Seriously torn!

[PaperCrane]

I genuinely don't know which way to leap here! I was going to buy an MP in November, but held back. Now I really don't know which to get. I can only afford one!

Pros for the Air:

• Better bitrate. That feels potentially a huge deal. Being able to stick a camera up there is kind of the point for me. The lower bitrate on the MP could be a deal breaker for that one
• Rear sensors
• APAS
• Both of these last two because I'm just starting out with my first 'serious' drone and any flying aids are a good idea until I'm halfway competent
• Likely to have a longer shelf life

Pros for the MP:

• Display on the controller. Also huge and potentially a dealbreaker for the Air. See above re flying aids
• Occusync. Wifi on the Air troubles me. From what I've read, it's not as good and more prone to errors
• Proven technology

Irrelevances:
I'm not planning on flying great distances, so the battery life isn't my main concern (although I bet just about everyone that's ever bought a drone has probably said that at some point)
Gesture control. I can imagine that getting old pretty quickly.
Another 2.5mph. Really? Because 40mph just isn't fast enough?

Might have to flip a coin...

 

[Neebles]

It’s a tough call. You are kind of in drone purgatory right now. The Air just came out, and the MPII on the horizon. Personally while the new sensors and features are neat, there are some things that personally don’t care for, especially for the price. There is no screen for telemetry on the RC. Not a huge deal, but I like being able to see battery life, satellite connection etc, especially if the app crashes.

You may not think battery life is a big deal now, but once you get flying you will find it goes by quick. I have the platinum pro and I wish the batteries lasted longer on that thing... obviously extra batteries solve that issue, but it’s a bummer to have to land and swap them out.

I’m also not a fan of the size. It’s small. I have a hard enough time keeping track of the Mavic, now reduce it by 50%. I also think carrying it around in a pocket is unrealistic. But this is all a matter of personal preference.

If the Air and Pro came out at the same time, I would say the Pro would be a no brainer. Being that it is probably going to be phased out sooner than later, it’s a tough call.

If I were you, I would wait a little longer to see if there are bugs to be worked out with the Air, and wait for feedback on his forum.

 

[PaperCrane]

It’s a tough call. You are kind of in drone purgatory right now......, it’s a tough call.

If I were you, I would wait a little longer to see if there are bugs to be worked out with the Air, and wait for feedback on his forum.

I think you're probably right. I've waited this long. I can wait a bit longer.

 

[kcabpilot]

FWIW the only time I’ve crashed my Mavic was when using one of the “intelligent” flight modes. The autonomous stuff is nice but you still need to do your pre-planning and despite the extra rear sensors it can still get you in trouble. When mine crashed it was doing an orbit in track mode so was flying sideways. There was one single light pole about 12 inches wide and it managed to nail it dead center.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

I think you're probably right. I've waited this long. I can wait a bit longer.

That would be my suggestion. If you can wait it out, do so as it sounds like the Air isn't the best fit for your wants/needs. I was really hoping it would have Occusync... for that price it should.
Mavic Pro II will be here before you know it!

 

[Former Member]

I was really hoping it would have Occusync... for that price it should.

I agree. Occusync is not really a luxury any more, it's a necessity.

 

[brandy234]

I think it's a difficult decision now. I just bought my Mavic Pro a few weeks ago and while I'm happy with it, I'm not sure what my choice would have been had the Air been announced then.

The biggest drawbacks compared to the Pro seem to be:

Battery life - 21 mins vs 27 (claimed) - this is significant because often when you get some shots/video, you might find a new angle or the light might change and if you've run out of battery you can miss out. This can be mitigated by buying more batteries.

RC & Video Range - Much less than the Mavic, but still better than the Spark. Even though you wouldn't want to be flying kilometres away, bigger range also means stronger signal and therefore resistance to interference and signal obstructions.

Controller - there's no screen on the Mavic Air controller, but for me that's not such a big deal. Coming from a Phantom previously I've been used to using the app for all the telemetry etc. I don't think it's a dealbreaker.

The Air has rear sensors, is smaller, lighter and (therefore) more portable. I mainly want to take my drone travelling and carry it round in a backpack. While the Mavic Pro folds up pretty small, the Air is half that size again and with carry-on luggage limits being what they are, the weight difference helps too.

I've seen many people comment that they use their Spark the most because its the easiest to carry and put in the air, I think the new Mavic solves the problem of the lower quality Spark camera and retains all the other benefits.

If I was buying now, I probably would choose the Air.

I wouldn't hold out for the Mavic Pro II, no one knows when that will be - it could be late this year or even longer.

 

[WilliamG]

I think it's a difficult decision now. I just bought my Mavic Pro a few weeks ago and while I'm happy with it, I'm not sure what my choice would have been had the Air been announced then.

The biggest drawbacks compared to the Pro seem to be:

Battery life - 21 mins vs 27 (claimed) - this is significant because often when you get some shots/video, you might find a new angle or the light might change and if you've run out of battery you can miss out. This can be mitigated by buying more batteries.

RC & Video Range - Much less than the Mavic, but still better than the Spark. Even though you wouldn't want to be flying kilometres away, bigger range also means stronger signal and therefore resistance to interference and signal obstructions.

Controller - there's no screen on the Mavic Air controller, but for me that's not such a big deal. Coming from a Phantom previously I've been used to using the app for all the telemetry etc. I don't think it's a dealbreaker.

The Air has rear sensors, is smaller, lighter and (therefore) more portable. I mainly want to take my drone travelling and carry it round in a backpack. While the Mavic Pro folds up pretty small, the Air is half that size again and with carry-on luggage limits being what they are, the weight difference helps too.

I've seen many people comment that they use their Spark the most because its the easiest to carry and put in the air, I think the new Mavic solves the problem of the lower quality Spark camera and retains all the other benefits.

If I was buying now, I probably would choose the Air.

I wouldn't hold out for the Mavic Pro II, no one knows when that will be - it could be late this year or even longer.

I'm in exactly the same boat with my Mavic Pro purchase. I decided I would use the Air for a fun/backup drone, but it's no way a replacement for OcuSync, which really is the main differentiator for me because it's MUCH more reliable than WiFi. I struggle with my Spark even with the controller (which is still freaking WiFi!), because interference is so rampant in the suburb.

OcuSync, above anything else, is probably THE reason to stick with the Mavic Pro.

 

[WilliamG]

And the more I think about it, the more likely I am to cancel the Mavic Air order. Sigh.

I just like new, shiny things! But... for me the Mavic Pro is just better.

Gah...

Driving my head insane.

 

[PaperCrane]

Looks like I'm not the only one wringing their hands on this one! If the Air had occusync and a screen on the controller, it would be a no-brainer.

I guess the clue to whic is better is where they priced this one. They could just as easily dropped the price of the MP and put the Air at the price point previously occupied by the MP & MPP.

 

[Hiflyer808]

I think we are all saying too much without enough knowledge. To me it SEEMS like the 100 mb coupled with the fixed focus is a major improvement over the Pro for the camera, and that's really important to me, but we haven't seen any detailed comparisons of graded footage so I really don't know if it is a big improvement in practice. Similarly it seems like the rear sensors and going around obstacles rather than stopping are big plusses for the Air, but we don't really know how well those thins work. And it seems like the occusync, or whatever it's called, and the led display on the controller are big plusses for the Pro, but maybe the Wi-Fi is a lot more reliable on the Air compared to the Spark, making those things less important. We'll just have to wait and see. For me, if it turns out that the obstacle avoidance and camera really are both substantially better on the Air, that fact plus the increased portability and decreased weight and price would tip the scales in favor of the Air, unless the Wi-Fi is seriously unreliable. I'd advise waiting until spring. Of course there's the Pro 2 coming, and I have a feeling that's what I'll want, unless it's a lot more expensive!

 

[Dronepixel]

I genuinely don't know which way to leap here! I was going to buy an MP in November, but held back. Now I really don't know which to get. I can only afford one!

Pros for the Air:

• Better bitrate. That feels potentially a huge deal. Being able to stick a camera up there is kind of the point for me. The lower bitrate on the MP could be a deal breaker for that one
• Rear sensors
• APAS
• Both of these last two because I'm just starting out with my first 'serious' drone and any flying aids are a good idea until I'm halfway competent
• Likely to have a longer shelf life

Pros for the MP:

• Display on the controller. Also huge and potentially a dealbreaker for the Air. See above re flying aids
• Occusync. Wifi on the Air troubles me. From what I've read, it's not as good and more prone to errors
• Proven technology

Irrelevances:
I'm not planning on flying great distances, so the battery life isn't my main concern (although I bet just about everyone that's ever bought a drone has probably said that at some point)
Gesture control. I can imagine that getting old pretty quickly.
Another 2.5mph. Really? Because 40mph just isn't fast enough?

Might have to flip a coin...

 

[Dronepixel]

Wait for the MP2 or buy a used Mavic Pro if you really need a drone. I already see guys selling them on Craigslist. I personally wouldn’t buy into the Mavic Air since I have a spark and understand the WIFi limitations. If this wasn’t a WiFi drone I would buy it myself.

 

[PaperCrane]

I think I'm going to see how things pan out over the next three or four weeks - what people think when they get their hands on it and start playing with it for real. That and what the price of the MP/MPP does.