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Casey Neistat on the DJI Mavic Air, Mavic Pro, Spark and Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian
Casey Neistat is a vlogger on the platform of YouTube amassing an astonishing 10 million+ subscribers at the time of writing. Now you don’t get to that level of YouTube and internet stardom without learning and picking up a thing or two about cameras, photography and videography as a whole. Casey, like us, is a huge a drone enthusiast and often works with the companies that we know and love in his videos. Whether that’s chatting to the owner and founder of GoPro or flying around attached to a drone while snowboarding – the guy’s always at the cutting edge. So what did he think when he was given the DJI Mavic Air, Mavic Pro, Spark and Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian? Well, there’s a well made video to go with the review – because of course there is – but if you’re not in the mood for a 10 minute watch – let us give you the TLDW:
You can watch the video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdUryRvNmgs
What’s the verdict
Well the verdict is pretty simple and it’s one that we were expecting. Each of the drones have their strengths and weaknesses and are best suited to different purposes.
DJI Mavic Air vs DJI Spark
The first contest in the battle for the best DJI is the Air vs the Spark. The Mavic air comes in at a price point of $799 and will let you shoot in 4k at 30fps – pretty good and an industry standard as of current. The Spark however lags a little, but not a lot, and will capture full HD 1080 x 1920 images at the same 30 fps. The drones are roughly the same size with picture quality separating the tech. So that’s a better, smoother picture from the Mavic Air but with $400 more – is it really worth it? We honestly think so.
DJI Mavic Air vs DJI Mavic Pro
The Mavic Pro comes in at a slightly pricer $999 compared to the Air’s $799. With both drones shooting in 4k at 30fps – it can be difficult to see where your extra pennies are actually going. The Mavic Air’s footage is actually better in 4k with the heavily improved HDR. There’s also a selection of new modes such as panoramic shots and slow motion (1080 at 120pfs). With a small design, the Air is easy to carry around and perfect for travel. In a nutshell, it’s hard to want much more. The Air wins every time.
DJI Mavic Air vs DJI Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian
The Air vs the Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian is probably the most important and interesting comparison of the video with the Phantom 4 coming in at $1499 – almost twice that of the Air. This is noticeable instantly when it comes to the quality of the image with the Phantom 4 having a much superior quality compared to lower spec model. There’s a smoother video, better colour and a greater dynamic range. The Phantom 4 does come with it’s issues though – the major of which is the bulkiness – meaning that the drone is a nightmare to cart around with you. If travel and location scouting is up there with your list of priorities – it might be the Mavic Air that proves the best choice for you.
