I can see the Mavic Air 2 just release with two option 12MP or 48MP. So I am wonder its real 48MP? Anyone who has Mavic Air 2. Its big different quality 12 vs 48MP?
Please comment here what your thought about 12 and 48MP

There is only one version when it comes to camera. The same sensor is designed to be used as 12MP or 48MP as it's color resolution is still a quarter of 12MP.

Below is the best article I have seen about the this line of 48MP "Quad Bayer" sensors:

https://www.gsmarena.com/quad_ba ... ined-news-37459.php

I have no affiliation to the site or the author, and the article is not written specifically for Mavic Air 2, but it explains everything you need to know...

Hope this helps...

CemAygun Posted at 4-30 22:03
There is only one version when it comes to camera. The same sensor is designed to be used as 12MP or 48MP as it's color resolution is still a quarter of 12MP.

Below is the best article I have seen about the this line of 48MP "Quad Bayer" sensors:

Very useful article and confirms my thoughts that the 20 MP image you'll get off the 1" sensor on the 2 Pro will be better quality than the 48 MP image from a 1/2" sensor.  Wil be testing this out....
Cheers
Ian

The sensor on the Mavic Air 2 appears to be the same sensor as is used on the EVO II 8K.

according to tests i've seen online, the 48MP photos are slightly better than the M2P's 20MP photos *in good light*. In low-light (where you shouldn't be using the 48MP mode anyway), the M2P will clearly have the edge.

The sensor is a real 48MP sensor, the quad-bayer technology is used to merge 4px into 1px and obtain the 12MP photos. This basically gives you the high res image when there's plenty of light but doesn't leave you with too-small pixels in low light.

https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201807/18-060E/

Full comparison:

It is how this sensor works.

With a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor, Mavic Air 2 captures an impressive 48MP photos. The camera's CMOS sensor uses Quad Bayer color filter array, in which adjacent pixels use the same color, increasing the level of sensitivity when shooting.

Ice_2k Posted at 4-30 23:52
according to tests i've seen online, the 48MP photos are slightly better than the M2P's 20MP photos *in good light*. In low-light (where you shouldn't be using the 48MP mode anyway), the M2P will clearly have the edge.

The sensor is a real 48MP sensor, the quad-bayer technology is used to merge 4px into 1px and obtain the 12MP photos. This basically gives you the high res image when there's plenty of light but doesn't leave you with too-small pixels in low light.

This has been my theory as well. Great to see confirmation.

Don't forget that the image quality is not only the sensor, it's also the optics.
In theory, the resolution of a quad bayer sensor would be close to the resolution of a bayer sensor with the same number of pixels (the information of resolution is given by the luminance, the 2x2 binning in color does not affect a lot the resolution). But the problem is that with pixels of 0.8 micron only :
1/ you need an excellent lens
2/ at 2.8 you get diffraction
For that reason, the 48MP of the MA2 cannot beat the 20MP of the MP2.
The good point is that the chroma noise, which is the most annoying to process, is reduced by the binning. Actually you get a noise of 12MP with a resolution which is in between 12 and 48.
This is without take into account the performances of the lens (distorsion, vignetting, homogeneity of resolution)
It's like hifi, a good CD player is not useful if the loudspeakers are crappy

Montfrooij Posted at 5-1 00:55
It is how this sensor works.

Yes some kind of trickery, but from what i read the results are excellent, there is similar on zoom but It doesn’t shoot in raw where as MA2 does, there are some on you tube you can download .

hallmark007 Posted at 5-1 04:45
Yes some kind of trickery, but from what i read the results are excellent, there is similar on zoom but It doesn’t shoot in raw where as MA2 does, there are some on you tube you can download .

Yes, the results I have seen so far look promising.
Can't wait to see some 'real users' try it out.

you can get a very good test (in french)  and some samples here

https://www.helicomicro.com/2020 ... test-review-savoir/
https://mega.nz/folder/PkoEWQaB#cR9c_8MaOdmCZT-e4Bz6QQ

I would take a look at Tom's Tech Time review... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opq_9qFm9Ts  . If you go to his website as well you can download sample unedited photos. I did and IMO it looks pretty darn good concidering the price.

Thanks for your answer to comment on here thread..Now I understand about the how its work with 48MP on the 12MP...Wish that Drone able to take the real 48MP instead 20MP or Quad Bayer...HA