![]() Regardless, it’s a superb product that we expect (or at least hope) will be First-Person-View compatible with DJI’s Goggles V2 and Motion Controller. We’ve seen some videos where it has done quite well… and others where it has not. It also has additional obstacle avoidance compared with the AIR 2, though there have been mixed results with its tracking capabilities. Superior imaging, 5.4K video resolution (allowing limited cropping while still maintaining a 4K output), and a 1-inch, 20MP sensor that does better with details than the AIR 2. ![]() Launched in spring 2021, the AIR 2S picks up where the AIR 2 left off. The quality of those files, while quite good, does not match the 20MP images from the AIR 2S. We did have some quibbles with the 48MP stills claim, because it uses a Quad Bayer filter and a technique called “pixel binning” to achieve those file sizes. Detail of Mavic Air 2 Photo: Scott Simmie I mean, 34 minutes of flight time with 10 km video transmission? Plus, 4K, 60fps? When you can pack all of that into something that’s $799, you’re doing something right. We were really impressed with the flight time, handling, and size. We already had a fair bit of stick time with our own original Mavic Pro when we got to try out the Mavic AIR 2 last year. Sure, you’ll find no-name drones on some online marketplaces that might claim similar specs, but nothing that compares to this for the money. Seriously, there’s nothing on the market in this price range that compares. It’s stable, does better than the Mavic Mini in the wind resistance and imaging departments, and is a bargain at $449 US ($419 US from Canada) for the base drone. ![]() I’m still stunned at the tech that’s packed into this tiny package, including its 4K video, 10-kilometer range (obviously well beyond Visual Line of Sight, but indicative of a highly robust connection) and extended flight time. And why not? Sub-250 grams, which means no registration in the US (unless you’re using it for commercial purposes under Part 107), quiet, and unobtrusive. Despite the clear form factor heritage, the company has dropped the “Mavic” name.)īefore we get to the Pro models (and what we know about the Mavic Pro 3), a quick shot-out to the Mini 2, AIR 2 and AIR 2S drones. (Those last two seem to mark a departure for DJI in the naming department. On the consumer front, we saw the Mavic AIR, the Mavic Mini, the Mavic AIR 2, the Mini 2, and the AIR 2S. The success of the Mavic line led to other machines a bunch of other machines split semi-roughly along consumer and more prosumer lines. And while that controller may look slightly dated now against the current crop (Mavic AIR 2, AIR 2S controllers), it was really compact, and got the job done. It also had better flight time, and a much smaller and innovative controller. The Mavic Pro was immensely more portable than the Phantom line, folding down to a really compact size. Remember these?īut more than that, it was the beginning of a new way of thinking around form and function. People trying them out at the NYC launch event were blown away. They were a little clunky then, but the image quality was terrific and that was also something of a breakthrough. In addition to the 4K video, the original Mavic Pro also worked with the original DJI Goggles, those white ones. The Phantom style was ubiquitous at that point, so you can imagine just how revolutionary this was at the time. It was also a radical – and we do mean radical – change to the form factor. (The group flying with me, all experienced pilots, could scarcely believe it.) And you know what? That thing flew back as if nothing had happened. I’d estimate that incident broke off between 30-50% of three of the props. As a result, I buzzed the branches of a tree and chopped up the props (which were understandably brittle at those temperatures). In fact, I once flew it well below recommended operating temps (at -25C), a temp so cold my iPad screen blanked out. Let’s take a low-altitude cruise through memory lane: The one that started it all… And, though the Mavic name may be fading from DJI’s product line, the product line most of us will always identify as “Mavic” is not. The word “Mavic” would soon be a household name, at least in households that are interested in drones. As it should have: That machine packed an incredible number of features into a compact, foldable form capable of 4K video, Goggle capability, and even the ability to respond to some gestures (tracking, photos). I was fortunate enough to be in New York for the launch of the original Mavic Pro in 2016, and recall how that drone really rocked the industry. DJI’s Mavic line, without a doubt, has been an incredible success.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |