Hi There,

need to buy a new drone, and while I was considering to buy a mavic pro 2 until now to replace my (RIP) mavic pro 1, the air 2 is now in the place.

And i'm starting to wonder, what if ?

What if the air 2 is enough for my needs. OK, it doesn't have the camera of the mavic pro 2, but camera seems to be similar (better ?) to my old mavic pro 1 camera right ?

Also, I'm concerned with the EU regulation. Mavic pro 2 is 900g+, which might be an issue (or not). With the air 2 and its 500g, no question about these new regulations.  

Finally, what I loved with the mavic pro 2 is its side sensors to avoid collision. But the air 2 has... APAS 3.0

So my questions :
is the air 2 reliable in wind, like my mavic pro 1 was when I used it in iceland :-p , and how does it compared to mavic pro 2 ?
is the APAS 3.0 efficient, and how does it compare to mavic pro 2's APAS 2.0 with side sensors ?
is the camera quality comparable to what I used to have with my mavic pro 1 ?
is the air 2 compatible with my old DJI goggles ?
is the air 2 compatible with the new Smart Controller ?

Overall, should I buy air 2 or pro 2 :-) ?

Many thanks :-)

Is it reliable in wind? yes
Is the Apas 3.0 efficient? Yes--- Apas 2 I think is better because of side and top sensors.
Camera quality comparable to MP1? Yes it's better
MA2 compatible with goggles? Not at the moment.
MA2 compatible with SC? Not at the moment
The last two should happen with a future update.

So my questions :
is the air 2 reliable in wind, like my mavic pro 1 was when I used it in iceland :-p , and how does it compared to mavic pro 2 ?
is the APAS 3.0 efficient, and how does it compare to mavic pro 2's APAS 2.0 with side sensors ?
is the camera quality comparable to what I used to have with my mavic pro 1 ?
is the air 2 compatible with my old DJI goggles ?
is the air 2 compatible with the new Smart Controller ?


Very reliable in the wind.

APAS 3 is big improvement on 2

Camera is much better than M1, but obviously not as good as M2P

Not compatible with goggles now

It has been promised that it will be compatible with SC very soon.

It really depends what you need , Air2 is really good and for most hobbyists very capable, and it’s price is such good value.
M2P, I expect this might drop in price soon, maybe a couple hundred euro, because we may see M3 later this year and Air might detract from sales. But M2P is a great craft for both hobbyists and enthusiasts.

Thanks you for your answers. It sounds like the mavic air 2 is a reasonable and honorable replacement for my beloved mavic pro 1.
And the price difference will allow me to buy the smart controller hehe

I hope goggles support will follow soon, though, not in 2 years or... never :-/

The Air 2 has its own unique qualities but if you want to compare a drone that handles wind etc better then the M2 is heavier so it will be better- if you looking for a portable drone that gives good video and shots with better range and more flight time Air2

On the DJI FAQ's in the Fly App academy it states that the Smart Controller will be compatible with the Mavic Air 2 with a future firmware update but in answer to the question if it is compatible with DJI goggles or goggles RE they simply reply 'no' making no reference to future firmware unlike the SC. This implies that DJI goggles will never be compatible with the Mavic Air 2 and Crystal Sky monitors won't either. However, I think if you have the Smart Controller and it becomes compatible with the MA2 you may be able to use the HDMI from the SC to fly with goggles but how good the transmission will be is yet to be seen, if at all possible. IMO, I wouldn't buy the MA2 if using goggles is high up on your list of priorities.  

In regards to flying in fast wind speeds, the MA2 is surprisingly very stable and retains its air speed quite effectively unlike the original Mavic Pro which slowed down significantly when caught in a gust or the newer Mavic Mini which gets blown around quite heavily. The only considerations when flying the MA2 in stronger winds is that extra battery power is used to maintain it's position and whilst it does this really well you will find the battery drains significantly faster. Extremes of a 30 minute flight time becoming 20 minutes in a strong wind is not an exaggeration on this drone. Also, to compensate for the added degree angle the drone has to tilt at to fight the wind, the gimbal can suddenly drop in n-mode, as it does when using Sport mode.

The Mavic Air 2 has a 1/2" quad bayer image sensor. It can record 4K60 in H.265, 1080p240 in H.265. All other camera settings can record in H.264. It can also take 12mp DNG raw stills, 48mp stills, higher dynamic range 4K video in normal colour profile (which looks fantastic), 8K hyperlapses, 4K panos and has a new SmartPhoto option which blends the image with HDR and photo light giving a beautifully balanced still. The gimbal is also 3 axis motorised and extremely stable in moderate winds with dead flat horizons. Overall, the camera on the MA2 is a vast improvement over the M1P and gives the M2P camera a run for it's money though the latter has a 1" sensor capable of true HLG and 20mp raw stills with a vastly improved low light performance. Whether that is worth paying nearly double the price is a question only you can answer...

Not having omni directional OA is a downgrade but the front and rear OA on the MA2 is improved with APAS 3.0 which clearly avoids obstacles by flying around, under or over to prevent crashing - in my experience it even avoids tree branches now with cm precision. Active track 3.0 is also vastly improved. Not having the side sensors will only be a problem if you like doing orbits with your drone without looking at it in flight - not recommended, even if you have side sensors. If you see the drone flying to the side into a tree or wall then simply press the RTH button and it will pause the mode and break the drones speed in an instant. You should never 100% rely on OA.

Overall, if you love editing H.265 videos, want manual tap to focus, a variable aperture, 10-bit Hasselblad colour science, a 1" sensor and are willing to pay several hundred euros more for the added benefits of having a superior camera then get the M2P. However, the MA2 has a typically longer flight time in light winds, an improved RC (standard remote) with longer range and signal quality, is more compact and portable and offers features that even surpass the M2P whilst also giving out a more than usable 4K video image and excellent stills. I consider the MA2 to be the best drone that DJI has made to date in their Mavic series (except the camera on the M2P) and their best ever drone for under a grand - period!

I sold my Mavic 2 Pro last year but decided to get back into the hobby last month. Having weighed up all of my options I bought the Mavic Air 2 fly more combo and love flying it! It does everything I need as an experienced hobbyist and does not feel like a downgrade. Hope this also helps.

I'm going to give you a different perspective...

I had the Mavic Mini, which was the right price to get me in and to see what it's all about. I've upgraded to the Mavic Air 2, I'm blown away with ocusync, the wifi signal on the Mini was very bad in urban areas.

My problem now is I get my pictures and videos home and although they are great I can't help but wonder how much better the Mavic 2 Pro might be, the bigger sensor and stuff.  The main thing stopping me selling the Mavic Air 2 to get the Mavic 2 Pro is the Mavic 3 that might come out later this year, if not early next year.

paulsusnet Posted at 6-3 12:27
I'm going to give you a different perspective...

I had the Mavic Mini, which was the right price to get me in and to see what it's all about. I've upgraded to the Mavic Air 2, I'm blown away with ocusync, the wifi signal on the Mini was very bad in urban areas.

The main difference is photographs, with video although it has 10 bit D log Against 8 bit 60fps 4k plus cine like and HDR, it will depend on how much work your prepared to put in. A lot to make use of 10 bit, but with Air workflow is a lot smaller for similar results.
I would definitely wait for M3, even if you don’t buy it you will more than likely pick up an M2P pretty cheap and until then what you have is pretty good.

For me it all comes down to $$$
If you can justify and can afford dropping $2K on M2P fly more, Get it - I would. It is a proven system that have all the kinks iron out already, and you don't need to be a beta tester, listening to all the complaints around you, like the MA2 is at the moment ( though I am sure that the MA2 kinks will be iron out too in the future )
Me, personally, I am ok with half the price the MA2 offer me with probably 80% of the capability of the M2P but with everything I personally need so I can't, and probably will never be able to justify the $2K price tag (unless I get payed for what I do with it.
Same for DSLR - would you buy the Nikon D6, D850 or D780 for that matter?

It's all about slowly upgrading through the models, selling what you have and then adding the difference in cash.

That way each time you upgrade you can kid yourself that you didn't spend that much haha.

Hello there cho7. Thank you for reaching out and for the inquiry. With regards to the inquiries. Please check Woe post on post #2. In addition I will post a link where in you can compare the specifications of both the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and the DJI Mavic Air 2 and with other DJI Consumer drones as well ( https://www.dji.com/products/com ... ndsite&from=nav ). Thank you for choosing DJI and please stay safe always.

Be aware none of the drones currently have an EU classification, so when the new rules start they will fall into the legacy category and you'll be restricted where you can fly.

DAFlys Posted at 6-4 00:39
Be aware none of the drones currently have an EU classification, so when the new rules start they will fall into the legacy category and you'll be restricted where you can fly.

Unless you take the A2 CofC course which can be achieved in one-day, costs a couple of hundred quid and permits you to fly a legacy-transitional drone weighing less than 2kg in the A2 subcategory for at least the next two years with less restrictions than the current drone code and the ability to fly commercially in that category without further permissions. However, I never fly my drones within 150m of congested areas or near large groups of people anyway so the A3 subcategory looks fair enough and there is no date limitation on that one or need to sit the CofC course to fly within it. I wouldn't not buy this MA2 because of the new class laws which may come out in five months time. I've already flown the MA2 12 times in 6 locations totalling over five hours of solid flight time across North London and Herts - not one person has approached me to check my op and flyer ID's, let alone weigh it!   

A J Posted at 6-4 01:22
Unless you take the A2 CofC course which can be achieved in one-day, costs a couple of hundred quid and permits you to fly a legacy-transitional drone weighing less than 2kg in the A2 subcategory for at least the next two years with less restrictions than the current drone code and the ability to fly commercially in that category without further permissions. However, I never fly my drones within 150m of congested areas or near large groups of people anyway so the A3 subcategory looks fair enough and there is no date limitation on that one or need to sit the CofC course to fly within it. I wouldn't not buy this MA2 because of the new class laws which may come out in five months time. I've already flown the MA2 12 times in 6 locations totalling over five hours of solid flight time across North London and Herts - not one person has approached me to check my op and flyer ID's, let alone weigh it!

It will be interesting to see if they ever enforce the new rules,  but not being able to fly in recreational areas might be a bit limiting as that counts out parks etc, I can live without flying near commercial and residential but recreational areas will be very limiting.  I don't know why they aren't do the classifications of the new drones yet.

DAFlys Posted at 6-4 01:34
It will be interesting to see if they ever enforce the new rules,  but not being able to fly in recreational areas might be a bit limiting as that counts out parks etc, I can live without flying near commercial and residential but recreational areas will be very limiting.  I don't know why they aren't do the classifications of the new drones yet.

If you look at the details of the EASA classifications it states any drones that came to market before 01 July 2022. So based on that any drone released in the next two years may be legacy-transitional too. I think to qualify for the classification the drone needs a new feature which specifically restricts airspeed to 3.5MPH (not tripod mode) as at that speed you can fly a C1 drone within 5m of people not in your control and I'm sure they will need to have remote ID enabled too. May be that is why DJI didn't bother with AirSense here as having it won't conform to the CE ratings anyway and with limited receivers in stock it wouldn't be worth holding back the European release. Just my opinion to make sense of it all.

I'm just going to enjoy this drone over the summer and early autumn then consider all of my options at the end of the year when the clocks go back and it's dark when I'm still at work anyway. Interesting times ahead.

Thanks you all for your very insightful messages. A J, I need to accuse someone for this, and you are officially guilty : Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo successfully ordered.


Can't wait :-)