I call my Mavic Air "Snitch" because it reminds me of the snitch from Harry Potter's Quidditch sport. Just seemed like a good fit. At any rate, I've had mine for a month now and I have some definitive impressions after at least a dozen various flights.
FORM FACTOR - For me, the Air's form factor is its killer feature... finding that right balance between portability and functionality. It's small enough to carry on my shoulder with everything I need (I just use the Fly-More bag, which fits the Air, controller, extra batteries, charger, and spare props easily), but still sturdy enough to feel well-made and durable. Though it doesn't have folding props, the folding arms mean the entire thing is nestled into a very compact form for transporting.
SENSORS - Coming from a Phantom 3 Standard, the Air feels incredibly technologically advanced. I'm glad I learned how to fly without the assistance of sensors, but I'm not gonna lie and say they aren't nice to have. Knowing there's at least some extra protection in the front, rear, and bottom gives me a pilot some extra peace of mind. The Vision sensing means I can also fly my drone indoors, which is something I tried with my P3S indoors in Atti Mode, but was not very stable. The Air is completely stable indoors. And with the precision take-off outdoors, it lands very precisely as well.
CAMERA - I shoot almost everything in 4k now, whether I'm using my phone or my dedicated camera. So having my Air also shooting in 4k just makes sense for my workflow. Having a 5k iMac that is beefy enough to edit the footage also helps, as well as a 4k TV to watch it on. The upgrade to 100mbps is indeed a welcome one, and I'm actually glad it has a fixed focus lens. The footage I record on the Air is very good, but obviously not as good as those with a 1" sensor with better low-light capability, etc. I'm not a professional videographer, so I'm very pleased with the camera, and especially the gimbal - which is quite excellent. The gimbal feels robust, is well-protected, and has a gimbal guard that is easy to insert and remove. I'm not the biggest fan of the gimbal dial, but it works. One complaint I do have is the 1080p limitation when shooting in Smart Capture mode, but it's not a deal-breaker. I also like shooting in 2k/60 in some situations, so having that as an option is nice. I have not tried the 120fps slow-mo mode yet, and I doubt I'll use it very often, but maybe it'll come in handy for a subject with fast motion some day.
BATTERY LIFE - Battery life is decent, but not great. It's slightly less than my Phantom 3 Standard, but the batteries charge faster and since it's on overall smaller package, I can easily carry a bunch of spares if I need them. Still, I'm getting an average of about 15-18 minutes, leaving myself a respectable percentage for return to home or landing. I'm sure I could push 20 minutes if I was just flying close by and ignored the RTH/battery low warning. In fact, I did get 20-21 minutes when flying in Smart Capture mode without the controller and app. The battery life is good enough for most applications, but of course I'd always like more. It still seems respectable for such a small package, so it's not really a complaint.
RANGE / TRANSMISSION - Very rarely do I fly at long distances, so the range on the Air has not been a problem for me. I live in an urban area, and I can consistently get up to a mile or so before losing connection. That is just fine for me. Sometimes there's some stuttering of the live feed, and that can be annoying, but I'm not getting any bad disconnects or deal-breaking interference. I knew fully well going in that it would not be as good as those DJI products with Occusync, but it does exceed the range of my Phantom 3 Standard (which also uses Wifi), so maybe that's why my expectations were in check.
MISCELLANEOUS - One gripe I do have is with SD card slot. It's a real pain to get the SD card in and out of the Air, though I have learned how to use the tip of my fingernail. But even after getting it ejected, it's difficult o grab it and pull it out of the slot. I don't really have a problem opening and closing the door, however.
Even after multiple times of folding and unfolding the Air, I still don't always get it right on the first attempt. Sometimes the props just don't line up properly, and I have unfold and try again. Not a big deal since it does fold up so compactly, but I guess I'm a slow learner.
I know a lot of owners poo poo the Fly-more bag, but I really like it. It fits everything just perfectly and is small enough to carry on the shoulder with ease. It is holding up quite well, and sometimes I am amazed that I can carry everything I need in such a small package. That is still the thing that pleases me most about the entire thing.
Another small grip is the RC cable that runs from the RC to my phone. It never stays in that stupid little bracket that slides back and forth, so I just ended up leaving the cable outside of it. I figure it was going to pop out and get lost anyway.
I have ND filters on the way, as I used them extensively on my P3S. I may also get some kind of decal for the Air just for cosmetic purposes.
SUMMARY - Overall, I think the Air is a slam dunk hit. I think even after the release of the Mavic Pro 2, the Air is going to find a comfortable slot between the Spark and Pro. It will still have the price and form factor advantage over the Pro, and the technological advantages over the Spark. For many customers, it will be that irresistible sweet spot. For some, the better transmission and camera will make the extra cost justifiable. And for others still, the Spark is still going to be a good point of entry into the portable drone market. As I said before, DJI are masters (like Apple) of marketing and making products that are both irresistible but also just slightly disappointing so that you consider forking out more for an upgrade.
For me, my little Snitch is going to be a good companion and I can't wait to use it extensively as we move into the spring and summer seasons here in the USA.
Here's a quickly edited video I took of some local bridge construction over the Mississippi River. No filters or color grading, and everything shot in Auto. I am eager to work on something more cinematic once the weather is better.
FORM FACTOR - For me, the Air's form factor is its killer feature... finding that right balance between portability and functionality. It's small enough to carry on my shoulder with everything I need (I just use the Fly-More bag, which fits the Air, controller, extra batteries, charger, and spare props easily), but still sturdy enough to feel well-made and durable. Though it doesn't have folding props, the folding arms mean the entire thing is nestled into a very compact form for transporting.
SENSORS - Coming from a Phantom 3 Standard, the Air feels incredibly technologically advanced. I'm glad I learned how to fly without the assistance of sensors, but I'm not gonna lie and say they aren't nice to have. Knowing there's at least some extra protection in the front, rear, and bottom gives me a pilot some extra peace of mind. The Vision sensing means I can also fly my drone indoors, which is something I tried with my P3S indoors in Atti Mode, but was not very stable. The Air is completely stable indoors. And with the precision take-off outdoors, it lands very precisely as well.
CAMERA - I shoot almost everything in 4k now, whether I'm using my phone or my dedicated camera. So having my Air also shooting in 4k just makes sense for my workflow. Having a 5k iMac that is beefy enough to edit the footage also helps, as well as a 4k TV to watch it on. The upgrade to 100mbps is indeed a welcome one, and I'm actually glad it has a fixed focus lens. The footage I record on the Air is very good, but obviously not as good as those with a 1" sensor with better low-light capability, etc. I'm not a professional videographer, so I'm very pleased with the camera, and especially the gimbal - which is quite excellent. The gimbal feels robust, is well-protected, and has a gimbal guard that is easy to insert and remove. I'm not the biggest fan of the gimbal dial, but it works. One complaint I do have is the 1080p limitation when shooting in Smart Capture mode, but it's not a deal-breaker. I also like shooting in 2k/60 in some situations, so having that as an option is nice. I have not tried the 120fps slow-mo mode yet, and I doubt I'll use it very often, but maybe it'll come in handy for a subject with fast motion some day.
BATTERY LIFE - Battery life is decent, but not great. It's slightly less than my Phantom 3 Standard, but the batteries charge faster and since it's on overall smaller package, I can easily carry a bunch of spares if I need them. Still, I'm getting an average of about 15-18 minutes, leaving myself a respectable percentage for return to home or landing. I'm sure I could push 20 minutes if I was just flying close by and ignored the RTH/battery low warning. In fact, I did get 20-21 minutes when flying in Smart Capture mode without the controller and app. The battery life is good enough for most applications, but of course I'd always like more. It still seems respectable for such a small package, so it's not really a complaint.
RANGE / TRANSMISSION - Very rarely do I fly at long distances, so the range on the Air has not been a problem for me. I live in an urban area, and I can consistently get up to a mile or so before losing connection. That is just fine for me. Sometimes there's some stuttering of the live feed, and that can be annoying, but I'm not getting any bad disconnects or deal-breaking interference. I knew fully well going in that it would not be as good as those DJI products with Occusync, but it does exceed the range of my Phantom 3 Standard (which also uses Wifi), so maybe that's why my expectations were in check.
MISCELLANEOUS - One gripe I do have is with SD card slot. It's a real pain to get the SD card in and out of the Air, though I have learned how to use the tip of my fingernail. But even after getting it ejected, it's difficult o grab it and pull it out of the slot. I don't really have a problem opening and closing the door, however.
Even after multiple times of folding and unfolding the Air, I still don't always get it right on the first attempt. Sometimes the props just don't line up properly, and I have unfold and try again. Not a big deal since it does fold up so compactly, but I guess I'm a slow learner.
I know a lot of owners poo poo the Fly-more bag, but I really like it. It fits everything just perfectly and is small enough to carry on the shoulder with ease. It is holding up quite well, and sometimes I am amazed that I can carry everything I need in such a small package. That is still the thing that pleases me most about the entire thing.
Another small grip is the RC cable that runs from the RC to my phone. It never stays in that stupid little bracket that slides back and forth, so I just ended up leaving the cable outside of it. I figure it was going to pop out and get lost anyway.
I have ND filters on the way, as I used them extensively on my P3S. I may also get some kind of decal for the Air just for cosmetic purposes.
SUMMARY - Overall, I think the Air is a slam dunk hit. I think even after the release of the Mavic Pro 2, the Air is going to find a comfortable slot between the Spark and Pro. It will still have the price and form factor advantage over the Pro, and the technological advantages over the Spark. For many customers, it will be that irresistible sweet spot. For some, the better transmission and camera will make the extra cost justifiable. And for others still, the Spark is still going to be a good point of entry into the portable drone market. As I said before, DJI are masters (like Apple) of marketing and making products that are both irresistible but also just slightly disappointing so that you consider forking out more for an upgrade.
For me, my little Snitch is going to be a good companion and I can't wait to use it extensively as we move into the spring and summer seasons here in the USA.
Here's a quickly edited video I took of some local bridge construction over the Mississippi River. No filters or color grading, and everything shot in Auto. I am eager to work on something more cinematic once the weather is better.
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