Hello Friends,
I am looking to get into the fantastic world of drone flying, however, I am currently stuck on what to buy. I am a new drone pilot and I plan on using this drone for beginner aerial photography and also using it to take pictures of myself and my wife since we hike in a lot of places where no one else is around. I am interested in either the Mavic 2 Zoom and the Mavic Air. I will list out my perceived pros and cons of each below.

Mavic 2 Zoom Pros
- Better sensors, safer to fly and easier to screw up
- Newer controller, harder to lose drone from connection issues with the new Occusync
- Seems more robust due to its size
- Seems to have all the same easy photography modes as the Air but I could be wrong

Mavic 2 Zoom Cons
- A higher level of difficulty for a new pilot with more features
- Price

Mavic Air Pros
- Seems like it is made for extreme ease of use
- It appears as if it has more "beginner-friendly" photography options available but I could be wrong
- Smart Capture, not sure how useful this feature is but it seems nice
- Smaller size, won't be as noticeable to others, however, I believe the Mavic 2 is quieter.
- Cheaper

Mavic Air Cons
- Not as many sensors
- Slower flight speed
- Less Range
- Not as many advanced options for photos

All I listed above are just my perception after doing research. Please, correct me if I am wrong but most importantly, if you have used both these drones, help me figure out what I should get. Price isn't an issue for me so I don't really factor that in. I just want something I can use a lot for hiking and outdoor activities.

Cheers,

Smitty

Mavic 2 Pro

I would always recommend the Mavic 2 Zoom out of your 2 choices, the only reason to go for the air is for the cheaper price. Also the Air is the more robust drone, that's not to say the zoom isn't it's just the Mavic air is probably the most robust DJI drone there is.

Not that you wouldn't but i would highly recommend study the manual and learning as much as you can about the drone, mostly because a lot of new pilots get a false sense of security with DJI drones, they have all the sensors to keep the drone stable and basically have it fly itself, but compass errors do happen and depending on the situation it is even possible that the sensors will not help but hinder you. It's not just about knowing the sensors and safety features exists, it's knowing what to turn on/off and which settings to use for the right situation.

Mavic , best one.

Out of curiosity, what makes you think that the Mavic 2 is "easier to screw up" (or did you mean "harder", since it's listed as a "Pro"?) or that it has a "higher level of difficulty"? Personally, I'd say that their level of complexity is pretty similar.

Gimpy Posted at 9-17 02:43
Out of curiosity, what makes you think that the Mavic 2 is "easier to screw up" (or did you mean "harder", since it's listed as a "Pro"?) or that it has a "higher level of difficulty"? Personally, I'd say that their level of complexity is pretty similar.

I just feel like the Mavic two has more photo settings and is just more drone for lack of a better term. However, like I said, I am still very new to this and I feel like the Mavic Air has certain software feature like Follow Me and Smart Capture that the Mavic Two does not how. On the other hand, Mavic Two seems like a much more impressive hardware platform.

I guess the bottom line is I like the Mavic Two but feel like if I get it I am missing out on some ease of use features the Mavic Air has.

Ben Mason Posted at 9-17 00:46
I would always recommend the Mavic 2 Zoom out of your 2 choices, the only reason to go for the air is for the cheaper price. Also the Air is the more robust drone, that's not to say the zoom isn't it's just the Mavic air is probably the most robust DJI drone there is.

Not that you wouldn't but i would highly recommend study the manual and learning as much as you can about the drone, mostly because a lot of new pilots get a false sense of security with DJI drones, they have all the sensors to keep the drone stable and basically have it fly itself, but compass errors do happen and depending on the situation it is even possible that the sensors will not help but hinder you. It's not just about knowing the sensors and safety features exists, it's knowing what to turn on/off and which settings to use for the right situation.

That's great information thank you!

The Mavic Air is a really easy drone to use and carry around.  The biggest things to be aware of, is that due to it's size, winds can bully it around a bit, being that it may have to fight against the wind, where the Mavice 2 Zoom/Pro wouldn't have much of a struggle.  I also experienced the drone drifting off a bit when flying.  I'm still not sure as to why that happened, even in low to no wind.  This hasn't happened with the Mavic 2 Pro so far.
The Air has great formats to record in as well.  It is a bit louder than the Mavic 2, as it sounds like angry bees.  DJI (and other consumer drone manufacturers), made it pretty easy to fly a drone 'out of the box'.  If you want to save a few dollars, go with the Air.  If you want more functionality and don't mind spending more, go with the Zoom.

Depends on what you are going to achieve. Better picture you get with Mavic 2 Pro (Phantom 4 Pro), others will provide the same level of picture, but different features (if you are ready to pay for it). Mavic Air the most balanced drone for its price.

Mavic 2 pro its got the 1 inch sensor and pics and vid are great with lots of options flies a dream but like all drones easy to crash if not paying attention so get the refresh option, noise level is 65db at 3ft in front of u and 6ft height. Read the manual 10 times before u fly. Fly the simulator. Buy a new ssd to store all those pics and vids. Weight is 905 grams

Hi, thank you for reaching out. Hope that you could get the best recommendation and suggestions from our valued DJI members here in Forum. Thank you for your support!

I guess my last question is, if I buy the Mavic 2 Zoom, is there any software features that I would miss out on from the Mavic Air?

Smitty Werbs Posted at 9-17 10:55
I guess my last question is, if I buy the Mavic 2 Zoom, is there any software features that I would miss out on from the Mavic Air?

More than likely, you should receive all pertinent DJI updates for your drone, if that's what you're referring to.  

Neo Supreme Posted at 9-17 11:11
More than likely, you should receive all pertinent DJI updates for your drone, if that's what you're referring to.

What I am saying is I don't think Smart Capture, not sure if thats worth it or not, comes with the Mavic 2. I am just curious if that is the only software feature I will be missing out on if I go with the Air over the Mavic 2.

For me its the mavic 2, great photo's but also it's very quiet
Hope that helps (both are however great)

Tolly

For your needs, Mavic Air would be the drone I suggest.  Easier to hike with,  more durable, great for the beginning pilot.  I still fly mine a lot, and tend to take it everywhere.  

I would suggest to download the manual of the craft you are intrigued with, and see what you think?  It should be your study for a while when you get the craft.  Also, look at a lot of the videos here and see what craft they are using on the ones you like.  Hope this helps, I'm still studying

Oracle Miata Posted at 9-17 11:48
For your needs, Mavic Air would be the drone I suggest.  Easier to hike with,  more durable, great for the beginning pilot.  I still fly mine a lot, and tend to take it everywhere.

I appreciate that viewpoint, especially since the Air is half the price with all its extra stuff added to it. I think I just don't want to miss out on the cool stuff the Mavic 2 has to offer haha

HH1 Posted at 9-17 11:53
I would suggest to download the manual of the craft you are intrigued with, and see what you think?  It should be your study for a while when you get the craft.  Also, look at a lot of the videos here and see what craft they are using on the ones you like.  Hope this helps, I'm still studying

I will be sure to do that! Thank you for that advice!

Size would probably be the main consideration. The Air is significantly smaller and lighter.

If you really are into photography, the Mavic 2 Pro is probably a better choice but the Air would do for most folks.

Ocusync is significantly better and reliable especially in built-up areas but if you only ever fly vlos it doesnt really matter.

Mavic 2 Pro,   it has ocusync which works great, whereas the Air many people complain about disconnects.

Smitty Werbs Posted at 9-17 04:21
That's great information thank you!

No Problem, hopefully you enjoy the drone no matter which you pick.

Smitty Werbs Posted at 9-17 10:55
I guess my last question is, if I buy the Mavic 2 Zoom, is there any software features that I would miss out on from the Mavic Air?

I don't recommend to buy Zoom, it has the same tiny sensor (blind and noisy), that previous models. Marketing staff promotesome effects, but it's not really often applicable in real life.