DJI Phantom 4 Pro vs DJI Mavic Pro: Who is more Pro?

The king of drones has unleashed its latest release in the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. Yup, it’s done so right after the unveiling of its new Mavic Pro drone. So surely they’re very different.

Indeed there are differences but when it comes to specs they’re actually quite similar – and that’s a good thing. Many advances in the Mavic Pro that made the Phantom 3 look less appealing now appear in the new Phantom 4 Pro.

 

So which is the drone for you? Here are the key features and differences you need to know between the DJI Phantom 4 Pro and the Mavic Pro.

Obstacle avoiding system of Phantom 4 Pro is on an entirely different level compared to the Phantom 4 and Mavic Pro. It has cameras in the back and infrared sensors on the sides to give it 360-degree obstacle avoidance. With all of these new sensors, you can now fly backward, forwards and even sideways with more confidence that you won’t crash. It can also travel 10 MPH faster in than the other two drones with obstacle avoidance turned on.

Besides the safety benefits, the Phantom 4 Pro also has a new intelligent flight mode called Draw. In this mode, you literally draw a line on the screen, and the go app will generate a flight path which it then overlays on the screen. Using the draw mode, the drone will fly on a set path, and you’re free to pan and tilt the camera.

The Phantom 4 Pro takes the lead with a top speed of 45 mph, which lasts for 30 minutes on a charge and can hit a height of 6,000 metres. Comparatively, the Mavic Pro hits 40 mph top speed, which lasts for a decent 27 minutes on a single charge and tops out at 5,000 metres.

Both feature Gesture Mode that lets you wave to activate the camera so you can take a selfie without the need to actually use the controller. Ascent and descent speeds are a little faster on the Phantom 4 Pro.

But the Mavic Pro folds down into a handheld compact unit that fits in its own safety case and weighs just 734 g. While, the Phantom 4 Pro, owing to its fixed size and shape, is less portable. It’s also heavier at 1,388 g.

Without a shadow of a doubt the Phantom 4 Pro produces far superior images to the Mavic Pro. I was impressed by the footage you could capture and it’s amazing to think just how good it is considering it’s essentially a consumer product (despite having the word Pro at the end of it). With an improved camera, higher bit rate codec, as well as a host of safety features and flight modes, the Phantom 4 Pro sets a new standard for drones at this price point. But if you want to travel freely I think Mavic Pro is no doubt the best choice for you.

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The Most Complete Aerial Cameras Development History (I)

The rise of consumer drone industry makes aerial photography no longer exclusive to professional filmmakers. Instead, more ordinary consumers can re-discover the world from God’s perspective. In fact, aerial photography mainly involves two core points, namely, flying platform and imaging solution. Both of them are indispensable: on one hand, a drone’s safety, stability, operability and intelligent level are the basis for aerial photography; on the other hand, the aerial Cameras’s image quality can directly influence the final works.

Previous drones usually carry a mirrorless digital camera or digital single lens reflex (DSLR) such as GoPro, Panasonic GH4 or Sony A7 for aerial photography where the drone manufacturer and camera manufacturer work separately. In 2014, the drone maker DJI’s Phantom 2 Vision changed the situation, making the integration of camera and drone a trend. The all-in-one design can benefit the flight experience. Besides, the combination of camera with video transmission and app makes the operation and parameter settings more convenient.

This article will focus on one of the core points—camera, to discuss what attempts the drone manufacturers and camera manufacturers have made regarding the aerial camera solutions over the past 3 years.

Stage 1: The lighter one will be taken into the sky

The picture shows that DJI’s Phantom 2 with a platform camera has taken the headline

As four-axis drones can only bear limited weight, the small-size, lightweight and wide angle motion camera GoPro with complete functions becomes the first choice for drone makers. The first generation consumer drone — DJI Phantom 1 was equipped with the motion camera GoPro, so was 3DR SOLO.

Since the release of the first generation Phantom, DJI has released the gimbal compatible for GoPro camera, including Zenmuse H3-2D/Zenmuse H3-3D for GoPro Hero 3, and Zenmuse H4-3D released later for GoPro Hero 4. However, a third-party camera makes it inconvenient for video transmission and parameter control.

From Phantom 2 Vision, DJI starts to equip its consumer drones with aerial cameras. DJI’s cooperation with GoPro also changes. It is an inevitable result to develop drones with aerial cameras regarding the product’s oneness and long-term development demand.

Stage 2: Watch the TV Series “Where Are We Going, Dad?” more clearly with a professional camera drone

In Where Are We Going, Dad, many aerial scenes were captured by DJI drones

Professional filmmakers usually need professional camera drones for aerial photography. The ZERO-Steadi470 is customized according to the camera model. The ZERO-Steadi470 gimbal is compatible with different series of cameras including SONY 5N and Panasonic GH2.

DJI’s Zenmuse Z15 series gimbals can be used with popular DLSR/mirrorless cameras. These gimbals are compatible with DJI M600, S1000+ and other big flying platforms.

For business commercials or upscale weddings production teams, the combination of drones with DLSR/mirrorless cameras will undoubtedly contribute to their commercial aerial photography. In this way, they can capture higher quality shots at lower cost.

Stage 3: Flying film camera and medium format camera

On the 2016 NAB Show, DJI released its latest Ronin-MX 3-axis gimbal compatible with various professional cameras, such as RED DRAGON/RAVEN and ARRI ALEXA MINI. This gimbal can be fully combined with DJI Matrice 600 (M600) to apply professional film cameras in aerial photography.

In this July, DJI released its high-end aerial camera bundle, the first hybrid DJI/Hasselblad product introduced since DJI announced acquiring part of Hasselblad’s stock equity at the end of last year. The aerial camera-platform bundle consists of Hasselblad’s medium format camera A5D and DJI’s professional drone the M600 and 3-axis gimbal the Ronin-MX, available for drawing and commercial photography. The M600 comes fully equipped with 6 intelligent batteries, A3 flight controller, Lightbridge 2 Professional HD transmission system, a dust-proof propulsion system and powerful DJI GO app capable of checking real-time videos and various flight data. In addition, the M600 can send back low-latency video streaming at 1080p@60fps from 5 kilometers away and can mount the Hasselblad camera easily with its 6kg weight-carrying capacity. Hasselblad’s A5D camera lens comes in 50mm and its built-in sensors are almost twice the size of those used in today’s best 35mm DSLR cameras. Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution (HNCS) comes standard and can help optimize difficult colour gradations straight out of the box. This bundle can be seen as a “Perfect Match” in current drone field.

The A5D-M600 bundle is not sold on the market yet. But considering that the combination of DJI’s M600 and Ronin-MX costs more than 40,000 RMB, the A5D-M600 bundle must be very expensive.

The author reckons that more development of the two company’ cooperation can be expected on the following Phantom series and other new products.

M600+Ronin MX+Hasselblad A5D

Over the past three years, from carrying a GoPro to professional cameras, then to Red, ARRI and Hasselblad, DJI and other drone manufacturers have been working hard to provide new products and solutions with better image quality for their users. There are advantages for separate production of drones and professional cameras, but it also comes with disadvantages: for example, the video transmission and monitoring system need to be added and consumers only have limited access to these products, etc., which have been restraining the evolution of this seemingly “powerful combination” yet separate development approach.

Later we will publish “The Most Complete Aerial Cameras Development History (II) —Irresistible All-in-one Trend”. Taking DJI, the benchmark in drone industry as an example, the article will specifically analyze DJI’s development history of gimbal cameras. The all-in-one design trend can significantly make aerial photography down to the consumer marketplace and meet different levels of consumer demands, making aerial photography more and more popular.

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