With its completely new model, the Mavic Pro, the quadcopter gurus DJI are making a quantum jump. This model is a lot smaller than previous ones we’ve reviewed like the Phantom or the Inspire. However, it can do so much more–they have actually achieved something here by crafting a more compact and portable version that doesn’t sacrifice performance.
The Mavic Pro, as we’ll see in this review, is a amazing video-taking machine that aims to assist the action sports enthusiast, with one big component of that being its portability.
Characteristics for the DJI Mavic Pro:
-Light weight
-Performance, speed & maneuverability
-Controller flexibility & usability
-Advanced features (like Active Track)
-Obsticle recognition
-Camera capability
-Portability – For The Sports Activist
Portability is now becoming the rage, with the capability to transfer your drone in a backpack suddenly seeming to be a requirement, partially because the much-anticipated GoPro Karma allows this. So, with the suddenly-released Mavic Pro, DJI is going with a small juggernaut that folds down to 3.3 x 7.8 inches which weighs just 1.6 pounds. The idea is for it to incorporate into the unpredictable and active lifestyle of a crazy surfer, cliff diver, etc. instead of simply being an aircraft.
Flying the drone
However, in terms of flight, it does not give up a lot in the name of being more oriented around portability or the capability to capture vid in many different situations.
As far as flat-out flight capacities, including speed, the Mavic isn’t far off from say, the Phantom, with the capability to zoom as fast as 40 mph. It handles pretty well and remains steady. It has the ability to maintain a stable hover indoors, meaning it doesn’t have access to some of the satellites that I’ll discuss below. Mavic Pro’s flight time is 27 minutes–smaller craft are likely to have smaller batteries.
A user who wants to skate down to the pier with a camera slash helicopter on her back is going to have to trade off a little bit of time.
In terms of controlling, what the Mavic Pro has set up is kind of intriguing. It does include a standard controller, about the size and shape of this garden-variety game control. It has its screen, with indicators as well as the ability to monitor the camera live. Without being comprehensive, the screen gives you the basic flight info you require.
The control is hand-friendly and user friendly for folks who like using small drone controllers that come with the aircraft.
But you can choose to forget about the control and use a smart phone instead. What is interesting about this option is that only with the wise phone (which, again, means a lower-priced drone) do you get quite a few interesting features new to the Mavic.
Advanced Drone Features
Probably the one that will be most used is Active Track. This permits the Mavic to trace its user around. This allows for getting footage of you running up a hill or anything you are doing–and reveals DJI’s commitment to cater to individuals who want to incorporate their own sporty activities into your drone .
Another choice is the selfie feature. Using the mobile phone as a controller, the user waves in the drone, activating its sensors to allow it to shoot video of him or her. He may then make a small frame around his face with his hands, causing the drone to concentrate on that area and have a picture.
Flight Features & Performance
However, if those things, particularly the selfie, sound a bit neater, other flight features are far more pragmatic and very helpful. The machine is a dynamo of recognition and having the ability to monitor itself and navigate. It’s no less than four vision sensors. With dual satellite connectivity it reaches twenty satellites that help in its navigation.
When the DJI Mavic Pro takes off, it makes a note of where it is, meaning, where you are. This helps ease the selfie item, above, but it also means it can get back to home when the battery is fading, and you can trigger an auto landing atmosphere that puts it down right in your feet.
The issue of losing your landing or drone it atop your neighborhood police station ought to be long gone. You’re looking at a 4.3 mile range, also, so that you can cut loose and know you haven’t lost $800.
And what about obstacle recognition? You can check that box with the Mavic Pro. That has become an expected and significant feature, and the Mavic does not disappoint. With all these sensors, it isn’t going to miss much.
So what about the item, the paydirt, the main point? Well, it will get you very stable footage, because the camera is built into the aircraft and not attached by gimbal. As you may imagine, the picture is just great–right up there with high-def video you will see posted online, basically as sharp as a lot of TV shows.
Buildings, horizons, construction cranes, birds, are in sharp relief and crisp. They aren’t exactly at the Phantom 4 level… but at 1/4 of the dimensions, the quality remains excellent.
It isn’t, in terms of the matrices, the highest end on the marketplace, but the video is of high quality.
In terms of stills, the Mavic springs for a max image size of 4,000 x 3,000. It allows for burst and interval shooting in addition to single shot.
Our Verdict On The DJI Mavic
In general, there is not much not to love about this brand new quadcopter. It’s for movie enthusiasts mainly–it’s absolutely not a toy and not supposed to crash into stuff at your local park. Meaning that its flight features need to involve stability, reliability, security, and recognition. It certainly delivers in each these areas.
It achieves a terrific balance of nuts-and-bolts flight capacities and video capabilities. While no information indicates it’s a great deal in the way of pre-programmed flight programs, circling while focusing capabilities, it will have the Active Track attribute and gives some attention to placing the consumer as the subject of the videos.
The perception that seems prevalent among drone consumers is that obstacle avoidance is a must, which brings us to the philosophical idea that if your drone crashes and breaks into five shards, it doesn’t matter how many duped out video features it has.
There can be no question that when DJI feels pressure from a competitor, for example, for instance, GoPro going into the drone marketplace, it will spring into action in no uncertain terms. It will be fun to see just how DJI innovates in upcoming months and years. If it can fetch its price tag down a bit, it’ll be unbeatable in the video drone market.
The one thing that worries us is that the limited amount of stock that DJI can produce. Hopefully they do not have a deficit like last year when the demand outweighed the supply for their prior drone. I would recommend getting the DJI Mavic Pro early this season if it’s in your shopping list to avoid missing out.
Where to get a best price for DJI Mavic Pro?
As it stands, it’s among the best drones assuming you can get your hands on one (Which might not be that easy). Go and try your luck at http://www.autovacbot.com.
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