Heeey,

Not sure how many times this has been posted in the past, sorry in advance, but I'm looking to get a drone...one of either the Mavic 2 Zoom or or the Mavic Air.

Basically I am building a house abroad and wish to buy my own drone to film my own footage/content instead of hiring people out over there.

I know I want 4K for sure. Just wondering about the Pros and Cons for both. Is the superior Mavic 2 Zoom so much better that it should make me ignore the weight difference and ease of travel? I'd also like the better Raw Footage capability so I can manipulate better in post.

Cheers!

If you are looking at image quality as the main difference and intend to do work in post then consider the Mavic 2 Pro. The Zoom will have the advantage of getting closer to the images without putting the drone closer but then you need to balance out 12mp vs 20mp stills and the detail is noticeable, especially in low light. Note that with work in post you can record in 10bit with the pro over the zoom which will really add to the quality of the colour profiling.
The Air is a great portable drone and will deliver what you need but the Zoom/Pro have more advanced features, far superior RC transmission system which is less likely to be lost and are more powerful so will not only fly much faster but have longer flight times (nearly ten minutes more per battery) and will handle fast wind speeds more effectively. The M2's are also much quieter in the air too. The obstacle avoidance system is also far more advanced but all of these upgrades are also reflected in the price difference. Jessops are currently selling the M2P for £1200 with the standard RC.

I agree with Andy.

I have the Air and the Mavic Pro 2. Air is still fun to fly for me, and I still use and enjoy it very much.
If I don,t have a drone, I would definitely  go for the Zoom of the two.
I would only go for the Pro 2 if I really know and want to use the camera capabilities to its fullest.
If you are not that into photography etc, I would rather spend extra money on batteries and get the zoom.
In the right conditions, good light etc, it is sometimes very difficult to see the difference AFTER POST , between the Air and the MP2 for me. MP2 definitely have less noise in darker conditions.
Personally, I think it is not just about the camera, and the drone, but a lot more to do with WHO is flying it, setting it up etc.
We see snapshots with a MP2 every now and again, and some awesome images with a Spark sometimes.

I got both. Main differences are not in weight and size. Both are very easy to transport. Main differenses are time in air, zoom availability and range of video signal. Expect about 25 minutes from zoom and about 18 from Air.



Zoom Pros
Range of Uninterrupted signal distance
Flying time
x2 zoom 4k, x4 zoom 1080p
Quiet

Zoom Cons
Drone Price
Battery price

Mavic Air
Pros
Price comparing to zoom
Battery price comparing to zoom
Size

Cons
No zoom
Range of uninterrupted video signal
Loud(er)
Short(er) flying time



If money a problem go for Air. Actually even if money not a problem go for Air. If you love to fly you can always upgrade to whatever drone and keep Air as a solid back up. If this project all you gonna do with it dont go nuts spending $1600 on zoom and accessories. Air with few batts will set you back about $800

I also own both.  The post above pretty much nails it, but my feedback:

1.  A folded Air is not that much smaller physically than a folded Mavic 2 (this surprised me), but it only weighs half as much.
2.  The lack of Ocusync on the Air is VERY painful if you want to fly with much range at all.  You will have many more connection issues with the Air than you will with the M2.
3.  The M2 is MUCH quieter - I was pretty surprised at the difference.  
4.  The readout on the face of the M2 controller is great - they should have included this in the Air, which has no info on the remote itself.
5.  The added flight time on the M2 is a big deal if you fly a lot and want longer runs.

If you want a unit to take some cool drone shots from close in and want ultraportability, go with the Air.  But my recommendation would be to get the M2.  Much more capable machine.

Hi, good day joewalmsley. Thank you for showing interest in our products. Hope that you could get the best recommendation and suggestions from our valued DJI members and customer. In addition, we do have the drone comparison in our website you may refer to the link below for you to compare the specs and other features of Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic Air. Should you have any other concerns please don't hesitate to reach us and we are more than happy to help you. Have a wonderful day ahead!

https://www.dji.com/products/com ... ndsite&from=nav

You may also compare both of them with their spec on dji website https://www.dji.com/products/compare-consumer-drones

Cheers guys! Appreciate it!

I think there is little comparison.

M2 if you can afford it. Only get the air if you cant.

joewalmsley Posted at 4-16 23:21
Cheers guys! Appreciate it!

You're welcome