DJI Mavic Air 2 Vs. Mavic 2 – Are the Pro or Zoom Worth the Money?

DJI’s latest consumer drone, the Mavic Air 2 is miles ahead of its predecessor, the Mavic Air. While it no longer fits in your pocket (you will need the Mavic Mini for that), the Mavic Air 2 is better in every other way. The Mavic Air 2 is so good that you may wonder, “is it worth the extra money for a Mavic 2 Pro or Mavic 2 Zoom?” Let’s dive in to see which is the right drone for you.

Why you want the Mavic Air 2

The Mavic Air 2 beats out its bigger brothers in a few key ways. Rather than drone on about it, I’ll list the most important advantages in the order that I think is most important.

1. Price – At $799 the Mavic Air 2 is about half the price of the Maic 2 Pro. That’s a big deal.
2. 4K Video Recording – The Mavic 2 Pro suffers in the quality of its 4K video due to sensor heating problems and processing capability. The Mavic Air 2 seems to have solved that problem with a huge heat sink and a better processor. Not only that, but DJI added 4K at 60 frames per second – the only Mavic to have this feature.
3. Smartphone Charging – We love it! No more flights cut short by the death of your phone’s battery.
4. 34 Minute Flight Time and Extended Range – 3 minutes may not seem like much, but a 10% increase in flight time is always welcome. You won’t notice the extra range, we certainly didn’t in our testing. We expect the connection to be better with the Mavic Air 2 in limited situations.
5. 48 MP Photos – We tested it and the picture with 48 MP is notably sharper. You will want to save this feature for really good lighting.

Why you want the Mavic 2 Zoom

The Mavic 2 Zoom is still our top pick for most people from the Mavic series. If you have the money, this is our favorite drone. Let’s see what the Mavic 2 Zoom brings to the table.

1. Zoom – It’s all in the name. We were surprised by the power of 2X optical zoom from the air. Pair this with a smooth transition to digital zoom when recording in 1080p full HD and you have a really powerful tool. This feature lets you maintain more distance, which can be important when flying around trees or when filming wildlife.
2. Cinematic Video – OK, this is really the same as zoom, but it demands another shout-out. When zoomed at 48mm or higher equivalent focal length your videos feel more like they are filmed from a helicopter, which is what people are accustomed to seeing in the movies.
3. More Features – Many professional users of the Mavic Air 2 will be missing advanced features that are available on the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom like Waypoints and TapFly.
4. More Power – The Mavic 2 drones will be able to handle wind and more filming scenarios than Mavic Air 2.
5. Dolly Zoom – This is a fun feature that is really only worth using when you have at least 3X zoom. The Mavic 2 Zoom has 4X zoom with its Dolly Zoom feature, and we love it.
6. Less Expensive than the Pro – You can currently save $250 by opting for the Zoom over the Mavic 2 Pro.

The Mavic 2 Zoom has the longest list of pros in our opinion. If you want the most flexible folding drone in the air then you want the Mavic 2 Zoom.

Why you want the Mavic 2 Pro

The Mavic 2 Pro remains the only folding drone with a 1-inch sensor and a variable aperture. It is a photographer’s folding drone dream-come-true. Let’s walk through all the reasons why you want the Mavic 2 Pro.

1. Hasselblad Color and Dynamic Range– The photos and videos from the Mavic 2 Pro really are stunning and often need no correction.
2. Night and Low-Light Photography – This is where the 1-inch sensor really comes into play. I have taken really great long exposures with very low light. Use Hyperlight for even more benefit in some situations.
3. Variable Aperture – When filming brightly lit scenes you can get some interesting effects with the aperture closed up at f/11. The variable aperture is also great for fine-tuning shutter speed for video.
4. More Features – Many professional users of the Mavic Air 2 will be missing advanced flight modes that are available on the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom like Waypoints and TapFly.
5. More Power – The Mavic 2 drones will be able to handle wind and more filming scenarios than Mavic Air 2.

Which Mavic is Right for You?

As you have seen, each of these drones holds a special place in our hearts here at Half Chrome. If you tried to pull one of these from my hands the hardest one to pull would be the Mavic 2 Zoom – it is simply our favorite tool. That said, I love the low-light capability of the Mavic 2 Pro and the price of the Mavic Air 2. You can’t go wrong with any of these amazing Mavic’s from DJI.

On a smaller budget? We also love the Mavic Mini. Click here to learn more about how it compares to the Mavic Air 2.

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