I already own a Mavic 2 Pro, but I thought it’d be fun to compare it against the first generation Autel Evo drone and that’s what I’ll be doing in this post.
I’d like to note real quick that I did a comparison between the original Mavic Pro 1 and the Autel Evo here in which my opinion was that the original Mavic Pro was still better only because when it was released, the Autel Evo proved to be much more underwhelming than it claimed to be (lots of bugs and firmware issues).
Had it been released with the specs and potential it was marketed on, it would have won for sure.
Update: That has changed! The Autel Evo is now better than the original Mavic Pro because it fixed most of it’s bugs.
But now the upgrade is in, and the new MP2 is levels above the original (I already got mine and updated this comparison), so how does it stand against the Evo? Let’s start with:
Comparing the cameras of the Mavic 2 Pro and Autel Evo drones:
Mavic 2 Pro: 20 megapixel camera, 1 inch sensor, 4K at 30 FPS shooting capability and at 100 mpbs.
Autel Evo: 12 megapixel camera, 1.23 inch sensor, 4K at 60 FPS and the shooting capability is at 100 mpbs.
Just based on these stats, you’d think the Mavic 2 Pro would be a “clear winner”, but it’s not.
Despite that 1 inch sensor, news came out that for filming video, it doesn’t use it to it’s full potential and since there are YouTube videos doing comparisons between these 2 drones, in most cases, the images are very similar in that they are very high quality. In some cases, I’d even say the Evo wins and as a Mavic 2 Pro owner, it pains me to say it, but look at this unbiased comparison (filmed in low light):
Now these comparisons are on auto and manual, but expert camera people do say that in post, the Mavic Pro 2 is a FAR superior drone when you really work on the image. Personally, I don’t use any post processing programs and prefer the out of camera footage.
Now as for still images, the MP is from what I have seen as good and even better than the Evo.
Flight range comparison between the Mavic 2 Pro and Autel Evo:
Autel Evo: 7 kilometers.
Mavic 2 Pro: 8 kilometers.
On paper, the Mavic 2 Pro wins and in reality, it wins even more and that’s because the Evo uses enhanced WiFi for its connection which can really be unreliable (you will likely not reach 7 KM unless you’re in good, open conditions).
The Mavic 2 Pro however uses ocusync 2.0 which is absolutely incredible. I’d been more than pleased with the MP 1’s ocusync connection as it’s been quite literally miles better and more reliable and MP 2’s 2.0 connection is taking that even further. While I doubt most people will reach 8 KM unless the right conditions to improve range are present, the fact is, you’ll likely (and this is my prediction) get 2-3x better/longer range on this model than on the Evo.
Being that I’ve had and used enough drones with WiFi, lightbridge and ocusync, I know that the latter is the most reliable.
Flight time compared between the Mavic 2 Pro and Autel Evo:
Evo: 30 minutes.
Mavic 2 Pro: 31 minutes.
Again, on paper, the Mavic 2 Pro 2 wins, but in reality, the Evo’s flight time is from what I have seen through multiple sources, greatly exaggerated. The flight time is closer to 20-25 minutes and even in that regard, the original MP wins in flight length.
Truth be told, the MP 2 probably won’t hit the 31 minute mark, but my experiences show it to be close to 30 minutes and it handles VERY well in most weather circumstances.
Sensors/safety:
Evo: 2 sensors (there’s a third, on the back, but it doesn’t actually work, it’s more of an infrared sensor).
MP 2: 4 constantly working sensors and 6 if you activate intelligent flight modes, literally an all around protection.
One more, MP 2 wins. Even despite the fact that the 6 sensors only work when there’s an intelligent flight mode enabled, there’s still 4 very reliable sensors to work with.
Flight intelligence between the Mavic 2 Pro and Autel Evo compared:
The Evo does have it’s own list of intelligent flight modes and it’s capabilities are very close to if not even with the MP 1, but the Mavic 2 Pro blows it out of the water, sorry Autel folks.
It’s intelligent flight modes aren’t only in larger amounts, but they are smarter. The active track is better, the flight modes are better, and because of the ocusync connection, all of that is even more reliable.
Additionally, the MP 2 is better in low light conditions, being that it now has an LED light on it’s belly for helping it land better and it spots water better keeping it safer.
Conclusion: The Mavic Pro 2 is better than the Autel Evo 1, much better in fact:
Overall specs, safety features, control, flight time, range ect… all favor the Mavic 2 Pro and when the camera is compared, it’s really a toss up and again, this is both because the Evo in my opinion OUTDID itself in the camera field, and also because the Mavic 2 Pro unfortunately didn’t give the consumers the full potential of that 1 inch sensor.
I am VERY much hoping for the camera to go through upgrades to fix this, in which case it would beat the Evo, but should that even happen, it would still not take away from the Autel being an awesome drone on it’s own with a FANTASTIC camera.
Certainly the $500+ LESS you’d pay for it too is a HUGE bonus as well. Personally, while I am a bit underwhelmed with the MP 2 given all that went down, HAD I known about these issues before the purchase, I would have bought an Autel Evo. But I still think the Mavic 2 Pro is better after my experiences, I just don’t see any reason for me to buy the Autel now as I feel I wouldn’t get any kind of new drone.
Now Autel may actually end up releasing 2 more, upgraded models in the near future and I think this may end up being a smart move on their part. One of the drone channels I watch (Drone Valley) mentioned being a part of the Evo announcement ceremony and in that video I recall him saying that Autel was planning on releasing 3 models altogether, each one tier higher than the next so it is very possible that the company purposely let their first onto the drone market to…
See how it would perform in sales.
Analyze the data on how the sales went and see where people most complained about it. And with the first one’s release, there’s plenty to fix!
They knew the Mavic Pro 2 (full review of the Mavic 2 Pro) would surely follow the release of their Evo, and they also knew it wouldn’t beat the Mavic Pro 2, but perhaps seeing the specs on the new Mavic would let them mimic that on their later models.
This is a smart move on Autel’s part, because now they have a much more specific blueprint to follow as to what their next tier drone should look like. Their first generation model mimicked the Mavic Pro and attempted to be better (it didn’t do that very well), but perhaps their next generation model will mimic the Mavic Pro 2 and possibly surpass it.
When it comes to filming, I have to be honest and say that I am very pleased with every single model’s potential, even the MP 1, which I still think is phenomenal. But after I see that all 3 cameras on the 3 drones make me happy, I have to look at the quality of the drones and see which ones I can rely on to keep the flight safer, give me a better, longer connection and just basically give me less of a headache and without a doubt the Mavic Pro 2 does that. Even the Mavic Pro 1 is better in that regard.
What about the Mavic Zoom Vitaliy?
The Mavic Zoom is basically the Mavic Pro 1 drone with better flight capabilities and a similar camera, except it has more filming features. So in that regard, the Evo still beats those 2 drones. It’s truly a competitor and at the top of the lineup of portable, high quality filming drones, despite the Mavic 2 Pro being on the market too.
Update: What about the Autel Evo 2?
When I first did this comparison the Autel Evo 2 wasn’t out. It is now and I happen to own it and here is a comparison between the Autel Evo 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Pro. I think you’ll find the comparison fascinating.