There was not much to know about the Mavic 2 pro, or rather the “Mavic 2” as DJI has dubbed it. Nevertheless, this last piece of technology from DJI is already out and its specs can make you salivate. Obviously, if you just want to purchase it, or read the specs directly on Dji’s web site, then just click here.
20 MP camera
The Mavic 2 Pro has a Hasselblad camera and as expected with the size of 1″, the camera sports a whooping 20 MP to boot. Of course, as previously mentioned, this is bound to annoy all those who purchased a Phantom 4 Pro. The Mavic 2 will provide better technology in a more compact format.
The new feature is the apparition of “HDR video”, which seems that they will apply the multiple exposure concept of HDR to video (how?).
Comparatively, the Mavic 2 Zoom will remain stuck with the 12 MP camera, although it gains a capacity to create composite images corresponding to about 48 MP.
Variable aperture
As anyone who works with the Mavic Pro knows, the current Mavic Pro has a fixed aperture, which is very annoying in bright sunlight and seems to force the use of ND filters.
The Mavic 2 Pro will have a variable aperture from f/2.8 to f/11. I would have preferred seeing f/22, but I guess you can ask only so much…
Oh yeah, now they also have a downward facing light to enable landing in low light. While it seems the drone is very much geared towards dusk or sunset operations, it is worth remembering that in many countries, operating a drone after sunset is illegal.
Onboard memory
As anybody who uses sd cards knows, these may be quickly overloaded with some 4K videos. The Mavic 2 offers a temporary fix under the form of 8 GB of onboard storage.
Hyperlapse
So, hyperlapse is a sort of timelapse, but shot while moving (instagrammers know about this). The point is that, until now, many Mavic Pilots used third-party apps such as Litchi to be able to program their Mavic along a preset route. Dji now integrates this function on the Mavic 2 Pro.
What is the image quality?
For sure, the images look a notch better than the habitually washed out tones of the Mavic Pro, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed. With all the post-production efforts put into promotional pictures, the samples Dji shows us on their web site show again a certain lack of dynamic range.
In short, it is probably a significant jump from the Mavic Pro, but it is not yet at the level of offering the same depth of colors as even an older camera as the Nikon D750. For more details on other aspects of the drone, you may check Endgadget.
Conclusion: a nice to have, not a must have
While the bigger sensor and the Hasselblad camera are certainly winners, I am not sure the new drone is necessarily something to have, unless, obviously, you are making a profession out of piloting drones. In that latter case, obviously, the Mavic 2 Pro should be the ideal drone, compact, yet with a high and versatile camera. I won’t even say a word of the Zoom version, as the optical zoom, to me, is just a gadget that does not justify in any way purchasing a new drone (especially as the camera remains at its current 12 MP).
So, if you want to buy it, I am sure you can enjoy it, as long as you keep flying safely. If you already have a drone, think hard and long about it and whether the expense is justified. Its retail price will be of $1449 for the Mavic 2 Pro and of $1249 for the Mavic Zoom (price being another argument to switch to the Mavic 2 Pro, or even grab a Mavic Pro if they are discounted).