New MP1 Owner long time Spark user - Looking for any advise as I transition

sooties · Apr 4, 2022

Hello all I am new here and wanting to start out on the right path with my MP1 journey. I am a long time Spark user and finally took the leap to the MP1. My reasoning is that I have the original DJI white Goggles and am use to the system. I have Polar Pro ND4-ND64 filters coming and a generic ND16-PL filter coming.

I am kind of going back and forth on "oh I should of just got the Mavic Air 2" since it is around the same price used now but honestly I really enjoy the goggles and allowing my son and father to experience that. Which you can't really do stock with these newer Mini and Air series drones.

It's really sad PolarPro doesn't have their iOS app anymore. Does anyone have a good alternative on the Apple side of things? I think I have found some good info on remote settings, camera settings, etc to get the most out of this unit. Overall I think for my use case it will be more than enough.

My main use case is just to cruise around and get a birds eye view of things up in the sky. I do enjoy sport mode and really opening it up at our RC airfield as well. The little spark is more of a little sports car and the mavic is like a muscle car. My son is now learning to fly on the Spark and I have even been brave enough to do the 0 Manual setting on it... It's squirrely for sure. I think I will try and mod my remote to not have a spring in left up and down so I can fly a bit more like a racing drone. Eventually will end up with a Nazgul or similar I am sure but the Spark can get me a taste without shelling out the funds and my son is loving floating around in beginner mode.

I think I would like to make some nature photos and videos to capture the moments my son and I are having together, that's about it. So just short clips to go with my Photography gear. I tend to do each of the 4 seasons and a yearly recap type video. I have the original Sony a6000 and primarily use my SELP18105G lens with it's constant f4. I am hoping the Mavic Pro will sync up well with this camera system. I don't mind living a few years back in tech time honestly but I do hope I made a good choice with the MP1 purchase.

Any assistance in getting the most out of my drone and working with my chosen setup would be great.

Gear:
Mavic Pro 1 flymore combo
Spark flymore combo
DJI Goggles White v1
YunCee Goggles
PolarPro Cinema ND4-ND64 and Generic ND16-PL

Sony a6000
SEL35f18
SELP18105G
Sigma 50mm 1.4
K&F ND4-32
ZiunCrane ii
Mics and general accessories

MAvic_South_Oz · Apr 4, 2022

Still own my Spark and M1P too, they are still relevant, though newer drones are much higher in quality for photos and / or video, I still can't part with them or upgrade.

Just experiment with photos and video, no filter or just a UV for photos in general, the ND are handy for getting video to the 180o shutter / frame rate rule.

Did you get the M1P new ?
Maybe not as you mentioned used for the Air 2 comparison.

If you've got 3 good batteries, that's awesome, mine 3 flymore are still perfect from 2017, and 3 others bought before they became obsolete here give me a great flight capability on trips.
If batteries become an issue, you can usually get decent aftermarket ones, as per numerous threads on the forum.

Enjoy the M1P, by far the best thing is flying using your normal device screen, and letting someone use the goggles, all cable free.
I have the RE goggles.

I also use the RE with the Spark, HDMI to USB > USB to MicroUSB cables to link, and that is also awesome.
No device screen, but then you can still fly, record or photograph, and for a buzz put its in sports mode with the gimbal straight and grid lines # on, and the centre 'safe' area is accurate.

sooties · Apr 4, 2022

Awesome thanks for the reply. I’ve owned the Spark and Googles for around 3 years now and used them just like you describe. If there was a way to connect the new drones to the goggles I’d be all about it even at a slightly higher cost but I don’t want to mess with the wires anymore. It’s actually really a main factor of why I stepped up to the MP1 finally, all wireless.

I bought it used and in good condition. 3 batteries and all are at around 25 cycles in which is about right for it’s age. Same cycle life my Spark batteries are at.

Overall I am much more concerned about just having family videos and viewing things from the air. Have no desire to do commercial paid work at all. To much red tape. I am just a family man/hobbist flying around my local RC airfield and backyard mostly.

I got into flying fixed wing planes recently too which is similar but different and really fun overall. Thanks again for the feedback.

MAvic_South_Oz · Apr 5, 2022

sooties said:
Awesome thanks for the reply. I’ve owned the Spark and Googles for around 3 years now and used them just like you describe. If there was a way to connect the new drones to the goggles I’d be all about it even at a slightly higher cost but I don’t want to mess with the wires anymore. It’s actually really a main factor of why I stepped up to the MP1 finally, all wireless.

I bought it used and in good condition. 3 batteries and all are at around 25 cycles in which is about right for it’s age. Same cycle life my Spark batteries are at.

Overall I am much more concerned about just having family videos and viewing things from the air. Have no desire to do commercial paid work at all. To much red tape. I am just a family man/hobbist flying around my local RC airfield and backyard mostly.

I got into flying fixed wing planes recently too which is similar but different and really fun overall. Thanks again for the feedback.

No problems, a great setup.
I'm keen on FPV drone as a next step, just busy as usual to get onto it properly.
I do have a Futaba T14SG and drone sim account set up, plus the dongle and cable to get into the simulator programs out there, so that'll no doubt be the first step, and many a sleepless night !
Enjoy the new drone and fixed wing flying.

joeke3el · Apr 16, 2022

I started with the Spark and then went with the MA2 but still bought the MP1 (slightly used) a year later. The lens on the MP1 is really good and with the right settings can generate very crisp video. It looks like you're already digging into the manual settings on it and that's where the GO 4 app really shines. I miss some of the features in the DJI Fly app. Where the spark is pretty much point and shoot, now you have an array of manual settings where once mastered can create wonderful video quality and photos. Back to the lens, the auto/manual focus is superior to fixed focus lenses when used correctly. Billy Kyle has a good "howto" on that up on YouTube. Good luck with it.