Updated on • 9 Sep 2024
DJI Spark VERSUS DJI Mavic Pro
Find out which of DJI's smaller quadcopters, the Spark or the Mavic Pro, is best suited to your needs with our Insider VERSUS guide. ... Read More
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Will the Spark be able to live up to both the hype surrounding it and the level of quality demonstrated by its larger foldable sibling? Heliguy's Insider takes a look at both aircraft to give you an idea of which is best suited to your needs. Before we delve into the main comparison, let's take a look at the specs of both aircraft:
1495632313DJI_Spark-Small.png DJI Spark | 1476272928Mavic_Pro-small.png DJI Mavic Pro |
Aircraft
#### Dimension | 143 × 143 × 55 mm | 83mm (H) x 83mm (W) x 198mm (L) (Folded) |
#### Diagonal Size (Propellers Excluded) | 170 mm | 335 mm |
#### Weight (Battery & Propellers Included) | N/A | 734 g (exclude gimbal cover) 743 g (include gimbal cover) |
#### Takeoff Weight | 300 g | N/A |
#### Max Ascent Speed | 3 m/s in Sport Mode without wind | 5 m/s in Sport mode |
#### Max Descent Speed | 3 m/s in Auto Landing Mode | 3 m/s |
#### Max Speed | 31 mph (50 kph) in Sport Mode without wind | 40 mph (65 kph) in Sport mode without wind |
#### Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level | 4000 m | 5000 m |
#### Max Flight Time | 16 minutes (no wind at a consistent 12.4 mph (20 kph)) | 27 minutes (no wind at a consistent 15.5 mph (25 kph)) |
#### Max Hovering Time | 15 minutes (no wind) | 24 minutes (no wind) |
#### Overall Flight Time | N/A | 21 minutes (In normal flight, 15% remaining battery level) |
#### Max Flight Distance | N/A | 13 km (no wind) |
#### Operating Temperature Range | 0° to 40°C | 0° to 40°C |
#### Satellite Positioning Systems | GPS / GLONASS | GPS / GLONASS |
#### Hover Accuracy Range | Vertical: +/- 0.1 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/-0.5 m Horizontal: +/- 0.3 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/-1.5 m | Vertical: +/- 0.1 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/-0.5 m Horizontal: +/- 0.3 m (when Vision Positioning is active) or +/-1.5 m |
#### Transmitter Power (EIRP) | 2.4 GHz FCC: 25 dBm; CE: 18 dBm; SRRC: 18 dBm 5.8 GHz FCC: 27 dBm; CE: 14 dBm; SRRC: 27 dBm | N/A |
#### Operating Frequency | 2.400 - 2.483 GHz; 5.725 - 5.825 GHz | N/A |
Remote Controller
#### Operating Frequency | 2.412 - 2.462 GHz; 5.745 - 5.825 GHz | 2.4 GHz to 2.483 GHz |
#### Max Transmission Distance | 2.412 - 2.462 GHz (unobstructed, free of interference) FCC: 1.2 mi (2 km); CE: 0.3 mi (500 m); SRRC: 0.3 mi (500 m) 5.745 - 5.825 GHz (unobstructed, free of interference) FCC: 1.2 mi (2 km); CE: 0.18 mi (300 m); SRRC: 0.7 mi (1.2 km) | FCC Compliant: 7 km CE Compliant: 4 km (Unobstructed, free of interference) |
#### Operating Temperature Range | 0° to 40°C | 0° to 40°C |
#### Battery | 2970 mAh | 2970mAh |
#### Transmitter Power (EIRP) | 2.4 GHz FCC: ≤26 dBm; CE: ≤18 dBm; SRCC: ≤18 dBm 5.8 GHz FCC: ≤28 dBm; CE: ≤14 dBm; SRCC: ≤26 dBm | FCC： ≤26 dBm CE： ≤20 dBm |
#### Operating Current/Voltage | 950 mAh @3.7V | 950mA @3.7V |
#### Supported Mobile Device Size | Thickness range: 6.5-8.5 mm Max length: 160 mm | Thickness Supported: 6.5-8.5mm Max length: 160mm Supported USB port types: Lightning, Micro USB (Type-B), USB (Type-C) |
Charger
#### Voltage | 13.05 V | 13.05 V |
#### Rated Power | N/A | 50 W |
#### Input | 100-240 V; 50/60 Hz; 0.5 A | N/A |
#### Output | 5V / 3A; 9V / 2A; 12V / 1.5A | 5V / 2A |
Intelligent Flight Battery
#### Capacity | 1480 mAh | 3830 mAh |
#### Voltage | 11.4 V | 11.4 V |
#### Battery Type | LiPo 3S | LiPo 3S |
#### Energy | 16.87 Wh | 43.6 Wh |
#### Net Weight | Approx. 95 g | Approx. 240 g |
#### Charging Temperature Range | 5° to 40° C | 5° to 40°C |
Gimbal
#### Controllable Range | Pitch: -85° to 0° | Pitch: -90° to +30° Roll: 0° or 90° (Horizontally and vertically) |
#### Stabilization | 2-axis mechanical (pitch, roll) | 3-axis (pitch, roll, yaw) |
Vision System
#### Vision System | N/A | Forward Vision System; Downward Vision System |
#### Obstacle Sensory Range | N/A | Precision measurement range: 0.7 m to 15 m; Detectable range: 15 m to 30 m |
#### Operating Environment | Surface with clear patterns, enables diffuse reflection with >20% reflection rate; Adequate lighting (lux>15) | Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux > 15) |
#### Velocity Range | ≤22.4 mph (36 kph) at 6.6 ft (2 m) above ground | ≤22.4 mph (36 kph) at 2 m above ground |
#### Altitude Range | 0 - 8 m | 0.3 - 13 m |
#### Operating Range | 0 - 30 m | 0.3 - 13 m |
3D Sensing System
#### Obstacle Sensing Range | 1-16 ft (0.2 - 5 m) | N/A |
#### Operating Environment | Surface should be larger than 20x20 cm and enable diffuse reflection, with reflection rate >20% (eg. wall, tree, people) | N/A |
Camera
#### Sensor | 1/2.3" CMOS, Effective pixels: 12 MP | 1/2.3" (CMOS), Effective pixels: 12.35 M (Total pixels:12.71M) |
#### Lens | FOV 81.9° 25 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.6 (shooting range: 2 m to ∞) | FOV 78.8° 28 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.2; Distortion < 1.5% Focus from 0.5 m to ∞ |
#### ISO Range | 100-3200 (video); 100-1600 (photo) | 100-3200 (video); 100-1600 (photo) |
#### Electronic Shutter Speed | 2s - 1/8000 s | 8s - 1/8000s |
#### Image Size | 3968 × 2976 | 4000 × 3000 |
#### Still Photography Modes | Single Shot; Burst Shooting: 3 frames; Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3 bracketed frames at 0.7; EV bias; Interval: 2 / 3 / 5 / 7 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 30 / 60s | Single shot; Burst shooting: 3 / 5 / 7 frames; Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7; EV Bias; Interval |
#### Video Recording Modes | FHD: 1920×1080 30p | C4K: 4096×2160 24p 4K: 3840×2160 24 / 25 / 30p 2.7K: 2720x1530 24 / 25 / 30p FHD: 1920×1080 24 / 25 / 30 / 48 / 50 / 60 / 96p; HD: 1280×720 24 / 25 / 30 / 48 / 50 / 60 / 120p |
#### Max Video Bitrate | 24 Mbps | 60 Mbps |
#### Supported File Systems | FAT32 (≤ 32 GB) | FAT32 (≤ 32 GB) exFAT (> 32 GB) |
#### Photo | JPEG | JPEG, DNG |
#### Video | MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) | MP4, MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) |
#### Supported SD Cards | Micro SD Cards Recommended: Sandisk 16/32 GB UHS-1 Micro SDHC, Kingston 16/32 GB UHS-1 Micro SDHC, Samsung 16/32 GB UHS-I Micro SDHC, Sandisk 64 GB UHS-1 Micro SDXC, Kingston 64 GB UHS-1 Micro SDXC, Samsung 64 GB UHS-I Micro SDXC | Micro SD; Max capacity: 64 GB. Class 10 or UHS-1 rating required |
Wi-Fi
#### Operating Frequency | 2.4 GHz/5.8 GHz | 2.4G/5G |
#### Max Transmission Distance | 100m (Distance), 50m (Height) (Unobstructed, free of interference) | 80m (Distance), 50m (Height) (Unobstructed, free of interference) |
#### Max Speed | N/A | 14 km/h (9 mph) |
#### Max Ascent Speed | N/A | 2 m/s |
#### Max Descent Speed | N/A | 1 m/s |
App / Live View
#### Mobile App | DJI GO 4 | DJI GO 4 |
#### Live View Quality | 720p@30fps, 1080p@30fps (Remote Controller) 720p@30fps (Wi-Fi) 720p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (DJI Goggles) | 720p@30fps, 1080p@30fps (Remote Controller) 720p@30fps (Wi-Fi) 720p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (DJI Goggles) |
#### Latency | 160-170ms (depending on conditions and mobile device) | 160-170ms (depending on conditions and mobile device) |
#### Required Operating Systems | iOS 9.0 or later Android 4.1.2 or later | iOS 9.0 or later Android 4.1.2 or later |
#### Recommended Devices | ios: iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPod touch 6, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 4, and iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular. This app is optimized for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Android: Samsung S7 Edge, Samsung S7, Samsung S6, Samsung S5, Samsung NOTE4, Samsung NOTE3, Samsung tabs 705c, Ascend Mate 9, Ascend Mate 7, Huawei Honor 8, Huawei P8 Max, Vivo X7, Xiaomi 5, MI 3, Google Nexus 6p, Nexus 9, Google Nexus 7 II, LG V20, Sony Xperia Z3, Smartisan T1. *Support for additional Android devices available as testing and development continues. | ios: iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPod touch 6, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 4, and iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular. This app is optimised for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Android: Samsung S7 Edge, Samsung S7, Samsung S6, Samsung S5, Samsung NOTE4, Samsung NOTE3, Samsung tabs 705c, Ascend Mate 9, Ascend Mate 7, Huawei Honor 8, Huawei P8 Max, Vivo X7, Xiaomi 5, MI 3, Google Nexus 6p, Nexus 9, Google Nexus 7 II, LG V20, Sony Xperia Z3, Smartisan T1. *Support for additional Android devices available as testing and development continues. |
DJI Spark VERSUS DJI Mavic Pro Key Features
Now that we’ve looked through the specifications of these two small but mighty quadcopters, this article will dig a bit further into what makes them so intuitive and enjoyable to fly.
What's In The Box?
First things first, let's start with what you can expect from both products straight out of the box. To give you the most comprehensive idea of what both these quadcopters offer, we've included both the standard versions (Spark / Mavic) and the Fly More Combo versions (Spark / Mavic).
What's Included?
1495632313DJI_Spark-Small.png DJI Spark | Spark * Aircraft * Propeller Pair * Intelligent Flight Battery * Charger * Micro USB Cable * Storage Box | Spark Fly More Combo * Aircraft * Remote Controller * Propeller Pair * Propeller Guards (Pair) * Intelligent Flight Battery * Charger * Power Cable * Battery Charging Hub * Micro USB Cable * Storage Box * Shoulder Bag |
Mavic * Aircraft (Intelligent Flight Battery and Gimbal Cover Included) * Remote Controller * Battery Charger * Power Cable * Propeller Pair * Gimbal Clamp * MicroSD Card (16 GB) * Micro USB Cable * RC Cable (Lightning connector) * RC Cable (Standard Micro USB connector) * RC Cable (USB Type-C connector) * RC Cable Slider * Manuals | Mavic Fly More Combo * Aircraft (Intelligent Flight Battery and Gimbal Cover included) * Remote Controller * Charger * Power Cable * Propeller Pair * Gimbal Clamp * MicroSD Card (16GB) * Micro USB Cable * RC Cable * RC Cable Slider * Manuals * Extra Battery * Battery Charging Hub * Car Charger * Battery to Power Bank Adaptor * Shoulder Bag | 1476272928Mavic_Pro-small.png DJI Mavic Pro |
Appearance
Performance
Battery Life
Camera Specs
Pano: This mode shoots both horizontal and vertical panoramas by automatically adjusting its gimbal and heading.
ShallowFocus: This feature uses the DJI Spark‘s 3D vision technology to create photos with a shallow depth of field.
Additional camera modes include:
Rocket: The Spark ascends with the camera pointing downwards, capturing the scene below
Dronie: This setting makes the drone fly backwards and upwards, with the camera locked on its subject
Circle: A self-explanatory feature that circles around the target
Helix: With Helix, the Spark flies in an upward spiral around the subject
Featuring DJI’s smallest ever stabilised 3-axis integrated gimbal and camera, the DJI Mavic Pro is capable of shooting in 4K and 12MP with Adobe DNG RAW functionality. There’s also a new ‘Gesture Mode’ which allow you to command the Mavic to take pictures with a wave of your hand and a ‘Tripod Mode’ which ensures that every manoeuvre becomes precise and slow for optimum shot quality. One thing to note is that you can expect a narrower FOV than you’ll get from the Phantom 4 but far from being a drawback, this ensures a higher level of image quality. There are additional sensors which are refined versions of the P4’s obstacle avoidance solution and the visual positioning introduced with the Inspire 1 range. Utilising these sensors, the Mavic has one of the most stable stationary hovers you’ll see from any drone on the market.
Get in Touch
If you want to learn more about the DJI Spark, the Mavic Pro or any of their other products, don't hesitate to get in touch with us via the details listed below.
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Keep checking back to Heliguy's Insider Blog to learn more about DJI's latest products, read our in-depth VERSUS series and, of course, stay up to date on the goings on in the drone industry.
written by
James Willoughby
James joined heliguy™ in 2018 following a 13-year stint in print and online journalism, having worked on regional and weekly newspaper titles. He is responsible for spearheading heliguy™'s content strategy and social media delivery. James collaborates with DJI Enterprise's European marketing team to coordinate and produce case studies and helps organise events and webinars.