My DJI Air 2S Review
I`ve been using the DJI Air 2S almost exclusively for the past week,and I must say that this new release from DJI is a different beast altogether. It has just enough upgrades and improvements to warrant the higher cost and I believe that it’s worth the purchase if you can take advantage of its full capabilities.
First of all, let’s discuss what it is not. It is NOT a replacement to the Mavic 2 Pro,, nor should it be compared to it. The M2P is heavier, more expensive, and is simply DJI’s flagship and high-tier drone. While the specifications are now much closer than ever before, thinking that you can replace the M2P with an Air 2S is not the way to go.
It is also not a super smart drone, although it is quite capable of handling itself. I learned that the hard way when I crashed into some branches while testing out the ActiveTrack 4.0 feature (luckily, no damage!). While the Air 2S does have those additional top sensors and while APAS 4.0 does compensate a bit for the lack of them, you still have to take caution when using this feature by maintaining line of sight and having a spotter with you at all times (because them’s the rules!)
With those points being said, the Air 2S is a marvelous piece of tech that I didn’t expect to be available in a mid-level prosumer drone. The 1-inch sensor really is a game changer as there is no drone that comes to mind that has this type of sensor at the sub-1000 dollar price range (correct me if I’m wrong here!)
The improved camera obviously translates to better footage that is much better than the Mavic Air 2. I can even be bold enough to say that it is ALMOST at par with the Mavic 2 Pro when it comes to detail. With 5.4k resolution, 150Mbps bit rate, and 10-bit D log, there’s a lot of room to edit photos just the way you like without losing detail and quality.
I don’t see much of a difference when it comes to the flight experience although I do see some improvements in signal strength. Flying the Mavic Air 2 in and around the city can be difficult but that is eased somewhat by the four-antennas of the drone as well as O3 transmission. The aforementioned additional sensors make the Air 2S much safer to fly, although again flying safely and legally is still a must.
Mastershots is a personal favorite of mine. It’s a new feature on the Air 2 where you stand around for 2 to 3 minutes and the drone flies pretty much by itself and you can make a montage of your shots afterwards with transition effects and music. There are other flight modes in the Air 2S but Mastershots is really all you need. It’s no Waypoints from the Mavic 2 Pro but I’m not complaining.
Of course, the best thing about this drone is that it’s backwards compatible mostly. Since it has basically the same body as the Mavic Air 2, you can share or reuse landing pands, some strobe lights, and maybe even prop guards. Best thing is that it’s compatible with the MA2 (or Mini 2, if you prefer) remote and it can use the MA2 batteries as well.
So is the DJI Air 2S worth it? In my opinion, yes, but only if you can take advantage of its ability to take good shots with its 1-inch sensor. If you’re coming from a Mavic 2 Pro, then this can be a good backup drone. If you’re coming from a Mini 2, then skip the Mavic Air 2 altogether and get this baby. The extra dollars that you spend will be worthwhile, I guarantee.
I`ve been using the DJI Air 2S almost exclusively for the past week,and I must say that this new release from DJI is a different beast altogether. It has just enough upgrades and improvements to warrant the higher cost and I believe that it’s worth the purchase if you can take advantage of its full capabilities.
First of all, let’s discuss what it is not. It is NOT a replacement to the Mavic 2 Pro,, nor should it be compared to it. The M2P is heavier, more expensive, and is simply DJI’s flagship and high-tier drone. While the specifications are now much closer than ever before, thinking that you can replace the M2P with an Air 2S is not the way to go.
It is also not a super smart drone, although it is quite capable of handling itself. I learned that the hard way when I crashed into some branches while testing out the ActiveTrack 4.0 feature (luckily, no damage!). While the Air 2S does have those additional top sensors and while APAS 4.0 does compensate a bit for the lack of them, you still have to take caution when using this feature by maintaining line of sight and having a spotter with you at all times (because them’s the rules!)
With those points being said, the Air 2S is a marvelous piece of tech that I didn’t expect to be available in a mid-level prosumer drone. The 1-inch sensor really is a game changer as there is no drone that comes to mind that has this type of sensor at the sub-1000 dollar price range (correct me if I’m wrong here!)
The improved camera obviously translates to better footage that is much better than the Mavic Air 2. I can even be bold enough to say that it is ALMOST at par with the Mavic 2 Pro when it comes to detail. With 5.4k resolution, 150Mbps bit rate, and 10-bit D log, there’s a lot of room to edit photos just the way you like without losing detail and quality.
I don’t see much of a difference when it comes to the flight experience although I do see some improvements in signal strength. Flying the Mavic Air 2 in and around the city can be difficult but that is eased somewhat by the four-antennas of the drone as well as O3 transmission. The aforementioned additional sensors make the Air 2S much safer to fly, although again flying safely and legally is still a must.
Mastershots is a personal favorite of mine. It’s a new feature on the Air 2 where you stand around for 2 to 3 minutes and the drone flies pretty much by itself and you can make a montage of your shots afterwards with transition effects and music. There are other flight modes in the Air 2S but Mastershots is really all you need. It’s no Waypoints from the Mavic 2 Pro but I’m not complaining.
Of course, the best thing about this drone is that it’s backwards compatible mostly. Since it has basically the same body as the Mavic Air 2, you can share or reuse landing pands, some strobe lights, and maybe even prop guards. Best thing is that it’s compatible with the MA2 (or Mini 2, if you prefer) remote and it can use the MA2 batteries as well.
So is the DJI Air 2S worth it? In my opinion, yes, but only if you can take advantage of its ability to take good shots with its 1-inch sensor. If you’re coming from a Mavic 2 Pro, then this can be a good backup drone. If you’re coming from a Mini 2, then skip the Mavic Air 2 altogether and get this baby. The extra dollars that you spend will be worthwhile, I guarantee.
