Hi all

I shoot a lot of climbing videos that include drone footage. I shoot with the DJI Spark, but I miss the 3-way gimbal, some more airtime (even though I bring four batteries), but I really need the portability as I am climbing with the drone in my backpack.

So, should I upgrade and to what? I have looked at the new DJI Mavic 2 drones and the DJI Mavic Air.

Have any of you experiences with “high altitude” (say +4.000 meters ASL) flying and have climbing/hiked for an extended period of time with your drone in your backpack?

You can watch one of my projects below.

Really great footage thank you, I believe you would really benefit from an upgrade, Spark is a great little drone, I owned one myself, but it has limitations and you may have out grown them, Mavic Pro is a great craft, if you can afford M2P i would recommend.
Good Luck.

Very nice footage. Thank you for sharing your video with us. If you will upgrade your drone, I would recommend you the Mavic 2 Pro. The Mavic 2 Pro comes equipped with the all-new Hasselblad L1D-20c camera. The brand new 1-inch CMOS sensor has an active sensing area four times more effective than the original Mavic Pro. The large sensor also means better performance in low-light environments with a more extensive ISO range, and max ISO lifted from 3200 to 12800. and it has a lot of features. Should you have further question, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thanks for choosing DJI.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-10-13 12:08
Really great footage thank you, I believe you would really benefit from an upgrade, Spark is a great little drone, I owned one myself, but it has limitations and you may have out grown them, Mavic Pro is a great craft, if you can afford M2P i would recommend.
Good Luck.

Thanks! Do you know how much the weight actually would feel? And how easy is it to launch from, let's say less spacious places? ;)

Awesome footage... really, really beautiful.
Wish I was young again.

Cragcloud Posted at 2018-10-13 13:22
Thanks! Do you know how much the weight actually would feel? And how easy is it to launch from, let's say less spacious places? ;)

750 grams Mavic Pro , 920 grams M2P, they won’t need much more room than a spark.

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-10-13 13:40
750 grams Mavic Pro , 920 grams M2P, they won’t need much more room than a spark.

But the DJI Spark is only 300 grams...so the Mavic Pro 2 is 3 times as heavy Anyway, it is a fantastic drone and it seems like it could be the right choice,

Can you take off and land from your hand?

Very impressive video.
The scenery was magnificent.
On your question about flying at high altitude I recall that a Missing British climber was  found alive by a Mavic Pro in the Himalayas.  They flew the drone from base camp and I think the altitude there was 5364 meters.

Cragcloud Posted at 2018-10-13 13:51
But the DJI Spark is only 300 grams...so the Mavic Pro 2 is 3 times as heavy  Anyway, it is a fantastic drone and it seems like it could be the right choice,

Can you take off and land from your hand?

You can, just need to turn off OA sensors, which you can with the C1 or C2 button, once your up and flying you can just turn them back on .

hallmark007 Posted at 2018-10-13 14:20
You can, just need to turn off OA sensors, which you can with the C1 or C2 button, once your up and flying you can just turn them back on .

Ahh, that is a good point!

I do that a lot. When I took off from the summit of the Eiger in the video above to shoot there, I had to lift off from my hand.

Great video

Super video! Good work! If size is important then consider the Mavic Air

I walk with my Mavic Pro (4 bat. remote + iPad mini 4) in a Very small backpack (from Decathlon 2.5 Euro ;) ), so it's very compact and lightweight!
And You should upgrade as a minimum to gain 4K! Also, the wind is strong on such high places and with a faster drone, you'll have some more space.
I have no experience with Air or 2, so I can't give You advice in this direction but 2 should be even better than 1, thou a bit heavier

This footage is great. Yes I think you nead an upgrade. M2p + extra battery + accessory is more or less 3kg but maybe you can bring with you this extra weight because m2p is great and its videos are amazing. Consider also it can work also with an extended temperature range -10 to 40

Super footage from the Spark! It's a tough call as I know how much carrying weight is critical on day long climbs. In terms of weight being your priority then an Air would be the next one up the chain. Seeing DJI rep recommending the MP2 is interesting but maybe they are not a climber ... apart from the better 'everything' the weight will become an issue as you'll still need probably 3 batteries in total and the controller plus display device (and extra power pack) - all will add up to nearly a 5Kg package - plus the bulk is more, so you might need to distribute the parts amongst the climbing group considering you also are packing a couple of other cameras. Hopefully other climbers can give you their recommendations also.

A CW Posted at 2018-10-14 02:40
Super video! Good work! If size is important then consider the Mavic Air

I just looked at some pictures only and the Mavic Pro 2 is not that much bigger than the Mavic Air. My worry is more about weight

Cragcloud Posted at 2018-10-14 05:36
I just looked at some pictures only and the Mavic Pro 2 is not that much bigger than the Mavic Air. My worry is more about weight

The MA is a marked improvement in image quality over the Spark and when folded is easier to transport. The signal is greatly improved, the tech more advanced and is feature rich at a respectable price point.

Lamplighter55 Posted at 2018-10-14 03:56
Super footage from the Spark! It's a tough call as I know how much carrying weight is critical on day long climbs. In terms of weight being your priority then an Air would be the next one up the chain. Seeing DJI rep recommending the MP2 is interesting but maybe they are not a climber ... apart from the better 'everything' the weight will become an issue as you'll still need probably 3 batteries in total and the controller plus display device (and extra power pack) - all will add up to nearly a 5Kg package - plus the bulk is more, so you might need to distribute the parts amongst the climbing group considering you also are packing a couple of other cameras. Hopefully other climbers can give you their recommendations also.

Yeah, weight is definitely my concern. Going from maybe 1 kg (Spark + four batteries + controller + iPhone - that I will carry anyway), then going up to 5 kg is a stretch. This is super tough, because flying high up, those places are so amazing and I really want the best footage possible.

Maybe the Air is the best choice.

How is your flight time with the Spark at high altitude and cold temperatures? I have flown the Air at 4° Celsius and have had 12 min flight time at 25% battery. Don't know if this enough for you? I suppose/recommend to carry some spare batteries with you using the air. And you have to keep them warm, otherwise the Air will not take off.
Stable in the wind and half weight of the MP2, okay, you can add the weight for extra batteries. Handstart and -landing is no problem with the Air.

Last but least: Great video! Good story telling and nice composition.

devilsBastard Posted at 2018-10-18 09:01
How is your flight time with the Spark at high altitude and cold temperatures? I have flown the Air at 4° Celsius and have had 12 min flight time at 25% battery. Don't know if this enough for you? I suppose/recommend to carry some spare batteries with you using the air. And you have to keep them warm, otherwise the Air will not take off.
Stable in the wind and half weight of the MP2, okay, you can add the weight for extra batteries. Handstart and -landing is no problem with the Air.

Thank you

The Spark is actually performing okay even though flying in cold weather. I guess I have about 10 minutes of airtime. I keep the spare batteries warm by stashing them in a wool sock in my backpack. That works

I think I have decided on the Mavic 2 Zoom! Having the ability to get close to things without flying too close is amazing. Especially when filming other climbers.