**Hands-On First Look: DJI Mavic Air 2**

As I held the DJI Mavic Air 2 in my hands, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. With its sleek design and impressive features, this drone is sure to revolutionize the world of aerial photography and videography. But, how does it stack up against its predecessor? Let's dive into the features and see what makes the Mavic Air 2 a worthy successor.

**Key Flight Specs**

The Mavic Air 2 is slightly larger than its predecessor, weighing in at 570 grams, but it's not all about size - this drone packs a punch when it comes to flight time. Gone are the days of short flights and worrying about running out of juice mid-air. The Mavic Air 2 boasts a max flight time of 34 minutes without wind, which is a significant increase from its predecessor's 21-minute limit. I was able to squeeze in roughly 32 minutes of flight time before it forced a landing, and I have to say, that feeling of freedom and exhilaration was incredible.

Another notable feature of the Mavic Air 2 is its increased max video transmission range, now up to 10 kilometers from the controller. That's more than double the range of its predecessor, making it perfect for capturing stunning footage in a variety of environments. And, despite its size increase, the drone still manages to maintain its top speed of 68 km/h in Sports mode.

**The New Controller**

One of the most noticeable changes with the Mavic Air 2 is its new controller. Gone is the awkward phone placement - instead, the controls are now clipped up on top, making it more comfortable and easier to use. The removable sticks are stored at the bottom, and you simply pull them out and twist them in to get started. The front of the controller features a switch that lets you move between Normal, Tripod, and Sports modes with ease. A programmable function button up top allows you to customize your flight experience, while a dial on the back controls the camera's tilt angle. There's also a trigger for capturing video or photos, as well as a button to switch between video and photo modes.

But what really sets this controller apart is its speaker, which provides loud and clear system warnings when something goes wrong. The larger size of the controller is nice and comfortable too, making it perfect for extended flights.

**The New Camera**

One of the most significant upgrades in the Mavic Air 2 is its new camera. Gone is the older sensor, replaced by a brand-new, larger half-inch image sensor that captures stunning 12 or 48 megapixel photos and 4K video at an impressive 60 frames per second. The result is smooth, silky footage with incredible detail and clarity. The camera also records in HDR, giving you more options for post-production editing.

The Mavic Air 2 can also record in 4K at 30 frames per second, which helps balance out cloud coverage and brings up shadow detail. And, for the first time ever on a consumer drone, the air 2 can do full HD slow-motion video at 120 or 240 frames per second.

**Active Track and Obstacle Avoidance**

The Mavic Air 2 features an updated version of DJI's Active Track system, which allows you to track subjects with ease. Simply draw a box around the subject, and the drone will stay locked on it, even in complex environments with multiple obstacles. The new and improved active track feature now includes obstacle avoidance, allowing the drone to expertly navigate through dense foliage or narrow openings.

**SmartServ and AirSense**

Another safety feature that sets the Mavic Air 2 apart from its predecessor is SmartServ, a system that helps prevent accidents by analyzing your flight path in real-time. The drone will detect obstacles and automatically adjust course to avoid them, giving you more peace of mind during flights.

But that's not all - DJI has also added AirSense, a new feature that receives DSB signals from airplanes and helicopters, providing you with notifications on your screen when there's air traffic in your area. This is a huge safety upgrade and shows just how seriously DJI takes safety in its drones.

**Auxiliary Light**

Finally, the Mavic Air 2 comes equipped with an auxiliary light on the bottom of the drone, which can be toggled on or off via the function button on the controller. This feature is perfect for flying at night or in low-light conditions, as it helps the sensors on the bottom to improve accuracy and visibility.

**Conclusion**

Two years after its predecessor launched, the Mavic Air 2 is a significant upgrade over its predecessor. With its better camera, longer flight time, and advanced safety features like SmartServ and AirSense, this drone is sure to revolutionize the world of aerial photography and videography. And at $800, it's still an affordable option for anyone looking to take their drone game to the next level. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, the DJI Mavic Air 2 is definitely worth considering.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enif you follow drone news and rumors at all you probably already know what this is it's DJ dies Mavic heir to the company says it's its smartest consumer drone ever it has a longer battery life than the original and a longer range than the original comes with an all-new controller and it has a brand new camera in front everything's new SEP for the price actually the price is still $800 for the controller drone in one battery I got to test it out for a couple days unfortunately it was raining most of that time and with cope 19 shutdowns it was limited where I could fly plus it takes two hours to charge the battery so it was only able to get a little flight time in so consider this an early hands-on first look kind of thing at this and not an official full review let's dive into the features so let's talk key flight specs for a second the Maverick air 2 is slightly larger than the original air and heavier at 570 grams its flight time is actually better though going up from 21 minutes to a max flight time of 34 minutes without wind I got roughly 32 minutes before it forced a landing it's max video transmission range has increased to from 4 kilometers to ten kilometers and despite the size increase it keeps its top speed of 68 km/h in sports mode before I go deeper into the drone let me show you this new controller it's larger than the last and instead of your phone awkwardly sandwiched below the controls it's now clipped up top the removable sticks are stored in the bottom so you just pull them out and twist them in you've got a switch here front and center for moving from normal to the slower tripod or faster sports modes there's a programmable function button up here I turn it to the back and you've got a dial for tilting the camera there's a trigger for capturing video or photos and a button here for switching between the video and photo modes DJI even added a speaker to the back so you'll hear system warnings loud and clear the larger size is nice and comfortable too now on to that new camera it's been overhauled with a new larger half inch image sensor that captures 12 or 48 megapixel photos and 4k video at 60 frames per second which is a first firm Mavic drone and of course everything looks super smooth with its three axis motorized stabilizer the 4k video records at a higher bitrate of a hundred and twenty megabits per second and it shows in the amount of detail you'll see in the video it can also record in HDR and 4k at 30 frames per second which helps balance out things like clouds where you'd normally lose some detail and highlights as well as bringing up shadow detail the air too can do full HD slow-motion too at 120 or 240 frames per second it's nice to have the 240 option but it seems to come with a dip in video quality going with the 120 frames per second mode looked really good and it didn't drop as much detail one other new option is the 8k resolution hyperlapse but it wasn't available to test it'll be rolled out in firmware updates in May and June like the original the air 2 can be used to track subjects you can just draw a box around the subject and it will stay locked on them DJI updated this feature called active track for improved subject recognition and obstacle avoidance so you can have somebody walk through trees or other obstacles and the drone will automatically go over or around them it may struggle with mayor branch's still but at least in my initial test it worked as promised this model also has a spotlight option so you can control the drone even while it's tracking so the camera is always locked on your subject no matter how you fly it you are able to do automated flight paths around a targeted point of interest too part of the reason it's able to do all that is the sensors on the front back in bottom what DJI calls its advanced pilot assistance system this allows you to worry less about running into objects or people because the drone will find its own path around or over them or it will just stop entirely and you get audible and visual warnings the whole time from the app and the controller so the a pass system helps with not crashing into people or things but then there's another system that DJI added for the first time in a consumer drone called air sense that receives a DSB signals from airplanes and helicopters and this gives you a notification on your screen so you know when there's air traffic in your area there is one more safety feature that DJI put in this model and it's an auxilary light on the bottom out of the box it's tied to that function button on the controller so you just tap that and you can turn it on and off without digging around and the settings are tapping on your screen that light will help you fly at night or in dusk when you're trying to land it helps the sensors on the bottom but it also helps you see it in the sky while you're flying so two years on since the original launched and you're now getting a better camera better flight time longer range new controller that's much more comfortable it's just all around a better package and it's still eight hundred dollars plus it still folds up tiny and you can just toss it in your bag and take it just about anywhereif you follow drone news and rumors at all you probably already know what this is it's DJ dies Mavic heir to the company says it's its smartest consumer drone ever it has a longer battery life than the original and a longer range than the original comes with an all-new controller and it has a brand new camera in front everything's new SEP for the price actually the price is still $800 for the controller drone in one battery I got to test it out for a couple days unfortunately it was raining most of that time and with cope 19 shutdowns it was limited where I could fly plus it takes two hours to charge the battery so it was only able to get a little flight time in so consider this an early hands-on first look kind of thing at this and not an official full review let's dive into the features so let's talk key flight specs for a second the Maverick air 2 is slightly larger than the original air and heavier at 570 grams its flight time is actually better though going up from 21 minutes to a max flight time of 34 minutes without wind I got roughly 32 minutes before it forced a landing it's max video transmission range has increased to from 4 kilometers to ten kilometers and despite the size increase it keeps its top speed of 68 km/h in sports mode before I go deeper into the drone let me show you this new controller it's larger than the last and instead of your phone awkwardly sandwiched below the controls it's now clipped up top the removable sticks are stored in the bottom so you just pull them out and twist them in you've got a switch here front and center for moving from normal to the slower tripod or faster sports modes there's a programmable function button up here I turn it to the back and you've got a dial for tilting the camera there's a trigger for capturing video or photos and a button here for switching between the video and photo modes DJI even added a speaker to the back so you'll hear system warnings loud and clear the larger size is nice and comfortable too now on to that new camera it's been overhauled with a new larger half inch image sensor that captures 12 or 48 megapixel photos and 4k video at 60 frames per second which is a first firm Mavic drone and of course everything looks super smooth with its three axis motorized stabilizer the 4k video records at a higher bitrate of a hundred and twenty megabits per second and it shows in the amount of detail you'll see in the video it can also record in HDR and 4k at 30 frames per second which helps balance out things like clouds where you'd normally lose some detail and highlights as well as bringing up shadow detail the air too can do full HD slow-motion too at 120 or 240 frames per second it's nice to have the 240 option but it seems to come with a dip in video quality going with the 120 frames per second mode looked really good and it didn't drop as much detail one other new option is the 8k resolution hyperlapse but it wasn't available to test it'll be rolled out in firmware updates in May and June like the original the air 2 can be used to track subjects you can just draw a box around the subject and it will stay locked on them DJI updated this feature called active track for improved subject recognition and obstacle avoidance so you can have somebody walk through trees or other obstacles and the drone will automatically go over or around them it may struggle with mayor branch's still but at least in my initial test it worked as promised this model also has a spotlight option so you can control the drone even while it's tracking so the camera is always locked on your subject no matter how you fly it you are able to do automated flight paths around a targeted point of interest too part of the reason it's able to do all that is the sensors on the front back in bottom what DJI calls its advanced pilot assistance system this allows you to worry less about running into objects or people because the drone will find its own path around or over them or it will just stop entirely and you get audible and visual warnings the whole time from the app and the controller so the a pass system helps with not crashing into people or things but then there's another system that DJI added for the first time in a consumer drone called air sense that receives a DSB signals from airplanes and helicopters and this gives you a notification on your screen so you know when there's air traffic in your area there is one more safety feature that DJI put in this model and it's an auxilary light on the bottom out of the box it's tied to that function button on the controller so you just tap that and you can turn it on and off without digging around and the settings are tapping on your screen that light will help you fly at night or in dusk when you're trying to land it helps the sensors on the bottom but it also helps you see it in the sky while you're flying so two years on since the original launched and you're now getting a better camera better flight time longer range new controller that's much more comfortable it's just all around a better package and it's still eight hundred dollars plus it still folds up tiny and you can just toss it in your bag and take it just about anywhere\n"