Mavic Pro basic info for confused newbie..

[HomeyJay]

I used to have a Spark for a couple of weeks but when it went wrong, I returned it and was offered a MP at a great price so I bought it.
I was under the impression that the Spark had a gimbal that would move in only one plane - up and down, but the MP had a gimbal that would move in all directions. I really love the MP but I don’t know if the gimbal can actually move left and right. The type of movement offered seems to be the same as the Spark and there’s no way to fly forward and point the gimbal at 90 degrees.
I know this is a probably a pretty stupid question but is this sort of gimbal movement even possible on the MP? If not, how is it better or different than the Spark?

 

[Mossiback]

Left/right gimbal motion is very limited on the MP. There is a small amount of movement available but it is used to dampen yaw movements. This effect is created via software in the spark that it uses some of it's recording area to achieve. That is why you can only record up to 1080p on a spark but up to 4K on the MP. You cannot fly straight and turn the camera 90 degrees to the side on a MP but there are flying modes that will (attempt to) keep the camera pointed at a target while flying.

 

[wytnyt]

once you get very good you can yaw and fly at an angle but go straight,very hard but doable

 

[RayOZ]

There is some left/right movement, but you can't control from the RC. You can't turn 90 deg, especially to the right for obvious reasons. If you have the DJI goggles, if you turn on head tracking mode on, then you can control moving the gimbal left/right with your head, to a certain extent. For practical/safety reasons, you shouldn't be pointing the camera left or right while flying forward, just as you should be looking straight when walking.

 

[rfc]

For practical/safety reasons, you shouldn't be pointing the camera left or right while flying forward, just as you should be looking straight when walking.

.If what you're implying is that it's somehow unsafe to fly in a direction other than that which the camera is looking, then I would respectfully disagre with this. Some of the best shots are to be had doing otherwise.

I fly "forward" all the time, with the camera pointing to the left or right. "Home Lock" and "Course Lock" both do this.

True, the camera is technically always pointing "forward", even when you're flying sideways, but the effect is the same. POI shots also have the bird flying in a direction other than that which the camera is looking.

Am I missing your point?

 

[RayOZ]

Well, how many have crashed their drones while flying sideways and pointing the camera at a subject that's not in front of it? You can't see where you are going.
I've never used Home Lock or Course Lock, but I've used POI.
While flying sideways, your camera movement still matches your joystick control. To fly sideways while focusing on a subject, you use left joystick to roll left/right.
If you have DJI goggles, and have head tracking mode on, and let someone use the goggles, it's kinda odd when you are flying straight, but from the camera view on the phone, it looks like you are flying sideways. I have to keep telling the person wearing it to turn his head a bit so it's facing forward so I can see where I am flying.
But I guess if you are used to flying with the camera pointing sideways, maybe it's ok. Probably not something for a newbie. Might be a crash risk.