The smartest DJI drone ever made. DJI Mavic Air 2 - first impressions

Although the name DJI Mavic Air 2 suggests that we are dealing with the successor to the popular Mavic Air, they are actually two completely different drones. The new model is in many respects a more advanced device, although unfortunately also larger and heavier. Fortunately, the price has not risen in proportion to the weight.

Courtesy of DJI, I had the opportunity to see the new DJI Mavic Air 2 drone a few hours before the premiere. Here are my first hot impressions.

New design, only 570 g weight and 34 min flight

The differences in construction are already visible to the naked eye. The complex DJI Mavic Air 2 is 180 × 97 × 84 mm and weighs 570 g, while its predecessor 168 × 83 × 49 mm weighs 430 g. The new Air 2, however, has a completely different design and much longer arms with new engines. When unfolded, it resembles the more advanced Mavic Pro 2 model, or DJI Mavic Mini on steroids. It also accurately reflects its nature: it is a drone located on the product axis exactly between these two devices.

At first glance, the quality of the DJI Mavic Air 2 is solid: nothing creaks here, all the elements are well fitted. The material alone does not impress. It is rough, matte. It's not the same shiny plastic as in Mavic Air, but rather a material similar to the one we know from Spark or Mavic Mini.

Something for something. The designers managed to reduce the weight of the device to only 570 g, which is only 140 g more than its predecessor, but 337 g less than the Mavic 2 Pro.

There were also sensors detecting obstacles, which were located on the front and back of the drone. Additional sensors and LEDs on the bottom of the device are to ensure safe and reliable landings.

An important novelty is the new PB2 battery with a capacity of 3500 mAh, thanks to which the drone will fly up to 34 minutes. This is more than in the Air model (21 minutes), but even than in the Pro 2 (30 min).

Large Quad Bayer 12/48 Mpix matrix

Looking at the resolution, too much has changed at first glance. DJI Mavic Air 2 offers photos with a resolution of 12 Mpix.

In fact, the drone has a completely different, new and physically larger CMOS sensor with a diagonal of 1/2 ". And thanks to the fact that the sensor was made in Quad Bayer technology, we can get pictures with a resolution of 48 Mpix or 12 Mpix. Quad Bayer system is a solution well known from many new smartphones. The four pixels grouped in a square have the same color filter.

The matrix works with a 24mm fire equivalent lens at f / 2.8 aperture, which gives a field of view of 84 degrees. The camera module has a 3-stage mechanical stabilization system. Pictures can be taken with sensitivity in the range of ISO 100-6400 at 12 Mpix or ISO 100-3200 at 48 Mpix.

4K movies 60 fps and 120 mbps

DJI Mavic Air 2 is the first drone in this series to offer 4K video at 60 fps and 120 Mbps. In addition, we also have Full HD up to 240 fps. Fans of slow shots with the possibility of additional stabilization in post-production will be delighted. These are really excellent parameters. At 4K, we get the opportunity to slow down.

New controller, range up to 10 km and OcuSync 2.0

Anyone who has ever flown an old Mavic Air knows what range problems this drone could have. During tests, it happened to me many times that in a city, the drone lost the image preview already at 60 meters in height. The problem is that the controller connects to the smartphone via a cable, but with the drone itself via Wi-Fi.

Fortunately, Mavic Air 2 uses OcuSync 2.0 radio communication, which can also be found in more expensive models of this manufacturer. This solution is to provide up to 10 km range with live view. In practice, this will probably be much less, but you can count on a stable and reliable connection.

We also have a new controller in the set, which focuses on practicality, not beautiful design. And that's good, because the comfort and safety of the flight depend a lot on the controller. The gray, plastic device is clearly larger than other controllers in Mavic-class drones. Thanks to this, however, it lies securely in your hands. Much of this is due to the profiled, rubber-covered grips underneath.

The smartphone is connected via the retractable handle at the top. The cable is hidden in a clever way. Control sticks hide on the opposite side. In the middle, between them, there is a mode switch (Tripod / Normal / Sport) and two round buttons: landing and on / off. In the upper left and right corner we will find two more, smaller buttons. A shield was placed under the left index finger and a large button to release the shutter on the right. The controller works with the refreshed DJI Fly application.

The whole makes a very good first impression. It is transparent, simple and ergonomic. Unfortunately, the controller took the LCD screen as in the models of the Pro and Zoom series.

The smartest DJI drone ever made

The Chinese manufacturer claims that the Mavic Air 2 is the smartest DJI drone ever made. The new drone really has a lot to offer in this regard: both for shooting and filming.

The newly added SmartPhoto function captures 12-megapixel photos using advanced scene analysis and machine learning. The system automatically selects one of the three options on the camera.

In "HDR Photos" mode, the drone automatically takes seven different exposures of the same photo, combining them together to obtain a high dynamic range image. "Hyperlight" mode is intended for situations where there is little light. Apart then takes many pictures and combines them to get a clear picture with less noise. In the "Scene Recognition" mode, however, Mavic Air 2 can recognize five categories of scenes, including sunsets, blue skies, grass, snow and trees, and then optimize settings.

We also have the ability to take pictures of hyperlapse movies in 8K resolution, i.e. stop-motion movies with shake.

DJI is also famous for the best object tracking system on the market. The FocusTrack system, because we are talking about it, offers three different modes. In "ActiveTrack 3.0", simply select the object and the drone will track it automatically. In "Point of Interest 3.0" mode, you can set an automatic flight path around a specific object. In turn, "Spotlight 2.0" blocks the object in the frame, while the user has the ability to move the drone freely. There was also the QuickShot function, in which we have 6 different automatic drone movements to use during video recordings.

Security at an even higher level

DJI Mavic Air 2 uses several new versions of security systems that are worth mentioning.

The first is the Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) 3.0. After turning it on, when obstacles appear in the drone's path, Mavic Air 2 will create a new path around, below or above the object. Using 3D mapping, the updated version helps with gentle transitions and smoother movements around objects.

Mavic Air 2 is also the first DJI consumer drone designed on the basis of AirSense technology, which provides increased safety by warning pilots of other nearby aircraft. AirSense uses aviation technology known as ADS-B to receive signals from nearby airplanes and helicopters and to display their position on the drone's pilot control screen. As airplanes approach the drone, AirSense will alert the drone pilot with messages, sounds and vibrations to safely land.

DJI Mavic Air 2 - price in Poland

The new DJI Mavic Air 2 drone will cost the same as the Mavic Air model on the day of release. The standard version costs 849 euros and the combo 1049 euros. The drone is already available in China today, to the rest of the world, including Poland, it is expected to hit mid-May 2020. I'm starting to thoroughly test the new drone to show how the device works in practice.

The smartest DJI drone ever made. DJI Mavic Air 2 - first impressions