Which Mid-Range Drone Will We Buy Next

In our next company year starting May 2017 we are looking to invest in new UAV Equipment to work alongside and eventually replace our current midrange workhorse the DJI Phantom 3 Pro’s.
As Drone Photography in the UK continues to develop and become mainstream for many industry uses we will continue to invest in the latest drone technology.
Over the last few weeks we have looked at DJI’s three latest models the Phantom 4, Phantom 4 Pro and the Mavic Pro.
The specs for these 3 DJI drones are all similar with many Mavic Pro features appearing in the new Phantom 4 Pro.
Heliguy, one of our equipment suppliers, did a really in-depth comparison of the three drones explaining what is included with each product and comparing:

• Appearance
• Performance
• Battery Life
• Camera Specs

You can read the full Heliguy article here.
We decided against the Phantom 4 Pro because although the camera spec is higher, we cover this requirement and area of our business with our larger DJI Inspire fleet of drones.
The recent launch of the Phantom 4 Pro should also reduce the price of the Phantom 4 down towards the current Mavic Pro pricing.

Our decision is between the Phantom 4 or the Mavic Pro.

Both have very similar battery life and flight times with the 20% battery level coming up at 19 mins for the Phantom 4 and 20 mins for the Mavic Pro.
The obstacle avoidance sensors on the front and the underneath sensors to track height when there is not GPS signal are the same.
The camera specs are similar with the Phantom 4 lens having a wider field of view.
The maximum flight range in the Mavic is higher but this is irrelevant, as we only ever fly a maximum of 500 meters line of sight in the UK.
The Phantom 4 uses Lightbridge to transmit the video signal to the controller / tablet and the Mavic uses the newer technology of Ocusync, which can give 1080 live view resolution with a good signal.
In sports mode the Phantom 4 will fly slightly faster at 44mph compared to 40 mph, but in strong headwinds the Phantom 4 is definitely more powerful.
Including batteries, the weight of the drones are very different with the Phantom 4 tipping the scales at 1,380 grams and the Mavic at 743 grams.
The Mavic seems a lot smaller but diagonally motor to motor there is only a 15-millimeter difference. We think the low height above the ground, makes the Mavic look so different.
After testing we have decide that the Phantom 4 is our main choice for 2017 for the following reasons:

• It is much stronger and more stable in the wind;
• The Phantom 4 has more accessories, like ND Filters and prop guards;
• The Phantom 4 gives us the ability to hand catch the drone to land;
• The controller is designed to be used with an IPad Mini or android tablet rather than a mobile.

However if the budget allows we will buy a single Mavic for its portability and how quiet it flies. It should be a great 2017.

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