Sell or Keep MA1?
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SmilingOgre
Well-Known Member
I would recommend keeping it unless you need to recoup some of the money spent for the MA2. I crashed my drone into a phone line, and was glad I had an old PV2+ that I could fly while the smaller drone was in repair.
Mossiback
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the replies! Sounds like most of you are for keeping it. I might feel that way too if it wasn't my $$ 
If I DO decide to sell it, what's a reasonable price (flymore combo) and what's the best place to sell it? Here? Craigs List? eBay (yuck)?
If I DO decide to sell it, what's a reasonable price (flymore combo) and what's the best place to sell it? Here? Craigs List? eBay (yuck)?
Last edited:
There's certainly more the same than is different between the two, but two things really stand out.
1) Battery Life: It's nearly double with the 2. I used to rush to get in the air and get my shots in before the low batt warning would go off. Now it's like, "OK, got my shots--now what? I still have 40%!"
2) Signal reliability: Still gathering data, but so far, the range and reliability, especially in urban environments, is leaps and bounds beyond the MA1.
hiflyer201
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I would keep it if only to remind you as to how good the 2 is...I'm joking ...I had considered selling mine but but it's just way too unique, neat looking and good performing to sell for what you could get for it*. I love flying mine.
*don't even ask what DJI will give you on and upgrade.
*don't even ask what DJI will give you on and upgrade.
Also have an MA1 & my bias is towards still photography, preferably nature motifs ... with that said, I'm perfectly satisfied with it, it's only 2 aspects (both) that I want to see improve significantly before I see the need to upgrade.
Those 2 are ... in order of importance
1. Camera with a much better noise free low light performance
2. Longer battery life
And it's actually mostly #1 that would make me think twice ... Have 5 batts which always have been fully sufficient & really never feels limited with the WiFi connection (with the GPS spoof FCC hack). Rarely fly over heavily populated city centers where WiFi disturbance would be a problem for me in those short flight distances I'm prepared to fly in that environment. In suburban up to 1500m & rural 4000m (if LOS can be maintained) is plenty enough for me.
Then not to mention the portability factor which is outstanding & actually better than the Mini as it can be used by only phone or by hand without RC.
On top of that the MA1 is a speed monster ... funny when you want to drain the last in the batteries ?
Those 2 are ... in order of importance
1. Camera with a much better noise free low light performance
2. Longer battery life
And it's actually mostly #1 that would make me think twice ... Have 5 batts which always have been fully sufficient & really never feels limited with the WiFi connection (with the GPS spoof FCC hack). Rarely fly over heavily populated city centers where WiFi disturbance would be a problem for me in those short flight distances I'm prepared to fly in that environment. In suburban up to 1500m & rural 4000m (if LOS can be maintained) is plenty enough for me.
Then not to mention the portability factor which is outstanding & actually better than the Mini as it can be used by only phone or by hand without RC.
On top of that the MA1 is a speed monster ... funny when you want to drain the last in the batteries ?
Heindrich1988
Well-Known Member
wow that's a good price considering a new Air 2 is only $150 more... looks like DJI products really do retain value.
tbh, although I love my Air 2, I wish it was pretty like the Air 1. ?
If I didn't do any research and didn't know anything about DJI's other drones, I would have guessed that the Air 1 is the newer iteration. Air 2 looks like a solid functional workhorse. Air 1 looks sleek, cool and modern, as if the Air 2's components have been minimized and refined in a more beautiful airframe. ?
dewens
Active Member
The size is what would decide it for me. The Air is a unicorn drone - yes the battery life in the air is marginal, but it is long enough to get considered shots, unless you have to fly 1 mile in and 1 mile out again! For photography and short video clips to add in, it is adequate. 5x batteries helps. With the 'new model' out I have seen fly more combo outfits selling for £400 ($480? ish) things are more expensive over here. The Air 2 is significantly bigger for ease of transport. If I was trading size I would want much better resolution, better battery life and better wind tolerance. Otherwise it is just change for changes sake, which is what the marketing men try to get you to do by persuading you that you really do need those little incremental improvements - I won't change until the improvement is monumental.
I collect them lol keep it it’s family!!!
I've had my Mavic Air since they came out - March 2018, so it's been almost 3 yrs. I have the FMC and a fair number of accessories that are MA1 specific. I know its capabilities and limitations, and it still satisfies my needs, so I don't really have a reason to upgrade.
However, if I were to upgrade, I wouldn't sell the MA...I'd keep it, or perhaps give it to a family member. I paid $999 for the FMC and probably another $150 for accessories. If I were selling it, I doubt that I'd get even half of that. I say this because if I were buying a used one, I would certainly not pay more than that.
A couple of points I would make about buying a used drone:
When you are buying a relatively fragile piece of electronic equipment, you are taking a chance that there may be something wrong with it, which may not be obvious to you. Even if the seller is totally honest and candid, he may not even know about it.
When you are considering such a purchase, you can't really look at what the original purchase price was. You're buying a set of capabilities. That same set of capabilities was more expensive when it was purchased, but you have to consider what that costs today. So if those capabilities were originally $1000, but now can be purchased new for $600, the $600 would be your reference point. The question that remains is how much to take off of that for wear and tear, and the risk of unseen damage being present. Consider the cost of repair which can be as low as the cost of a new set of props (~$20), or much higher, if the camera/gimbal has to be replaced.
However, if I were to upgrade, I wouldn't sell the MA...I'd keep it, or perhaps give it to a family member. I paid $999 for the FMC and probably another $150 for accessories. If I were selling it, I doubt that I'd get even half of that. I say this because if I were buying a used one, I would certainly not pay more than that.
A couple of points I would make about buying a used drone:
When you are buying a relatively fragile piece of electronic equipment, you are taking a chance that there may be something wrong with it, which may not be obvious to you. Even if the seller is totally honest and candid, he may not even know about it.
When you are considering such a purchase, you can't really look at what the original purchase price was. You're buying a set of capabilities. That same set of capabilities was more expensive when it was purchased, but you have to consider what that costs today. So if those capabilities were originally $1000, but now can be purchased new for $600, the $600 would be your reference point. The question that remains is how much to take off of that for wear and tear, and the risk of unseen damage being present. Consider the cost of repair which can be as low as the cost of a new set of props (~$20), or much higher, if the camera/gimbal has to be replaced.
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