Over the past couple of years, there has been an unprecedented rise of in the use of drones. With this, various brands have come out of the woodwork and released different kinds of drones in the market.
And perhaps one of the most notable and leading names when it comes to drones is DJI. With its history of releasing some of the best drones in the game, it’s high time we look into three of its game changing products – DJI Mavic Air, DJI Mavic Pro and DJI Spark.
If you are in the process of purchasing a Mavic drone and can’t decide on which one is the best, perhaps you need to look into the differences and similarities of these three drones. By doing this, it would give a better idea of the type of Mavic drone that’s ideal and best for you.
Now let’s walk you through the features, specs and differences of the DJI Mavic Air, DJI Mavic Pro and DJI Spark. And while we are in the process of making these comparisons, do note that the Mavic Air is the latest release from DJI.
| Mavic Air | Mavic Pro | Spark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1. Drone Image |  |  |  |
| #2. Camera | 12 MP | 12.35 MP | 12 MP |
| #3. Shutter Speed | 8s -1/8000 | 8s -1/8000 | 2s -1/8000 |
| #4. Gimbal | 3-Axis | 3-Axis | 2-Axis |
| #5. Recording | 4K Ultra HD | Cinematic 4K | FHD |
| #6. Flight Time | 21 minutes | 27 minutes | 16 minutes |
| #7. Flight Speeds | 43 mph (68.4 kph) | 40 mph (65 kph) | 31 mph (50 kph) |
| #8. Transmission | 80 m (Distance), 50 m (Height) | 80 m (Distance), 50 m (Height) | 100 m (Distance), 50 m (Height) |
| #9. Weigh | 0.95 pound | 1.64 pounds | 1.49 pound |
| #10. Size | 6.5 x 1.6 x 3.2" | 11.4 x 7.1 x 9.4" | 9.8 x 3 x 8.2" |
| #11. Storage | 8 GB | N/A | N/A |
DJI Mavic Air Vs Mavic Pro Vs Spark
| DJI Mavic Air |
● Size and dimensions
While from a distance, you might think all these drones are of the same size and dimension, it’s time to take a closer look at them.
The DJI Spark which is categorized as portable mini drone measures 9.8 x 3 x 8.2 inches and weighs 1.4 pound. The DJI Mavic Air and DJI Mavic Pro, on the other hand measures 6.5 x 1.6 x 3.2 inches and 11.4 x 7.1 x 9.4 inches and weighs 15.2 ounces (0.95 pound) and 1.64 pounds respectively. If we look at the sizing of the three drones, the new DJI Mavic Air is the smallest.
● Active track
Active track is an important feature found in all three DJI drones that allows the automatic tracking of subjects without the use of GPS. It allows you to easily pilot the drone by just tapping the screen and pointing to the specific target or object. This is through an advance image recognition algorithm programmed in the drones.
● Camera
When it comes to the camera features, all three drones have the same sensor size of 1/2.3″. As for their film rates, the Spark and Air both have 12 megapixels while the Mavic Pro has 12.35 megapixels.
DJI Mavic Pro |
And while all three have the same electronic shutter type, they have different shutter speeds. The Mavic Air and Mavic Pro have the a shutter speed of 8s -1/8000 while the Spark has 2s -1/8000. And as for their aperture, they also differ from one another. The Spark has F/2.6 while the Mavic Pro has F/2.2. As for the Mavic Air, its aperture is F/2.8.
When it comes to the gimbals, the Mavic Air and Mavic Pro both have 3-Axis Gimbal-Stabilized Camera. The Spark, on the other and has a 2-Axis gimbal.
As for their video recording, the Mavic Air has 4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 at 24/25/30p and FHD: 1920×1080 capacity. Meanwhile, the Mavic Pro can record images in Cinematic 4K: at 4096×2160 24p , 4K Ultra HD or 3840×2160 at 24/25/30p and Full High Definition at 1920×1080p. Coming in last with its limited video recording quality is the Spark with the FHD: 1920×1080p.
Flight Time
| DJI Spark |
Depending on features being used, all three drones have different flight times. With a fully charged battery, the DJI Spark can can stay on the air uncompromised for 16 minutes. The Mavic Pro, on the other hand can last up to 27 minutes on air. And as for the DJI Mavic Air, flight times is approximately up to 21 minutes.
Also, all three drones have different flight speeds. The Spark only has the maximum flight speed of 31 MPH while Mavic Pro and Mavic Air have much faster speeds at 40 MPH and 43 MPH respectively.
Transmission
While up in the air, users are able to see what their DJI drones are capturing courtesy of their real-time video transmission features.
The Mavic Air and Mavic pro both can transmit video images via WIFI from a distance of 80 meters and height of 50 metres. While the Spark can do the same thing from a 100 meter distance and from a 50 meter height.
What is the Best Choice for You?
Looking at the three types of DJi drones – Mavic Air, Mavic Pro and Spark, it’s clear to see that they all have similarities and differences among each other which makes it difficult for you to choose which is the best one.
To make it even easier for you to figure out which one suits your needs the best, here are the important details that you need to remember when choosing. At the end of the day, whatever type of DJI drone you choose, the most crucial aspect is that it fits your needs and does its job of taking amazing images.
DJI Mavic Air
| DJI Mavic Air |
As the newest member of DJI’s family, the DJI Mavic Air is smaller than the Mavic Pro. And it has an 8 GB internal storage capacity that the other two drones don’t have. This internal storage feature allows footages to be saved in the drone itself.
And compared with the DJI Mavic Pro and Spark, the Mavic Air is able to record footages faster at 100Mbps. It also has steadier 3-Axis gimbal with vibration stopping dampeners that allow users to have more stable shots.
DJI Mavic Pro
| DJI Mavic Pro |
If flight time is one of the most important feature that you are looking for drone, the Mavic Pro has with a decent battery life of about 27 minutes. Perhaps this is because it has a bigger battery compared to the DJI Mavic Air and Spark.
It’s a foldable drone that you can carry around without causing any hassle at all. It’s also the only drone among the three that can capture or record movie-quality images.
DJI Spark
| DJI Spark |
While it may be considered a “mini drone”, there is certainly nothing small about the DJI Spark. And while it may not have all the same features as the bigger Mavic Air and Mavic Pro, it’s for first time drone users and for those who want something tiny but functional that packs a lot of punch.
It’s a lightweight high-performing camera that takes amazing images and videos courtesy of its 2 Axis Gimbal.
Who is the Winner?
All of the 3 models are nearly have the same specs and quality, even camera has the same 12MP and many other specs also can compare to each others. But the best unique point among the 3 is Mavic Air has internal storage 8 GB and Mavic Air is the latest version of DJI drone in 2018 as well. So the winner should be DJI Mavic Air.
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