Now that DJI has officially launched the new Mavic Air, comparisons have already begun with DJI's recent drone releases, namely the Mavic Pro and the Spark. So, how does the Air fare? Tom Frey of Tom's Tech Time has all of the answers in a great comparison video.
Frey compares the three drones thoroughly, pitting them against each other in numerous categories including size, obstacle avoidance, camera specs both for still images and video, stabilization, flight time and range, and of course, price point. It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Spark isn't in the same category as the Mavic Air or Pro for use for photography or film. What did surprise me was seeing that the Air (when folded up) looks to have a smaller footprint than the Spark, which does not fold.
So, is the Mavic Air a "Spark Pro," a "Mavic Pro Light," or something else altogether? Frey's review suggests that the addition of new features including 4K video at 100 Mbps bit rate, 8 GB of internal storage, and Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) put the Mavic Air on top in this competition. At a mid-level price point of $799 and with an impressive combination of the best features of the Spark and Pro, the Mavic Air is a great addition to DJI's already impressive product line-up.
What drone are you buying this year?
![Photo of DJI Mavic Pro 2 Leaks Ahead of DJI's 'Bigger Picture' Event [Rumor]](https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/small-16-9/s3/lead/2018/07/dji-mavic-pro-2-rumor-photo-leak-2018.jpg)
I had been considering the Mavic Pro for a while to replace my P3P but I think this Air definitely has my vote now.
Perhaps now they can position the next Mavic Pro as a truly pro-level drone, even if they have to bump it up a bit in size to put a 1” sensor on it.
i think a lot of people expected a better drone than the mavic pro to be announced today. It would be wise of DJI to adopt a "fujifilm behaviour" and listen to what their costumers want for their next drone.
This is a brilliant marketing move and it is not targetting those who already own a mavic. this is targetting those who don't yet have a drone and it totally makes sense.
I do agree that a new mavic needs a boost in specs.
and if possible give us these :
All the new percs of the Mavic Air (safety sensors, new flight modes, etc)
minimum 30min flight time
16MP sensor
improved dynamic range
Variable F-stop from F2.8 to at least F16.
Mash these into a drone and i'll drop 2K on it !
ps. Lee Morris will be happy to find out the new mavic air has obstacle avoidance sensors in the back of the drone! hehe