Chinese technology company Dà-Jiāng Innovations Science and Technology (DJI) has ruled the U.S. drone market for quite some time, especially with its incredible range of Phantom quadcopters that provide the latest, advanced features in a drone and can be easily used by any novice. On September 27, the company unveiled the Mavic Pro- a portable, foldable aerial photography drone that is so tiny in size it can fit in the palm of your hand or the back pocket of any regular pants.
The Mavic Pro will directly compete with action camera company GoPro’s Karma drone, which was announced just a week back, and can be folded to fit in a back pack. Back pocket vs back pack. Advantage DJI.
Tiny in size, but packs all advanced features
Normally, when you hear of companies attempting to shrink their products for compatibility and portability, there is a tradeoff between size and features. The result is a crappy device that may be tiny but lacks all the good features. Is it the same with the Mavic Pro? No!
“DJI has spent a decade making it easier for anyone to fly, and by rethinking everything about how a drone looks, we have created an entirely new type of aerial platform for anyone to explore their creativity. Mavic Pro is a technological triumph filled with features that once again show how DJI leads the industry,” says Frank Wang, DJI’s CEO and founder.
Mavic Pro Specs
Weighing a mere 750 grams, the Mavic Pro is packed to the hilt with amazing features, such as:
- A 3-axis gimbal-mounted 4K camera capable of recording 4K video at 30fps and full 1080p HD video at 96fps. It can also shoot 12MP stills and has support for Adobe DNG RAW.
- A 3,830mAh battery that allows the drone to fly for 27 minutes (a minute shorter than the Phantom 4, but seven minutes longer than the Karma)
- A maximum speed of 65kmph and ability to withstand wind speeds of up to 39kmph. The service ceiling of the Mavic Pro is 5000m.
- A five-camera vision system that is used by the drone to spot and avoid obstacles (though this feature works at only speeds of up to 22 kmph)
- Can livestream video from up to 7 kms.
- Perform different autonomous flight tricks using FlightAutonomy, ActiveTrack and Terrain Follow features. You can set a flight path for the Mavic Pro or ask it to follow you around, while with the terrain follow system, the drone can be at a certain height above the ground and even follow you up a hill if required. The Mavic Pro also has the capability to lead you in front (the Phantom can only follow you from behind), and even fly in circles around you while you are on the move.
- Includes a super-fast mode in which the drone shoots up at a speed of 40 kmph. In case you want sharp, steady pics in indoor areas, there is a tripod mode included that limits its maneuverability and speed.
- Gesture control- this is a great, new fun feature in which you just have to wave your hands to engage different modes. For instance, the drone will respond to gestures such as making a box with your hands to click your pic or start video recording by forming a ‘Y’ with your body.
Cheaper than the GoPro Karma at $749
The Mavic Pro will retail at $999, but you have the option of buying it at $749 if you don’t purchase the remote. This makes it $50 cheaper than the GoPro Karma, which costs $800 without the Hero 5 action camera.
Those who want just the drone and the controller will have to pay a grand, and if you want the combination package, which includes the drone, two additional batteries, extra propellors, an adapter, a charging hub, as well as a shoulder bag, you will have to fork out $1,299. Pre-sales have already started for the Mavic Pro, while shipping will commence from October 15, 2016.