What's the point of buying a Mavic 2 Zoom actually?

[Johnmcl7]

So all the folks that have bought the m2z’s since they came on the market , you all should have waited two years and bought an air 2 instead !.
Then shouldn’t the people that have bought the air 2 should have waited till the air 3 comes out !.
I have read of many , many people that are very happy with their zoom many being professional photographers.
I have also read many reviews that sing the praises of the zoom .
Many professionals have both the m2z and the m2 pro so they can pick which one for which shot while sharing the accessories, batteries, controller etc.

Just recently I received my own m2z , I could have waited for the air 2 but I believe I made the right decision.
I think it’s an awesome drone , I also believe that anyone who tries out the zoom will be of the same opinion it’s an awesome drone and it’s had it two years of sorting out the gremlins , something that every new drone including the air 2 goes thru .

I still think if you've got the money the Mavic 2 series are still great drones, in addition to the physical zoom with the M2Z you also get a controller with its own display which can be useful if you have any problems with your mobile device.

 

[bigswifty]

The Mavic Air 2 is just superior in every way and 450 dollars cheaper no?

Well the M2Z has:

1. Telemetry display on the RC.
2. Controllable gimbal in both x and y axes
3. Waypoint mission planning in Go 4
4. Go in and out of Tripod, P and Sport mode via the RC with a single button

I could probably come up with more if I bothered, but those things alone are worth the extra money to me. I would guess that a huge part of the cheapness of the MA2 is due to the hugely less functional controller.

 

[Dakarenduro]

Hello

While I can see the advantage of having a larger sensor on the Mavic 2 Pro versus the half inch sensor on the new Air, I'm wondering what is the point of buying a Mavic 2 Zoom actually? The Mavic Air 2 is just superior in every way and 450 dollars cheaper no? Do you know if DJI plan to adjust the price of the Zoom?

Thanks

It seems that you have no firsthand experience flying a drone with a zoom feature, is that correct? Once you've flown one you will be better able to answer your own question(s).
I have both. The zoom feature is outstanding for me in the ability to create different perspective in videos. as well if you use it for searching or inspecting work then the zoom is paramount. All depends on what the problem is that you are trying to solve.

 

[John Locke]

For me the zoom is essential, it's my go to craft, among the 4 craft I own. I often take video of animals and value the ability to get a closer view, without getting closer physically. The M2Z is quiet like the MA2, but I can capture closer video of animals that spook when you get too close. I often get comments, wondering how I got so close with a drone. Here's an example. There have been cases that when I'm zoomed in and see things that I would otherwise have missed, triggering me to fly closer and capture things I would have overlooked without zoom. I would have bought the M2P if it supported 60FPS@4K like my P4P, but it doesn't. Since I have two P4P's to support 4K@60FPS, I went with the M2Z to gain the zoom ability, and it's awesome.

Although I don't own one, I like the MA2 for it's size, ideal for long backpacking trips, bike rides, and motorcycle trips. I wouldn't own a craft that uses Wifi (instead of OcuSync) due to limited range, hence the MA2 is a nice craft for those where bulk and weight is important. I think it would be an ideal craft for those situations since it's the lightest and smallest OcuSync DJI drone.

 

[KS-6]

I have ran a commercial / editorial photo biz for nearly 33 years now, aerials have been a part of that for at least 25 years. I own and use a MP2 because of the camera, in fact I was not at all interested in drones until it came along. I can easily afford a complex inspire setup but it is frankly too bulky and heavy to bring to the places I go in the manner in which I go there.

Through processing and professional technique I extract amazing amounts of detail and range out of my Mavic Pro 2 files and shoot only in DNG. But if I had a choice, it would be more like a 35mm FOV lens rather than 28mm. So I am interested in the Mavic 2 Zoom to a degree but I need at least some amount of control. I need to be able to shoot RAW / DNG format and to manually control exposure and white balance. I understand that adjusting the aperture is not an option but if the image quality is decent on the long end, then I am going to be manually stitching out soft corners like I do on the MP2 anyway.

So what is the deal with the zoom, can you shoot in DNG and manually control things like exposure, white balance and focus?? And at 48mm F3.8, how is the lens's image quality? I have seen a couple posts on the lens exceeding a diffraction limit at 3.8 which is kind of false since it is a variable aperture zoom, the aperture is not closing down at all, it is just letting in less light as the lens is zoomed out so the effective aperture is less than when set at 24mm.

 

[Dakarenduro]

I hope someone much more knowledgable than myself comes along to answer specifics about the zoom for you. For me, as an amateur the zoom is outstanding. I can control basics- shutter, focal length, focus, white balance. i shoot in RAW and post edit. The clarity for my purposes is excellent but I am not looking at it through a 33 year professional eye!

 

[Johnmcl7]

I have ran a commercial / editorial photo biz for nearly 33 years now, aerials have been a part of that for at least 25 years. I own and use a MP2 because of the camera, in fact I was not at all interested in drones until it came along. I can easily afford a complex inspire setup but it is frankly too bulky and heavy to bring to the places I go in the manner in which I go there.

Through processing and professional technique I extract amazing amounts of detail and range out of my Mavic Pro 2 files and shoot only in DNG. But if I had a choice, it would be more like a 35mm FOV lens rather than 28mm. So I am interested in the Mavic 2 Zoom to a degree but I need at least some amount of control. I need to be able to shoot RAW / DNG format and to manually control exposure and white balance. I understand that adjusting the aperture is not an option but if the image quality is decent on the long end, then I am going to be manually stitching out soft corners like I do on the MP2 anyway.

So what is the deal with the zoom, can you shoot in DNG and manually control things like exposure, white balance and focus?? And at 48mm F3.8, how is the lens's image quality? I have seen a couple posts on the lens exceeding a diffraction limit at 3.8 which is kind of false since it is a variable aperture zoom, the aperture is not closing down at all, it is just letting in less light as the lens is zoomed out so the effective aperture is less than when set at 24mm.

If you haven't already I'd recommend grabbing a sample DNG file from the Mavic 2 Zoom and have a play with it in your editing software. It does support raw but the smaller 1/2.3in sensor has a lot less latitude to work with compared to the Mavic 2 Pro, I've not used the Zoom myself but did have the Mavic 1 Pro which a similar sized sensor and I found the range of adjustments in the raw file were limited.

 

[KS-6]

If you haven't already I'd recommend grabbing a sample DNG file from the Mavic 2 Zoom and have a play with it in your editing software. It does support raw but the smaller 1/2.3in sensor has a lot less latitude to work with compared to the Mavic 2 Pro, I've not used the Zoom myself but did have the Mavic 1 Pro which a similar sized sensor and I found the range of adjustments in the raw file were limited.

Great point and will do. By chance does the zoom have the ability to allow you to shoot bracketed exposures in manual mode?

 

[pross]

I have a zoom, bought the pro camera now it's a proom

 

[Greekislandlover]

I purchased a Zoom instead of a Pro on the basis that it was cheaper. To be honest, I rarely use the zoom facility. At the time of purchasing it, the DJI lineup was Spark (sold mine to fund Mavic), Mavic Air and Mavic 2. The problem with the spark was lack of sensors, 2 axis gimbal and frankly rubbish connectivity. I wanted a 3 axis gimbal and occusync 2.

So what would I buy today given the current DJI lineup? Hard choice. I am impressed by the Air 2, and if the choice was between a Mavic 2 zoom and the Air 2 I might well go for the cheaper option. It has my main must have's of Occusync 2 and a good 3 axis camera. But my next drone will be the Mavic 3 I think.

 

[TwoLiterSoda]

So all the folks that have bought the m2z’s since they came on the market , you all should have waited two years and bought an air 2 instead !.
Then shouldn’t the people that have bought the air 2 should have waited till the air 3 comes out !.
I have read of many , many people that are very happy with their zoom many being professional photographers.
I have also read many reviews that sing the praises of the zoom .
Many professionals have both the m2z and the m2 pro so they can pick which one for which shot while sharing the accessories, batteries, controller etc.

Just recently I received my own m2z , I could have waited for the air 2 but I believe I made the right decision.
I think it’s an awesome drone , I also believe that anyone who tries out the zoom will be of the same opinion it’s an awesome drone and it’s had it two years of sorting out the gremlins , something that every new drone including the air 2 goes thru .

I bought a m2z at release and picked up a ma2 last week. Love them both and while similar there are enough differences to have/use both. One isn’t better than the other, they just excel at different things.

 

[fire-fly]

You can’t use goggles with the Mavic Air 2.

 

[bonzo]

For me I like the zoom because:
1. DJI Smart Controller compatibility now.
2. Urban range distance is farther due to higher altitude and zoom in.
3. Waypoints.
4. DJI Go4.
5. Less post work.
6. Longer battery life in windy conditions.
7. Land in tight places from higher altitudes using 4x zoom.
8. As stated, film subjects higher up with less noise.

 

[Imnotsure_YT]

Zoom has 2x optical zoom, however the price is the same to the Autel evo II, which has 8x optical zoom... So you’re right there is no point.

 

[pross]

Zoom has 2x optical zoom, however the price is the same to the Autel evo II, which has 8x optical zoom... So you’re right there is no point.

I thought the evo2 had 4x lossless zoom via cropping then a further 4x digital zoom, there is no optical zoom like the m2 zoom has by moving the actual lens in/out mechanically.

 

[Imnotsure_YT]

I thought the evo2 had 4x lossless zoom via cropping then a further 4x digital zoom, there is no optical zoom like the m2 zoom has by moving the actual lens in/out mechanically.

visit autel’s website it has 4x lossless zoom in camera and 8x zoom in camera overall. One advantage for the zoom is autofocus, but evo 2 does that well too.

 

[pross]

It says on their website 8x overall with 4x being lossless .. which will be cropping and 4x is presumably digital

Image 2020-05-26 at 7.30.40 pm

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a.cl.ly

 

[Imnotsure_YT]

Well if you think about it there can be infinite zoom if it was cropping.

 

[pross]

It is cropping though, there is no lens moving in and out. You can only crop so much

 

[Imnotsure_YT]

You’re right. The autel evo 2 has 4x in camera zoom.