DJI Mavic or GoPro Karma, You Decide

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A new war is brewing between GoPro and the Karma versus DJI and it’s Mavic Pro. Debuts within days of each other the rivalry between these two companies that used to work together.

Let’s take a look at how they stack up against each other on paper while we wait to see how they do in the air.

The issue is certainly not going to be decided on paper but by the wallets of consumers.

WEIGHT

The DJI Mavic Pro weighs 1.62lbs (734g).  The GoPro Karma weighs 2.22lbs (1006g). This measurement could be looked at two ways. First, a lighter drone may fly further but may also be pushed around by the wind. Most certainly it will affect flight times.

CARRY SIZE

The DJI Mavic Pro has dimensions of 83x83x198mm, the GoPro Karma comes in at 9.9×224.3×356.2mm.

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For ease of carrying the DJI Mavic has a better more streamlined design.

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FLYING SPEED

The DJI Mavic Pro is able to fly 40 mph (65 kph) in Sport mode. The GoPro Karma has a top speed of 35 mph (56.3 kph).

Flight Time

The DJI Mavic Pro can fly for 27 minutes. The GoPro Karma can fly for 20 minutes.

FLIGHT DISTANCE

The DJI Mavic Pro can be controlled at a distance of 4.3 miles (7 km) away from its controller, and the GOPro Karma can be controlled from a distance of 0.62 miles (1 km).

CAMERA

The DJI Mavic Pro has a built-in camera, while the GoPro Karma needs a separate GoPro Hero 5 camera.

Both the DJI Mavic Pro camera and the GoPro HERO5 Black use 1/2.3-inch, 12-megapixel CMOS sensors. Both cameras can shoot both JPEG and RAW photos and 4K video.

Stabilizer

Both drones have a gimbal with 3-axis stabilization. The GoPro Karma has a range of motion of -90° to 0° up and down. The DJI Mavic Pro has a wider range of motion of -90° to +30° (pitch) as well as the ability to roll.

Remote Controller

The DJI Mavic Pro has you use your smartphone with the flight controller. The GoPro Karma flight controller has a built-in LCD screen. The ergonomics of the GoPro Karma resemble a game controller. It looks easier and I definitely give GoPro the thumbs up on this.

Intelligent Flight Modes

The DJI Mavic Pro has a bunch of sensors and cameras for its FlightAutonomy obstacle avoidance system, object tracking system, and gesture control system. The GoPro Karma does not have obstacle avoidance or “Follow Me” capabilities.

Definite advantage DJI Mavic Pro here.

Price

The DJI Mavic Pro lists at $749 for the drone (add in your smartphone cost and hope you don’t miss a call while flying) or $1,000 for the drone and a remote controller. The GoPro Karma costs $799 for the drone and controller, but it needs a GoPro HERO5 Black costs $399, bringing the total to $1,199.

I am not going to draw any conclusions here. I want to fly both of them before I do that. But what do you think?

 

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