Karma vs. Mavic || Drone Showdown

[Tanner_McClune]

GoPro Karma | $799.99:

speed: 35 mph

distance: 3280 ft

height: 14,500 ft

weight: 35.5 oz

flight time: 20 min

LWH open: 12/16.2/4.6 in

LWH closed: 14.4/8.8/3.5 in

DJI Mavic | $999.00:

speed: 40 mph

distance: 42240 ft

height: 16404 ft

weight: 25.92 oz

flight time: 27 min

LWH open: not given

LWH closed: 7.8/3.2/3.2 in

After these specs, what do you think? Personally I think the Gopro is a better deal, because you also get the small handheld gimble, but the mavic is much smaller and easier to take up in the mountains. However $200 more dollars you can get the Hero 5 with the karma.

Even though I said karma is the better deal, i would choose the Mavic because of its impressive speed, distance, and size.

 

[jsenesei]

Yeah I agree that the Karma is better value for money because of the handheld gimbal as well as getting a Hero 5 but the video quality is as good or even better in my opinion in the Mavic and you also get a lot more features! I find that the extra flight time, follow me settings, much longer range, more speed, obstacle avoidance and other settings allow the Mavic to be a much more comprehensive drone which will allow for better footage. I was about to preorder a Karma until the Mavic was released but now I think DJI has really sold it for me!

 

[eheath]

Drones are a fad.

 

[MNSkiers]

Drones are a fad.

[img=]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zC_ATZD1rGs/maxresdefault.jpg[/img]

 

[Sklar]

Drones are a fad.

Does seem like a fun toy...

 

[dan_swagner]

Drones are a fad.

Consumer drones are a fad

 

[eheath]

Consumer drones are a fad

TRUUUU

 

[eheath]

[img=]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zC_ATZD1rGs/maxresdefault.jpg[/img]

Also that thing is basically a helicopter.

 

[MNSkiers]

Also that thing is basically a helicopter.

LOL I know.

I think they can carry up to 50 lbs. So it can pretty much fly around an 8 year old.

 

[Tanner_McClune]

Drones are a fad.

Nah, drones are great for content creation, these are here to stay

 

[eheath]

Nah, drones are great for content creation, these are here to stay

I mean if you like a drone thats great, but at least in skiing it has been beaten to death. Half of the level 1 movie was fucking drone shots ugh

 

[Tanner_McClune]

I mean if you like a drone thats great, but at least in skiing it has been beaten to death. Half of the level 1 movie was fucking drone shots ugh

Oh I agree with you there. I meant general drone usage (they are fun to fly)

 

[gravel]

Nah, drones are great for content creation, these are here to stay

GoPro/Other Tiny 4K camera on a 4 rotor RC helicopter ≠ great content creation (yet). There's no diversity in the shots from DJI or GoPro or any number of drones. While it can help with perspective in some situations, an oversharpened output image with the same focal length every time quickly gets bland. When consumer drones develop closer towards professional drones (capacity to carry cameras with larger sensors, better gimbals, greater overall mass [which helps with fluidity, today's consumer drones have such fast accelerations as a result of the small mass that sometimes the video looks unnaturally jerky]) then the content creation factor will follow.

 

[chris.goodhue]

I mean if you like a drone thats great, but at least in skiing it has been beaten to death. Half of the level 1 movie was fucking drone shots ugh

oh like glidecam or helicopters shots aren't? The amount of edits dropped just like yours at park city.....? Gimmeabreak...you sound like a hypocrite. Not saying there bad at all, but talk about beaten to death. Drones have their purpose, just like glidecams, sliders, helicopters, GoPro's... whatever. You could say every aspect of ski filming has been beating to death.

As far as the drones go, I think the GoPro one would be the way I would go. Having the gimbal and drone incorporated into one system would be super sweet. The mountain bike mounts for the karma grip look really cool as well.

 

[eheath]

oh like glidecam or helicopters shots aren't? The amount of edits dropped just like yours at park city.....? Gimmeabreak...you sound like a hypocrite. Not saying there bad at all, but talk about beaten to death. Drones have their purpose, just like glidecams, sliders, helicopters, GoPro's... whatever. You could say every aspect of ski filming has been beating to death.

As far as the drones go, I think the GoPro one would be the way I would go. Having the gimbal and drone incorporated into one system would be super sweet. The mountain bike mounts for the karma grip look really cool as well.

I was in no way trying to say I didn't do anything that everyone else does (or everyone else did what i did ) but I think drones are just like any other filming fad, just like you said everything gets beaten to death.

 

[chris.goodhue]

I was in no way trying to say I didn't do anything that everyone else does (or everyone else did what i did ) but I think drones are just like any other filming fad, just like you said everything gets beaten to death.

I agree with you that drone shots are somewhat generic, but added with other unique shots i think they can be a huge tool in the creative process. A consumer drone where you can change the aperture on the fly though, that would be radical.

 

[gravel]

I agree with you that drone shots are somewhat generic, but added with other unique shots i think they can be a huge tool in the creative process. A consumer drone where you can change the aperture on the fly though, that would be radical.

Aperture means almost nothing if you're talking about a wide angle like a GoPro. More useful would be increased focal ranges because it would open so much more creative potential with drones.

 

[ascent_studios]

Personally I have a drone and I only use it for a shot a video pretty much. Other than that they get repetitive and boring and they have a specific purpose.

Also if I had to choose between the two drones above I would get the Karma. While the mavic might be smaller that also means that it is more unstable and susceptible to being pushed around by wind

 

[T.L.]

Not a huge fan of this guy but...

 

[SofaKingSick]

I mean if you like a drone thats great, but at least in skiing it has been beaten to death. Half of the level 1 movie was fucking drone shots ugh

yeah but level 1 does everything ad nauseam, along with a lot of other people. doesnt really make sense to judge anything's longevity by something like that, any cool thing is going to be overused (or just done in a mediocre fashion) by people

besides cheaper-than-renting-a-heli aerial shots, drones have another major use in my mind that hasn't been really done to its full potential: fast tracking follow shots down big lines with basically a video game POV... i think that's the ideal shot to show the intensity of big mtn skiing. shooting from the side or below makes it too easy to forget that the rider can't see through the rollovers and cliffs he's destroying

 

[Rodigan]

just wondered at what is the lowest temp any of you guys have flown a mavic

 

[IanAvery-Leaf]

I agree with you that drone shots are somewhat generic, but added with other unique shots i think they can be a huge tool in the creative process. A consumer drone where you can change the aperture on the fly though, that would be radical.

I can change the aperture right in the DJI go app if the lens has electronic control, but like Gavin said, focal length variety is exponentially more important. I pretty much never shoot wide aerials anymore cuz I got pretty burnt out on it, and mostly use a olympus 45mm, which on the 4/3rds sensor is 90mm equivalent. Night and day difference compared to typical 22mm DJI fixed lenses

 

[SSteezle]

The drone shots in Sammy C's Twenty Four were far from generic. Some of the best aerial shots I've ever seen and puts a great perspective on some of the lines he skied, a perspective that wouldn't have been capable from an actual heli

 

[eheath]

The drone shots in Sammy C's Twenty Four were far from generic. Some of the best aerial shots I've ever seen and puts a great perspective on some of the lines he skied, a perspective that wouldn't have been capable from an actual heli

Side note, have you seen Numinous? Some of the best drone cinematography i've ever seen.

 

[SSteezle]

Side note, have you seen Numinous? Some of the best drone cinematography i've ever seen.

Haven't seen it, i'll check err out

 

[eheath]

Haven't seen it, i'll check err out

They got about 50ft from a like 50 degree slope and lead in front of the skier as they skied down, plus a bunch of other insane shots. Next level for sure.

 

[corona]

Nah, drones are great for content creation, these are here to stay

Not in Canada. Illegal to use within 9km of any airport plus a lot of other restrictions that make them unusable for about 3/4 of where the population lives.