What is wrong with the p4p, mavic or a potentially bigger mavic 2, drones aren't supposed to fit in a wallet

Who is hating on the bigger drones? That being said cellphones started out not fitting into your pocket but now they do. If you can fit equivalent or better technology into a smaller platform why not do it?

If anything phones have gotten bigger, look at Samsung's note series and iPhone plus models, the smaller drones get the less tech the can pack inside right now

I rather have a compact drone that is easier to carry with you on trips and larger ones.

Nothing wrong with larger drones, but the Phantom's sure are ugly and ungainly looking compared to the Mavic Pro, Mavic Air and Inspire.

No hate. It really depends what you need more

fans4ee4a121 Posted at 2018-3-1 15:58
If anything phones have gotten bigger, look at Samsung's note series and iPhone plus models, the smaller drones get the less tech the can pack inside right now

Wider screens yes, because people like big displays now a days. But they are still getting thinner, lighter. But getting back to drones, I just think that the smaller drones appeal to a wider audience for a variety of reasons. Some main ones I would say would be price (the drone itself + accessories) and portability. I started with a Spark and at the time I didn't chose it for it's size but for its cheap price. I wasn't sure I wanted to commit $1,000+ or so to a new hobby at the time. Sparky was fun but I was left itching for something a little bit more capable. The Mavic Air came out and honestly I could not be happier. To me it does exactly what I want a drone to do. That is having a great camera, be extremely portable, have great obstacle avoidance features, and something that I can buzz around and really have fun with in Sports mode when I don't feel like taking videos/photos. (I flew RC helicopters and airplanes before I got into drones) . Right now, that combination of things makes the fun in the hobby for me personally. I know some people get their excitement from doing distance flights, or get a great sense of benefit from longer battery life and that is some of the reasons they prefer the larger drones and that is great too. To each their own. Just like some people drive trucks, some sports cars, others motorcycles you pick what works for you and what gives you the most enjoyment. That being said, I think my next drone will probably be a phantom 5 (if they make one). Not because I dislike the regular Mavic or discount the expected soon to come Mavic 2, but because I just want my next drone to be a little different and I also expect the Phantom 5 would have the better camera if it came out. Heck maybe I'll be able to afford an Inspire 3 by then..... I can dream.

Totally a fliers choice

Nothing wrong with big drones. Man do they fly nice. It’s nice having both the inspire and the MP.

Portability on an equivalent drone is huge.  The smaller drones can do everything and more than the phantoms, and you can take them to places much more easily.

Have you ever climbed a mountain with P4P strapped to your back? Me neither, but I can imagine it's a good reason to want a smaller drone.

Hmmm, thinking about starting a new topic, 'Why hate small drones?'  

Portability is the main reason. It's good to have a mix of both.

For me portability is an important factor (considering drones).
But there is a tradeoff in how much it can carry and I also would love to have some better sensor + lens to be able to capture more dynamic range.

nothing wrong with bigger drones - me personally the smaller it is the better but not at the cost of camera and flight performance. There exists a huge size range between what the phanton or even the mavic pro takes up vs a folded note in your wallet. You might be right - who wants a drone that fits in your wallet - who ever said that was desirable - who said that drones are supposed to fit in a wallet. You should not listen to such ideas - they are simply too crazy to take seriously. How would one accomodate a camera and gimbal component in the wallet? What waffer thin motor system do they propose? The drone would have to be paper thin and

Bekaru Tree Posted at 2018-3-2 04:57
nothing wrong with bigger drones - me personally the smaller it is the better but not at the cost of camera and flight performance. There exists a huge size range between what the phanton or even the mavic pro takes up vs a folded note in your wallet. You might be right - who wants a drone that fits in your wallet - who ever said that was desirable - who said that drones are supposed to fit in a wallet. You should not listen to such ideas - they are simply too crazy to take seriously. How would one accomodate a camera and gimbal component in the wallet? What waffer thin motor system do they propose? The drone would have to be paper thin and

How about a phone case drone?

LoSBoL Posted at 2018-3-2 05:08
How about a phone case drone?

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looks interesting - does the flight time say 5 min? i hope that an error because with such short fly time i cant imagine too many will sell
- i am going to wait till my mavic dies before i start considering my next drone. New innovations and products are coming out quite fast now, i expect the momentum and improvements will continue.
By the time i am ready for my next drone i am sure something awesome will be available.

One of the reasons the MP is so popular is because it meets portability needs of many without sacrificing technology. It's still amazing to me that i can carry everything i need to fly and capture 60+ minutes (without recharging) of 4K video in one small butt-pack sized bag. I will have no problem moving to a slightly bigger setup providing there is some reason. Like bigger batteries to supply more powerful motors, which in turn can carry a bigger better camera. I am looking forward to the MP2 even if it does come in a slightly bigger package. I think the MA was released to fill the gap the the MP2 will create.

Bekaru Tree Posted at 2018-3-2 05:31
looks interesting - does the flight time say 5 min? i hope that an error because with such short fly time i cant imagine too many will sell
- i am going to wait till my mavic dies before i start considering my next drone. New innovations and products are coming out quite fast now, i expect the momentum and improvements will continue.
By the time i am ready for my next drone i am sure something awesome will be available.

It's a selfie drone, probably won't fly further then 20 feet ;)

Tech is evolving quickly indeed, but so are our demands, even an 1,5 year old Mavic Pro is considered 'old tech' and some are almost screaming for an update.

How quickly we get used to hightech stuff, we almost forget what a miracle we have in our hands with such sophisticated drones.

I am fortunate to have aircraft ranging from Spark, Mavic, P4 to I1, all different machines for different needs. Spark for fun, Mavic for Portability, P4 for general use and some work and the I 1 for work. I mainly fly my Mavic if wanting a quick flight, nice and handy to carry and great flying time .

The drawbacks of a large machine are obvious like folks here have mentioned: portability, weight, expense, public perception (huge monster flying around vs tiny thing that looks only like a toy) and so on. Another problem of larger machines is vibration - as props get bigger, they slow down and shake more, arms lengthen and thus get more flex in them, etc. This makes them significantly harder to control vibration with, requiring huge gimbals with vibration dampening and so on as the machine grows in size.

But the chief advantages of larger machines can outweigh all that depending on the mission: payload, flight time and resistance to wind. This last one can be really important. For example, I can fly my F550 in winds where things start getting uncomfortable for my P4P and downright keep me on the ground with my mavic pro. My Trex 800 helicopter I can fly in practically any kind of wind I want, even so strong that I have trouble standing up. But I'm grounded with my other smaller machines.

So if your mission frequently involves flying in high winds - I live in a place where it's 20+mph pretty much all the time - a smaller drone like a mavic pro can be a real handicap. That's partly why I rarely fly my mavic pro anymore and usually have the P4P out when doing videography. When it's too strong for that, I just go fun flying with the F550 which I never have to worry about unless the wind gets over about 25mph.

So it really boils down to your conditions and the type of flying you typically do, etc. Big vs small is a compromise and not a more-is-better or less-is-better thing for the most part.