Selling the Mavic 2 Pro to get the Air 2S?

[AroundTheWorld]

Day 2 with perfect weather conditions and dramatic scenery. Shot more video with the A2S and after that with the M2P. The former in 4K Dlog mode and the latter in HLG FOV. Unfortunately I screwed up the second A2S flight that should have been in HLG mode, but forgot to press record.... go figure LOL.

So the comparisons are definitively not apples to apples. One thing I have to state here: I use Davinci Resolve Studio 17+ and I grade in HDR. It offers a built in DJI specific log profile correction. See attached DR17 setup. I use a properly calibrated 55" LG OLED E9 as my grading monitor via a DeckLink Mini Monitor 4K. I target 1000nits HDR10. DR is incredibly well equipped to do HDR even from a Rec709 10-bit log format. (this example).

Observations:
First, as discovered yesterday already, the built in White Balance measurement is WAY OFF on the A2S. Hopefully DJI will fix that soon. Meanwhile, turn on AUTO, wait a few seconds and check the reading. Then turn to manual and increase the value by 400. That will take you where you need to be.
Second, turn the drone towards an area of most brightness for your shooting sequence and with overexposure indication turned on, turn the shutter to right were most (some extreme points if not significant may still exceed exposure. Be careful of clouds especially if they are prominent) or all of the overexposure indication disappears. DO NOT USE AUTO because the exposure with change during flight and make the sequence unwatchable. It is OK to see the EV value drop into negative territory. You are OK with -1 to -3. The latter sequences may have a bit more noise but that is easy to fix.
Set to AF and touch the screen to invoke autofocus on a good contrasty object in the distance.
All this, if you plan to fly a scenic pass through some awesome terrain.

Another really important observation on the A2S. Remember, the M2P especially in FOV has a substantial barrel distortion (when recording in 10bit log) that can be fixed easily but for scenic area shots it is essentially barely noticeable so I usually leave it alone. HOWEVER the A2S has a much more annoying lens distortion which is the exact opposite of the M2P. The A2S has a pincushion distortion that when shooting landscape and panning across it, one might get a bit nauseas! That I found out from my very first video. On Davinci Resolve set the lens correction to -0.1 or thereabouts to correct the pincushion.

The M2P HLG FOV footage needed very little correction. In fact, all I did was pushing gain a little highlights and a little shadows. This mostly because I used Style=normal. Otherwise I would record with less contrast and push HDR contrast in post. Results are a bit better.

The A2S footage went through the normal flat gamma 2.4 to HDR (PQ) approximation. Partly, DR takes care of it by checking the "use 203 nits reference for Rec2100 HDR" and by pushing the shadows +50 and work "negative Lift" and "negative shadows" to restore black and shadow definition before starting HDR grading. These actions "bend" the otherwise linear gamma to be more like PQ. The fully graded results are nearly indistinguishable from corresponding HLG (HDR) footage. Turns out I prefer to start with Dlog footage especially on the A2S since it offers a little more flexibility working shadows and highlights. HDR grading only included a minor push of shadows, light, highlight and specular. It also includes dropping selective color saturation only for shadows, dark and black.

In conclusion: I attached two partial frame shots that demonstrate the difference in M2P 4K FOV definition/clarity/sharpness vs A2S 4K. They also show that the two are otherwise nearly indistinguishable short of maybe a slight tendency towards the A2S "Red" in brown and skin-tones when compared with the very natural M2P colors.
NOTE: I used Dolby Vision (part of DR studio) to view the HDR footage on SDR to take the screen shots.

I am sorry about that. I still have some reservations mainly because I am not able to control the camera as much as I would like to. After correcting the obnoxious pincushion and viewing the final result on my 65” OLED I am warming up to the A2S. Unfortunately something went wrong when I uploaded the M2P rendition of the sequence I shot for comparison. It looks fantastic here, but the YouTube version is awful. I just looked at it now. I will remove it and upload a corrected version.

Thank you very much for all your useful observations. The A2S footage is beautiful however I have noticed some stuttering when you pan or turn the camera. This is something I also have on my M2P and it ruined some of my shots. How to avoid it?

Waiting for your M2P footage to compare.

 

[Rilot]

Thank you very much for all your useful observations. The A2S footage is beautiful however I have noticed some stuttering when you pan or turn the camera. This is something I also have on my M2P and it ruined some of my shots. How to avoid it?

Waitong for your M2P footage to compare.

Pan more slowly and use a slower shutter speed to introduce blur.

 

[Roamer105]

Thank you very much for all your useful observations. The A2S footage is beautiful however I have noticed some stuttering when you pan or turn the camera. This is something I also have on my M2P and it ruined some of my shots. How to avoid it?

Waitong for your M2P footage to compare.

The reason for that is low frame rate. Because i intended to compare with the M2P which clearly does best at 24fps that is what I used on the A2S.
I am going to use 30fps normally. That will most likely reduce that problem. Also every modern display nowadays have great motion compensation. I have absolutely no “shutter” during panning sequences on this video with my display. On the computer I can see it.

 

[sar104]

The reason for that is low frame rate. Because i intended to compare with the M2P which clearly does best at 24fps that is what I used on the A2S.
I am going to use 30fps normally. That will most likely reduce that problem. Also every modern display nowadays have great motion compensation. I have absolutely no “shutter” during panning sequences on this video with my display. On the computer I can see it.

This goes back to your earlier comment about there being no problem shooting video at 10⁻³ s. Some displays may be able to interpolate motion to remove the stutter, but many don't, including most computer monitors, so it seems like a poor choice to rely on the display fixing the issue rather than shooting at a more appropriate exposure time to begin with.

 

[Roamer105]

This goes back to your earlier comment about there being no problem shooting video at 10⁻³ s. Some displays may be able to interpolate motion to remove the stutter, but many don't, including most computer monitors, so it seems like a poor choice to rely on the display fixing the issue rather than shooting at a more appropriate exposure time to begin with.

Thanks for reminding me of that discussion. Yes, I am aware of it. Even back then, I made the decision to not use slow shutter speeds because the blurring effect did not produce as pleasing of a result as faster frame rates would. However, with the M2P the limit was 30. My tests showed me that there was a noticeable drop in sharpness/clarity when using 30fps vs 24fps. The M2P is limited to 100mb/s with most likely less compute power to satisfy the compute intensive HEVC compression. The A2S has likely much more compute power and is capable of a 50% increase in compression bitrate.. I noticed that when recording 4K at 24fps, the A2S uses 100mb/s. But when recording at 30fps it uses 125mb/s etc..
So here you have the option to increase frame rates without sacrificing any or much of the detail sharpness/clarity except maybe when pushing to 60fps which it is barely capable of doing without cropping and loss of some clarity.

I stayed with 24 when using the M2P and relied on my display capabilities to do a better job than simply motion blur frames. I don't do commercial work.

 

[Roamer105]

I need to revisit my comments regarding lens distortion. DJI went a long way to eliminate barrel distortion. I did a grid test and it proves out. Vertical and horizontal lines are perfectly straight throughout the whole image area.

So filming architectural objects with straight lines works well with the A2S unlike the M2P where such footage required barrel correction.

However when doing landscape videography with no straight horizon reference the corrected wide angle lens causes a pincushion effect when panning across landscape. It is apparent at the left and right border zones and of course the corner areas. To minimize that effect one can add some barrel distortion back in or possibly reduce the FOV by adding zoom/crop in post.

 

[Roamer105]

Since I had all kinds of problems with the YouTube upload I decided to grant access to a folder on my Google Drive. That folder contains 4 unadulterated videos straight out of Davinci Resolve production. They are all around 500Mb in size and HEVC encoded. The first two are the HDR and SDR copies of the A2S video and the last two are the HDR and SDR copies of the M2P video shot in the same area within 15 minutes of each other. Here is the folder link:
Air 2S and Mavic 2 PRO videos - Google Drive

If you decide to watch them PLEASE choose to download them in their original form. There is no copyright attached.

 

[Roamer105]

I added an HLG recorded video to that google drive folder shot with the A2S in two versions: HDR and SDR. Title is “Hazy Spring Morning”. This one was shot in 4K HLG at 30fps.

After taking a number of videos in different modes and circumstances I came to the conclusion that for me when using the A2S I also will prefer shooting in HLG mode. It does offer slightly better results in shadow and highlight details showing better dynamic range and the colors are more natural. This may well change as soon as DJI publishes a LUT for A2S Dlog (which is clearly not the same as the M2P log profile -DlogM)

 

[LA 2020]

Hello,

I'm a happy owner of the Mavic 2 Pro that I was able to buy 2 years ago at an incredible price of 1050 euros (1250 dollars) and I'm now wondering if I should sell the drone in order to replace it with the DJI Air 2S?

I'm pretty sure that I could sell it at very good price and buy the Air 2S Fly More Combo at almost no extra cost.

The Air 2S Fly More Combo is actually available at 1200 euros here (1430 dollars) which is 100 euros below the normal price.

On top of that, I could receive 150 euros of cashback and 150 euros of coupons available at the store.

1) Would you then sell the Mavic 2 Pro to get the Air 2S?

2) If my plan is to buy the next Mavic 3 Pro while saving as much money as possible, do you think that I will more easily sell a Mavic 2 Pro or a Air 2S at that time?

Thanks for your help

The 1" sensor camera in the Mavic 2 Pro makes it have a much netter resale value. I'd keep the 2 Pro

 

[sar104]

The 1" sensor camera in the Mavic 2 Pro makes it have a much netter resale value. I'd keep the 2 Pro

The Air 2S and the Mavic 2 Pro have the same sensor.

 

[Rob Dog]

Hello,

I'm a happy owner of the Mavic 2 Pro that I was able to buy 2 years ago at an incredible price of 1050 euros (1250 dollars) and I'm now wondering if I should sell the drone in order to replace it with the DJI Air 2S?

I'm pretty sure that I could sell it at very good price and buy the Air 2S Fly More Combo at almost no extra cost.

The Air 2S Fly More Combo is actually available at 1200 euros here (1430 dollars) which is 100 euros below the normal price.

On top of that, I could receive 150 euros of cashback and 150 euros of coupons available at the store.

1) Would you then sell the Mavic 2 Pro to get the Air 2S?

2) If my plan is to buy the next Mavic 3 Pro while saving as much money as possible, do you think that I will more easily sell a Mavic 2 Pro or a Air 2S at that time?

Thanks for your help

I just went through the same decision. I waited for the Air 2s to come out in order to see details. Since I do a lot of photography, I went with the Mavic 2 Pro. The tipping point for me was the Pro's camera and ability to have multiple F-stops.....

 

[Brian_MavicPro]

Hello,

I'm a happy owner of the Mavic 2 Pro that I was able to buy 2 years ago at an incredible price of 1050 euros (1250 dollars) and I'm now wondering if I should sell the drone in order to replace it with the DJI Air 2S?

I'm pretty sure that I could sell it at very good price and buy the Air 2S Fly More Combo at almost no extra cost.

The Air 2S Fly More Combo is actually available at 1200 euros here (1430 dollars) which is 100 euros below the normal price.

On top of that, I could receive 150 euros of cashback and 150 euros of coupons available at the store.

1) Would you then sell the Mavic 2 Pro to get the Air 2S?

2) If my plan is to buy the next Mavic 3 Pro while saving as much money as possible, do you think that I will more easily sell a Mavic 2 Pro or a Air 2S at that time?

Thanks for your help

My two or three cents worth of opinion.

I sold my M2P Fly More Combo + ND/PL filters. I promptly ordered the Air 2S Fly More combo. I ended up being about $200 shy but if you want a quick sale, lower the price right?
My biased decision factors were:

1)I have grown very impatient waiting for a drone (Mavic 3) that may never come
2)Cost is a factor and if M3 came out with a price under $2400 USD it would be a miracle and my budget is maxed with the Air 2S
3) The air 2S is an upgrade in technology considering the DJI Fly App, O3 crisp-clean video to my iPhone, pre-programmed shots are plentiful, better controller for holding iPhone with case (it feels much more stable), statistically better quality even considering the fixed aperture because ND filter compensation is easy enough
4) M2P is depreciating somewhat fast at this point (DJI's trade-in value is $370 mint condition). Used prices on eBay are980 - 1300 USD as of 20 April...depending on the mood of the buyer. 2 1/2 years old, the battery charge count isn't getting smaller, the technology is dated, replacement (Air 2S) is the better buy if making choices. Waiting for DJI to make the ultimate M3-like drone of your dreams and expecting the used price to still be reasonable is folly. By then the used price will be around 500-600 (with fly more combo) in about 4-months, especially if news of Mavic 3 or a similar drone is on the horizon.

If you can't live without the non-announced M3P and can afford it...the downside of a 2S purchase is having to sell the Air 2S. At least the value will mostly hold if you have accident insurance and warranty, under a year old, and mint condition. DJI will raise the retail price of Air 2S anyways. It's not like our dollar is gaining in buying power. So, you may be able to sell very near your purchase price in 6 months. Beware, the dream M3 is not going to be very affordable-main-stream.

In conclusion, get the Air 2S right now. It is a fantastic drone for the money and can be a good bridge to the next one. The M2P is "outdated" and it's technology is aging rapidly. Worse case, you have a great placeholder in an Air 2S.

 

[Ralph thompson]

depending on yr use of the drone and the material u generate. M2P is a 1” 10 bit sensor with 20 mp. A2 sensor is ½“, 8 bit sensor with 12mp, slightly high bit rate @ 120mps. If yr in film making & use yr drone as a dolly then the M2P ability to adjust aperture, iso & shutter speed are a must for close up & dof. If yr a photographer youll most likely want the M2P, if u like flying drones the maybe the A2 is for u.

 

[Fro68]

I'll be selling mine to get the 2S.

 

[Jiggleman]

I sold my M2P before its value dropped in anticipation for the the A2S. I like smaller drones, easier to transport. That was the biggest selling point for me.

 

[Thomas B]

Value dropped...IDTS

 

[DavidBlezard]

I stopped reading at your statement
“I'm pretty sure that I could sell it at very good price and buy the Air 2S Fly More Combo at almost no extra cost.”

my thinking is the MP2 resale value will get pushed down when the MP3 is released. The MA2s value should hold up better when the MP3 is released.

 

[SeriousUndertaking]

M2P to Air2S i cant really see it worth it.
The increased bit rate would be nice but on the other hand the loss of a variable aperture is a massive loss.

 

[God Is Love]

Thank you for your message. Do you think that it's not worth it to upgrade even if I could sell the Mavic 2 Pro and get the Air 2S FMC without spending much money?

I would say stick with the M2Pro. I have both and for sure I rather stick with my M2Pro. I really appreciate the variable aperture of the M2P; the Air 2S have a fixed F2.8 aperture.

 

[Baja170]

I'll be happy when they release the auto white balance. Both my Air 2 and Air 2S have that issue to some extent and since the last update my A2 seems to have gotten a bit more pronunced it seems.