Looking for:
DJI Mavic 2 Zoom: More Useful Than You Think - DJI Guides.Dji Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCES? | Drone technology, Mavic, Drones concept
Dji mavic 2 zoom speed test
Filming groups of people with drones can be tricky due to the minimum flying distances required by law, but the Mavic 2 Zoom solves this thanks to its optical zoom lens. Throw in DJI's sophisticated flight modes and the Mavic 2 Zoom's lightweight, foldable design and you have a drone that remains one of the best and most versatile out there. The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom is a slightly different take on the high-end consumer drone — rather than the large, one-inch sensor seen on its Mavic 2 Pro sibling, it packs a 2x optical zoom lens.
This was a pretty novel approach when both drones launched in August — we're used to seeing camera manufacturers introduce slightly different variants on the same body design, but this was a new strategy for drones and reflected their growing status as serious photographic tools, rather than just sky-based playthings.
Both the Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro remain senior figures in DJI's consumer drone lineup, so what's the case for buying this optical zoom variant? As its name suggests, this drone features an optical zoom lens with a smaller sensor than the Mavic 2 Pro, but it's particularly handy for aerial photographers who need to get closer to their subjects than current drone laws allow.
It's not simply about getting closer either — a zoom lens brings with it creative opportunities that simply aren't possible with a prime lens. Apart from their cameras, the two Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro are identical and offer a range of improvements over their predecessor, the Mavic Pro. The question is, should you go for the 20MP one-inch sensor model or the one with a 12MP sensor and optical zoom lens? Let's find out. The Mavic 2 Zoom offers the same foldable design as the Mavic 2 Pro, which means the drone can be easily folded down to almost half of its flying size for transportation.
Add the fact that it weighs only g and it quickly becomes clear how portable this drone actually is. The Mavic 2 Zoom's body is compact and rectangular — its front arms rotate outwards, while the rear arms twist up and into position. It's well worth using the bundled gimbal guard when you're carrying the drone in between shoots, because it can be a little vulnerable when left unprotected.
To turn on the Zoom you just press and hold the button on the top of the battery. The Mavic 2 Zoom has the same controller as its Mavic 2 Pro sibling.
This has room for smartphones of all sizes up to a max length of mm, or max thickness of 8. With the DJI Go 4 app installed on your phone, this will allow you to access drone settings, take control of the camera and see the camera view. You can control the drone in flight by using the two joysticks — anyone who has used a radio-controlled car in the past will feel relatively at home here. Naturally, the moves you'll be pulling off will differ from an RC car, though, so it's worth familiarizing yourself with them before your first flight.
As well as the joysticks, there are a number of direct access controls that can be used to control the gimbal, camera zoom and exposure. Most camera controls are accessed via the DJI Go 4 app, though, which is an incredibly well laid out and intuitive bit of software.
Anyone who is familiar with even a compact camera will feel comfortable here as the camera controls are similar to those of a premium compact. In total, there are 11 direct access controls that can be configured to your liking. In 'Atti Mode', drones will hold their altitude but can be blown out of position by the wind, so GPS mode is incredibly useful. Another handy safety feature is collision avoidance, which uses omnidirectional obstacle sensing to help you to avoid crashing.
Collision avoidance will in many but not all cases, make the controller produce visual and audio warnings to alert you to potential danger, while the drone will brake to avoid a collision when you get too close to an object. When the battery gets to the lowest point possible the drone will land wherever it is and this is far from ideal. The three main manual flying modes can be accessed from within the DJI Go 4 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 allows it to fly at its fastest speed.
All of these can be achieved manually, and the results are often better when achieved this way, but to get you started 'intelligent flight modes' take control of a number of filming and flying maneuvers for you. Stills shooting modes are more about in-camera shooting modes than intelligent flight modes, with the exception of Pano which does take care of flying for you.
One thing to consider is that scenes with moving elements may not merge together well regardless of whether you use the in-camera JPEG or blend Raw files manually. This is incredibly useful for getting closer to people when photographing or filming them, and this alone could be a deciding factor for many people who are in the market for a drone. For videographers, this does mean any exposure changes while flying will require the changing of ND filters to maintain the desired shutter speed.
But this is, of course, balanced against the ability to zoom into subjects, maintain a safe working distance from the subject, and to perform special camera movements such as dolly zoom see below.
Before we tested it next to the Mavic 2 Pro, we'd assumed that the Zoom's image quality would be very limited in comparison to its sibling, but this really wasn't the case. The main differences between the two simply come down to sensor size, resolution and the conundrum of aperture control on the Mavic 2 Pro versus a zoom lens here.
Video can be shot in the video equivalent of JPEG, using picture profiles to set color styles, if you simply want to be able to download your footage from the memory card without the need for color grading. In terms of video formats, video can be shot in 4K at up to 30p including both 24p or 25p options , 2.
Like its sibling, the Mavic 2 Zoom remains the best consumer drone for anyone who needs pro-level footage from a travel-friendly form factor. Deciding between this and the Mavic 2 Pro depends on the kind of subjects you're likely to shoot. If you don't mind having a fixed 24mm focal length — and this wide-angle field of view does well for most aerial photography — then your might prefer the Mavic 2 Pro's slightly superior image quality.
But for situations where you need a tighter shot of a subject, whether that's a person or an inanimate object, the Zoom lets you shoot some great stills or video while staying within the law's minimum distances for people and buildings. If most of your drone shooting is likely to involve crowds, whether that's at weddings or sporting events, then the Zoom is likely the best choice for you. The Mavic 2 Zoom is easy to fly thanks to its onboard tech, and the intelligent flight modes make certain video effects possible at the touch of a button.
Image quality, for both stills and video, is also good enough for professional use despite the small sensor, but the real jewel in the Mavic 2 Zoom's crown is that optical zoom lens. In this sense, it remains pretty unique in the field of folding, consumer drones.
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. North America. Home Reviews Cameras. TechRadar Verdict. Image 1 of 4. Image 1 of 5. James Abbott opens in new tab opens in new tab.
No comments:
Post a Comment