DJI has once again send out a teaser about the ONE. What could it be this time. We all know at this stage DJI has refreshed the newly launch Magic Air 2 to the 2s version boosting longer range and some upward facing sensor for better obstacle avoidance. And also upgrading the camera sensor to ONE inch.
Mavic Air 2s
But what could be this “ONE”? Could it be the Magic Air 2s with the ONE inch sensor? Will the 2s kill off the Mavic 2 pro?
Let’s wait for DJI to make the latest announcement on 15 April 2021!
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:
OcuSync 2.0 up to 10 km (Significantly more reliable control compare the version 1 of the mini using wifi signal)
4K 30P video recording (Up from 2.7K of version 1)
RAW DNG Still photo
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
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
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)
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.
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.