Airpeak by Sony

A patent application from Sony was granted in January 2020

Sony has indicated her intention to enter the UAV filming industry, going to compete with DJI directly. Sony has traditionally been supplying imaging sensors to DJI’s camera, and now she has decided to make her own flying camera. Will Sony be successful or will she crash and burn like GoPro?

Personally, I am really excited and believe that Sony has the ability to make their own UAV and also to make their own processor and sensors without relying on a 3rd party. If Sony can bring their industry leading camera technology to their flying cameras, it may potentially bite off a big chunk of business from DJI. Now filmmakers can shoot with the same color profile from their ground cameras to their flying cameras.

Beating DJI in this industry is not going to be easy. DJI has already deeply captured the market and has many years of experience in making the world best gimbal. Can Sony create the same or better gimbal?

This is going to be exciting. Competition in the market is always good for consumers. It will bring about new innovation! Let’s see what Sony can offer in Spring 2021! Check out: https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/airpeak/ for more details.

DJI Mini 2 Launch

There are lots of leaks online about the DJI Mini 2 already. There are also some people in the USA who manage to buy it from BestBuy ahead of the launch. How did that happen? Nobody knows.

Here are the key features of the DJI Mini 2:

  1. OcuSync 2.0 up to 10 km (Significantly more reliable control compare the version 1 of the mini using wifi signal)
  2. 4K 30P video recording (Up from 2.7K of version 1)
  3. RAW DNG Still photo
  4. Intelligent Flight Mode (Rumoured to have similar features as Spark)

Are these features enough to make owners of version 1 upgrade to version 2? Will you buy it for US$585(Fly more combo)?

UPDATES:

Specs

Aircraft

  • Takeoff Weight [1]: < 249 g
  • Dimensions
    • Folded: 138×81×58 mm (L×W×H)
      Unfolded: 159×203×56 mm (L×W×H)
      Unfolded (with propellers): 245×289×56 mm (L×W×H)
  • Diagonal Distance: 213 mm
  • Max Ascent Speed
    • 5 m/s (S Mode)
      3 m/s (N Mode)
      2 m/s (C Mode)
  • Max Descent Speed
    • 3.5 m/s (S Mode)
      3 m/s (N Mode)
      1.5 m/s (C Mode)
  • Max Speed (near sea level, no wind)
    • 16 m/s (S Mode)
      10 m/s (N Mode)
      6 m/s (C Mode)
  • Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level
    • 4000 m
      (2000 m when taking off with propeller guard)
  • Max Flight Time: 31 mins (measured while flying at 4.7 m/s in windless conditions)
  • Max Wind Speed Resistance: 8.5-10.5 m/s (Scale 5)
  • Max Tilt Angle
    • 40° (S Mode)
      25° (N Mode)*
      25° (C Mode)*
      * Up to 40° under strong winds
  • Max Angular Velocity (by default)*
    • 130°/s (S Mode)
      60°/s (N Mode)
      30°/s (C Mode)
      * Can be adjusted to 250°/s with the DJI Fly app
  • Operating Temperature: 0° to 40°C (32° to 104°F)
  • Operating Frequency [2]: 2.400-2.4835 GHz, 5.725-5.850 GHz
  • Transmitter Power (EIRP)
    • 2.400-2.4835 GHz
      FCC ≤ 26 dBm
      CE ≤ 20 dBm
      SRRC ≤ 20 dBm
      5.725-5.850 GHz
      FCC ≤ 26 dBm
      CE ≤ 14 dBm
      SRRC ≤ 26 dBm
  • Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS): GPS+GLONASS+GALILEO
  • Hovering Accuracy Range
    • Vertical: ±0.1 m (with Vision Positioning), ±0.5 m (with GPS Positioning)
      Horizontal: ±0.3 m (with Vision Positioning), ±1.5 m (with GPS Positioning)

Gimbal

  • Mechanical Range
    • Tilt: -110° to 35°
      Roll: -35° to 35°
      Pan: -20° to 20°
  • Controllable Range: Tilt: -90° to 0° (default setting) -90° to +20° (extended)
  • Stabilization: 3-axis (tilt, roll, pan)
  • Max Control Speed (tilt): 100°/s
  • Angular Vibration Range: ±0.01°

Sensing System

  • Downward: Hovering Range: 0.5-10 m
  • Operating Environment
    • Non-reflective, discernable surfaces
      Diffuse reflectivity (> 20%,such as cement pavement)
      Adequate lighting (lux > 15, Normal exposure environment of indoor fluorescent lamp)

Camera

  • Sensor
    • 1/2.3” CMOS
      Effective Pixels: 12 MP
  • Lens
    • FOV: 83°
      35 mm format equivalent: 24 mm
      Aperture: f/2.8
      Focus range: 1 m to ∞
  • ISO
    • Video:
      100-3200 (Auto)
      100-3200 (Manual)
      Photos:
      100-3200 (Auto)
      100-3200 (Manual)
  • Shutter Speed: Electronic Shutter: 4-1/8000 s
  • Max Image Size
    • 4:3: 4000×3000
      16:9: 4000×2250
  • Still Photography Modes
    • Single Shot
      Interval: JPEG: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s
      JPEG+RAW: 5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s
      Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3 bracketed frames at 2/3 EV Bias
      Panorama: Sphere, 180°, and Wide
  • Video Resolution
    • 4K: 3840×2160 @ 24/25/30fps
      2.7K: 2720×1530 @ 24/25/30fps
      FHD: 1920×1080 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60fps
  • Max Video Bitrate: 100 Mbps
  • Zoom Range
    • 4K: 2x
      2.7K: 3x
      FHD: 4x
  • QuickShot Modes
    • Dronie,
      Helix,
      Rocket,
      Circle,
      Boomerang
  • Supported File Formats
    • FAT32 (≤ 32 GB)
      exFAT (> 32 GB)
  • Photo Formats: JPEG/DNG (RAW)
  • Video Formats: MP4 (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC)

Remote Controller & Video Transmission

  • Operating Frequency: 2.400-2.4835 GHz, 5.725-5.850 GHz
  • Max Transmission Distance (unobstructed, free of interference) [3]
    • 10 km (FCC)
      6 km (CE)
      6 km (SRRC)
      6 km (MIC)
  • Signal Transmission Ranges (FCC) [4]
    • Strong Interference (urban landscape, limited line of sight, many competing signals): Approx. 3 km
      Medium Interference (suburban landscape, open line of sight, some competing signals): Approx. 6 km
      Low Interference (open landscape abundant line of sight, few competing signals): Approx. 10 km
  • Operating Temperature: 10° to 40° C (14° to 104° F)
  • Transmission Power (EIRP):
    • 2.400-2.4835 GHz
      FCC ≤ 26 dBm
      CE ≤ 20 dBm
      SRRC ≤ 20 dBm
      MIC ≤ 20 dBm
      5.725-5.850 GHz
      FCC ≤ 26 dBm
      CE ≤ 14 dBm
      SRRC ≤ 26 dBm
  • Battery Capacity: 5200 mAh
  • Voltage: 1200 mA 3.7 V (Android)
    700 mA 3.7 V (iOS)
  • Supported Mobile Device Size: Max length: 92 mm
  • Supported USB Port Types: LightningMicro USB (Type-B) USB-C
  • Video Transmission System: OcuSync 2.0
  • Live View Quality: Remote Controller: 720p/30fps
  • Max Bitrate: 8 Mbps
  • Latency (depending on environmental conditions and mobile device): About 200 ms

Charger

  • Input: 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 0.5 A
  • Output: 12V 1.5 A / 9V 2A / 5V 3A
  • Rated Power: 18 W

Intelligent Flight Battery

  • Battery Capacity: 2250 mAh
  • Voltage: 7.7 V
  • Charging Voltage Limit: 8.8 V
  • Battery Type: LiPo 2S
  • Energy: 17.32 Wh
  • Weight: 86.2 g
  • Charging Temperature: 5° to 40°C (41° to 104°F)
  • Max Charging Power: 29 W

App

  • Name: DJI Fly
  • Required Operating System: iOS v10.0 or laterAndroid v6.0 or later

Supported SD Cards

  • Supported SD Cards
    • UHS-I Speed Class 3 or above is required. A list of recommended microSD cards can be found below.
  • Recommended microSD Cards
    • 16 GB: SanDisk Extreme
      32 GB: Samsung Pro Endurance, Samsung Evo Plus, SanDisk Industrial, SanDisk Extreme V30 A1, SanDisk Extreme V30 A2, SanDisk Extreme Pro V30 A1, SanDisk Extreme Pro V30 A2, Lexar 633x, Lexar 667x
      64 GB: Samsung Pro Endurance, Samsung Evo Plus, SanDisk Extreme V30 A1, SanDisk Extreme V30 A2, Lexar 633x, Lexar 667x, Lexar 1000x, Lexar High Endurance, Toshiba EXCERIA M303 V30 A1, Netac Pro V30 A1
      128 GB: Samsung Pro Plus, Samsung Evo Plus, SanDisk Extreme V30 A1, SanDisk Extreme V30 A2, SanDisk Extreme Plus V30 A1, SanDisk Extreme Plus V30 A2, Lexar 633x, Lexar 667x, Lexar 1000x, Lexar High Endurance, Toshiba EXCERIA M303 V30 A1, Netac Pro V30 A1
      256 GB: SanDisk Extreme V30 A1, SanDisk Extreme V30 A2

Footnotes

  • Footnotes
    • 1. The standard weight of the aircraft (including battery, propellers, and a microSD card) is 242 grams. Actual poduct weight may vary. Registration is not required in some countries and regions. Check local rules and regulations before use. These specifications have been determined through tests conducted with the latest firmware. Firmware updates can enhance performance, so updating to the latest firmware is highly recommended.
      2. Due to local policy and regulation restrictions, the 5.8 GHz frequency band is currently banned in certain countries, including but not limited to Japan, Russia, Israel, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Please use the 2.4 GHz frequency band when operating in these locations. Always check local rules and regulations before use, as they may change over time.
      3. Maximum flight range specification is a proxy for radio link strength and resilience, not aircraft battery capability. It only refers to the maximum, one-way flight distance. Data was measured in an open environment without interference. Please pay attention to the return prompt on the DJI Fly app during actual flight. Refer to the following applicable standard in different countries and regions:
      FCC: United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Chile, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and other regions;
      SRRC: Mainland China;
      CE: UK, Russia, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Macau, New Zealand, UAE, and other regions;
      MIC: Japan.
      4. Data is tested under different standards in open areas free of interference. It only refers to the maximum, one-way flight distance without considering Return to Home. Please pay attention to RTH prompts in the DJI Fly app during the actual flight.