You saved me from buying a Mavic mini and instead found a Mavic air used on Facebook! I could not be happier with my purchase, this drone is incredible!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
My Mavic air still works perfectly and I fly it multiple times a week. Lots of people seem to have signal issues with it, but the signal on mine works perfectly without and lag or signal breakup. I thought about upgrading to the air 2, but the camera on the air 1 is fine for my purposes, and if you get the master airscrew propellers it can fly for an extra couple of minutes and is a bit quiter. Perfect drone for now. Might upgrade when the air 3 comes out.
I bought my Mavic Air Combo when they were first released (at a very good price from HK Airport) and I have never felt the need to upgrade. They just released the Air 2s and that has some impressive features but I won’t be upgrading primarily because of new CAA and Euro regulations which might make the original Air even more desirable because of its low weight but also, as you pointed out, it’s so compact that my kit fits in a small satchel (inc the iPad mini that I use as a monitor). Oh and it’s also pretty tough, I managed to park mine in an oak tree (right at the end of a branch) and it took several days and different ropes/cords and throwing weights before I managed to get a line over the end of the branch to shake the drone free. It then fell 15m but was undamaged!
Great story Colin! and good points. I agree, the mavic air is sturdy! When I had the mini, before it got stuck in a tree, it once crashed into a branch and fell 10m and the bottom chasis had a huge rupture (but it could still fly). Due to the low weight the mini drones are incredibly brittle.
@@JonBear I had to apply lots of Physics to my problem 🤦♂️ The final solution was: a nylon cord with a wrench tied to the end (and wrapped in case it hit the drone) then stand on small step ladder (to allow a larger radius of swing) and finally turn my back to the tree and release the cord when my arm was at the top of the rotation . . .easy!
Although I've already upgraded to the new Air 2s with a much better camera, I still have a lot of fun flying the original Mavic Air. The original Mavic Air was the last drone from DJI when they still cared for putting a higher quality consumer product in the market.
For myself, i still consider the Spark for my use (it was my first DJI drone, big, big step !), the size in a bag is really important, and even the case which come with the Mini1, and the bag with the Mini2 are bigger than the one which come with the Spark. I used it for some projects from 4 years ago, without any problems, the fact the Spark have sensors in front of it saved it sooooo many times, and i almost crashed my Mini1 exactly for that reason. For beginners, and even for regulars pilots, obstacle avoidance is really important, even when you think of knowing how to pilot a drone, you never can predict everything it could happend during a flight. I'm seriously looking about a Mavic Air to replace my Spark, i bought a Mini1, which didn't get all the points, and the confidence in flight i had with my Spark, not even the pleasure of flying it... I have a Mavic Pro too (not two ^^') now, but it's significantly bigger and heavier to travel with. Thanks for this review, you confirm my thoughts ;) Sorry for the poor English, i'm a frenc who don't xant to use Google Trad for each word ^^'
Awesome! Yeah if size and obstacle avoidance is important then Mavic Air is worth considering. I recently travelled with a friend who used the Mavic Mini 2 and it had better range due to the new (and big) controller. So if the range is important ad you don't mind the larger package, then the Mini 2 is also a good consideration. But it has no obstacle avoidance. I crashed a Mini before so I agree with you, obstacle avoidance is important and I didn't really talk about it in this video.
I just found my old Mavic air, after having forgotten where I packed it over a year ago (laugh all you want, but one day you'll be 56 years old too). Was thinking maybe it was the right time to upgrade. Well, you saved me 1000 USD. If I was a bigger man, I'd cut you a check for your part in the cost avoidance, but you'll have to make do with my thanks! Seriously, nicely done and detailed video; I really enjoyed your presentation and personality as well. I'll definitely be checking out your other content. Takk Fyrir!
@@topicruben A set of polarized ND´s goes for around $30 for the Mavic Air, very affordable. Looking forward to testing them. Will go film the volcano again tomorrow with the bmpcc4k and the mavic air :D Cheers Ruben!
Great video in early 2023. With the exception of battery shortages due to discontinuation of the drone, this is an outstanding piece of kit to have for flight based photography/ videography. Let’s be honest, who wants to fly their drone (hobbyists level) out 2-4km anyway? Even RC pilots tend to fly their planes and copters over fields with clear lines of sight.
@@JonBear Thank you for the reply. Funnily enough, as of last night, and thanks to the over-enthusiastic purchasing of new tech by some people who soon after want to buy the next new thing, I now have 8 batteries for the drone!! And I rarely have enough time to fly the little beauty (6~7 days a week working life in Japan!). No need to reply but..... if you ever pop over to Ireland, it'd be great to see a drone video of the west (Kerry up to Mayo is outstanding...sometimes desolate). I imagine with your skills you'd make a superbly impressive video.
@@daithiod Thanks for the suggestion! I haven't travelled in Ireland before and only ever been to Dublin. Would love to drive the countryside. I lived in Japan for 4 years I can relate to the busy life!
Thank you for this. I was debating if there was a better upgrade option for me, but the size works perfectly for my traveling along with the recording specs and you can't beat that. I do have a signal range issue (even when using range extenders), however, but other than that it's fine.
Yes the range can gets more easily interrupted than newer models. But as long as you have a clear line of sight and are not in an urban area, you won't have issues
Happy with the Mavic Air too. Nice summary. I guess the signal issues will not be there when flying in remote areas like you do without WiFi - pollution. I wished I could use the transmission system build in for the US here in Europe
Haven't flown the mini 3 pro. It's really hard to know from specs. For example when I flew the Air2 first time I knew this was a beast of a drone. The way it felt controlling it.
Totally agree! Before my trip to Iceland this June I decided to buy a new one... Tested, compared footage.. and I have no budget limitations, but decided that there is nothing on the market better than Mavic Air
If you get it used for $300-400 with spare batteries, then you're getting a good deal! Also something nobody mentions: It's very nerve-wrecking to fly expensive drones. If you crash your Mavic Air it's not going to hurt as much financially
Nice vid! With the master airscrew propellers this drone gains 2more minutes of flying time and reduces the noise considerably. You can buy them on Amazon or in the official website. Also with the yagis and parabolics the performance it's much better.
Hi guys! I will say YES this is one of the best small drones for everything even in 2021. I fly this drone for 2 years now and after that time i still think its AMAZING! I have hundreads of crashes and Mavic allways survive. Small, fast, ultra durable, real 4k camera...
I had the Mavic Air and I loved it at the time, but the poor connexion and the gimbal calibration that I had to make almost every time was annoying. I got the new Mini 3 pro and it's sooo much better. I do miss the Mavic Air, it has a good place in my hart.
Hey there. I was looking for info to get my first drone when i stumbled on your video. To be honest the last minute got to me when yoy said that you recommend getting a sh Sir over a new Mini2...because that is exactly what I wanted to do. Now thanks to you i got my chouce made...just one quick question i have to ask you. What do you think about the photography side of this drone,that would be my primary thing to do with it. Thanks alot,keep up the great work and take care.
Yes I mainly talked about video side of things and that is because I work with video. For photography it shoots raw so it's pretty great. Just make sure to keep iso under 400 otherwise as the noise is noticeable at 800 and above
Hi Jon, really enjoyed your video. I love my air1 & l can fit it+controller,3 batteries, dslr, 3 batteries,4 lenses & other stuff l use & all in a small to medium backpack. Can hike where like comfortably & it all passes as carry on luggage when flying. Pretty happy with that. A like & a subscribe. Cheers from Aust. Stay safe.
Nice! Yes I usually tell people that Air is a fantastic deal if you get it at around 300 bucks. Sad about your mini. I lost a mini as well. Fortunately the Mavic Air has sensors and obstacle avoidance :D
Literally just bought the mavic air fly more combo over the 2 or 2s because I got it all for half of what the 2s fly more combo is going for now, besides I like the design way better, even though I won’t be able to tell when it’s a dot in the sky, the other thing is although it is connected to WiFi which sucks, it gives you flexibility if you forget the controller or want to pack extremely light and bring it just to fly around you since you can fly with your phone, I do not know why the mavic air 2/s doesn’t have a duel feature where you can connect a phone but if not, it would switch to occusync, lastly, it is so much lighter and I’m a beginner drone pilot, so I’d rather spend cheaply now and upgrade when I think the beefy upgrades are really there later on, maybe when the air 3/s comes out, I will snag that then, better off getting the older model, save some money, and be ready for when the new edition comes out later
Yeah perfect! I also started with cheap and moved up. I agree with all your reasons. Mavic air rocks and the benefit you mentioned with wifi actually saved me once! I was driving in the Highlands of Iceland last February and just got a new phone. I didn't swap out the USB cable to be able to connect the new phone on the controller. So at first I thought I wouldn't be able to fly. Fortunately I was able to fly using only my phone and it totally saved me. The video is on my channel and is called stuck in the Highlands.
Thank you for this video. It was helpful to me, because as a Mini 2 owner I still think about getting a decent drone that has that active track, and at the same time is not too expensive.
If you have the Mini 2 then this one won't be much of an upgrade. If you want to upgrade from Mini 2 then Air2S is a better choice. Note, that the Air2S was not announced when I made this video
Im excited for mavic mini 3 but Im still annoyed how large the controller is. Defeats entire purpose of the portability. Whats the point of the drone being small when the controller (which you have to take with you ) is large anyway.
Great video, helpful info and insights for someone like me thinking of moving into drone videography without breaking the bank, and I love the footage. Now I just need to find out how to get a license to fly here in Spain.
Yeah bro! just make sure to get a good deal since they're only on the used market. Make sure it its in good condition and get at least three batteries :)!
My android droid razor phone won't talk to mavic air any more... Controller says I need a firmware update, yet DJI Assistant 2 for Mavic says 'not compatible'... ug What phone or tablet do you use?
I had the Mavic air that i still use from time to time for recreational use. However a lot of people forget to mention that since its no longer in production parts are rare and repair costs are isane. The common error people get is with IMU module, which if not used for long periods of time or after a crash will have issues due to the soldering. However there are ways to fix it, replace the part which is fairly simple not too many screws involved but the part id 90usd dollars and hard to find nit even in ali express and if you have it repaired dji will tell you to replace the whole motherboard which might cost you 400 to 500$. There is a heatgun solution which i did myself that fixed it 😎👌
@@Kholaslittlespot1 Thats great hope you enjoy it. The drone itself is really good but when my friends ask for a recommendation I always point them to the newer versions since the new ones have more stabilized connections between the drone and your remote. That means less "heart attack" moments where you look at your screen and see a connection loss warning, and for a few brief moments you Drone is doing its own thing at the mercy of wind etc.. XD the new mini ones have stronger connections and are less susceptible to interferences (not 100% percent of the time but better than the mavic air 1). But iif you drone outside the city then the mavic air is a solid drone :)
I'm still flying a Phantom 3 Pro and really want something that is more portable - something that I can bring with me wherever I go. You're selling me on the Jon!
ANOTHER POINT!! From a lot of comparison videos, the mavic air 1 is the only other DJI drone that has similar colour science as the mavic 2 pro. Greenish tint and smoother highlight rolloff, and less sharpening. Not even the air 2 or air 2s have these attributes that i want. Colours and sharpening of them and the mini 2 look like iphone footage Just a shame with the battery life hahaha. Mavic Air is still my top pick if i had the money for a drone.
I noticed that ! When color grading the Air2s footage it is so magenta looking. The sharpening is not a problem on Air2s with the 10bit cineD but I know what you mean - the default color profiles look like phone sharpening
Ehi bro io mi chiamo Matteo Sono di Roma ti voglio dire una cosa tu in questo esatto momento mi hai appena convinto a prendere il Mavic Air grazie mille bro, a ovviamente mi sono anche iscritta al tuo canale.😜
Great stuff! And yeah, WIND is my nemesis. This is just what I need in the far Northern Scottish Highlands, if I can locate one online.. I’ve lost 3 drones to Wind gusts off the North Sea coast, where we built a new home directly on the North Sea coast. We just want to enjoy & document its raw beauty. I wanted to catch this beauty too, but it’s so difficult to document, in such rough conditions. Having been to Iceland’s wilderness even in Winter, the flying conditions appear to be the same. So I’ve been searching for just the right Drone & I’m going to give the Mavic Air a shot. What’s another lost Drone in the North Sea?! 🤞
@@JonBear -My very 1st Drone was a toy almost didn’t count. I had 2 other Pieces of Junk both made by Holystone. The 1st HS was okay for my 2nd Drone but definitely NOT good in rugged or windy conditions. It was a Holystone HS120 D which was all I could afford at the time. We had just built a new cottage over there in Scotland. I lost that 1 pretty quick, in the North Sea it couldn’t handle winds of 35-40 mph w gusts up to 50 mph . After that crash & since I was friends with the UK Holystone Rep,, I got a good deal on the HS 720D. It handled Wind fists pretty good but not good enough for the kind of winds & tough terrain in the highlands. That 1 took a big drink in the North Sea too, but after crashing into a 120 ft Cliff near Dunnet Head Lighthouse. The gusts sneaked up so fast at 50+ mph. I lost control; it was unreal cause it was supposed to be a calm day. But.. If the UK ever opens up again after CoV, I’m buying (I hope ) DJI Mavic Air 2 . I’m still pretty much an amateur, but I just gotta get 1 that can handle those sneaky Highland winds. Don’t know where you learned your navigation skills but man, your videos are spectacular. It’s incredible any Drone can fly under those volcanic heated up-draft conditions. That takes real skill! Your stuff is so impressive!
Only if the small size is important to you. In terms of video quality it isn't an upgrade. If you want the pro experience then probably the Air s2 is a better bet
I have three other higher image quality dji drones, but I still like putting up the mavic air on occasion. Yes the wifi is not ocusync, yes it sounds like pissed off bees, yes the battery life sucks, and I don't believe any new batteries are available, but it never lets me down. It goes with me on long hikes cause the small size is easy to carry around.
I am waiting for the next dji mini 3 or 4 that can match the air 1 in terms of obstacle avoidance and intelligent flight modes. To me there is nothing yet on the market with that spec at this size (air 2 with its controller is bigger).
Yup it's worth it if you can get it for around 300 bucks with batteries! And the best thing about cheaper drones is that losing them doesn't hurt as much! I lost a mini drone in the past so I learned with a cheap drone haha
If you can find a used Mavic air, you won't be disappointed. Otherwise the Mini 2 is practically the same in terms of video specs. The main benefit of the Mini2 is that it has better connection because it uses their newest transmission technology.
@@JonBear And better battery life , and better controller, and you can charge the mini from any power bank, and no need for license in soo many countries, more portable and soo on.....
I didn't watch the video, but I kinda scrolled through some of the comments....... My situation is that my mavic air has been packed away for a couple years, ...... Long story short------ what app do I use to fly this damn thing now??
Mavic Air its such a great drone for the time, and still today. The big problem with this drone its the battery ...... there is a BIG problem with them, they " puff " .... all the batteries i had and have, eventually go puffy .... I do take care of them, the issue to me its a design or tech issue. They cant deal with heat. If you live in a warm area, and fly the drone in summer time, between the heat from the drone itself plus the ambient , the battery will go bad ..... and im tallking about arround 40 cycles. I had more the 12 batteries, they all did the same sooner or later. Not to mention DJI is not making this batt anymore, so if you find one, it will go for no less then 150 Uss each. I still have this drone, its the only one i have, if it wasn't for this big batt problem that DJI didnt took resposability of it, it would be one of the best portable drone ever. Really bad for DJI and for the Mavic Air owners like me. Very disappointing.
The only mavic drone which looks like nothing like other mavic series. Sleek and sexy designed. All the mini, air and mavic 2 are looks the same. That's a good and a bad thing. Good is the design is cool but lack of personalty i guess
@@JonBear Agreed the shops or sites should attach a warning or disclaimer to the product. After returning my mini 2, I purchased this drone new for 400 and still not sad about it. Until Sept 2023, only time will tell
When you were able to fly 7,000 feet distance before losing signal, were you flying in FCC or CE mode? I've gotten to 7,200 feet but I live in the US and have FCC mode by default. Also, when in Iceland were you in CE mode?