Is upgrading worth it?

[Mikey87]

Hello all,

I fly +/- 2 months with my Spark. It's awesome... There are two things what can be better...

- The camera: i only use drone for good pictures, very ocasionally i make movies. When i shoot pictures, and look to them after the flight the image is not very sharp when zoom in a little bit.
The edges are blurry. I shoot in auto mode.

- The range: rarely i got 1000+ m, but mostly it gives disconnect errors and laggy video after 400-500m. I fly in FCC mode with OTG cable. I never ever got 2000m range!

So, i was thinking about the options to solve these 2 things. One of these options is to sell the Spark and buy a Mavic Pro. But is it worth? Is the 7km range really? Are the images much more better?

Any tips very welcome!!

 

[ZenSpark]

Hello all,

I fly +/- 2 months with my Spark. It's awesome... There are two things what can be better...

- The camera: i only use drone for good pictures, very ocasionally i make movies. When i shoot pictures, and look to them after the flight the image is not very sharp when zoom in a little bit.
The edges are blurry. I shoot in auto mode.

- The range: rarely i got 1000+ m, but mostly it gives disconnect errors and laggy video after 400-500m. I fly in FCC mode with OTG cable. I never ever got 2000m range!

So, i was thinking about the options to solve these 2 things. One of these options is to sell the Spark and buy a Mavic Pro. But is it worth? Is the 7km range really? Are the images much more better?

Any tips very welcome!!

Mavic air isn't an option? I think that is also an awesome drone to fly and easy to travel with.

 

[Mikey87]

Mavic air isn't an option? I think that is also an awesome drone to fly and easy to travel with.

That's a option, but i read it has the same WiFi system like the Spark. Read also that the Pro have another WiFi what will give you much more range RC ->> Drone.
If it is true, i am not for sure. Does the Mavic Air have the same camera as the pro?

 

[Memo]

I fly the spark for more tha 6 months now,i have done the 2 km but in a place with not great disturbance and i think thats the case with the wifi connection.
Themavic pro 2 went radio i think so thats the true upgrade in my eyes.
i still dig the spark,nd filters and manual really helps,check some vids to see the differense

 

[Barennes]

My 2 cents regarding pictures quality:
- the Spark is known to be excellent for pictures. You should not get better results on MP1 or MP Air. Colors are better on Spark.
- MP2 PRO or P4 PRO with their 1" sensor would be a great improvment.
- for movies this would have been another question: mavics and there 3D gimball outpass the Spark

 

[thewhatever]

Yep and you can wait for the incoming black Friday for juicy prices on MP 2 or Phantom 4.
Meanwhile you can try the range booster for the RC, it costs barely 8$ and should give you an extra range

 

[graywoulf]

As far as portability and the price for extra batteries and accessories, I think the Spark wins it all. Log on to AirVuz and search for Spark videos. You will be amazed at what it can actually do. Editing photos or videos makes it all worthwhile.

 

[abtocmeptb]

even though I also upgraded to higher level drones quality of spark video is very pleasing

I am keeping it.

 

[desert spark]

I just flew my neighbors Mavic Pro II and the 1020P FPV on his iPad control is fantastic and the still photos were beyond great once downloaded!

 

[Mikey87]

Yep and you can wait for the incoming black Friday for juicy prices on MP 2 or Phantom 4.
Meanwhile you can try the range booster for the RC, it costs barely 8$ and should give you an extra range

Does the range booster really, really works?

 

[wilsonthedog]

The difference in video and pic quality is minimal from Mavic Pro and Spark but when you fly both you can feel how superior Mavic Pro is to Spark in terms of speed, control, and range. I like having both, but I trust Mavic Pro over Spark.

 

[RPL]

The difference in video and pic quality is minimal from Mavic Pro and Spark but when you fly both you can feel how superior Mavic Pro is to Spark in terms of speed, control, and range. I like having both, but I trust Mavic Pro over Spark.

I disagree with part of this statement. In regards to picture quality, both drones are going to be identical (same sensor). However, the MP is going to produce significantly better video quality, given that it can shoot in 4K. The MP also allows for manual video settings in regards to color profiles, video resolution and frame rate. As for connectivity and range, you’re definitely correct. It’s a night and day difference when comparing transmission systems.

 

[Davenwolf]

Hello all,

I fly +/- 2 months with my Spark. It's awesome... There are two things what can be better...

- The camera: i only use drone for good pictures, very ocasionally i make movies. When i shoot pictures, and look to them after the flight the image is not very sharp when zoom in a little bit.
The edges are blurry. I shoot in auto mode.

- The range: rarely i got 1000+ m, but mostly it gives disconnect errors and laggy video after 400-500m. I fly in FCC mode with OTG cable. I never ever got 2000m range!

So, i was thinking about the options to solve these 2 things. One of these options is to sell the Spark and buy a Mavic Pro. But is it worth? Is the 7km range really? Are the images much more better?

Any tips very welcome!!

Learn to use what you have before upgrading or you'll be out of pocket and disappointed again. Put the camera in manual mode and put the Spark in tripod mode. Buying something with a better camera won't make you a better photographer if you just use auto mode.

 

[thewhatever]

Does the range booster really, really works?

Didn't try it myself yet, but I have read very contradictory reviews, though at this price tag it doesn't hurt to try, of course it's just in case you have FCC mode

 

[NRRTRAINS]

The difference in video and pic quality is minimal from Mavic Pro and Spark but when you fly both you can feel how superior Mavic Pro is to Spark in terms of speed, control, and range. I like having both, but I trust Mavic Pro over Spark.

the spark is not a MP but it is a great drone at half the price and small enugf to take any ware . compare apples to apples .

 

[Djr01974]

Spark is great but I’ve been thinking of getting a Mavic Air.

 

[JoostGT3]

Hello all,

I fly +/- 2 months with my Spark. It's awesome... There are two things what can be better...

- The camera: i only use drone for good pictures, very ocasionally i make movies. When i shoot pictures, and look to them after the flight the image is not very sharp when zoom in a little bit.
The edges are blurry. I shoot in auto mode.

- The range: rarely i got 1000+ m, but mostly it gives disconnect errors and laggy video after 400-500m. I fly in FCC mode with OTG cable. I never ever got 2000m range!

So, i was thinking about the options to solve these 2 things. One of these options is to sell the Spark and buy a Mavic Pro. But is it worth? Is the 7km range really? Are the images much more better?

Any tips very welcome!!

Ha Mike,
I have both, started with a Mavic Pro 18 months ago, bought the Spark 2 months ago, as a backup.

To answers just your questions; yes, the Mavic Pro's camera is quite better, at least it gives you much more possibilitys (RAW photo's, 4k video output, settings to choose different color and sharpness presets, etc. Be aware that this also means much more things can go wrong, and it is exactly what I love so much about my Spark; switch it on, hit record and fly. No worries about all those pesky settings! It provides for absolutely stress free flying. Know though, that a big part of the camera is the gimball. The Mavic Pro's gimball is superior to that of the Spark, and you really notice it; you can fly really smooth shots with the Mavic, where there with the Spark you always run the risk that it reacts a bit choppy.

Range-wise, yes, the Mavic Pro has a range far superior to that of the Spark. In my case, the maximum I have flown my Mavic Pro is about 1600m (in CE mode). At that range, it will give you some warnings when flying low, but nothing real scary. My Spark, I had to put it in FCC mode, otherwise I wouldn't even be able to fly it across a football field! The distance is not such a very big issue to me (even though it can be really cool to fly it at a 1000m away), it is more that the Mavic Pro's is so much more robust. I hardly ever worry about losing connection to the Mavic, whereas with the Spark, there is always this little voice in the back of my head telling me to not fly too far away.

There are many other differences between the two that can matter, depending on how you (want to) use them. Feel free to ask!
I hope this helps!
Cheers, Joost

 

[TangoMango]

Does the range booster really, really works?

I'm saying "no". I purchased one and find out it actually has the opposite effect, causing my Spark to lose connection. (Could be ghosts in the system effecting my batch)

 

[Darren DeWolfe]

Does the range booster really, really works?

I haven't tried to do anything drastic in terms of range, but I watched many you tube videos that proved (at least to me) that they really work. I use an iPad Mini 4 (and iPhone 6s occasionally) with wifi and NO OTG cable. I used to get periodic loss of connection (more like a momentary drop-out) when flying within 500 metres, but that all ceased when I started using the range extender. I'm hoping the benefits are real and the range extender isn't some sort of placebo.

 

[lmel2005]

Ha Mike,
I have both, started with a Mavic Pro 18 months ago, bought the Spark 2 months ago, as a backup.

To answers just your questions; yes, the Mavic Pro's camera is quite better, at least it gives you much more possibilitys (RAW photo's, 4k video output, settings to choose different color and sharpness presets, etc. Be aware that this also means much more things can go wrong, and it is exactly what I love so much about my Spark; switch it on, hit record and fly. No worries about all those pesky settings! It provides for absolutely stress free flying. Know though, that a big part of the camera is the gimball. The Mavic Pro's gimball is superior to that of the Spark, and you really notice it; you can fly really smooth shots with the Mavic, where there with the Spark you always run the risk that it reacts a bit choppy.

Range-wise, yes, the Mavic Pro has a range far superior to that of the Spark. In my case, the maximum I have flown my Mavic Pro is about 1600m (in CE mode). At that range, it will give you some warnings when flying low, but nothing real scary. My Spark, I had to put it in FCC mode, otherwise I wouldn't even be able to fly it across a football field! The distance is not such a very big issue to me (even though it can be really cool to fly it at a 1000m away), it is more that the Mavic Pro's is so much more robust. I hardly ever worry about losing connection to the Mavic, whereas with the Spark, there is always this little voice in the back of my head telling me to not fly too far away.

There are many other differences between the two that can matter, depending on how you (want to) use them. Feel free to ask!
I hope this helps!
Cheers, Joost

I have both drones too, fly Mavic with goggles and second controller, and I agree with all your points.

Spark is the easiest drone to fly, it's in the air in less than a minute, and it's very portable.

On the other hand, Mavic is another animal, with more capabilities and technology on it.