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Drone Business Startup: DJI Phantom 4 or DJI Mavic Pro?

Drone Business Startup: DJI Phantom 4 or DJI Mavic Pro?

Last updated on

26th July

When it comes to starting up a drone business, naturally, the biggest decision you will make is what drone you fly. This, for the coming years, is what will drive (or fly) your business towards success. So, with that in mind, it’s imperative that you make the right choice from the offset.

In this blog, we are taking a look at two of the most popular business startup drones available, the DJI Mavic Pro and the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. Both are particularly prominent in the market at the moment, but which one is best for your business?

We’ll start by taking a look at some of the key stats that separate the two from each other…

The Stats

Phantom 4

Weight (Including Batteries & Propellers): 1388g
Diagonal Size (Propellers Included): 350mm
Max Speed (S-mode): 45 mph (72 kph) / A-mode: 36 mph (58 kph) / P-mode: 31 mph (50 kph)
Max Ascent Speed (S-mode): 6 m/s / P-mode: 5 m/s
Maximum Descent Speed (S-mode): 4 m/s / P-mode: 3 m/s
Max Tilt Angle (S-mode): 42° / A-mode: 35° / P-mode: 25°
Max Angular Speed (S-mode): 250°/s / A-mode: 150°/s
Max Flight Time: Approx. 30 Minutes
Operating Temperature: 32° to 104°F (0° to 40°C)

Mavic Pro

Folded: H83mm x W83mm x L198mm
Weight (Including Batteries & Propellers): 1.62 lbs (734 g) (exclude gimbal cover) / 1.64 lbs (743 g) (include gimbal cover)
Diagonal Size (Propellers Included): 335 mm
Maximum Speed: 40 mph (65 kph) in Sports mode without wind
Max Ascent Speed: 16.4 ft/s (5 m/s) in Sport mode
Max Descent Speed: 9.8 ft/s (3 m/s)
Maximum Flight Time: 27 minutes (no wind at a consistent 15.5 mph (25 kph)
Operating Temperature: 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C)

Looking at the stats, it’s clear to see both drones are incredibly transportable, due to their weight and size. The Mavic Pro, however, does have the slight advantage that it can be folded to the size of a small bottle of water. The Phantom would need specific travel arrangements, whereas the Mavic can be easily fitted into a travel bag. So if you’re travelling abroad for a job, the Mavic Pro is the far more desirable drone for transportability.

The rest of the stats are fairly comparable. Both reach similar speeds in the air and similar speeds in ascent and descent. The Phantom 4 has a marginally better flight time which could be something you want to take into account if you’re planning on using your drone for longer flights, however, the difference is marginal.

What’s in the box?

Phantom 4 Pro

Phantom 4 Pro aircraft
Remote controller
Propellers
Intelligent flight battery
Battery charger
Power cable
Gimbal clamp
USB OTG cable
Micro USB cable
Micro SD card (16GB)
Carrying case

Mavic Pro

Aircraft
Remote controller
Intelligent flight battery x 3
Charger
Power cable
Propellers (pair) x 5
RC cable x 3 (lightning connector), (standard micro USB connector) & (USB type-C connector)
Gimbal cover
Gimbal clamp
microSD card (16GB)
Micro USB cable
RC cable slider (large)
RC cable slider (small)
Battery charging hub
Car charger
Battery to power bank adaptor
Shoulder bag

Their Performance

The performance of a drone is key, and therefore something to seriously consider when buying a drone. So how do these two drones compare in action?

Mavic Pro

The Mavic Pro has added an impressive precision hovering feature thanks to its upwards and downwards sensors. This allows the Mavic to hover in one place indoors or in places without GPS. The Mavic also makes the most of DJI’s Intelligent Flight Modes such as Return to Home, ActiveTrack and TapFly. FlightAutonomy allows the Mavic to avoid obstacles and hover precisely. This makes the flying experience easier, particularly for new flyers.

The Mavic can reach up to 40mph in sports mode, a total flight time of 27 minutes, and a maximum distance of 8mi (13km). The Mavic is only 1/6th the size of the Phantom 4 but this reduction in size doesn’t mean a reduction in flight time. One of the most impressive features is the fact that the length of flight isn’t compensated due to its compact size.

Phantom 4 Pro

The Phantom 4 Pro is perfect for hobbyists or commercial operators alike. The Phantom 4 Pro’s performance is pretty comparable to that of the Mavic Pro. It has a maximum flight time of around 30 minutes and uses a 15.2V 5870 mAh Intelligent Flight Battery.

The Phantom comes with sensors on the bottom, front and sides, arguably one of the most advanced sensor systems currently available. Its FlightAutonomy system also features dual rear vision sensors and infrared sensing system. This means it has a 5 point direction of obstacle sensing, and 4 directions of obstacle avoidance. These features make it an easy drone to fly, particularly for users that are new to the drone industry.

The Features

Mavic Pro

The Mavic Pro allows you to fly further than ever before due to its brand new OcuSync transmission technology. This allows for a range of 4.3miles (7km), which means you can stream full HD 1080P images across a longer range.

The Mavic also supports 4K video at a rate of 30fps. There’s no Electronic Image Stabilisation used, therefore ensuring all footage is shot in 4K. DJI have created a miniaturised, ultra-precise 3-axis gimbal for the Mavic Pro. This ensures that the camera remains stable, even during high-speed motion shots. This ensures you have smooth video and sharp photos.

Phantom 4 Pro

The Phantom 4 comes with an enhanced processing system. This allows videos to be captured in cinema and production optimised DCI 4K/60. It also supports the H.265 video codec. The Phantom benefits from an imaging processing rate of H.265, therefore resulting in significantly enhanced image quality. You can also record in the high dynamic range D-log mode, to allow for improved colour grading.

The Phantom 4 Pro is equipped with a built-in 1 inch, 20MP camera. The camera is capable of filming up to 4K at 60fps and has a burst mode of 14fps. The camera lens is also equipped with a mechanical shutter that helps to reduce the rolling image distortion when the drone is moving at high speeds.

The Verdict

Both these drones are fantastic drones, but which one do COPTRZ feel is the best suited to a drone startup? It’s all about assessing your needs, however, as far as starter drones go, it’s hard to look past the Mavic Pro.

The Mavic Pro is incredibly transportable and is an ideal training platform for a number of different industries. Not only is it easy to transport, it’s also one of the easiest drones to fly. It is very common for companies to use a Mavic as a training platform to train up new drone users due to its cost effectivity. It is also commonplace for companies that have recently upgraded their commercial drone to keep hold of the Mavic for long-haul trips due to its ease of transport and fantastic quality of footage.

Don’t rule the Phantom 4 Pro out, it’s a fantastic drone, but in our opinion, the Mavic Pro just edges it. It’s ease of transportability, ease of flight, and marginal cost-effectiveness means it is an ideal drone for new drone business startups.

COPTRZ Business Starter Packages

COPTRZ provide Drone Business Starter Packages which includes everything you need to get your drone business off the ground. You can save over £500 when you purchase a drone and training course business starter package from COPTRZ.

Click on the image to see more about the Drone Business Starter Packages.