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Even though these are models from two different product lines of DJI, doing a comparison of Mavic 2 Pro vs Phantom 4 Pro makes sense as a lot of people are wondering if Mavic 2 Pro is worth side-grading from Phantom 4 Pro.
So let’s go ahead and dive right into the comparison.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone Quadcopter with Hasselblad Camera HDR Video UAV...
- Equipped with a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with a 20MP 1” CMOS Sensor, the Mavic 2 camera drone lets you capture gorgeous aerial shots in stunning color detail.
- Up to 31 minutes flight time, 44 mph max speed, 907G takeoff weight, 3-axis gimbal for steady shots, 8GB internal storage, SD card Support up to 128 GB
- Equipped with a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with a 20MP 1” CMOS Sensor, the Mavic 2 camera drone lets you capture gorgeous aerial shots in stunning color detail.
- Up to 31 minutes flight time, 44 mph max speed, 907G takeoff weight, 3-axis gimbal for steady shots, 8GB internal storage, SD card Support up to 128 GB
- Functions include ActiveTrack 2.0, Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing, Hyperlapse, Low-Noise Design, Adjustable Aperture, HDR Photos
- The standard remote controller offers up to 135 minutes of battery life on a full charge. Use with the DJI GO 4 App on your smartphone.
- DJI GO 4 App requires iOS 10.0.2, Android 5.0 or above. Compatible devices include: iPhone 11 Pro Max, 11 Pro, 11, XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, 7, 6s Plus, 6s, 6 Plus, 6, SE, iPad Pro, iPad, Air 2, mini 4. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, S10, S9 Plus, S9, S8 Plus, S7, S7 Edge, S6, S6 Edge, Note 8, Huawei P30 Pro, P30, P20 Pro, P20, P10 Plus, P10, Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10, Mate 9 Pro, Mate 9, Mate 8, Honor 8X, 10, 9, 20 Pro, Magic 2, Vivo X20, X9, NEX, X27, X21, X20A, Oppo Find X, R15, R11, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, 2, 8, 6, Redmi Note 5, OnePlus 7, 6T, 5, Pixel 3 XL, 2 XL, 2, Google Pixel 2XL, OnePlus 6, 5T.
- What you get: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, Intelligent Flight Battery, Gimbal Protector, Remote Controller, 3x Propellers (Pair), Battery Charger, Power Cable, Communication Cable (USB3. 0 Type-C), USB adapter, Spare Control Sticks (Pair), RC Cable (Lightning Connector), RC Cable (Standard Micro USB Connector), RC Cable (USB Type-C Connector)
DJI Phantom 4 PRO Professional Drone, Hobby RC Quadcopter & Multirotor, White,...
- Camera with 1-inch 20MP sensor the onboard camera has been redesigned to use a 1-inch Megapixel CMOS sensor.
- Five-directions of obstacle sensing. Please refer the Instructional Video and the User Manual before use.
- Camera with 1-inch 20MP sensor the onboard camera has been redesigned to use a 1-inch Megapixel CMOS sensor.
- Five-directions of obstacle sensing. Please refer the Instructional Video and the User Manual before use.
- More powerful video processing supports H.264 4K videos at 60fps or H.265 4K at 30fps, both with a 100Mbps bitrate
- Note: Refer the Instructional Video and the User Manual before use which is highly recommended.
- Max Flight Time Approx. 30 minutes
First off is the price.
Like I mentioned, these are pretty close and Mavic is slightly less expensive than the Phantom so Mavic wins on price.
Winner: Mavic.
Size and weight
Next up is weight and size. The Mavic weights at 2pounds while the Phantom is at 3 pounds. They both have about the same footprint butt he Mavic is about 2 times shorter so Mavic winds up being more portable as it can be folded up and fit in a smaller bag than the Phantom 4. This makes it much more travel friendly.
Winner: Mavic 2 Pro
Flight time
The Phantom gives you 30 minutes per battery and the Mavic gives you 31 minutes per battery, so a slight win for the Mavic.
Winner: Mavic 2 Pro
Speed and distance range
They both claim to go 45 miles per hour so no advantage either way. Their distance range is also close but the Mavic has a slight advantage here claiming 8 kilometers control range whereas the Phantom claims only 7 kilometers.
Winner: Mavic 2 Pro
Obstacle avoidance
After testing both drones out, they both seemed to do a great job of avoiding obstacles. However, the Mavic 2 Pro seemed to have a little bit better and newer tech, so I’d give a slight advantage to the Mavic. But they both do a great job. However, keep in mind not to depend on these sensors because they aren’t perfect and you can still crash your drones if you are not careful enough.
Winner: Mavic 2 Pro
Wind resistance
They’re both rated at 23 miles per hour wind resistance, so as far as being able to function in the wind, they both do agreat job. But because the Mavic is a little bit lighter, it does get thrown around a little bit more in the wind; especially while doing slow-moving shots like a hyperlapse. So I have to give a slight advantage to the Phantom.
Winner: Phantom 4 Pro
Tracking features
The Mavic 2 pro has the new ActiveTrack 2.0 versus version 1 on the Phantom. This means Mavic has improved tracking ability with three different modes. And this new version of ActiveTrack really performs better in tests so this one goes to Mavic as well.
Winner: Mavic 2 Pro
Controllers
I have to give this one to the Phantom because I like having the built-inscreen better than having to use my phone with the Mavic 2 Pro controller. It’s a hassle to plug it in plus it drains your phone battery super fast.
Winner: Phantom 4 Pro
Build quality and durability
Overall, the Phantom feels stronger and less like a toy. Like I’ve mentioned, I’ve crashed my phantom for a few times and he’s still going strong.
I’m not gonna crash the Mavic to test it but I’m sure it would also hold up to some normal wear and tear – so they’re both very well-built. The Phantom just feels a little more rugged as it should be since it is a pound heavier.
Winner: Phantom 4 Pro
Propeller noise
I tested out the decibel levels of both drones standing just a few feet away. The Mavic clocked in around 70 DB and the Phantom4 Pro about 80 DB. The Mavic is still pretty loud and neither of them are discreet by any means, the Mavic is just a little quieter.
Winner: Mavic 2 Pro
Internal storage
Mavic comes with 8 gigabytes of internal storage which is awesome for those moments when you forget to take your SDcard out of your computer. Whereas the Phantom 4 has no internal storage so the Mavic wins there.
Winner: Mavic 2 Pro
Overall video and image quality
First up is resolution and framerate: they both shoot a 4k but the Mavic only does 4k up to 30frames per second whereas the Phantom can do 4k up to 60 frames per second so the Phantom is a clear winner here. I wouldn’t say this is a deal-breaker though, unless you shoot a lot of slow-mo.
Winner: Phantom 4 Pro
Color depth
Mavic sports 10-bitcolor versus 8-bit color on the Phantom so Mavic wins here. It is giving you a lot more color information to work with.
Winner: Mavic 2 Pro
Low light performance
I pushed both drones to 1600 ISO and the Phantom 4 Pro shows slightly less noise than the Mavic. The Phantom can actually go all the way up to 6400 ISO whereas the Mavic exits at a 1600 ISO. However, when the Phantom is at 6400ISO it’s really not usable so 1600 is about as far as I go. Overall image quality – both drones are good but they’re just different. Each have advantages over the other and it just depends on which features are most important to you. But we can say that Phantom edges Mavic out in this one.
Winner: Phantom 4 Pro
Final thougths: Mavic 2 Pro or Phantom 4 Pro – which one is better?
For my final thoughts which drone overall is better. According to the scoreboard, based off of the tested criteria, Mavic wins in more categories than the Phantom. I’d have to say overall the Mavic 2 Pro is the better choice as it’s slightly cheaper, smaller, quieter and it’s got 10-bit color for better gradebility. Also, it’s newer so it’s got some great new features.
What if you already own one of the other Mavics like the Mavic Pro or Air – is it worth upgrading to the Mavic 2 Pro?
If you’re looking for a more professional image quality, I’d say absolutely yes. The difference of this 1 inch sensor and the better photos it makes is enough on its own to upgrade,
But what if you already own the Phantom 4 Pro – is that worth side-grading to the Mavic 2 Pro?
I don’t think so! I don’t think there’s enough difference between these two as far as image quality and features go. I’d say just wait for the Phantom 5 to come out as I’m sure it’s gonna be a big upgrade over both of these.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone Quadcopter with Hasselblad Camera HDR Video UAV...
- Equipped with a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with a 20MP 1” CMOS Sensor, the Mavic 2 camera drone lets you capture gorgeous aerial shots in stunning color detail.
- Up to 31 minutes flight time, 44 mph max speed, 907G takeoff weight, 3-axis gimbal for steady shots, 8GB internal storage, SD card Support up to 128 GB
- Equipped with a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with a 20MP 1” CMOS Sensor, the Mavic 2 camera drone lets you capture gorgeous aerial shots in stunning color detail.
- Up to 31 minutes flight time, 44 mph max speed, 907G takeoff weight, 3-axis gimbal for steady shots, 8GB internal storage, SD card Support up to 128 GB
- Functions include ActiveTrack 2.0, Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing, Hyperlapse, Low-Noise Design, Adjustable Aperture, HDR Photos
- The standard remote controller offers up to 135 minutes of battery life on a full charge. Use with the DJI GO 4 App on your smartphone.
- DJI GO 4 App requires iOS 10.0.2, Android 5.0 or above. Compatible devices include: iPhone 11 Pro Max, 11 Pro, 11, XS Max, XS, XR, X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, 7, 6s Plus, 6s, 6 Plus, 6, SE, iPad Pro, iPad, Air 2, mini 4. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, S10, S9 Plus, S9, S8 Plus, S7, S7 Edge, S6, S6 Edge, Note 8, Huawei P30 Pro, P30, P20 Pro, P20, P10 Plus, P10, Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10, Mate 9 Pro, Mate 9, Mate 8, Honor 8X, 10, 9, 20 Pro, Magic 2, Vivo X20, X9, NEX, X27, X21, X20A, Oppo Find X, R15, R11, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, 2, 8, 6, Redmi Note 5, OnePlus 7, 6T, 5, Pixel 3 XL, 2 XL, 2, Google Pixel 2XL, OnePlus 6, 5T.
- What you get: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, Intelligent Flight Battery, Gimbal Protector, Remote Controller, 3x Propellers (Pair), Battery Charger, Power Cable, Communication Cable (USB3. 0 Type-C), USB adapter, Spare Control Sticks (Pair), RC Cable (Lightning Connector), RC Cable (Standard Micro USB Connector), RC Cable (USB Type-C Connector)
DJI Phantom 4 PRO Professional Drone, Hobby RC Quadcopter & Multirotor, White,...
- Camera with 1-inch 20MP sensor the onboard camera has been redesigned to use a 1-inch Megapixel CMOS sensor.
- Five-directions of obstacle sensing. Please refer the Instructional Video and the User Manual before use.
- Camera with 1-inch 20MP sensor the onboard camera has been redesigned to use a 1-inch Megapixel CMOS sensor.
- Five-directions of obstacle sensing. Please refer the Instructional Video and the User Manual before use.
- More powerful video processing supports H.264 4K videos at 60fps or H.265 4K at 30fps, both with a 100Mbps bitrate
- Note: Refer the Instructional Video and the User Manual before use which is highly recommended.
- Max Flight Time Approx. 30 minutes
