Battle of the drones - GoPro Karma vs DJI Mavic Pro

[Johnmcl7]

The Karma was meant to be out last week but no sign of it and the US store is saying end of November now

On the plus though I was impressed with this footage shot using a gimbal:



Although I suspect it won't work as well with my more sedate riding as it will just make look really slow and easy.

On the other hand I came across a review of the Karma and Mavic that showed some serious issues with the Karma so perhaps it's a good thing it's been delayed, unfortunately the video was another of these incredibly obnoxious and grating authors who favour substance over any usable content and couldn't manage five minutes before I had quit the video particularly after they spent several minutes berating the Karma for the name and the type of plastics used. Hopefully some of the proper reviewers will have some information up soon.

John

[EviL Ras]

Vloggers just started posting karma videos last night. So expect some full reviews shortly I guess!

[Replicant]

Bad Karma GO Pro recalls all Drones

[EviL Ras]

Looks like people say the karma track better in a 360 fly around. But the software on the mavic is better. Mavic has a better flight time and they;ve had less crashes than karma, hence the recall!

I quite like the look of the new dobby, as its cheap and very small. I just wish the gimbal was better as its purely digital!

[Johnmcl7]

Well that makes the Karma decision easy, it's bad they're recalling them but worse that they don't have replacements.

John

[Johnmcl7]

DJI have announced the new Phantom 4 Pro which has a massive 1in sensor in its camera, a big upgrade over the 1/2.3in sensor they normally use:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/641242022 ... e-2-drones

At £1600 though it's a big price premium but it is certainly a much better camera and I'm a big fan of this sensor in the RX100 series.

John

[EviL Ras]

Not tempted by the micro four thirds on the inspire 2 then? With interchangeable lenses?! That's crazy pro featured!

[Johnmcl7]

As cool as a drone like that looks its price puts it way, way out of consideration, there's no way I'd use it enough to justify that level of expense over a cheaper drone and there's always that chance that it has an accident and that's too much money down the drain.

I'm not sure how much I'd actually use a drone at all and it may be a bit of a novelty hence the Karma appealed because it wasn't that expensive and if I didn't use the drone then I'd still get the benefit for the gimble and camera. I'm unsure what to do now as aside from the fact I can't buy the Karma and I'm not sure I'd trust it now, they've also removed the free two year accidental damage warranty. I was getting pretty excited about having a drone and I got an unexpected bonus at work but there's nothing I'm seeing at the moment that's particularly tempting.

John

[Johnmcl7]

I see US Karma customers are getting a free Hero 5 for their troubles, I wish I'd been able to get one now

I'm a bit confused about the Phantom 4's current position, the standard Phantom 4 is around £1300 while the Mavic is £1100 - the Mavic is obviously far smaller but seems to have few downsides aside from a slightly weaker camera as it still seems fast, good batterylife and avoidance sensors. Are there any advantages the standard Phantom 4 has bar the camera?

I see the Inspire 1 V2 has had a big price drop although looking at stats a Phantom 4 is a better choice unless needing specific pro features.

John

[Johnmcl7]

While I was away, a couple of the other contractors had brought a Mavic out with them and been filming the beaches to produce some really cool footage. They'd been after the Karma initially as well but then held off when they'd heard of the power recall and then managed to bag a Mavic somehow, apparently the problem with the Karma is a hardware issue as the vibration of the motors is causing something to come loose which is then killing power to the drone. Not seen that mentioned before but it certainly fits with the fact GoPro are recalling the drones rather than an OTA FW upgrade and they're refunding rather than replacing them.

I was toying a little with the idea of a Phantom 4 Pro but decided that the Mavic is worth waiting for, hopefully once the Christmas rush is over the wait will drop.

John

[Johnmcl7]

GoPro have given a pretty vague update on the Karma:

https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/05/gop ... -february/

It doesn't really give much confidence, I'm still waiting for Mavic's to come back into stock.

John

[Johnmcl7]

DJI seem to be showing some stock on their site so I've got my order in and confirmed although no dispatch yet.

John

[EviL Ras]

Getting a mavic? Nice! Sadly no use in central london as its pretty much forbidden to fly one!

[Johnmcl7]

I wouldn't want to use a drone in a built up area, aside from the legal and privacy issues I'd be concerned about interference and the possibility of hitting something. The beauty of the Karma and the Mavic is that I can easily take them out with me while cycling rather than needing a car as I would for normal drones. After GoPro eliminated the Karma as an option I wasn't sure it was worth paying more for the Mavic or getting a cheap Phantom 3 but what sold the Mavic to me was meeting a pair of contractors in Puerto Rico who had taken the Mavic with them which was entirely feasible.

I ordered the Mavic last Wednesday though and nothing has happened since they took payment which is a bit annoying as they're still listing it as 7-10 days (it actually dropped briefly to 5-7 days), I've mailed them but just had a response saying they're busy. Their FAQ raises some concerns as well taking about import charges, I'm a little on the fence now whether to cancel, wait a bit more and get it from a decent UK retailer.

John

[EviL Ras]

Move over fatty, theres a new drone in town.