Inspire to Mavic Pro regrets?

[SteveCA]

I've had an Inspire 2 for two years. Nine months ago I bought a Mavic Pro Platinum. I've now surpassed my Inspire flight hours with my Mavic and I have only flown my Inspire once since buying the Mavic. I love having both and it's always good to have backup equipment but I don't think you'll cry a single tear. I did a video test here a number of months ago that compared the Mavic's camera to the Inspire's X4S and there was no discernable difference in quality. You'll enjoy the portability of the Mavic.

That’s the main point. You will get 10x more use and flight time with a small portable drone versus a big one like the inspire. Just like our cell phone cameras versus even a small dslr.

 

[SteveCA]

I've had an Inspire 2 for two years. Nine months ago I bought a Mavic Pro Platinum. I've now surpassed my Inspire flight hours with my Mavic and I have only flown my Inspire once since buying the Mavic. I love having both and it's always good to have backup equipment but I don't think you'll cry a single tear. I did a video test here a number of months ago that compared the Mavic's camera to the Inspire's X4S and there was no discernable difference in quality. You'll enjoy the portability of the Mavic.

That’s the main point. You will get 10x more use and flight time with a small portable drone versus a big one like the inspire. Just like our cell phone cameras versus even a small dslr.

 

[RobH2]

Yea, good comparison. I used to carry a DSLR literally everywhere I went for about 15 years. I have 7 DSLR's and some nice smaller Point-n-shoots. Do I carry any of them these days if I'm not on a shoot, no, I don't?

Here's the main thing, when I first got my Inspire I expected the image quality to rival a nice Canon DSLR. Mind you, I have the X4S and not the upper level gimbals. I was initially disappointed that it wasn't even close. I did a bunch of research and discovered that so far, without flying you nice DSLR on a drone, you aren't yet able to rival that kind of image quality. Once I wrapped my head around that and learned to live with less image quality and focus on the myriad of other fantastic aspects that drones afford us that a DSLR sitting on a picnic table cannot, I was good to go and I embraced the "good as drones go" image quality of the Inspire. Once I realized that the Inspire's image quality was nearly impossible to discern from the Mavic's, the Inspire became the backup drone for when I'm doing a job. That's all it gets used for these days unless I need to fly in 30 knots of air.

To the point that @SteveCA made, the portability is the key. It's so easy to get up and running and you are more likely to take it more places with you.

 

[SteveCA]

Yea, good comparison. I used to carry a DSLR literally everywhere I went for about 15 years. I have 7 DSLR's and some nice smaller Point-n-shoots. Do I carry any of them these days if I'm not on a shoot, no, I don't?

Here's the main thing, when I first got my Inspire I expected the image quality to rival a nice Canon DSLR. Mind you, I have the X4S and not the upper level gimbals. I was initially disappointed that it wasn't even close. I did a bunch of research and discovered that so far, without flying you nice DSLR on a drone, you aren't yet able to rival that kind of image quality. Once I wrapped my head around that and learned to live with less image quality and focus on the myriad of other fantastic aspects that drones afford us that a DSLR sitting on a picnic table cannot, I was good to go and I embraced the "good as drones go" image quality of the Inspire. Once I realized that the Inspire's image quality was nearly impossible to discern from the Mavic's, the Inspire became the backup drone for when I'm doing a job. That's all it gets used for these days unless I need to fly in 30 knots of air.

To the point that @SteveCA made, the portability is the key. It's so easy to get up and running and you are more likely to take it more places with you.

I also shoot with full frame DSLRs and the image quality is unrivaled. But..... it can’t fly without an enormous drone and I doubt it can manage a multisecond long exposure from the air as well as my Mavic 2 Pro does on a daily basis.

Prior to this shot below, I would never have believed that sharp 4 second shots were possible from a drone. This was in 15-20mph winds too.

 

[dannybgoode]

And there is so much more to photography than IQ. In fact I’d hazard to go as far as it’s the least important thing.

Just look at some of the timeless photos from history - even what they believe to be the first photograph ever taken has a sense of atmosphere and place in time that makes a photo so captivating. The IQ is shocking but so what. It’s the history behind it, the story it is telling that matters.

You could take a really boring photo with the absolute best kit on earth and it would still be boring. You could take a really special photo with a pinhole camera...

 

[SteveCA]

And there is so much more to photography than IQ. In fact I’d hazard to go as far as it’s the least important thing.

Just look at some of the timeless photos from history - even what they believe to be the first photograph ever taken has a sense of atmosphere and place in time that makes a photo so captivating. The IQ is shocking but so what. It’s the history behind it, the story it is telling that matters.

You could take a really boring photo with the absolute best kit on earth and it would still be boring. You could take a really special photo with a pinhole camera...

I agree wholeheartedly! An iphone in the hands of a great photographer will outdo the best camera on earth in the hands of an amateur.

 

[NAVMAV]

Whoof!~ So many Choices, so little Time (76!). This link's info, on so many of the Drones we'd consider as upgrades to our wonderful little Mavic Air, was priceless; thank you ALL.

Now we need helpful input on how to 'FLY' the Choice past our Wife! And... the first person to suggest: "Ask for forgiveness, not permission" should be Shamed for Life, or at least a week.~

Rgds, NAVMAV

 

[RobH2]

I also shoot with full frame DSLRs and the image quality is unrivaled. But..... it can’t fly without an enormous drone and I doubt it can manage a multisecond long exposure from the air as well as my Mavic 2 Pro does on a daily basis.

Prior to this shot below, I would never have believed that sharp 4 second shots were possible from a drone. This was in 15-20mph winds too. View attachment 55432

A beautiful shot. If truly 4 seconds I'm amazed. The car tail light trails don't look like 4 seconds but more like 1 second, but regardless your point is well taken...that long exposures are not just possible but very high quality. I haven't done any twilight long exposures yet but can't wait to go try it now. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[SteveCA]

A beautiful shot. If truly 4 seconds I'm amazed. The car tail light trails don't look like 4 seconds but more like 1 second, but regardless your point is well taken...that long exposures are not just possible but very high quality. I haven't done any twilight long exposures yet but can't wait to go try it now. Thanks for sharing this.

It does look like a 1 second shot based on the light trails, but this was shot during bumper to bumper rush hour. Have a look at the lower deck of the bridge and you’ll see much longer trails. The meta data says 3.2 seconds which is odd as I manually set the exposure at 4 seconds.

 

[HVYMTL]

Sell the kids

 

[Porky]

View attachment 55554

Brilliant