With the discharge of the DJI Air 3, folks have much more choices for his or her first drone or a further one.
DJI has older drone fashions, that are nonetheless very succesful, and one that’s nonetheless a favourite some years later is the DJI Mavic 2 Professional.
So, how does the Air 3 maintain as much as an older mannequin just like the Mavic 2 Professional?
In the event you crave the most recent technological developments, superior flight options, and prolonged capabilities, the DJI Air 3 is the clear alternative. Nonetheless, should you’re knowledgeable prioritizing distinctive picture high quality and reliability, the Mavic 2 Professional continues to carry its floor.
High Drone Programs
Hold studying to be taught whether or not to get or preserve the older mannequin, purchase the newer one, and different alternate options you may also take into account.
DJI Air 3 overview
As talked about, the Air 3 is the latest shopper drone from DJI, and it’s getting fairly common.
Whereas a few of the applied sciences it makes use of are recycled from older drones, it comes with new applied sciences that aren’t in different fashions.
Among the options that make this drone highly regarded embrace:
- Twin digital camera system – First seen within the DJI Mavic 3, the Air 3 options two cameras providing completely different apertures and fields of view, permitting customers to get footage from twin views in a single take. One of many cameras is an f1.7 wide-angle, 24mm equal, and the opposite is a 70m equal f2.8 3X medium tele digital camera. Each function a 1/1.3 CMOS sensor.
- 360-degree impediment avoidance – The Air 3 options 360-degree impediment avoidance and a extra superior APAS system that ensures a easy flight even because the drone dodges obstacles. These sensors are energetic in all modes aside from Sport Mode.
- Longer flight time – Whereas most DJI drones are identified for lasting about half-hour, DJI has just lately launched drones with greater than 40 minutes of flight time. The Air 3 is marketed to final 46 minutes in flight, which is ample for many purposes.
- Clever Flight Modes – The Air 3 options clever modes like Hyperlapses, ActiveTrack, Panoramas, QuickShots, MasterShots, Waypoints, Cruise Management, and Night time Mode. Many of those modes are upgraded, which means they carry out higher and provide you with extra choices than older drones.
- Vary – The Air 3 comes with the OcuSync 4.0 transmission system that provides a spread of as much as 12 miles. That is the latest DJI transmission system we’ve got not seen in different drones but.
- Vertical taking pictures – The Air 3 means that you can file movies in portrait mode for social media content material. Nonetheless, this function is enabled by routinely cropping the footage, and it’s solely obtainable for movies and is proscribed to 2.7K decision.
- Most decision – The Air 3 can shoot movies as much as 4K at 100 fps and take stills in 12 and 48 MP, making it nice for private or business content material creation. It additionally helps 10-bit D-Log M and HLG, supplying you with a lot room for enhancing.
✅ Professionals
- Twin digital camera system with versatile taking pictures choices
- 360-degree impediment avoidance for enhanced security
- Longer flight time in comparison with older fashions
- Improved and upgraded flight modes
- Longer vary with OcuSync 4.0 transmission
- Vertical taking pictures for social media content material
- Excessive-resolution video capabilities and a number of nonetheless picture choices
- Help for superior coloration grading
❌ Cons
- Some customers might discover the Quad Bayer know-how for stills difficult to make use of
- Requires extra equipment like ND filters for optimum flexibility in sure conditions resulting from fastened aperture
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Assessment – Is This the Drone for You?
DJI Mavic 2 Professional overview
DJI Mavic 2 Professional with Good Controller
Drone Quadcopter UAV with Good Controller with Hasselblad Digital camera 3-Axis Gimbal HDR 4K Video Adjustable Aperture 20MP 1″ CMOS Sensor, as much as 48mph, Grey
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09/26/2023 01:31 pm GMT
Launched in August 2018, the DJI Mavic 2 Professional is 5 years older than the Air 3.
Nonetheless, it got here with a variety of options that made it the very best moveable drone on the time, and it’s nonetheless used for pictures, videography, and photogrammetry for surveying initiatives.
These options embrace:
- One-inch sensor – One function that makes the Mavic 2 Professional nonetheless stand out over time is the 1-inch sensor co-engineered by Hasselblad, a Swedish firm that DJI now owns. Hasselblad sensors are identified within the drone business for his or her superior picture high quality. The Mavic 2 Professional can take 20 MP stills with this sensor and shoot as much as 4K at 30 fps.
- Respectable flight time – The Mavic 2 Professional comes with a 31-minute flight time, which is lengthy sufficient to file footage or gather photos for photogrammetry. With a number of batteries, you’ll not have to fret about flight time.
- Variable aperture – The Mavic 2 Professional is without doubt one of the few DJI drones with an adjustable aperture starting from f2.8 to f11. Whilst you can at all times get ND filters for some photographs, an adjustable aperture offers you extra flexibility in adjusting the quantity of sunshine that will get to the lens.
- Colour profiles – The Mavic 2 Professional helps HLG and D-Log M, providing larger coloration depth.
- OcuSync 2.0 – This drone options OcuSync 2.0, which permits a spread of as much as 6 miles, lengthy sufficient for many duties.
- Enhanced Clever Flight Modes – It contains a wide range of Clever Flight Modes, resembling ActiveTrack 2.0 for topic monitoring, Hyperlapse for creating time-lapse movies, and Waypoints 2.0 for exact flight path planning.
- Two taking pictures angles – This drone additionally comes with two angles: a wide-angle view equal to a 24MM lens and an HQ (high-quality) angle equal to 40mm. The power to modify between these two angles on the Mavic 2 Professional opens up a world of inventive alternatives for photographers and videographers.
- Impediment avoidance – This drone has 360-degree impediment sensors. Nonetheless, the entrance, again, upward, and downward sensors are energetic for regular or handbook flight, whereas the aspect sensors are solely energetic throughout ActiveTrack and Tripod modes.
✅ Professionals
- Excessive-quality 1-inch sensor co-engineered by Hasselblad for glorious picture high quality
- Respectable flight time appropriate for numerous purposes
- Adjustable aperture for exact management over publicity
- Help for superior coloration profiles
- Two taking pictures angles for inventive flexibility
- Efficient impediment avoidance for regular and handbook flight
❌ Cons
- Heavier than the DJI Air 3, doubtlessly requiring extra regulatory compliance
- Restricted availability resulting from being changed by newer fashions
- There is no such thing as a assist for the most recent DJI controllers, making it much less ergonomic for some customers
- Restricted to 4K at 30 fps for video recording, much less appropriate for high-speed or slow-motion photographs
» MORE: DJI Mavic 2 Professional Assessment
DJI Air 3 vs. DJI Mavic 2 Professional – The comparability
Beneath is an in depth comparability of how these drones carry out in numerous facets.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Alternative)
Weight and design
Whereas these drones are 5 years aside, they give the impression of being comparable.
The Mavic Air 2 Professional got here at a time when DJI was transferring away from cumbersome drones just like the Phantoms to extra moveable and foldable drones, they usually have used this design even of their most up-to-date releases just like the Air 3 or the Mavic 3 Professional.
The Mavic 2 Professional is heavier, weighing 907 grams in comparison with the Air 3’s 720 grams.
As such, each drones will want registration with the FAA, and in case you are within the UK, the Air 3 falls beneath the C1 class, whereas the Mavic 2 Professional falls beneath the C2 class.
This implies flying the Air 3 in most locations might be simpler than the Mavic 2 Professional.
» MORE: Greatest 4K Drones Beneath 250 Grams
Worth and availability
The Mavic 2 Professional is now not in manufacturing and has since been changed by the Mavic 3 drones.
Consequently, it’s attainable to get it for lower than $1,000 with one battery, as much as $1,200 for the Fly Extra Combo, and as much as $1,599 with the Good Controller.
When it was first launched, the Mavic 2 Professional retailed between $1,300 and $1,500 for the drone and one battery and as much as $1,700 for the Fly Extra Combo.
The DJI Air 3 begins at $1,099 for the usual package deal with the DJI RC-N2 controller, $1,349 with the DJI RC 2 controller, and $1,549 for the Fly Extra Combo, together with the DJI RC 2 controller.
Because the Air 3 is a latest launch, getting it on most platforms is simple. You might have to purchase the Mavic 2 Professional from resellers, which can not at all times be mint high quality.
Except you get a substantial low cost on the Mavic 2 Professional, there’s a slight distinction between these drones’ costs, with the Mavic 2 Professional typically costly should you go for a brand new one.
» MORE: Greatest and Most cost-effective Drones with Digital camera
Pictures and video recording
Beneath are the primary variations between these two drones’ cameras.
» MORE: Greatest Reasonably priced Drones for Pictures
Sensor dimension
Whereas the Mavic 2 Professional was launched nearly 5 years in the past, its digital camera options are in some respects superior to the Air 3.
The Mavic 2 Professional includes a bigger sensor, which, on paper, is meant to carry out higher in low-light circumstances.
However due to the developments in imaging know-how, the sensor dimension shouldn’t be a deal breaker because it’s now attainable to get glorious footage from a smaller sensor.
Variable aperture
One space that the Mavic 2 Professional is fingers down the higher drone is the variable aperture, which supplies you an intensive vary to work with.
The Air 3 tries to compensate for this with two cameras, every with completely different apertures, but it surely solely offers you two choices of aperture. To get extra flexibility, you’ll want to make use of ND filters.
» MORE: Greatest DJI Alternate options – What Drones Are Higher Than DJI?
Twin digital camera system
Talking of two cameras, the Air 3 affords a handy approach to take the identical shot from two views, so you possibly can select one throughout enhancing or mix them.
Nonetheless, whereas the Mavic 2 Professional doesn’t have two cameras, it has two views you possibly can change between. One is the 24MM extensive angle, and the opposite is the 40MM HQ view.
You’ll be able to obtain nearly the identical flexibility as you’ll from a dual-camera system.
Most decision
However, the Air 3 can movie at 4K at 100fps, which works nice once you want high-resolution slow-motion movies.
The Mavic 2 Professional stops at 4K at 30fps, which is sufficient for many photographs, however for sluggish movement, you’ll have to shoot at 2.7K.
Each drones additionally assist D-Log M and HLG, so you should have many coloration choices to mess around with, no matter your chosen drone.
How about nonetheless imagery? You will get 20 MP stills from the Mavic 2 Professional, which is sweet sufficient. The Air 3 means that you can take 12 and 48-MP stills.
Nonetheless, the 48 MP high quality of the Air 3 is enabled by Quad Bayer know-how.
Which means it’s primarily a 12-MP sensor, however the pixel clustering makes it attainable to realize 48 MP.
Some customers have points with the Quad Bayer-enabled decision, claiming it has noise or unpredictable outcomes.
DJI has been refining this function, so it’s possible you’ll get higher outcomes with the Air 3, however you might have to do that manually and evaluate it with a real 20-MP digital camera from the Mavic 2 Professional.
» MORE: Greatest 4k Video Drones Beneath $500
Vertical taking pictures mode
The vertical taking pictures mode is a wonderful addition for content material creators who wish to shoot and publish content material with out a lot cropping.
It solely seems within the Air 3, the place the digital camera is designed to routinely crop the footage to a decrease decision (2.7K).
However should you’ve obtained the time, you should use both of those drones and manually crop it.
Flight options
So, which of those two drones offers you a greater flying expertise and peace of thoughts when flying? Let’s discover out.
- Impediment avoidance – Each drones function impediment avoidance, however the Air 3 has the higher hand. For starters, it options 360-degree impediment avoidance, which is completely energetic. This function can also be extra superior, providing a smoother flight when utilizing clever modes. As talked about earlier, 360-degree impediment sensing is barely energetic in ActiveTrack and Tripod modes, so you will need to at all times watch out in handbook flight.
- Wind resistance – Each drones are good at dealing with robust winds. The Air 3 is marketed to deal with winds of as much as 26 MPH, and a check of this drone in opposition to a leaf blower confirmed the Air 3 held its place nicely. The Mavic 2 Professional can deal with wind gusts of as much as 40 MPH, but it surely has to modify off the sensors to realize a prime velocity and preserve alerting the excessive wind velocity.
- Flight time – The Air 3 includes a extra superior battery that provides a flight time of 40 to 46 minutes, which is sort of lengthy. The Mavic 2 Professional is from an older era of drones that maxed at half-hour of flight time, which might not be so long as the Air 3, but it surely was sufficient then and remains to be sufficient now for many actions. There’s at all times the choice of getting extra batteries.
» MORE: How Does Climate Have an effect on Drones? (Defined for Rookies)
Clever Flight Modes
As evident in latest drone releases, DJI has been engaged on its flight modes. The Air 3 and the Mavic 2 Professional function common Clever Flight Modes like ActiveTrack, QuickShots, and Hyperlapses.
Nonetheless, the Air 3 options the most recent variations which can be improved in comparison with the older ones within the Mavic 2 Professional.
Beneath are the variations between these two drones when wanting on the Clever Flight Modes.
ActiveTrack
The Air 3 options the most recent ActiveTrack 5.0 in comparison with the Mavic 2 Professional’s ActiveTrack 2.0. That’s a distinction of three generations.
As anticipated, ActiveTrack 5.0 offers a extra fluid flight expertise, smoother video, and eight completely different instructions to trace the topic.
ActiveTrack 2.0 was good when launched, however you’re restricted in monitoring the topic in three other ways. The Level of Curiosity and Highlight options are additionally upgraded.
» MORE: Observe Me and ActiveTrack on DJI Drones (Defined for Rookies)
Cruise management
Cruise management is a function that first appeared on the Air drones however has been round because the Mavic 3 drones.
This function permits the drone to maintain flying at a relentless velocity as you employ the gimbal and works nice for some photographs or when that you must get to a selected location.
Whereas it sounds new, this function is accessible within the Mavic 2 Professional however beneath a unique title: TapFly.
With TapFly, you possibly can let the drone fly at a relentless velocity ahead, in reverse, or change to Free, the place you may have extra management over the drone.
Night time mode
This function is designed to make it simpler to take evening images by routinely adjusting the ISO and noise.
The Mavic 2 Professional festivals nicely for nighttime cinematography due to the bigger sensor that lets extra mild in and the HyperLight function, an replace that works equally to the Night time Mode within the Air 3.
This video exhibits a comparability between the Air 3 and the Mavic 3 for evening photographs, whereas this video exhibits a comparability between the Mavic 2 Professional and the Mavic 3.
Whereas there are some variations, these comparisons present that the Mavic 2 Professional and the Air 3 are ok when taking pictures nighttime footage for social media content material or some other kind of content material.
» MORE: Drone Night time Flight: The best way to Safely and Legally Fly a Drone at Night time
Waypoints
Each drones have the Waypoints function that allows you to preplan the flight, telling the drone what to do at every level.
That is the primary time Waypoints appeared on an Air drone, as most individuals have needed to depend on apps like Litchi when utilizing drones just like the Air 2S, however the Mavic 2 Professional has had this function for some time.
Waypoints come in useful when that you must replicate a sure shot at completely different occasions or movie your self partaking in your favourite exercise with out having to maintain wanting on the controller.
Since each drones have this function, it’s a matter of which footage you want most from the 2.
» MORE: DJI Waypoints (Defined for Rookies)
Vary and transmission
Once more, the distinction in when these drones have been launched exhibits within the vary you will get.
The Mavic 2 Professional comes with the OcuSync 2.0, which affords a spread of as much as six miles, whereas the Air 3 comes with the most recent OcuSync 4.0, which guarantees a spread of as much as 12 miles.
The Air 3 has the higher hand right here.
The brand new OcuSync system has extra antennas, performs higher in areas with interference, and transmits a higher-quality stay feed than the Mavic 2 Professional.
It exhibits how DJI’s transmission system has modified over time.
I just lately needed to fly the Mavic 2 Professional for a long-range flight after one among our enterprise drones was broken.
I saved dropping the sign for flights longer than two kilometers, which was fairly irritating, having gotten used to stronger transmissions.
You would need to fly very far to expertise such with the Air 3, and even for short-range flights, the Air 3 might be method higher.
» MORE: Lengthy Vary Drones: Final Information
Controller design and compatibility
Controller ergonomics is another excuse to decide on one drone over the opposite. The Mavic 2 Professional includes a completely different controller from what you might have seen within the drones launched just lately.
It’s smaller, and the smartphone goes on the backside, not the highest.
In comparison with the RC-N1 that comes with the Air 2S, Mini, and Mavic 3 drones, the Mavic 2 Professional’s controller is sort of uncomfortable.
Fortunately, you don’t have to make use of it for the drones launched after the Mavic 2 Professional.
DJI later made the Mavic 2 Professional suitable with the Good Controller that got here with a built-in display and was extra comfy to make use of.
Nonetheless, this Good Controller has since been changed by the DJI RC and the DJI RC 2, and the Mavic 2 Professional is incompatible.
However, the Air 3 comes with the RC-N2, an improve from the RC-N1, and the DJI RC 2, an improve from the DJI RC.
In the event you don’t thoughts utilizing your smartphone because the display, you possibly can go for the RC-N2, however if you wish to eradicate the trouble of connecting your smartphone each time you wish to fly, the DJI RC 2 is a better option.
Sadly, these new controllers will not be suitable with some other drone but, however they may work with future drones that will include the O4 system.
Moreover wanting on the ergonomics, will probably be a query of whether or not to go together with outdated or the most recent controllers.
» MORE: Greatest Drone Controllers
DJI Air 3 vs. the DJI Mavic 2 Professional – Which do you have to select?
Each drones are severe contenders. Regardless of the large generational hole, each outcomes will not be considerably completely different.
I’ve come throughout individuals who have upgraded to the most recent drone fashions, and I additionally know {of professional} photographers and videographers who won’t let go of their Mavic 2 Professional.
Both of those drones is best for you, relying in your wishes.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 vs. Air 2S vs. Mini 3 Professional: Which One is Proper for You?
Why select the DJI Air 3?
The Air 3 is a standout alternative for many who worth cutting-edge know-how and the newest improvements in drone know-how.
With its twin digital camera system, prolonged flight time, enhanced impediment avoidance, and clever modes, it’s clear that DJI has pushed the boundaries of what a shopper drone can do.
In the event you’re a content material creator trying to seize dynamic photographs from a number of angles in a single take, the twin digital camera system of the Air 3 offers unmatched flexibility.
The 360-degree impediment avoidance and superior APAS system supply peace of thoughts throughout flights, even in complicated environments.
The longer flight time and prolonged vary make it a flexible software for numerous purposes, from cinematography to surveying.
Moreover, the Air 3’s assist for high-resolution video (4K at 100 fps), a number of nonetheless picture choices (12 MP and 48 MP), and superior coloration profiles (10-bit D-Log M and HLG) make it a robust contender for these searching for the very best high quality content material creation.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Rookies Information (Step-by-Step Information)
Why select the Mavic 2 Professional?
Regardless of being an older mannequin, the Mavic 2 Professional nonetheless shines in sure facets, making it a compelling alternative.
Its superior Hasselblad digital camera with a 1-inch sensor and adjustable aperture affords distinctive picture high quality, particularly in low-light circumstances.
The confirmed reliability of the Mavic 2 Professional and its in depth clever modes make it a wonderful software for skilled photographers and videographers.
In the event you prioritize picture high quality above all else and require the flexibleness of adjusting the aperture for various lighting conditions, the Mavic 2 Professional stays a prime contender.
Its dependable efficiency, high quality coloration profiles, and impediment avoidance system guarantee a secure and productive flying expertise.
Nonetheless, do not forget that the Mavic 3 sequence drones have changed the Mavic 2 Professional, and it’s now not in manufacturing.
In the event you preferred the Air 3 however the smaller sensor or lack of variable aperture is a deal breaker to you, take into account testing the Mavic 3 Traditional, which has an excellent greater sensor and all of the options you get within the Air 3 aside from the vertical taking pictures mode, however you additionally get to shoot in 5.1K.
» MORE: Greatest Digital camera Drones Beneath $2,000
DJI Air 3 vs. Mavic 2 Professional – My alternative
Whereas the Mavic 2 Professional holds its floor in a number of facets, I’d not go for it. The app it makes use of, the controllers, and a few options have been upgraded.
I like to recommend the Air 3 because it affords extra superior options like upgraded clever modes, longer flight time, and total higher efficiency.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 vs. Air 2S (Right here’s My Alternative)
Greatest SD playing cards for these drones
After getting settled on the drone that can fit your wants, beneath are some suitable SD playing cards you possibly can order to begin taking pictures footage as quickly as your drone arrives.
Greatest SD playing cards for the DJI Air 3
» MORE: Greatest SD Playing cards for DJI Air 3
Greatest SD playing cards for the DJI Mavic 2 Professional
TIP: The Mavic 2 Professional has a most SD card dimension of 128 GB, whereas drones just like the Air 3 have a most SD card dimension of 256 GB. Bear that in thoughts when buying. Getting two SD playing cards can also be advisable to make sure you don’t at all times lose all of your footage if one thing occurs to your drone.
» MORE: The best way to Format SD Playing cards in DJI Drones (Fast Steps with Photographs)
