Ditched P3P: Can't decide on Mavic or P4P

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Hi All,

After 2.5 years of flying a P3P virtually incident free I finally managed to park it in some trees over the weekend. Don't think it is 100% fatal, confident however it is going to be 100% expensive. Of the 2 crashes I've ever had, trees not in the camera's field of view have been the culprit on both counts. Rather than put down money on repairing a capable but aging drone, thinking it is time for and upgrade. The decision between Mavic or P4P has got me going around in circles.

Anyway, things that are important to me are as follows;

1. Obstacle avoidance (trees being high on that list)
2. Video quality not be less than that of P3P
3. No props in video
4. Compact size so as to fit in my existing camera bag.
5. Quick setup times

I think the P4P will be pretty clear winner for points 1 & 2. Just how good is the obstacle avoidance? As for video quality, I'm not what you call a power user. I do minimal post production using Vegas Pro 14 for my editing. Is the camera in the P4P overkill for someone like me when I thought the P3P was perfectly adequate? Has anyone used the Mavic? If so, is the video quality on par with the P3P for finer detail (e.g foliage) and low light performance?

Not sure if my google-fu is lacking, however I can't seem to find anything about props encroaching on video for the P4P. Has anyone found this an issue at all? Size wise I am very interested in the compact size of the Mavic. I camera bag vs camera bag & drone backpack is a pretty big draw for me. Finally, how easy to setup is the P4P over something like the P3P?
 
I can't be of expert opinion because I just came home with my new P4P, but my purchase decision was based on superior camera quality and obstacle avoidance. Portability is a drawback with the P4P no doubt, but I got the DJI backpack for mine which was a good compromise. If I was doing a lot of back country hiking, the Magic would have been a no brainer.
 
Schmeg pretty much said it Nicoloks. The camera on the P4P is super! Great bird! Had it since Nov. I had 2 P4's last year. Def worth the upgrade if video and especially stills are important to you. But if hiking to cool spots or biking to cool spots or whatever, you'll prob want the Mavic! It's so dang small and performs super well! I'm not hiking much at tbo. But I do have a backpack that I use when I do though.
 
Do you have a shop nearby to rent these aircrafts, if yes, rent them for a day, fly and decide?

If you have enough money, buy Mavic first, try it. If not happy, buy P4P and either keep Mavic with you or sell it. May be you would lose $200 max
 
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Hi All,

After 2.5 years of flying a P3P virtually incident free I finally managed to park it in some trees over the weekend. Don't think it is 100% fatal, confident however it is going to be 100% expensive. Of the 2 crashes I've ever had, trees not in the camera's field of view have been the culprit on both counts. Rather than put down money on repairing a capable but aging drone, thinking it is time for and upgrade. The decision between Mavic or P4P has got me going around in circles.

Anyway, things that are important to me are as follows;

1. Obstacle avoidance (trees being high on that list)
2. Video quality not be less than that of P3P
3. No props in video
4. Compact size so as to fit in my existing camera bag.
5. Quick setup times

I think the P4P will be pretty clear winner for points 1 & 2. Just how good is the obstacle avoidance? As for video quality, I'm not what you call a power user. I do minimal post production using Vegas Pro 14 for my editing. Is the camera in the P4P overkill for someone like me when I thought the P3P was perfectly adequate? Has anyone used the Mavic? If so, is the video quality on par with the P3P for finer detail (e.g foliage) and low light performance?

Not sure if my google-fu is lacking, however I can't seem to find anything about props encroaching on video for the P4P. Has anyone found this an issue at all? Size wise I am very interested in the compact size of the Mavic. I camera bag vs camera bag & drone backpack is a pretty big draw for me. Finally, how easy to setup is the P4P over something like the P3P?

The Mavic has a fine camera if you always fly in its sweet spot. Fixed aperture. No mechanical shutter. Smaller sensor. Slightly narrower FOV.

So you'll find some really nice video out there from Mavics. If you shoot the MP camera at 2.7K (rather than 4K) or even smaller, then the files will be a lot smaller, of course, and so will the post flight process load.

But if you need a wider range of light conditions to fly in, then the P4P's camera is the "right-er" one.

The video I've been getting with the P4P is better in all regards and I've yet to nail the settings. If you fly slow enough to make a nice aerial video, you do not see the props. Flip it into Sport mode with the camera up-ish, and yep, they're there.

You do not see the blades on the Mavic - but if a shadow from a blade hits the camera front, that registers. (Or perhaps it's reflections off of the blade). And that may happen at any speed.

One thing the P4P cannot match is the MP's portability. With the P4P I use the original styrofoam case in the back seat of my car. Mount the props while still in the case. Take care not to snag them on the way out of the car. Same thing putting it away. In that sense the setup time is not all that much more than with the MP - but the overall carry kit is far less bulky with the MP (which I carry "loose pack" in an old, smaller camera bag). The ipad Mini 4 fits near perfectly in the front slot of the styro case too. I'd have to buy or mod a backpack to carry the P4P.

I also find the top loaded battery to be a superior safety feature. (Sometimes I'm not sure the P4P battery is truly latched - it is new to me). (Although on the MP group there is a "crash" case that is almost certainly a poorly installed battery).

Still have a lot of snowbanks here, so when working a bit close quarters to land, the OA can be annoying - much more so than with the MP.

OA? Haven't tested it much. Hasn't 'saved' me, but then I haven't put it where I'd need to be saved ...
 
Watch or listen to this, very helpful
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OA = Obstacle Avoidance
 
Watch or listen to this, very helpful
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Those two did an annoying video some time ago. Pompous idiots with their "radio talk show" microphones trying to make a statement. Can't, won't ...
 
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I was really going to make the Mavic my first choice but then I thought about the fact that I was spending that kind of money to get a certain type of product. The tradeoff is the video quality for size. My Phantom 4 Pro feels like such a chore to setup for a flight but feels like such a champ when it's in the air. I wanted to know that the one I chose will have good video quality and have the lift and wind fighting resistance of the other Phantoms. The Mavic seems to come close but not close enough. Not to mention throwing a tablet on the Phantom controller is very easy. I think that if you are going to spend the money, get something that will actually give you the best bang for your buck. I think the P4Pro is it. If we could get the mavic with a larger sensor and mechanical shutter I would be down for it in a heartbeat.
 
I was really going to make the Mavic my first choice but then I thought about the fact that I was spending that kind of money to get a certain type of product. The tradeoff is the video quality for size. My Phantom 4 Pro feels like such a chore to setup for a flight but feels like such a champ when it's in the air. I wanted to know that the one I chose will have good video quality and have the lift and wind fighting resistance of the other Phantoms. The Mavic seems to come close but not close enough. Not to mention throwing a tablet on the Phantom controller is very easy. I think that if you are going to spend the money, get something that will actually give you the best bang for your buck. I think the P4Pro is it. If we could get the mavic with a larger sensor and mechanical shutter I would be down for it in a heartbeat.

I bet w/o doubt that the MP2 (or M2) will have the same camera sensor (or better, damnit) as the current P4P. Probably better. F***! (yes, I own a MP and just got a P4P. F****!).

Careful mechanical analysis of the MP shows that it is not only (very slightly) front heavy, but that due to the angles of the front v. rear motors, the front motors work 2x as hard as the rear motors. This explains the occasional RPM limit warnings that come up on the MP. Throw a larger (heavier) camera on the front ...

So the MP2 (or M2) will have to have significantly redesigned arms and motor angles to support a larger (heavier) camera.

You heard it here. Uh, 1st.
 
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Thanks. I'm a long time RC airplane guy just crossed over into the drone world. Still getting used
to this new world.

RC, eh? By the time you get used to the drone world "today" it will be "tomorrow". It's that fast. But faster.

Attache ta tuque. (as we say in 78.4% of Quebec).
 

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