The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is a compact and foldable prosumer drone suitable for travel but features a camera and other features that will appeal to professional pilots. The camera uses a large 20MP, 1"-type CMOS sensor and has a 24mm equivalent lens with a variable F2.8-11 aperture range, delivering a 77º FOV. Hasselblad's HNCS provides increased The Mavic 3 Pro includes the DJI RC as its remote. (Credit: DJI) For stills, the Hasselblad Four Thirds camera supports 20MP pictures, while the Type-1/2 CMOS sensor in the 166mm tele camera has dji_mvfc_fwpak.py. DJI Mavic Flight Controller Firmware Decryptor tool; removes second layer encryption in Flight Controller firmware modules from several DJI products released around the same period: Mavic Pro, Spark, Inspire 2 and Phantom 4. Does not accept IM*H format - requires input files with first level encryption already removed. cash. TechRadar Verdict The Mavic 2 Pro remains one of the best drones you can buy, although it's now been overshadowed by the arrival of the DJI Air 2S. The Air 2S brings significant size and weight savings, and these give it the edge over this older model. But if you need features like variable aperture, the Mavic 2 Pro is still worth considering – and its 20MP, 1-Inch sensor is capable of shooting some of the best 4K video and raw stills you'll get from a consumer drone. Pros +Easy to fly+Intuitive app for camera control+Large one-inch 20MP sensor+Aperture control+Foldable design Cons -Battery life is limited-Noise is problematic above ISO 100-Camera locked in landscape orientation The DJI Mavic 2 Pro was launched as part of an exciting double-act with the Mavic 2 Zoom in August 2018. While it remains DJI's flagship consumer drone, it's since been upstaged by the arrival of the DJI Air 2S – a model that combines a 1-Inch sensor with a smaller, more travel-friendly Air 2S has now replaced the Mavic 2 Pro at the top of our guide to the best drones, but this older model is still worth considering, particularly if you mainly shoot video. That's because the Mavic 2 Pro has adjustable aperture, which means you can tweak the exposure as the light changes, rather than having to land the drone and change the ND filter, as you would on the Air 2S.(Image credit: Future)The Mavic 2 Pro also bring a host of advanced photo and video features, alongside some intelligent flight modes that have deservedly made it one of the world’s most popular drones since its the Mavic 2 Pro's release there have been new drone laws introduced in many regions – including registration schemes in both the UK and US – but as long as you follow the new guidelines, then it remains a fantastic way to get pro-level aerial footage of your local landscapes or travel adventures.(Image credit: Future)Release date and priceThe DJI Mavic 2 Pro has been available to buy since its release date on August 23 2018, when it started shipping alongside its Mavic 2 Zoom Mavic 2 Pro key specsSensor: 20MP one-inch CMOS Focal length: 28mm (full-frame equivalent) Shutter speed: 8-1/8000sec Aperture: f/ Video: 4K MP4 & MOV, 10-bit D-Log M & 10-bit HDR Take-off weight: 907g Flight time: Up to 31 minsDespite its age, the Mavic 2 Pro's price hasn't really come down from its original $1,599 / £1,349 / $2,499 level. In fact, at times it's even gone up – towards the end of 2019 in the US, for example, prices rose as much as 13% due to increased tariffs on Chinese factor has simply been a lack of competition for the Mavic 2 Pro. That's now changed with the arrival of the DJI Air 2S, which we reckon now offers better value, but it's possible we may now see some long-awaited price drops for this older are the best DJI drones you can buy right nowDesign and controllerThe Mavic 2 Pro maintains the foldable design debuted by its predecessor. This allows the drone to almost halve its footprint for transportation, making it the most portable drone with a one-inch sensor available. Folding is simple and requires the front arms to be rotated out and the rear arms to be twisted up and into position. Each arm is home to one of four propellers.(Image credit: Future)The main body of the Mavic 2 Pro is compact and rectangular, with the gimbal and camera mounted at the front/bottom of the drone. The camera and gimbal benefit from a raised position when the drone is sitting on the ground, so there’s ground clearance for take-off or landing. There’s not a great deal of space though, so when taking off and landing on wet grass, for example, it pays to use a landing mat to make sure the camera lens doesn’t get wet when the gimbal automatically calibrates after the drone's turned switch the Mavic 2 Pro on you simply press and hold the button on the top of the battery that clips neatly into place at the top of the drone. For the controller, it’s a case of pressing the power button briefly before pressing and holding again to switch it on. And don’t forget to connect your smartphone with the DJI Go 4 app installed, because this provides access to drone settings, camera control and camera controller itself is also compact and foldable, with joysticks that are stowed safely at the bottom of the controller and need to be screwed in place for use. The controller looks similar to a standard radio controller, but the sticks are used for very different maneuvers to an RC car, so it's worth familiarizing yourself with them before your first flight. The bottom of the controller opens up to provide a phone holder that can accommodate even the largest smartphones (up to a max length of 160mm, or max thickness of And when the controller is switched on, it automatically opens the DJI Go 4 app, which makes the whole process of starting everything up a camera controls need to be accessed via the app, but the controller also provides 11 direct access controls that allow you to quickly access a number of commonly used functions. Many of these can also be customized like function buttons on a DSLR or mirrorless camera, so you can configure the controller in a way that works for you and your photography. The DJI Go 4 app provides a similar layout and camera functionality to a compact camera, so most photographers will instantly feel at home here and flightFlying the DJI Mavic 2 Pro really couldn’t be simpler. This is thanks in part to GPS, which holds the drone in position and stops it from getting blown out of position by the wind, and safety features like collision avoidance, which uses omnidirectional obstacle sensing that helps you avoid features are truly incredible, but don’t let them lull you into a false sense of security – despite being active by default, they won’t necessarily stop the drone from crashing into objects. In many cases, when you get too close to an object the controller will show visual warnings, as well as sound audio warnings to let you know of imminent danger, and the drone will brake to avoid a collision. However, this isn’t always the case and crashes can and do happen, so care and common sense are essential to avoid any incidents. On paper, the Mavic 2 Pro can fly for up to 31 minutes, which is more realistically 20-25 minutes, with a maximum speed of up to 45mph / 72kph – so losing control or crashing will likely have expensive the safety aspects, the Mavic 2 Pro offers numerous shooting modes and automated 'Intelligent flight' modes aimed at making getting specific types of stills and video as easy as possible. As with any camera, it’s better to approach most techniques manually by taking full control of the drone’s flight, but these automated modes are great for beginners learning their get Timelapse (and hyperlapse), Quickshot, Active Track, Point of Interest, Waypoint, TapFly and Cinematic. Stills shooting modes include Single Shot, Burst Mode, HDR, AEB, HyperLight (night mode), Interval and Pano, which offers a number of different panoramic shooting Mavic 2 Pro's three main flying modes can also be accessed from within the app or using a switch on the side of the controller. Tripod Mode (T) slows the drone and makes it less responsive to allow for smoother video. Positioning Mode (P) is the standard flight mode and provides a medium level of control, while Sports Mode (S) makes the Mavic most responsive and flies and photo qualityThe Mavic 2 Pro's image quality is very good overall, as long as you don't expect quite the same level as you’d get with a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Most drones feature a sensor that’s similar to that of a mobile phone, but thanks to a 20MP one-inch Hasselblad sensor, the Mavic 2 Pro's sensor is much closer to a premium compact in terms of size and overall image the larger sensor than many other consumer drones, noise is still an issue and is visible even at ISO 100. This certainly isn’t a deal-breaker, but the DJI Air 2S does perform better here and it does mean that shooting at higher settings will inevitably introduce even higher levels of noise, which ultimately means diminished image said, image quality is good enough for large prints in the region of 16x12 inches without interpolation. And while there is some fall off in sharpness at the edges of the frame, it’s not so bad that it detracts from the image as a whole. Shooting around sunrise and sunset remains just as important for aerial photography (Image credit: Future)Lens distortion is minimal, and while chromatic aberration is often visible along high contrast subject edges, this is a one-click fix in raw editing software. In fact, with the ability to shoot in DNG format, raw images can be processed using your favorite raw editing software. If you prefer your images to be processed in-camera, saving in JPEG format is also an of the key features of the drone beside the sensor and the 28mm equivalent focal length is the adjustable aperture providing f/ to f/11. This not only means that you can control exposure and depth-of-field, but it also provides the ability to shoot in aperture priority, shutter priority or manual mode. This is a key advantage over the newer DJI Air 2S. The variable aperture is particularly useful for video compared to drone cameras with a fixed f/ aperture for a couple of reasons. It means you don't need to use as strong ND filters in bright conditions, and you can also counteract changes in light while the drone is in the air, rather than having to land and change the ND filter. Video options provide something for everyone, whether you're a complete beginner or a pro looking to incorporate raw aerial footage into a professional film or video, with the ability to match color and color grade the footage. Video is available in 4K at 24/25/30p, at 24/25/30/48/50/60p and HD at 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p. HD obviously provides the most options including slow motion, but it’s a shame that 4K is limited to a maximum of 30p. That said, for the majority of users, including professionals, this won’t be too much of a problem. Video can be shot in MP4 or MOV, 10-bit D-Log M and 10-bit HDR or using picture profiles for in-camera processing (like a JPEG).(Image credit: Future)VerdictFor photographers and videographers who need a highly portable drone that can be easily carried alongside other photographic equipment, the Mavic 2 Pro remains a great option, even if it has now been overshadowed by the arrival of the DJI Air Air 2S is smaller and more affordable than the Mavic 2 Pro, which means it's taken the number one spot in our guide to the best drones. But aside from that model, the Mavic 2 Pro still has few rivals in the drone world – and is definitely still the best small, folding option around with variable aperture. Alternatives still include the Mavic 2 Zoom which, as the name suggests, features an optical zoom lens. But as a result of this functionality, it also houses a smaller sensor with no control over the aperture. The new DJI Phantom 4 Pro is the Mavic Pro 2’s closest competitor in terms of sensor size, but it’s a much larger and more powerful drone aimed at professional use, so again a completely different Mavic 2 Pro is incredibly easy to fly and with some of the most advanced flight and camera technology currently available in the consumer drone market, it’s capable of producing professional-level stills and video. It's not as portable as the DJI Air 2S and its image quality doesn't match the DJI Inspire 2, which has a Micro Four Thirds camera, but the Mavic 2 Pro is a classic that is still worth considering if you need that adjustable are the best drones you can buy right now James Abbott is a professional portrait and landscape photographer, and a freelance photography journalist producing words and pictures for the best photography magazines in the UK. James is also a qualified college lecturer and has taught photography and Photoshop to a wide range of age groups and situations including one-to-one, group and distance learning. DJI's Mavic family has all but replaced its Phantom series for consumer drone use. Mavic drones are smaller all around, and foldable for easier storage and transport. The top-end model, the Mavic 2 Pro ($1,729), has the largest image sensor we've seen in a drone this size. That means images and video both look better than other drones, including the Pro's near twin sibling, the Mavic 2 Zoom. The Pro is a little more expensive, by $250, but we think the step up in image and video quality is worth the added cost. The Mavic 2 Pro is the best drone for enthusiast pilots, and our Editors' Note: The price of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro increased from $1,499 to $1,729 on September 4, 2019. DJI states that the increase in price is related to tariffs levied by the United States. The Best Folding Drone The Mavic 2 Pro takes its design cues from the original Mavic Pro, but is a little bigger all around. It measures by by inches (HWD) folded and by by inches with it arms extended. Unfolding the drone is pretty easy, you just have to remember to swing the front arms out before the bottom ones. The aircraft weighs about 2 pounds, heavy enough to require FAA registration when flying recreationally in the US. You Can Trust Our Reviews Similar Products Despite being a bit bigger than the original Mavic and the more recent Mavic Air, the Mavic 2 Pro is still quite portable. It fits nicely in a camera bag, taking up about the same space as a typical 70-200mm f/ zoom lens. You'll have to make a little more space for the remote control, charger, and any extra batteries you buy, but you won't have to dedicate a backpack to the Mavic as you do with the Phantom design. DJI is splitting the Mavic 2 line into two models—the Pro, which we're reviewing here—and the Zoom, which has a 2x optical zoom lens, but a smartphone-sized 1/ 12MP image sensor. The Mavic 2 Pro leaps ahead with a 1-inch sensor, about four times the size of the imager behind the Mavic 2 Zoom's lens. The larger surface area allows for more image resolution (20MP), and higher-quality video. See How We Test Drones The included remote control is similar to what you get with other Mavic models. It's gray, with a short, changeable cable to connect to your smartphone, which mounts below the controller. Two clips hold your phone—they're big enough to accommodate a phablet and can handle a slim phone case, but you'll need to take your phone out of its case if you use a bulky one. There is a cutout on the left clip, so you can access your phone's home button while it's mounted in the remote. Cables are included for phones that use Lightning, micro USB, and USB-C ports. The remote has a monochrome display—it shows battery status, telemetry data, and other information. It's possible to fly the Mavic 2 without a phone attached, but you'll need an Android or iOS device and the DJI Go 4 app to activate the drone before your first flight. We don't recommend flying without a phone, though, as you won't see the view through the camera without one. In addition to the flight sticks—which are removable for storage—the remote includes dual control wheels and buttons at the shoulders. The left wheel tilts the camera up and down, while the right brightens or darkens the exposure, and the buttons are used to snap a picture or start a video. The remote also has a switch to change flight modes on its side, a dedicated button to activate the Mavic's return-to-home feature, and a Pause button to freeze the drone in place. There is also a small four-way controller—it can be used to point the camera straight ahead or straight down. Two programmable control buttons, located on the rear, round things out. The Mavic 2 Pro is rated for up to 31 minutes of flight on a full battery charge. That number is based on the amount of time the drone can hover in place, so expect a few minutes less life in reality. Our tests netted an average of 27 minutes—that's still quite a bit of time in the air, better than the 23 minutes the original Mavic Pro netted in our flights. You expect a $1,500 drone to include an obstacle avoidance system, and the Mavic 2 doesn't disappoint. It has sensors in every direction. In most flight modes the forward, rear, upward, and downward sensors are active at all times, stopping the drone in place if an obstacle is detected. Switching to ActiveTrack, where the Mavic identifies and tracks a moving subject, enables the side sensors. They also work in Tripod mode, a low-speed setting that lets photographers move the drone very slowly to better frame shots. The Mavic 2 also has a high-speed Sport setting. It ups the maximum flight speed from around 32mph to just shy of 45mph. All obstacle sensors are disabled when Sport is turned on, so use it with care. DJI has started to add internal storage to its drones—we first saw it with the Mavic Air. The Mavic 2 Pro matches the Air's 8GB capacity, and has a microSD card slot too. The card slot is necessary, as 8GB isn't enough space to hold a lot of video. The Mavic 2 shoots 4K footage at 100Mbps, so you'll be limited to a little less than 15 minutes of footage in internal memory. I'd have liked to have seen at least 16GB included with a model that calls itself Pro. Still, memory cards aren't expensive, and having some internal storage means you won't be left in the cold if you forget to pack a card. DJI Go 4 App and Features As with other DJI drones, the Mavic 2 Pro works with the DJI Go 4 app, available as a free download for Android and iOS devices. The app does a lot of things, but most importantly it gives you control over the drone's camera and shows its point of view at 1080p quality. It also shows a map of the world, inlaid in the video feed, which you can swap to if you need to ascertain the Mavic's position relative to you. The app is also where you go to access automated shots, or enter into a special capture mode, like Hyperlapse. Essentially a time-lapse with motion, Hyperlapse is a fun way to capture sped-up views of the world. I'm not a big fan of how DJI has implemented the experience, though—the remote makes a clicking noise each time the drone adds a frame, and the flight speed is slowed down quite a bit. Your mileage may vary, but I'd certainly prefer to see a smooth view from the camera, without audible distractions, like you get with the Hyperlapse mode on the less expensive Parrot Anafi. In addition to Hyperlapse, there are plenty of other automated flight modes and options. They include Asteroid, which mixes panoramic imaging and video to turn a normal view of the world into a Little Planet projection, which we first saw with the Mavic Air. It also supports TapFly, which lets you fly the drone by tapping on your phone's screen, ActiveTrack, and APAS. The latter—the Advanced Pilot Awareness System—is useful for flights when there are numerous obstacles to navigate around. It does slow the drone down, but when enabled it automatically flies around any obstacles it encounters. The app also has some safety features. It works with the drone's GPS to enforce no-fly zones, like the permanent one around the White House and temporary bans of drones around areas where aerial firefighting is happening, both of which can help keep you out of trouble. If you have an FAA Part 107 commercial license, you can also use the app to authorize flights close to airports, saving you the trouble of contacting the control tower directly. Firmware updates, which can be frequent with DJI products, are performed using the app. Superlative Video and Images The DJI Mavic Pro 2 delivers the best drone footage and images you can get in a compact form factor. To better it, you'll need to think about moving up to a big, expensive aircraft with an SLR-sized sensor and changeable lenses, like the DJI Inspire 2. The reason its footage is crisper than other 4K drones is the sensor size. Most drones use a 1/ sensor, similar to what you get with a smartphone. But the Mavic 2 Pro uses a 1-inch imager, about four times the size of what you get with the Mavic 2 Zoom, Mavic Air, and other folding drones. It's not the first time DJI has used the sensor size in a drone—it's also available in the larger Phantom 4 Pro and Phantom 4 Advanced models. They're both still available and do offer some advantages—notably support for the wider 4K DCI format. But if you're fine with UHD, you'll find the Mavic to include many of DJI's more recent innovations—including more robust automated shots and APAS—which are not available in the Phantom series. What you do get is 4K UHD footage at 100Mbps, with your choice of or compression. You can shoot ready-to-edit footage with a standard color profile—DJI has leveraged color science tech from its partner Hasselblad for the Mavic 2 Pro's camera. Our test footage was all shot with the default color profile. You can opt for a different, baked-in profile if you want your video to have a more artistic, filtered look, or you can shoot with the flat, low-contrast Dlog-M profile. Shooting flat gives you more ability to color correct—Dlog-M is a 10-bit format. It's only recommended for serious video pros, however, as you will need both software and skill to make Dlog-M footage pop. It also supports HDR video, using the Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) profile. There are a number of frame rates available. For 4K you get 24, 25, or 30fps. Dropping resolution to adds 48, 50, and 60fps, and you get all of the aforementioned at 1080p (2K), with the addition of 120fps. The lens has a variable aperture, configurable from f/ through f/11, and the sensor can range from ISO 100 through 6400 for video. You'll probably want to add a neutral density filter for flights in bright light—I don't recommend using the lens at a setting narrower than f/ to minimize the resolution loss caused by diffraction—but if you're without one, you can certainly stop down further to maintain proper shutter angles for your footage. There are also two angles of view to choose when shooting at 4K. DJI doesn't do a great job identifying them in the app, which is a shame because it effectively gives the Mavic 2's camera a similar coverage range as the Mavic 2 Zoom for 4K video. The default setting, FOV, is a wide-angle view of the world, about 28mm in full-frame terms. Switching to the HQ (High Quality) setting narrows the camera's angle a bit—it's closer to 40mm. You don't get quite the same range as the Mavic 2 Zoom's camera (24-48mm), but it's close enough. You do lose the ability to perform a dolly zoom shot, but it seems like a fair price to pay for better video overall. Imaging is also quite versatile. We've seen the 1-inch sensor size find a home in compact cameras, where it delivers better results than you can expect from your smartphone. The Mavic 2 Pro shoots images in JPG or Raw DNG format, and I'd expect most serious photographers to use the latter. The big sensor makes low-light aerial imaging an easier task, with an ISO that can be set as high as 12800 when making images. I tend to recommend ISO 3200 as a maximum for this type of sensor, however, but that will still net some stunning twilight photos. The Best Small Drone Is there a more capable folding drone than the DJI Mavic 2 Pro? I don't think so. It's small enough to find space along your terrestrial imaging and video equipment in a backpack, but it doesn't make a lot of sacrifices when compared with larger drones. Assuming you don't absolutely need to shoot footage destined for projection in a cinema, the 4K UHD format (the one used by your TV) is more than enough for any project destined to be viewed in a living room. Couple the video quality with the ability to record footage at dual angles of view, excellent still imaging, and the incredible stabilization delivered by the Mavic 2's gimbal stabilization, and you've got a drone that's easy to love. Yes, you pay a high cost, but the Mavic 2 Pro is the best folding drone we've flown, so it's our Editors' Choice. Pros Superlative 4K video. 20MP Raw and JPG still imaging. Great battery life. Compact, foldable design. Obstacle avoidance sensors. View More Cons 8GB internal memory isn't much. No DCI format support. Expensive. The Bottom Line The DJI Mavic 2 Pro is the best small drone on the market, with superior image and video quality, obstacle avoidance, and excellent battery life. Like What You're Reading? Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. DJI a présenté cette semaine le Mavic Air 2, son nouveau produit phare, un drone de photo et vidéo aérienne polyvalent, convenant autant aux télépilotes débutants qu'aux plus expérimentés. Nous avons pu le tester en avant-première malgré le confinement. Crédit : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Vendu à partir de 850 euros, le DJI Mavic Air 2 remplace le Mavic Air original et complète la nouvelle gamme Mavic, à mi-chemin entre le Mavic Mini (à partir de 400 euros) et les Mavic 2 Zoom et Mavic 2 Pro (à partir de 1250 euros). Comme nous l’avons écrit dans notre article de présentation, le Mavic Air 2 est davantage un Mavic 2 allégé et simplifié qu’une mise à jour du Mavic Air 1. 9 /10 Un Mavic 2 allégé Ce nouveau quadricoptère pliable reprend les lignes et la conception des Mavic 2 : on le déplie de la même manière et les capteurs communs sont au même endroit. S’il est significativement plus petit et léger que les Mavic 2, il est aussi sensiblement plus grand et lourd que son prédécesseur, comme le montre le tableau ci-contre. Il reste toutefois bien en dessous du seuil de 800 grammes à partir duquel la législation européenne exige déclaration et formation. Nous vous conseillons néanmoins de suivre la formation en ligne, qui donne les bases pour voler en sécurité. Pour compenser, la capacité de sa batterie amovible passe de 27 à 40 Wh (+50 %), et l’autonomie augmente encore davantage, de 21 à 34 min (+60 %). En pratique, on peut voler un peu plus de 25 min en conservant une marge de sécurité. La recharge dure quant à elle 90 min. Si l’autonomie augmente davantage que la capacité de la batterie malgré l’augmentation du poids, c’est notamment grâce à des hélices optimisées, avec lesquelles il fait un bourdonnement plus sourd et moins désagréable que son prédécesseur. Le nouveau Mavic Air bénéficie aussi de la conception plus robuste des Mavic 2 : ses hélices, sa coque et sa nacelle en plastique ont ainsi résisté à une chute d’une dizaine de mètres suite à un accrochage avec un arbre. Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Radiocommande agrandie, application simplifiée Le Mavic Air 2 s’accompagne en revanche d’une toute nouvelle radiocommande et pour la plupart des utilisateurs d’une nouvelle application. La nouvelle « RC » est plus grande et plus lourde car elle renferme désormais deux batteries de 2600 mAh, ce qui lui permet d’alimenter le smartphone et d’éviter de renoncer à un vol car ce dernier serait à plat. Cette télécommande passe aussi et surtout du Wi-Fi à la technologie maison OcuSync pour la liaison avec le drone. En raison du confinement nous n’avons pas pu tester la liaison à longue portée (6 km revendiqués), mais nous pouvons témoigner que nous n’avons pas constaté le moindre gel d’image ou le moindre artefact lors d’un essai aux quatre coins d’une propriété privée boisée de plusieurs hectares, y compris lorsque la maison séparait le drone de la télécommande. On utilise toujours un smartphone en complément de la radiocommande pour le retour vidéo et accéder à la plupart des fonctions. On ne le fixe plus sous la télécommande entre deux poignées pliables, mais au-dessus dans une pince escamotable intégrant les antennes. La prise en main est plus naturelle et plus confortable, à défaut d’être aussi équilibrée qu’autrefois, surtout avec un smartphone comme un Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. Des câbles USB-C vers USB-C, micro-USB et Lightning sont fournis. En plus des deux sticks (amovibles, pour faciliter le transport), la radiocommande intègre la molette d’inclinaison de la nacelle, un seul déclencheur photo/vidéo, un bouton de commutation photo/vidéo, un bouton personnalisable, un bouton RTH (*return to home*, retour automatique au point de départ) et un commutateur de mode de vol. Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Toutes les autres fonctions sont accessibles via le smartphone. Le Mavic Air 2 passe d’ailleurs de l’application DJI GO 4 des Mavic 2 et du Mavic Air 1 à la nouvelle application DJI Fly inaugurée par le Mavic Mini. Celle-ci est plus simple, plus lisible, et à ce titre plus adaptée aux débutants. Malheureusement, elle n’est pas encore parfaitement adaptée aux nouveautés du Mavic Air 2 : certains textes débordent ou sont tronqués (« Mode nor… »), on trouve encore des traces de chinois ou d’anglais, et certaines fonctions sont difficiles à trouver (rien n’incite à faire défiler les modes de prise de vue pour découvrir la fonction panoramiques). DJI devrait s’inspirer des applications FreeFlight de Parrot, plus élégantes et plus soignées. Soulignons au passage que les applications de DJI n’affichent toujours pas la carte officielle des restrictions pour drones de loisir en France. Il faut toujours vérifier les zones autorisées et les plafonds de vol définis par la DGAC sur le site Géoportail, malheureusement pas optimisé pour mobile, ou sur des applications tierces telles que Drone Spot. Un pilotage facile Pour autant, le DJI Mavic Air 2 est facile à piloter. Il décolle d’une pression longue sur un bouton à l’écran puis vole en stationnaire avec une précision de l’ordre de 10 cm à basse altitude, assisté de capteurs de positionnement visuels et de temps de vol (ToF), et de l’ordre de 50 cm à mesure qu’on monte à 60 m d’altitude, avec le positionnement par satellite (GPS et Glonass, mais pas Galileo). Avec la configuration « Mode 2 » par défaut, on actionne alors le stick de gauche pour monter ou descendre et pivoter vers la gauche ou la droite, le stick de droite pour avancer ou reculer et se décaler vers la gauche ou la droite. Avec le mode de vol « normal » par défaut, la vitesse maximale du Mavic Air 2 est de 12 m/s soit 43,2 km/h en marche avant et de 4 m/s soit 14,4 km/h en montée. Les capteurs d’obstacles vers l’avant, l’arrière et le bas sont pleinement opérationnels. C’est un atout majeur par rapport au Mavic Mini qui en est dépourvu, surtout pour les débutants. Le nouveau Mavic Air est toujours dépourvu de capteurs d’obstacles latéraux et supérieurs, il faut donc rester vigilant, surtout lors des vols automatiques, ou bien utiliser les protections d’hélices, incluses dans la version Fly More ou vendues séparément. Les débutants peuvent prendre leurs marques avec le mode « Tripod », qui limite la vitesse à 5 m/s soit 18 km/h en marche avant. Ce mode sert surtout à lisser les mouvements lorsqu’on filme, incluant désormais les changements d’inclinaison de la nacelle. Le mode « sport » enfin porte la vitesse en marche avant à 19 m/s, soit 68,4 km/h. Attention aux distances de freinage, d’autant que les capteurs d’obstacles sont inopérants. Le DJI Mavic Air 2 en vol // Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Des photos et vidéos dignes d’un bon smartphone Avant de parler des multiples modes de vol automatiques, parlons des capacités photo et vidéo de cette « caméra volante ». Le DJI Mavic Air 2 embarque le même capteur que certains smartphones haut de gamme comme le OnePlus 8 ou l’Oppo Find X2, le Sony IMX586. Ce capteur de 1/2 pouce (en réalité de 8 mm de diagonale) et de 48 MP recourt à la technique du pixel binning et à la photographie computationnelle pour produire des photos de 12 mégapixels de meilleure qualité qu’avec un capteur de 12 MP. L’appareil assemble en l’occurrence des groupes de 4 photocellules (disposition Quad Bayer) et parfois plusieurs clichés pour réduire le bruit et augmenter la plage dynamique (HDR). L’objectif a une longueur focale équivalente à 24 mm, avec une mise au point fixe de 1 m jusqu’à l’infini, ce qui convient parfaitement à un drone de cette taille. L’ouverture fixe de f/2,8 méritera en revanche aux yeux de certains vidéastes exigeants l’emploi de filtres à densité neutre (ND), fournis avec la version Fly More, afin d’augmenter le temps d’obturation pour obtenir un rendu cinématographique en rétablissant du flou de mouvement. En pratique, en photo comme en vidéo, il y en a pour tous les goûts. Le tout nouveau mode SmartPhoto recourt au *deep learning* pour reconnaitre les scènes et enclencher si nécessaire les fonctions HDR (extension de la plage dynamique) ou « HyperLight » (basse lumière). Il produit des fichiers JPEG de 12 mégapixels prêts à l’emploi dignes de bons smartphones, avec une bonne plage dynamique, un renforcement de la netteté et de la saturation bien dosée. Dans les situations dans lesquelles le mode « SmartPhoto » produit un rendu artificiel, tel qu’en contrejour, on peut basculer sur le mode normal, plus naturel. Encore plus neutre, le mode 48 MP apporte une bonne dose de détails supplémentaires au prix d’une réduction sensible de la plage dynamique. On peut aussi enregistrer en RAW DNG pour obtenir la meilleure amplitude en post-traitement. Ci-dessous, vous pouvez comparer la même scène avec, de gauche à droite, la prise de vue normale, le cliché de 48 mégapixels et l’image avec le mode SmartPhoto activé. Photo de Paris avec le mode normal Photo de Paris avec le mode 48 MP Photo de Paris avec le mode SmartPhoto Même chose sur ces photos de toits ci-dessous, dans le même ordre : mode normal, mode 48 MP et SmartPhoto. Photo des toits en mode normal Photo des toits avec le mode 48 MP Photo des toits avec le mode SmartPhoto L’appareil photo propose également des fonctions rafale (3, 5 ou 7 images), bracketing (3 ou 5 images décalées de 0,7 EV), intervallomètre (2 à 60 s), et surtout des panoramas HDR, pour lesquels le drone capture automatiquement 3 à 25 images pour assembler une photo panoramique verticale ou horizontale, une photo grand angle ou une sphère complète. Le panorama vertical et le grand angle en particulier contournent efficacement l’orientation horizontale et la focale de l’appareil. Le Mavic Air 2 inaugure un mode HDR également en vidéo, jusqu’en Ultra HD 4K à 30 i/s. Celui-ci préserve efficacement les hautes lumières, mais amplifie parfois excessivement le bruit dans les ombres qu’il débouche. Il peut filmer sans HDR en 4K jusqu’à 60 i/s et en Full HD jusqu’à 240 i/s, soit des cadences deux fois supérieures à celles des Mavic 2. Les vidéastes disposent d’un mode d’exposition manuel, d’un profil colorimétrique neutre D-Cinelike et d’un enregistrement en ou en HEVC jusqu’à 120 Mb/s. Le drone le plus intelligent de DJI Ces belles capacités vidéo ne seraient rien sans de beaux mouvements de caméra. Réaliser des mouvements vidéogéniques exige un certain savoir-faire, mais les drones de DJI proposent toute une panoplie d’assistances et de manœuvres prédéfinies. Dernier né du fabricant chinois, le Mavic Air 2 est le plus complet et le plus perfectionné sur ce plan. On retrouve pour commencer tous les « QuickShots », aux noms assez explicites (Dronie, Fusée, Astéroïde, Cercle, Spirale et Boomerang), qui réalisent des manœuvres prédéfinies à partir du sujet sélectionné et génèrent des clips de quelques secondes prêts à être partagés sur les réseaux sociaux. On choisit selon les cas la longueur et le sens de rotation du vol. En l’absence de capteurs d’obstacles latéraux, il conviendra en tout cas d’être particulièrement vigilant avec les trois derniers modes. Dans le même ordre d’idée, le Mavic Air 2 propose également quatre modes « Hyperlapse » (libre, ligne droite, cercle, waypoints), qui produisent des vidéos accélérées (aussi appelées timelapse) en mouvement. Selon les cas on désigne le sujet à cadrer et on choisit l’intervalle, la vitesse, la durée, la trajectoire et le sens de rotation, puis l’appareil réalise automatiquement la manœuvre et l’assemblage des clichés. Le résultat peut être époustouflant, mais on aurait préféré paramétrer les mouvements différemment. Par exemple il faut calculer en fonction du rayon la vitesse et la durée de vol qui permettent de réaliser un tour complet. À défaut on se contentera souvent de valeurs choisies au hasard. Last but not least, le Mavic Air 2 propose plusieurs modes de suivi automatiques, rassemblés sous l’appellation FocusTrack. Le mode ActiveTrack suit automatiquement le sujet désigné. Il réalise dans sa nouvelle version des mouvements plus fluides lorsqu’il doit contourner ou lorsque le sujet passe derrière un obstacle. Le mode POI tourne mieux autour d’un sujet immobile ou en mouvement, sans qu’il faille initialement voler à l’aplomb dudit sujet. Enfin, le mode Spotlight permet de désigner un sujet sur lequel verrouiller la caméra et autour duquel voler librement. Ce dernier permet de réaliser facilement des plans extrêmement difficiles à exécuter en pilotage manuel et dignes de productions professionnelles. En raison du confinement, nous n’avons pas encore pu réaliser nos propres exemples. En attendant une mise à jour de cet article, nous vous invitons à consulter la page de présentation du Mavic Air 2 sur le site internet de DJI pour vous faire une idée du potentiel créatif de tous ces modes. Prix et disponibilité En raison de l’épidémie de Covid-19, le DJI Mavic Air 2 a été lancé dans un premier temps en Chine. Dans le reste du monde, l’ouverture officielle des précommandes est prévue pour « la seconde quinzaine de mai ». Source : Romain Heuillard pour Frandroid Comme d’habitude, il sera vendu avec une radiocommande et une seule batterie, pour 850 euros, ou bien en version Fly More, avec la radiocommande, 3 batteries, une station de recharge, 3 filtres ND, des protections d’hélices et un sac, pour 1050 euros. Le Mavic Air 2 se positionne donc à mi-chemin entre le Mavic Mini, vendu 400 à 500 euros, et les Mavic 2, vendus 1250 à 2000 euros.

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