Mavic 2 Pro.Why 28mm equivalent rather than wider?

[offtheback]

Is there a disadvantage of having a 24mm equivalent vs the 28mm on the Mavic 2 Pro?With altitude restrictions would seem to make sense.Distortion problem?

 

[SkyeHigh]

Is there a disadvantage of having a 24mm equivalent vs the 28mm on the Mavic 2 Pro?With altitude restrictions would seem to make sense.Distortion problem?

The wider you get the more chance of getting the front legs or propellers in shot. You get a little distortion with the 28mm with the camera tilted but it’s quite easily corrected. A 24mm equivalent would distort a little more but could still be corrected.

 

[offtheback]

The wider you get the more chance of getting the front legs or propellers in shot. You get a little distortion with the 28mm with the camera tilted but it’s quite easily corrected. A 24mm equivalent would distort a little more but could still be corrected.

Ah yes that's a drawback.Wonder if a structural tweak by DJI would do it.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

This isn't DJI's first camera-bearing drone, so I'm sure some thought about that went into the design of the M2P.

Another factor is that you can go TOO wide. Lately on my DSLR, I've been using my 35mm more than my 20mm or 14mm, so the 28mm-equiv on the Mavic may have been a middle-of-the-road compromise to make more people happy. It's pretty darned wide as it is.

Chris

 

[offtheback]

This isn't DJI's first camera-bearing drone, so I'm sure some thought about that went into the design of the M2P.

Another factor is that you can go TOO wide. Lately on my DSLR, I've been using my 35mm more than my 20mm or 14mm, so the 28mm-equiv on the Mavic may have been a middle-of-the-road compromise to make more people happy. It's pretty darned wide as it is.

Chris

The DSLR I suppose that depends on your subject matter.Seems like it would be an advantage if they could design the location to avoid what skyehigh said.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

The DSLR I suppose that depends on your subject matter.

Yes, but you can also change the distance to subject with a drone much easier than you can on your feet.

Seems like it would be an advantage if they could design the location to avoid what skyehigh said.

And I think they do, on higher end models (inspire, etc.).

Chris

 

[Drumsagard]

I much prefer the 28mm on my M2P

 

[Lets Fly]

I'm loving the 24mm to 48mm zoom on my M2z, and go to 1080P and zoom to 96mm, great for wild life.

 

[vindibona1]

Is there a disadvantage of having a 24mm equivalent vs the 28mm on the Mavic 2 Pro?With altitude restrictions would seem to make sense.Distortion problem?

Actually, yes, there can be disadvantages of having wider angle lenses. Much depends on the build and the need. Larger sensors, like the 1" sensor of the M2 Pro require wider lenses to match the FOV of a smaller sensor like the M2 Zoom. When you have to create a wider FOV on a larger sensor it typically requires more glass- and you still can get some distortion.

The Mini 2 and I suspect the MA2 which have 83° FOV. If more FOV is typically required then the M2 Zoom would be the better choice, especially having the zoom capability. The Mavic Air 2 wouldn't be a bad choice either, now with outstanding zoom capability.

It's a pitty that there aren't viable wide angle attachments that wouldn't mess with the gimbals.

 

[Pyelot]

Actually, yes, there can be disadvantages of having wider angle lenses. Much depends on the build and the need. Larger sensors, like the 1" sensor of the M2 Pro require wider lenses to match the FOV of a smaller sensor like the M2 Zoom. When you have to create a wider FOV on a larger sensor it typically requires more glass- and you still can get some distortion.

The Mini 2 and I suspect the MA2 which have 83° FOV. If more FOV is typically required then the M2 Zoom would be the better choice, especially having the zoom capability. The Mavic Air 2 wouldn't be a bad choice either, now with outstanding zoom capability.

It's a pitty that there aren't viable wide angle attachments that wouldn't mess with the gimbals.

When talking about focal lengths on drone cameras it is more helpful (as one poster stated) to use FOV (field of view) Each camera has a certain sensor size and thus decides what the FOV is with a certain focal length. I believe the Mavic Pro 2 has a field of view of 71 degrees. On the inspire 2 with the X7 camera with a 24mm it has a FOV of around 53 degrees. Hope this makes a small amount of sense.

 

[vindibona1]

When talking about focal lengths on drone cameras it is more helpful (as one poster stated) to use FOV (field of view) Each camera has a certain sensor size and thus decides what the FOV is with a certain focal length. I believe the Mavic Pro 2 has a field of view of 71 degrees. On the inspire 2 with the X7 camera with a 24mm it has a FOV of around 53 degrees. Hope this makes a small amount of sense.

While we are discussing advantages/disadvantages, you will note that the M2 Pro has aperture settings which can go a long way in minimizing the need for ND filters. If one thinks the sweet spot is f2.8 to f5.6 you can dial in a more accurate exposure without having to install or change an ND filter. If you are ok with f8 or f11 then you have a 4 stop range to play with. The M2 Pro also has a faux zoom with the different modes. Full FOV obviously provides the 77° view. Perhaps it is the other mode (I forget the name) that has the 71° view. Obviously there are trade-offs. The Mavic Air 2 does a lot now to mimic the features of the M2 Zoom. If you're talking the Inspire2 with X7 we're not in the $7600 range which is a whole 'nother animal altogether.

Camera specs from the DJI website

Mavic 2 Pro Camera​

Sensor	1” CMOS Effective Pixels: 20 million
Lens	FOV: about 77° 35 mm Format Equivalent: 28 mm Aperture: f/2.8–f/11 Shooting Range: 1 m to ∞

Mavic 2 Zoom Camera​

Sensor	1/2.3" CMOS Effective Pixels: 12 million
Lens	FOV: about 83° (24 mm); about 48° (48 mm） 35 mm Format Equivalent: 24-48 mm Aperture: f/2.8 (24 mm)–f/3.8 (48 mm) Shooting Range: 0.5 m to ∞

 

[Pyelot]

Thank you Vindibona1. I often use my Mavic Pro for scouting a location and have to communicate FOV to the professionals using Inspires, Matrix or even heavy lifters with professional motion picture cameras (Red, Arri Alexas). I have an app that can generate comparisons between FOVs of all these cameras and lenses.