Today we have the full specs of that the Mavic Air 2 can do. I believe this is somewhat a response to Skydio R2 with the new FocusTrack which is said to be much more effective than the Mavic 2 active track 2.0. From the demo we can see that the Mavic Air 2 can navigate through a forest trail avoiding the trees and etc. See the video here
Is it worth for owners of Mavic 2 Pro / Zoom to buy the Mavic Air 2?
Well, I must say I was really tempted by the 4K60p video and the 48MP camera. But without the ability to adjust aperture, to do dolly zoom is a huge sacrifice for me. Also, a 1″ sensor vs a 1/2″ sensor is also a big sacrifice for night video. You notice there is no night video of the Mavic Air 2 produced by DJI, except for the hyper-lapse video which is a series of still photos and not video. HDR Video is a plus point if the user wants to use the footage straight out of the drone. However, for most production house they rather shot in D-log and do color grading in post-production.
There are definitely some nice cool features and a huge upgrade from the first Mavic Air, but compared to Mavic 2, it may not be a real upgrade in some sense for the pro videographer who wants more control. But for those who want to have their first UAV, the Mavic Air 2 is a great choice.
What is DJI going to show us this time? They have recently introduced the DJI X-Port which can be added onto the Mavic M series UAV. Will this launch be about the new M200 replacement?
Personally, I have been waiting hard for the new Inspire 3 to have a more reliable control signal as compared to the current Inspire 2. Anyway, let’s wait for 27 April to see what DJI has for us.
Let’s look at some leaked photos of the Mavic Air 2. It doesn’t look like it will have a 360 obstacle avoidance like the Mavic 2 series. But does look very similar to Mavic 2 in the shape and design.
Is smaller then Mavic 2Sensor at the bottomSensor behindNo sensor at the side48 Megapixel camera!
Some dealers are said to have already gotten stocks of this new drone and will be ready to sell them when DJI officially release it end of February 2020.
This update is critical as it addresses some of the key problems that the 200 series have. One of which is the transmission and control problem. There are many reports that the 200 series loses control from the pilots very often resulting in crashes. The 300 series will allow 2 pilots to be separated kilometres apart and one pilot can hand over control to another pilot remotely. This is a fascinating idea, it means the drone can fly from point A to B without returning to A to land.
Personally, I do hope that this drone can use the Zenmuse X7 DL lens mount. Then this drone can also be used for filming and not just industrial application. Another feature I will like to see is an all-round obstacle avoidance like the Mavic 2 pro.
Had the chance to have a maiden flight at Banyan tree Lang Co,Vietnam. Like flying all new drones I tend to be a bit more cautious in the beginning. The Mini jitter a bit when it took flight due to the strong wind, but it held it’s position.
Gaining a bit more confident, I started to push the drone forward to fly towards the sea. The image ways surprisingly stable, no drop in signal and etc. (Note that you have to keep the remote controller’s antenna perpendicular and face the mini directly.) I flew for about 1km and decide to turn it around as I am unsure if it can handle the monsoon wind. The speed is significantly slower then Mavic 2 pro but it is very stable.
One thing I notice that is really strange is the mini seems to report different height as it fly level. This is unlike Mavic 2 Pro’s experience. Not sure if this is a bug?
What I missed most from Mavic 2 pro is the ability to shoot panoramic photos, RAW photo and time lapse video.
DCIM\100MEDIA\DJI_0063.JPGDCIM\100MEDIA\DJI_0057.JPGStill photo has little lag between the time the button is press till photo is taken. Much better respond then Mavic 2 Pro
This new Mavic mini is meant to replace the spark @US$399. A drone slightly larger then most mobile phone, capable of flying for about 25 to 30min, shoots 4K@30fps, a range of about 4km and weighs only 245g (means can fly leisurely in most places in Singapore without permit).
Will you buy one? Essentially, is a Mavic Pro in a small form factor.
Today, DJI launched a more compact version of their RONIN S. They called it the RONIN SC, target at the mirrorless camera user. This SC version weighs only 1.1 kg and can sustain a payload of 2kg. It can comfortably hold a Sony A7 series camera with a 24-70 GM. The Pro version also comes with the focus motor and focus wheel that allow user to pull focus easily and accurately. Personally, I have already ordered one myself and can’t wait to see how well it works.
Ronin SC Pro Combo
Just received the Ronin SC today (22 July 2019), DJI shipped within a day to me after placing the order. The feel of the gimbal is solid and I will do a full review in another post.
Did a flight today at the Kan Daw Gyi Lake in Yangon, Myanmar. This place was man made by the British while the were ruling Burma. The lake is super green due to the algae that is growing in the water. I could see some pumps at the side trying to clean the water, but I guess it is not working well. Within the lake compound there are many small Chinese eateries as well as some tea and dessert stall. They even have a mini Zoo in there with ponies, goats and cows.
Karaweik Palace was completed in 1974, and is now an iconic restaurant
The current accessories are: Flood Lights, Speaker, Beacon
DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise
Will DJI create more accessories such as a secondary Camera options, So that user can mount a specialised camera for a specific purpose? But that would mean a 2 channel video transmission which the Mavic 2 platform may not be able to provide. I think for the start they have proven a concept of a modular system which I think will open up a huge potential for future aerial application.
Got the package a while back, but was unable to do this video because I was in Vietnam when the package arrived in Singapore. My first impression of the Mavic 2 Pro have been very positive. I think DJI has used a better material to make the shell of the Mavic 2 Pro. Many videos have shown that is it much more resistant to crash now. Great Job DJI!
I will test out the flight performance this weekend and will give you guys more feedback. So stay tuned.
