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

Mavic Pro or Mavic air for my situation, just can't decide!!

lecomputer

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2018
Messages
17
Reactions
1
Age
39
Hi Guys,

I'm new here, and I apologise for posting something that is similar to many other threads. I've watched every comparison and read a thousand opinions, but I'm still stuck. I feel I understand the differences between the drones well enough but haven't seen them in real life.

I travel a lot, so portability is very important which led me to wanting the Air. But I also want to fly inconspicuously and everyone says the Air is much more of a disturbing noise, especially compared to the Pro Platinum.

I think I can live with the WiFi, although peoples opinions on its functionality vary greatly. I prefer the non focussing camera, the gimbal mounting and the size obviously. I like the idea of the quick shots too.

So I guess the main appeal of the pro is that its quieter, but is that enough? I dont think I will get to test them both as I live in the middle of nowhere and will be ordering online.

I'd be going with the Air for sure if the price difference was bigger, but you seem to be able to get them for a similar price. I was also thinking that when the Mavic Pro 2 comes out, surely the older Mavic Pros will drop in price drastically, but the Air I imagine will hold its price much better wont it?

Can anyone give me any advice?

Thanks :)
 
Since buying a drone is a personal decision it's a decision you have to make. They are both excellent. Your own comments lead me to believe you are leaning toward the Air, and since, as you say, you live in the middle of nowhere, the noise factor should not weigh too heavily. As you travel, I doubt the difference will amount to much. Drones aren't subtle, and people will hear them until they get quite high.

Most owners of the Air and Pro enjoy them with no regrets based on anecdotes on this and other forums. Since you are leaning toward the Air go for it. Every day of indecision is a day you won't be flying, and flying is why you want to buy one.

Good luck.
 
In my eyes the air does two things very well. 1. Camera 2. Price

The mavic pro honestly beats it in just about every other category. Their is a reason it is the most widely used drone on the market. I literally see them everywhere nowadays. I don't know a whole lot about the air, but I seem to notice more complaints about WiFi than anything else. Personally, if I am flying a drone I want something I can trust because sometimes you might go a little further than originally planned. The mavic has been on the market longer and you can basically see all the known issues and how to react to them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stuckinbis
In my eyes the air does two things very well. 1. Camera 2. Price

The mavic pro honestly beats it in just about every other category. Their is a reason it is the most widely used drone on the market. I literally see them everywhere nowadays. I don't know a whole lot about the air, but I seem to notice more complaints about WiFi than anything else. Personally, if I am flying a drone I want something I can trust because sometimes you might go a little further than originally planned. The mavic has been on the market longer and you can basically see all the known issues and how to react to them.
I agree with black magic. All that and the extra battery time, which is quite a lot comparing the fly more combos. You'll get used to the MP focussing and see the benefit of it as well (selective focus). But the Air is a beautiful concept and I imagine I would have a hard time if I had to decide at this moment.

Other things to consider:

  • The regular MP with platinum props is just as quiet as the Platinum but much lower in price if you still can get one.
  • The MP is already extremely quiet compared to any other drone except the Platinum.
  • The MP already was the most compact high end drone on the market and still is AFAIC.
  • The MP is complete, the firmware has matured and works great, has proven to be quite reliable over time.
That said, the MP is tempting. I love the design and the higher bitrate of the camera, but my MP is here to stay.
 
Thanks guys, you see its very hard to decide just as you laid it out!!

I do travel a lot, so won't be using it in the middle of nowhere. To be honest it will vary a lot where I use it, but of course I want to be as discrete as possible. I feel like maybe I need to go to a big city and look at them both to see the size difference. But I travel with carry on luggage and need just a rucksack with my paltop, camera equipment and preferably the drone, so I'm not sure if the Mavic Pro will be too large for this.

But what do you think about the Mavic Air price holding up better than the Mavic Pro when the Pro 2 comes out? Surely when the pro 2 comes out it will drop teh price of the original Mavic pro the most. The Air is still a fairly new product and a different beast, so I thought it might be a better buy now if I later wanted to sell it and get the Mavic Pro 2?

Thanks
 
In my eyes the air does two things very well. 1. Camera 2. Price

The mavic pro honestly beats it in just about every other category. Their is a reason it is the most widely used drone on the market. I literally see them everywhere nowadays. I don't know a whole lot about the air, but I seem to notice more complaints about WiFi than anything else. Personally, if I am flying a drone I want something I can trust because sometimes you might go a little further than originally planned. The mavic has been on the market longer and you can basically see all the known issues and how to react to them.

3. Size
4. Rear OA
5. Protected Gimbal Design
6. Image Processor
7. On Board Memory
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dave Maine
Personally, I love my MPP. Trouble free, great photos. But again, from your comments, you are clearly leaning toward the air. Resale price has to be the least important factor. Whatever you buy, whenever you buy, something new will come out and the current models will see a price reduction. Buy for the features you want, and don't look back.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. The problem is the features I want are kind of 50/50 between the drones! I think I'm going to go to a big city and see if I can hear them in person so I have some idea of how much noisier the Mavic Air is as thats my main concern
 
If noise is your concern, where are you flying that you have to be so quiet? Are you going to be that close to people and/or things that they will be disturbed by it? I would suggest that if you think you are, you are flying too close to whatever will be bothered by the noise of your drone.
 
@lecomputer, I recently posted my decision process on MA vs. MPP here: Initial impressions: Costco US$1299 MPP+goggles

Two weeks/ 30 flights in (but still very novice), I'm very happy with my MPP+Goggles choice, as well as buying the Costco bundle.

IMO, most MA vs MP reviews and forum threads are missing the most important decision factor, which is the *type* of flying you'll mostly do. See my post for explanation.
 
Last edited:
I can only echo what others have said above. I prefer the Pro over the Air, personally.

If it makes your decision any easier, when faced with decisions like this, I always take the price out of the equation, since in this case, it's only a few hundred dollars. Unless you think a few hundred dollars is really going to affect your life in the long run, in which case you probably wouldn't be spending hundreds of $$$ on a fancy flying camera anyway.


Here's my logic:
It is very possible that, in the days/weeks/months after your purchase, you could find yourself thinking, "I kinda wish I would've spent a little more and bought the other better one."

It is very unlikely that, after your purchase, you will find yourself thinking, "I really wish I would have saved that $200 and got the cheaper one; I could really use that $200 right now."

I never look back and think about the money I saved.
I DO sometimes look back and regret "being too frugal".

In other words, you probably won't miss the money. You probably will miss the features.

Hope this helps. I'm sure you'll like either Mavic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cariost
Have you considered a Spark? It may not be much quieter, but it's size makes it perfect for travelling and when people see it, they often consider it a toy rather than a "real" drone, so people are inclined to be more friendly towards it.

Even though "us droners" consider the Mavic to already be quite compact, in my experience it has quite a presence when you are unfolding and taking off when there are people around...
 
Thanks everyone, great advice

Firstly on price...in the UK it seems the Air is about £700, the Mavic Pro is about £800, and the Pro Platinum is about £1100.

So not much difference between the Air and Pro, but a big jump to the platinum. I dont think I can stretch to £1100.

I travel a lot, and the restrictions on hand luggage are a nightmare on the flights I have to take. I normally am going away to live for 6 to 9 months, and need to take laptop, some music equipment and all my camera stuff. I dont mind sticking my tripod and some bits in my hold luggage, but I dont think I'd want to put a drone in there! I think I could buy a bigger bag, but I'm normally over 20kg already, so weight is a problem.

This is what keeps me thinking about the Air. But the swarm of bees sound peopel speak of sounds horrendous and I'm very sensitive to sound!

As for the question, where will I be flying, probably in a variety of places. I will not just be in the middle of nowhere, Im more likely to be closer to people. But it seems you need the MPP to get the much quieter sound, due to the motors being different and the props

Its really a tough decision! I appreciate the help. I would love to see both in real life :)
 
Thanks everyone, great advice

Firstly on price...in the UK it seems the Air is about £700, the Mavic Pro is about £800, and the Pro Platinum is about £1100.

So not much difference between the Air and Pro, but a big jump to the platinum. I dont think I can stretch to £1100.

I travel a lot, and the restrictions on hand luggage are a nightmare on the flights I have to take. I normally am going away to live for 6 to 9 months, and need to take laptop, some music equipment and all my camera stuff. I dont mind sticking my tripod and some bits in my hold luggage, but I dont think I'd want to put a drone in there! I think I could buy a bigger bag, but I'm normally over 20kg already, so weight is a problem.

This is what keeps me thinking about the Air. But the swarm of bees sound peopel speak of sounds horrendous and I'm very sensitive to sound!

As for the question, where will I be flying, probably in a variety of places. I will not just be in the middle of nowhere, Im more likely to be closer to people. But it seems you need the MPP to get the much quieter sound, due to the motors being different and the props

Its really a tough decision! I appreciate the help. I would love to see both in real life :)
The sound of the Mavic Pro (non platinum) is music to my ears, compared to any other drone I ever heard. Smooth sound, barely audible from even a short distance. It packs a few extra ounces ok, but you need to decide what has to go from the luggage in favour of the Mavic Pro. It's your new tool that deserves to be on the top of priorities. You will never regret to have the extra radio control range and stable fpv signal and not to mention a much longer flight time.
 
Thanks Lake Flyer

People seem to say the MPP is a big improvement on noise over the the standard MP. It does seems like just the pitch of the Mavic Pros is much more bearable than the higher pitched MA.

I just dont really know how to travel with all my gear! I'm always fully loaded with just tech, and thats been without a drone. I also planned to get a handheld gimbal like the Crane 2 or DJI ronin S. I dont know how people take this stuff when flying, as I cant buy more luggage to take on board! This is why I'm being so particular about size and weight. If I was living in one place I'd not worry at all.

Also, I am still thinking that the Mavic Air might hold its value better when the Mavic Pro 2 comes out. So I was partly thinking I'd get the Air, and when the Pro 2 eventually comes out, maybe sell and upgrade unless I was completely satisfied. But if I buy the current Pro or Pro Platinum I imagine it will drop in price a lot when the Pro 2 comes out
 
People seem to say the MPP is a big improvement on noise over the the standard MP.
You can use the Platinum propellers on the Pro, gives the same sound/noise.

But if I buy the current Pro or Pro Platinum I imagine it will drop in price a lot when the Pro 2 comes out
The Pro has already lowered in price. DJI products never drop 'a lot' just after an announcement. They simply run out of stock and they seize to exist. Maybe the Air will suffer as well from a MP2 announcement and drops slightly, who knows, maybe the AIR Pro is announced earlier than the MP2, See what that does to an investment in an Air. Buy what you need today, no use waiting for tomorrow. All that counts is what you can do today, right now.
 
Thanks. I read that it wasnt just the propellors, but he motors were different too on the PP.

Yes you are right, I should just buy what I need. Unfortunately I'm still struggling like many others to know if thats the Air or the Pro!! I imagine when the Pro 2 comes out it will have enough benefits over the Air to make it an easier decision
 
Thanks. I read that it wasnt just the propellors, but he motors were different too on the PP.

Yes you are right, I should just buy what I need. Unfortunately I'm still struggling like many others to know if thats the Air or the Pro!! I imagine when the Pro 2 comes out it will have enough benefits over the Air to make it an easier decision

For me the dealbreaker was R/C connectivity stability and distance, and the flight time... that's why I got the MP... and I'm glad I paid more.... often when windy your battery gets chewed, and the MA will last less overall and so less flight time, especially in emergencies.... I want to stay up as long as possible.

If you were googling, you probably saw this DJI Mavic Air VS Mavic Pro: Is the Pro Still Better? | MyFirstDrone

Picture quality/colour saturation on the MPO is better... my real experience is brilliant quality (use ND filters) even without colour grading.

I got a Fly more, brand new, unactivated for £800... just keep looking
 
For me the dealbreaker was R/C connectivity stability and distance, and the flight time... that's why I got the MP... and I'm glad I paid more.... often when windy your battery gets chewed, and the MA will last less overall and so less flight time, especially in emergencies.... I want to stay up as long as possible.

If you were googling, you probably saw this DJI Mavic Air VS Mavic Pro: Is the Pro Still Better? | MyFirstDrone

Picture quality/colour saturation on the MPO is better... my real experience is brilliant quality (use ND filters) even without colour grading.

I got a Fly more, brand new, unactivated for £800... just keep looking


Thanks, yeah the signal did worry me, but I cant find anything conclusive about it as its all so dependant on conditions. I've read many people saying they had no problems at all, and many saying it was a nightmare with the Air.

Did you not consider the Platinum?

Where did you find a Fly more combo new for £800? Also, what do you mean by unactivated?

Thanks
 
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
130,587
Messages
1,554,124
Members
159,591
Latest member
Albrecht0803