DJI Mavic Air 2 vs. DJI Mavic 2 Pro - A Hard Decision 

Quick correction: the Mavic 2 Pro actually only has a dual IMU and one compass. This level of redundancy is still far superior than what the Mavic Air 2 offers.

I’ve had both, I down graded to the Air 2 and I just like it’s overall feel and fewer setting to worry about better. Obviously I am not a pro flyer or don’t use it for a business. The Air 2 gives me everything I need. For what I sold my Mavic pro 2 I was able to get the Air 2 and the smart controller. I feel like I have a better set up now, and see little to no difference in the end product. Happy flying....

Wow! I have a wide variety of interests so I watch a lot of "instructional" videos on RU-vid. You are easily one of the best I have ever seen. Very thorough with not one single moment of wasted time. Thanks for being a pro in both your knowledge base but also in your presentation. Cheers!

Love your shot of the Boat in minute 4. I'm happy with my MA2 and talking about boats I've made cinematic video with HDR for my channel flying over boats, I've been falling in love with water shots 😝

I enjoyed your video and research. I am a relatively new flyer, in the past 2 months I have bought the Minnie, sold it when I got the MA2 and then just in the past 2 weeks got a crazy good deal on the M2P with the Fly more combo and the smart controller. I fly everyday and mostly it is the M2P I fly now. I am not a professional flyer or photographer. That being said, I have an unusual perspective having started with all three of these drones in a very short time period. I loved the Minnie till I got the MA2, and loved the MA2 until I got the M2P. I can simply compare it with going from a nice fair priced sedan to a Cadillac Limited. You just enjoy the ride so much more. Would I have paid 2600.00 for a 2 month old M2P , fly more combo, and the Smart Controller? No, but I jumped at paying half of that. Bottom line, life is short, enjoy the ride as best you can!

Hi Billy. The extra weight on the Mavic Pro2 does it for me. More stability in stronger winds. I fly mostly in mountains. I love how the Mavic Pro 2 will automatically go into sports mode to power into strong winds. My opinion. I'll wait for the Mavic Pro 3. Do you think we will be able to use the smart controller for the new Mavic 3? Then you could only buy the drone. Take care.

Got a MA2 for father's day. I fly Inspire 2, Phantom 4, and( just learning) Skidio for my job. You're videos are some of the best! Thanks!

I had the air for 6 weeks and then traded back for a Pro 2. I do miss the Air in many ways. Very easy to get an amazing video. But the the pro 2 for me is another level and it feels very pro and less toy. I know that soon as I get it down as I am........... it's going to be better for me. I can easily see the difference in the 1 inch sensor. Side by Side it's night and day for me. The pro fly's so steady and is more of an aircraft. The Air is amazing but in the end the Pro will come though for me video image wise big time. Thanks

I’m seriously considering picking up a Mavic 2 pro. I find increasingly Im using my air 2 in poor lighting for both video and photo and it really struggles to maintain the detail I’m looking for. Shadows turn to mush and colour noise can become an issue. Even using the hdr modes I still find the shadows are just too dark and increasing the exposure in post just reveals a mess which most people might not notice, but as a photographer used to full frame dslrs and high end aps-c Mirrorless cameras, it really bugs me. The 2 pro footage and photos I’ve seen in low light look a lot better in this regard and for me, image quality comes above anything else. Whilst not using the drones professionally I still want my work to the best it can be, and whilst the air 2 is a joy to fly and can, in good lighting produce excellent results, in the UK at least, the lighting is often crap and results in flying sessions with little useable footage or photos. I wish DJI introduced a air 2 pro, or something similar.. same size as the air 2 but with a better and bigger sensor and more manual controls, so a step above the consumer air 2, but below the “professional” 2 pro. I guess that would steal sales from each model though and they’d rather people spend the extra on the 2 pro, even if they don’t really want a drone that size.

This was a great in depth review! Also, that lululemon hoodie is the most comfortable thing ever. Good content!

Oh boy!! I've been waiting on this one....like a kid in a candy store here. I'll comment afterwards. I'm stoked to watch it!!

This was the best comparison I've come across, thank you for it.

Thanks for that great run down. I just bought the Air 2 for the very reasons you listed, I'm not using my drone for professional purposes but I do want a quality done. The Air 2 hits that sweet spot for me. Thanks again.

I've just sold the M2P because I travel often so I need something lighter but still powerful! You forgot to mention that on the decision factor. But overall great video!

Mavic 2 pro for me is still the best pro consumer level drone hands down.

BillK, thank you as always!! I love the Mavic Air2 with all my soul!! I even take it bed with me..lol My wife does not like it though

Excellent job as always. The best really. I have the Mavic Air 2. It is my first drone. I am returning it on Monday for the Pro 2. I agree with everything you say here. The 10 Bit, 1 inch and the sensors are worth it to me alone not to mention the flexible Aperture. So I'm going for it. Thanks for helping me figure this out.

Sweet... The air is in my budget and in the boxing ring with the pros... Love it... Thanks much Trinidad to the world 🇹🇹

I have been putting this video off for soo long. I bought a mavic 2 zoom in March for my 18th birthday.

MA2 owner here🤙

i prefer absolutely the Mavic 2 Pro! you too?? regards from germany

Great video. I find it interesting that looking at certain things from a different perspective you still arrive at the same conclusion as I did in my comparison video. Two things I would add. The air sense is only installed on US sold drones. You didn't mention the Focus Track. I think this is an absolute killer feature. Take care!

I’ve got to fly the mav air 2 but like you said as far as all the little tweaks and things I’m used to with my mavic 2 pro and the go app there’s just no way I’d be picking up the mavic air 2 for any reason. Love my mavic 2 pro! Not saying the air isn’t a good drone because it flies and handles like any of the mavics just solid and reliable! Both are great drones and serve different functions for different operators

I love my MA2. It suits me fine and the Fly app is easy to use. I imagine new updates will come along to make this an even better drone for its price. Very happy with the MA2!

I think another important differentiating feature of the Mavic Pro 2 that wasn’t mentioned is the 10bit color. This makes a huge difference in color grading, especially when your looking to retain detail in the shadows and keeping highlights in check. Color quality always trumps resolution. It’s the reason the Alexa SXT with its 2k sensor is still used so often in feature films despite it not being 4k. You can upscale a beautiful 2K image that started with “high quality” pixels/color to 4k and have it look better than a 4k native image that crammed more pixels into a smaller sensor and shoots at a lower bit depth. On the Mavic Pro 2 I’m fine shooting at 2.7k 10bit to get 60FPS. When upscaling to 4k it looks fantastic and you get the best of all worlds IMO.

So Billy, what you're really saying is that we should wait for the Mavic Pro 3? 😉

Got the Mavic Mini back in November and the Mavic Air 2 in May, and while I have a blast flying them both, I'm more confident with the MA2 and having the obstacle avoidance on it.

Really good comparison. As a former M2P owner I think that it is like as not the superior drone but it may be overkill for most users not to mention because of its size there are some extra considerations especially if you’re in Europe as I am. It seems to me the Air 2 will suit the vast majority of us but I will have a more informed opinion once I get mine for the winter season.

Have this exact conflict between MA2 and MP2. At last I go for MA2 by virtue of it being latest design and that I'm not really use my drone for money anyway. I'm already quite happy with my former Mavic Mini. I go for MA2 simply for the Occusync.

Would love to hear your opinion now with the air 2 updates. I believe the updates with digital zoom etc strengthens your point.

Another key difference I have just discovered.. you cannot (and will not be able in future to) do mapping with Mavic Air 2 - though automated waypoint flights. (Virtual sticks only) which is a significant distinction. If you just want a good fun video drone that's portable.. get the MA2.. if you want to do any mapping - get the M2Pro

As an owner of both drones I tend to fly the Mavic Air 2 more these days. And I pretty much agree with everything you said in this video. Both these drones are amazing, you really couldn’t go wrong with either one.

Thank you for pointing out the conundrum of a 1/2" sensor shooting 48mp images. It's also worth noting that the impression you have of better video quality (on the Mavic 2 Pro) is probably because of the sensor size. Despite all the fancy algorithms it's still hard to overcome Glass (lens) and Sensor Size. There's a reason pros still buy DSLR's (and Mirrorless cameras) over just using iPhones.

Wait till the Mavic 3 Series comes out! Release Date was leaked: it will be released on the 26th of September! There are even leaked teaser Image. They were leaked by DJI themselves, they accidently released them....

Your AWSOME dude. Keep up the great work and thank you. I know what which one I’m getting my son in law for Christmas 👍🏽

Do you think DJI might make a Mavic in the future with all these cameras on one gimbal?

I have all 3 drones each one serves a different purpose for me

Lots of information, very helpful video. Still havent brought Mavic 2Pro yet. Waiting for new drone from DJI so price of Mavic 2pro will drop. As I am interested in photography only I am not video guy

Great comparison video and enjoyed your thoughts. Oddly enough, I bought the Mavic Air 2 simply because I have the 2 Pro and needed another battery and wanted the Smart Controller. With batteries being $150 each and the Smart controller being $750, buying a Air 2 Fly More Combo w/Smart Controller package for $1400 started to make a LOT of sense for me. For just $500 more than the controller and battery, I have a killer second drone. My original Air has been fun to fly and good as a “just in case” backup...but the Air 2 is light years ahead of the original.

I recently went with the "Air 2" for my first real drone. As a photographer, I really had my heart set on the Pro 2, but the price tag was a bit much when I saw what I would get with the A2. I really have not even had time to really use it to any real extent, but I am really impressed with what I've experienced so far. I also thought that I would wait to see what the next "Pro" Mavic might be like! But, according to your price theory, it sounds like it will be pretty dang pricy! The heat here in north Florida kinda limits flying to mornings and evenings which is what you want of course, but it would be nice to be able to practice during the day. Great video, I have to agree with pretty much all that you said, although I have never flown the Mavic 2 Pro.

I don’t know which one to get, this is so confusing lol

Bought a spark years ago. Still have it, love it, but want the better photo options. Picked up a refurbished pro 2 for a good price. Excited for a bigger, stronger drone with the option to shoot great vid and photos.

Great presentation, BK. I find nothing to disagree with or argue over any one particular point. Glad you hit on the 48 MP subject, though. It's an over-hyped feature, but is still technically 48MP.

This decision has been weighing on me for a bit. Thanks Billy!

Still flying the original Mavic Pro and it is great. Maybe wait for the Mavic 3 Pro to upgrade.

I don’t agree with the remote choice the big box is ok but l prefer to see the gage on the remote just in case the app crash, incoming calls, low phone battery, etc

Thanks for the GREAT VIDEO!! I was trying to decide which to buy. I don't fly VERY often. I think I've decided to go with the Air 2. I already have 3- Vision 2plus 2 - 3 Standard 1- Mavic Air Thanks again.

Dude thank you! I’m between both of these drones right now. Going to pick one up second hand, and have been racking my brain which one to go with. Going to be using it work real estate, work security purposes, and other aerial photography. Thinking the MAVIC Pro 2. I won’t have any problems connecting to the app because I bought it pre-owned... right?

Bill any idea when mavic 3 pro releases??

Just got the Mini recently. (My first drone) glad I did since it I've crashed it and it took the crashes like a champ. The MA2 is on my radar for an upgrade. Extra tracking features are a huge plus.

Billy, I did not hear you say anything about the Mavic Air 2 "NOT" working with th DJI Goggles. That's a big deal with a lot of people.

Hey great vids. I found your channel after Ken Dobos daughter recommended subscribing.

I just baught a inspire 1 with 2 batteries for 450 euro and with the arm mechanism broken which will cost 120 euro to repair. Did I do the right choice?

Great video, I have 2 Mavic Air 2s (wife has one) and they do everything I will ever do, the Pro for a money-making pilot is the way to go also!

Without a doubt the Mavic 2 pro is a superior drone, having said that the Mavic air 2 is a great drone for the money.

Great videos!! I'm really looking at getting one and trying to figure out which one I want. I have never flown drones just planes. Your videos are really helping me figure out which one would fit me best. Thanks

Does Mavic air 2 have sensors on all sides? I mean will it gaurd against hitting any object? That's one big drawback of drones it can hit a branch fall in river and all $800 washed away.

Ok this is it, I wish I didn't have a drone at all...so i would buy the Mavic Air 2 , but I have already the Mavic 2 Pro , so it doesn't make sense for me to get the mavic Air 2. right or wrong ??????

OK, but the Mavic Air 2 does not shoot 48 mp raw pictures, and it is raw pictures that photographers want and not jpegs. So for e.g. landscape photography, or anything that is going to be sold in a high quality frame, you want the Mavic 2 Pro any day for the 20mp raw photos (vs 12 on the Air 2).

Thanks great job!! You gave me the info I needed to make my decision. As a pro photographer/cinematographer I will go with the pro version. If I was just flying for fun and wanted some really good shots and fun flying the pro version is not worth the extra bucks.

Billy, still a great review. If I had deeper pockets I’d buy the MP2 just to have the Variable Aperture. Still, I’m happy with my Air 2. AirSense worked great yesterday and alerted me to take cautionary measures. Happy Flying🚁👍👍

Hi Billy, very very good review and was interesting to listen to your point of view on these. I feel i am just not sold on the MA2 compared to my M2P. Although from a RU-vidr point of view i definetly missed the ship on this one as so many other drone channels who bought it and title their videos with Mavic Air 2 have grown so much and im left in the dust. Such a shame. But again nice video. Andy

Variable aperture needs to be addressed in these videos. Not having it pretty much makes it useless when shooting video in areas where exposure changes. Like in the dark side of a real estate shoot, or if a cloud goes over the sun. I come from the phantom series.

I'm a beginner and i bought the mavic 2 pro. Because of the hype around the mavic air 2 the mavic 2 pro was at discount price only being 100 dlls more than a mavic air 2. i'm glad i got the 2 pro as the go 4 app has so many options and in my head i got a more drone for almost the same price

What are your thoughts about that DJI smart controller. I love mine for how it works with the Mavic two pro. I can’t wait till DJI gets The Mavic air two to be compatible with a smart controller as well. In bright sunlight it’s a real challenge to see the screen on most smart phones.

MA2 is an awesome flyer! Pictures are cool... so is video.... but it’s our love of flying is why we do this. This drone will give a skilled pilot confidence In flying due toTrust in the drones signal strength via ocusynk. An awesome flyer for the price point!!... “forget about it” (Al pachino Donnie brascoe voice)

Fantastic, thorough review. Close to upgrading from P4 Pro so good to have a difficult decision between both options.

I heard the Mavic Air 2 doesn't have the ability to adjust flight control input rates and sensitivities and gimbal up/down rates, like the M2P has. That would be something good to talk about. I use custom yaw and gimbal settings for my M2Ps. And mentioning if the MA2 has a camera with a global shutter or not, so all the people mapping will know if it may be a good candidate.

I'm a real estate photographer and image quality is very important. My Mavic Air does a great job, overall. I'd also like ocusync as the connection and distance with the Mavic Air sucks. AND I'd also like to see DJI offer the Mavic Air 2 with the Smart Controller as an option instead of having to buy both controllers even if you just want the Smart Controller. Hmmmmmmmm. Decisions, desicions.

I have the MA2 and really like it although I'm about to return my second MA2 to Amazon because of cpu overheating. Which got me looking at the 2 Pro since I need reliability. I love the video and ease of use of the MA2 but I really like sunset shots and have been spoiled by my sony a7riii. The MA2 takes great photos but it doesn't have variable aperture and obviously can't compete in low light to the 1" Hassleblad. (BTW I agree there is some unquantifiable depth and pleasantness to the picture and video of the M2P compared to the MA2 and M2Z.) Should I return the MA2 and get another MA2 and wait for the M3? Or return MA2 and up/sideways-grade to 2 Pro? Tough call, this video was helpful but I'm still on the fence. Thanks for your content!

Pretty accurate comparison. I got the Mavic Air 2 recently and while I do like it a lot - I really do miss some of the pro features that are on the Mavic 2 Pro. But if you only had $1K to spend like I did, the Mavic Air 2 is a solid choice.

When is the mavic pro 3 coming. That’s what I’m waiting for.

MA2 all the way. Thanks for the videos. I enjoyed both of these back to back videos as well as all the other ones that you have made.

Which Drone is better for both photos and videos?

you give great reviews. I appreciate the hard work.

THEN OF COURSE YOU HAVE THE EXCELLENT ERGONOMIC TREE OF THE NEW CONTROLLER THAT FEELS GREAT. LONGER STICKS I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE NOTICED THAT FOR MORE PRECISION.. AND THE AWESOME BATTERY SIZE OF 240 MINUTES THAT WILL LAST FOR A LONG TIME WAIT LONGER THAN THE OLD CONTROLLER AND CHARGE YOUR PHONE WITH NO PROBLEM..

I have an question, coulnd't find it online. My 1st drone the mavic pro 2. In the quickshots (in for example "circle or point of interest") I was able to change the radius.hight, gimball and altitude. Do the air 2 or the mini 2 have the same options?

Which one is better bro

Definitely the mavic air 2 the gap between the two has definitely lessened over time via subsequent firmware creating even more bang for the buck

Hey Billy, question for you. Do you have any insight/thoughts on when the update for the MA2 will be released to work with the smart controller. Very frustrated with DJI as I bought the smart controller based on the info from them saying the update would be 2 weeks from the release date.

I recently purchased the air 2 because the image is dramatically sharper. To the average person, sharpness is all that really matters in regards to aerials.

Have the mini. Wanting to upgrade. Still not sure which one

My new pro 2 . The speed modes have only one speed? Any fix

If I have mavic 2 pro already should I by mavic air? Or you think it’s a waste of money. I’m only a hobbyist. At one time I had all dji drones and just felt it was a waste and sold them all and bought mavic 2 pro but I’m getting that itch again. Lol 😂 maybe I should buy mavic mini for house and stuff as that isn’t close to the other 2. Give me your opinion.

Had the MA2 for a month now flys perfect so smooth But you are right the go for app has more features such as gimbal pitch an access control rumor is they’re working on a Mavic 3 pro should be released September It seems like with DJI as soon as you buy a drone within six months there’s a drone lol

i like the air 2 very much because of the fiexd focus always sharp pictures, if you make mistake with manual focus on the mavic pro2 you got blurry pictures so not always a good picture.

DJI comb pack is better or single pack is better

I guess this was before the mavic air 2 had the major update.. Now you can adjust a lot of settings you couldn't before. I have the Evo2 and the Mavic Air 2 and I am extremely happy with both drones. They fly very similar but the Autel evo seems to have a more solid connection. I got about 7 ✈ airplane warnings when I flew the Mavic air 2 in Pittsburgh at point of view park. I do like that Airsense for safety. I do agree it would be helpful to be updated to reveal some more information about a planes height when approaching. If its at 30000ft high why even think about it right? Anyway, Autel Evo 2 Pro and Mavic Air 2 i believe are 2020s best 2 drones. Im just a hobbyist for now but studying to get a 107 RFC for basic real-estate aerial photography. I like that the Air 2 shoots 4k60, you can do zoom tracking from far away, shoots slow motion at 1080p 120fps.. I also love the at you can hold the function button now and zoom with the gimbal wheel. I love that the Air 2s camera can look left and right when dragging your finger on the screen back and forth while traveling foward or backward still. The Air 2 is the perfect travel companion type drone. The Evo 2 is awesome but feel it is more geared toward business, The air 2 will be my recreational drone mostly and sometimes for certain projects. The Evo2 is hard to beat but this Mavic Air 2 doesn't disappoint in the slightest. I say if you can afford the Air 2 and another more expensive one as well...Then go for it. If used for work they will pay for themselves. Maybe even a tax write off.. Happy flying everyone, be safe and have fun.

Is it true the MA2 does not have a variable aperture? Surprised I don't see more people talking about this -- seems a huge difference (I'm holding out for the 3 Pro).

Great information great compare , I have so long questions about this 2 long time ago and you compare by pic and vdo so great. Now I linked Air2 more. However watch your clip make me something tired 😉 , maybe you more relax and more slow?

Got the MA2 last month, it's my very first drone. I am a Realtor and I plan on using it to do my own photography down the road, and I think it will work just fine for me. I'm sure the 2 Pro is a good drone but it's specs didn't win me over at the price point

I'm a user(not a good photographer), who wants from my new drone is 1. great "signal-length-quality"(no dropouts, the drone should return, else money gonna go waste!). 2. A great picture/video quality right out the camera at-least all-time night day, sunrise, sunshine, low light (not a pro! don't know post-image processing), 3. reliable in terms of battery life, 4. great at tracking objects autonomously(once objects are highlighted), and 5. big yes to night time videography. 6. permitted to fly freely anywhere, I like that comment in your video haha.! which drone would you recommend current in the market within 2K-2.5K range before nov 2020? Am' I sorry if I'm asking a lot from a drone, but anything that most closely fits above would be awesome! I researched on Evo2pro6k, mavic2pro, mavicair2, skydiorR2, simply wait 2 months(or any other drone I might missed with considering?) to get a new lineup?

Trying to decide between both of these as far as mapping and multi spectral imaging. Any thought on that?

i want a suggestion, i already had the MA2 about 3 months ago and this is my first drone .. and i thought this is the best drone but it turns out that the MP2 is better in photography and videography, so i want advice whether i better just buy the MP2 or wait MP3 maybe? and I use drones for real estate and land sales .. please give me advice .. and is it much different in quality?

For people shooting mostly video, the M2P is far superior. If you could control the aperture on the MA2 it would have made the drone soo much better

Would you use a mavic air 2 commercially?

This video did it for me. The pro is better but does not justify the price difference. So im buying the MP2 for the same or cheaper than the MA2, i guess this deal is a no brainer

Chill! Breath!

I own a spark and platinum. I just ordered the Air 2 for a chase drone.

The Sony 'IMX586 stacked CMOS image sensor' is actually 48 Mpix. The bayer filter is 2x2 to combine 4 pixels for low light etc. Google it, it is interesting and easy to understand. Sony lead this tech. [The Pro 2 with the 20Mpix 1 inch sensor is still the better choice for stills work because of its larger sensor size. The more sensor area, the more light that is gathered. ]