DJI Mavic Air 2 Quadcopter Review

DJI Mavic Air 2 Quadcopter Review 

If you’re looking for a drone to up your photography game the DJI Mavic Air 2 quadcopter is a perfect choice for you as you’ll see in our review. It is a really high-quality professional customer drone that’s easy to fly and still capable of capturing photos and video in really high resolution. The Mavic series drones became so good that famous YouTubers and content creators like Casey Neistat or Peter McKinnon use these drones for their daily activities when they want to take some aerial footage. This model is a popular choice because it’s really compact and easy to travel with and has a high tier camera on it. Besides this, it has some really dope technology on board to make both flying and shooting a piece of cake. It also costs less than a thousand dollars, so it’s really achievable for everyone who wants to purchase it.

The new Mavic Air 2, is a new creation that you can get for around $799. The DJI company started the shipment on May 11 with a preorder. So by now, you could get it more easily and faster. Regarding it’s younger sibling the first Mavic Air has more technology onboard, an even better camera system with better specs and stabilization. Overall the Air 2 is an upgrade over the previous model. it’s smarter, has better flight time, and an upgraded camera. 

What’s in the box?

• Aircraft
• Remote Controller
• Intelligent Flight Battery
• Battery Charger
• AC Power Cable
• Low-Noise Propellers (Pair)
• RC Cable (USB Type-C Connector)
• One RC Cable (Lightning Connector)
• RC Cable (Standard Micro-USB Connector)
• Gimbal Protector
• Type-C Cable
• Pair of Spare Control Sticks

Specs

• Dimensions: 7.4×3.8×3.3 in. (Folded)   
• Weight: 20.1 oz
• Photography: 1/2″ CMOS, 48MP    1/2″ 
• Video: 4K, 2.7K, FHD
• Max. Speed: 42.5 mph (S-mode)
• Max Flight Time: 34 min

Mavic Air 2 Build and design 

As for the design, the Mavic Air 2 has the typical DJI look. It looks kind of a smaller Mavic 2 Pro or a bigger Mavic Mini. In its dimension, It’s slightly bigger than the previous generation Mavic Air, but it still remains portable and easy to store in your professional backpack or a camera bag. I believe that the Air 2 has a bit more professional and “grown-up” look than the previous one which was a bit smaller, with a shorter wingspan, and came in three colors. This one has a gray coating that looks a bit more professional to me. 

Controller

Just like the design of the drone the design of the controller also suffered some major changes. And when I say big changes, I really mean big changes. First of all, the range of this controller is about 10Km. Secondly,  the new controller it’s almost twice the size of any other DJI stock controller you can find on the market (except the DJI Smart Controller). First of all, it lost its foldability and It doesn’t have a screen anymore. But at least there are no visible sticking out antennas.

The phone holder now can be found on the top, just like in the case of most of the drones. And in the space where you previously had the phone now, there is a big blank area. And maybe you don’t like this change due to its lower rate design (just like me), but believe me when I say that it’s way more comfortable to hold, too. The little joysticks are removable and can be placed at the bottom of the controller. 

Mavic Air 2 Battery

In the standard package, you will get a single intelligent battery which will get you 34 minutes of flight time. However, the people who used the drone declared that the average flight time is about 28 minutes. The flight time can depend on a lot of things, but a 28 minute flight time is still something very good. Especially if you have a spare battery that you can change, in that case you double the flight time. One battery need around 2 hours to charge it fully, 

Mavic Air 2 Camera 

And now let’s talk about the real deal, the Mavic Air’s camera, which now has a bigger 1/2-inch sensor capable of shooting 4K 60fps video and 48-megapixel clear, still images. The first Mavic Air’s camera was with a 1/2.3-inch sensor but a fraction of what you’d find in a mirrorless camera. This means that you’ll be able to create high-resolution shots with a lot of detail or lower-resolution images even in unfavorable conditions. 

The Mavic Air 2 also features an entirely new photo created by DJI called SmartPhoto. It’s basically automatic scene recognition, (smartphones are already using this technology). It will adjust the settings based on the condition you’re in, to have the clearest image possible. Also, noise handling is good up to around ISO 800. And opposite to the first Mavic Air, with this, you could even push it up to 1600. With the SmartPhoto mode, you can clean up some noise, and produce really nice results.  

Performance 

And last but not least, let’s talk about the intelligent flight options and their performance. As you may see in the following titles all the features are updated ones, so they are performing better than ever now. 

ActiveTrack 3.0

If you’re not a DJI user you may know ActiveTrack 3.0 as Follow me mode. This is a perfect model to record yourself without holding the controller in your hands. After you turn on this feature and select an object, the drone will follow you around at the same time as filming, Mavic Air 2 can do this while avoiding obstacles using ActiveTrack 3.0. So far, this is the DJI’s best tracking technology, the technology easily re-select your subject after they’ve been lost in a high-speed scene, using algorithms to predict their position. This also gives the camera a smooth float, it won’t change the camera position when you get to the last frame.

POI 3.0

POI 3.0, this is the newest version of the mode called Point of Interest. This also uses advanced positioning technology. You have to select an object and the quadcopter will create an automated flight path and a fixed point that the drone flies around. It’s a perfect tool for professional filmmaking.

Conclusion

As you saw in the above DJI Mavic Air 2 Review, the Mavic Air 2 is something like the perfect drone. Many famous people are a big fan of DJI’s product, and they wouldn’t change their drones for anything. And with the Air 2, the DJI released one of the most perfected drones that may fit everyone. If you’re a beginner you can enjoy it too after you’ve learned all the basics. And if you’re a more professional user you will be in love with the drone.

Everything on this quad is perfect. The design is nice and practical, the inside is also good, it has a decent flight time and an amazing flight range. The camera is also updated with some features, so making quality photos is now easier than ever. It’s true that it’s not the cheapest drone out there, but I can assure you that it’s a really high-grade drone that will last a long time. 

If you want to purchase the Mavic Air 2 you can check out its price on the DJI Store and Amazon.