the price difference between the MA2 and M2P, would you still buy the M2P... and why?

 

[old man mavic]

its not only price, its what you want out of a particular drone ,
there is no point paying for loads of features that you dont intend on using
if you strip of all the avoidance sensors and simplify the camera controls
then all the DJI drones basically fly using the same method and control systems
then the next things to consider are the camera ,how much control can be made to fine tune the finished picture how good is the image etc
then finally how much automated flight control do you require and need

 

[vindibona1]

its not only price, its what you want out of a particular drone ,
there is no point paying for loads of features that you dont intend on using
if you strip of all the avoidance sensors and simplify the camera controls
then all the DJI drones basically fly using the same method and control systems
then the next things to consider are the camera ,how much control can be made to fine tune the finished picture how good is the image etc
then finally how much automated flight control do you require and need

Of course you are absolutely right. The diffcult thing is to determine what those needs are- in advance. For some it might be easy, not for me. My personality is one that embraces "go hard or go home". When I got interested in drones I liked the flight aspect, but as a professional photographer was intrigued by the photographic/video aspect of it. And then the pandemic struck and out of "spare time" I began learning audio recording, then AV recording/editing, then drone flying... and you know how the rest goes. I'm a learning machine, even having studied two foreign languages after age 55! And that's the thing... I don't know what I ultimately want to do with it and how good good enough is. I've done my initial experimentation getting my feet wet with the Mini (and a short lived disaster drone from China) and I want the next one to fulfill my growing needs and skill for awhile. So again, I'm trying to evaluate how good is good enough and have to rely on reports from the kind folks on this forum.

 

[THE CYBORG]

I might lean in that direction too. But I'll flip the question on you. Given what you know today and considering the price difference between the MA2 and M2P, would you still buy the M2P... and why?

Yes
I just like it, I had a Mavic Pro then got the Pro 2, didn't fly the Pro any more so sold it with accessory’s to fund a Smart Controller & more batteries for the Pro 2

 

[tomislav]

I wouldn‘t count on a Mavic 3 anytime soon. Sucessors to the Phantom and Inspire lines would need to be released first, and then tech from them could trickle down to the Mavic line. This was the case with the original Mavic Pro and the Mavic 2.

 

[Jeff A]

If today you were granted a gift certificate for a drone and you could choose between the Mavic Air 2, the Mavice 2 Zoom or Mavic 2 Pro, which would you choose... but more importantly, why? [please be as specific as possible]

Why the question posed this way? Having gotten my feet wet with the Mavic Mini, I anticipate that in the next 12 months I would be wanting to move up to the next level (or two) of drone. I love my Mini, but because of it's light weight due to wind conditions I find myself not flying on days that any of the above drones would have no issues in. Or, on days when I can fly when I get up to or just over 150 feet I get strong wind warnings that limit what I can do. Obviously having 4k resolution wouldn't hurt things one bit.

I suspect that in the next few months DJI will come out with the Mavic 3 and there might be some discounting of the Mavic 2's. I dunno, just speculating. Some folks say that the image from the Mavic Air 2 is as good or better than the M2's without a lot of post production work. I have no idea. Perhaps someone here can provide some insight. TIA

This is too easy. Mavic 2 Pro. I have a Zoom which is great but I would have purchased the Pro but ran out of available funds at the time. I believe that the Mavic 2 is the best drone out there. I fly a drone, not a Spec Sheet.

 

[Coadyd]

The Mavic 2 pro without a doubt. I have all 3 and I'm going to sell the Air 2 the images from the pro 2 are far superior to the other two drones.

 

[Elgreco3]

I bought recently the zoom with the smart controller after having the mini for a short time.
My reasons are the following and hope this helps into taking your decision as I too am just starting to get into drones a bit more.

- bigger than mini and ma2 which makes it even more stable.
- full avoidance sensors. (want piece of mind just because)
-prefer the zoom function as I don't need to get that much closer if I need something to capture specifically.
- Biggest reason: Smart controller. Hated having to attach my phone all the time. Too much time wasted.

And for the camera thing, it does more than I am capable of ever doing with it at least for now and the foreseeable future. By the time I learn all the tricks of editing, mavic 4 series will be out.

 

[Johnmcl7]

its not only price, its what you want out of a particular drone ,
there is no point paying for loads of features that you dont intend on using
if you strip of all the avoidance sensors and simplify the camera controls
then all the DJI drones basically fly using the same method and control systems
then the next things to consider are the camera ,how much control can be made to fine tune the finished picture how good is the image etc
then finally how much automated flight control do you require and need

This is what I was going to say as well and like most products, the drones have their own advantages and disadvantages which will suit different people.

My personal choice without hesitation would be the Mavic 2 Pro for its 1in sensor which people frequently cite its only advantage as being high iso which while handy isn't as useful as the much wider range dynamic range since a drone's landscape shots will usually push the dynamic range due to bright skies and dark ground. Although the 1in sensor is the smallest of the 'big' sensors (4/3, APS-C, FF, MF) it's still much larger than 1/2.3in sensors and crucially there's a lot more that can be done with the raw files, I've always found raw files from small sensors frustrating to work with. Stacking shots can sometimes help with smaller sensors but any movement in the frame can ruin it (and larger sensor devices can also stack for a further advantage) plus for shooting the likes of a 180 panorama it's just not feasible as it would take so many shots.

The flip side of that though is if you're shooting jpeg only then you're not going to gain the same benefit with the larger sensor and I think this is why people are often disappointed with the M2P given the high price. I even saw a video here comparing the MA2 and the M2P for photography but on jpeg only, hobbling the M2P and favouring the MA2.

 

[vindibona1]

The Mavic 2 pro without a doubt. I have all 3 and I'm going to sell the Air 2 the images from the pro 2 are far superior to the other two drones.

That's good to know. The reviews I've seen are saying the image differences are negligible. The Mini's images are good, but once I get my Part 107 license and start taking on work I'm going to need better images and a beefier platform. How much are the batteries for the M2P?

 

[pelagic_one]

If I had nothing to fly, I’d use the gift certificate on a M2P, for all the reasons already mentioned by the M2 aficionados here. Besides, I know the value behind good Post.

Lately when flying with local forum members, my MA2 gets the most airtime. Now having a new 107 cert, I’d plan missions around my M2P with the MA2 as backup.

Now why couldn’t you include an Inspire 2 in that mix!? ?

 

[Brockrock]

but as a professional photographer was intrigued by the photographic/video aspect of it. And then the pandemic struck

I have the M2P and Air 2, and I do a bit of Real Estate work part time. The M2P is my go to copter for commercial work. It's images, if saved in RAW and with proper camera settings, are far superior to the Air 2. But don't get me wrong. The Air 2 is very capable of taking some excellent shots, but the lighting has to be just right, like right at the beginning of Golden Hour. It does not do well in low light. The M2P is just a much more refined system, and if you do professional work, it's the only way to go.

 

[Dakarenduro]

I'm biased, but M2Z is my choice. For all the Mavic 2 series listed already.

More wind stable/capable.
Smart Controller
Optical Zoom
Automated Intelligent Flight modes
Sensors
Go4 vs Fly (a big one for me!)
Telemetry in RC (another big one)

Really anything over a Mini is a step in the right direction!

 

[waynesi]

I have a M2P and I will still absolutely go for M2P if money is not an issue. I looked at the MA2 spec and couldn't figure out a reason for it. Only the APAS 3.0 initially looked tempting but the reviews suggested it's still not that useful. Sometimes I wish I had a smaller profile than my M2P but in that case I may simply go for MM. I'm having a growing interest in Skydio 2 due to its excellent OA and tracking ability but the pic quality is not as good as M2P.

Oh between M2P and M2Z, after having M2P for video shooting for a couple of years, I think M2P may be better for still photos though, whilst M2Z may be better for video thanks to its zooming ability.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

I might lean in that direction too. But I'll flip the question on you. Given what you know today and considering the price difference between the MA2 and M2P, would you still buy the M2P... and why?

But wait the whole premise of this thread is that price is not an issue. Apparently it is an issue.
Although the MP two is a better drone you should get the MA2.
The mp2 is actually overpriced Especially for your needs. You will never notice the difference in the camera.

 

[Jet skier]

If today you were granted a gift certificate for a drone and you could choose between the Mavic Air 2, the Mavice 2 Zoom or Mavic 2 Pro, which would you choose... but more importantly, why? [please be as specific as possible]

Why the question posed this way? Having gotten my feet wet with the Mavic Mini, I anticipate that in the next 12 months I would be wanting to move up to the next level (or two) of drone. I love my Mini, but because of it's light weight due to wind conditions I find myself not flying on days that any of the above drones would have no issues in. Or, on days when I can fly when I get up to or just over 150 feet I get strong wind warnings that limit what I can do. Obviously having 4k resolution wouldn't hurt things one bit.

I suspect that in the next few months DJI will come out with the Mavic 3 and there might be some discounting of the Mavic 2's. I dunno, just speculating. Some folks say that the image from the Mavic Air 2 is as good or better than the M2's without a lot of post production work. I have no idea. Perhaps someone here can provide some insight. TIA

Mavic two because of the camera capabilities and also the redundant Imu , compass and other internal safety features And also the app is better in my opinion