Thanks Tony for staying independent. From my observation as a person that started getting into drones for enthusiastic purpose I'd say that Fly More Combo is actually a good deal. I don't feel confident enough, so most likely I'll smash some propellers and extra battery helped me to learn how to fly. I think you might be talking only from the professional point of view as a person with hundreds of hours in fly. And the bag is pretty handy also. I would not dismiss that option.
I totally agree with ppBIzU here. The Mavic Mini Fly more combo is a wonderful beginner's drone package especially at $500. You'll learn the controls, some FAA guide lines and aerial photography without breaking the bank. I have no complaints with my Mavic Mini and I highly recommend it for entry level droning.
@@begelson4387 I had phantom 4 , mavic air after I bought mavic mini and have to give it back after 2 days of flying, contrast points shadows poor video quality and strong wind warning. Is better get used mavic air. is a big jump for about 150 dollars more Now I'm in with mavic air 2 and I good, but nothing is perfect. Small sensor those not help with video at night.
I have a Mavic Air 2 (along with a Mini, Mavic, and Mavic 2 Pro). I love it. I ordered two just to because I needed one quickly (one was back-ordered, bought a second one, the back-ordered one shipped the next day, ended up with both)...still haven't opened the second one, nor sent it back, but I am thinking about keeping it as a back-up. It's that good of a drone.
i just took mine for the first flight today. I upgraded from a DJI spark. man its crazy how fast it can go in normal and sport mode. such an awesome drone.
I have an Air 2 as well and I too have accidentally popped out the micro SD card whild handling it. It seems if you hold it moderately hard one of your fingers are usually over the cover for the card and it pushes on the cover popping out the card. Kind of annoying but something I've learned to be aware of now.
Thank you for your review, I had previously a DJI Mini and yes you're right, it gets really unstable on higher winds. Recently I bought a DJI Air 2 and loved every second. I found the flight control different than Mavic Mini (more sharper), love the flight range and camera it is pretty good. Sadly I lost it in the water due to pilot error (lesson learned not to rush and pay attention), but i have another one coming. On tracking mode, I dare say is more developed to follow from a bigger distance and altitude, not on really close follow ups
Hey Tony and Chelsea. I used to watch your videos years ago when I was starting to do more portrait and beauty work and really enjoyed and appreciated your videos. Family, day job and life pulled me in a different direction but this new interest in drones brought you back into my life. Thank you for your brutally honest review and advice. I was planning on buying the fly more combo because I felt I needed the extra batteries and ND filters but I think you changed my mind. Instead I’ll just buy the drone and some higher grade filters. Loved the barn shot and lighthouse video. Thanks for showing the artifacts in the digital images. And your title that every photographer needs this drone will be used when I justify this to my wife.
I knew you'd hook me up Tony! I think the Mavic Air 2 is SUPER, for a few reasons. #1 is Ocusync 2.0. The entire transmission system feels INFINITELY more reliable that my original Mavic Air. #2 it can handle WIND, which where I live in Southern California is an absolute MUST! The 48Mp stills and 1080 slow motion are INCREDIBLE tools for me! I don't use 4K that much, but I'm sure if I did, that would be a game changer. #3 the battery life is OUTSTANDING! I did get the fly more combo, but I've never used all 3 batteries in 1 session. I think of the spare batteries like an ICBM, I just sleep better knowing I've got them. #4 the LED landing light is SUPER if you shoot at dusk or even sunrise, because it helps the drone get the best visualization of the launch and landing location (I always use a landing pad whenever possible). Also, helpful is keeping track of your drone if clouds come in or you end up flying later than expected. I hope there will be some serious firmware updates on some of the features they left out from the Go4 app, but otherwise, I LOVE this drone! Thanks for putting this together and for the honest review!
As a brand new drone pilot I bought the Mavic Mini having seen some of the footage the camera creates. I did my due diligence and purchased in full knowledge of the Minis limitations. It is small, quiet and so easy to just pick up and take with you and I have to say it is an absolute blast to own. Biggest winner for me as a novice is the incredible quality of the video camera.
It’s terrible in high or medium winds. I replaced it with Mavic air 2. ANd now thinking of switching it to Skydio or Autel because of their self-fly capabilities.
Very detailed videos as always. Please investigate and present if there is a problem with continuous 4k60 video recording in mavic air 2. Overheating errors have been reported, when there is continuous 4k60frames video recording for more than 10-15 minutes.
Most of my flying days, I line up numerous areas and end up going through 2-3 batteries lol At $115 per battery, the fly more combo saved me a decent amount of money.
I also feel getting the fly more combo is much wiser if you are going to buy this drone. The extra stuff you get in the combo by itself adds up to almost $400. The difference in cost between the regular and the fly more combo is $189.
I’m not sure how many of these comments you get to respond to: but on my Mavic air 2 I had a problem with the drone responding to the gimbal wheel on the remote. No the gimbal is not broken- yes I calibrated updated etc. spoke to DJI without any success. Returned the drone and ordered another. Any idea what the problem might’ve been?
Nice review Tony! I just liked and subscribed! I like the background in your house. I did something similar about a year ago in my garage but looks nothing like yours. Love the rustic light fixture with the vintage Edison bulb. Man it sets it off. You have that vision. I’ll be purchasing the Mavic Air 2 here in a few weeks. Props to you sir! Blessings...
Thank you Toney for the review. I just got my Mavic air to about a week ago. I did get the fly more combo which to me I think is worth having with the extra batteries and propellers just in case. The funny thing is I am a truck driver and I do a lot of TH-cam videos I happen to forget the propeller box at home and now I’m on the road with a Mavic air to and no propellers. Fortunately I also have a Mavic many which I just flew yesterday for the first time and I thought it was pretty spunky it did very well and especially when his little sparrow or whatever it was came after it to attack it like he would attack some type of Eagle or hawk. I was able to maneuver away from it quickly even though it seem like something out of top gun with Maverick and the Russians. I’ll be passing back by my house in a few days so I can pick up my propellers and then get on to making more insane crazy TH-cam videos. Thank you again Toney and Chelsea.
Hi Tony. I've also been testing the active track and found that it tracks better at a bit of distance..when you are too close to the drone and the object it is trying to avoid, it will hang rather than run into either you or the object. Give it a try, I have gotten mine through some tight spots when I just took a few more steps away from it. Great video!!
I ordered my mavic air 2 on the day of release, waited over 2 weeks for it to arrive and after 2 days sent it back. I was only getting a range of 430m from it.. After many back and forth with DJI lack of support, I eventually had agreement that they would take it back. but then the clanger.. they wanted me to send it back for REPAIR ????. in the end After a number of emails after this and repeating the entire process they eventually agreed to take it back and replace it. now 2 week later I'm another 3 days away from receiving my "new" drone .. Keep up the great work T&C, the honest approach will always win thru, not the fake approach that we soo more often than not
Great info about a great drone. Appreciate the honesty in your reviews. I opted for the fly more combo because having two spare batteries charged and ready while traveling abroad is preferred.
Good review, Tony. I was a Mavic Air owner, and loved every minute of it. Got the Air 2 and was immediately blown away by the core photographic and videography capabilities and the quality of flight control with the new controller hardware and OccuSync. OccuSync is a huge improvement in the landscapes I most often shoot (relative near you, on the Hudson River). One point worth making: in 48MP mode, it seems you lose at least a stop of brightness because the processor can not aggregate 4 pixels/samples as it does with 12MP. Therefore, at the darker shooting times, 12MP is an option over raising one's ISO unacceptably. Agreed there are other compromises. Question: did you try the screen-tap camera-pointing feature?
I would argue for buying the fly more combo, was on a camping trip with the mavic air 2 and the extra batteries came handy since those batteries don’t charge with regular power banks and need an outlet for it.
Great review, I got this drone right the 2nd day it got here, a couple of points you mentioned I'm not quite sure I would agree with you: 1. the 48 mp mode is basically a mosaic image from the same sensor and is slow because of more data to transfer so I am not sure if it does have a better image quality than 12mp mode, and 2. your advice against the Fly More option: for someone like me who doesn't have many drones (this is my 2nd one ever) and goes outdoors I think the Fly More combo is a better deal, other than the 2 extra batteries it comes with the vital bag, the charging hub, the power thingy which turns drone battery effectively to a power bank when needed and the 3 filter kit; these would cost more money than the price difference between basic and Fly More option, and I think these are essential for everyday use.
I had MAVIC MINI , give back after 2 days. Got MAVIC AIR 2 and was ok a bit to sharp to much noise in shadows with iso 100! yes that really happen! And now got MAVIC PRO 2 and is great cost 400$ more, and is worth it. Better in low light and more :) Thanks for your review Tony
Did you calibrate your obstacle avoidance on your drone? I'm pretty sure it has it as I did that on my DJI Mavic 2 Pro and it made a world of difference.
Thank you so much for your honesty. So many of these content creators lack the authenticity needed to build a real relationship with their subscribers. I really do appreciate how you broke everything down in a way that helps people be informed about the product. Peace.
I am actually in support of Fly More kit. Having extra fuel in the tank is a good thing. Especially for me who is learning and enjoying it with my son. This is our first drone. Thank you for this review.
The camera tilting isn’t to avoid the props falling into shot. When you’re nose into the wind, the drone has to angle down to hold position. When you try to move forwards into a headwind it will tilt further than usual to let you fly forwards which will push the gimbal beyond the operational limits. The Inspire 2 also does this in Sports mode with a strong headwind.
You can turn the down-tilting off, at least on many of the DJI drones. If you do that, it operates fine, but gets the props in the shot. That's the basis for what I'm saying.
!I would like to know(in terms of photography) how much a variable aperture is important for a drone user compared to a fixed one and if with a 0.8-1 inch sensor there can be loss of details with a fixed aperture like 1.7-2.4-2.8.Thank you so much! Very informative video!
Are you going to do a follow up review with the latest firmware that addresses those jerky gimbal movements? It seems pretty sweet. I really can’t wait to test the “spline” transitioning from motion to still.
Tony. Thank you. I agree that this is a fantastic go to drone. Needs the 48 MP bracketing option, more camera controls (S, A, ISO) on the fly, better low light options and clear battery status indicator. I also love the flight options beyond active track but wish there was more camera positioning control during such flights. Would love to have your take on the different flight / film option (hyper lapse, helix, etc). A concern is that it seems like many of these flight modes fly blind without side sensors, which makes them a real challenge. That said, the video that result are pretty slick. Also, why no Waypoint in QuickShots? The Jpg / RAW only option for RAW seems weird. It would be great if you did a full review on the control options. Grateful for your unbiased expertise.
Great review. Is there not one other critical advantage of the Mavic 2 Pro - that of having control over aperture? That would make slowing the shutter speed for cinematic video so much easier than faffing about with ND filters?
If you put the MA2 on active track you would've been able to follow that boat on the river easier. Also to note if you in sports mode the MA2wont use obstacle avoidance. I've used my MA2 in the forest following be riding my bike and never had any issues like in your video. Maybe a firmware update
Very fair review. I have a number if DJI drones from the now ancient inspire1, the P4Pro and the Mavic 2 Pro. I now have the Mavic Air 2 and agree, that in good light, this is the best value of any commercially available Drone, even from DJI.. and the M2Pro photos and video are best for lower available light video and photos. Hopefully DJI will add additional photo controls and allow you to set gimbal speed and smoothness which isn’t available in the FLY App.. one last thing.. I missed hearing the Tuba music in this review .. 😉
Thanks for the review. I liked everything you mentioned except the 'no' on the Fly More suggestion. Just my opinion, but having additional batteries as well as the hub for charging them seems well worth the extra cash.
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would you mind sharing some raw footage? :) some rather extreme compression artifacts bother me so i would like to check if youtube or the drone cripples the files so much
You did a very nice job covering all of the features. I will say that I think you tended to focus a lot on the negatives. I was really surprised at the end when you said it was great and you would switch to it. I really thought you were going to say it was terrible. You spent a great deal of time talking the negatives and only would briefly mention the positives until the end of the video.
Yeah, I'm not sure what Tony is talking about. I have owned P3P, P4, P4P, MavicP, and Mavic 2Z craft. None of them automatically point the camera down to avoid props. Maybe Parrot does that.
I'm still debating on whether to upgrade from my Mavic Pro to a Mavic Air 2 or Mavic 2 Pro, the big selling point on the pro is the sensor and I also heard you can't fiddle with exposure with the controller or at all (not sure if I'm right on at all)
Hello Tony, I'd first like to say thank you for these videos. I stumbled upon your FAA Part 107 tutorial while first looking into adding a drone to my Photography. My question is; what drone would you recommend for a new pilot focusing on landscape photography settings, but also working within agriculture inspections and surveying. Thanks.
Personally I really like the fly more combo, my current camera bag doesn’t have enough space for the drone and controller and batteries. But yea I do agree with you on it overall; you don’t really need it. I truly only find myself switch batteries when I forgot to charge them before flying
I read on a drone comparison site that the aperture is fixed at 2.8 on this Air 2, whereas on the Pro 2 the aperture has a range of 2.8 to 11. How do you think that affects the overall usefulness of the Air 2 and is it a dealbreaker?
Thank you for this video! I have been wondering how this would do for traveling and real estate photography. There is a demand for it in our area but I'd like to have one that does both worlds well.
Thanks for your honesty. Always appreciate it. Awesome video. I have a Mavic Air already and I love it. Not sure if I should upgrade? I rarely use it, only for 360 photos and landscape video or photos.
Could you do a video comparing the Mavic Air 2 to the Parrot Anafi, or at least explaining why you chose to get rid of the Parrot Anafi? I got the Anafi based on your recommendation, and have been semi-pleased with it. The photos and videos that I often from it are beautiful, but I can't seem to get much range out of it, it shortly after launch starts giving a weak WiFi signal and soon an out of range warning, even though I can still easily see it. Maybe it's a lack of flying experience? Or should I replace the Anafi with a DJI Mavic? The Anafi is quite solid in the wind.
I discussed this more in my Mavic 2 Zoom review but basically my experience was similar to yours. The Anafi signal is generally great but I had it drop signal randomly in fairly normal conditions and decided it was no longer worth the risk.
Have you looked at the drones by Autel Robotics? I have an older model (similar to the Phantoms) and it had the best camera for the price. It flies well and is incredibly sturdy. The current line is the Evo series. I don’t know what their obstacle avoidance is like, but it’s the pilot’s job not to fly into things!
Hi! Thanks so much for being an unbiased reviewer and a downright awesome resource on TH-cam for budding photographers/drone pilots. I know that its a business for you but your content truly is a service as well as informative. I just watched your Part 107 video in preparation for my knowledge test, along with reading the handbooks a couple times (I know there have been some changes since you released that video.) Anyway, I fly a Mavic Air 2 as my first drone and I am super impressed with everything it does and actually had a question about it that you sort of alluded to in this video. It's low light performance. I don't actually fly too close to sunset but I do get A LOT of noise in my videos. I know there are plugins for Pr like Neat Video that can help eliminate the noise in post but I feel like there could be settings that I should be modifying in-app while filming that could really help me out on the noise-front. Do you have any suggestions that are either Drone-specific for the Air 2 or just general best practices to help reduce this issue? I thanks again!
Will the Mavic 2 Pro do the stacking at the highest resolution for photos? I am trying to decide if I should buy the Pro or the Air 2. Sunsets are something that I want to do so leaning towards the larger sensor of the Mavic 2 Pro.
Hi Tony. Long time follower and I appreciate you shoot from the hip - opinion wise. Great review. I’m a complete novice drone wise but so pleased I held off picking up the Mavic Mini and waited for the Air 2. I’m fine with the fly app but do you think that’s where DJI should focus there attention on?
Thanks for the great review - keep up the good work. I’m not yet interested in buying a drone but your review also includes many additional information about drone photography in general, how you use it, weak spots and lots more. 👍🏻
10:23 at that moment I looked at my copy of that book standing in the corner of my table ;) btw, in Russia, these dji drones cost 20-30% more and don't use FCC, so they fly 50% closer which sucks a LOT
I absolutely hate the smart controller. I think the video from this drone is as good as people will possibly notice on TH-cam in good light... I'd only want the Pro 2 in low-light conditions (but it sacrifices size and range). The tracking is a bit better on this drone, though I don't find the tracking that useful because it's so jerky.
Very nice Tony. Your reviews may not have the excruciating detail like others, but on the plus side you usually laser focus on what's really important. Also, whatever you did, the white balance in the studio is looking so much better lately.
It’s called an OTG cable and the amazon version I got didn’t even fit right. DJI sells them in their website but it’s overpriced so I would get it off eBay or something
I’m just going to wait for the Mavic pro and or zoom to get its update. If all this great stuff is in the Mavic air now I can only imagine how much better the pro 3 will be.
Interesting, some french youtuber made a mini2 vs air 2 image comparaison and found that, video wise, because of pixel binding, mini2 had a better image quality. However, photo Wise, the 48mp picture was a tad better in the air2.
Your findings were interested regarding the high res images, because for me it was the opposite. My 48mp images all had weird haze in highlights and looked noticeably worse in most cases. Edit: i should add that my standard res shots do not show the issues you raised either, they look sharp and highly usable at 1:1
that's absolutly true! 48MP is a kind of fake and only in perfect condition better than 12MP. ....Go for the Mavic Pro 2 or the Phantom 4 Pro if you focus is on foto.
Thanks for this review... would you say its worth selling the mavic 2 pro? Sounds like you'd only recommend it based off what you already own for the darker shots? Basically, if you could only have one drone and its between the air 2 and 2 pro, what would you do? Thanks!
i think this drone is awesome. lots of fun to fly, very smooth. wish i had seen this video sooner, could have save me about $600. Mini is cool though for first drone, but the wind makes me a lil nervous. so a couple friends i upgrade to The MA2 over the MP2 because a MP3 is due. will be checking. what do you think about the Autel Evo 2 Pro, by the way great tips and suggestions. Thanx.
As ever, a great review from the smartest reviewers of everything photographic! From Mike across the pond in the UK. Still hunkering down, but my adventure with my new e-bike has been my saviour - using my iPhone 10 for capturing the moment! Can't wait to get my hands on the Canon R5; a much awaited for camera, having cogitated for 6 months as to making the big switch to Sony from Canon. I suspect many Sony, ex Canon folk, will be returning to the Canon fold!
Gday Tony great video, I have a original mavic pro would and use it quite often for traveling and would you recommend the mavic air 2 as a upgrade? Thanks Toby
I was waiting for your review before buying my first drone... but I got impatient and had some spare dosh to hand so just ordered it anyway. Nor seen a bad review (overall) for this drone so I am waiting for delivery like a puppy waiting for walkies.
Love your perspective as a Photographer first and a Drone pilot second since to me a drone is only as good as the camera on it. I still use the original Mavic Pro and I've been holding out for the Mavic 3. Recently I have been considering the P4P to start doing some real Estate jobs. Since I also use the Mavic Pro as a backpack drone. I wonder if the Mavic Air 2 would be a good holdover until the Mavic 3 makes an appearance to see what camera is on it. Any opinion on this? PS. Thank you for your Part 107 test video. It was instrumental in me passing the test on the first try 3 years ago and I also used it to refresh for the recurrent test.
Thanks Tony for staying independent.
From my observation as a person that started getting into drones for enthusiastic purpose I'd say that Fly More Combo is actually a good deal. I don't feel confident enough, so most likely I'll smash some propellers and extra battery helped me to learn how to fly. I think you might be talking only from the professional point of view as a person with hundreds of hours in fly. And the bag is pretty handy also. I would not dismiss that option.
I totally agree with ppBIzU here. The Mavic Mini Fly more combo is a wonderful beginner's drone package especially at $500. You'll learn the controls, some FAA guide lines and aerial photography without breaking the bank. I have no complaints with my Mavic Mini and I highly recommend it for entry level droning.
@@begelson4387
I had phantom 4 , mavic air after I bought mavic mini and have to give it back after 2 days of flying, contrast points shadows poor video quality and strong wind warning. Is better get used mavic air. is a big jump for about 150 dollars more
Now I'm in with mavic air 2 and I good, but nothing is perfect. Small sensor those not help with video at night.
@@rousedvideo3380 Should one fly at night though...Like of what use is that really?...just curious.
I have a Mavic Air 2 (along with a Mini, Mavic, and Mavic 2 Pro). I love it. I ordered two just to because I needed one quickly (one was back-ordered, bought a second one, the back-ordered one shipped the next day, ended up with both)...still haven't opened the second one, nor sent it back, but I am thinking about keeping it as a back-up. It's that good of a drone.
i just took mine for the first flight today. I upgraded from a DJI spark. man its crazy how fast it can go in normal and sport mode. such an awesome drone.
tony's channel is the best because it's not biased.
Nice to see my purchase justified by one of my most respected photo people. Keep up the good work Tony (and Chelsea).
I have an Air 2 as well and I too have accidentally popped out the micro SD card whild handling it. It seems if you hold it moderately hard one of your fingers are usually over the cover for the card and it pushes on the cover popping out the card. Kind of annoying but something I've learned to be aware of now.
ah, that sucks. I had to delete a good video clip while I was flying to make room for more stills (because I was using the internal storage).
Thank you for your review, I had previously a DJI Mini and yes you're right, it gets really unstable on higher winds. Recently I bought a DJI Air 2 and loved every second. I found the flight control different than Mavic Mini (more sharper), love the flight range and camera it is pretty good. Sadly I lost it in the water due to pilot error (lesson learned not to rush and pay attention), but i have another one coming.
On tracking mode, I dare say is more developed to follow from a bigger distance and altitude, not on really close follow ups
Just ordered mine looking forward to my next vacation, thanks Tony
Tony you killed it again with a straight forward, honest review. Huge thanks to you my Man!
Hey Tony and Chelsea. I used to watch your videos years ago when I was starting to do more portrait and beauty work and really enjoyed and appreciated your videos. Family, day job and life pulled me in a different direction but this new interest in drones brought you back into my life. Thank you for your brutally honest review and advice. I was planning on buying the fly more combo because I felt I needed the extra batteries and ND filters but I think you changed my mind. Instead I’ll just buy the drone and some higher grade filters.
Loved the barn shot and lighthouse video. Thanks for showing the artifacts in the digital images. And your title that every photographer needs this drone will be used when I justify this to my wife.
I knew you'd hook me up Tony! I think the Mavic Air 2 is SUPER, for a few reasons. #1 is Ocusync 2.0. The entire transmission system feels INFINITELY more reliable that my original Mavic Air. #2 it can handle WIND, which where I live in Southern California is an absolute MUST! The 48Mp stills and 1080 slow motion are INCREDIBLE tools for me! I don't use 4K that much, but I'm sure if I did, that would be a game changer. #3 the battery life is OUTSTANDING! I did get the fly more combo, but I've never used all 3 batteries in 1 session. I think of the spare batteries like an ICBM, I just sleep better knowing I've got them. #4 the LED landing light is SUPER if you shoot at dusk or even sunrise, because it helps the drone get the best visualization of the launch and landing location (I always use a landing pad whenever possible). Also, helpful is keeping track of your drone if clouds come in or you end up flying later than expected. I hope there will be some serious firmware updates on some of the features they left out from the Go4 app, but otherwise, I LOVE this drone! Thanks for putting this together and for the honest review!
As a brand new drone pilot I bought the Mavic Mini having seen some of the footage the camera creates. I did my due diligence and purchased in full knowledge of the Minis limitations.
It is small, quiet and so easy to just pick up and take with you and I have to say it is an absolute blast to own. Biggest winner for me as a novice is the incredible quality of the video camera.
It’s terrible in high or medium winds. I replaced it with Mavic air 2. ANd now thinking of switching it to Skydio or Autel because of their self-fly capabilities.
Thanks Tony. I ordered a Mavic Air 2 and was waiting for your input before ordering. This will be my first drone.
Thank you for your objectivity, honesty, and independence.
Very detailed videos as always.
Please investigate and present if there is a problem with continuous 4k60 video recording in mavic air 2. Overheating errors have been reported, when there is continuous 4k60frames video recording for more than 10-15 minutes.
Most of my flying days, I line up numerous areas and end up going through 2-3 batteries lol
At $115 per battery, the fly more combo saved me a decent amount of money.
I also feel getting the fly more combo is much wiser if you are going to buy this drone. The extra stuff you get in the combo by itself adds up to almost $400. The difference in cost between the regular and the fly more combo is $189.
I’m not sure how many of these comments you get to respond to: but on my Mavic air 2 I had a problem with the drone responding to the gimbal wheel on the remote. No the gimbal is not broken- yes I calibrated updated etc. spoke to DJI without any success. Returned the drone and ordered another. Any idea what the problem might’ve been?
Would you please talk about your experience / knowledge on (upcoming/existing) FAA certification process and cost for drones such as Mavic air 2?
Nice review Tony! I just liked and subscribed! I like the background in your house. I did something similar about a year ago in my garage but looks nothing like yours. Love the rustic light fixture with the vintage Edison bulb. Man it sets it off. You have that vision. I’ll be purchasing the Mavic Air 2 here in a few weeks. Props to you sir! Blessings...
Thank you Toney for the review. I just got my Mavic air to about a week ago. I did get the fly more combo which to me I think is worth having with the extra batteries and propellers just in case. The funny thing is I am a truck driver and I do a lot of TH-cam videos I happen to forget the propeller box at home and now I’m on the road with a Mavic air to and no propellers. Fortunately I also have a Mavic many which I just flew yesterday for the first time and I thought it was pretty spunky it did very well and especially when his little sparrow or whatever it was came after it to attack it like he would attack some type of Eagle or hawk. I was able to maneuver away from it quickly even though it seem like something out of top gun with Maverick and the Russians. I’ll be passing back by my house in a few days so I can pick up my propellers and then get on to making more insane crazy TH-cam videos. Thank you again Toney and Chelsea.
Hi Tony. I've also been testing the active track and found that it tracks better at a bit of distance..when you are too close to the drone and the object it is trying to avoid, it will hang rather than run into either you or the object. Give it a try, I have gotten mine through some tight spots when I just took a few more steps away from it. Great video!!
9:48 where the propellers correctly installed? i have read that by putting wrong order in the propellers this happens
Definitely looks like such a problem.
Yeah it flew before that. It was caused by a bug that DJI later fixed with a firmware update.
To my eye they look correctly installed
You can’t install the spark propellers wrong. They just won’t go on.
I ordered my mavic air 2 on the day of release, waited over 2 weeks for it to arrive and after 2 days sent it back. I was only getting a range of 430m from it.. After many back and forth with DJI lack of support, I eventually had agreement that they would take it back. but then the clanger.. they wanted me to send it back for REPAIR ????. in the end After a number of emails after this and repeating the entire process they eventually agreed to take it back and replace it. now 2 week later I'm another 3 days away from receiving my "new" drone .. Keep up the great work T&C, the honest approach will always win thru, not the fake approach that we soo more often than not
you fully guide the features of the mavic air 2, I just bought it but dare not use it. Thank you very much
Tony's house is a dream
Great info about a great drone. Appreciate the honesty in your reviews. I opted for the fly more combo because having two spare batteries charged and ready while traveling abroad is preferred.
Good review, Tony. I was a Mavic Air owner, and loved every minute of it. Got the Air 2 and was immediately blown away by the core photographic and videography capabilities and the quality of flight control with the new controller hardware and OccuSync. OccuSync is a huge improvement in the landscapes I most often shoot (relative near you, on the Hudson River). One point worth making: in 48MP mode, it seems you lose at least a stop of brightness because the processor can not aggregate 4 pixels/samples as it does with 12MP. Therefore, at the darker shooting times, 12MP is an option over raising one's ISO unacceptably. Agreed there are other compromises. Question: did you try the screen-tap camera-pointing feature?
I would argue for buying the fly more combo, was on a camping trip with the mavic air 2 and the extra batteries came handy since those batteries don’t charge with regular power banks and need an outlet for it.
Great review, I got this drone right the 2nd day it got here, a couple of points you mentioned I'm not quite sure I would agree with you: 1. the 48 mp mode is basically a mosaic image from the same sensor and is slow because of more data to transfer so I am not sure if it does have a better image quality than 12mp mode, and 2. your advice against the Fly More option: for someone like me who doesn't have many drones (this is my 2nd one ever) and goes outdoors I think the Fly More combo is a better deal, other than the 2 extra batteries it comes with the vital bag, the charging hub, the power thingy which turns drone battery effectively to a power bank when needed and the 3 filter kit; these would cost more money than the price difference between basic and Fly More option, and I think these are essential for everyday use.
Awesome video. I just got my mavic air 2 and I am excited
I had MAVIC MINI , give back after 2 days. Got MAVIC AIR 2 and was ok a bit to sharp to much noise in shadows with iso 100! yes that really happen! And now got MAVIC PRO 2 and is great cost 400$ more, and is worth it. Better in low light and more :)
Thanks for your review Tony
Did you calibrate your obstacle avoidance on your drone? I'm pretty sure it has it as I did that on my DJI Mavic 2 Pro and it made a world of difference.
Thank you so much for your honesty. So many of these content creators lack the authenticity needed to build a real relationship with their subscribers. I really do appreciate how you broke everything down in a way that helps people be informed about the product. Peace.
I am actually in support of Fly More kit. Having extra fuel in the tank is a good thing. Especially for me who is learning and enjoying it with my son. This is our first drone. Thank you for this review.
Looking forward to an X-T4 review from you guys! Always enjoy the insights you guys provide :)
They have made one , two moonths ago?
We also found our way off the DJI early release list 😆
it do be like that sometimes
Good work if you were deciding by camera alone what would you go for the MA2 or the M2P?
The camera tilting isn’t to avoid the props falling into shot. When you’re nose into the wind, the drone has to angle down to hold position. When you try to move forwards into a headwind it will tilt further than usual to let you fly forwards which will push the gimbal beyond the operational limits. The Inspire 2 also does this in Sports mode with a strong headwind.
You can turn the down-tilting off, at least on many of the DJI drones. If you do that, it operates fine, but gets the props in the shot. That's the basis for what I'm saying.
Thank you so so much brother! One of the best and honest MA2 review!
!I would like to know(in terms of photography) how much a variable aperture is important for a drone user compared to a fixed one and if with a 0.8-1 inch sensor there can be loss of details with a fixed aperture like 1.7-2.4-2.8.Thank you so much! Very informative video!
Are you going to do a follow up review with the latest firmware that addresses those jerky gimbal movements? It seems pretty sweet. I really can’t wait to test the “spline” transitioning from motion to still.
Tony. Thank you. I agree that this is a fantastic go to drone. Needs the 48 MP bracketing option, more camera controls (S, A, ISO) on the fly, better low light options and clear battery status indicator. I also love the flight options beyond active track but wish there was more camera positioning control during such flights. Would love to have your take on the different flight / film option (hyper lapse, helix, etc). A concern is that it seems like many of these flight modes fly blind without side sensors, which makes them a real challenge. That said, the video that result are pretty slick. Also, why no Waypoint in QuickShots? The Jpg / RAW only option for RAW seems weird. It would be great if you did a full review on the control options. Grateful for your unbiased expertise.
Great review. Is there not one other critical advantage of the Mavic 2 Pro - that of having control over aperture? That would make slowing the shutter speed for cinematic video so much easier than faffing about with ND filters?
If you put the MA2 on active track you would've been able to follow that boat on the river easier. Also to note if you in sports mode the MA2wont use obstacle avoidance. I've used my MA2 in the forest following be riding my bike and never had any issues like in your video. Maybe a firmware update
Very fair review. I have a number if DJI drones from the now ancient inspire1, the P4Pro and the Mavic 2 Pro. I now have the Mavic Air 2 and agree, that in good light, this is the best value of any commercially available Drone, even from DJI.. and the M2Pro photos and video are best for lower available light video and photos. Hopefully DJI will add additional photo controls and allow you to set gimbal speed and smoothness which isn’t available in the FLY App.. one last thing.. I missed hearing the Tuba music in this review .. 😉
Great review Tony. I appreciate your insight and now I feel a whole lot better after buying this as my first drone.
Thanks for the review. I liked everything you mentioned except the 'no' on the Fly More suggestion. Just my opinion, but having additional batteries as well as the hub for charging them seems well worth the extra cash.
would you mind sharing some raw footage? :) some rather extreme compression artifacts bother me so i would like to check if youtube or the drone cripples the files so much
I always wait until I see the independent reviewers like yourself release honest product reviews. Thank you for everything you do!
Boy are you naive.
I usually wait six months from the release date if I'm going to buy a new drone just so the bugs get worked out and if there's any flaws.
Could you please do a short drone video editing episode? Very new to it.
You did a very nice job covering all of the features. I will say that I think you tended to focus a lot on the negatives. I was really surprised at the end when you said it was great and you would switch to it. I really thought you were going to say it was terrible. You spent a great deal of time talking the negatives and only would briefly mention the positives until the end of the video.
0:46 - Not true, my Phantom 4 Advanced does not automatically shift the camera to avoid the props.
Yeah, I'm not sure what Tony is talking about. I have owned P3P, P4, P4P, MavicP, and Mavic 2Z craft. None of them automatically point the camera down to avoid props. Maybe Parrot does that.
I'm still debating on whether to upgrade from my Mavic Pro to a Mavic Air 2 or Mavic 2 Pro, the big selling point on the pro is the sensor and I also heard you can't fiddle with exposure with the controller or at all (not sure if I'm right on at all)
Any chance you could review the Autel Evo II?
Nice shots of my hometown there in old Saybrook! Thanks for another excellent video from out here in Omak Washington!
Hello Tony,
I'd first like to say thank you for these videos. I stumbled upon your FAA Part 107 tutorial while first looking into adding a drone to my Photography.
My question is; what drone would you recommend for a new pilot focusing on landscape photography settings, but also working within agriculture inspections and surveying.
Thanks.
Sorry I don't know what the requirements are for agriculture and surveying.
@@TonyAndChelsea your video answered the question. The 48mp camera on the ma2 makes up for the zoom range of other drone. Thanks
Personally I really like the fly more combo, my current camera bag doesn’t have enough space for the drone and controller and batteries. But yea I do agree with you on it overall; you don’t really need it. I truly only find myself switch batteries when I forgot to charge them before flying
I read on a drone comparison site that the aperture is fixed at 2.8 on this Air 2, whereas on the Pro 2 the aperture has a range of 2.8 to 11. How do you think that affects the overall usefulness of the Air 2 and is it a dealbreaker?
So can a drone and if so which drone can follow or track my pre-teen son playing a soccer or football game? Will the Skydio beacon do it? Thank you!!!
Thank you for this video! I have been wondering how this would do for traveling and real estate photography. There is a demand for it in our area but I'd like to have one that does both worlds well.
Absolutely
I was wondering. Didn't dji add the exposure bracketing? Or is it only available with 12mp still?
Stay true to yourself and to us. You guys rock‼️😷👍👍
You have a very pleasant and clear speaking voice. Thank you for posting this. You have a new subscriber.
Thanks for your honesty. Always appreciate it. Awesome video.
I have a Mavic Air already and I love it. Not sure if I should upgrade? I rarely use it, only for 360 photos and landscape video or photos.
Could you do a video comparing the Mavic Air 2 to the Parrot Anafi, or at least explaining why you chose to get rid of the Parrot Anafi? I got the Anafi based on your recommendation, and have been semi-pleased with it. The photos and videos that I often from it are beautiful, but I can't seem to get much range out of it, it shortly after launch starts giving a weak WiFi signal and soon an out of range warning, even though I can still easily see it. Maybe it's a lack of flying experience? Or should I replace the Anafi with a DJI Mavic? The Anafi is quite solid in the wind.
I discussed this more in my Mavic 2 Zoom review but basically my experience was similar to yours. The Anafi signal is generally great but I had it drop signal randomly in fairly normal conditions and decided it was no longer worth the risk.
Have you looked at the drones by Autel Robotics? I have an older model (similar to the Phantoms) and it had the best camera for the price. It flies well and is incredibly sturdy. The current line is the Evo series. I don’t know what their obstacle avoidance is like, but it’s the pilot’s job not to fly into things!
If portability isn't a concern would you lean towards a Phantom rather than a Mavic?
Hi! Thanks so much for being an unbiased reviewer and a downright awesome resource on TH-cam for budding photographers/drone pilots. I know that its a business for you but your content truly is a service as well as informative. I just watched your Part 107 video in preparation for my knowledge test, along with reading the handbooks a couple times (I know there have been some changes since you released that video.)
Anyway, I fly a Mavic Air 2 as my first drone and I am super impressed with everything it does and actually had a question about it that you sort of alluded to in this video. It's low light performance. I don't actually fly too close to sunset but I do get A LOT of noise in my videos. I know there are plugins for Pr like Neat Video that can help eliminate the noise in post but I feel like there could be settings that I should be modifying in-app while filming that could really help me out on the noise-front. Do you have any suggestions that are either Drone-specific for the Air 2 or just general best practices to help reduce this issue? I
thanks again!
Will the Mavic 2 Pro do the stacking at the highest resolution for photos?
I am trying to decide if I should buy the Pro or the Air 2. Sunsets are something that I want to do so leaning towards the larger sensor of the Mavic 2 Pro.
Hi Tony. Long time follower and I appreciate you shoot from the hip - opinion wise. Great review. I’m a complete novice drone wise but so pleased I held off picking up the Mavic Mini and waited for the Air 2. I’m fine with the fly app but do you think that’s where DJI should focus there attention on?
Thanks for the great review - keep up the good work. I’m not yet interested in buying a drone but your review also includes many additional information about drone photography in general, how you use it, weak spots and lots more. 👍🏻
10:23 at that moment I looked at my copy of that book standing in the corner of my table ;)
btw, in Russia, these dji drones cost 20-30% more and don't use FCC, so they fly 50% closer which sucks a LOT
Thanks for the honest review, Tony! I truly admire your sincerity and honesty! All the best!
Me too!
Tony, are the smart controller and Hasselblad camera worth the price difference between the Pro 2 and this drone? Is tracking better on this drone?
I absolutely hate the smart controller. I think the video from this drone is as good as people will possibly notice on TH-cam in good light... I'd only want the Pro 2 in low-light conditions (but it sacrifices size and range). The tracking is a bit better on this drone, though I don't find the tracking that useful because it's so jerky.
Very nice Tony. Your reviews may not have the excruciating detail like others, but on the plus side you usually laser focus on what's really important. Also, whatever you did, the white balance in the studio is looking so much better lately.
Glad for the 4k60!
Nice review Thanks. How is the battery life. Range seems good, and speed seemed good.
I've been using a mavic 2 pro for real estate stills. Wrecked it and thinking of the Air 2 S instead. Would you stay with the pro 2 or get the Air 2 s
The remote control cable damaged after 2 weeks of using it because how they designed to fit it the remote and i can't find anywhere even on amazon
It’s called an OTG cable and the amazon version I got didn’t even fit right. DJI sells them in their website but it’s overpriced so I would get it off eBay or something
I’m just going to wait for the Mavic pro and or zoom to get its update. If all this great stuff is in the Mavic air now I can only imagine how much better the pro 3 will be.
Interesting, some french youtuber made a mini2 vs air 2 image comparaison and found that, video wise, because of pixel binding, mini2 had a better image quality. However, photo Wise, the 48mp picture was a tad better in the air2.
Your findings were interested regarding the high res images, because for me it was the opposite. My 48mp images all had weird haze in highlights and looked noticeably worse in most cases.
Edit: i should add that my standard res shots do not show the issues you raised either, they look sharp and highly usable at 1:1
that's absolutly true! 48MP is a kind of fake and only in perfect condition better than 12MP. ....Go for the Mavic Pro 2 or the Phantom 4 Pro if you focus is on foto.
Thank You For This Useful Report
Will you be taking a look at the Autel Evo 2 pro as well?
Great video thank you, we follow you cause we like your style and your honesty
I’m hopeful that future DJI updates will address our common concerns. Still, at $799 there’s nothing that compares with this little sweetie. 😷👍👍
Just got a MA2 but now starting to regret it as looking at the specs, FIMI X8 2020 seems comparable and for half the price.
1:33 I thought the Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom has side obstacle avoidance.
Only in "tripod" mode, which operates at very low speeds, making it essentially useless.
Great video as usual....do you guys ever use action cameras?
Thanks for this review... would you say its worth selling the mavic 2 pro? Sounds like you'd only recommend it based off what you already own for the darker shots? Basically, if you could only have one drone and its between the air 2 and 2 pro, what would you do?
Thanks!
Hi Tony, what is the reason you are shooting / uploading your youtube video in 60fps? Thanks in advance.
i think this drone is awesome. lots of fun to fly, very smooth. wish i had seen this video sooner, could have save me about $600. Mini is cool though for first drone, but the wind makes me a lil nervous. so a couple friends i upgrade to The MA2 over the MP2 because a MP3 is due. will be checking. what do you think about the Autel Evo 2 Pro, by the way great tips and suggestions. Thanx.
As ever, a great review from the smartest reviewers of everything photographic! From Mike across the pond in the UK. Still hunkering down, but my adventure with my new e-bike has been my saviour - using my iPhone 10 for capturing the moment! Can't wait to get my hands on the Canon R5; a much awaited for camera, having cogitated for 6 months as to making the big switch to Sony from Canon. I suspect many Sony, ex Canon folk, will be returning to the Canon fold!
Yeah! I love your honesty :)
Finally a real world review! Thank's a lot :)
i love my mavic 2, dji is an amazing company
You guys make such great reviews! I really like watching them.
Gday Tony great video, I have a original mavic pro would and use it quite often for traveling and would you recommend the mavic air 2 as a upgrade?
Thanks Toby
I was waiting for your review before buying my first drone... but I got impatient and had some spare dosh to hand so just ordered it anyway. Nor seen a bad review (overall) for this drone so I am waiting for delivery like a puppy waiting for walkies.
Love your perspective as a Photographer first and a Drone pilot second since to me a drone is only as good as the camera on it. I still use the original Mavic Pro and I've been holding out for the Mavic 3. Recently I have been considering the P4P to start doing some real Estate jobs. Since I also use the Mavic Pro as a backpack drone. I wonder if the Mavic Air 2 would be a good holdover until the Mavic 3 makes an appearance to see what camera is on it.
Any opinion on this?
PS. Thank you for your Part 107 test video. It was instrumental in me passing the test on the first try 3 years ago and I also used it to refresh for the recurrent test.