- Page 1: Introduction
- Page 2: Video, Follow Me and Flight Speed Comparison
- Page 3: Battery, Weight and Obstacle Avoidance
- Page 4: Control Methods, Range and Video Stability
- Page 5: Waterproofing and Cost
- Page 6: Scores and Conclusion
Waterproofing
- 1st. Staaker: IP44 Splash Proof
- 2nd. Lily: IP67 Waterproof
- 3rd. Snap: None
- 3rd. Karma: None
- 3rd. Mavic: None
Waterproofing is a nice addition to an action drone, and whilst not a necessity it is a perk.
Lily provides the highest level of waterproofing and can literally be submerged without hesitation . However we feel that IP67 is over-kill together with poor design as it comes at the cost of having an internal non-removable battery, due to that therefore Lily gets marked down in this category.
Staaker has a perfect compromise of being water-resistant, it cannot be submerged but it is splash-proof and can be flown in snow without concern.
Neither Snap, Karma nor Mavic have any form of waterproofing which is unfortunate but as suggested at the start of this section, it is really a perk, not a mandatory feature unless your use of the drone is exclusively water-related.
- Winner: Staaker
- Biggest Loser: Vantage Robotics Snap, GoPro Karma and DJI Mavic (tied)
Cost
- 1st. Mavic: $999 / £770
- 2nd. Karma: $999 / £770 (with Hero5 Session)
- 3rd. Snap: $915 / £715
- 4th. Lily: $919 / £710
- 5th. Staaker: $1,195 / £920
Cost is key and these drones are all at the higher end of the market, but remember that a lower cost does not relate to a better deal.
Karma includes a compact handle to which the mechanical gimbal can attach, therefore giving a portable ‘Osmo’ type platform but this drone lacks functionality so significantly that the price is hard to justify. If you already own a GoPro Hero 4 or Hero5 camera then you can buy Karma without a camera for $799 but even af this price-point it is overpriced.
Mavic packs the most functionality, portability, design and manufacturer trust and reputation into one unit, therefore for the price, represents great value for money.
Snap are proud of their modular design but this selling feature is not going to be a deciding factor for most consumers faced with the ease and Compact nature of Mavic, considering it’s limited range, flight time only a 2-axis gimbal, Snap feels overpriced.
Lily gets marked down here due to the non-removable battery as mentioned above, there will no doubt be a cost to the consumer to return Lily for battery replacement on too of the raw battery cost itself, that together with a short flight time means that the average Lily experience may be a very short and unsatisfactory one.
And finally Staaker which excludes a camera and yet is the most costly of the bunch. It beats the rest in flight time and speed (yet to be proven) but it lacks a transmitter and live video feed, it is therefore not a drone that you could use to send out for aerial photography, it is purely a ‘Follow Me’ drone like Lily.
Staaker is overpriced as illustrated by us before, especially on the basis that Staaker are a new company without reputation. In addition, Staaker does not include Obstacle Avoidance which is a feature popular with those intending to use a drone for sports tracking.
- Winner: DJI Mavic
- Biggest Loser: Staaker
- Page 1: Introduction
- Page 2: Video, Follow Me and Flight Speed Comparison
- Page 3: Battery, Weight and Obstacle Avoidance
- Page 4: Control Methods, Range and Video Stability
- Page 5: Waterproofing and Cost
- Page 6: Scores and Conclusion