Both great drones but which will suit you best?
Update: DJI Mavic 3!
Why not have both Pro AND Zoom functions!
DJI have just announced two very special drones. Each one has a different feature that will appeal to all but you can only choose one! Well, unless you have deep pockets that is.
Saying that though, I was pleasantly surprised by the cost of these two drones considering the spec. I know upwards of £/$1000 is a stretch for many but for what they do, I think it’s pretty cool. Especially from the point of a working professional.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Wow, nice! I wasn't overly impressed with the original Mavic. That was me being picky over the small sensor and various other things. Maybe I was spoiled by the Inspire 1 at that point?
However, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is incredible and I am looking forward to seeing some decent footage from the 4K 10-bit (yes 10-bit) footage!
That is the main difference as far as the Mavic 2 Pro vs the Mavic 2 Zoom goes. Well, apart from the Hasselblad camera that is!!! Yep! The DJI have teamed up with Hasselblad to create a superb, miniature Blad camera and lens for the Mavic. Outstanding!
DJI Mavic Pro 2 Main Features
I don't know where to start…my favourite things:
Hasselblad Camera
Not much to say here other than if the camera lives up to Blad's reputation, sorted! The larger sensor will make a huge difference to image quality all round, including night work. You can see the difference in size here:
Flight time
31 minutes is excellent but 25 minutes is more of a realistic flight time. That is once you take into account conditions such as temperature and wind etc.
Still, I would buy an extra couple of batteries which would give me almost the same flight time as 7 DJI Inspire 1 batteries.
Hyperlapse
This is a superb feature and worth checking out. Hyperlapse’s will give your aerial video work or fun shooting a whole new meaning. They look awesome and this feature is drawing me in…
Adjustable aperture
A real boon for a camera and drone of this size. It could negate the need for an ND filter in some conditions which is cool. Clearer shots too.
10-Bit D-Log-M
The difference between 8-bit and 10-bit is around 984 million colours…that's all. 10-bit is a great addition to this little powerhouse and again, I look forward to seeing some footage.
Overall, this is a sweet little drone and I will no doubt add it to my kit at some point. For me, it will be incredibly useful for those jobs where the Inspire is too big, bulky or slow to set up.
DJI Mavic 2 Zoom
Apart from the differences below, this is effectively the same drone. However, the differences may be enough for you to choose the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom over the DJI Mavic Pro.
DJI Mavic 2 Zoom - Sensor
This drone is geared more towards photography and stealth video I think. The sensor is a fair bit smaller in both megapixel count and size so quality may suffer. Compared to the Pro version anyway and that is why you pay a few hundred Dollars more…
Zoom
This is a huge feature and one that may tip people in favour of the Zoom over the Mavic Pro. Being able to zoom for stills and general video is one thing but the Dolly zoom is something special. It is a technique invented by Alfred Hitchcock and used in films such as the original JAWS.
Amazing and uber-creative!
Round Up - DJI Mavic 2 Pro or Zoom
So, if you are after top quality, 4K, 10-bit video (normally for clients), the Pro is the way to go. That Hasselblad camera has my wallet itching so bad I've had to put it in the fridge.
If you prefer a bit of voyeurism nature work, the zoom lens on the Zoom is incredibly handy.
Other than that, both cameras have the other great features including hyperlapse so choose wisely and fly well my friends!