DJI unveils two Mavic 2 drones with a huge camera and zoom
New drones have improved tracking, obstacle avoidance and battery time
DJI is undeniably the leader in consumer drones today. It’s done so by repeatedly pushing the boundaries, leaving rivals always chasing behind. The Mavic 2 series, the Chinese manufacturer's newest offer, keeps doing that by checking more items off our wishlist.
The Mavic 2 is slightly bigger than the Mavic Pro. But the small jump in size gives you a whole bunch of upgraded features: Sensors on all sides for obstacle avoidance, an improved tracking system, and new bottom lights that help with landing in darker environments.
The Mavic 2 Zoom doesn’t have that Hasselblad sensor, but does have something the Pro doesn’t: 2X optical zoom (24-48mm). Together with a 2X digital zoom, it can reach a focal length of 96mm. This allows the drone to stitch several zoomed-in photos together to create a larger, higher resolution image. It also makes for some cool tricks, like the Dolly Zoom effect:
Both models have a maximum flight speed of 44 mph (72 km/h), faster than the original Mavic Pro and similar to the Phantom 4. And the Mavic 2 actually outdoes the bigger Phantom 4 Pro in battery life, lasting a minute longer to fly up to 31 minutes in one charge. It can also stream 1080p footage from nearly 5 miles (8km) away -- further than both the Mavic Pro and Phantom 4 Pro.
With 10 sensors and new tracking algorithms, the Mavic 2 can keep following and filming a subject even if it’s blocked for a short moment.
Like the Mavic Air, the joysticks on the controller are detachable for easy storage.
But those features come at a price: The Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom will sell for US$1,449 and US$1,249 respectively, a step up from the original Mavic Pro, which began at US$999.
We'll have a hands-on video with the Mavic 2 Pro on Friday, with a full review coming soon!
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