The Ji Air 2s is the last flying king camera and the one that seems to combine the best parts of two predecessors – the DJI Mavic Air 2 and the MAVIC 2 PRO MAVIC 2 PROJer 2 Pro. So, exactly this compares itself, since it has the same size sensor and many of the same features?
Before going into depth on the Dji Air 2S VS Mavic 2 Pro debate, go back a bit and to see where we come from. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro was released in mid-2018 and astonished photographers and videographers with its combination of a 1-inch sensor and an adjustable opening, while in a lightweight and portable package. Previously, a 1-inch sensor was only available in the Ji Phantom 4 Pro, which is a considerably larger and heavier drone that is much less portable.
Fast forward to April this year, however, and we saw the liberation of the DJI Air 2s; Early monitoring of Ji Mavic Air 2, but with a big difference. In addition to several upgrades and new features, the most significant upgrade has been adding a 1-inch sensor to an even smaller and lighter drone than the MAVIC 2 PROJ.
While most drone drivers did not think it would be possible so early, Ji again managed to surprise and amaze us all. But does it mean that you should definitely dodue for an AIR 2SJi, or are there still reasons to go for the Mavic 2 Pro? Let’s find out.
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Dji Air 2s vs Mavic 2 Pro: Design and Controller
Both drones use the same folding design
The Mavic 2 Pro is 312g heavier than the air 2s
The Mavic Air 2s uses a larger controller
These two folding drones seem very similar, both threaded and unfolded. In fact, there is not a huge difference in size, with the measurement Dji Mavic 2 Pro 214 × 91 × 84mm and weighing 907g, compared to the air MAVIC 2S to 180 × 97 × 80 mm and weighing 595g.
In your kit bag, you will always need the same amount of space to transport either drone, but the air 2 is a crucial 312g lighter. When the drones are unfolded, the size difference is upper, with the Mavic 2 Pro 2 322 × 242 × 84mm, compared to the 2S ‘183 × 253 × 77mm air dimensions, but it is so important to a Practical point of view.
Additional weight savings can be found in the batteries, with the smallest DJI Air 2S batteries weighing 198g compared to 297g for Mavic 2 Pro. If you wear the drone and three batteries, the air 2 is greater than 500g lighter than the MAVIC 2 PRO, which is impressive considering the fact that they both have a 1-inch sensor.
Both batteries are also announced as having a flight time of up to 31 minutes without wind. Although this is unrealistic in the real world, it is impressive that a much smaller and clearer battery can perform as well as its largest counterpart.
The controller for the air 2 does not fold like the Mavic 2 Pro controller and is considerably larger, which is a curious movement for a smaller drone and slightly denies some of these benefits. The other differences on the Air 2S controller include the absence of a small LCD screen to display flight and camera information, as well as a different system for mounting a phone to the controller.