DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs Phantom 4 Pro V2.0: Which One Is The Best Drone For You?
The DJI Mavic 2 Pro and DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 may have both arrived in 2018, but they feel like they come from very different eras. In fact, after the incredible success of the DJI Mavic series, it feels like the Phantom line has taken something of a backseat.
But that is not necessarily the case. In fact, the re-release of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 in January 2020, after the drone was discontinued, has shown that both DJI and its fans are still investing in the Phantom series. Rightly so.
The popularity of DJI’s Mavic line is understandable as the series’ lightweight and foldable design makes these drones immensely portable. Both the Phantom 4 Pro and Mavic 2 Pro have a 20MP 1-inch sensor, extremely similar flight times, speeds and battery life, so the question is, why the hell would you buy a bigger, heavier and more expensive drone like the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0?
When you first look at these two drones, the answer seems pretty obvious: you’d be crazy if you bought the Phantom. The Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 costs $ 1,729 / £ 1,589 / AU $ 2,399 for the base set, while the Mavic 2 Pro costs a much tastier $ 1,599 / £ 1,349, although it’s a slightly more expensive $ 2,499 in Australia.
Add in the Mavic 2 Pro’s Fly More bundle, which includes two extra batteries, a carrying case, a charging hub, spare screws, and a few other things, and the price is quite comparable to the Phantom’s base set.
But it’s not until you take a closer look at what both drones have to offer in the camera department that the enduring relevance of the Phantom series quickly becomes apparent.
Design and controller
- The Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is bigger and heavier than the Mavic 2 Pro
- The Mavic 2 Pro is very portable thanks to its foldable design
- The controller of the Mavic is foldable, the Phantom’s can handle a 10 inch tablet
In terms of design, the Mavic 2 Pro and Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 can no longer differ.
The Phantom follows what you might call DJI’s traditional drone design, which hasn’t changed much from the first Phantom drone models.
From above, the Phantom is an X shape with propellers on the end of each arm – these must be attached for flight and taken off for transport. The drone sits on two high feet that also serve as antennas, with the gimbal and camera in between.
The Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 measures 251 × 398.78 × 172.72mm and weighs 1,375g with a battery and propellers attached, so compared to the Mavic 2 Pro it’s quite a big and heavy drone.
In comparison, the Mavic 2 Pro is only 214 × 91 × 84mm when folded and weighs 907g with a battery and propellers installed.
With the Mavic, the propellers can remain in place during transport because they rotate so that one half is over the other.
In keeping with these dramatic differences from the drones themselves, the controllers are also profoundly different, despite offering extremely similar controls.
The Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 controller is large and white with a phone and tablet holder on the front that can accommodate smartphones or tablets up to 10 inches in landscape format.
In contrast, the Mavic 2 Pro’s controller is much smaller and lighter, with folding wings that hold a smartphone to the bottom of the controller. There are a few more direct access controls and a handy LCD display that provides useful drone and flight information, which the Phantom controller lacks.
Specifications and features
- Both drones feature a large 1-inch 20MP sensor
- The Mavic 2 Pro has a wider range of automated flight modes
- The Mavic also allows you to record time lapses and hyperlapses in the air
Going beyond the design differences between the two drones, which will be one of the main factors in your decision between them, it is surprising to find that the features and functionality of the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 and Mavic 2 Pro are quite similar .
In many ways you could say they are almost the same drone, but in different bodies. But looking at the cameras reveals important differences.
Both drones feature a variety of flight modes to allow the drone to behave in different ways and intelligent flight modes that allow you to achieve a number of advanced video effects at the touch of a button.
Without simply listing everything that both drones have, it’s safe to say that the Mavic 2 Pro is a much more complete drone in this area, offering many more automated options for capturing both photos and video.
While most professional videographers and photographers will perform the same tasks manually to maintain full control, a standout feature that the Mavic 2 Pro possesses over the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is the ability to capture time-lapse / hyperlapse videos from to make the air.
These dynamic videos, which can be recorded alongside individual photos, can yield incredible results from the air, so it’s a shame this isn’t possible with the Phantom, despite the two drones using the same DJI Go 4 app for smartphones and tablets. .
Performance
- Both drones use GPS and GLONASS satellite systems
- You can expect at least 30 minutes of flight time on both drones
- The Mavic 2 Pro has more sensors to avoid obstacles
In terms of flight speed, wind resistance and battery life, the Mavic 2 Pro and Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 are practically identical.
Any differences are so small that they are negligible. The battery life is advertised to be 30 minutes for the Phantom and 31 minutes for the Mavic, although it is rare to hit these flight times as it is always best to land a drone before the battery runs out. Both drones can fly up to 72 km / h / 45 mph in Sport mode.
Despite these nearly identical specs, the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is much more responsive than the Mavic 2 Pro in terms of controller.
That’s not to say the Mavic 2 Pro is unresponsive – it certainly is, and the flight is extremely smooth. But the Phantom is much more sensitive, so for smooth flight you should use the thumb and forefinger ‘pinch’ method when using the control sticks, as this approach provides much more control and counteracts the sensitivity of the controls.
The Mavic 2 Pro is arguably slightly easier to drive than the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, although the latter is still a great performer.
In terms of obstacle avoidance, the Mavic Pro 2 has a clear advantage with six-way omnidirectional obstacle detection. The Phantom offers five-way obstacle detection, with the sensors on the side being infrared instead of visual. This of course makes the Mavic better in this area, but in real-world situations the Phantom performs perfectly. This certainly shouldn’t be a deal breaker or maker, one way or another.
Image and video quality
- The Mavic records 4K / 30p video, the Phantom 4K / 60p (both at 100 Mbps)
- The Phantom has a mechanical shutter that helps prevent the shutter
- Both drones offer an adjustable aperture of f / 2.8-f / 11 and raw photos
The quality of photos and video from both drones is very similar. In short, they both perform very well thanks to the 20MP 1-inch sensors they both have on board.
The Mavic 2 Pro’s camera is a Hasselblad with a full-frame equivalent focal length of 28mm, while the Phantom is slightly wider at 24mm.
The Mavic 2 Pro produces what appears to be slightly sharper images than the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, which means it will primarily appeal to photographers looking for an aerial photography drone.
Both drones also offer an adjustable aperture of f / 2.8-f / 11, the ability to record raw photos in DNG format, and the ability to record 4K video in flat profiles for color correction.
This is essential when creating aerial shots that need to be matched in color and style to standard shots in professional workflows. But both drones also record video with profiles attached, so the footage is effectively ready to use straight out of the camera, making them ideal for amateur use too.
In terms of video, the Phantom has the edge and for videographers, this could be the deciding factor. The larger size of the Phantom translates into a larger camera; one with a mechanical shutter, which is much better for capturing scenes naturally than with digital shutters.
The difference between the two is that a digital shutter scans the scene to take an image, while a mechanical shutter opens and closes to capture the scene at once. As a result, mechanical shutters do not suffer from blinds – a problem where objects can appear to bend or where moving elements appear fragmented in video images.
The Phantom can also record video up to 4K / 60p at 100 Mbps in the D-Log color profile, while the Mavic in the Dlog-M profile can capture a slightly more modest 4K / 30p at 100 Mbps.
The color profiles are different but provide essentially the same result. Still, it’s the Phantom’s faster frame rate that matters most here, especially in a professional context. One area of video where the Mavic does win, however, is that it can record HDR video.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs Phantom 4 Pro V2.0: the verdict
When you first see the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, you can safely say that the Mavic appears to be the most attractive option simply because of its size, weight, nearly identical flight performance and of course the fact that both drones have a 20 MP 1-inch sensor.
Choosing the Mavic 2 Pro seems like a no-brainer, but then you discover that the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 has a mechanical shutter and a faster frame rate when recording 4K video.
So here you have to make a tradeoff. Can you live with the bigger and heavier drone that produces more impressive video, that fits into more professional video workflows? Or will you go for the option that is smaller and lighter yet can produce excellent 4K video, albeit at 30fps instead of 60fps, and with the potential for roller shutter?
In reality, it is likely that working professionals will own both drones and use the best option when the job calls for it. Hobbyist photographers will most likely be more than happy with the smaller, lighter and more portable DJI Mavic 2 Pro. And photographers who are not concerned about video specifications can also enjoy slightly better image quality for photos.
Ultimately, both drones are very impressive, and the deciding factor between the two is primarily a trade-off between camera and video capabilities versus size and weight.
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