I'm Pissed off, but do I have a right to be?

[BIGLUG24]

Meh. I'm not mad. Got the Fly More Combo for $399. Air is 2.5x that amount for the Fly More. Pretty significant.

399, that's a great price for the fly more combo i pay 575 and you add in dji charger and 3 battery's , filters and legs, case and dji care fresh
I'm in for close to the 799.00 the Mavic Air cost. I just got the Spark 5 days ago. But the spark works great

 

[floyd]

Deviating briefly from the topic...

Somewhere in this thread someone mentioned hooking their Mavic Pro to their computer to tweak its settings beyond what can be done via the App. Can this be done? If so, how? And, is it worth doing?

 

[KevinPritchett]

For sure. I think the worst thing they could have done was give it the Mavic name.

It definitely doesn’t look like a Mavic Pro, but maybe the MP 2 will look like the Air. It could be their way of evolving the Mavic. I wouldn’t be surprised if the MP2 is appeared to be a slightly larger juiced up Mavic Air.

 

[floyd]

On a cosmetic note: I like the matte finish on the Pro MUCH, MUCH more than the cheap glossy finish on the Air.

 

[Neebles]

It definitely doesn’t look like a Mavic Pro, but maybe the MP 2 will look like the Air. It could be their way of evolving the Mavic. I wouldn’t be surprised if the MP2 is appeared to be a slightly larger juiced up Mavic Air.

Personally, I don’t like the looks of it. Not fond of the Spark, and the Air looks like a souped up Spark to me. It looks like a toy. I don’t care for the size either. I love the size of the Pro and would be unhappy if they went smaller with it. Most people want an improved camera...I don’t think you can get any smaller than the Pro is now, and have a significantly upgraded camera that people are looking for. Keep the pro at its current size (or slightly larger if required) add a better camera, and the features of the Air, I would be happy.

 

[DVMAC]

I watched the Live introduction.They are filling in a price point and putting there newest software in.Not a Mavic pro replacement to me.I Spend a lot of my time 2.5 to 3 miles away using the goggles looking for fish...with a spotter of course . Still a very compact drone for travelling with a good camera if you used correctly .The Spark and The pro Had a smart little baby.

 

[sar104]

Deviating briefly from the topic...

Somewhere in this thread someone mentioned hooking their Mavic Pro to their computer to tweak its settings beyond what can be done via the App. Can this be done? If so, how? And, is it worth doing?

You first have to enable developer tools in Assistant 2. Then it also depends on the FW version you are running.

 

[Gruven]

Yep.

You should see me with my Spark from my ROOF, high above everyone else's house. 50 feet away with my Spark, and the adjustment control for the gimbal just stopped working due to interference. I could not tilt the gimbal up or down at all for about 8 seconds. And you can EASILY tell the (if you're a gamer) input lag when there's interference. There's NOTHING worse that zooming in one direction and then it doesn't respond to a change in direction for a second or two. Those seconds feels like an eternity.

DJI really should have put OcuSync in this thing. Grr!

Totally agree. My own WiFi network kills my Spark signal every time. Spark is for the park.

 

[Masa]

Deviating briefly from the topic...

Somewhere in this thread someone mentioned hooking their Mavic Pro to their computer to tweak its settings beyond what can be done via the App. Can this be done? If so, how? And, is it worth doing?

Worth doing? The flying experience changes like night into day with the param.mods. I really dont understand whats the problem, there are much faster and more dangerous racedrones out there than a little faster Mavic Pro (given that you fly and act responsibly)

 

[Mike_in_Letcombe]

It's actually not quite so simple. The key thing here is lack of OcuSync. It makes a MASSIVE difference (versus the Spark, in my experience). I think the Mavic Air is a great drone. But it's not quite the Mavic Pro. It's definitely a niggling desire to want one, but yes - you can bet there will be a newer, fancier drone before too long to replace the Mavic Pro.

That's just the way it is. It's very much like Apple. They have different devices that have pros and cons (especially in the laptop world). I mean, for the most part I don't NEED a powerhouse MacBook Pro. I could do just as well on a 12" MacBook which is so light and portable. But the MacBook Pro has the cool TouchBar! And it has lots of USB Type-C ports! But the 12" MacBook has so much portability and great battery life! So then you want both. Poop!

The Mavic Air isn't better or worse than the Mavic Pro. It's certainly different, and there are things that will appeal to people about both.

Fundamentally, the Mavic Pro absolutely - UNQUESTIONABLY - will have better range and solidity of video transfer due to OcuSync. If you live in a city and do some fly-arounds, this will likely be the defining factor. It's not even about 4.3 miles vs 2.5 miles. It's about Wi-Fi flat out is not as good as OcuSync. Wi-Fi can be frustrating even 50 feet away.

If you travel into the great unknown, with little-to-no buildings/interference around, then the Air would do just fine for you.

That said, I still want an Air because I have this nasty tech obsession. But if I'm at home and wanting to fly around, I'm going to always pick the Mavic. It's got better battery life, and it uses an actual radio versus Wi-Fi.

If the Air had OcuSync, I'd be struggling to find (for me) any MAJOR reason to keep the Mavic Pro.

You have succinctly explained my thoughts exactly. Love some of the features on the Air but wi-fi kills it for me. I may eventually change my Spark for one but I only use that on holidays and, frankly, it does what I want in that regards. I have a great deal of Spark gear that would be a pain to replace (lipo bags, silicone battery terminals, small case for my hand luggage, etc) so I’ll have to think long and hard before I buy. Also, I want to see some ‘real eorld’ reviews.

 

[audioguy]

You get to be "pissed off" if you like. But I used to own a business and if I was not constantly improving what I delivered, I would have failed.

And I agree with the Apple comparison. Talk about getting "pissed off". They upgrade products every year. My clunky Apple watch as been significantly improved - as have been our iPads, iMacs and MacBooks and Apple TV's. I upgrade when one of my existing products dies or the faster/newer/better one is worth the upgrade - to me.

Do I get "pissed off" at Apple? Heck no, I want them to improve every product every year and deliver new ones on a consistent basis.

And remember two things: (1) you don't HAVE to upgrade (2) you don't HAVE to do business with DJI.

Enjoy what you have. There will ALWAYS be something better. ALWAYS !!!

 

[ZUCSTA]

Well , I find the big Difference Like many others is the flight time and the ocu-sync.I could never fly my Drone where I do with wifi, the interference would be atrocious.
I don't find any reason to feel ripped off or pissed ,I expect the MPII will be out later this year with the upgraded still MPix camera and a longer Flight time ,They have left that gap intentionally, it's about "Feeling the Market" not ripping it off. You are always going to get people wanting to buy the new ."next Gen" technology, but as for ocu-sync,there is none in the air,And the camera only does 30+MPix.in sphere. Granted the 4k is supposedly a bit better.
I have seen a few reviewers that have considered the Mavic pro better, mainly due to transmission. In any case I am waiting for something Better than the air and comparable to the Maviic.Pro.
Actually may be a good time to pick up a MPro cheaper. I would still buy over the air.

 

[MurMan]

I'm the same way, I LOVE my P4P with parameter mods. I can't get enough of climbing high mountains and capturing high elevation views, all within 400' of ground of course. My Mavic has the same parameter mods, but it doesn't have as much battery as P4P and it's a little more vulnerable to wind, not to mention the way superior camera on P4P. I don't use my MP as much because of that, but do enjoy it when I'm mountain biking or need a quiet drone, such as capturing animals where the MP can get closer without scaring the animal, really close sometimes. The MP 2X zoom is nice too when recording in 1080. I would have a hard time settling for a new drone that can't be modified for these freedoms, I'm totally spoiled with the extended capabilities of my 4 craft. It's videos like this one I recently captured Hawaii that have me so addicted to high elevation flights.

Great video and beautiful scenery!

 

[MAVA4]

I'm pissed because I see the Mavic Air introduction as classic market manipulation by DJI, and they're pointing the manipulation straight at Mavic owners. Again, this is all my humble opinion, but DJI intentionally made the Air so close in specs and features to the Mavic Pro so Mavic Pro owners will sell their Mavics and purchase the new Air. And if someone is in the market for a new drone, the Air is the logical choice. So DJI captures both the current Mavic Pro owner market AND the new buyer market.

Then, once everyone jumps ship to the Air, I'm sure DJI will strategically introduce the Mavic Pro II or Mavic Air Pro (or whatever they decide to call it) so folks who have a six-month old Air will be tempted to buy the Mavic Pro II.

I realize DJI is in business to make money and all that blah, blah blah. But I feel like DJI has just kicked me and other Mavic Pro owners in the balls (or crotch).

Please understand these are my simple thoughts and observations. Please don't hate on me!

Your thoughts.

Why would i trade Mavic pro for Air?
AskimvAfor a friend

 

[MAVA4]

Hmm... good question. While I haven't watched all the reviews, most reviewers that directly compare the Air to the Pro like the Air more. I do like the built-in memory, rear sensors, slightly better video, and more compactness of the Air. Plus it's second-generation technology over the Pro's first generation technology.

All true, but Ocu-Sync is everything..nothing is more stable when you're up there ..

 

[Fergus]

I've never understood this attitude. Someone buys an item, thinks it's a fair price, enjoys the item, then gets upset that a better item comes out or the one they have goes down in price. What changed? They still have the item they thought was worth the price they paid. It still works exactly as it did before. How does the change have any bearing on what they already have and what they were previously completely satisfied with. They can just continue on as is and it's exactly the same as if the change hadn't occurred.

It's your choice if you want to get the new want to get the new version. If you feel obligated to buy the new version then go ahead. If you don't want to feel you're forced into buying it then don't. It's your choice on whether you feel it's worth it or not. It's also your choice to feel upset about it or not. You still have the one you were perfectly happy with before they announced a new one. That hasn't changed so if you're happy with it, continue to use it as is.

With that being said, I don't have a drone yet so I appreciate the choices. Now I have to decide which I'd rather get. What I'd also like to know is if there's going to be a Pro 2 coming out soon that will have the additional features of the Air. If I knew it was coming out soon I might consider waiting a bit longer. If it's going to be too long I'd rather jump in and get something, knowing it'll get replaced after a while. Either way I'll enjoy what I have and will replace it with something new someday that will also become obsolete as soon as the next version comes out.

 

[Mdnicholas]

Great footage. Very professional. Thanks for sharing.
MP owner.

 

[Tbredhed]

I thought the Air was a really nice drone, I liked the compact size and being able to get it out of a pocket and flying in no time. That does not make me want to replace my MPP, I bought that for the camera and flight time and quieter flight and the air just can't compete. It would be a good second drone though.

 

[ze3bar]

I'm not pissed at all. the Mavic Pro is a better drone. I won't be getting rid of mine for an Air. I do think the Air looks cool but looking at some of the actual specs, I'm not disappointed at all. control with wifi only sucks and 20 minutes vs 30 minutes flight time, it's all right there for me. I won't be selling my Geppetto any time soon. I just wish Canada would warm up so I can fly more lol

 

[DefaultIT]

I dunno guys...this thread bothers me a bit. Pissed off? By the release of a camera drone?

As a long time RC pilot, the innovation, technological advancement and miniaturization streaming out of this and other companies is staggering. If you'd shown me a MA even 10 years ago I would have flipped out. Now I suppose you can laser focus on whatever marketing tactics you're guessing at, and succumb to the insatiable early adoption appetites fostered by these short product cycles, but that seems like a pretty good recipe for missing all of the fun of it. I won't try to tell you how to live your live, but I will be enjoying the fact that I now have the option to buy a capable 4k flying camera that fits in my pocket for well under 1k and saving my distress for bigger problems, of which I happen to have plenty.