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DJI Mavic Mini killed the DJI Spark – simplifying the Mavic lineup

Some here are of the opinion that lack of obstacle avoidance is not a deal-breaker and that is certainly a valid opinion. I'm usually hesitant to buy any new product until it has established a track record in real world. Spark is a tough little bird as many user reports attest. Mavic Mini, in the quest to save weight, has yet to prove whether its as durable. Certain "teething pains" can be expected with a complex new product such as MM and the early feedback is a mix of pro and con. DJI knew what the Christmas buying season meant when they released the MM. As a Spark owner, knowing the track record of my drone gives me a different perspective than if I was a first time drone buyer. I can only suggest that you diligently research the online communities to see if the MM sounds like something you'd want to invest your money in. It's good to have options and in my opinion, it comes down between Spark and Mavic Mini. Good luck with your quest.

Thank you!
 
As a beginner, I personally would likely opt for the Mini now. Excellent camera, great fly time and no worries about licensing for the pilot or registration for the drone (at least in Canada and many other countries). Also, the cost is less, though I'm sure there are now deals to be had on the Spark if you look around. What you give up are forward sensors and potentially some range. If you're stuck with the 2.0 km range limit (CE model), that may be a problem. But again, for many people 2 km may be more than enough. I lose sight of my spark after not much more than a few hundred meters usually. So technically I should not go much further than that.

In the end it's a personal choice and my needs are likely different than yours, or your sons in this case. I think he would be happy with either. Let us know how it goes.

Thank you!
 
Some here are of the opinion that lack of obstacle avoidance is not a deal-breaker and that is certainly a valid opinion.

Lack of obstacle avoidance is certainly not a deal breaker. Simply because by drone shots, we typically mean aerial shots from well above everything, somewhere a hand held camera cannot reach. It is true that some people like to fly low and close to objects and that's where OA would be useful but the best way to get such shots is with a gimbal mounted DSLR, not a drone.
Also the 30mins flight time of the MM is a huge advantage over the Spark. If anyone says that it doesn't matter to them, it only means that he has already invested in a lot of Spark batteries, portable charging stations etc. And that being said, it is clear why someone would be hesitant to "upgrade" to a MM from a Spark. Features like ActiveTrack and waypoints (via 3rd party apps) would also be hard to live without once you get used to them.
But to a new drone buyer, it is an absolute no brainer whether he should buy the MM or not.
 
Lack of obstacle avoidance is certainly not a deal breaker. Simply because by drone shots, we typically mean aerial shots from well above everything, somewhere a hand held camera cannot reach. It is true that some people like to fly low and close to objects and that's where OA would be useful but the best way to get such shots is with a gimbal mounted DSLR, not a drone.
Also the 30mins flight time of the MM is a huge advantage over the Spark. If anyone says that it doesn't matter to them, it only means that he has already invested in a lot of Spark batteries, portable charging stations etc. And that being said, it is clear why someone would be hesitant to "upgrade" to a MM from a Spark. Features like ActiveTrack and waypoints (via 3rd party apps) would also be hard to live without once you get used to them.
But to a new drone buyer, it is an absolute no brainer whether he should buy the MM or not.
Well, by now I've done all kinds of research, asked questions, got answers (thank you, guys!) and what I established is that there's no way to go wrong here: both drones are good only with some different features. In practical terms (for me), if my son wants to put all his money in the MM it, that's just fine. He will enjoy flying his drone either way. I appreciate your help, my understanding has substantially increased about the subject. It's also important because there's not much more my son talks about nowadays than the drone... :)
Thank you again!
 
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Русскоязычному участнику тоже можно высказать своё мнение? Моя интернет браузер прекрасно переводит все ваши споры и диалоги. Надеюсь и меня вы поймёте. Я тоже пока немного скептически отношусь к новому участнику Mavic Mini,. Искра уже испытанная лошадка. Да, есть у него свои слабые стороны. Но его надёжность подкупает. За год эксплуатации я не сломал ни одного пропеллера. Пользуюсь русским патчем DJI GO, на котором активирован стандарт FCC, который позволяет мне на знакомом языке управлять дроном на расстоянии более 2 км. Меня это вполне устраивает. Прекрасно работает с литчи, осваиваю и наслаждаюсь полётами по программе. Да, подвес не трёхосевой, да, полёт всего 13-14 минут. Но я купил себе ещё аккумуляторов и не сильно беспокоюсь об этом. Потому что менять не спешу. Поживём - увидим. Да и FullHD меня вполне устраивает. Не приходится долго ждать пока видеоредактор склеит и обрабатывает ролик.

Google translate...

Can a Russian-speaking participant also express their opinion? My internet browser perfectly translates all your disputes and dialogs. I hope you will understand me. I, too, am still a little skeptical about the new member of the Mavic Mini ,. The spark is already a tested horse. Yes, he has his own weaknesses. But its reliability is captivating. During the year of operation, I did not break a single propeller. I use the Russian DJI GO patch, on which the FCC standard is activated, which allows me to control the drone in a familiar language at a distance of more than 2 km. It quite suits me. Works great with Litsch, master and enjoy flying the program. Yes, the suspension is not three-axis, yes, the flight is only 13-14 minutes. But I bought myself another battery and not much worried about it. Because I’m not in a hurry to change. Wait and see. Yes, and FullHD quite suits me. You don’t have to wait long for the video editor to glue and process the video.



Hello from the Hoosier Heartland .

Although this is an English Forum, we welcome everyone.

As long as we have the almighty Google to help translate, communication shouldn't be a problem.

Welcome to the Forum. ?
 
Русскоязычному участнику тоже можно высказать своё мнение? Моя интернет браузер прекрасно переводит все ваши споры и диалоги. Надеюсь и меня вы поймёте. Я тоже пока немного скептически отношусь к новому участнику Mavic Mini,. Искра уже испытанная лошадка. Да, есть у него свои слабые стороны. Но его надёжность подкупает. За год эксплуатации я не сломал ни одного пропеллера. Пользуюсь русским патчем DJI GO, на котором активирован стандарт FCC, который позволяет мне на знакомом языке управлять дроном на расстоянии более 2 км. Меня это вполне устраивает. Прекрасно работает с литчи, осваиваю и наслаждаюсь полётами по программе. Да, подвес не трёхосевой, да, полёт всего 13-14 минут. Но я купил себе ещё аккумуляторов и не сильно беспокоюсь об этом. Потому что менять не спешу. Поживём - увидим. Да и FullHD меня вполне устраивает. Не приходится долго ждать пока видеоредактор склеит и обрабатывает ролик.
Hello, and welcome from rural Kentucky! I am glad your browser translates for you, for I do not understand the Russian words or writing as of yet. This forum is a wealth of information, so soak it all up. I agree with your views of the Spark. It is a time-tested tank of a drone. There is a lot of technology crammed into the Spark's small body, and for the price and durability, you can't beat the fun factor. I am on another forum for Mavic pilots and I am seeing an increasing number of threads saying bad things of the Mavic Mini, things like "Mavic Mini Dropped Out of the Sky - Why??" "Mavic Mini Crashed! Help!" "My Mavic Mini Flew Away" There are obviously bugs in the Mini, but it came out recently, so you can't expect it to be perfect on the first try. It'll take time to iron out the wrinkles, but when they do, I think the Mini will be even better.
 
My Spark is over 2 years old -- got it a few months before Christmas 2017. I just bought myself an Ipadmini 5 to improve the experience and a 4th battery is along the way. I am sticking to it for the longest time and practice more of my piloting skills. If an Occusync does show up in a Mavic Air body, that may be the only time I will consider getting another drone.
 
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I like what the MM as to offer and thinking of getting one. Sure the Spark as some more features that I like and wish that they were also available on the MM but I also realize weight is the restriction to having all the features that the Spark has and for me the weight of the MM is a plus as to able to avoid some of Canadian regulations and give me more places to fly.

So I feel this drone will be a good fit for me overall and ticks a lot of boxes for me , maybe not all but close.
 
Dji will sell lots of Minis given time. But they will have to wait for a while for flyaways to need replacing due to the Mini not handling wind very well. That is, if fliers replace them with like for like, or go to the Air and above. They would do well to replace the flyaway Mini with a well looked after spark.
Less than 250gm, no licencing? so what. If you cant afford £9 you have a problem.
Longer flight time? It takes me 30 seconds to land and change a battery on my Spark.
Better Camera? The differences between the Mini and Spark are only evident to the naked eye if the shot is to be blown up over 10 x 8 inches.
Cant think of any more benefits over the Spark. I will be keeping my well built, crash restant, 300gm Spark which gives me fantastic responsive flying, even in quite windy conditions, great pictures and unbelievable reliability. Yes there are reported flyaways, which I would confidently predict the great majority of which were down to pilot error, whether flying error, preflight setup error, or maintenance error.
Yes, I love everything about my Spark. I think it is possibly one of the best models produced by Dji. But if you like the Mini, fly and enjoy cos that is the whole point of our hobby.
 
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Dji will sell lots of Minis given time. But they will have to wait for a while for flyaways to need replacing due to the Mini not handling wind very well. That is, if fliers replace them with like for like, or go to the Air and above. They would do well to replace the flyaway Mini with a well looked after spark.
Less than 250gm, no licencing? so what. If you cant afford £9 you have a problem.
Longer flight time? It takes me 30 seconds to land and change a battery on my Spark.
Better Camera? The differences between the Mini and Spark are only evident to the naked eye if the shot is to be blown up over 10 x 8 inches.
Cant think of any more benefits over the Spark. I will be keeping my well built, crash restant, 300gm Spark which gives me fantastic responsive flying, even in quite windy conditions, great pictures and unbelievable reliability. Yes there are reported flyaways, which I would confidently predict the great majority of which were down to pilot error, whether flying error, preflight setup error, or maintenance error.
Yes, I love everything about my Spark. I think it is possibly one of the best models produced by Dji. But if you like the Mini, fly and enjoy cos that is the whole point of our hobby.

I agree with a lot of your statements , but the not highlighted text. I know nothing of European drones laws but for Canada even though I have my Spark registered and I also have my basic license (both required under Canadian law) to fly drones over 250g legally.
I cannot not fly the Spark in my backyard legally but with the MM I could as well as a lot of other places (for how long this will last who knows) so yeah it does appeal to me.
 

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