Mavic Release Discussion

[Scott99]

I've been on the verge of buying a P4 as my first serious drone for awhile now, but I'm definitely going to go with the Mavic. The reason ties back to the old saying that "The best camera is the one you have with you." With its small form factor I'll be able to bring the Mavic with me when I travel, backpack, backcountry ski, etc. much more easily, and will be much more likely to capture the kind of footage I'm buying a drone for.

So true. I've been saving for the P4, but now I've decided to go with the Mavic (the $999 version). It'll be so much easier to take on trips .Have a San Francisco trip in July, it's definitely coming with me. Gonna get shot shots of Napa, Sonoma, Sausalito, Carmel and Big Sur.

 

[Dcpmark]

He did say it was downsized to 1080p, so we need some raw 4k footage.

There's a link to it in an earlier post of mine a few pages back.

 

[hawkeye62]

I see one downside. According to a review by TechRadar, you only see what the drone camera sees if you have a phone connected. The remote controller screen only shows text information. It doesn't look like my Nvidia Shield K1 would fit.

 

[jaseman007]

Hiya, how can you even compare them, yes it has as much features as the p4 but the mavic is a toy quality feel about it, plastic and very light. P4 is a lot more sturdy and look at the screen on the mavic , even with.a phone way to.small if your looking at it for long periods of time.

Have you got one already?

 

[jaseman007]

I do wedding and event photography (Canon 5d MkIII, various zoom and prime lenses, lighting, etc) and bought the P4 to add to my service options for clients. As such, only the highest picture quality will work. Granted, there are higher-end drones out there with better cameras, but some are simply too big and too loud and/or cost-prohibitive for a freelancer like me.
Given the choice between all best scenarios, the P4 is the winner and I doubt it will be purchased by many pro photographers and videographers. They'll be using the Inspire or Phantom.
The Mavik is more for the Vlog folks who want to make sure everyone knows what they're doing every minute of their waking life.

For Vlog folks? Are you serious? This is amazing companion piece for travel videographers and photographers. The ability to easily take this hiking, in a camera bag, with extra batteries, controller, with camera body and a couple of lenses is awesome. It's gonna punch out 4K video and offer amazing footage for pros and enthusiasts. This compliments the Phantom Range nicely. Well done DJI. Home run!

 

[pierce]

Also I'm bound to a phantom 4 and I've read the arguments of those who say they will stick with the phantom 4 because it's better at this, or that ...
I regret to say that in my opinion the mavic is a much better drone than their predecessors.
Also, I'm sorry to have bought a phantom 4 recently ...

 

[Cactus Wren]

I appreciate your point of view (and I share your disdain for "Vlog folks," believe me), but I don't agree with your assessment of the Mavic. Granted, I've obviously not seen or flown one personally yet, but from the research I've done, it's everything the P4 is -- and more. It's the best of both worlds. I would be very surprised if the camera on the Mavic were not superior to the one on the P4. Plus, it's so much smaller, has a far superior form factor, better obstacle avoidance technology, an awesome proprietary controller, better range, better FPV flying, new and improved video transmission technology, and the list goes on and on.

I just see no reason whatsoever for DJI to even sell the Phantoms any more unless they literally cut their prices to 1/3 of what they are selling for now.

It makes me mad, too, because I have a lot invested in my Phantom. 4 batteries, extra charger, charging station, carrying case, gimbal protector, range amplifiers, etc.

According to 2 different direct comparisons (video links are in this thread), the image quality for the P4 is consistently better than the Mavik. I wouldn't be concerned about the potential demise of the Phantom series. It's targeted to a different demographic than the Mavik, and when the next version (of the Phantom) is released next spring, I imagine it will outclass the current version of the Mavik.
And then the next Mavik will outclass THAT version of the Phantom ... etc etc etc ...

 

[Dinerve]

Also I'm bound to a phantom 4 and I've read the arguments of those who say they will stick with the phantom 4 because it's better at this, or that ...
I regret to say that in my opinion the mavic is a much better drone than their predecessors.
Also, I'm sorry to have bought a phantom 4 recently ...

Sell it and buy the Mavic then! No need to use something that makes you sad and feel sorry for yourself!

 

[Cactus Wren]

For Vlog folks? Are you serious? This is amazing companion piece for travel videographers and photographers. The ability to easily take this hiking, in a camera bag, with extra batteries, controller, with camera body and a couple of lenses is awesome. It's gonna punch out 4K video and offer amazing footage for pros and enthusiasts. This compliments the Phantom Range nicely. Well done DJI. Home run!

Well, look at the marketing for the Mavik. It's aimed at younger, hipper, on-the-go consumers. Look at the two spokespersons they had on stage for the release announcement. Were they travel videographers, or were they Vloggers? I've no doubt the Mavik will be used by travel videographers and photographers as well. It's much more travel-friendly than the Phantoms. But image comparisons between the two have thus far shown the Phantoms to yield better image quality. That's the bottom line in professional photography.
For those like me who would be using the quadcopter in a more regular business operation that depends on top quality images, the Phantom series (or Inspire series) still wins out. For someone trekking across Europe, or the Pacific Rim Trail, the easy choice is the Mavik.
Different demographics ... that's all I'm saying.

 

[pierce]

Have you ever fine tuned your phantom 4 camera?
I dont saw any care with that part.
Also, firmwares do a lot in that subject!

Have you updated your iphone to the latest version?
There's a lot of bugs in the recently launched ios 10 version, two updates already.
Dont try to believe phantom 4 camera is better...
Lets wait. There's a lot of new technology in this drone

 

[TheEdge]

I would hold off on comparing the video quality until more units get into reviewers hands and the first production model comes out. All the marketing material leads one to believe that the camera is just as good as the P4.

 

[flpholt]

According to 2 different direct comparisons (video links are in this thread), the image quality for the P4 is consistently better than the Mavik. I wouldn't be concerned about the potential demise of the Phantom series. It's targeted to a different demographic than the Mavik, and when the next version (of the Phantom) is released next spring, I imagine it will outclass the current version of the Mavik.
And then the next Mavik will outclass THAT version of the Phantom ... etc etc etc ...

if a new phantom comes out dji might just be going in different direction look at sales already why would they need another phantom

 

[pierce]

Dinerve, sorry for my bad english, i see i didnt make myself clear.
no sorry for myself at all!!!

 

[jaseman007]

Well, look at the marketing for the Mavik. It's aimed at younger, hipper, on-the-go consumers. Look at the two spokespersons they had on stage for the release announcement. Were they travel videographers, or were they Vloggers? I've no doubt the Mavik will be used by travel videographers and photographers as well. It's much more travel-friendly than the Phantoms. But image comparisons between the two have thus far shown the Phantoms to yield better image quality. That's the bottom line in professional photography.
For those like me who would be using the quadcopter in a more regular business operation that depends on top quality images, the Phantom series (or Inspire series) still wins out. For someone trekking across Europe, or the Pacific Rim Trail, the easy choice is the Mavik.
Different demographics ... that's all I'm saying.

Couldn't disagree with you more. There's gonna be a huge demand for this amongst the travel videographer/photographer community. There's more to the market that just young Vloggers. Just my opinion bud. Not trying to be upset the apple cart in any way. I think the topic has derailed into a P4 vs Mavic discussion that's not healthy. There's room in the market for Inspires, Phantoms and Mavics. By the end of October I'm hoping I'll own all three, each serving a different purpose.

 

[Cactus Wren]

if a new phantom comes out dji might just be going in different direction look at sales already why would they need another phantom

They would need another Phantom because these two products are geared towards different buyers. They're getting huge sale numbers on the Mavik because it's an awesome piece of equipment.
But when the next version of the Phantom comes out, it will also get huge sales because it's an awesome piece of equipment.

It's just like Canon and Nikon cameras. They don't abandon one camera line simply because another one is getting big sales. There's a reason you have the Canon 1D series, the 5D series, the 7D series, now the 6D series, and the X0series, and the various Rebel and P/S series.
That's what we'll be seeing with the DJI Inspire, Phantom and Mavik.

 

[flpholt]

if this one doesn't get cracks in arms like phantoms then most people will go with it

 

[DroneValley]

I'm excited about the new Mavic as well and did an overview clip on it yesterday. Mine's on the way and hope to have it flying in a few weeks. I still think there's a future for the Phantom line and am hoping some of the new features in Mavic make it into the Phantom 5. We'll see....

 

[Cactus Wren]

Couldn't disagree with you more. There's gonna be a huge demand for this amongst the travel videographer/photographer community. There's more to the market that just young Vloggers. Just my opinion bud. Not trying to be upset the apple cart in any way. I think the topic has derailed into a P4 vs Mavic discussion that's not healthy. There's room in the market for Inspires, Phantoms and Mavics. By the end of October I'm hoping I'll own all three, each serving a different purpose.

I think we agree more than you're giving me credit. I'm essentially saying each series has its strength and its target demographic. Just like Canon cameras with the 1D, the 5D, the 7D, the 6D, etc ...

Anyway, my original post you replied to was itself a reply to someone saying the Phantom series is basically dead now. I disagree. Like you, I think all 3 series (Inspire, Phantom and Mavik) will have their place and their primary buyers. And I did agree with you about travel videographers, btw ...

 

[flpholt]

seen caseys video and it fys great in the wind so why need a phantom for what mavic does more than them

 

[jaseman007]

I think we agree more than you're giving me credit. I'm essentially saying each series has its strength and its target demographic. Just like Canon cameras with the 1D, the 5D, the 7D, the 6D, etc ...

Anyway, my original post you replied to was itself a reply to someone saying the Phantom series is basically dead now. I disagree. Like you, I think all 3 series (Inspire, Phantom and Mavik) will have their place and their primary buyers. And I did agree with you about travel videographers, btw ...

Good stuff! Exciting times ahead for the community.

Jason