There’s no lag while you wait for the subject to be in focus and you can shoot video without having to worry about changing your focus point. On other DJI drones, there may be some tuning required to get smooth movements in your footage, but the DJI feels smooth and responsive with default settings. While it doesn’t offer the same features as other controllers , it does have a very ergonomic feel. With tremendous improvement over the previous Mavic Air, the DJI Mavic Air 2 is excellent value and will likely be one of the most popular drones available here in 2021. Instant replacement of DOA products, including fault diagnosis over the phone with one of our 4 technicians, free returns and replacements of faulty items.
And even though what it’s capable of doing is impressive, it’s nowhere near as impressive as what the Skydio 2 can do, thanks to its extra cameras, sensors and overall technological approach. But for someone who doesn’t need to push the limits and have a drone follow you through a dense forest, the Air 2’s capabilities will suffice. On our last night of testing, we received an alert that an aircraft was nearby. A few minutes later, we received another alert stating it was in flight again. We were only flying about 20 feet off the ground, so neither our drone nor the helicopter was at risk of a collision, but knowing that an aircraft is nearby and its location is sure to help many drone pilots. Currently, the Air 2 is the only consumer drone from DJI that has this feature built in.
These include Rocket, Circle, Dronie, Helix, Boomerang or Asteroid. This was a problem with the original Mavic Air, and while it’s not the end of the world, it can slow you down when framing shots. This might be down to the pre-release version of the new DJI Fly app that we used for this review, so may be ironed out with firmware or app updates in the future – we’ll update this review if that’s the case. Like DJI’s previous models, the drone is available in two bundles.
It’s true, the mini 2 can fly for 31 minutes instead of the 34 minutes of the Mavic Air 2, but in my opinion anything that goes past 30 minutes is just outstanding. The biggest difference is in the intelligent flight modes, as they more or less have the same quickshots. For videographers, the Mavic Air 2 brings with it some firsts for DJI and even features not found in the flagship Mavic models, such as 4K video at 60fps and slow motion video up to 240fps at 1080p. So, despite the small size, there is certainly scope for professional video use of this drone in certain situations.
When controlled by the pilot, it will also refuse to fly into a wall or people even if you accidentally steer the drone in that direction. This is a brilliant safety feature, especially when used manually, but it isn’t really required if common sense prevails. The is DJI’s first drone to offer 4K video at 60 frames per second and 120 Mbps—previous DJI drones topped out at 30 fps when shooting in full 4K resolution. There are also slow-motion modes that slow down footage to four times slower than real life , or eight-times slower . Combine those modes with the more realistic contrast you get with the HDR video standard, and you have considerably improved video capabilities in a sub-$1,000 drone. So, if you are looking for the “just right” camera drone that balances price with performance, the Mavic Air 2 is worth considering.
This is another aspect where DJI has let down in the new version. A smaller drone means, a very tight leash on the total in-flight time, and the Air 2S disappoints slightly in that regard. Compared to the Mavic Air 2, the younger sibling has an in-flight time of 31 minutes. It is a slight compromise, but for a drone flyer, it limits the approach to flying as the time starts to cross 25 odd minutes. New is ‘SmartPhoto,’ a scene recognition system which will tweak settings for landscapes, grass, trees, snow and sunsets. Personally I found SmartPhoto feature to be close to useless, since it had to be engaged separately from other camera modes and from the air the variety isn’t that much.
Don’t worry we’re getting to the camera next, but for now, let’s take a short look at how similar these controllers are. It’s a bit weird that the transmitter of the Mini 2 is actually phantom 4 bigger than the drone itself, but I feel like this is the best drone controller I’ve ever tried. Much simpler to attach the phone to and allows for Occusinc 2.0 and a 10km range.
The Mavic Air 2’s completely new design looks like someone blasted the Mavic 2 series with a shrink ray, and it comes with a new controller too. But with a host of new features and technologies, it’s not merely a clone of its bigger brother – DJI claims that the Mavic Air 2 is also its smartest drone to date. As you can see from these stats, the Mavic Air 2 is definitely the better option on paper. However it must be said that when seen on a phone or tablet, there’s very little discernible difference between these drones’ respective footage.
The idea has roots in the drone selfie — where someone stands on a picturesque cliff and the drone takes off backwards, pointed at the waving group of people while revealing the stunning landscape. The drone counts down from three and starts flying while keeping the person or object in focus. There are people who might be averse to buying a DJI drone, for any variety of reasons, in which case the Autel EVO and Parrot Anafi are good alternatives. The EVO has a built-in display in its remote, so you don’t have to connect your smartphone for flight, and the Anafi offer USB charging for its battery—something you don’t get with any Mavic drone. While the 48MP figure is head-turning, you’re still limited by a relatively small image sensor. I shot a number of exposures in both 48MP and 12MP mode, and while you can certainly see a little bit more detail when you zoom in on a high-resolution photo, for most it’s overkill.