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Head to Head: DJI Mavic Air vs DJI Mavic Pro

Head to Head: DJI Mavic Air vs DJI Mavic Pro

Last updated on

12th April

DJI’s Mavic Pro and Mavic Air are two of the most portable drones available on the market. The Mavic Air is DJI’s latest addition to the Mavic family, joining the Pro as a fantastic, travel-friendly 4K ready drone. They’re both fantastic startup drones or as a backup in your fleet. Traditionally seen as hobbyist drones, they are excellent for commercial use. In this blog we’re going to pit them against each other, to make sure you make the right choice.

The Spec:

The Mavic Air:

Released in January 2018, the Mavic Air is a welcome addition to DJI’s impressive repertoire of drones. Smaller and more compact than it’s older brother the Mavic Pro, but still packs an impressive punch.

It has incredibly impressive portability, you won’t even notice that it’s there! Despite its size, it still shoots 4K videos at up to 100Mbps and shoots HDR stills. The Mavic Air also has an upgraded obstacle avoidance system, ideal for new flyers. It comes in a foldable form factor meaning that it will easily slip into your jacket. As far as consumer drones go, it doesn’t get much better than this.

This drone comes with a 3-axis mechanical gimbal, and its angular vibration range has been reduced to 0.005°. Set in a triangular formation, the gimble dampeners help create even steadier shots.

In the box:

Aircraft
Remote controller
Intelligent flight battery x 1
Charger
Power Cable
Propellers (pair) x 4
Propeller Guards (set)
Battery Charging Hub
RC Cable (Lightning connector)
RC Cable (Standard Micro USB connector
Communication Cable (USB 3.0, Type-C)
USB Adapter
Carrying Case
Travel Bag
Gimbal Protector
RC Cable Slider (Large)
RC Cable Slider (Small) x 2
Spare Control Sticks (Pair)

The Mavic Pro:

The older brother of the Air, the Mavic Pro is a small, yet very powerful drone. It’s capable of capturing high-quality footage at up to 4K resolution. The Mavic Pro is incredibly compact and is an ideal startup for anyone new to flying drones.

The 4K camera is stabilised by a 3-axis mechanical gimbal and has an all-new transmission system with a 4.3 mile (7km) range.

Satelite positioning helps the Mavic Pro to hover in an unobstructed outdoor area free of interference. The Mavic can hover precisely indoors or in places without GPS. Only 1/6th of the size of the Phantom 4, however, this does not reduce its flight time capabilities. It is capable of reaching a maximum flight time of 27 minutes, and an impressive distance of 8 miles. All this thanks to its incredibly powerful, high-efficiency motors.

In the box:

Aircraft
Remote controller
Intelligent flight battery x 3
Charger
Power Cable
Propellers (pair) x 5
Battery Charging Hub
RC Cable (Lightning connector)
RC Cable (Standard Micro USB connector)
Micro USB Cable
RC Cable (USB type-C connector)
Gimbal cover
Gimbal clamp
microSD card (16GB)
RC Cable slider (large)
RC Cable slider (small)
Battery charging hub
Car charger
Battery to Powerbank adaptor
Shoulder Bag

Summary:

Both the Mavic Pro and Mavic Air’s camera systems are very comparable. There are however some subtle differences. The Mavic Pro supports a similar 3-axis gimbal, however, it only has a 78.8-degree field of view.

Its camera snaps a similar 12MP still image and shoots a 4K video at 30fps. To hit 120fps however, it has to shoot at 720p, and it can’t capture HDR images, whereas the Air can. It does, however, take the march with professional video, with it having the ability to shoot in cinematic 4K.

The Mavic Air does edge out the Mavic Pro in terms of the sensors. The Air has more packed on to ensure that the drone flies safe and can avoid obstacles. The Pro, however, edges it when it comes to operational distance. It’s capable of communicating with the controller from up to 4.3 miles away, compared to the Air’s 2.5-mile range.

Both the Pro and the Air come with remote controls and support DJI’s goggles for a first-person flying perspective. The Mavic Air moves at a quicker speed, reaching 42.5mph compared to the Pro’s top speed of 40 mph. The Mavic Air also features the exciting Boomerang and Asteroid features.

Boomerang – sends the drone out and away in an arc before circling back. It then returns to the pilot just like a boomerang.
Asteroid – the drone flies out to create a spherical panorama merged with video as the drone flies back towards the flyer.

In summary, both are fantastic drones, with the Pro ideal for anyone needing increased flight time and range, or the higher resolution cinematic 4K recording. The Air, however, is a great business startup drone and is incredibly cost effective.

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