First Look: DJI Mavic Pro Drone 1

​Hot on the heels of the launch of Karma, GoPro's first venture onto the drone market, DJI strikes back with a new fantastic flyer of its own, one that looks set to give the contender a good run for its money. Feature for feature, both drones have their merits, but the new DJI certainly looks like it has the upper hand when it comes to portability. It also has the GoPro beat in regards to its autonomous flight system, notably thanks to obstacle avoidance sensors that will keep your drone out of harm's way - as long as that harm is in front of it, at least. The GoPro Karma still holds the upper hand in terms of value however, since for similar money it includes a GoPro 5, a grip that allows you to move the gimbal off the drone for handheld, stabilized filming, and it also features a remote control with a built-in screen (whereas the new DJI Mavic relies on your phone for this aspect). At any rate, if this is now going to be the pace of evolution in the drone market, this is one drone war we can get behind! Check out sample footage and launch information below, then head on over to www.dji.com for more.

From DJI:

The DJI Mavic Pro is a small yet powerful drone that turns the sky into your creative canvas easily and without worry, helping you make every moment an aerial moment. Its compact size hides a high degree of complexity that makes it one of DJI’s most sophisticated flying cameras ever. 24 high-performance computing cores, an all-new transmission system with a 4.3mi (7km) range, 5 vision sensors, and a 4K camera stabilized by a 3-axis mechanical gimbal, are at your command with just a push of your thumb or a tap of your finger.

FLY FURTHER

Inside the Mavic’s pocket-sized remote controller is DJI’s brand new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3mi (7km) and Full HD 1080p video streaming.

NO BUMPS AND SCRAPES

An unprotected drone could hit obstacles during long distance flight or when descending from an inadequate height in Return to Home mode. The Mavic uses FlightAutonomy technology to sense obstacles up to 49ft (15m) away. It can then bypass these obstacles or brake to hover, preventing accidents even when flying beyond visual range.

PRECISION HOVER

Satellite positioning can only help a drone hover in an unobstructed outdoor area free of interference. Without satellites, the drone will not be able to position and become susceptible to drifting. However, with forward and downward vision sensors, the Mavic can hover precisely indoors or in places without GPS.

STAY FLYING LONGER

The Mavic is only 1/6th the size of the Phantom 4 but this reduction in size doesn't mean a reduction in flight time. The Mavic actually flies much longer than you would expect from its compact size. It is capable of reaching an absolute max flight time of 27 minutes and a maximum distance of 8mi (13km) due to its powerful, high efficiency motors.

4K ULTRA HD VIDEO

Mavic supports 4K video at 30fps. No Electronic Image Stabilization is used, ensuring all footage is 4K. We have created a miniaturized, ultra-precise 3-axis gimbal for the Mavic, capable of stabilizing the camera even during high speed motion for smooth video and sharp photos.

PHOTOS WITH ALTITUDE

Everyone loves a good photo. Whether you just want to take a snap or are building up your portfolio, the Mavic’s 12-megapixel camera with Adobe DNG RAW support is ready to shoot.

SPECS

AIRCRAFT

Weight (including battery and propellers): 1.62 lbs (734 g) (exclude gimbal cover), 1.64 lbs (743 g) (include gimbal cover)

Max Ascent Speed: 16.4 ft/s (5 m/s) in Sport mode

Max Descent Speed: 9.8 ft/s (3 m/s)

Max Speed: 40 mph (65 kph) in Sport mode without wind

Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level: 16404 feet (5000 m)

Max Flight Time: 27 minutes (0 wind at a consistent 15.5 mph (25 kph))

Max Hovering Time: 24 minutes (0 wind)

Overall flight time: 21 minutes ( In normal flight, 15% remaining battery level )

Max Flight Distance: 8 mi (13 km, 0 wind)

Operating Temperature: 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C)

GPS Mode: GPS / GLONASS

REMOTE CONTROLLER

Operating Frequency:2.4 GHz to 2.483 GHz

Max Transmission Distance: FCC Compliant: 4.3 mi (7 km); 

CE Compliant: 2.5 mi (4 km) (Unobstructed, free of interference)

Operating Temperature: 32° to 104° F ( 0° to 40° C )

Battery: 2970mAh

Transmitter Power (EIRP)FCC：≤26 dBm 

CE：≤20 dBm

Operating Voltage: 950mA @ 3.7V

Supported Mobile Device SizeThickness Supported: 6.5-8.5mm 

Max length: 160mm 

Supported USB port types: Lightning, Micro USB(Type-B),USB(Type-C)™

CHARGER

Voltage:13.05 V

Rated Power: 50 W

INTELLIGENT FLIGHT BATTERY

Capacity: 3830 mAh

Voltage: 11.4 V

Battery Type: LiPo 3S

Energy: 43.6 Wh

Net Weight: Approx.0.5 lbs(240 g)

Operating Temperature: 41° to 104° F ( 5° to 40° C )

CAMERA

Sensor: 1/2.3” (CMOS), Effective pixels:12.35 M (Total pixels:12.71M)

Lens: FOV 78.8° 28 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.2 

Distortion: < 1.5% Focus from 0.5 m to ∞

ISO Range: 100-3200 (video), 100-1600 (photo)

Shutter Speed: 8s -1/8000s

Image Max Size: 4000×3000

Still Photography Modes: Single shot, Burst shooting: 3/5/7 frames, Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7, EV Bias, Interval

Video Recording Modes: C4K: 4096×2160 24p, 4K: 3840×2160 24/25/30p, 2.7K: 2704×1520 24/25/30p, FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/96p, HD: 1280×720 24/25/30/48/50/60/120

Max Video Bitrate: 60 Mbps

Supported File Formats: FAT32 ( ≤ 32 GB ); exFAT ( > 32 GB )

Photo: JPEG, DNG

Video: MP4, MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)

Supported SD Card Types: Micro SD™ 

Max capacity: 64 GB. Class 10 or UHS-1 rating required

Operating Temperature: 32° to 104° F ( 0° to 40° C )

GIMBAL

Controllable Range: Pitch: -90° to +30° 

Roll: 0° or 90° (Horizontally and vertically)

Stabilization: 3-axis (pitch, roll, yaw)

OBSTACLE SENSING SYSTEM

Obstacle Sensory Range:Precision measurement range: 2 ft (0.7 m) to 49 ft (15 m) 

Detectable range: 49 ft (15 m) to 98 ft (30 m)

Operating Environment: Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux > 15)

VISION POSITIONING

Velocity Range: ≤22.4 mph (36 kph) at 6.6 ft (2 m) above ground

Altitude Range: 1 - 43 feet (0.3 - 13 m)

Operating Range: 1 - 43 feet (0.3 - 13 m)

Operating Environment: Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux > 15)