Air 2S vs Mavic Pro 2 Build Quality?

[JLoxton]

I currently have an unused 2 Pro that I am considering trading in for a Air 2S. I've watched all the reviews and read what I can and am really on the fence. I will be mostly using for landscape photography and photogrammetry (geology). The superior video is mostly irrelevant to me, the weight is a mostly a wash (I am hiking in, but also working in windy areas). My main concerns are corners that might have been cut to get to the $1000 price point vs. their flagship model. For people who have had a chance to use both drones, what is your take on build quality and likely longevity?

Related questions:
1. What do ppl think probability of major firmware upgrade for the M2P is? Many if the advantages of the A2S are software.
2. Any other thoughts for my situation?

 

[Macinfo]

I currently have an unused 2 Pro that I am considering trading in for a Air 2S. I've watched all the reviews and read what I can and am really on the fence. I will be mostly using for landscape photography and photogrammetry (geology). The superior video is mostly irrelevant to me, the weight is a mostly a wash (I am hiking in, but also working in windy areas). My main concerns are corners that might have been cut to get to the $1000 price point vs. their flagship model. For people who have had a chance to use both drones, what is your take on build quality and likely longevity?

Related questions:
1. What do ppl think probability of major firmware upgrade for the M2P is? Many if the advantages of the A2S are software.
2. Any other thoughts for my situation?

I don't think there is any difference in the build or components other than those that differentiate the models, and that would be the camera and gimbal, and internal components for supporting the camera. The rest of the changes are software. I did not note anywhere if they altered the motors in any way.

I think the M2P is at the end of life or close to it and nothing more will be done...

 

[Gagey52]

Welcome to the forum, I can’t help you but I’m sure someone here will assist with you query.
Regards -

 

[Phantomrain.org]

There is always the possibility of the Update for the Mavic 2 Pro, with that said , because of the main advantages being a Wash for you , the two Drones start to become much closer in value to you.

The advantages of the Mavic 2 Pro are the Aperture Adjustments for those who Value the best of Pictures.
The weak link of Mavic 2 in the Weak Gimbal in the High Winds , Compared to the Stronger Gimbal on the Air 2/S which can be Game Changer for those of us flying in Extremes as we do.

Because it makes No Difference if your drone can fly in the Wind if your Gimbal cannot maintain its ability to Record.

Overall I would say if you can get a good Price for your Mavic 2 , you will be excited about the money banked and the AIR 2S as a replacement with your eye on the Prize of the Mavic 3 .

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the RAIN and LAND on the Water.

 

[old man mavic]

@JLoxton i wonder why you do not use your M2P ,the main differences between the drones you mentioned ,are different Apps for controlling the drone size and weight and a different sort of controller,as time goes on the M2P will gradually get left behind in the clamour for newer models ,just the same as the MP and MPP have now, yes the air2s is a little smaller to lug around and flight wise its not a lot different with regards to its abilities in the air,myself i would utilise my M2P for as long as possible until any bugs have been ironed out of the newer models ,and then in the future go for an even better drone when it comes out ,i believe the next big leap forwards will be battery development to improve flight times and the issues that lipos have with regards to their use and storage

 

[Macinfo]

@JLoxton i wonder why you do not use your M2P ,the main differences between the drones you mentioned ,are different Apps for controlling the drone size and weight and a different sort of controller,as time goes on the M2P will gradually get left behind in the clamour for newer models ,just the same as the MP and MPP have now, yes the air2s is a little smaller to lug around and flight wise its not a lot different with regards to its abilities in the air,myself i would utilise my M2P for as long as possible until any bugs have been ironed out of the newer models ,and then in the future go for an even better drone when it comes out ,i believe the next big leap forwards will be battery development to improve flight times and the issues that lipos have with regards to their use and storage

I've seen some comparison videos, and the Air 2 S, which is just my opinion, does look better than some of the M2P videos, Now there can be situations where the M2P might do a little better.. but I think that can be compensated for in a number of ways with the available exposure options in Fly or in post if not way out of bounds.

I also do not see any "significant" bugs in Fly, there have been some issues it seems, though I've never seen any myself it seems when I fly. Fly 1.4.0 seems to be pretty stable to me and sort of surprised that a tweak has not already come along in the few weeks since the Air 2 S was released. There is room for improvement, but that can be said about Go 4 too I think even now.

New battery tech has been touted as being "right around the corner" for a while it seems, however, it never appears, and there are no significant improvements in drone flight times and even if there is some battery tech that would do that eventually, chances are it would be cost prohibitive to start with. The only way right now for more flight time is larger drones that can carry larger batteries..

I guess the bottomline is how much flight time does one need before changing a battery? 40-50-60 minutes? there are of course more battery questions one could ask that the answers to are not ready yet..

 

[Maviac]

I currently have an unused 2 Pro that I am considering trading in for a Air 2S. I've watched all the reviews and read what I can and am really on the fence. I will be mostly using for landscape photography and photogrammetry (geology). The superior video is mostly irrelevant to me, the weight is a mostly a wash (I am hiking in, but also working in windy areas). My main concerns are corners that might have been cut to get to the $1000 price point vs. their flagship model. For people who have had a chance to use both drones, what is your take on build quality and likely longevity?

Related questions:
1. What do ppl think probability of major firmware upgrade for the M2P is? Many if the advantages of the A2S are software.
2. Any other thoughts for my situation?

I’m kinda in the same boat. Someone gave me a M2P not knowing I already have one (long story, but he owed me money and didn’t have it but had recently been given the M2P so he gave it to me and we called it even; I didn’t really care but he insisted), so I’d consider trading one or selling and getting an Air 2S. I still fly my original 3-year-old Air and love the smaller size, but the camera quality doesn’t compare to the M2P.

 

[JLoxton]

@JLoxton i wonder why you do not use your M2P ,the main differences between the drones you mentioned ,are different Apps for controlling the drone size and weight and a different sort of controller,as time goes on the M2P will gradually get left behind in the clamour for newer models ,just the same as the MP and MPP have now, yes the air2s is a little smaller to lug around and flight wise its not a lot different with regards to its abilities in the air,myself i would utilise my M2P for as long as possible until any bugs have been ironed out of the newer models ,and then in the future go for an even better drone when it comes out ,i believe the next big leap forwards will be battery development to improve flight times and the issues that lipos have with regards to their use and storage

I just haven't had the chance to use my M2P yet, as I got distracted by other projects, but now that I am about to getting going with my drone project, they've released the A2S. I purchased my M2P wit the educational discount and had some other savings, so I could sell it and buy the A2S with no loss. The main advantages of A2S I can see for my purposes are the 22mm lens (since I'll be doing almost entirely landscape) and about a pound less in weight with three batteries. (I've also liked some of the images I've seen coming out of the A2S in comparison videos a tad more.) I assume that since it's newer, the A2S will likely also see some additional software features rolled out. My main concern is just build quality. I know with phones, for example, S-series Samsungs are heads above the lower end models, even when the latter are newer and have better specs on paper. Samsung just clearly doesn't spare anything on their main line. I was wondering whether a similar situation was the case with the Mavic series, i.e., whether I am more likely to encounter part failure over time in the A2S, etc.

 

[Macinfo]

I just haven't had the chance to use my M2P yet, as I got distracted by other projects, but now that I am about to getting going with my drone project, they've released the A2S. I purchased my M2P wit the educational discount and had some other savings, so I could sell it and buy the A2S with no loss. The main advantages of A2S I can see for my purposes are the 22mm lens (since I'll be doing almost entirely landscape) and about a pound less in weight with three batteries. (I've also liked some of the images I've seen coming out of the A2S in comparison videos a tad more.) I assume that since it's newer, the A2S will likely also see some additional software features rolled out. My main concern is just build quality. I know with phones, for example, S-series Samsungs are heads above the lower end models, even when the latter are newer and have better specs on paper. Samsung just clearly doesn't spare anything on their main line. I was wondering whether a similar situation was the case with the Mavic series, i.e., whether I am more likely to encounter part failure over time in the A2S, etc.

I think build quality is the least of your concerns... Piloting skills are probably more important than how DJI builds its drones. (IMHO)

Now of course, any piece of hardware can have a failiure, and some pilots have experienced that, but I think many pilots here have flown many miles and hours and have never encountered an issue..

I am not a prolific pilot, as there are days I just cannot get out there for various reasons. However based on the stats, I have over 10 hours of flying on my MA2, which probably is not much, but that translates to 84 miles of flight.. No issues.. I suspect that there are some pilots here that will easily outdo my meager flight stats that the Fly App collects.

 

[old man mavic]

@JLoxton well all i can say is from my time with DJI Mavic drones,that i have found the build quality to be great,current stats are MPP =497 miles 123 hours 37 mins flight time
and for my MM =69 miles 41 hours 11 mins flight time ,i would like to think that DJI still have a great product

 

[cgmaxed]

I currently have an unused 2 Pro that I am considering trading in for a Air 2S. I've watched all the reviews and read what I can and am really on the fence. I will be mostly using for landscape photography and photogrammetry (geology). The superior video is mostly irrelevant to me, the weight is a mostly a wash (I am hiking in, but also working in windy areas). My main concerns are corners that might have been cut to get to the $1000 price point vs. their flagship model. For people who have had a chance to use both drones, what is your take on build quality and likely longevity?

Related questions:
1. What do ppl think probability of major firmware upgrade for the M2P is? Many if the advantages of the A2S are software.
2. Any other thoughts for my situation?

I fly both the M2Pro and the Air2S. I don't use my M2Pro anymore. In fact i'm selling it. The M2Pro has more control in wind (weight is important in wind) , M2Pro lifts heavier objects, build quality and life span are same as Air2S, M2Pro has better anti Collision. I don't expect any major firmware updates for M2Pro. If high winds are not a major concern, and a slight difference in anti collision sensors aren't important, the Air2S is your choice. It shoots well in low light condition, just as good as the M2Pro. The M2PRO has no real time digital zoom capability, while the Air2S has 8x digital, if you need to look at something close up. Attaching heavy lights to the Air2S is doable, but the M2P handles weight better.

 

[GFields]

I waiting for the Air2s I ordered to arrive. Looking at selling my Mavic 2 Zoom

 

[fguthrie]

I am a photographer and own both the M2P and the Air2S. Both drones have their pros and cons. If the wind is blowing a gale and you launch the M2P, it is more stable than the Air2S ... I trust it more in the wind. Something that I like about the M2P that no one in this thread has mentioned is the ability to fly in Attitude Mode - it is a blast. As far as I know, the Air2S does not offer that mode. I also appreciate and use the variable aperture on the M2P. The M2P is a beast and even though I have this bright and shiny new Air2S (haven't crashed it so far), I will continue to fly my M2P in addition to the Air2S.

The Air2S is a fine machine too. You mentioned you hike - the Air2S is definitely lighter than the M2P and you will appreciate that on long hikes. The video quality is better and something I really like is the digital zoom. Yea, it degrades the video a bit, but it gives me the ability to take a closer look without moving the drone closer and I like that.

Having both drones in my arsenal gives me options - I am keeping both of them.

 

[Tom Johnson]

Ok, so after doing a bit of reviewing on the Air 2S, I'm seriously interested in it, but there is no way to program waypoints for missions in the Fly app. Not sure this is going to help. Still might be interested in a Mavic 2 Pro.

 

[Tom Johnson]

I currently have an unused 2 Pro that I am considering trading in for a Air 2S. I've watched all the reviews and read what I can and am really on the fence. I will be mostly using for landscape photography and photogrammetry (geology). The superior video is mostly irrelevant to me, the weight is a mostly a wash (I am hiking in, but also working in windy areas). My main concerns are corners that might have been cut to get to the $1000 price point vs. their flagship model. For people who have had a chance to use both drones, what is your take on build quality and likely longevity?

Related questions:
1. What do ppl think probability of major firmware upgrade for the M2P is? Many if the advantages of the A2S are software.
2. Any other thoughts for my situation?

I read in more than a few places that you cannot program waypoints. That's a problem. Litchi won't work either because they haven't opened up the SDK. TOTAL BUMMER! Now I'm back to the Mavic 2 Pro as my all-around unit because missions will be a big part of my business.

 

[Macinfo]

Ok, so after doing a bit of reviewing on the Air 2S, I'm seriously interested in it, but there is no way to program waypoints for missions in the Fly app. Not sure this is going to help. Still might be interested in a Mavic 2 Pro.

If Missions/Waypoints are all that matters, you're going to have to get an older drone with aging tech.

Because newer model drones rely on DJI again to release SDK's that will allow 3rd parties to update Apps to work with their software that may support Missions and Waypoints. Generally that seems to take a long time for some reason and then more waiting again before apps get updated..

Now that rumors are ramping up for the next gen Mavic 3 or whatever it might ultimately be called, unless the version of Fly that will more than likely support that model as well gets updated to support those features (which I suspect is unlikely), it will take even longer for yet another SDK for it, and then app updates.. Why an SDK is not ready when the drone ships is anyones guess.

 

[jonthecourier]

Do you know what I would wait for a drone that's going to be released very soon, it would not be correct to name it on this forum but look around on You tube.

 

[Macinfo]

Do you know what I would wait for a drone that's going to be released very soon, it would not be correct to name it on this forum but look around on You tube.

There are rumors galore for the next potential DJI drone, however none of them have any weight till some actual evidence shows up. The MA2S there were leaks and documents that popped up.. But so far as I am aware, nothing has popped up for the next gen pro model. assume thats what it would be. I don't think anyone was really expecting the FPV either..

 

[Thomas B]

Do you know what I would wait for a drone that's going to be released very soon, it would not be correct to name it on this forum but look around on You tube.

... only to see what others who don’t know are speculating....