Mini, Spark.and Mavic Pro 1 for photos only

[mclld]

I am looking for another drone, I don't take any video but do like taking photos, are there big differences between these three? I am looking to buy this week or next

 

[Deleted member 109934]

Mavic Mini camera is very basic, you are very limited in what you can do. It has a good point and shoot camera, that's all. btw jpeg only, no raw

 

[deleted member 877]

Mavic Pro supports RAW format and has a comprehensive set of Camera Settings options. I have been playing around with ISO and shutter speed settings lately and am happy with the results.

 

[THE CYBORG]

If you are a photographer or want to use it mainly for photographs I recommend you go for the Pro 2, as crystal-pete says lots of options with the settings.

What do you fly at the moment ?

 

[Starz]

Picture from a mini. Straight off the card.

 

[Dave Maine]

Not particularly sharp. Much sharper images possible with 4K sensor.

 

[Starz]

Sharpness doesn’t transfer to this page very well. Looks far better in real life. This any better?

 

[Made2Phly]

I am looking for another drone, I don't take any video but do like taking photos, are there big differences between these three? I am looking to buy this week or next
[/QUOTE

For full range of still photography features, I would go with the M2P. I see that was not one of your options, but its features are right up there with some mid-range DSLR cameras, e.g., 1 inch sensor, adjustable aperture from f/2.8–f/11; 1/8000 max shutter speed; 12,800 max ISO.

 

[Dave Maine]

Yes, that is better. Note that there is a big difference between a person's personal standards and actual sharpness. What is acceptable to you depends on your standards and the viewing distance. The average 20:20 eye can resolve 60 line pairs per inch. This translates for pictures viewed 10 inches from your eye of 286 dots/inch. The standard for high quality photographic reproduction is 300 or 360 dots per inch. Using 300 as a standard, the Mavic Mini can create a technically sharp 9 inch diagonal print, viewed at 10 inches. The 4k drones can produce sharp prints with a diagonal dimension of 12.9 inches. This is the generally accepted professional, commercial spec. One's own personal preferences can be lower, but acute viewers will see the lack of sharpness.

The same math works for video. Screen resolution and viewing distance determine acceptable sharpness. 9 feet from a 40" diagonal screen the mini is overkill resolution wise. A 55" screen 9 feet away is a different story.

 

[Starz]

For the size and cost of the mini, I think it works well and may suit the needs of the op.
Thanks for the tech info. Always good to learn something new.

 

[mclld]

I had just ordered a mini off Amazon and 5 minutes later a guy off Facebook I messaged earlier replied so I will be buying that tomorrow. I have 30 days on the Amazon order to decide which I will keep. The Mavic off facebook comes with a pelican case(pelican style anyway it is orange with foam insert), three batteries and some other stuff for 450! I do a lot of outdoor activities(camping, kayaking etc) and this is where the drone will be used most of the time

 

[Starz]

Score!

 

[DanMan32]

You can't go by 4K when it comes to stills. You have to go by pixels.
Mini has effective 12MP
M2P has effective 20MP
M2Z has effective 12MP which I added for comparison to the Mini since they both have the same size 1/2.3" sensor.

 

[mclld]

I bought the Mavic this morning and it looks brand new, took it to a state park on my way home. Was able to get by some shots of caves that I wouldn't been able to on foot

 

[Starz]

Keep in mind that your signal doesn’t go through rock walls. I’ve seen a guy lose a Mavic pro when he flew too far into a canyon to view a waterfall.
Line of sight is your friend!

 

[DanMan32]

Even worse, potential loss of GPS, and depending what the rocks are made of, compass issues.

 

[mclld]

I got the Mini today from Amazon but it was dark, I love how small it is. I had to test it so I flew it inside and took a couple test shots in low light. This thing will probably be a huge seller

 

[deleted member 877]

I got the Mini today from Amazon but it was dark, I love how small it is. I had to test it so I flew it inside and took a couple test shots in low light. This thing will probably be a huge seller

I would hazard a guess that the Mini is already a huge seller. There are so many great reviews on YouTube and various other places such as this forum - it's difficult to find anything that is justifiably negative.