DJI Mavic Air 2: Consumer drone that lives up to the hype

By Calvin Jones 

Small, portable, incredibly stable in the air, with long flight-time and a top-notch camera system, the DJI Mavic Air 2 is a consumer drone that packs a lot into a very compact form factor. And for what you get, it’s also very competitively priced.

For €849 you get a rock-solid aerial camera with a three-axis gimbal capable of shooting 4k60fps video and 48-megapixel RAW stills. The 1/2 inch sensor features a quad bayer array configuration, so if you choose 12-megapixel images you can opt for the camera HDR (high dynamic range) that captures impressive detail in the highlights and shadow in challenging light conditions. The same technology allows for HDR video capture in all modes from 4K30fps and below.

DJI Mavic Air 2: Redesigned for customer benefit

The Mavic Air 2 sits neatly between DJI’s Mavic 2 Pro (€1,499) and entry-level Mavic Mini 2 (€462). The drone is much more than a reboot of the company’s popular Mavic Air. The Air 2 has been completely redesigned, and has more in common with the high-end Mavic 2 Pro than it does with its predecessor. In fact, while it comes in at half the price, the Air 2 can beat its pro-level sibling in several key areas.

It can as already stated, shoot 4K60fps video at a bitrate of 120mb/s, while the Mavic 2 Pro maxes out at 4K30fps AT 100mbit/s. The Air2 also boasts 48-megapixel RAW image files (compared to 20 megapixels on the Pro), longer flight time (34 minutes v 31 minutes in the Mavic 2 Pro), 8K Hyperlapse for stunningly detailed time-lapse videos, and can shoot Full HD 1080p video at a whopping 240fps, offering unparalleled slow-motion capability in post-processing.
The Air 2 also benefits from next-generation automation and tracking technology, with DJI’s APAS 3.0 — the most advanced obstacle avoidance system on any DJI drone — and Active Track 3.0, DJI’s best tracking tech to date, improving automated obstacle avoidance, object tracking, and smart-flight performance. And it’s smaller, lighter, and easier to carry than the Mavic 2 Pro. Of course, there is a trade-off for the Air 2 to hit its lower price point.

The Mavic 2 Pro has a better camera system with a larger image sensor. At 1” it’s twice the size of the sensor in the Mavic Air 2’s camera, delivering less noise and better dynamic range pixel-for-pixel, although the Air 2’s quad bayer sensor technology partially compensates for that. The Mavic 2 Pro also features a mechanical aperture, offering manual control over exposure in flight, while the Air 2 has a fixed f2.8 aperture.

You can adjust exposure using optional ND filters that fit to the front of the camera, but that means a) buying ND filters and b) landing the drone to swap ND filters if the lighting changes dramatically mid-flight. The Mavic 2 Pro also has obstacle sensors on all sides (front, back, left, right, top, and bottom) while the Air 2 makes do with front, back, and bottom sensors.

While the more advanced APAS 3.0 of the Air 2 does a great job at making the most of the information from the sensors that are there, the lack of side and top sensors is something you need to bear in mind when flying the Mavic Air 2 in confined spaces or around obstacles.

Other differences include the inclusion of a 10-bit DLogM colour profile for the Mavic 2 Pro, while the Mavic Air 2 offers an 8-bit D-Cinelike profile as an alternative (which works well for post-production colour grading, and is less daunting than the 10 bit Dlog, but also offers less scope for professional post-production).

All of which means that for professional aerial videographers shooting footage for broadcast or cinema, the additional latitude afforded by the larger sensor and professional 10-bit colour profiles of the Mavic 2 Pro justify the higher price tag. For the rest of us, the Mavic Air 2 ticks all the right boxes and then some.

I’ve been flying the Mavic Air 2 since mid-November, and it’s both incredibly easy to fly and produces superb results. The default auto settings and quick shot options produce impressive footage right out of the box, and when you get more confident, start playing with some of the manual settings, shooting in D-Cinelike and colour grading 4K60fps output in post-production, the results, even for a relative novice, can be spectacular.

With the Mavic Air 2, DJI appears to have hit the sweet spot for the consumer/enthusiast drone market, delivering and surpassing many pro-grade features, with a few compromises to bring it in at a very compelling price point. If you’re looking to take to the skies, the Mavic Air 2 may very well be the drone you’ve been waiting for.
You can check out the Mavic Air 2 on the DJI website here, pick up yours at Amazon here, or, for the best value, take a look at DJI’s Mavic Air 2 Flymore Combo pack here.

https://youtu.be/SnaWTDnFnqo

About the Author

Calvin Jones is an author and online content specialist based in West Cork Ireland. Alongside his writing projects, he runs Ireland’s Wildlife, helps business clients improve their websites, and reviews the latest tech gadgets.

Follow Calvin on Twitter | View Calvin’s LinkedIn profile

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