Congratulations DJI you just killed the Phantom!!

UAV Man · Sep 30, 2016

Real question is how many to buy....

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Mr Phantom · Sep 30, 2016

The Editor said:
Couple of points......

The 1km range on the GoPro is software limited - it would actually fly further but GoPro have knobbled it at 1km distance like a GeoFence.
The 4500m GoPro altitude GoPro claim is an operational ceiling for air density. So for example, you can hike 4,500m up a mountain and still take off with that thinness of air but above that it will struggle to maintain lift.

The 7.2km distance on the Mavic is only for FCC models.
European models will be pegged at 20dbm/100mW output and so their range will be reduced.
The Mavic also has redundant systems on board in the form of multiple IMU's and compass modules - far more reliable than the GoPro.
Finally, the landing/RTH accuracy on the Mavic is unbelievable simply because as it takes off it caches multiple photos of its surroundings (stereoscopically)
When it returns to home it uses GPS/Glonass to get close but then it uses its cached images to overlay over its live feed. Using this tech means it's landing accuracy can be as good as 1" from where it took off from - yup ONE INCH!!!

Oh yes.....and I can't count either - I said a couple of points and that was five!

So what can the expected range be on the CE version under normal flying conditions approximately? Same as the P4?

The Editor · Sep 30, 2016

Mr Phantom said:
So what can the expected range be on the CE version under normal flying conditions approximately? Same as the P4?

2.5miles (4km) as per DJI specs

Mavic – Specs, FAQ, Tutorials and Downloads

Actually it's not really model specific, it is location specific. So a Mavic purchased in the US will still throttle down to 20dbm/100mW when used in Europe since it knows where it is!

RaptorMan · Sep 30, 2016

There is finally some video from the Mavic that's not too soft.

Tilted horizon at first...

And another that I can't find from a pro photographer. In his video he takes off and the video is, at first, really soft, but he then taps the screen to focus and the softness is gone.

EDIT:

OK, found the video from the pro photographer...

So, it looks like the early knuckleheads made no attempt to learn and just needed to get there video up first. The bottom line for me is that I'll probably pick one up but I'll let the early adopters work out the bugs first. Might wait for a nice Christmas sale or post Christmas sale.

Brian

gavinski · Sep 30, 2016

RaptorMan said:
There is finally some video from the Mavic that's not too soft.

So, it looks like the early knuckleheads made no attempt to learn and just needed to get there video up first.

Brian

I think the problem is that DJI shipped out pre-production units to media folks with no documentation or instructions of any kind. The guys from Flight Test make a point of saying they received the drone, controller, battery and charger all bubble-wrapped in a box. No packaging, no instructions. So yes, they should have figured it out once they saw the soft video, but I think the marketing folks at DJI need to accept some of the blame.

I think once people start getting their hands on this unit, all of this will quickly be forgotten. There were enough videos posted with correct focus that I got over my initial reservations and ordered one for myself.

Mad_angler1 · Oct 1, 2016

Agreed whilst this had gotten a bit out of control DJI managed to get to these people and get them to actually focus it but they should have pre warned them.

Mostly sorted now.

Kilrah · Oct 1, 2016

Definitely a yes for me. To say I nearly sold my I1 and replaced it with a P4 2 months ago, very thankful I slacked off and never went ahead, because this is even so much more what I want. Every day until delivery will be insanely long now...

The Editor · Oct 1, 2016

Kilrah said:
Definitely a yes for me. To say I nearly sold my I1 and replaced it with a P4 2 months ago, very thankful I slacked off and never went ahead, because this is even so much more what I want. Every day until delivery will be insanely long now...

Nose squashed up against the window watching for the DHL man for me.

GizaDog · Oct 1, 2016

PortCanaveralFlorida said:
By George I didn't get a new fishing rod this year and this might be the perfect substitution at Christmas time! I like what i'm seeing....so far!

Oh stop rubbing it in! Mine is on order.

The Shadow · Oct 1, 2016

Not until the specs for video and photos is better. That may of been done on purpose to keep Phantom going, the Mavic is going to be a big hit for as stated general use and face book shots. I love its concept, now get a better camera onboard.

Mr Dronenut · Oct 1, 2016

Retired2Fly said:
Phantom and Mavic are really intended two different markets: The current gen Phantom is for the prosumer and complements the Inspire /Matrice for professional use whereas Mavic is more of a utility/sport drone for informal personal photo and videos. While Mavic may take some of Phantom's market share I still see a long term market for Phantom. Believe it or not the majority of DJI's loyal customer base does not hike up mountains, kayak down rushing rivers or lead the active lifestyle portrayed in their promotional videos. However is you are one of those in that select group of DJI customers that does the Mavic is for you. Also IMO, consumers are not going to turn their $1000 Mavic into a FPV racing drone when similar FPV racing drones are readily available for 1/4 the price It is still way too early to know Mavic's viability as a Phantom replacement long term. There are too many unanswered questions that are already answered with the Phantom . (ie reliability of a folding quad, use of filters, wind stability, Indoor flight capabilities, SDK apps, etc..) The only thing for certain I that the Mavic will make GoPro's Karma and any subsequent competitors a tough sell.

IMHO I feel that I personally do not want to be an unpaid "BETA" tester for yet another new quad that is out on the market. I,and i'm speaking only for myself,always wait for about a year to watch the progression of everyone else ironing out the bugs in a new product. I have watched almost EVERY drone producer out there release a new product,and watch folks who jump the gun get stuck with either a crashed or bricked or lost or...................................,well,you get the picture. and once again,IMHO

Donnie Frank · Oct 1, 2016

Stacy Cobb said:
Is the Mavic a Phantom Killer? and go...

Not yet. The video quality is not up to that of the Phantom or Inspire. Gen 2 of the Mavic - "with new and improved optics" - will be the Phantom killer.

Donnie Frank · Oct 1, 2016

Mr Dronenut said:
IMHO I feel that I personally do not want to be an unpaid "BETA" tester for yet another new quad that is out on the market. I,and i'm speaking only for myself,always wait for about a year to watch the progression of everyone else ironing out the bugs in a new product. I have watched almost EVERY drone producer out there release a new product,and watch folks who jump the gun get stuck with either a crashed or bricked or lost or...................................,well,you get the picture. and once again,IMHO

Agreed. I didn't even begin to look at the Inspire until they came out with a Gen 2. The price went down (a LOT) and they fixed issues, upgraded the motors, etc. After 105 flights, my Inspire v2.0 has been rock solid.

I will apply this same paradigm to my future Mavic purchase. "Being the first on the block with the newest, kewlest, latest toy" comes at a price. I never cared to be "that kewl." Like you, I am not willing to pay that price. Let everyone else test it, lose it, crash it, and ultimately flush out the bugs.

Donnie Frank · Oct 1, 2016

Donnie Frank said:
Agreed. I didn't even begin to look at the Inspire until they came out with a Gen 2. The price went down (a LOT) and they fixed issues, upgraded the motors, etc. After 105 flights, my Inspire v2.0 has been rock solid.

I will apply this same paradigm to my future Mavic purchase. "Being the first on the block with the newest, kewlest, latest toy" comes at a price. I never cared to be "that kewl." Like you, I am not willing to pay that price. Let everyone else test it, lose it, crash it, and ultimately flush out the bugs.

TomNJ said:
I agree and I (sorta) feel bad for GoPro. They have been struggling for some time now and probably thought Karma was going to pick them back up. When I first saw the Karma, I thought it was cool but now it looks like a real clunker compared to the Mavic.

Once we get it into our hands and can actually fly and evaluate it, then we can post objective comments regarding the product. I ordered one on Amazon just as soon as I saw it posted yesterday afternoon.

I don't think comparing the Mavic and Karma is exactly apples to apples. The fact that the Karma is a complete recording solution, which includes a hand-held gimbal, is something I wouldn't ignore. Also, the camera is removable and waterproof (as is the gimbal). Therefore, they can be used for a myriad of other recording challenges. Plus the video quality of the Hero5 is much better than the Mavic. If given a choice, at this point, I would choose the Karma. But...as always...I usually wait for Gen 2 before I purchase.

Michael Morris · Oct 1, 2016

Is there any truth in the rumour that the purchase of each Mavic comes with a bikini-clad Observer with perfect eyesight to help an old fart like me to maintain situational awareness and keep track of the thing at my max 500 m horizontal distance?

If the early adopters are still raving about this 3 months after shipments start, I shall have to be a sucker to get one of these and retire my trusty P3P! Think that the Mavic could be a perfect complement to my Inspire 1 Pro! Perhaps the Observer would like to help carry the latter too.

gavinski · Oct 1, 2016

Donnie Frank said:
Not yet. The video quality is not up to that of the Phantom or Inspire. Gen 2 of the Mavic - "with new and improved optics" - will be the Phantom killer.

I agree that there is no way this can compete with the Inspire for image quality - that's the price you pay for portability. But it looks like the Mavic's image quality is equal to the P4 when RAW stills are compared side by side:

Not sure how the video will compare though.

Burlingtonfilms · Oct 1, 2016

I love the Mavic! The only thing I'm disappointing in is the step back in image quality compared to the Phantom 4.

The Editor · Oct 1, 2016

Burlingtonfilms said:
I love the Mavic! The only thing I'm disappointing in is the step back in image quality compared to the Phantom 4.

It's on a par with the P4 (most reviews haven't grasped you must focus the camera)
Watch the video in post #56 above.
With a tiny bit of post sharpening it actually holds up better than the P4 since the P4 is over sharpened IMO

UAV Man · Oct 1, 2016

What's the logic in waiting for a version 2!!! Ridiculous suggestion.... Get on bored or commercially there won't be a 2nd gen.

Lucky we don't all believe the 2nd is worth waiting for, ask the wife!![emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

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Daniel Miles · Oct 2, 2016

Stacy Cobb said:
Is the Mavic a Phantom Killer? and go...

Yep definitely is, and good too, for someone who likes adventure, carrying my Inspire on my back is a little awkward, quite happy to clip and go with the Mavic...well done DJI and thank you for making such a cool toy...can't wait to get one