Chinese drone manufacturer DJI has announced the Mavic Pro, a compact, foldable quadcopter capable of capturing 4K video and 12-megapixel stills. The company has also announced new DJI Goggles which will allow Mavic owners to experience flights in VR.
Just a week after GoPro announced the Karma UAV to work alongside its new Hero5 range of action cams, DJI has arrived on the scene with its own foldable craft.
The company, famous for the existing range of Phantom drones, has upped its game with the Mavic Pro which is half the size and weight of the flagship Phantom 4.
It also folds down to easily fit inside a purse or a small backpack, while maintaining the same camera sensor as the Phantom 4, with 4K/30fps and 1080p/96fps video and 12-megapixel stills.
The Mavic Pro will also fly for 27-minutes on a single charge with a top speed of 40 miles per hour.
Related: GoPro Hero5 hands-on
WATCH: DJI Mavic Pro vs GoPro Karma: Which should you buy?
Once in the air it is capable of locking onto a subject, following it from behind, flying alongside it or even circling the target.
All of which is designed to enable more creativity and control when shooting aerial video. It is also able to identify the objects within the green box on the screen of the controller.
DJI hopes these prosumer-style features will be the difference maker between it and the more consumer-focused GoPro Karma drone.
It’ll go on sale on October 15 for $999 including the controller or $749 without. That compares to the Karma’s $749 starting price with the controller. Add a Hero5 into the mix and the price goes up to $1,099.
Another deciding factor might be the DJI Goggles announced alongside the Mavic Pro. They’ll allow users to get a first person perspective of the flight. The headset is yet to be priced, but you can see it in action in the video below.
Once partners, now GoPro and DJI are very much rivals as they verge into each other’s traditional territories. Who’s more likely to win out? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Video: GoPro Hero 5, Hero 5 Session and Karma drone revealed
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
