Non-flashy flagship takes on the very best Long-term test DJI Mavic Air 2

TWO WEEKS WITH THE DJI MAVIC AIR 2

Air 2 the throne

With the promise of pro - grade video, ultra-crisp photos and a non-intimidating flying experience, Stuff finds out if DJI has made the perfect compact drone

from R18 800 / dji.com Unboxing time… and we re struggling to get our head s around how DJI’s engineers have crammed so many exciting new features into something only a bit larger than the device it replaces – our favourite little mid-range drone, the Mavic Air .

At just 570g, the Mavic Air 2 still fits in the palm of a biggish hand, but DJI has seen fit to build on the basic platform of a simple entry - level drone and throw in a heap of pro-grade features. So those dipping a tentative toe into the waters of aerial photography or videography no longer have to put up with mediocre content.

With that in mind, you can think of this drone as a Mavic 2 Pro on a diet. Its external dimensions look as if they ’ve been following a Zoom workout for several months and its overall heft is almost half that of its Pro big brother. A new ergonomically

The Air 2 can withstand winds of up to 5 (‘fresh breeze’) on the

Beaufort Scale. designed controller, new motors and improved battery life – plus loads of advanced flying tech, onboard obstacle avoidance systems and built-in video modes – ensure there ’s a lot to keep drone fans busy ; but it’s simply packaged so as not to overwhelm newcomers .

First things first, though: it’s time to charge everything. That fancy new controller requires plugging in via a USB-C cable (it runs for four hours when fully charged), while the Fly More Combo we’re testing (R23 300 ) features two additional Intelligent Flight Batteries and a clever three-battery charging unit that plugs into the wall. It takes a while to juice everything up, leaving plenty of time to digest the myriad YouTube tutorials that DJI offers in lieu of a handbook.

DJI’s updated Fly app will guide you through the setup process, but it pays to watch some of the instructional videos first. Mother Nature seems bent on blowing a gale tomorrow, so we’re going to find our air-legs by launching (with permission) the Mavic Air 2 in an abandoned car park. Bedtime viewing complete, an alarm is set for first light to embark on our maiden flight.

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LONG-TERM TEST

Donut of Truth ™

01 A tiny drone but crammed with features 02 QuickShot modes make it easy to bag cool footage 03 Blends pro features with novice-friendly flying modes 04 Stable in flight and good at obstacle-dodging 05 Sensor can’t match the best for image quality 06 Drones above 250g get additional regulation red tape

Tech specs

Sensor 1/2in Photos 48MP Video 4K @ 60fps Battery life 34 minutes Max speed (Sport mode) 68km/h Dimensions (folded) 180x97x84mm, 570g

DAY 02

After checking for flight restrictions, take-off is merely a case of holding a button on a smartphone, which now docks at the top of the controller for easier glances between phone and drone. The powerful new motors and revised blades are surprisingly quiet and the drone remains brilliantly stable despite the gusty wind .

The updated o bstacle a voidance system uses advanced depth perception to carve out alternative route s . We don’t boast the cojones to fly a near-R20 000 drone directly at a building, but it does a great job of man o euvring over rooftops when it detects that we might have missed something.

DAY 04

Despite the uninspiring scenery of the first flight, the results are quite dramatic. The new 1/2in sensor and 48MP resolution produce very sharp imagery, although it pays to play with the manual shutter speed and ISO settings. T he ability to shoot in RAW format gives plenty of post-production options , while the DJI Fly app allows for fast image filters, movie edits and social media uploads.

Today’s outing requires heading to a nearby forest. The obstacle avoidance systems come in handy here –never trust a tree –and it’s possible to get some stunning shots without worrying about crashing. That said, the short landing arms can make getting the bird back to earth quite tricky, and an even surface is required.

DAY 08

A generous battery life of 34 minutes is a boon, because it’s easy to get carried away with so many features –like OcuSync 2.0 for 1080p/30fps video transmission from up to 10km away. So far, the only hiccups have been the controller losing its connection in that forest and the live video feed being too slow to catch up when adjusting the gimbal. Otherwise this setup inspires plenty of confidence, with the return - to -home function reliably bringing the drone back to its take-off spot.

DAY 14

Even two weeks in, the Mavic Air 2 keeps throw ing up surprises. The numerous flypath shooting modes are easy to use and offer a simple way to capture cool shots. What starts off as a bit of fun can soon escalate into a serious bout of artistic content creation.