Even with all the new features in the Mavic Air, can't help but feel a little bit let down.  I do like a lot about it:  size, gimbal looks sturdier than the MP, sensors on the back, but that's about it.  I rather expected DJI would announce it had side sensors as well and maybe a longer flight time.  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see the improvements that the Mavic Air has, I just expected a little bit more.  
Overall, good job, DJI.  
P.S. I hope deliveries aren't delayed like when the MP was released.

Same here. I wanted the longer flight time and the additional sensors. All the other pluses are great though.

Oh, and another thing I forgot to mention earlier, the gimbal cover on the Mavic Air prevents storing the drone with a filter installed on it.

I'd prefer something that takes as little effort as possible to setup and get in the air.  For the MP, it comes down to removing the gimbal clamp and cover and plugging my phone into the controller.  Not sure how to get rid of the cover and phone plugging, but it should be possible to eliminate the need for a gimbal clamp.  Anyway, those are Just my thoughts.

It's a really good drone but I too am disappointed. It is VERY similar to the Mavic Pro and almost has the same price.

I was hoping for something different, this is like MPP but in slight downgrade.

theGrindLab.com Posted at 2018-1-24 06:19
Same here. I wanted the longer flight time and the additional sensors. All the other pluses are great though.

I think what your looking for is  Mavic pro2, this I believe will come later.

DJI is moving in the right direction:  More features and capability at a lower price.  The Mavic Air is an impressive machine, but I was just expecting a bit more.  

For me having side object sensing is more important than backwards sensing.  Usually, when I fly backwards, it is inline with me so I can see what is behind it.  Sideways is a completely different thing though.  I've had more crashes and close calls from sideways flight than I have from flying backwards.  In fact, I haven't had any crashes flying backwards (yet ).

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-1-24 09:10
I think what your looking for is  Mavic pro2, this I believe will come later.

Yes, sir. I am thinking the same thing.

You guys all want to say it, but are just being nice. The Mavic Air doesn't only keep you wanting more, it's a total let down. Anybody that fly's an Air and a MMPro next to each other, it's a no brainer. You guys failed to mention the short radio distance as well. The MMPro will stay in the air longer, fly farther, and has a proven track record. Good luck with the Air............. Not to mention I hope you didn't order the Red color, cause that is on back log.........

Shocking!

I am waiting for DJI to invent a 360 bubble sensor where the entire drone has a "sensor shield" surrounding it and protecting it from obstacles in all directions. Not that I'm a bad pilot but such a feature would drive the drone safety a long way.

Bulldog Posted at 2018-1-30 07:31
You guys all want to say it, but are just being nice. The Mavic Air doesn't only keep you wanting more, it's a total let down. Anybody that fly's an Air and a MMPro next to each other, it's a no brainer. You guys failed to mention the short radio distance as well. The MMPro will stay in the air longer, fly farther, and has a proven track record. Good luck with the Air............. Not to mention I hope you didn't order the Red color, cause that is on back log.........

So you recommend the Mavic Pro?

A CW Posted at 2018-1-30 10:11
So you recommend the Mavic Pro?

lol. (I laugh because it might be a loaded question. =))

For sure. I think both are great pieces of equipment. However, the Mavic is so much better. Just like the Mavic and the Phantoms, if you carry both the Mavic gets more use. I predict the same will be even more true with the Pro vs Air, Pro being the clear winner.


If you are just getting into drones and have zero experience, you will be stoked with the Air. However, the Pro poops on it, and as soon as you figure out you could have had the Pro for a couple hundred more bucks, you will be wanting the Pro. However that might be DJI's plan, hope the Mavic Pro 2 is soon come.

Bulldog Posted at 2018-1-30 07:31
You guys all want to say it, but are just being nice. The Mavic Air doesn't only keep you wanting more, it's a total let down. Anybody that fly's an Air and a MMPro next to each other, it's a no brainer. You guys failed to mention the short radio distance as well. The MMPro will stay in the air longer, fly farther, and has a proven track record. Good luck with the Air............. Not to mention I hope you didn't order the Red color, cause that is on back log.........

“Stay true to yourself. An original is worth more than a copy.”

Bulldog Posted at 2018-1-30 10:39
lol. (I laugh because it might be a loaded question. =))

For sure. I think both are great pieces of equipment. However, the Mavic is so much better. Just like the Mavic and the Phantoms, if you carry both the Mavic gets more use. I predict the same will be even more true with the Pro vs Air, Pro being the clear winner.

It was a loaded question LOL but I agree with your well written response so no need to fire my pistols I'm sure an MP2 will be with us soon enough.

Honestly I view the Mavic Air as an option for those of us who wanted more than the Spark but did not want the full Mavic pro, and this is what the mavic Air is.  Maybe it should not have been called a Mavic at all

Bulldog Posted at 2018-1-30 10:39
lol. (I laugh because it might be a loaded question. =))

For sure. I think both are great pieces of equipment. However, the Mavic is so much better. Just like the Mavic and the Phantoms, if you carry both the Mavic gets more use. I predict the same will be even more true with the Pro vs Air, Pro being the clear winner.

For what reasons would you fly the pro above using the Air?

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-1-30 11:15
For what reasons would you fly the pro above using the Air?

To wrap it up quickly. You can fly farther and longer with the Mavic Pro. To top that, some people are starting to post 1 million meters flown with the Mavic Pro. One guy even claims to have not even changed his props during that time.

I would love to see the reasons as to why one would prefer the AIr......... Somebody that has experience with both models. The number one and two reasons the Pro is better than the Air is the flight distance, and battery life. IMO.

Bulldog Posted at 2018-1-30 11:43
To wrap it up quickly. You can fly farther and longer with the Mavic Pro. To top that, some people are starting to post 1 million meters flown with the Mavic Pro. One guy even claims to have not even changed his props during that time.

I would love to see the reasons as to why one would prefer the AIr......... Somebody that has experience with both models. The number one and two reasons the Pro is better than the Air is the flight distance, and battery life. IMO.

It is definitely better in those categories, but if you bought as a photography/video platform then it is not any better in fact it probably comes in second best, I would say your more interested in distance flying than photography/video.

Good counter argument. However I would say the difference in flight time and distance is greater than the difference in camera. However I am not the best judge of that tech, just from what I can tell. Good point though, I do enjoy flying more than taking pictures.
Edit: I imagine what I like the best is exploring. Going where men have a hard time. That often means more flight time and farther distances. However a nice video is needed to enjoy the exploration.

Dirty Bird Posted at 2018-1-30 11:10
I think the Air is a nice addition to DJI's lineup.  I believe it will prove extremely popular with new pilots, those who want lots of features in a compact, lightweight, package, & those who don't desire to fly to extreme distances.  I wouldn't mind adding one to the fleet to have on hand.  I'd absolutely love the opportunity to give the Air a good hands on.  For me it would be an addition not a replacement.  As more of a distance/flight time junkie I'm looking forward to Air features being part of a future Mavic Pro 2 & Phantom 5.  DJI is definitely offering us some sweet choices.

Agreed Variety is the spice of flight!

no side sensors? I thought they claimed 360 degrees on that

"The best camera is the one you have with you"...

Different things are important to different people.  To me, portability is paramount.  I started this hobby with a P3 professional, and found that I seldom used it because of the sheer size of the thing.  I am not a professional videographer, rather - I just want to take some nice footage of places that I have been and have some fun.  And to be honest, let's face it - there is a bit of negativity about this little hobby of ours with the non-drone flying public out there (some justified, some not).  I find that I enjoy keeping a bit of a lower profile when flying my drones rather than convincing folks I am not peeping into their windows.

I bought the Spark and couldn't be happier.  Small, portable - and an amazing amount of tech in a small package.  I now ordered the Mavic Air (arriving tomorrow - good thing I didn't care for the RED ) because for me it fits what is important to me in a drone.  I believe I am much more likely to have it with me when I am out and about because of this small footprint.  How far it flies is uninteresting to me, but I realize this is important to some folks - and that's all right.  It's so great to have choices!!!

I am with you, I will never go the full distance it will fly, but the size is what sold me.  I liked my Spark however I never fully trusted it and from what I have seen I should be able to trust the mavic air way more than the Spark, and it will be easier to cary than the spark bue to the fact that the props ar not in the way when collapsed

first time flier here (and I believe there are a lot more like me), I wanted somethings a bit more than what the spark was offering and was almost going to get  a pro, but then air came along and it was perfect for me.  The form factor is better than spark and mavic pro, the camera and gimbal is as good as the pro, the sensors are better, the flight time is almost as good, distance should be more than enough for a hobbyist like me who likes to travel a bit..  and best part is portability, I can carry it around better than a spark or a pro.. so getting the air was a no-brainer for me.. In fact I just hooked up with couple of other guys on Facebook here in Sgp who are  first time fliers getting the air. So may be some of the seasoned fliers may not find this very exciting (but from the posts above I see some of them actually do ) the air is the perfect buy for many, it's the best of both worlds.  

TheFlyingDutchmanInNorway Posted at 2018-1-30 08:04
I am waiting for DJI to invent a 360 bubble sensor where the entire drone has a "sensor shield" surrounding it and protecting it from obstacles in all directions. Not that I'm a bad pilot but such a feature would drive the drone safety a long way.

Funny you mentioned that.  A few days ago, I was imagining a new quad with little dome on top of it.  In the dome would be a pair of cameras/sensors that would rotate to point in the direction that the drone was flying.  Maybe another dome on the bottom to do the same thing.  So, in a sense, you would have that "360 deg bubble" but without requiring so many sensors.

cyborg Posted at 2018-1-30 17:37
first time flier here (and I believe there are a lot more like me), I wanted somethings a bit more than what the spark was offering and was almost going to get  a pro, but then air came along and it was perfect for me.  The form factor is better than spark and mavic pro, the camera and gimbal is as good as the pro, the sensors are better, the flight time is almost as good, distance should be more than enough for a hobbyist like me who likes to travel a bit..  and best part is portability, I can carry it around better than a spark or a pro.. so getting the air was a no-brainer for me.. In fact I just hooked up with couple of other guys on Facebook here in Sgp who are  first time fliers getting the air. So may be some of the seasoned fliers may not find this very exciting (but from the posts above I see some of them actually do ) the air is the perfect buy for many, it's the best of both worlds.

I agree.  If I didn't already have a MP, I would give the MA some serious consideration - I would probably be as giddy and obsessed with the MA as I was a year ago with the MP - my first serious drone.  There is a lot to like about it the MA.

I love that the MA is smaller and even more portable.  At 100 Mbps on the MA vs. 60 Mbps on the MP, the MA should have better video quality.  I do like the gimbal on the MA more than the gimbal on the MP.  The gimbal is the weakest part of the MP.  I've bent it and had to bend it back a few times.  The MA has backward sensors whereas the MP doesn't.  The new flight autonomy of the MA sounds like a nice improvement, but I don't know how it will actually play out in real use.  The MA might also be a bit quicker to get in the air.  Those are all nice improvements, but that's about it.  I was really hoping for side-sensing more than anything else.

The MP has longer flight time and range.  It isn't so much about the range, but not losing signal so easily if something gets in the way.  I also really like the folding props on the MP.  I've had a few collisions (flying sideways) that could have downed the MP, but since the blades are more forgiving and fold up when the hit something, I was able to change direction and move the MP away from what it hit.  If the blades were fixed, however, much worse would have happened.  They would have thrown the drone off level, and the props probably would have shattered which ultimately would have downed  the drone.  So, I'd still like to see them put folding props on the MA.

So, from the viewpoint of an existing MP owner, I just don't feel like it is worth getting another drone yet.  If DJI really wants to woo the MP owners into buying another drone, I think they need to do more than what they did with the MA.  They also need to add side sensors and keep going forward with folding props. If they can pull that off in a form factor like the MA, it would be even better.