Is is just me, or is anyone else disappointed who purchased a P4?  A few months after it's release, here comes Mavic, which to me is an upgrade from the P4.  Why didn't DJI just make "Mavic" the P4? Or, just jumped right to the Mavic from the P3?  Both birds had to have been in production together.  
I realize technology is always advancing, but to introduce something this quickly that clearly outperforms your previous product....Not the best way to treat your loyal consumers.   

I'm willing to bet, DJI pushed it out quicker than what they would have liked due ot the pending folding GoPro drone coming next month and DJI wanted to be "first."  JMHO.   

Why should someone who purchased a P4 be disappointed?    Looks like 2 different markets to me.

I see Mavic as a companion copter to the P4. I see Mavic as a high-end point and shoot camera and P4 as a DSLR camera.

Don't think it has anything to do with letting down any loyal consumers. There adding to their product line, that doesn't take anything away from there other products. There two VERY different drones. That's like saying the P4 was putting down the P3P customers. Sounds like buyer's remorse which is okay, we all have that feeling after making a big purchase.

That's like asking why Boeing didn't produce jet airliners until all their customers had bought their prop driven planes.
Or why Ford didn't go straight to the Mustang, skipping the Model T and a few others on the way.

If you liked your P4 last week, there's still plenty to like about it this week.

Will they make another Phantom line, like a 5 or 6, or is this the end of the line for Phantom?

Comparison videos have shown that the P4 provides superior image quality.

because technology moves fast i got a galaxy s7 then they relesed the note. ps mavic is a different class. like inspire m600 f450. or a convertible or vs suv. a buddy got a hero 4 in june now hero 5.


yes it has a 7k range. but vlos is only so far and its a compact drone

ps can get a mavic for 800 p4 1200

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-10-1 05:47
That's like asking why Boeing didn't produce jet airliners until all their customers had bought thei ...

i have a p3s yeah i like the p4 but not 700 more and id be more likely to get a mavic not a p4. the phantoms are bigger  heavier and may handle heavier winds or higher  alt

Aloha Trip,

     You have some of it right, IMO.  The Mavic is a competitor to the GoPro Karma, and yes it was introduced strategically in relation to the Karma.  Yet, both quads are not even sold yet so it is all posturing for the marketplace.  DJI and GoPro are sitting at a table gambling and the marketplace dominance is the pot.  But the game they are playing is personal, collapsible quads not camera quads or industrial drones.  

     So, IMO, the Mavic has nothing to do with the Phantom series.  But, I do feel sorry for Nick Woodman.  I mean, not only did DJI pull Nick's pants down, but they did it while doing a slam dunk!  And to top it off, they introduced a trainer and mid-market racing drone for the racing marketplace all in the same quad concept.  Notice how DJI waited until after the glow of the fireworks of the GoPro Karma introduction had started to die down before DJI blew the Karma away with the Mavic introduction.  

     Drone pundits had wound up and were releasing their comparisons of the Karma with the Phantom 4.  That is an important point because GoPro was trying to beat the P4 head to head.  Look at the size of the Karma.  It is slightly larger than the P4 and weighs more but they make up for it by making it short and collapsible and deflect any direct comparison (if they lose in the comparison) by creating an adjunct to the GoPro sport camera marketplace with the addition of a flying sport camera niche.  It is like GoPro never saw it coming.

     Then BOOM!!!  Mavic has the last word.  The Mavic sale and shipping precedes the Karma by at least a week.  Those who got to have one now will cancel their Karma order and buy the pint size Mavic that does twice as much.  Not only does DJI make exceptional quads but they know how to exceptionally play the marketplace to.

     What we are seeing is the future come alive and we are a part of it.  How we handle it depends on what we think and do.  Maybe we should take a page from the DJI playbook and play it smartly.

Aloha and Drone On!

     

The Mavic looks real good. if my fun budget would allow--- ski season or drone ---ski season or drone ---ski season or drone ----ski season

It wouldn't be too difficult to imagine potential problems for the Mavic. A little prop strike, are the props straight forward to replace ? Or perhaps a bit of wear and tear in the hinges of the fold out arms, will they be easily replaced or will there be vibration issues because of this ?
There are a multitude of unknowns about the Mavic at present, as said by others it is filling a specific niche in the market. From what I've seen the P4 still has an edge in terms of flight speed, braking, video and photograph quality (and they are primarily flying camera platforms). Absolutely no doubt the Mavic offers great features at a nice price point (at least in the USA ), but I will not be ditching my P4 for one.

miguellemillo22 Posted at 2016-10-1 08:33
Comparison videos have shown that the P4 provides superior image quality.

There are very few examples out there to look at.
If you are referring to the Casey Neistat example, it turns out that he had the comera focussed incorrectly.
As camera focus is a new feature this may also be a factor in others.
I'd wait for the Mavic to be available generally before making up my mind based on one or two mushy youtube videos that may or may not be showing what the mavic is really capable of.

billwish76 Posted at 2016-10-1 11:26
i have a p3s yeah i like the p4 but not 700 more and id be more likely to get a mavic not a p4. th ...

Although it's been mentioned a lot in forum posts, I'm skeptical about the many comments about the Mavic being less able to deal with wind.

DJI say: The Mavic can withstand a force 5 wind, also called a fresh breeze. This is defined as wind speeds of 19–24mph (29–38kph).
This is the same as they recommend for the Phantom.
And at least one Mavic review commented on it's ability to deal with moderate winds.

Aardvark Posted at 2016-10-2 09:08
It wouldn't be too difficult to imagine potential problems for the Mavic. A little prop strike, are  ...

An interesting point about prop balance. It would not seem as if it would be easy to balance the props on the Mavic if they are causing vibration in flight. Perhaps they are better balanced on delivery.

One interesting point I noticed is that DJI say you will be able to use two controllers with the Mavic, so it gains that feature from the Inspire. I am also a bit skeptical of Casey Neistat having the focus incorrectly set. I personally would doubt he even knew of the feature, he is known for taking things out of the box and using them without any reference to the manual. And why did the focus not default to infinity at start-up? I do note that in the Mavic specs, it says the lens is able to focus from 0.5M to infinity, so it seems it is capable of focussing.

Geebax Posted at 2016-10-2 00:21
An interesting point about prop balance. It would not seem as if it would be easy to balance the pr ...

"One interesting point I noticed is that DJI say you will be able to use two controllers with the Mavic"

It sounds like a good point, but are the two controllers not the RC unit working via the 'new' light-bridge, and a phone controlling it via Wi-Fi (just in case you lose the controller). And not to be used at the same time ? I doubt very much that it will mimic the Inspire by having separate flight and camera control.

Aardvark Posted at 2016-10-1 12:08
It wouldn't be too difficult to imagine potential problems for the Mavic. A little prop strike, are  ...

Aloha Aardvark,

     The Mavic has obstacle avoidance that is supposed to work in Sport mode.  And the new DJI goggles are supposed to have 1080p resolution (when they come out - emphasis on when).  Both are in theory at this point, but if they work, the Mavic will be very responsive to those who want to avoid damage to their AC.  

     It is kind of like the difference between an accident and a crash.  Most damage to DJI products are due to crashes - the operator screwed up.  So the owner has to replace a part or parts.  An accident on the other hand is not due to operator error and the warranty has to cover the damage.  It is a design consideration that the easiest parts to suffer damage in either case are easily replaced and inexpensive.  As a different example, that is how racing quads are designed and built.  A lot of lessons are being learned in the racing marketplace.

     As a platform, the Mavic may end up being the next generation of the Phantom platform.  It may also end up constrained by the limits of a flying sport camera niche (damage and vulnerability) as you noted.  This is the future I was noting earlier that we are a part of.  But with our Phantoms, we will still have equipment that will not be obsolete for another half dozen years because the camera resolutions are still way ahead of the monitors and TVs in terms of marketplace production and cost.  

     BTW, we are the ones who are paying for the reduced price of the Mavic with our Phantoms.  We paid good prices for good technology that needed market testing.  As owners, we tested the DJI GO and firmware interfaces with the Phantom technology.  That information and the information from this Forum are invaluable to DJI and their ability to make the Mavic succeed.  As owners of Phantoms, we can claim some credit for the success of the Mavic should it occur both for funding the product and testing the technology.

     The Mavic is not a competitor of our Phantoms, it is our offspring since we are partners of DJI in this family of advanced technology.  And when a Mavic has a success or a problem, we will be the first non-DJI employees to know and understand why it succeeded or had a problem.  Should we decide to participate in the Mavic revolution, like we participated in the Phantom revolution, we will have a leg up on those who are only now trying to become familiar with the DJI GO app and how DJI products work.  As Forum members and Phantom owners, we are in a very unique position and fortunate to have this opportunity to participate in the future of drone operations.  

Aloha and Drone On!

Hi P4 is a great machine it was when you bought it and it still is now,mavic seems to be released to capture the portability market which I have no doubt it will, I feel for people interested in the photography side of things the mavic is a great tool to have also when traveling, but P4 is also great at photography and has a much better fov lens, stick with it and save for a new mavic.

Geebax Posted at 2016-10-1 13:21
An interesting point about prop balance. It would not seem as if it would be easy to balance the pr ...

Aloha Geebax,

     Forget Casey Neistat.  I gave up on him months ago for similar reasons to what you note.  He is only entertainment at best.  I would not buy a car from him.

Aloha and Drone On!

Aardvark Posted at 2016-10-2 19:59
"One interesting point I noticed is that DJI say you will be able to use two controllers with the  ...

Try as I might, I cannot find the section that mentioned dual control, but my recollection was that it is simultaneous, not either or.

billwish76 Posted at 2016-10-1 11:20
because technology moves fast i got a galaxy s7 then they relesed the note. ps mavic is a different  ...

I get your analogy and I even referenced technology always changing in my post, but my point is that the Hero 5 didn't come out months after the Hero 4...It's been a year or more between the two releases.  

In watching the DJI video, they make it look like it has all the advantages of the P4, but much more portable and smaller, which I happen to like.  Lugging that big case around and then the big drone gets a lot of attention.  With the Mavic, I could see taking it to the beach and etc.  

I still think it's going to cannibalize the P4 market, and as a Marketing Professor, I'm willing to bet if the two were released at the same time, the Mavic would win out big time. JMHO.

Interesting....Apparently I'm not the only one who is disappointed and several on this other board say the Mavic is clearly better.....

http://forum.dji.com/thread-64726-1-1.html

Tripper Dog Posted at 2016-10-4 20:47
Interesting....Apparently I'm not the only one who is disappointed and several on this other board s ...

Every new release from DJI brings out the same complaints and they are always pointless.
If you bought a P4 because it suited your requirements, it still will be a good drone for you into the future.
If the new machine is so good that you must have it, then buy one.
Welcome to the world of hi-tech.

hallmark007
Ireland
Offline
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P4 is just 6 months old so it's a recent purchase for all P4 owners , dji does not need to compensate owners for introducing the new Mavic these are two different drones, P4 is a great drone takes wonderful pictures and exceptional videos, I am a P4 owner and from the first day I flew it I loved everything about it and still do, I have also purchased a new Mavic and await its arrival with bated breath, but I purchased it because of its portability I can have an aircraft almost anywhere I travel now and that's great I will be keeping my P 4 simply because I love flying it and it's a quality camera for the price.
However I think dji should bring the P4 up to date with as many of the new functions and innovations that can be added and I think this should be done as soon as possible or at least some sort of announcement as to when this could happen, I believe they owe this to all the customers who have purchased P4, if they don't i for one will be disappointed,after all we keep hearing about how phones change,but the difference is when Apple bring out a new phone they also feel the need to allow older phones to jockey back on new softwear and this is a very fair system.( SO COME ON DJI TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH SOME DIGNITY AND RESPECT FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE SHOWN YOUR COMPANY)

Phantom 4 is a different product then the bottle drone Mavik. In short the Mavik is a direct competition to what kick-starters and Go pro karma have done.  Mavik is limited on some aspects that the Phantom 4 excels in, mainly the camera.
Each year, you will see a new product just like you see with Apple, and Droid manufacturers.

The good news for consumers, is the prices will drop on the older models, so if you are on a budget get last seasons models and you will still be a very happy dronie.

Tripper Dog Posted at 2016-10-4 02:43
I get your analogy and I even referenced technology always changing in my post, but my point is tha ...

Aloha Tripper,

     That analogy (Mavic VS P4) could be used to compare any situation involving old and new technology.  But it is just over six months difference in this case or the last cases for example the P3P and P4, two revolutions in one year.  But that is more of a distraction.  The real competition is between the Mavic and the Karma.  That was DJI's target.  In this scenario, as customers of DJI, we are collateral damage at worst.

     The truth is that the P2 Vision + was a building block for the P3P and the P3P was a building block for the P4 and the P4 was a building block for the Mavic.  They are building blocks in the same lineage, not competitors.  It is the six month turn around in generations that is giving us economic whiplash.  We like the new technology, but does it have to come so fast?!?  In this case, actually, yes.  The Karma was coming to market, and as the dominant competitor, DJI had to confront the Karma decisively or lose market share.  DJI did that, and more, and was able to do more because of the building blocks and their users - us.

     As labroides says, if you need the latest bells and whistles buy one that has the latest bells and whistles.  I drive a car that is 15 years old because it gets 35 miles to the gallon and has "new" technology.  I could buy a hybrid for choke money and get 40 miles to the gallon.  It is just not worth it though.

     It all depends how you want to look at it.  Are you a victim wearing an economic neck brace as collateral damage or the benefactor of a winning marketing strategy.  Both ways, I still feel sorry for Nick Woodman.

Aloha and Drone On!

microcyb Posted at 2016-10-4 22:23
Phantom 4 is a different product then the bottle drone Mavik. In short the Mavik is a direct competi ...

"Mavik is limited on some aspects that the Phantom 4 excels in, mainly the camera."

There's no evidence to support that statement.
It would appear that the Mavic has no deficiency in the camera department.

True, just what I heard but It does state 4K @ 30fps and 12MB stills so for me I was already sold with the 7K range. That is insanely awesome!

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-10-4 21:30
Every new release from DJI brings out the same complaints and they are always pointless.
If you bo ...

I already have a P3, so I don't need a P4.  Everything I want in the P4 (like avoidance technology) is in the Mavic, not to mention portability.  All the supposedly superior video and etc is in the P3 (vs Mavic).  P4 has no real "value" IMHO.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-10-4 21:30
Every new release from DJI brings out the same complaints and they are always pointless.
If you bo ...

One couldn't even get a P4 until near the end of March, so it was actually less than 6 months, but regardless, technology usually does not advance this quickly.  

I already have a P3.  Everything I want in the P4 (like avoidance technology) is in the Mavic, not to mention portability.  All the supposedly superior video and etc is in the P3 (vs Mavic).  P4 has no real "value" IMHO.

4K is almost useless as very little hardware is compatible.  I can get 4K down the road when it's much cheaper and the adoption rate is much higher.

Thank goodness I purchased the P4 @ Best Buy and as a Elite Plus member, I have 45 days to return it.  

I don't see where the P4 has any real "value."  It's either the P3 or Mavic.....

And to those who said the Mavic was more like a "point and shoot" camera, these specs say otherwise....

i see a discernible difference there between the mavic and phantom 4, and there's also a discernible difference between the phantom 3 and 4

microcyb Posted at 2016-10-5 05:08
True, just what I heard but It does state 4K @ 30fps and 12MB stills so for me I was already sold wi ...

remember that 13km range is with absolutely zero wind

g man Posted at 2016-10-5 14:29
remember that 13km range is with absolutely zero wind

And no additional weight.

g man Posted at 2016-10-6 02:26
i see a discernible difference there between the mavic and phantom 4, and there's also a discernible ...

Such as.....?