Mavic Air - 12 Things You Might Not Know

Buy DJI Mavic Air: goo.gl/NKVtu8
After flying the Mavic Air for a few weeks, I learned a few things that I would like to share. Three things are bad, three are neutral, and six are good - but all of them are interesting. You may already know a few of these things, but I'll bet you don't know all of them!

[@justuslm]

#1 0:48 No Ocusync #2 1:26 Can't charge via USB plug #3 2:06 It is loud! #4 2:34 Non-foldable propellers give longer flight time #5 3:15 Fixed focus camera #6 3:59 Red is glossy finish Black & white are matte finish #7 4:23 Landing gear hides antennas #8 5:11 Warnings if your battery is not properly connected #9 5:48 120 fps at 1080p means awesome slow motion shots #10 6:15 Faster than Mavic Pro and Spark #11 6:38 Hand take off and land is possible (Be careful!) #12 7:32 Pre-Release code name: Unicorn!

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks!

[@K9Mike]

Cheers mate!

[@JetSmackedHD]

unicorn lol

[@thereisaplace]

...and you set the times as clickable. Thank you!

[@bearsist]

That's the only thing I needed to know no ocusync I don't want it Wi-Fi sucks

[@rodneyborg546]

I’m new to this and haven’t flown yet nervous of damaging and doing the wrong thing...your videos are Awesome and informative thank u soo much

[@trippledigitss]

Thanks for the rundown. Just got the Air as my 1st ever drone. Flown lots of helis & planes though. So far its lots of fun and the video capability is very cool. My biggest complaint is that the camera makes me look old, bald, and chubby! (Ok.... maybe I am... but I don't want to be reminded of it!! They need a filter that makes me look 28 and buff!)

[@bobwhite825]

Mine does the same thing. I think its a glitch!

[@TECHDRONEMEDIA]

Great info I learned a few things. I'm not surprised about the noise as smaller props at high rpm will like do that.

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks Henrik!

[@markcruzjr.7754]

Super informative THANKS AND KEEP IT UP! I’m actually about to buy a spark then this later so I’ll check your channel for all things spark :)

[@DroneWolfMedia]

Great info Kelly, thanks for sharing! 👍

[@fsggadelha2891]

Great video. Great info !

[@antonioalfredhodge3614]

Thank you very much for the latest info on the Mavic Air. It's greatly appreciated.

[@readysetdrone]

You are most welcome!

[@MichaelBath]

Great video. I am still trying to decide between Mavic Pro Platinum and air. Thanks 👍

[@ThunderTiger0801]

Rumours say that the mavic pro 2 will come out this year at the end of march. I would wait until then ;D

[@gastong.loperena7378]

A really big thank you Kelly for being objective!!!!! That is one of the main reasons we, your subscribers, like to follow you and watch all your vids! Not all the internet reviewrs who got their MAVARKs (sorru MAVIC Air) directly from DJI before its official release are willing to point out certain negative things. Thanks again! Cheers from Argentina

[@silverhoarder9308]

I’m in the market for a Mavic and your videos are very helpful. Thanks!

[@CrystalClearNM]

Thank you, I was trying to decide between a MM and a M2P and this clearly showed me the MA is my best for the buck...thanks again!

[@CrystalClearNM]

LOL 00:07:23

[@ArtCoDroneSolutions]

Very informative video Kelly. Thanks!

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks! I enjoyed seeing you on TNL this past week! Hope we can fly together some time soon!

[@ArtCoDroneSolutions]

I would like that very much Kelly.

[@DoctorRennie]

Thanks for the info. Nice video with good pros and cons.

[@thomaswilliamleeming4522]

Great vid, learned a good few bits and bobs, keep the good work up.

[@jean-pierrefata9437]

Hello The mavic air has a 3 AXIS GIMBAL camera And is compatible with the dji gogles via a cable But does it rotates as we are moving our head like the mavic pro ??

[@craigtalley]

Loved the video good information I'm thinking of getting one!

[@Central_CoastRotors]

Nice video and good info....thanks.....!

[@CanadianDroneHub]

Nice input and update Thanks

[@tazzmanbees9832]

Thank you I did learn a couple things preciate it

[@pablo9364]

Very informative , succinct professional video. Hey and I learned something from this video for sure.

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks! That is great to hear!

[@Xplicit_fpv]

Great vid

[@joeriherremans1980]

Good Review greetz from Belgium

[@william719]

Great review. Very much appreciate the list of positives as well as mentioning the negatives too.

[@louthecattv2573]

Thanks....one of the straightest videos on this drone I've seen...Great job.....👍God bless

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks - I appreciate it! and thanks for watching!

[@teslapower5461]

All your negatives are not too important for my flying so this is a buy for me. Thank you

[@shadow7423]

I may already know all the things you mentioned apart from one, but I still liked the video. Thank you.

[@cathyann1601]

In spite of the negatives, the loudness being the main negative to me, I'm thinking I'll end up getting one... probably next summer. Maybe by then, DJI will have upgraded some of what is lacking right now. Excellent, helpful video as always!

[@IPHOTOFLY]

KELLY, do you know if Epson's MOVERIO BT-300 FPV Drone Edition glasses work with the MAVIC AIR. ?

[@jdcamera8044]

Got this drone for Christmas 🎄 👍

[@alansavage9656]

Excellent video Kelly!!

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks Alan!

[@rcfanaticdublin]

Hello from Dublin(Irl), I have my Mavic air just over three week's now...it's been a real learning curve in comparrison to my other machine's. I have been flying Multi rotor machine's since late 2014 starting with a Hubsan H107c. The Mavic is my second Drone since mid Summer 2015...The first machine I purchased was a Parrot BeBop which i could not fully get to grip's with. The Mavic hsa been so much better to learn to use mainly because of the fact that this machine came with a set of manual's rather than having to use an on line platform. I am still having some issue's with mine but DJI help and support have been brilliant so far...this is my first DJI product as i used to find thier product's to be out of my cost range. i was very pleased with the fly more package...especialy that mine came with a free Tello Drone which i will not use as i am having far too much fun with my Mavic. Happy flying.

[@rcfanaticdublin]

Mine is Artic white.

[@EXOTICLEX]

How did you get the tello drone free? Did you buy direct from DJI and they were running a special?

[@khojiAnupam]

AMAZING INFO GOD BLESSYOU

[@ChileThailandtravel]

Thanks for sharing

[@Young360]

very detailed. funny unicorn. thanks!

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks. I wasn't sure if the Unicorn would be too "corny" or not, but seems like most people liked it. Thanks for the comment!

[@patrick3846]

I love the noise of Mavic Air sound like Stuka bomber! Scared all the rat in my neighborhood! I love it! My favourite drone, thanks

[@readysetdrone]

Nice! Sometimes that noise is just what you want to hear!

[@swooshdave]

Only didn't know the last two items. Good job!

[@Pipefitter310]

Thanks for sharing. ..Now after owning my syma x5c, it's still fun, which DJI would you recommend without going all out ? and I am not a movie maker. ..

[@readysetdrone]

Not to seem predictable, but if you can swing the cost, the Mavic Air would be a great choice. The Spark is also good, but the Air improves on so many things, the Spark now seems a bit dated. And, if you can fly your Syma X5C well, a DJI drone will seem very easy!

[@paramatus3531]

Just a little fedback: I appreciate that ur title has the word "might" in it. Beside from that, was nice to watch and well made!

[@Bandito900]

I just got my Mavic Air, and I love it. I'm watching your channel to learn about my drone. I don't know if I have the b*lls to take it out of sight, but 2.5k is a good distance.

[@readysetdrone]

There really is no need to take it out of sight. But good to know that you can if you have to!

[@ILLBEDRONED]

Very informative Kelly! I was actually hoping the new release was the Phantom V. Also I had thought I read 120fps in 4K, which would be crazy, but it looks like I read it wrong?!? BIG LIKE👍

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks. Based on my conversation with DJI last week, it seems like they are really focusing on the smaller, more portable drones. The Mavic has been far more popular than the Phantom because it is easier to take with you. I'm not sure what they plan to do with the Phantom line. We shall see!

[@BIGDRONEFLYER77RC]

Great job Kelly, I think I will stick to my dream drone. The mavic pro or a phantom someday. That care and have a great rest of your weekend.

[@baf7157]

Can’t wait to fly my new drone thank you for that info

[@blazethedalmatian]

Ready Set drone is awesome thank you sir, great information and super accurate thank you

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks for watching!

[@natedawgg77]

Would love to see a comparison of the different flight modes vs the Mavic Pro. Specifically I am interested in knowing if there is the "follow me" mode and "waypoints". Thanks for the videos!

[@Dinos0001]

Hi! I just ordered my mavic air and I'm excited! I saw in another video that the propellers have marking (white lines on the front propellers) on them so you know which ones go on the front legs and which ones go on the back legs. I see you have mixed them and you have one of the front ones on the back and vice-versa. Doesn't that create problems?

[@CLIFFLIX]

Does it have "contrast", "sharpness" and "saturation" controls like the Mavic Pro and Phantom 4 Pro?

[@JuanKharlox17]

CLIFFLIX yes and its even better because it has a higher bit rate wich is going to give a better image

[@mikeyb1883]

Can you do a range test with mavic air and mavic pro

[@DdraigX]

Are there any good accessories for these drones to allow me to lift something then drop it? I really would like to use a drone to hang some antenna wire in trees but not sure how to do it.

[@grumpyvlogger]

Thanks for this great video, but I expected nothing less from you. I got my Mavic Air yesterday and I love it. My wife will be getting my Spark. It’s even easier to fly that the Spark. Your video told me things I didn’t know, such as you believe in Unicorns 😉. Anyway thanks for another great video.

[@readysetdrone]

Thanks for the comment!

[@ericbphoto1]

Does the gimbal lock up in sport mode like the spark? How much louder than the spark is it?

[@JozimarDurand]

Fellow, I have not yet seen anyone doing consistent APAS testing. Have you done or have you seen video of who did a good test? By the way, you did a good job on this video. I liked your focus on these details.

[@paulcomptonpdphotography]

I have just replaced my pro 2 with an air. Is there anything I need to know

[@VisualHues]

Very explicit! Wanted buying a used one, this video really widen my scope on the product. 😊

[@joevee5459]

How is signal strength without ocusync? I am really apprehensive about the air because of lack of ocusync technology. Will you be doing a video soon on its signal strength? Great videos! Thanks!

[@JohnHeiman]

Don't buy it yet. You can probably have min in a couple of weeks if it sucks as bad as the Spark.

[@Bergemee]

I would love to see a video of someone packing the Mavic Air Fly More Combo inside the Travel bag! :D

[@kuatiogui]

Im interested in getting the mavic air. However i plan on flying among tall buildings in the city center, and without ocusync will that be a huge problem with wifi interference?

[@TripAstute]

Great video! I didn't realize that the red was glossy while the others are matte. I think you may be the first reviewer that I have seen to mention it. Thanks! 👍

[@readysetdrone]

Thank you!

[@daz1969]

Yes I was favouring the Red but now I know it’s glossy and the others aren’t it’s definitely the Red for me.

[@alexeyshamanin]

Sorry for off topic, but what software to you use for making all these videos? I'm thinking about buying either Xiaomi 4k or this one.

[@Conundrum191]

How's the video lag considering they used wifi vs occusync or lightbridge? Can it still be flown FPV style with no noticeable lag between what the drone is doing/where it is vs the display on the phone? To me this is 1000x more important than having a really really long range.

[@noahbell3441]

There is quicker signal loss and latency builds quickly with distance. Kinda sucks

[@Sky-zm5zx]

Why is it that when I let of the forward motion stick i get a jerky rocking stop and not a smooth transition. Thanks

[@Hangingwithtyrell]

Has to be in cinematic mode for slow smooth stops

[@timplaysroblox_shorts1908]

Thank you for letting me know

[@IaninLondon]

Great vid! W-fi up to 2.5 miles away? Not your typical home router :) The Phantom 3 S only managed half a mile; have you suffered any signal drop out? And does the support of 2.4 / 5/8 GHz mean you can use it with other FPV goggles? Ian in London .

[@ramziwelhi3491]

This is the biggest question that no review has actually covered, and holding me and many other people off from ordering a mavic air

[@TessLowe]

In Europe this is a massive problem, especially on the Spark where we are forced to use 5.8G WiFi at pitiful transmission power and range is limited to a couple hundred metres. No Mavic Air for me.

[@IaninLondon]

Are you forced to use 5.8Ghz? I've read threads where people select their band on the Spark to give longer range in Europe. The specs for the Air give 2000 metres for CE Europe on 2.4 Ghz. So I'm hoping that's what we'll get!

[@TessLowe]

Ian in London we used to be able to use 2.4 by attaching the phone to controller via an otg cable. However the most recent 3 or 4 versions of DJI Go 4 have blocked telemetry to the phone if you do this. You do still get video so if you don't mind not having any distance, altitude or battery information you can still use 2.4G and get the longer range yes.

[@TessLowe]

Ian in London I'm waiting to hear from mavic air users whether this is just a Spark issue or affects the Air as well. DJI seem reluctant to fix it despite many pleas.

[@Yama450YZF]

Hey Kelly, great video! I had a Spark for a month then sold it, I found I got a ton of WiFi interference. The range was pretty disappointing. Too bad the Mavic Air uses WiFi.. I think that fact alone, puts the Air in the “toy” category. Do you think that there could be an software update for the Mavic Pro and Mavic PP that will allow for 1080@120fps?

[@barryhuizing2804]

Thank you for all the information! I’ve asked before .....what do you think is going to happen to the pricing for the Spark and Mavic Pro if anything?

[@ANTHONYVLOG]

barry huizing it will stay the same. They left out features from the Air so to have demand for the higher end Mavic Pro, and a cheaper alternative the spark. Smart DJI lol

[@brockwbe]

good vid buddy

[@ferik.-aerodron1854]

great video - I believe the best little dron - greeting

[@geinge82]

I can't wait to get mines this week.

[@mrjohntitanic1]

Hi having lost my spark last year to all kinds of compass errors , it just flew off never found it . I have been thinking of the Maverick air ? Is this a good drone for me who just likes picture quality and general flying? John from ukulele

[@dougbell5160]

Enjoyed this video, it’s DJI equipment even your negative or not so popular features are fine by me. Just got confirmation mine shipped, in a email from DJI at 7:47pm Austin Texas time and it did include a FedEx tracking code

[@readysetdrone]

Awesome! You will really like it!

[@ChadsYT]

#6 so true! I thought I was gonna get matte black and got onyx black and looks like a grey 🙄 oh well

[@philliptatum2682]

Excellent video for everyone that's interested in purchasing a Mavic Air...a must watch! I find all of your videos informative, precise and concise! Thank you for a job WELL done! Please keep them coming! Phil Kentucky

[@leegenix]

Hi Kelly, I just got mine today. Updating the firmware after uninstalling the GO4 App and reinstalling. It seems like there's always some kind of stall when I get these things. Thanks for the tips and the video.

[@hashmahmood5513]

Which one do I get? I can buy any of the two but can only pick one. Also someone is selling the mavic pro brand new for £650 and the mavic air costs £769 in shops. Which do I get?? I want to use it for my travels around the world. I want to get shots such as mountains etc when I visit Iceland etc and the waterfall in Bali. I've never bought a drone before...

[@deproncitabria]

Hi. Do you have plans to do a review about the GDU O2?

[@cnyphotovideo]

OK. I see that you also have the iPhone X. I pretty much agree with your points about the Mavic air. I was glad to learn even though I always intuitively thought that rigid propellers would give a slightly longer flight time. There is no need on this particular drone to have folding propellers. For me this drone is a winner… Not because it’s the best one. It’s because it is so small that even compared to the Mavic pro you can take it literally anywhere and still get very high quality video or stills. I love the fact that I can shoot in RAW.

[@stevemontana5974]

Hi, I ordered the Mavic Air and the goggles and I wasn't aware that you need a cable to connect the two. What cable do I need so I can hurry up and order one? Thanks

[@readysetdrone]

Yes, I believe that is correct!

[@stevemontana5974]

Thanks for responding.

[@stevemontana5974]

Thanks

[@GlobalTubeTruth]

If I want to fly the Air at a location that has weak or no WiFi signal, I won't be able to fly the drone very well, or perhaps not at all. Is that correct??

[@Annepanne4ever]

No. :-) You don’t have to have WiFi. The drone creates a WiFi signal

[@GlobalTubeTruth]

I think I would prefer the ocusync. Are there any advantages to having wifi instead of ocusync??

[@connor25]

Very informative, thanks from the UK... was the RTH pretty accurate? I found the Spark wasn't.

[@readysetdrone]

Just about to post a video that shows RTH from a LONG way off...check it out!

[@sosteve9113]

some great facts

[@tone1myth2ad]

I have a question about slow motions, for starters i never tried it, ever hahaha, but i was wondering, by simply adjusting the rates of the frame it will covert your video from normal mode to slow motion or do you have to do it in an external program after shooting the film?? on the Mavic Pro

[@daz1969]

I love slow motion on the iPhone and it was the only thing I wanted on the Spark. I’m curious to how it works, is all the footage played back in slow motion or just normal speed at 120fps giving you the option to choose which parts of the clip you want in slo mo. Can I choose in iMovie.

[@samavella8831]

Hi Kelly, Thank you for this very informative and excellent video. I’m looking to buy the Air and still indecisive as to which colour. I do like the red, but as you said it is a glossy finish and my concern is how easily can it be scuffed! What are your thoughts on the glossy finish since you own one? Have you had any issues with it? I don’t want to have to worry about always babying it when I use it to avoid scuffing it and getting those annoying tiny surface scratches. Many thanks on advance! Sam

[@readysetdrone]

I have the red and the black. The red is very cool looking, but you need a cloth to wipe it off. The black is also very cool looking - more "stealth". So if you like something more flashy, go red. If you like more stealthy, go black. I have never seen a white one in person, so I can't speak to that one.

[@samavella8831]

Ready Set Drone Thanks Kelly, it’s a tough choice, but I’m leaning more towards the black, since I’m not a “flashy-guy”. Have a fantastic day.

[@Armis71]

You can actually fit the Air including clamshell (while it's inside it) in the wide side pocket of the bag if you want to. That means you can fit everything that came with the Fly More Combo + Clamshell.

[@GeoscienceImaging]

Since it is fixed focus, what is the minimum focus distance?

[@JimboP-Outside]

Excellent, thank you. Mine’s on the way.... 😃

[@readysetdrone]

Cool. I think you will really like it!

[@datres7]

How about a video of more in depth look at settings for the drone and what to do first for people who never flown and this may even there first drone type video

[@Silverturky]

Is there any aliasing in higher 1080p modes like the mavic pro had?

[@adidasP4]

Do you think that DJI will bring the The Sphere Panorama of the mavic air to the mavic pro? Since it just got to do with software?

[@adidasP4]

Will Kverneland I'm sure, it got nothing to do with hardware

[@readysetdrone]

Hmmm - that is a good question. I hope they do, but there _may_ be a hardware difference that makes it possible. We should keep an eye out for a software update coming soon!

[@WellingtonSS85]

Thumbs-up for the unicorn closing info!!!

[@dirtrider88]

are the legs the antennas or are the antennas attached to the legs? if you break a leg do you have to replace the antenna?

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

No worries, the Air Platinum will have foldable quiet props and a bright silver finish. Look for it in 6-8 months. lol

[@azizaladwani000]

please help me what is the better mavic pro or mavic air ??

[@dukeisblackandroid]

I really liked the jingles! Made the video more interesting. Also the unicorn killed me!!!

[@readysetdrone]

Glad to hear it - just trying to keep things interesting!

[@jameslovell8682]

Yeah that makes you a bit sad.

[@kermit56780]

I think the not being able to charge via usb argument is a bad one, because certainly for owners having more than one battery it goes without saying..

[@jasonnell1477]

Have you done a full range review yet?

[@johnnymcleanvlogs]

So cool like flying

[@BoopSnoot]

2:30 Wanna know why its so loud? The legs are too short and the props are too small. Using non-folding props means they made the legs shorter so that it still folds properly, but that means lots of body overlap on the props which is bad. The smaller props also means they rotate at higher RPM which is not only louder, but a more annoying higher pitch. Longer legs with bigger folding props would have resulted in a much quieter drone.

[@MrEndshow]

My Spark legs and props is shorter my new Mavic Air, but Mavic Air still the loudest. A lot.

[@marchufnagel9068]

I got my air yesterday and my MPP (keeping it too) is so much quieter. I'm going to give it a few days but I can see this getting returned.

[@kris2882]

I think DJI was also going for a certain size/feature set that set it apart from the Mavic Pro. If they made a drone with longer legs it'd only make it more similar to the Pro. Now, I'm curious if they can make a fixed prop with the curved design like the platinum props and if that would noticeably quiet things down.

[@Itsisawnotiseen]

Marc Hufnagel did you return it?

[@BazColne]

Thanks again.

[@fabulousoffroaddesigns5080]

Do you think DJI will make a Spark Air that is under that magical 250g weight restriction?

[@nanaa6281]

thank you ..

[@tiagoarnaudyt]

Hi! Can you control the exposer and shutter speed while you are recording video? Thanks

[@readysetdrone]

Not while you are recording.