DJI - Mavic 2 Pro

It's terrible. I'll do you a favor and take it off your hands. Seriously though, it's still a great unit today. Just keep an eye on the batteries - we've had a few swell recently and need replacing.

Keep the Air 3s , Mavic pro 2, Neo 2 & Flip. sell the rest & get the Avata 360... Then seek out a therapist

3 Pro or 4 Pro. Any of the mini / air line will be a downgrade from M2P.

Getting back into it those are the three I’d go for. Have some diy quads, Mavic 2 Pro, and original Avata. Picked up a Mini 5 Pro and Neo 2 for ~$1500 with extra batteries and the RC2 controller and I’d be tempted by the 360 lol.

I've printed several feet wide from both my Mini 3 Pro and my Mavic 2 Pro. I shoot a lot of 360° panoramas, and those are about 18,000 pixels wide which gives me a lot of room for cropping a print. (23,000 pixels with the Mavic 2.) One thing I suggest you look at are drone regulations in your country. In Canada a drone 250g or heavier requires at least a basic RPAS pilot certificate and there are a lot of restricted areas. An advanced certificate would open up more areas to flying but there are still more restrictions than there are with sub-250g drones. (Which is why I've hardly flown my Mavic in ages.) So depending on where you are and what you want to photograph, that could be a significant factor.

I view my drones as cameras with 120m tripods. :-) Depending on where you live, being under 250g may make a large difference in both where you can fly and what licensing you need. The Mini 5 Pro is quite possibly over that limit\* and while some jurisdictions may be relaxed about a few grams difference some aren't. I have a Mavic 2 Pro (which has a 1" sensor and Hasselblad camera), a Mini 3 Pro, and a new (unused) Mini 5 Pro — and I'm thinking that the 5 might have been a mistake (because where I live (Canada) the weight is a factor). It may end up replacing my infrequently-used Mavic for trips out to the boonies where I can legally fly it. I almost never shoot video. It's a different way of thinking which I haven't mastered. A good retirement project to look forward to, though. The camera on my Mini 3 Pro is good enough to take photos that I've enlarged and hung on my wall, not to mention sold. Low-light performance is decent enough for the light levels I fly in (never darker than twilight). Good call on the fly-more kit. You'll want extra batteries and props, and the carrying bag is nice. If you opt for a Mini 3/4 Pro get a better screwdriver than comes with the kit. Get the version with the RC Controller with the built-in screen. Less faffing around with cables, keeps your phone free for other tasks (and you don't have to remember to turn off notifications so you don't get distracted while flying), and doesn't run your phone down. \*Officially 249.9 g +/- 4 g.

Stewart and Alina have some footage of tests they did on the Mini 3 Pro in Scotland, with winds so strong you can lean into them. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3nOB8Pr4Hg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3nOB8Pr4Hg) I have both a Mini 3 Pro and a Mavic 2 Pro. Both are pretty good in wind. The Mavic handles gusts better, as its greater mass means it doesn't move as far before the active position holding kicks in. For videos they both do just fine, for panoramas where I need multiple shots from the same point (to avoid Parallax errors) the Mavic is a bit better. OTOH, the Mini is a lot easier to carry!

I use a Mini 3 Pro. I also have a Mavic 2 Pro but the Mini is good enough to print large so that's what I use most of the time because it's easier to carry (and sounds quieter).

How large is "large" for your prints? I've printed shots from my Mini 3 Pro 4' wide and you can't tell them from shots from my Nikon D800. (Well, other than being in the air!) I also have a Mavic 2 Pro (first Mavic with a Hassleblad camera) and in good light there's very little difference between the images. The Mavic performs better in low light, but I'm surprised at how well the Mini does. I usually use my Mini now. Partly because it's lighter and easier to carry, but mostly because where I live (Canada) has looser regulations for drones under 250 g, so I can fly more places. Depending on where you fly this could be significant.

Depending on where you are (and it makes a *big* difference), getting one under 250 g means you can fly more places with fewer restrictions. I have both a Mavic 2 Pro and a Mini 3 Pro, and I haven't flown the Mavic in a couple of years because there are so few places I can legally fly it near where I live in Canada. (In Canada, you also need a license to fly a drone 250g or heavier. It's easy to get, but it's one more step.) The *other* reason I mostly use my Mini rather than my Mavic is that it's significantly lighter. As I get older I've found that hiking with a heavy bags means I'm often not in the mood for photography, so the lighter drone (and an APS-C mirrorless camera to replace my tank of a D800) means I actually take pictures on a hike. YMMV, of course. If you are looking for something with good picture quality a friend who's a professional landscape photographer recently got a Mini 5 Pro and he's happy with the image quality. (Which surprised me a bit, as he's a perfectionist.) That's on the edge of being under 250 g (249.9±4g), so a roll of the dice in Canada but C0 rather than C1 in Europe. Obstacle avoidance sensors are nice if you shoot video, not so important if you're shooting landscapes where you're mostly hovering well away from obstacles. As you're just starting out a good bet might be a used drone from a reputable source, then buy a better one when you outgrow it. I'd spring for a controller with a built-in display rather than one that needs your phone. Partly because it's easier to set up, partly because you won't be interrupted by messages/calls while flying, and partly because the display is very likely brighter.

Anyone have a reputable seller in the US or Canada to recommend? Time to punt my Mavic 2 Pro and 3 Pro.

I have a mavic 2 pro that I’ve had at least since 2020 and just this year got a mavic 3 pro (mainly as a backup) but I’ve been using the 3 exclusively lol. Main thing for me that I love so much is the battery life and i can transfer files to my phone without having to connect it to the controller lol. I use them for real estate and both are truly great. The 3 is just seems easier to take and fly. lol

Yes absolutely! I got my first drone at about that age and flew it many times. I did eventually crash it, bought another one (Mavic Pro 2) and I've had many flights since. Start in a simple location with good lines of sight and vertical clearance, go slow. Practice a bit. They're so sophisticated now, you'll get it back every time if you keep it in clear air.

I've got my Mavic2 and I'm sitting tight.

Used Mavic 2 Pros can be had for great prices and have a very good camera if you are happy with a 28mm equivalent. Mavic 3 or Mavic Air 3(s) if you’re looking for the option of a longer focal length which can be useful for landscape photography. Mavic 4 if money is no object. The upcoming Mini 5 Pro is going to be interesting as it will combine the IQ of a 1’ sensor and the operational flexibility offered by sub-250g drones.

Mavic Pro 2 has done me wonders still.