Do I need a Mavic 2 Pro ?

[Hiwayman]

Guys
My P3P has been the workhorse since I set up commercially 12 months ago and I consider the quality of the images to be extremely good.
I had one occasion where I arrived at the workplace and was unable to fly due to an ESC error which was completely unexpected. I completed the work a few days later after a local repair.
It made me think I need a backup drone and am considering the Mavic 2 Pro but just a little concerned about some of the negative reviews relating to picture sharpness.
Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[BigAl07]

Any dedicated business person does not have a single piece of equipment in any level. Most professional photographers will show up with several lenses, bodies, batteries etc.

As a commercial Aerial Photography company we always have spares for our spares. You never know when a crazy Update Required is going to pop up or faulty ESC and you don't want a job to get postponed/cancelled from lack of equipment.

Now if you "need" the M2P that's something only you can decide. If you're happy with your P3 images I'd say you'll most likely be very happy with the improved output of the M2P. Just remember when you buy a new aircraft you have to calculate all of the extras you'll need for it including:

• Lenses/filters
• Batteries
• Chargers
• Props
• Case

Here's a general "rule" for professionals in terms of equipment:

One is NONE
Two is ONE!

Don't ever try to operate a legit business with a single point of failure in your inventory or you'll lose jobs and get a bad rep with your client base.

 

[aerialimagery]

Why not the P4P?

 

[Hiwayman]

@aerialimagery, I thought the option of a small and packable drone would give me more flexibility.

 

[Hiwayman]

@ BigAl07, I agree with all you say about having backup and that's the stage my business is at, funding the extra equipment for support.
I'm interested by your comment about the improved quality of the MP2 I do hope this is the correct drone for me.
I think it's the reports of soft focus on the MP2 and inferior therefore to the Phantom range that bothers me.

 

[SanCap]

@ BigAl07, I agree with all you say about having backup and that's the stage my business is at, funding the extra equipment for support.
I'm interested by your comment about the improved quality of the MP2 I do hope this is the correct drone for me.
I think it's the reports of soft focus on the MP2 and inferior therefore to the Phantom range that bothers me.

If you compare the 2 using DJI Spec's you will see major improvements in sensor size/image size, flight times, video frame rates, obstacle avoidance, choice of frequencies 2.4/5.8, video bitrate, internal storage, micro sd max storage capacity, 12 vs 20 mp sensor, more autonomous flight modes etc, etc.

I believe after flying and reviewing images from the Mavic 2 Pro your P3P will soon become your backup aircraft.

Phantom 3 Pro, Phantom 3 Professional - Specs, FAQ, Tutorials, Downloads and DJI GO - DJI

Mavic 2 Pro (not the zoom), Mavic 2 - Specifications, FAQs, Videos, Tutorials, Manuals - DJI

I was in a very isolated very windy area doing cell tower inspections and took some time to take some still images and video with the Mavic 2 Pro and was very pleased with the results.

 

[Mike Nevins]

With some of the issues with the MV2 Pro, can you trust it like the P4P? I'm not so sure. Color profiles are different, Sensor size is different (It's not 1") like some say. Are their differences in the way mapping photo's programs are currently being used, i.e., DroneDeploy, Maps Made Easy ETC? What have some of you out there found out? Is the MV2Pro on par with the P4P?

 

[Dave Pitman]

@SanCap Jim, for inspection work I'm a little surprised that you didn't go with the M2Z instead. Plus, that clip you shared would look killer with parallax that the zoom would have afforded. I'm gonna get a M2 but am leaning toward the Z for creativity sake. The P4P has the image quality if I need it with in-camera distortion correction. I like the dynamic range of the M2P though. Maybe you use both?

Does FDS have any bundles available yet?

 

[SanCap]

@SanCap Jim, for inspection work I'm a little surprised that you didn't go with the M2Z instead. Plus, that clip you shared would look killer with parallax that the zoom would have afforded. I'm gonna get a M2 but am leaning toward the Z for creativity sake. The P4P has the image quality if I need it with in-camera distortion correction. I like the dynamic range of the M2P though. Maybe you use both?

Does FDS have any bundles available yet?

I have an I2 with an X5S with all 4 Olympus lenses as well as an M210 with a Z30. I never had a P4P of my own but flew them often. I wanted the higher quality camera that the M2 Pro offered vs the 12mp camera and do not regret my choice. I actually have 2 Mavic 2 Pros.

I should have flown that area with my I2 with the 25 or 45mm lens for comparison.

I will check on the bundles.

 

[Dave Pitman]

Guys
My P3P has been the workhorse since I set up commercially 12 months ago and I consider the quality of the images to be extremely good.
I had one occasion where I arrived at the workplace and was unable to fly due to an ESC error which was completely unexpected. I completed the work a few days later after a local repair.
It made me think I need a backup drone and am considering the Mavic 2 Pro but just a little concerned about some of the negative reviews relating to picture sharpness.
Any thoughts appreciated.

The P4P v.1 is $1065 on Amazon right now.