Next Drone to buy

[Siebster]

I recently broke my mavic pro that I have been flying for 2 years and while I am sending it to DJI to see what it would cost to repair I am preparing for the worse. I sell prints on etsy and am marketing myself to small real estate and construction companies but nothing near professional tier. should I buy a mavic mini 2 to hold me over until the mavic pro 3 comes out and then I can have the mini as a travel friendly drone? or should I get another mavic pro or a mavic air 2 or something that would be better but more redundant with the mavic pro 3 when it comes out?

 

[Phantomrain.org]

I recently broke my mavic pro that I have been flying for 2 years and while I am sending it to DJI to see what it would cost to repair I am preparing for the worse. I sell prints on etsy and am marketing myself to small real estate and construction companies but nothing near professional tier. should I buy a mavic mini 2 to hold me over until the mavic pro 3 comes out and then I can have the mini as a travel friendly drone? or should I get another mavic pro or a mavic air 2 or something that would be better but more redundant with the mavic pro 3 when it comes out?

You have no choice , the Air 2 is the smartest decision you can make, its resale value alone makes it a winner , its ability to provide pro quality video, pics and reliability makes a great back up drone to your Mav 2 or 3.

As you add drones to your Arsenal you will want the SC so you can engage different drones quickly carrying less gear.
The Air 2 gets our vote for drone of the Decades it wont frustrate you or disappoint you the same cannot be said for the Mini or the Mini 2 , once you have a video with a gimbal drop you will be wishing for the Air 2 .

There is no reason for a Mavic 3 but there are a lot of reasons not to get the Mini but none on the Air 2 .

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Air 2 in the Rain and Remote Land on the Water.

 

[Floridaflyer]

What about the Mavic 2 pro? Love mine.

 

[Siebster]

What about the Mavic 2 pro? Love mine.

it looks like an amazing drone, but I feel like the pro 3 would be too similar to it to the point that on my college student budget it would not be worth getting the 3 if I got the 2 now, especially with the 2 probably going down in price when the 3 is out. If I do manage to find a used one though I would definitely not turn it down.

 

[Thomas B]

it looks like an amazing drone, but I feel like the pro 3 would be too similar to it to the point that on my college student budget it would not be worth getting the 3 if I got the 2 now, especially with the 2 probably going down in price when the 3 is out. If I do manage to find a used one though I would definitely not turn it down.

There is no official M3P discussion or release day for it from DJI....

 

[Siebster]

There is no official M3P discussion or release day for it from DJI....

yeah I have no concrete reason for most of that, I am mainly thinking about the role that each drone plays in their product line. having a mavic 2 would definitely be an excellent backup for the 3 whenever that ends up coming out, but since the 2 is already a pretty pricy investment ideally I would want a drone that could serve a purpose in my life other than just a backup by being more portable like the mini or the air. I think there is a good chance that if there is nothing announced at CES or soon then I may go with the 2 just because it is a very solid drone that I know would serve me well.

 

[vindibona1]

Rather than wait for the Mavic 3, at this moment a REFURBISHED Mavic 2 Pro will save you a few hundred $$ so will be pre-depreciated should you choose to sell it in a year or so. The refurbs from factory authorized sellers are no different than new, with the same warranty as new. I have to wonder if refurbs are just overstock because you will not be able to tell in any way that it wasn't "new".

The Mavic Air 2 is a good alternative, as well, but the larger sensor and variable aperture of the Mavic 2 pro has some advantages in terms of low light capability, though the MA2 has some advantages of it's own, with the fly more package coming in at around $1000.

 

[Floridaflyer]

Rather than wait for the Mavic 3, at this moment a REFURBISHED Mavic 2 Pro will save you a few hundred $$ so will be pre-depreciated should you choose to sell it in a year or so. The refurbs from factory authorized sellers are no different than new, with the same warranty as new. I have to wonder if refurbs are just overstock because you will not be able to tell in any way that it wasn't "new".

The Mavic Air 2 is a good alternative, as well, but the larger sensor and variable aperture of the Mavic 2 pro has some advantages in terms of low light capability, though the MA2 has some advantages of it's own, with the fly more package coming in at around $1000.

My Mavic 2 pro is a refurbished. Came with every little piece of protective film over every sensor, everything in sealed bags etc. EXACTLY like brand new. Great deal too. Does make you wonder.

 

[TheDude]

Whatever you choose, definitely take advantage of that DJI student discount.

Educational Discount

DJI,Phantom 4,Mavic Pro,Spark

store.dji.com

 

[African wildlife]

I recently broke my mavic pro that I have been flying for 2 years and while I am sending it to DJI to see what it would cost to repair I am preparing for the worse. I sell prints on etsy and am marketing myself to small real estate and construction companies but nothing near professional tier. should I buy a mavic mini 2 to hold me over until the mavic pro 3 comes out and then I can have the mini as a travel friendly drone? or should I get another mavic pro or a mavic air 2 or something that would be better but more redundant with the mavic pro 3 when it comes out?

Hi Siebster. Yes, the Mini 2 would be a sensible choice. Whereas we mainly use a P4P+ for our professional work, we've recently got a Mini 2 for certain assignments and it's a great drone. The camera is definitely good enough for the needs you're describing. Using it to take your photographic images at the best (or at least reasonable) time of the day will help, especially in the summer months when light can be harsh anywhere near midday, as great natural lighting adds a huge amount. Both real estate and construction companies will appreciate the sharpness of the images, which will be immediately usable without any editing. Use the auto exposure bracketing to make sure your exposure is correct. And your cost/outlay for a new drone will be minimal.

 

[Siebster]

Whatever you choose, definitely take advantage of that DJI student discount.

Educational Discount

DJI,Phantom 4,Mavic Pro,Spark

store.dji.com

Thank you! I was not aware of this before now

 

[Siebster]

Rather than wait for the Mavic 3, at this moment a REFURBISHED Mavic 2 Pro will save you a few hundred $$ so will be pre-depreciated should you choose to sell it in a year or so. The refurbs from factory authorized sellers are no different than new, with the same warranty as new. I have to wonder if refurbs are just overstock because you will not be able to tell in any way that it wasn't "new".

The Mavic Air 2 is a good alternative, as well, but the larger sensor and variable aperture of the Mavic 2 pro has some advantages in terms of low light capability, though the MA2 has some advantages of it's own, with the fly more package coming in at around $1000.

thanks for the tip, I have looked into them and they do seem like a surprisingly great deal and value.

 

[Bransty]

For me, it's all about the camera. Mavic Air 2 is great, but the Mavic Pro is better. Phantom 4 appears even better still.
The disadvantages with the Pro is it doesn't do 60 fps. Some great footage is spoiled with jerky motion in my opinion.
The Phantom does beautiful 60 fps and is even sharper than the Pro. The extra cost of sherpas to carry it around rules it out though.
I'm hoping for a Mavic Pro with 60 fps this year.
Please DJI !

 

[vindibona1]

thanks for the tip, I have looked into them and they do seem like a surprisingly great deal and value.

I suggested that because that is the route I took (refurbished) and was stunned that there was not one thing, from the condition of the M2P to the packaging, down to the shrink wrap that wasn't the same as "new".

 

[Saladshooter]

I'm new to the drone world but already own a Mavic Air 2 which is phenomenal and added a Mavic 2 Zoom yesterday that I got from Facebook Marketplace for $700 with a pile of goodies.(batteries, filters, phone mounts etc).

You can't go wrong with the Air2 or waiting for a deal on a Mavic 2 by searching hard.... it only took me four days of digging through facebook, offerup, and craigslist to get a good one. My suggestion is to only buy locally from one of those sites so you can see it in person or pour over the classifieds here and jump on quick when the right deal comes along. Even the Air 2 can be found for a great price if you search for it.

 

[Yeunglings]

I'll throw my 2 cents in here too. Each 'tier' offers something different. For its size and price you get great performance from the Mini2($450/600) and its under 250g so when the new rules go in to effect about remote id you should be able to still fly it with no issues recreationally. I don't think that would be true flying under 107 though so double check because from what I've read as soon as you fly commercial you will need RID even sub 250g. I could be wrong. The MA2($700/1k) builds on that performance even though speeds and endurance are the same on paper, has a native RID function that may or may not be acceptable to the FAA and with the added weight my belief is that its more stable in the same conditions. Smaller boats rock more in the same waves even if they can handle them is my line of thinking and what I've seen with my MM and MA2 hovering next to a friends Mini2; the MM bounced a lot, the Mini2 kinda swayed but not badly and the MA2 was smooth as butter. The M2Z/P is a huge jump up in price comparatively speaking if you go new(1350/1750 and 1550/1950) for a larger sensor or a quality zoom, better collision avoidance and a more robust build but it is years old at this point so the technology and flight performance aren't quite the same as the MA2 and likely a M3 of some sort is on the horizon in maybe 6 months to a year that would probably(?) have RID. A few other things to think about down the road is that Care Refresh and battery prices increase too. $55(official, not the gouging prices you see on Amazon) for a Mini2 battery, $115 for the MA2 and $150 for the M2 series.

 

[RupertPupkin]

Thank you! I was not aware of this before now

FYI: the MM2 isn't eligible for the student discount yet (though the first gen. Mini is.)

 

[hiflyer201]

The extra cost of sherpas to carry it around rules it out though.