DJI - Mavic Air vs Mavic Pro and 7 Reason why the DJI Mavic Air might be better for you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgXVP09xK-gDJI Summer Sale - ENDS TODAY JULY 17thWe are often asked for recommendations on drones. DJI continues to dominate the market with excellent drones that offer great quality and are really easy to fly. In this video, I share seven reasons that you may want the smaller, more portable Mavic Air over the still portable but noticeably larger, Mavic Pro.

7 Reasons to get the Mavic Air instead of the Mavic Pro

  • Portability - Mavic air takes it to another level in portability

The Mavic air folds down to a ridiculously small size. The controller features removable sticks and the batteries are significantly smaller. All of that adds up to a drone that takes up noticeably less space in your bag but still gives you the same image and video quality.

  • Image and video quality is a little better in the Mavic air and Air offers better slow-mo features at 120fps vs 96 in the

The smaller Mavic Air has a slightly better processor - in my tests most photos and video looked identical with some Air shots looking just a tiny bit better.  And in video mode the Mavic Air offers 120fps slow-mo vs just 96fps offered by the Mavic Pro.

  • Cost - Mavic Air is cheaper especially when you add up extras

With today's sale this isn't true but usually, the Mavic Air is cheaper and the batteries are cheaper, accessories are cheaper - it's starting to add up to some significant savings.

  • Additional Quick shot modes

Some of these are a bit of a gimmick but they do make it easy, and fun to create quick snapshots of your surroundings. Check out this recent Asteroid Quick shot mode from Nevada https://www.instagram.com/p/BjSrhJOHLUd/?taken-by=photorectoby

  • Rear obstacle avoidance

You should always be aware of your drone and its surroundings but there are times when maybe you think you know how close you are to that bush or tree and it turns out much closer than you thought. The Mavic Pro only has forward sensing obstacle avoidance and the Air provides sensors on the front AND THE REAR! This means you are less likely to crash it when flying backward.

  • Works without a controller

The Mavic Air is capable of take off, photo and video capture and landing all with gestures. No controller needed, not even your phone needed. It is impressive when you want to travel VERY light and just get some quick shots of you in a location.

  • Built-in memory

The Mavic Air is the only DJI Drone to include 8GB of onboard memory - this is a great fail safe if you end up leaving the house without a microSD card.

4 reasons to get the Mavic Pro

  • Occusyn technology for control and video transmission

This means you get cleaner video feed at 1080 vs just 720 from the air - and it supports longer distances. In some European countries, the wifi connectivity of the Mavic air may be more limited.

  • Longer flight time

The Mavic Pro is capable of 23 minutes. The Mavic Air tops out at 18 minutes. I find that I often get the shots I need within 16 minutes and land the drone with 30% battery to be safe. Using that math I would be a little more rushed with the Mavic Air to get the necessary shots.

  • More maneuverable gimbal - flying forward you can keep the gimbal pointed up higher than you can on the Mavic air

This is one of the biggest differences - when flying forward at normal speeds (not slow) the tilt of the Mavic Air gimbal is NOT sufficient to keep a level shot - you end up shooting downward. The Mavic Pro gimbal tilt has a larger range and allows you to keep the horizon in the shot when flying forward.

  • Mavic pro is a bit quieter - really it is a deeper pitch which sounds quieter.

The actual decibel difference is very small but the deeper hum sound from the Mavic Pro blends in with the background better. Important if you don't want to annoy your neighbors.DJI Summer Sale - ENDS TODAY JULY 17thWhich drone would/did you pick and why?

DJI Mavic Air Announced

DJI Mavic Air - NOW IN STOCK AT B&H PHOTO

Unlimited stories, straight from your pocket!

DJI Mavic Air Gimbal

DJI Mavic Air Gimbal

DJI Mavic Air Active Track

DJI Mavic Air Active Track

DJI Mavic Air Remote

DJI Mavic Air Remote

Essentially, the new DJI Air is a fix for every single issue we had with the DJI Spark. We get 4K video at 30fps and RAW stills in the smallest package yet. With foldable rotors like the Mavic Pro, it crunches down to half the size of a Mavic Pro and weighs 40% less. Even including 8GB of internal storage if you happen to forget your Micro SD card or just need a little bit more room. Sitting between the Mavic Pro and Spark if you haven't picked up a drone yet this might be the one you've been waiting for all this time.The Mavic Air uses a new 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor with a 24mm (35mm equivalent) F/2.8 lens that's stabilized with a recessed 3-axis gimbal. Capturing 12 MP stills or Stabilized 4K Video at 30fps and Full HD at 120fps. Including a new 32MP spherical panorama mode generated on camera and HDR mode.It's smarter with Flight Autonomy 2.0 using 7 cameras to sense and avoid objects. That means it's better sensing the environment and a safer return to home. Using Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS), with obstacles in the way, the DJI Air will automatically fly around objects to keep moving. A big upgrade from previous models which would just stop when encountering an object.Same intelligent smart modes as the DJI Spark. Active Track and Quick Shot have new updates and improvements. The hand controls like the DJI Spark uses are included, but now with much more responsive and accurate controls. A new asteroid quick shot mode starts with a spherical panorama that falls down towards the subject. Also a new boomerang quick shot is great for sweeping around a subject for a big reveal (like a boomerang).With a 21 minute flight time, it puts the Mavic Air dead between the Spark and Mavic Pro (16 and 27 minutes for those). That said while it might burn the battery faster the 42.5 MPH sport mode will be more than a bit of fun if you don't crash it. It can operate in 22mph winds, and a flight ceiling of 16,404, so the Mavic Air is certainly up for anything. DJI has even redesigned the remote with a 2.5 mile range, removable antennas, and still foldable to pack up small (262 ft range with a smartphone).Overall this fixes pretty much every issue we had with the spark being more of a consumer drone, lacking things like RAW stills and 4K video. At $799 for the standard package and $999 for the Fly More Package it sits right in the middle. We'll have a review from Toby coming up soon so keep an eye out! This is that sweet spot for ultra portability vs features, so small you can put it in your pocket, but still has what you need to get the job done.

The Dji Mavic Air Is Available for Pre-order Today!We Recommend the Fly More Combo to get you going.

DJI Air Black

DJI Air Black

DJI Air Red

DJI Air Red

DJI Air White

DJI Air White

Standard

|

Fly More Combo

Sample Video / Images

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slTxM9eCDq4[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="17389,17390,17391,17392,17393,17394,17395"]

Specifications

Aircraft

Takeoff Weight

430 g

Dimensions

Folded:168×83×49 mm (L×W×H)Unfolded:168×184×64 mm (L×W×H)

Diagonal Distance

213 mm

Max Ascent Speed

3 m/s (S - mode

[1]

)2 m/s (P - mode)2 m/s (Wi-Fi mode)

Max Descent Speed

2 m/s (S - mode

[1]

)1.5 m/s (P - mode)1 m/s (Wi-Fi mode)

Max Speed (near sea level, no wind)

68.4 kph (S - mode

[1]

)28.8 kph (P - mode)28.8 kph (Wi-Fi mode)

Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level

5000 m

Max Flight Time (no wind)

21 minutes (at a consistent 25 kph)

Max Hovering Time (no wind)

20 minutes

Max Flight Distance (no wind)

10 km (at a consistent 25 kph)

Max Wind Speed Resistance

29 - 38 kph

Max Tilt Angle

35° (S - mode

[1]

)25° (P - mode)

Max Angular Velocity

250°/s (S - mode

[1]

)250°/s (P - mode)

Operating Temperature Range

0°C - 40°C

Operating Frequency

2.400 - 2.4835 GHz5.725 - 5.850 GHz

Transmission Power (EIRP)

 2.400 - 2.4835 GHzFCC: ≤28 dBmCE: ≤19 dBmSRRC: ≤19 dBmMIC: ≤19 dBm5.725 - 5.850 GHzFCC: ≤31 dBmCE: ≤14 dBmSRRC: ≤27 dBm

GNSS

GPS + GLONASS

Hovering Accuracy Range

Vertical:±0.1 m (with Vision Positioning)±0.5 m (with GPS Positioning)Horizontal:±0.1 m (with Vision Positioning)±1.5 m (with GPS Positioning)

Internal Storage

8 GB

Gimbal

Mechanical Range

Tilt: -100° to 22°Roll: -30° to 30°Pan: -12° to 12°

Controllable Range

Tilt: -90° to 0° (default setting)-90° to +17° (extended)

Stabilization

3-axis (tilt, roll, pan)

Max Control Speed (tilt)

120°/s

Angular Vibration Range

±0.005°

Camera

Sensor

1/2.3” CMOSEffective Pixels: 12 MP

Lens

FOV: 85°35 mm Format Equivalent: 24 mmAperture: f/2.8Shooting Range: 0.5 m to ∞

ISO Range

Video:100 - 1600 (auto)100 - 1600 (manual)Photo:100 - 1600 (auto)100 - 3200 (manual)

Shutter Speed

Electronic Shutter: 8 - 1/8000s

Still Image Size

4:3: 4056×304016:9: 4056×2280

Still Photography Modes

Single shotHDRBurst shooting: 3/5/7 framesAuto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7EV BiasInterval: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s

Video Resolution

4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 24/25/30p2.7K: 2720×1530 24/25/30/48/50/60pFHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120pHD: 1280×720 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p

Max Video Bitrate

100Mbps

Supported File System

FAT32

Photo Format

JPEG/DNG (RAW)

Video Format

MP4/MOV (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC)

Sensing System

Forward

Precision Measurement Range: 0.5 - 12 mDetectable Range: 0.5 - 24 mEffective Sensing Speed: ≤ 8 m/sField of View (FOV): Horizontal 50°, Vertical ±19°

Backward

Precision Measurement Range: 0.5 - 10 mDetectable Range: 0.5 - 20 mEffective Sensing Speed: ≤ 8 m/sField of View (FOV): Horizontal 50°, Vertical ±19°

Downward

Altitude Range: 0.1 - 8 mOperating Range: 0.5 - 30 m

Operating Environment

Forward:Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux > 15)Backward:Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux > 15)Downward:Detects clearly patterned surfaces with adequate lighting (lux>15) and diffuse reflectivity (>20%)

Mobile Device Control

Operating Frequency

2.400 - 2.4835 GHz5.725 - 5.850 GHz

Max Transmission Distance (unobstructed, free of interference)

Distance: 80 mHeight: 50 m

Intelligent Flight Battery

Capacity

2375 mAh

Voltage

11.55 V

Max Charging Voltage

13.2 V

Battery Type

LiCoO₂ 3S

Energy

27.43 Wh

Net Weight

140 g

Charging Temperature Range

5℃ - 40℃

Max Charging Power

60 W

Remote Controller

Operating Frequency

2.400 - 2.4835 GHz5.725 - 5.850 GHz

Max Transmission Distance (unobstructed, free of interference)

2.400 - 2.4835 GHz:FCC: 4000 mCE: 2000 mSRRC: 2000 mMIC: 2000 m5.725 - 5.850 GHz:FCC: 4000 mCE: 500 mSRRC: 2500 m

Operating Temperature Range

0℃ - 40℃

Transmission Power (EIRP)

2.400 - 2.4835 GHz:FCC:≤26 dBmCE: ≤18 dBmSRRC: ≤18 dBmMIC:≤18 dBm5.725 - 5.850 GHz:FCC: ≤30 dBmCE: ≤14 dBmSRRC: ≤26 dBm

Battery

2970 mAh

Operating Current/Voltage

1400 mA ⎓ 3.7 V (Android)750 mA ⎓ 3.7 V (iOS)

Supported Mobile Device Size

Max length: 160 mmSupported Thickness: 6.5-8.5 mm

Supported USB Port Types

Lightning, Micro USB (Type-B), USB-C

Supported SD Cards

Supported SD Cards

microSDClass 10 or UHS-1 rating required

Recommended microSD Cards

16GSandisk ExtremeKingston 16GB SDHC-I SDCAC/16GB32GSandisk Extreme V30Sandisk Extreme V30 A1Sandisk Extreme V30 Pro A164GSandisk Extreme V30 A1Sandisk Extreme Pro V30 A1128GSandisk Extreme V30 A1Sandisk Extreme Plus V30 A1

Charger

Input

100 - 240 V, 50/60 Hz, 1.4 A

Output

Main: 13.2 V ⎓ 3.79 AUSB: 5 V ⎓ 2 A

Voltage

13.2 V

Rated Power

50 W

App

Video Transmission System

Enhanced Wi-Fi

Name

DJI GO 4

Live View Quality

Remote Controller:720p@30fpsSmart Device:720p@30fpsDJI Goggles:720p@30fps

Latency (depending on environmental conditions and mobile device)

170 - 240 ms

Required Operating System

iOS v9.0 or laterAndroid v4.4 or later