DJI makes arguably the best drones in the market and has become a go-to for a lot of creators. The company has different drone series including Mavic Air, Mavic Pro, and Mavic Mini to choose from. Now, the company has updated its popular Mavic Air 2 with a 1-inch sensor and a new name — DJI Air 2S. This all-new drone packs an impressive image sensor, range, and object tracking/sensing technology making it one of the easiest to recommend for anyone who’s looking to upgrade their existing drone or planning to get a new one.
The Air 2S is capable of capturing 20 MP photos and can record videos at 5.4K resolution. But, it’s worth noting that the frame rates are capped at 30 FPS while you are recording at 5.4K resolution. For you want 60 FPS smoothness, you can record in 4K. As for the dimensions, there are not a lot of differences from the Mavic Air 2. The drone measures 180 x 97 x 80mm folded down, but it is the most compact drone to feature a camera with a 1-inch sensor. Talking about that camera, it is housed on a 3-axis gimbal and stabilized by RockSteady EIS and it has a 22mm fixed aperture lens with F/2.8 aperture and an 88-degree field of view. As one would expect, the drone is capable of shooting still shots, timed photos, AEB in 3 and 5 brackets, and panoramas.
Shooting Modes
- Spotlight 2.0: The user can frame to select the subject and the drone will control the gimbal to track the subject, keeping it in the center of the frame while recording. The only task here for the user is to control the drone making the camera movement a lot easier and results in pulling off that epic shot.
- Active Track 4.0: Using the feature, the user can frame to select the subject and the drone automatically controls the gimbal and flies autonomously to track the subject from a safe distance. This is possible because of the much-optimized obstacle avoidance algorithm and wider sensing range.
- MasterShots: Once this feature is triggered, the drone will autonomously plan a flight path and will choose from three different image capture models including Proximity, Portrait, and Landscape, and starts recording classic aerial footage. Users can also choose different themes and the DJI Fly app will generate a unique video.
- Point of Interest 3.0: This is not totally a new feature or a much-enhanced one as well. Using the feature, the drone can track the subject in a circle based on the radius and flying speed that is preset.
QuickShots
This feature is mostly for beginners. Using this feature, the user can get usable footage with pre-programmed moves. But, do note that the resolution drops to Full-HD from 5.4Kor 4K resolution. The several modes in QuickShots include Dronie, Rocket, Circle, Helix, and Boomerang. If a user selects Dronie mode, the drone will fly backward and ascends with the camera locked on the subject. As for Rocket mode, the drone ascends with the camera pointing downwards. As the name itself suggests, using the circle mode results in the drone circling around the subject. Helix mode will result in the drone ascend and spiral around the subject.
Advanced Safety and AirSense
DJI claims that the APAS 4.0 is the most advanced autopilot system on the company portfolio of drones. It maneuvers around objects autonomously with O3 and OcuSync delivering a stable feed at a maximum distance of 12km. As for the AirSense system, it wars drone pilots of nearby airplanes and helicopters transmitting ADS-B signals so that the drone can be quickly moved. OAs with other drones a safety feature including an improved Return-To-Home (RTH) feature, which brings a drone back to its launch point if it loses contact with the controller or reaches a critically low battery level.
DJI Air 2S: Pricing
The DJI Air 2S is available for purchase in two configurations. The standard combo retails for $999 and includes the drone, remote controller, one battery, and all the cables/parts. The Fly More Combo retails for $1299 and includes the drone, remote controller, three batteries, ND Filters kit (4,8,16, and 32 stop), charging hub, cables/parts, and shoulder bag.
