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Spark or Mavic air

Daantello

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Hello! after experimenting with the Tello I want to move on, in April or so to another drone. Does anybody can inform me, or share the info if it should be the spark or the Mavic air or maybe a complete different brand? And is it wise to buy a drone second hand or not? Thank you for your help. Regards, Daniel Born
 
Just go straight for the Mavic Air. If you purchase the Spark first, then you will see how limited is against the Mavic Air and will have to spend even more money. Just skip the Spark. You will be happier this way.

All brands have their pros and cons. I am currently researching the Autel Evo & Parrot Anafi, since the Geofencing features of DJI are giving me unnecessary headaches. Just do your research and choose what is best for you.

As for second hand drones. You can purchase one. I have friends who have done so and have had luck, but also have friends who have suffered nightmares. If you don't know the history behind the drone, is best not to buy it. You don't know if that drone was crashed, flown in rain, not taken care of properly, etc. If you choose to go this route, then buy it from someone locally, where you can inspect the drone, see the battery charge cycles, test the drone and all its features, etc.

Good luck!
 
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It depends on what you want to do with the drone and how much you are willing to spend.

When I got my Spark more than a year ago, the Air was not out. Even now, I have no desire to get an Air. For me, taking photos is more important than video, so the Spark is better.

Sure, the Spark is more limited than the Air, but do you need the additional features at twice the cost? With a more expensive drone also comes more expensive accessories like batteries, extended warranty’s, etc. Also, repair or replacement, if ever needed is also more expensive. These additional costs are often overlooked when initially purchasing a drone.

Hope this helps in whatever model you decide to buy.

Chris
 
It depends on what you want to do with the drone and how much you are willing to spend.

When I got my Spark more than a year ago, the Air was not out. Even now, I have no desire to get an Air. For me, taking photos is more important than video, so the Spark is better.

Sure, the Spark is more limited than the Air, but do you need the additional features at twice the cost? With a more expensive drone also comes more expensive accessories like batteries, extended warranty’s, etc. Also, repair or replacement, if ever needed is also more expensive. These additional costs are often overlooked when initially purchasing a drone.

Hope this helps in whatever model you decide to buy.

Chris
Put it like this.

Flight Time
Spark = 16 mins
Air = 21 mins

Camera
Spark = 1080p 12 MP
Air = 4k 12MP

Distance
Spark = 2km
Air = 4km

Max Speed
Spark = up to 50 kph
Air = up to 68 kph

Gimbal
Spark = 2 axis
Air = 3 Axis

Price
Spark = $399 or $549
Air = $799 or $999

There are many more features I can compare. I'm not saying the Spark is bad. It's a great drone, but the Air is worth it's price in extra features the Spark just doesn't have. The impression the OP gave me that after playing with what he has, he wants more. So why make him buy a Spark now, when later he will want the Air. Save him those $399.
 
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but the Air is worth it's price in extra features the Spark just doesn't have. The impression the OP gave me that after playing with what he has, he wants more. So why make him buy a Spark now, when later he will want the Air. Save him those $399.

If the extra features are what the OP wants/needs then yes, the Air is worth its price, otherwise its not worth 2X the cost.

Also, there will always be something better with more features and less cost later.

I’m not making the OP buy anything. I’m just trying to give him/her some things to consider before making a purchase.
Chris
 
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Hello! after experimenting with the Tello I want to move on, in April or so to another drone. Does anybody can inform me, or share the info if it should be the spark or the Mavic air or maybe a complete different brand? And is it wise to buy a drone second hand or not? Thank you for your help. Regards, Daniel Born
Question is what do you want to do with it?
Is your priority making photo, video, FPV, long distance FPV, or just having fun?
Do you need obstacle avoidance?
Are you will to trade priorities against cost?

For example, the Parrot Bebop 2 costs under 300 Euro, and can do a lot of things the Air can do. Autonomous flights, 24min flight time, electronic stabilization instead of gimbal, etc. Add a $5 wifi repeater for 3km range, add a $20 Flypad for high precision controls. Add $15 VR goggles for FPV including headtracking.
Its faster than most DJI products and perfectly stable in gale force winds. It does not enforce NFZ or updates. It has decent support from third party apps.
Its small and light and user repairable (videos & parts from the manufacturer).
It's hackable, and has an official SDK.
So you can have all that for less than half the cost of the Air.

But -and there is always a but- the camera is junk. The footage is blurry, the still photos do not even match the quality of Tello. Sometimes Parrot manages to improve the video recording just to break it again in the next update. Onboard storage capacity is limited to you spend time downloading footage between flights.
There is no obstacle avoidance. You have to mess around with wifi repeater & powerbank (or buy the skycontroller but then the cost goes up) whenever you need more than 50-100m range.
You lack the hip & cool brand name so can't show off.
...

Its all a tradeoff.
The B2 a cool drone for long distance FPV, especially if you use the power version with 30min flight time, have a good wifi repeater, and live somewhere where typical FPV regulations don't apply. But its the wrong choice for even half-decent video or photo.
 
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Question is what do you want to do with it?
Is your priority making photo, video, FPV, long distance FPV, or just having fun?
Do you need obstacle avoidance?
Are you will to trade priorities against cost?

For example, the Parrot Bebop 2 costs under 300 Euro, and can do a lot of things the Air can do. Autonomous flights, 24min flight time, electronic stabilization instead of gimbal, etc. Add a $5 wifi repeater for 3km range, add a $20 Flypad for high precision controls. Add $15 VR goggles for FPV including headtracking.
Its faster than most DJI products and perfectly stable in gale force winds. It does not enforce NFZ or updates. It has decent support from third party apps.
Its small and light and user repairable (videos & parts from the manufacturer).
It's hackable, and has an official SDK.
So you can have all that for less than half the cost of the Air.

But -and there is always a but- the camera is junk. The footage is blurry, the still photos do not even match the quality of Tello. Sometimes Parrot manages to improve the video recording just to break it again in the next update. Onboard storage capacity is limited to you spend time downloading footage between flights.
There is no obstacle avoidance. You have to mess around with wifi repeater & powerbank (or buy the skycontroller but then the cost goes up) whenever you need more than 50-100m range.
You lack the hip & cool brand name so can't show off.
...

Its all a tradeoff.
The B2 a cool drone for long distance FPV, especially if you use the power version with 30min flight time, have a good wifi repeater, and live somewhere where typical FPV regulations don't apply. But its the wrong choice for even half-decent video or photo.
I'm in love with the Autel Evo right now. I know it's more expensive than the Anafi, but <3!!!
 
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Thank you for all your reactions, will make it a bit easier to decide. (Or not ;))

- I like to make pictures, sky pictures the most. I think in the Netherlands I 'm not allowed to fly FPV.
- You must always have clear vision on the drone I believe. (maximum allowed height is 120 Meters)
- And I like to fly fur fun.
- Selfies and to take with holidays are also one of my wishes.

The Tello is nice for indoors, but for outside it might be a better choice I think to buy another drone.

So the spark of the air I guess.

I want to practice first with my Tello, and then make a good decision.

In the main while, suggestions are always welcome!

Kind regards
 
I'm in love with the Autel Evo right now. I know it's more expensive than the Anafi, but <3!!!
Hello, Thank yoiu for your reaction, I saw a film with the Autel Evo, but I think it is not available in the Netherlands..
 
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Hello, Thank yoiu for your reaction, I saw a film with the Autel Evo, but I think it is not available in the Netherlands..
You can order it from Amazon, eBay, and many other places. You can also contact Autel directly, and see if they can ship it to Netherlands. Their customer service is second to none.
 
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Thank you for all your reactions, will make it a bit easier to decide. (Or not ;))

- I like to make pictures, sky pictures the most. I think in the Netherlands I 'm not allowed to fly FPV.
- You must always have clear vision on the drone I believe. (maximum allowed height is 120 Meters)
- And I like to fly fur fun.
- Selfies and to take with holidays are also one of my wishes.

The Tello is nice for indoors, but for outside it might be a better choice I think to buy another drone.

So the spark of the air I guess.

I want to practice first with my Tello, and then make a good decision.

In the main while, suggestions are always welcome!

Kind regards
Sounds like a spark. Anyway it isn't really drone weather in the Netherlands so you still have time to think about it.
 
Sounds like a spark. Anyway it isn't really drone weather in the Netherlands so you still have time to think about it.
Blasphemy!!! It is always drone weather!!!

On a serious note. If you don't know the drone's limitation in cold weather, please don't fly. You will crash and may cause an accident.
 
Blasphemy!!! It is always drone weather!!!

On a serious note. If you don't know the drone's limitation in cold weather, please don't fly. You will crash and may cause an accident.

You mean reduce flight time with cold batteries? Easily solved: Keep them warm in a pocket close to your body. During flight they will stay warm enough in most weather conditions. And who wants to fly at -15° C?
 
You mean reduce flight time with cold batteries? Easily solved: Keep them warm in a pocket close to your body. During flight they will stay warm enough in most weather conditions. And who wants to fly at -15° C?
There is also the freezing of precipitation on the drone, adding weight and unbalancing it. Remember, these drones are bigger and heavier than the Tello. I've read horror stories where frost forms on the propellers of Phantoms, making them crash.
 
You can order it from Amazon, eBay, and many other places. You can also contact Autel directly, and see if they can ship it to Netherlands. Their customer service is second to none.
Thenk you! checked, to import this done will cost about 250 / 300 Euro. Maybe spark or air will be options. Anafi I'm not sure about this drone..
 
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You mean reduce flight time with cold batteries? Easily solved: Keep them warm in a pocket close to your body. During flight they will stay warm enough in most weather conditions. And who wants to fly at -15° C?
I flew my Tello today in -16ºC with a wind chill of -22º. I had warmed the batteries beforehand and everything went fine except I was getting a wind warning that VPS might be turned off because of a few gusts so I cut the flight short otherwise I would have continued to fly until the battery got low.

I also flew my Phantom 3 Standard from the same location out over the lake taking pictures of the ice freezing up.

I regularly fly my Phantom and Spark in cold weather and they perform just as they do in the summer as long as I take precautions like dressing warmly, warming batteries and keeping an eye on the voltage levels in the battery.

Chris
 
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Thenk you! checked, to import this done will cost about 250 / 300 Euro. Maybe spark or air will be options. Anafi I'm not sure about this drone..
Good luck with whatever drone you decide to purchase. In addition to getting advice on this forum there are lots of YouTube videos that compare the Spark and Air that can help you make your decision.

When you decide, come back to this thread and let us know what you have decided upon.

Chris
 
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Good luck with whatever drone you decide to purchase. In addition to getting advice on this forum there are lots of YouTube videos that compare the Spark and Air that can help you make your decision.

When you decide, come back to this thread and let us know what you have decided upon.

Chris
Thank you! I have some time to practice with the Tello. I will let you know when I bought another drone on this thread! It's nice that you all gave me advice! Thank you very much!
 
Good luck with whatever drone you decide to purchase. In addition to getting advice on this forum there are lots of YouTube videos that compare the Spark and Air that can help you make your decision.

When you decide, come back to this thread and let us know what you have decided upon.

Chris
Hello everybody,

I bought the spark! I just tried it and I think it's a good choice! It is easy to control, can handle some wind and the foto's / video's are good enough for me! Again, thank you very much for helping me to make the right choice here!
☺️
 
Hello everybody,

I bought the spark! I just tried it and I think it's a good choice! It is easy to control, can handle some wind and the foto's / video's are good enough for me! Again, thank you very much for helping me to make the right choice here!
☺️
Congratulations! I think you made an excellent choice. The Spark is an amazing value for the money. I was out earlier today flying my Spark and the quality of the photos and video continue to amaze me. The ease with which you can hand launch and land makes it a drone you can fly almost anywhere. In addition it is still the only drone in DJIs line-up that can be docked via the charging station.

Enjoy your new Spark.

Chris
 

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