two minute review
Despite the arrival of the smaller DJI Mini 3 Pro, the DJI Air 2S is still one of the best drones you can buy. Although the name suggests a step-by-step upgrade from the older Mavic Air 2, there are plenty of upgrades on the Air 2S for all types of drone pilots, including, most importantly, a 1-inch sensor that's been packed into an incredibly compact drone. .
That 20-inch 1MP sensor is the main feature of the Air 2S and gives it a slight edge over the Mini 3 Pro, which has a 1/1.3-inch sensor. Compared to the Mavic Air 2, you get better image quality and better high ISO response. Air 2S also allows you to shoot 5.4K video at 30 fps, along with 4K at up to 60 fps, as well as 1080p at up to 120 fps, opening up significant creative potential for aerial videographers.
One of the main differences between the Air 2S and the Mini 3 Pro is the size and weight of the respective drones. At 595g, the Air 2S weighs only 25g more than the Mavic Air 2, despite its improved cameras. However, the Mini 3 Pro is significantly lighter at 249g, which also puts it in a different class of drone. In some regions, such as Europe, the Air 2S may have higher flight restrictions than the Mini 3 Pro, as it is not a sub-250g drone and does not (again) have one of the region's newer CE class markings. .
- DJI Air 2S on Amazon for €999 (opens in a new tab)
Still, the Air 2S is packed with useful features that can help override drone law restrictions. For example, there's digital zoom, which starts at 4x with 4K video at 30fps and goes up to 8x with 1080p at 30fps. This feature may not sound very exciting, but with laws governing how far drones can fly safely (no closer than 50m, in most cases), it allows you to get as close as possible while maintaining this safe distance. For professional drone pilots, this could be an extremely useful feature, and for enthusiasts, it will open the door to more creative photos and videos.
Image quality is also excellent overall, and noise levels at high ISO settings are much better than the Mavic Pro 2. However, images are a bit softer around the edges and the aperture is fixed. at f/2.8, so the only way to control exposure during video recording is by using ND filters.
Like the Mavic Air 2 Fly More Pack, the Air 2S Fly More Pack also includes four ND filters, so we recommend getting that if you can. Overall, we think the Air 2S remains one of the best drones you can buy, thanks to its combination of a large 1-inch sensor and compact, travel-friendly dimensions. It's not as small as the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which is also a great drone. But if you like aerial images, this is one of the best video cameras you can buy right now. Read on for our full DJI Air 2S review.
DJI Air 2S price and release date
- Announced April 15, 2021
- Standard kit costs € 899 / € 999 / AU € 1699
- Fly More package costs € 1,169 / € 1,299 / AU € 2,099
The DJI Air 2S is now available for purchase at the Official DJI Store and many other retailers.
As is often the case with DJI drones, the Air 2S is available as a standard kit or a Fly More bundle. The standard kit includes the drone, controller, battery, propellers, charger, and all cables, and costs $999 / £899 / AU$1699.
It's the same as its introductory price, so it's definitely worth keeping an eye out for Black Friday deals and Black Friday drone deals. Given its age, we're likely to see the Air 2S get discounts during the sales season.
The Fly More bundle is an excellent value at $1,169 / £1,299 / AU$2,099 because, in addition to getting everything in the standard kit, you also get two extra batteries, a charging hub for three batteries, a shoulder strap, and a set of four. ND filters.
As always, the Fly More package offers the best value, since getting all those extras separately would cost a lot more. Also, just about everything in general is essential, because one battery is never enough, and if you're planning to shoot video, you'll need ND filters to keep shutter speed in control. As for the shoulder bag, you will definitely need something to carry your drone and accessories.
We often see Fly More bundles receive discounts during the sale season, so look out for the Air 2S in DJI's Black Friday sales, either at DJI's own sales or at retailers.
DJI Air 2S review: Design and controller
- The Air 2S weighs just 595g
- It has a compact and foldable design.
- It also has the same controller as the Mavic Air 2
On the outside, the Air 2S looks a lot like the Mavic Air 2, with just a few subtle differences. Unsurprisingly, it features the foldable design that Mavic drones are known for (although DJI has now dropped the Mavic name). The front arms pivot, while the rear arms rotate down and out to fly and help keep the drone highly transportable.
The Air 2S is small at just 180 × 97 × 80mm when folded and 183 × 253 × 77mm when unfolded. It's barely different from its predecessor, but has a folded length that's 4mm shorter than the Mavic Air 2. And at just 595g, the Air 2S weighs just over half the weight of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and just 25g. heavier than Air. . 2, which is very impressive considering its larger camera.
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(Image credit: future)(Image credit: future)(Image credit: future)The controller is the same one you get with the Mavic Air 2. Unlike the Mavic 2 Pro controller, however, it's not foldable and weighs over 393g. Although it connects to the aircraft faster than the Mavic 2 controller, it unfortunately doesn't offer a simple screen displaying basic flight and camera information.
With no folding arms to hold a phone, the phone attaches to the top of the controller via a telescoping handle, and the joysticks are stored in rubber-covered sections at the bottom of the controller. It's a comfortable controller to use, but it's a shame that it's bigger and heavier than the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom controller.
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(Image credit: future)(Image credit: future)(Image credit: future)Still, the extra size of the controller isn't the end of the world, and the combined size and weight of the drone and its controller is still small. A basic screen to display information would be helpful, but not essential, as well as some additional programmable FN (function) buttons on the back of the controller.
DJI Air 2S Specifications
Sensor Size: 1-inch CMOS
Resolution: 20MP
Lens: 22mm f/2.8 (35mm equivalent)
Gimbal: 3 axis
Maximum video resolution: 5.4K/30 pixels
Maximum Throughput: 150Mbps
Transmission system: Ocusync 3
Weight: 595g
Dimensions: 180x97x77mm (folded)
Flight time: 31 minutes
This relatively basic controller means that all camera controls, except activating the shutter, switching between video and stills, and anything else you program to the FN button, must be done through the DJI Fly app.
Again, this is the same setting on the Mavic Air 2, except tripod mode is now called "cinema mode" and is labeled as such on the flight mode switch, as well as offering normal and sports modes.
DJI Air 2S review: Features and flight
- Enhanced security features
- A new MasterShots flight mode
- Actual flight times around 20 minutes.
Flying the DJI Air 2S is extremely easy, and even safe, thanks to the flight features for which the Mavic series has become famous. Whether you're an absolute beginner or a seasoned expert, flight modes, automated video modes, collision avoidance, and manual flight controls provide the assistance you need.
The Air 2S has all the camera features you'd expect, including single shot, timed photo, AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing), HDR, panoramas, and hyperlapse. Plus, there's a new SmartPhoto mode that saves full-resolution photos using scene analysis and deep learning to automatically choose the best of three options: HDR, Hyperlight, and Scene Recognition for your image.
This is great for photography beginners who want to capture a high-quality image with minimal effort, but not so much for more advanced users. However, if you capture still images in RAW + JPEG mode, the JPEG will be processed as SmartPhoto while the RAW file will not be processed, so you can edit it yourself if you want.
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(Image credit: future)(Image credit: future)(Image credit: future)Video users also get the usual QuickShots, which are DJI's automated camera movements; For example, choose "Boomerang" and the drone will automatically circle around you. Apparently these were upgraded to the Air 2S, although we didn't notice much of a difference during testing, it just worked. These modes include Rocket, Circle, Dronie, Helix, and Asteroid, and are another big plus for beginners looking to shoot professional-quality video quickly.
The Air 2S also has an improved FocusTrack mode, which includes several programmed modes where you draw a box around your subject and the drone will follow. Plus, there's Spotlight 2.0, where the pilot controls the flight of the drone, while the camera locks and follows the subject in the frame.
The new MasterShots mode looks exciting on paper and produces an interesting result. But perhaps it's more of a showcase of all the QuickShots in a single video, rather than something to use regularly. You'll probably try it a few times, then switch to QuickShots or manual flight control to capture more unique camera movements.
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(Image credit: future)(Image credit: future)(Image credit: future)With MasterShots, you select a subject in the app by drawing a rectangle or square around it, then press the start button. The drone will then perform various maneuvers with a countdown indicating its progress. The drone will automatically select a capture mode to record the video, then when finished, you can add themes in the DJI Fly app to create a video to share.
In terms of safety features, the Mavic Air 2S offers front, rear, bottom and top obstacles...