What's the best drone for a newbie to start with

[David Bigcat Scott]

I have ordered my first drone and am wondering if I should cancel it and upgrade immediately. I ordered the Mavic Air. But was thinking I should have gotten the Platinum Pro. Which is the better for a beginner?

 

[msinger]

Which is the better for a beginner?

Any of the Mavic models would be perfect for a beginner. Just don't try to fly it in your house or in any other confined space

 

[53-63-6f-74-74]

I have ordered my first drone and am wondering if I should cancel it and upgrade immediately. I ordered the Mavic Air. But was thinking I should have gotten the Platinum Pro. Which is the better for a beginner?

The Mavic Air is newer than the Platinum, with newer tech, and I guess was the the interim 'upgrade' in the Mavic series. If that was actually the case or not is open for discussion (maybe the camera is a little bit better but it has no occusync so limited range, potential signal issues in wifi-congested areas, noisy operation, lesser flight times). I personally think the Mavic Pro 1 (not the Platinum) is the best buy right now (refurbs under $600), and I have never had any interest in either the Platinum or the Air (or the MP2 because it's still too new and about double the price of an MP1), but that's just me. The Platinum was sort of a gimmick in my opinion and only a marginal improvement over the original Mavic, but cost hundreds more. All that being said, you will probably be just fine sticking with the Mavic Air. It comes down to a matter of personal preference, so you'll have to decide for yourself what best suits your needs. If you haven't done enough (or any) comparison research then leave it in the box until you do, and send it back if you think you might want something else.

 

[Starz]

The air is a really fun one to fly. Sport mode is the ticket!

 

[Inspirephil]

Personally, I would start off with one of the cheaper drones that are out there just to learn the basics of how to control a drone. Then you can decide on whether or not flying drones is something you want to continue with. I have seen MANY Mavic Pro’s on here for sale because the owner decided flying drones wasn’t something they wanted to continue to do. I started with a refurbished Phantom 3 Standard ($200 at the time) just to see if it was a hobby/profession I would like to continue with and to familiarize myself with the controls of the drone itself.
After that I moved up to my Inspire 2 which was a huge leap and I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone else but it has worked for me. Now I purchased the M2P and couldn’t be happier with this purchase. It allows me to have 2 awesome drones for my future in the drone industry as I move towards my Part 107 certification test and then into the business side of this great business!

 

[mcsenerd]

If you're just trying to get a good feel for what flying a drone is like and trying to understand control schemes and such, then I think you'd be hard pressed to get better than a Tello. It's remarkably stable for a non-GPS drone thanks to VPS and furthermore it's so small and tough that it's not intimidating and is plain fun to fly. Yeah the camera isn't going to produce any award winning shots, the WiFi connection isn't the best in the world (but with a cheap repeater you can improve that vastly), and you'll need a Bluetooth or Lightning controller for the sticks...but it's still a very low price of entry and if you outgrow it or get tired of it, it'd make a nice gift to some youngin' in your life!

 

[Inspirephil]

If you're just trying to get a good feel for what flying a drone is like and trying to understand control schemes and such, then I think you'd be hard pressed to get better than a Tello. It's remarkably stable for a non-GPS drone thanks to VPS and furthermore it's so small and tough that it's not intimidating and is plain fun to fly. Yeah the camera isn't going to produce any award winning shots, the WiFi connection isn't the best in the world (but with a cheap repeater you can improve that vastly), and you'll need a Bluetooth or Lightning controller for the sticks...but it's still a very low price of entry and if you outgrow it or get tired of it, it'd make a nice gift to some youngin' in your life!

I forgot about the Tello. I totally agree with you that it would be a great starter drone. I think it’s on sale right now too. That’s the way that OP should go.

 

[DanMc]

Stick with the Mavic Air. It’s a fantastic piece of equipment with tremendous capabilities. That’s what I got just a few weeks ago. I am thrilled with it.

 

[Inspirephil]

Ultimately the decision is yours to make but remember that you’re gonna have a learning curve to master the controls. I highly recommend the Tello as a great starter drone as the other gentleman suggested. That way you don’t have a lot invested if you decide drones aren’t for you.

 

[Inspirephil]

Stick with the Mavic Air. It’s a fantastic piece of equipment with tremendous capabilities. That’s what I got just a few weeks ago. I am thrilled with it.

If he’s already ordered the Mavic Air then he’s made a great choice and hopefully he’ll stick with it and be happy with his purchase. Ultimately any of the DJI drones are great choices.

 

[DanMc]

Tello is dirt cheap compared to the Mavic Air. Get them both!!!! I test flew the Pro, Air, Spark and the Tello in a store before buying. The Tello requires the most skill to fly because it doesn’t hold its position like the others, so you have to be on it 100% of the time. The others can be placed in the air and you can put the controller down to go grab a cup of coffee. When you get back, the Mavics will all still be where you left it unless the battery runs low. In that case it will auto land at the home point.

 

[crlmjohnson]

I started with a 3dr Solo(2), I then purchase a eMachine e58(2), and now I have a mavic 2

 

[Aussie Oldtimer]

Until I purchased my drone, I had never flown before and the only remote id ever used was the tv remote

I didn’t want to get one and then find that I didn’t do what I wanted and then have to buy another one. I was always told to get the best tool I could buy so I decided to get the best one I could find for my circumstances M2P

It took a few weeks to get used to driving it and now it is almost 2nd nature

 

[JDawg]

Drones are incredibly easy to fly. I started with an Air about 6 months ago and knowing what I know now if I was buying my 1st today I would buy the Mavic Pro 2. I would NOT buy the Pro, you will be wishing you had gone with the MP2 in no time. YMMV

 

[Aussie Oldtimer]

I assume that when you say MP2 that you mean the M2P? there are so many about these days

 

[NAVMAV]

Here's something possibly worth adding to the equation, BigCat.

We've also started with the Air, and despite no knowledge of The Drone Hobby, or Flying in general, we had her up and Flying in three days thanks to its simplicity and easy usage.

Turns out we got Dumb Lucky. In addition to ease of usage, the Air has enough hi-tech assets to produce truly WONDERFUL photos and videos. Due to its amazingly small size, it is also one of, if not THE best Drones for taking when walking, visiting other areas, or even long-distance travel sorties. Producing something better in that regard will be a LONG time coming.

It isn't perfect, but even if we ever do opt for a more impressive Drone, our Mavic Air will remain 'in The Bag' becuz it's so handy in so many ways.

Hope this helps.

Rgds, NAVMAV

 

[JDawg]

I assume that when you say MP2 that you mean the M2P? there are so many about these days

I see it listed both ways but you are right, the Mavic 2 Pro.