I have a Spark currently that someone is interested in buying. I have wanted to get the Mavic Air, but I decided that I wanted to hear from users what they thought before I jumped on the Mavic Air bandwagon. What do you think? Yes or no?
Please, only Mavic Air users respond, not just people who want forum points.
Also, please explain why you chose what you did in the comments below.

For it's price it is one of the best value for money drones out there IMO. Bust as always, it depends on what the individual needs are as to whether it's the best drone for you.

AJC-W Posted at 6-11 07:34
For it's price it is one of the best value for money drones out there IMO. Bust as always, it depends on what the individual needs are as to whether it's the best drone for you.

Thank you! I am hoping to buy the Mavic this week, and seeing several forum users' and reviewers' posts has helped. The Mavic Air seems to fit my needs well.

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-11 07:42
Thank you! I am hoping to buy the Mavic this week, and seeing several forum users' and reviewers' posts has helped. The Mavic Air seems to fit my needs well.

Then go for it - it's a great drone, very portable and packed with a lot of fun features. It also gives a great 4K image and has the most stable 3 axis gimbal of any drone I've owned/flown. Expect 15 minute flight times per battery but be prepared as it is very loud. I'd also suggest not flying too close to built up areas but out in the open the transmission system is fine.

AJC-W Posted at 6-11 07:46
Then go for it - it's a great drone, very portable and packed with a lot of fun features. It also gives a great 4K image and has the most stable 3 axis gimbal of any drone I've owned/flown. Expect 15 minute flight times per battery but be prepared as it is very loud. I'd also suggest not flying too close to built up areas but out in the open the transmission system is fine.

The disadvantages are nothing that I am not used to having on the Spark

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-11 07:47
The disadvantages are nothing that I am not used to having on the Spark

Compared to the Spark the Mavic Air is a HUGE upgrade.

AJC-W Posted at 6-11 07:48
Compared to the Spark the Mavic Air is a HUGE upgrade.

I can tell! I hope to get it this week (if I can sell my Spark)

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-11 07:49
I can tell! I hope to get it this week (if I can sell my Spark)

The Spark will sell quite quickly as the cheaper price will attract more buyers and it's a cool little drone. Be sure to post some of your footage when you get the Mavic Air. Which colour are you getting?

AJC-W Posted at 6-11 07:51
The Spark will sell quite quickly as the cheaper price will attract more buyers and it's a cool little drone. Be sure to post some of your footage when you get the Mavic Air. Which colour are you getting?

The Spark's a great drone. I will miss it. I will make sure to post video. I will probably get the onyx black.

As a side note, by the time we're finished here, I might actually have enough points to trade in for credits to help buy the drone!

I like the portability of the MA.   And it is so much fun to fly when there no interference...

ririlan Posted at 6-11 07:54
I like the portability of the MA.   And it is so much fun to fly when there no interference...

"when there is no interference..." Key words...

Portability is a huge thing for me. Going on a hike and pulling the drone out of the backpack will be helpful. The Spark is good... but the MA is better. Can't wait to get it!

Hello and good day pianoplayer7. Thank you for reaching out and creating this poll. I hope that you will get the best information and the best insights from our valued DJI co pilots with regards to this matter. Thank you all for your valued support.

DJI Stephen Posted at 6-11 07:56
Hello and good day pianoplayer7. Thank you for reaching out and creating this poll. I hope that you will get the best information and the best insights from our valued DJI co pilots with regards to this matter. Thank you all for your valued support.

Thank you!

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-11 07:54
The Spark's a great drone. I will miss it. I will make sure to post video. I will probably get the onyx black.

As a side note, by the time we're finished here, I might actually have enough points to trade in for credits to help buy the drone!

1800 points for ten bucks - give it a year! lol

Black is a nice choice.

AJC-W Posted at 6-11 07:58
1800 points for ten bucks - give it a year! lol

Black is a nice choice.

Thanks for your great review. I'll miss my Spark, but can't wait to get rid of it so that I can buy a MA!

Take it!!! I believe is the best choice if you want a small powerful drone!!

manolism Posted at 6-11 08:32
Take it!!! I believe is the best choice if you want a small powerful drone!!

Nice! I am hoping to get one soon!

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-11 07:58
Thank you!

You are very much welcome pianoplayer7. Have a safe and happy flying always.

Thank you for the poll - great to see all the opinions and comments. Now looking the MA as just had my PRO stolen, looking for smaller size and better portability for while travelling

Thank you for the poll - great to see all the opinions and comments. Now looking the MA as just had my PRO stolen, looking for smaller size and better portability for while travelling

MattyT Posted at 6-11 10:48
Thank you for the poll - great to see all the opinions and comments. Now looking the MA as just had my PRO stolen, looking for smaller size and better portability for while travelling

I'm sorry to hear you lost your MP. I think the MA will be a great drone to work with - for both me and you!

It is sometime already on the market... to many complains about range... I would wait for a new release on this model

I personally don't care about range because I live in the US where you aren't supposed to fly farther than VLOS. As long as the range will take me anywhere that the naked eye can see, I'm good.

Sold my Spark Fly more Combo for a Mavic Air Fly More Combo. A huge improvement. Flight time of 16-18 minutes easily vs 12-13 with the Spark. Much, much better image quality, you can shoot in Raw and 4K for Video.  That said, I purchased mine as a rurbished kit for £200 less than the new price. The Pro with the Hassleblad lens and bigger chip would be twice what I spent....only you will know if you purchase an Air whether you will be regretting not getting the Pro. Good luck with your decision.

Considering the main camera cost factor, its mechanics gimbal, the peripheral scanning protection, the gps navigation assistance, and enhanced wireless link scheme for control, the costing is expensive.

The reciprocal question would better serve forum knowledge:  what pricetag would you accept once aware of the shortfalls: distance, battery duration and acoustical noise ?

It is well worth it.  I have one with 4 batts, hub charger and a case, ND filters and master airscrew props and I don't fly it as often anymore since I got the M2pro.  

That does depend on what you are after.
Super portable, light, great drone : YES
Best dynamic range, flight time, flight modes etc. : NO
(that is just a very short answer, I know)

Great drone. Super portable. Recommended 3 batteries. RAW + 4K Everything will depend on your budget and use. Anyway, buying it is a good decision.

Fly safe!

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-11 08:01
Thanks for your great review. I'll miss my Spark, but can't wait to get rid of it so that I can buy a MA!

You're welcome

Montfrooij Posted at 6-11 22:24
That does depend on what you are after.
Super portable, light, great drone : YES
Best dynamic range, flight time, flight modes etc. : NO

What would you say about the camera? I am no pro, so I don’t need an insane amount of features, but would this be sufficient for a hobbyist?

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-12 04:05
What would you say about the camera? I am no pro, so I don’t need an insane amount of features, but would this be sufficient for a hobbyist?

I took this shot with a Mavic Air - it's more than fine for a hobbyist

AJC-W Posted at 6-12 04:08
I took this shot with a Mavic Air - it's more than fine for a hobbyist
[view_image]

Beautiful photo. That quality is fantastic. 4K video? I think that’s plenty. The Spark was almost enough. But not quite.

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-12 04:11
Beautiful photo. That quality is beautiful. 4K video? I think that’s plenty. The Spark was almost enough. But not quite.

Thanks - it's a 12mp still edited with iOS photos. Very basic. The camera also shoots 4K UHD @ 30p @ 100MBPS, 2.7K @ 60p and 1080p @ 120p (full slow mo) - the footage looks excellent for such a small drone. It also takes and auto stitches 32mp panos. The focus is also permanently set to infinity so no need to tap the screen all the time unlike the larger Mavic's. The air is made for the hobbyist and has a better image quality than the original Mavic Pro and very similar to the Mavic 2 Zoom. As for range, the Air can maintain a good live feed at distances in the miles in both CE and FCC areas providing you are not near high levels of interference which you shouldn't be anyway as congested areas are as a much of a no-no as flying beyond VLOS but the range and signal quality is four times better than the Spark. The biggest detractor of the MA for me in the time I actually owned it was the noise from the motors - it's nearly as loud as a Phantom 4 Pro - and that sounds like a lawn mower!

My friend has the Mavic Air and he loves it.
We are going out tomorrow to fly in the desert.  I have the Mavic Pro which is about 2 years old .

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-12 04:05
What would you say about the camera? I am no pro, so I don’t need an insane amount of features, but would this be sufficient for a hobbyist?

I think neither of the current Mavic / Spark drone's is sufficient for a demanding pro when it comes to technical image quality.
Even the Phantom 4 has horrible RAW output because the lenses are not very good (or the drone can't lift a decent glass lens) and they have to correct it with their jpeg converter.

But, with a little understanding of camera's and lighting you can squeeze the best out of it and get good enough footage.
The only reason why DJI gets away with this, is that it is the only (affordable) way to get aerial footage right now.
And don't get me wrong. I love my Mavic Pro and enjoy every second I fly with it, but it is far from my Nikon DSLR (or any other DSLR that is sold right now).

So, having said that.
I would recommend the Mavic Pro right now (I bought one second hand, best value ever!).
That is the best budget option right now if you ask me.
Long flight time, good range, more features than you ever need!

The Mavic Air is smaller, but the MP is still a small drone and very portable.
The Mavic Air has a higher bitrate, but I really don't notice a huge difference.
The only thing I like more about the Mavic Air is the gimbal design. They really improved that.
But the one from my MP is doing just fine btw.

For me the long flight time is really important. Time flies when you are up in the sky and the extra minutes mean the difference between getting another shot or missing it.
I know, you can buy an extra battery, but that is not the same. You need to fly back to where you are, change the battery, fly back to where you were and start again.
And the stable connection / long range is also very important to me. I don't want to loose connection.
The Mavic Air is lacking in that respect.

But that is just me of course.
The Mavic Air is also a very nice drone.
Capable of great things and very very small!

Montfrooij Posted at 6-12 05:47
I think neither of the current Mavic / Spark drone's is sufficient for a demanding pro when it comes to technical image quality.
Even the Phantom 4 has horrible RAW output because the lenses are not very good (or the drone can't lift a decent glass lens) and they have to correct it with their jpeg converter.

For me long range isn't important because I only fly in VLOS (I live in US where it's illegal to fly out of VLOS). The battery is somewhat important, but I'm not so sure if it's worth an extra $100 just for extra battery life. I could buy an extra Mavic Air battery with that with some to spare. If I was into long range flying, I probably would more highly consider the Mavic Pro. Thanks for the advice!

pianoplayer7 Posted at 6-12 06:35
For me long range isn't important because I only fly in VLOS (I live in US where it's illegal to fly out of VLOS). The battery is somewhat important, but I'm not so sure if it's worth an extra $100 just for extra battery life. I could buy an extra Mavic Air battery with that with some to spare. If I was into long range flying, I probably would more highly consider the Mavic Pro. Thanks for the advice!

You're welcome.
I also have to remain VLOS here in NL!
But still the stable connection of the Mavic Pro is very important to me.
There might (will) be (a lot of) interference in the air that will make your Mavic Air connection less stable and more prone to signal loss.

So it is not about the range only, but also about the strong connection between the controller and the drone.

The Mavic 2 OA rear/downward saved my drone.  I was doing an Orthomosaic for fun and kept backing the drone up taking manual shots.  The system kicked in and stopped the drone.  It would have crashed into the tree.  I still have my drone w/o issue so it pretty much paid for itself.  If you never would encounter such a situation or use the zoom, then the Air is just fine.  The Mavic 2 Zoom Occusync 2.0 is HD at so far out.  Makes doing commercial work a breeze but my Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is better.  The feed quality isn't as good but for reconnaissance purposes to check for altitude and other things before I sent my P4P V2.0 out on a waypoint mission to take pix, the Mavic 2 Zoom is the ideal equipment of choice.

I still have all my drones unlike some who have lost their drones forever.

I find a not so bad little drone and not a bad price and it also depends how much money you want to spend

I find it a not so bad little drone it does what it says it does and I just use it recreational fun, camera is good and not a bad price and it also depends how much money you want to spend.  I would go for the combo if you decide and get the extra batteries