Introduction:
Following the addition of the Mavic Air 2 to DJI's line up, it is likely that some consumers have been left scratching their heads deciding which model is best for their specific needs. With the DJI Mavic Air 2 abandoning the old design and adopting the familiar Mavic form factor (and specifications), it has become a very tempting proposition for regular drone users and photography enthusiasts. The Beyond Visuals team often has some heated discussions about our drone purchase choices, so more for our sake than yours, we've outlined the key specifications of every drone in the Mavic line up, including the now discontinued Mavic Air.
First off, have a look at the spec sheet below to check the numbers, but before you dive in we'd like to point out that whilst numbers are important, they are not the be all and end all in choosing your drone. The key factor is choosing a drone that is suited to your specific needs, whether professional or creative, and one that will deliver you the most value for your choice. It's all very well buying the most expensive drone in the line up, but if it's going to sit in your closet collecting dust, you're not getting bang for your buck.
After you're done with the spec sheet below, scroll down to see our summary of each drone and what we think it's suitable for.
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DJI Mavic Air 2
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DJI Mavic Air
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DJI Mavic Mini
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DJI Mavic 2 Pro
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| Price ($) | $799 | $799 (new) | $399 | $1,599 |
| Max flight time | 34 minutes | 21 minutes | 30 minutes | 31 minutes |
| Camera Sensor | 1/2″ CMOS | 1/2.3” CMOS | 1/2.3″ CMOS | 1″ CMOS |
| Photo modes | 12MP & 48 MP | 12 MP | 12 MP | 20 MP |
| Photo format | JPEG & DNG (RAW) | JPEG & DNG (RAW) | JPEG | JPEG & DNG (RAW) |
| Lens | 24mm, f2.8 | 24mm, f2.8 | 24mm, f2.8 | 24mm, f2.8 |
| FOV | 84 degrees | 85 degrees | 83 degrees | 83 degrees |
| Top video modes | 4K 60 fps | 4K 30fps | 2.7K 30 fps | 4K 30 fps |
| 1080p 240 fps | 2.7K 60fps | 1080p 60 fps | 2.7K 60 fps | |
| 1080p HDR 30 fps | 1080p 120fps | 1080p 120 fps | ||
| Video bitrate | 120 Mbps | 100Mbps | 40 Mbps | 100 Mbps |
| Video format | MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, H.265/HVEC) | MP4/MOV (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC） | MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) | MP4/MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264,H.265/HVEC) |
| Internal storage | 8 GB | 8 GB | N/A | 8 GB |
| Dimensions (unfolded) | 183×253×77 mm (7.2x10x3 inches) |
168×184×64 mm (6.6x7.2x2.5 inches) |
160×202×55 mm (6.3x8x2.2 inches) |
322×242×84 mm (12.7×9.5×3.3 inches) |
| Weight | 570 g (1.3 lb.) | 430g (0.95 lb.) | 249 g (0.5 lb.) | 907 g (2 lb.) |
| Transmission system | OcuSync 2.0 | Enhanced Wi-Fi | Enhanced Wi-Fi | OcuSync 2.0 |
| Max range (w/ controller) | 10 km (6.2 miles) | 4 km (2.5 miles) | 4 km (2.5 miles) | 8 km (5 miles) |
| Battery | 3500 mAh | 2375 mAh | 2400 mAh | 3850 mAh |
| Vision system | Forward, backward & downward | Forward, backward & downward | Downward | Forward, backward, sideward, upward & downward |
| GPS | GPS & GLONASS | GPS & GLONASS | GPS & GLONASS | GPS & GLONASS |
| ADS-B (AirSense) | Yes | No | No | No |
So which one should you buy? Well...if you have deep pockets a combination of the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic Air 2 should be sufficient to cover all your needs. If you have limited resources and can only choose one, we've written out our suggestions below.
Mavic Mini - A smattering of drone footage here and there
You're a photographer/videographer who makes vlogs or short videos. You may own a high-spec DSLR or mirrorless to crank out high-quality footage, but you find that your videos are missing that extra B-roll from new and interesting angles. You're not looking to fly far or reach new heights, you just want some usable video footage to stick in between your daily coffee making shots and Tik Tok dance routines. This drone offers you high portability at the price of specifications - you won't fly far or high, but you'll get something, and that's what counts.
Mavic Air 2 - High performance in a comfortably sized package
Sounds like something a woman would say to her friend when describing her boyfriend's sexual performance. Indeed, the DJI Mavic Air 2 is being touted as the perfect drone, encapsulating great flight specs and photo and video quality in a drone half the weight of a Mavic 2 Pro. However, there are some compromises - despite the Mavic Air 2 touting a 48MP photo resolution, the sensor is half the size, resulting in photos that still don't match up to the images from the Mavic 2 Pro. For this reason the Mavic Air 2 seems to be the perfect travelers drone - if you travel a lot and enjoy taking photos and videos of your voyages, this model will fit nicely in your bag without packing on too much weight, and give you stunning results as well. But before you whip out your wallet and place your order, we should look at why you might want to hold out a little longer on your purchase. For that, we need to discuss the...
Mavic 2 Pro - The Prosumer's choice
How we all love this drone. Yes, it's relatively large and clunky compared to its siblings, but my-oh-my that 1" Hasselblad CMOS sensor really delivers. We've moaned briefly about low-light performance in the past, but it's likely that the Mavic 2 Pro's larger sensor will still deliver compared to the other models. The battery life and range don't match up to the Mavic Air 2, but with the Mavic 3 Pro potentially around the corner, we'll be holding on to our Mavic 2s until its release. That brings me to my main point - everything feature that the Mavic Air 2 has included only serves to make us more excited for the upcoming Mavic 3 Pro release. Extended battery life - check. Better range - check. Improved photo and video specs - check. We now know all of these will be included (because they have to be), so pair that with a larger sensor, Airsense and improved smart flight modes and we're never coming down.
We hope that this article has helped your decision based on your specific needs. As always we welcome questions and feedback, so feel free to get in touch.
The Beyond Visuals Team 