So...where to from here with the Mavic 2 Pro?
It seems we are on the cusp of having a flying DLSR in the air. The Mavic 2 Pro has come very close and that's why it has started to get so much attention as photographers all over the world realise that "Hey that's pretty good, maybe I can take what I'm doing on the ground up into the sky?"
As I walked past a 65 inch OLED TV in the appliance store yesterday and then stood memorized by some super high quality seemingly drone or helicopter created footage I got to thinking could the MP2 have taken that?
I concluded...no. The sharpness was pin tack sharp and edge to edge and just mind blowing really. I imagine some high-end industry camera either off a helicopter gimbal or high-end drone was the source. But it made me wonder this is just 4K, an image way smaller than the maximum sensor size of the MP2 and shouldn't we be expecting similar especially in HQ mode on the MP2?
Ignoring all the debate about processors and FOV vs HQ vs Ambarella chips etc surely a big chunk of this puzzle is that the optic on the MP2 is just no match for the (no doubt) epic lens that was used in the 4K footage I was watching?
I then thought back to when I first got my Olympus OM-D EM-1 Micro 4/3 camera and how initially I was satisfied with the kit zooms it came with but over time have ditched those and ended up paying some reasonable cash for some really nice pro lenses and could not currently be happier. Having said that at the time if I had only paid a modest amount on a prime lens say with only a min f/stop of 2.8 I would have also been equally happy with that lens for optical sharpness.
So I guess that runs on to part of the real purpose of this post. If it is so easy to build a sharp edge to edge prime lens why couldn't they do that with MP2? Answer.....size. They have certainly packed in a heap of technology into a small package and to keep things that compact some things have had to give, and one of those is the size and quality of the optic. It's pretty good but not on par with even a mid level prime on a DSLR or Mirrorless. If you had such an optic on the current MP2 how would the gimbal even begin to move when grounded, it even has some trouble on tricky ground as it is.
Looking at the "leaked" images of the Phantom 5 it appears DJI may be heading towards an interchangeable lens system for the Phantom series and I can only assume a better image quality overall and this this is the real purpose of the post...
Everybody seems to adore the compact form factor, quieter propellers, portability, occusync tech and less obvious "skyprint" of the MP2. Yet DJI seem to be advancing their high-performance imaging via the less loved Phantom series (only my opinion!) It seems to me that if the Phantom 5 does get this upgrade doesn't this pose some interesting questions for the Mavic line in future?
It seems to make sense to push things in future more down the Mavic line as everybody loves the features compared to the Phantom and we see pilots dropping from the Phantom to MP2 in reasonable numbers looking at this and the DJI forum. I believe DJI will release the Phantom 5 and it will have better optics and interchangeability of lenses and many will buy it that have been wanting that smooth transition across from DSLR/Mirrorless to a Drone at a price that isn't going to completely break the bank (will still break it a little I suspect)
I think the really interesting bit comes next in terms of what then happens at the end of the current product cycle for MP2...
Would just be interesting to hear others views on this.
Cheers
Bussty
It seems we are on the cusp of having a flying DLSR in the air. The Mavic 2 Pro has come very close and that's why it has started to get so much attention as photographers all over the world realise that "Hey that's pretty good, maybe I can take what I'm doing on the ground up into the sky?"
As I walked past a 65 inch OLED TV in the appliance store yesterday and then stood memorized by some super high quality seemingly drone or helicopter created footage I got to thinking could the MP2 have taken that?
I concluded...no. The sharpness was pin tack sharp and edge to edge and just mind blowing really. I imagine some high-end industry camera either off a helicopter gimbal or high-end drone was the source. But it made me wonder this is just 4K, an image way smaller than the maximum sensor size of the MP2 and shouldn't we be expecting similar especially in HQ mode on the MP2?
Ignoring all the debate about processors and FOV vs HQ vs Ambarella chips etc surely a big chunk of this puzzle is that the optic on the MP2 is just no match for the (no doubt) epic lens that was used in the 4K footage I was watching?
I then thought back to when I first got my Olympus OM-D EM-1 Micro 4/3 camera and how initially I was satisfied with the kit zooms it came with but over time have ditched those and ended up paying some reasonable cash for some really nice pro lenses and could not currently be happier. Having said that at the time if I had only paid a modest amount on a prime lens say with only a min f/stop of 2.8 I would have also been equally happy with that lens for optical sharpness.
So I guess that runs on to part of the real purpose of this post. If it is so easy to build a sharp edge to edge prime lens why couldn't they do that with MP2? Answer.....size. They have certainly packed in a heap of technology into a small package and to keep things that compact some things have had to give, and one of those is the size and quality of the optic. It's pretty good but not on par with even a mid level prime on a DSLR or Mirrorless. If you had such an optic on the current MP2 how would the gimbal even begin to move when grounded, it even has some trouble on tricky ground as it is.
Looking at the "leaked" images of the Phantom 5 it appears DJI may be heading towards an interchangeable lens system for the Phantom series and I can only assume a better image quality overall and this this is the real purpose of the post...
Everybody seems to adore the compact form factor, quieter propellers, portability, occusync tech and less obvious "skyprint" of the MP2. Yet DJI seem to be advancing their high-performance imaging via the less loved Phantom series (only my opinion!) It seems to me that if the Phantom 5 does get this upgrade doesn't this pose some interesting questions for the Mavic line in future?
It seems to make sense to push things in future more down the Mavic line as everybody loves the features compared to the Phantom and we see pilots dropping from the Phantom to MP2 in reasonable numbers looking at this and the DJI forum. I believe DJI will release the Phantom 5 and it will have better optics and interchangeability of lenses and many will buy it that have been wanting that smooth transition across from DSLR/Mirrorless to a Drone at a price that isn't going to completely break the bank (will still break it a little I suspect)
I think the really interesting bit comes next in terms of what then happens at the end of the current product cycle for MP2...
- Is the current form factor just too physically small to deliver all the tech and optical goodness many are hoping for?
- Will you see a Mavic Pro 3 that is 25-50% bigger than the MP2 but with that size increase be able to carry an even higher quality optic/sensor combination and provide that seamless transition from DSLR/Mirrorless?
- Would the MP3 have interchangeable lenses?
- If they made it bigger (but better) how much bigger would you be prepared to accept before the benefits of the previous compact design no longer held value for you?
- If they did bring out a bigger/better MP3 would that signal the end of the line for the Phantom?
Would just be interesting to hear others views on this.
Cheers
Bussty
