DJI Mavic Pro

battery life: 24 min
max speed: 40 mph
onboard camera: yes
controller type: remote
Currently, there is a big variety of drones, having different characteristics and functions. The main aim of a good drone is to shot great videos and make bright, clear and colorful photos. DJI Mavic Pro review shows that this is a new drone, which has a perfect combination of flight time, design, a high-quality camera.
Drone Key Specs
AIRCRAFT
REMOTE CONTROLLER
CAMERA
DJI Mavic Pro is a compact drone, equipped with great features. The Chinese Mavic is an easy-to-fly drone, designed to provide various benefits to its users. Unlike the other drones, this DJI Mavic Pro drone folds in on itself, offering a friendly design and a compact size, so that it fits in even the lightest, small bag. It is a small drone, which offers a decent flight time.
This drone is able to provide you with beautiful videos and photos. Mavic Pro DJI has a 4k video recording, GPS/GLONASS flight control systems, long-range remote control and compact design with multiple options, providing an amazing video recording or photo shooting functions.
3-axis gimbal provides a very valuable support for Mavic, stabilizing its camera even on the highest speed, providing to shot smooth videos or make amazing photos.
DJI Mavic Pro has a vision positioning system. Working both with GPS, it allows the drone to fly precisely outdoors and indoors. Do not worry about flying low. The drone automatically hovers at the same height above the ground for successful piloting over uneven terrains.
A high-quality 12 –megapixel Mavic camera with Adobe DNG RAW support is able to take different photos whenever you want.
The DJI Mavic Pro has OcuSync transmission system. Using channel transmission technologies, OcuSync allows your drone to transmit Full HD video reliably anywhere you need. Even in environments with strong radio interference, this drone will deal with its work. OcuSync is able to transmit video at 720p and 1080p. It transmits videos further than the traditional analog transmission systems at 7 km.
The drone weight is 743 grams. When the drone is folded it measures only 83 x 83 x198mm. It is a perfect choice for those active people, preferring comfortable traveling or just those who like something creative and new.
With the help of this drone, you can easily shoot videos or take photos, share them with your friends via the Instagram or YouTube. Its compact size can easily slip into a small bag. So, Mavic Pro will not cause any inconveniences for you.
This drone compact size is only 1/ 6 of the Phantom 4. But it doesn’t mean that it influenced the flight time of drone. The DJI Mavic Pro can fly much longer than you can imagine. The flight time measures near 27 minutes per charge at a maximum distance of 13 km. Of course, it may seem to be not enough for those individuals who can make photos for hours, but for some short videos and photos is it what you need. Despite its small size, the drone is able to fly with a total speed of 40 miles per one hour.
The drone knows what is in front of it, so it will not bump into the tree, bush or something else. FlightAutonomy technology protects the drone. It includes ultrasonic range finders and vision sensors which help to detect and avoid obstacles, providing safe, reliable, comfortable and obstruction-free flight. It senses the obstacles up to 49 ft (15m) ahead. It is a great benefit for this drone which reduces accidents and prevents the drone from breaking down.

Its remote controller has a great design. It has a small LCD screen, which allows you to control your drone without DJI’s app. The screen shows you all you need: it provides you with the necessary information which concerns the location of your drone, its distance, altitude, and direction. It has a special function, which provides you with a little warning message if the drone flies too far from the home point.
The drone is able to fly without the remote controller. You need to switch from the radio control mode to Wi-Fi. Connect your mobile device or a tablet to the Mavic’s Wi-Fi network and use the DJI go app to control your drone.
You can also combine the remote controller with your mobile device. It is the alternative way to pilot DJI Mavic Pro drone. On the remote controller, there is a special unfolding bottom designed to plug in the phone. Your phone is able to provide love video and access to multiple autonomous modes and settings.
What is the role of the remote controller? The remote controller offers more fine-grained control over flight than the mobile application. You need to know that the remote control works in tandem with iOS or Android smartphone or a tablet.
With the help of GJI Goggles, you can see the world like a bird. What is the benefit of DJI Goggles? With the help of this accessory, you have a great benefit. Just imagine that you can fly. When you wear this GJI Goggles you can easily fly with a turn of your head and see the world like a bird.
Mavic has various control speeds, from slow to fast (in the Sports Mode). In Sports Mode, the Mavic Pro maximum speed can include 40mph (65kph). Set Tracking function and the drone will follow you or the other subject automatically.
Design
DJI Mavic Pro is a lightweight and compact drone. When the drone is folded up, it has nearly the same size as a bottle of water. The drone is grey with a yellow stripe. The drone construction is equipped with a tough plastic. It goes with a new aerodynamic airframe, measuring only 743 grams. GJI Mavic Pro is designed to fly steadily, even in the wind conditions of 24mph (39kph) per hour.
Mavic Pro drone is the first DJI boom that can be easily thrown into a purse or backpack. It does not require a special hard pack for it.
Compared with Phantom 4 this drone is very tiny. When it is folded it has a one-sixth size of the Phantom 4. You may not worry about the influence of its size on its image quality. You can easily take this drone with yourself whenever you go, just placing it inside your small bag.

The gimbal mounted camera is protected with the clear plastic cage, which prevents the camera from various damages while you are carrying it around. When you want to take photos or shoot some videos, you need to take off this plastic cover. The gimbal can be easily directed with dials on either side of the controller. You can do this in order to take smooth photos or shoot great videos.
Behind the camera the drone has Active Track and Optical Flow software, allowing to track the objects and protecting the drone from various obstacles.
Instead of having a space-hogging fixed-arm hull, the DJI Mavic Pro drone has four wings and propellers. They have a very comfortable configuration, allowing the drone to fold in a tiny, compact, little package. The two front arms swing back while the rear limbs flip down and towards the quadcopter’s main body.
The drone battery is fixed by a catch on the top of the device. Not only the foldable arms and props are its benefit. The remote controller has a very compact size, which makes the drone one of the most portable drones.
Setup
The most complicated task for everyone is the setup process. For someone, it may be an easy task. Here you’ll find all the necessary information, concerning your new DJI Mavic Pro setup.
If you want to set up your drone, you need to follow the next steps:
1. Charge Both The Mavic Pro Battery And The Controller
You need to plug the Mavic Pro battery into the power supply. You’ll notice that the battery starts charging automatically. The remote controller required plugging to the Mavic Power supply. Take a USB cable. Plug its one side into the remote controller and the other one to the Mavic Power supply.
2. Connect Your Phone To The Controller.
There should be 2 cables: one USB cable for Android and the other Lightning cable for IOS. Install the appropriate cable on your mobile device. Then, unfold the remote controller. Connect it to your Smartphone.
3. Install And Launch The DJI GO App.
Go to the App store or Google Play store. Find “DJI GO” app there. Install the app, open it and create a DJI account.
4. Upgrade the remote controller and the drone, if it is necessary.
Read the instruction below.
5. Mount The Propellers.
Take the propellers. Match the rings of the propellers to the rings of motors.
6. Get Ready For Takeoff By Calibrating The Compass.
This process is very important. The compass tells the drone what direction it is facing. Calibrate the compass every time it moves to a new location. So, how should you calibrate the compass? Firstly, unfold the drone. Then, turn on the drone and the remote controller. Connect your phone and go to GJI GO app. Tap on the colored bar, at the top of the screen. Here you’ll find the selection called compass, so choose this option and tap the calibrate button. Rotate your drone 360 degrees horizontally. You’ll see a green light on the back of the drone. Then rotate the drone 360 degrees vertically, until the light will turn green.
7. If You’ve Followed All The Instruction, Now You Can Fly.
Go outside (it is the best place for your first flight). Check your drone home point. Go to the DJI GO app. Look at the map of the app. There you’ll see green “H” symbol. If it is in the same place as the blue dot (you) and the red arrow (the drone) then you’re ready for flight.
Take your remote controller (with the installed phone in it). Flip out the antennas. Tap and slide to take off (you’ll see this option on the screen of your Smartphone). The drone will rise in the air; it will hover at about 5 feet from the ground.
There are 2 sticks on the remote controller. Start getting a feel of each of them. The left stick responds for the drone flight up and down, plus rotation function (rotation left and right). The right stick makes the drone to move forward or backward, left or right. When the drone gets near the ground, the app will ask you if you want to land the device. If you do want to land the drone, keep the left stick down or slide to land.

In fact, this instruction is not difficult even for the new users. It is not as difficult as sounds. The controls are incredibly easy. The drone can easily stay stable in the midair even if you take your hands away from the remote controller. Even in the windy weather, you can easily control the drone because it remains pretty well balanced in the air.
Its auto controls allow to control the drone as well as to return it to the home point. It will take photos with its downward facing cameras and use GPS data, which will show it where to return. It is a very valuable feature, taking the stress out of landing if you are new to us the drone or if you lack the confidence to get it back yourself.
What Is The Easiest Way To Control The Drone?
As it was mentioned, you can use your remote controller. But for a bigger effect on the shooting process, use your mobile device or a tablet too. Hook your Smartphone to it and control the drone flight. You will be impressed with the level of detail (1080p).
Use gestures and control the flight. It’s the first DJI drone you are able to control with gestures. This function allows you to raise your hands or wave them to get the drone’s attention. So, the drone can focus on you if you show a photo frame with your fingers. It will send a signal so that the drone will make a selfie. Taking photos is not all that the drone can do with the Gesture Mode function. You can also manage the drone’s flight with the help of your hands. Just wave your hand showing to come to you and the drone will come nearer to you. Gesture in the direction you want and the drone will follow suit.
Battery Life and Recharge Time
Despite its compact size, the drone has an impressive battery life, providing one of the longest flight times between the other quadrocopters. The DJI developers claim that the drone is able to hover for 24 min. In fact, the DJI Mavic Pro has Intelligent Flight Batteries, providing the device with 27 minutes of flight time (if you fly at the optimum speed for energy consumption). It uses the latest technology to ensure that the flight control system can get an accurate battery level. It allows calculating the remaining time of flight more accurately. It also provides the pilots with information of the overall battery status, real-time battery cell status, temperature, circle number and more. Four LED indicator lights are designed to show the remaining time of flight. So, you can easily get information of the current battery level of charge.

The battery management system includes overcharge and over discharge battery protection. It is very helpful for long-lasting battery storage, especially if it is not used for a long period of time. Battery discharges to 50% charge, keeping optimal charge level necessary for extended battery life. When the battery is low you need to recharge it. For full battery charge, you need near 80 min to juice back up to 100 percent. It is bad as for a battery which provides 27 minutes of flight time. It is wise to buy a spare battery. A backup battery costs money. If you are going to buy a couple of spare batteries, pay attention to the Fly More equipment which includes two additional batteries. It is more cost-efficiently than buying a new battery.
Is The DJI Mavic Pro Waterproof?
No. DJI Mavic Pro drone is not waterproof and it cannot contact with liquids. But it has a strong construction, which makes this drone powerful and strong.
The Camera
The camera has decent features. It is able to provide a 100% 4K footage. Every photo you make with this drone can be as big as 12 megapixels. In addition to this, this DJI Mavic Pro uses miniaturized 3-axis gimbal, which provides the camera with a high-speed motion for smooth video recording and sharp, bright photos.
You can also flip the camera 90˚ and make a portrait oriented photos with your family or friends. Make beautiful photos of landscape or nature. Use your imagination and realize your ideas with this DJI Mavic Pro. Use Adobe DNG RAW and turn all your photos into a work of art.
ActiveTrack is a great function available on this drone. This function allows you to track the subject automatically, using vision recognition algorithms. All you need to do is to tap whom to follow and the drone will do everything itself, making your shoot like a pro.
Trace
The drone can follow behind or in front of the subject or circle around it
Profile
Fly alongside the subject
Spotlight
You can keep the camera focused on your subject while you fly almost everywhere
For more professional video recordings, this ActiveTrack function is brilliant. Just set the target you want to trace and select the ActiveTrack function (there are 3 types: Trace, Spotlight, and Profile). This ActiveTrack function works really very well. It is a great proposition, providing video shooting without a couple of operators.
Mavic’s Gesture Mode allows taking photos with the help of gestures. Drone recognizes your gestures, so you can raise your hand or wave to it and the drone will follow you. This Gesture Mode function does not require a remote controller or mobile device. Only gestures. The video which provides this drone is also clear and smooth.
You need to know that before you start using the Gesture Mode you should have a clear area, free of obstacles.

Tripod Mode function makes the flight slower and precise. It is comfortable when you do not need a fast shooting mode and want to make various photos in one location. Tripod Mode is very helpful when you are flying indoors when the GPS signal is low. Make super cinematic video recordings, especially when you want to fly in or through the tight spaces where you have not enough room for maneuver, have not enough of space. If you are a beginner and the drone control is something new for you and you are not fully confident when you are flying, this Tripod Mode option can also help. It will help you to control the drone much easier. It allows you to enjoy the flight and not worry about how to fly perfectly.
TapFly is a very comfortable way to control your device. It is the best alternative for beginners, who cannot fly on the straight line because joysticks are not familiar with them. Tap the drone where to move and it will follow this direction. So, you will be more focused on taking photos and shooting videos.
Sport Mode function provides your drone with a new possibility leading in shooting videos or photos in the high speed. This Sports Mode regime was designed for fun, allowing the drone to move with a top speed of 45 mph (65 kph). You can use this Sports Mode function to film something fast, as some sports events. You can stop the drone at any time, so do not worry that it flies so fast. Enjoy the flight process and edit your photos with the help of DJI GO 4 Editor. Share them with your friends through the social networks.
There are four other cameras on board, but they are not designed for taking photos. Instead of this, they are designed to aid in-flight stability and safety. Two of them help to keep the drone from drifting around indoors or in areas of poor GPS coverage, while the other two are designed to prevent the drone from various obstacles during its flight. They’ll provide the drone with the signal, warning about the possible obstacle. Drone receives it and stops moving. This function will help only when the drone flights ahead when the obstacle is in front of the device. When the drone moves backward and the obstacle is behind the drone or when the drone moves sideways, the obstacle detection won’t work and won’t prevent the crash. That is why you need to be very careful.
Accessories

If your order this quadrocopter, you’ll find these DJI Mavic Pro accessories in the box:
DJI Goggles
The DJI Mavic Pro has introduced a new DJI Goggle headset (sells separately). It is able to display an 85-degree view from the drone on a 1080p display. It has the quite good quality of the picture. It is a great benefit especially for those users who like to use Sports Mode. For others, it may be an unnecessary item until they learn to race the drone in the Sports Mode.
Batteries
One DJI Mavic Pro battery is designed to provide the drone with 27 minutes of flight time. Travelling by the drone you’ll always need a fully charged battery or a spare battery. It is very comfortable as well as important. So, you’ll be sure you will not miss the moment during your inspiration process of shooting video or taking photos. That is why try to have your batteries fully charged.
Propellers
DJI has a great benefit of its size, allowing the drone to go to the places where the other drones cannot, providing the close proximity flying. Sometimes the drone can face unpredictable accidents during the flight, which can lead to the crash of propellers. Of course, it depends on the different circumstances. That is why you need to have a spare of propellers to be sure you will be able to go on your shooting process even after the crash of one propeller.
Car charger
If the battery is low and it requires charging, you can use a car charger. It allows charging the drone with its standard wall charger.
Hub Charger
If you have more than one battery (you’ve bought a spare battery or more) you can use hub charger. It is a very comfortable, small and easy to carry accessory, designed to charge Mavic Intelligent Flight batteries. When it is used with a Mavic Pro charger, it is able to charge up to 4 Intelligent Flight batteries.
Attention! It does not charge all the batteries simultaneously. The batteries are charging in sequence. If you want to reduce the charging time up to 2.5 hours, use the hub charger together with Phantom 4 charger.
Camera Bag
DJI Mavic Pro has a compact size. But it has a lot of accessories. That is why it needs to be carefully packed in a comfortable bag. There is a great variety of bags for drones, so you can choose the one, fitting the best to your Mavic.
Gimbal Hood
It is the other valuable part of drone construction. It is a very helpful plastic cover, which carefully covers the gimbal. Without this hood, the gimbal is unprotected during transport.
Sun Hood
When the weather is very sunny, it can struggle to see the screen. The sun hood will be very helpful for you to shoot the video even in the strongest power of the sun.
Upgradability

Before you start flying, the first thing you should do it to update your device. In order to upgrade your DJI Mavic Pro drone and the remote controller, you need to check up whether your mobile device is connected to the controller with a cable. Check the access to the Internet connection. Turn on the drone and the remote controller. How should you do it? It is very easy. Firstly, press slightly the power button once, and then press again holding it for a few seconds, until the Mavic will show that it is lightening (turned on). You’ll hear a power up the sound, signaling that the drone is working. A few seconds later you should notice the picture of the DJI Mavic Pro on the DJI GO app. If the updating process has started, you’ll notice a blue bar at the top of the screen showing the version number. If no, restart the app. Then, if you see the update, press download and install it. Don’t turn off your mobile device, remote controller or the drone. Wait until the app will write “update successful”. Then, you can turn off all your devices.
PROS
CONS

Drone review: Bottom line
The DJI Mavic Pro provides its users with a decent flight time. 4k video recording, compact remote control, a live video transmission, a compact drone design may be a good choice for those who are searching for the new compact drone. It does not matter whether you are a professional videographer or an amateur hobbyist, the DJI drone is one of the best drones to buy. It may be the perfect device to take with yourself to fly at home or take on the road with you. Traveling with drone may be comfortable and amazing.