DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

Mavic Air Video Quality vs Phantom 4 Original?

Javicus

New Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2018
Messages
3
Reactions
0
Age
41
Hello guys! I just got the Mavic Air after many days doing research and watching videos. I'm a big fan of Dji and I have a Phantom 4(the original, not the Pro or the Advanced). I'm in love with the P4 but it is bulky and I travel a lot, so Its a struggle every time i decide to carry it with me. That's why i decided to buy the Mavic Air. I read the specs and the camera looks the same on both models(the P4 camera is bigger). I put the same settings for both aircraft but when i took videos or photos I noticed a big difference in colors and contrast. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I'm gonna try to put some photos so everyone can see the difference. I'm really concern and I'm not sure if the Mavic Air is working properly regarding video quality. Thanks for any help!!
 
Cameras don't always work the same for everyone. And these 2 cameras are different. If you want the colors closer to that of the phantom 4, just youtube mavic air camera settings and people should help.
 
I can tell you that my 4k video from MA is as good as my 4k Sony video camera..... played back from SD card the fastest one I could get to my 65 inch Samsung 4k smart TV it's really amazing that the quality of the video is as good as a 1500 dollar camera ..... it might be my TV has something to do with it looking so sharp and clear,it was the top of the line Samsung 4k last year.....
 
I can tell you that my 4k video from MA is as good as my 4k Sony video camera..... played back from SD card the fastest one I could get to my 65 inch Samsung 4k smart TV it's really amazing that the quality of the video is as good as a 1500 dollar camera ..... it might be my TV has something to do with it looking so sharp and clear,it was the top of the line Samsung 4k last year.....
Yeah the bitrate makes this camera look like a smaller P4P
 
Ok thanks for the replies. Here I'm posting two pics I just took now. No modifications nor editing. One with the Mavic Air and the other with the Phantom 4 Original. Maybe I need to return the device??
Mavic Air Pic:Screen Shot 2018-03-14 at 4.41.49 PM.png
Phamton 4 Pic:
Screen Shot 2018-03-14 at 4.41.55 PM.png
 
Ok thanks for the replies. Here I'm posting two pics I just took now. No modifications nor editing. One with the Mavic Air and the other with the Phantom 4 Original. Maybe I need to return the device??
Mavic Air Pic:View attachment 33550
Phamton 4 Pic:
View attachment 33551


Seems like the white balance is slightly different, no need to worry. The MA is a little bit warmer, and the Phantom is colder and maybe a slightly bit more saturated, but it all comes down to that it is different lens profiles.
 
They may have the same sensor, but they have different lenses and also different processing. Comparing the resulting JPEGs will never be the same. You'll need to compensate by changing settings for JPEG, or working out your own corrections in your image processor if using DNG/RAW. If shooting RAW this will be easier as you have control over white balance, sharpening, contrast etc. You should be able to find a set of settings and save them as a preset in your RAW development software.
 
I read the specs and the camera looks the same on both models(the P4 camera is bigger).

First, they don't have the same specs. Second, they are not the same camera at all.

Even when some specs look to be the same this does not mean the photos from both cameras will be processed in the same way. This is largely why people like different camera companies, each have their own way of processing the RAW image that the camera takes. This is true off each camera by the same company as well.
 
First, they don't have the same specs. Second, they are not the same camera at all.

Even when some specs look to be the same this does not mean the photos from both cameras will be processed in the same way. This is largely why people like different camera companies, each have their own way of processing the RAW image that the camera takes. This is true off each camera by the same company as well.
Yes, and even their imaging processor is different. The Mavic Air has the same one as the P4P, not the P4
 
The Mavic Air on default settings can be very warm/yellow. In many cases it seems to actually be a more accurate representation of things than the cooler colors on the others, but some people prefer the cooler scale, and even over saturation and lots of contrast. You can get that in editing if you want.

Looking at the pictures posted,outside of the color palette they are really close. Without really playing with them to check, on a first glance I think the Air has a little more detail (and maybe less noise?) up close and in the mid range. The P4 may get a little sharper on the most distant objects. In all cases, it seems really close just looking at them now.

Based upon the other tests I've seen, I would expect the Air to be better on than the P4 in video in most cases, again knowing the colors will be warmer.

You can adjust settings if you don't like the warm colors during filming and/or adjust them in post.

EDIT: I should add that there seems to be a few cases where people have had overly yellow or out of focus/soft images form their Air, and exchanged them with DJI and ended up with something much better. From the single image the focus looks ok on yours, but you can always talk to DJI if you think the camera is having issues.
 
Last edited:
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
130,592
Messages
1,554,172
Members
159,596
Latest member
da4o98