So...been flying the Mavic Air or at least trying to for several weeks now. While I'm starting to get the hang of it... There are some things I appreciate much more about the Karma:
--The AIR is a bird magnet! I swear...as soon as I get it in the air...birds of all types come out of nowhere to take a look at it. I've had to take it out of the air a couple of times... because birds have attacked it. I have not had that problem with the Karma...they kept their distance.
--- The Air has may different types of camera and video settings...but I have not been very pleased with the video quality. It might just be user error...but if the sun is in the shot, without a filter, the entire shot is washed out and not usable. I did not have this issue with the Hero Black, filter or not. 4k 2k 1k, doesn't make any difference if the video is washed out... Basically...if I'm flying the Air...I'm using a filter from here on out...
---The Air is a tiny drone...the wind pushes it around quite a bit. It's amazing how stable the video looks...but this thing is moving all the time. I've heard so many people gush about how "rock steady" this drone is. that has not been my experience. It drifts about as much as the Karma, it is just smaller. The Karma is much more stable in the wind. I constantly have to reverse thrust to get this thing to stop moving with the wind (10mph)... I only had to do that with the Karma in much more windy conditions.
---I hate, hate HATE using my cellphone with the remote. The remote does not charge the phone...and it eats the battery quickly. The other day, I had three fresh batteries, but forgot my phone charger, and had to stop flying because my phone died in my pocket
. Even if my phone is fully charged, it is not all that easy to see in full sun. I also don't like the position under the remote. Yeah...I know...I could by a phone mount, phone shade, extra long cable to attach my phone or tablet and tablet mount, or a $600 stand alone remote with built in screen...but seriously...if I wanted to carry all that gear...I would just carry the Karma! I love the simplicity of the Karma remote and the drone. I can get the Karma out and up in the air much faster than the Air.
I went on a 7 mile hike today with about a 1000 ft elevation gain. I'm glad I was carrying the Air, as opposed to the Karma. There are many features I like about the Air, but I have to admit...the grass isn't always greener on the other side.