Testing out the digital zoom on the Mavic Air 2 following yesterdays firmware update. This pan was recorded in 1080p@30p in x4 digital zoom with the DJI ND32 filter. This was exported straight from my iPhone to skypixel to here so not even off the micro SD card (worst possible image quality you will get off this drone yet still not too bad). It's an awesome feature to have. Will take a bit of practice with yaw speeds as its very sensitive in max zoom.

Be sure to watch in 1080p and yep, this is totally unedited

Looks good

Woe Posted at 8-11 05:37
Looks good

Considering how far away the houses were the detail is awesome. I really pleased to have this feature on the drone. Looks even nicer off the SD card

A J Posted at 8-11 05:39
Considering how far away the houses were the detail is awesome. I really pleased to have this feature on the drone. Looks even nicer off the SD card

This will make it easier to get those close up shots. Especially because
you guys can't fly to close to buildings and people.

Woe Posted at 8-11 05:44
This will make it easier to get those close up shots. Especially because
you guys can't fly to close to buildings and people.

50m away but with that much of a crop in flight that rule will be pointless TBH I'll fly over people and buildings when I feel its safe.

Hey!!! Is that my daughter!!!???  Any post on this clip?

Akirasho Posted at 8-11 06:14
Hey!!! Is that my daughter!!!???  Any post on this clip?

.

To give an idea of the distance of the zoom the video started from the other side of the wood in the front of this image

Hello there A J. Thank you for testing the new Zoom feature of the DJI Mavic Air 2 and for posting this wonderful video you have created. Again, thank you for your support and keep on flying.

DJI Stephen Posted at 8-11 19:34
Hello there A J. Thank you for testing the new Zoom feature of the DJI Mavic Air 2 and for posting this wonderful video you have created. Again, thank you for your support and keep on flying.

Thanks Stephen

A J Posted at 8-11 22:55
Thanks Stephen

Hi there A J. You are very much welcome and thank you for the reply. Have a safe and a happy flying always.

DJI Stephen Posted at 8-14 01:21
Hi there A J. You are very much welcome and thank you for the reply. Have a safe and a happy flying always.

.

I can see this feature being useful when catching something unexpected on the ground, in my case moose, deer, bears, etc (not Akirasho's daughter !! )  My original purpose for a camera drone was to explore the 108 acres of our property, as its mostly thick as a jungle on the ground, there are still a few spots I have yet to visit, and this will allow me to surveil them without having to get down to tree top level. Much safer.

I could not help thinking that your test footage Andy was reminiscent of 1970s television footage (at least here in the NTSC world)...  kinda retro!  Cool.

Northwood Posted at 8-14 05:29
I can see this feature being useful when catching something unexpected on the ground, in my case moose, deer, bears, etc (not Akirasho's daughter !! )  My original purpose for a camera drone was to explore the 108 acres of our property, as its mostly thick as a jungle on the ground, there are still a few spots I have yet to visit, and this will allow me to surveil them without having to get down to tree top level. Much safer.

I could not help thinking that your test footage Andy was reminiscent of 1970s television footage (at least here in the NTSC world)...  kinda retro!  Cool.

It's the worst video quality you will see out of the MA2.
1080p in x4 digital zoom, H.264 codec with no editing, exported directly from my phone to sky pixel to the forum lol It doesn't get worse but, still able to see the details.
Record in 4K x2 zoom, import from the Micro SD card and view on a 4K screen - it looks REALLY impressive and very 2020.

A J Posted at 8-14 06:36
It's the worst video quality you will see out of the MA2.
1080p in x4 digital zoom, H.264 codec with no editing, exported directly from my phone to sky pixel to the forum lol It doesn't get worse but, still able to see the details.
Record in 4K x2 zoom, import from the Micro SD card and view on a 4K screen - it looks REALLY impressive and very 2020.

When you say import from the SD card, downloading straight to phone via Wi-Fi (without removing the card from its slot) will still provide you with the same quality, correct? Drone => SkyPixel => DJI forum way is about compression, right? Just making sure Thanks!

filipgregor1 Posted at 8-15 03:31
When you say import from the SD card, downloading straight to phone via Wi-Fi (without removing the card from its slot) will still provide you with the same quality, correct? Drone => SkyPixel => DJI forum way is about compression, right? Just making sure  Thanks!

No, the files from the SD card imported directly to a computer and viewed directly on that computer or a 4K monitor will be far better quality than exporting the footage from the video cache on the phone. The files from the phone are recorded directly from the live transmission feed which is 1080p only. The files from the SD card are what resolution you choose in the camera settings up to 4K.   

A J Posted at 8-15 03:37
No, the files from the SD card imported directly to a computer and viewed directly on that computer or a 4K monitor will be far better quality than exporting the footage from the video cache on the phone. The files from the phone are recorded directly from the live transmission feed which is 1080p only. The files from the SD card are what resolution you choose in the camera settings up to 4K.

Appreciate the clarification, cheers.

Northwood Posted at 8-14 05:29
I can see this feature being useful when catching something unexpected on the ground, in my case moose, deer, bears, etc (not Akirasho's daughter !! )  My original purpose for a camera drone was to explore the 108 acres of our property, as its mostly thick as a jungle on the ground, there are still a few spots I have yet to visit, and this will allow me to surveil them without having to get down to tree top level. Much safer.

I could not help thinking that your test footage Andy was reminiscent of 1970s television footage (at least here in the NTSC world)...  kinda retro!  Cool.

You'll be much, much better simply mapping your property with 3rd party software. Later you can investigate interesting areas up close with your drone, employing POI feature. Of course the moose will have to be dead ...

filipgregor1 Posted at 8-16 16:26
Appreciate the clarification, cheers.

You’re welcome

That was not too bad (considering it is digital zoom)

Montfrooij Posted at 10-25 23:43
That was not too bad (considering it is digital zoom)

And x4 FHD with a 1/2" sensor. Since taking this I find 4K zoom X1.3-1.5 to be the sweet spot. It looks almost lossless.

A J Posted at 10-26 00:31
And x4 FHD with a 1/2" sensor. Since taking this I find 4K zoom X1.3-1.5 to be the sweet spot. It looks almost lossless.

It does.
A little bit of downgrade because you lose some lens resolution (resolving power).
(not many people talk about that, but the lens is usually the critical factor these days for getting the most out of the sensor)

Montfrooij Posted at 10-26 00:48
It does.
A little bit of downgrade because you lose some lens resolution (resolving power).
(not many people talk about that, but the lens is usually the critical factor these days for getting the most out of the sensor)

That makes sense. Whilst the Zenmuse X3 on my Inspire 1 had only a 1/2.3" sensor the lens was extremely well built and the footage/stills were stunning. I always wondered why but it seems the quality of the that lens played a huge part (and in the price).

A J Posted at 8-11 05:33
Be sure to watch in 1080p and yep, this is totally unedited

That looks as good as the 4x zoom on the M2Z

A J Posted at 10-26 01:34
That makes sense. Whilst the Zenmuse X3 on my Inspire 1 had only a 1/2.3" sensor the lens was extremely well built and the footage/stills were stunning. I always wondered why but it seems the quality of the that lens played a huge part (and in the price).

It is cheaper to put more MP on a sensor than it is to craft a good lens.
Plus those tend to be heavy, which is not what you want for a drone.

Blériot53 Posted at 10-26 01:46
That looks as good as the 4x zoom on the M2Z

Really? I thought the M2Z would be far better having an optical zoom rather than digital. Or does the optical element only stretch to X2?

Montfrooij Posted at 10-26 01:47
It is cheaper to put more MP on a sensor than it is to craft a good lens.
Plus those tend to be heavy, which is not what you want for a drone.

That makes perfect sense - and why the cameras on the Inspires are of a higher quality as the drone can handle heavier payloads

A J Posted at 10-26 01:48
Really? I thought the M2Z would be far better having an optical zoom rather than digital. Or does the optical element only stretch to X2?

Yes it's 2x optical and 2x digital = 4x

A J Posted at 10-26 01:49
That makes perfect sense - and why the cameras on the Inspires are of a higher quality as the drone can handle heavier payloads

That does sound logical indeed.
But most consumers only care about specs anyway.

good work,thanks for sharing

Blériot53 Posted at 10-26 01:50
Yes it's 2x optical and 2x digital = 4x

So it splits it - that may explain the quality comparison then. I never use X4 now unless it's to scout the area for compositions.

Montfrooij Posted at 10-26 01:50
That does sound logical indeed.
But most consumers only care about specs anyway.

It does seem that way

erment Posted at 10-26 01:55
good work,thanks for sharing

Thanks Erment

A J Posted at 10-26 02:01
It does seem that way

Plus the MP is more easy to measure (without external factors influencing the outcome) whereas with resolving power there is debate on how to measure it.

A J Posted at 10-26 02:01
So it splits it - that may explain the quality comparison then. I never use X4 now unless it's to scout the area for compositions.

I only use it for stills or frame grabs. You've seen some of my examples already. Useful for detail shots from the limits of an NFZ.

Montfrooij Posted at 10-26 02:02
Plus the MP is more easy to measure (without external factors influencing the outcome) whereas with resolving power there is debate on how to measure it.

48mp's sells better than a glass lens

Blériot53 Posted at 10-26 02:04
I only use it for stills or frame grabs. You've seen some of my examples already. Useful for detail shots from the limits of an NFZ.

I have taken a number of stills from freeze framing 4K zoom footage - it is a nice to have on a drone for sure.

A J Posted at 10-26 02:06
I have taken a number of stills from freeze framing 4K zoom footage - it is a nice to have on a drone for sure.

It was the feature which persuaded me to get the Zoom rather than the Pro.