Using Our New DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

In early September DJI launched on two new drones: the Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro two of the most advanced drones the company has ever released.

Here is the DJI launch video.

Drone Photography Services took delivery of our Mavic 2 Zoom in early October.

We own and fly the original Mavic Pro and the new Mavic 2 Zoom looks similar to DJI’s original Mavic line in many ways.

Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro Specs

Apart from the cameras they carry, both Mavic 2 drones are identical to each other in terms of specs.

The Mavic 2 series does not look a massive improvement on the original Mavic Pro when it comes to raw flight specs. The drones have a slightly longer battery life, 31 mins instead of 29, and a maximum flight speed a few miles per hour faster 44 mph compared to 40.

The most significant improvements are the Mavic 2’s cameras, software and sensing abilities.

Both the Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro are equipped with OcuSync 2.0: the latest version of DJI’s video transmission technology, which allows you to see what the drone sees in real time — now in full 1080p.

The Mavic 2 ships with DJI’s new ActiveTrack 2.0, which allows the drone to follow moving subjects autonomously, and with more precision than before.

DJI has fitted the Mavic 2 series with an all around environmental sensing system.

The original Mavic Pro only sensed obstacles in front of it, now the Mavic 2 features omnidirectional sense-and-avoid, thanks to 10 sensors positioned in five directions.

How does the Mavic 2 Zoom Feel

In the air, the Mavic 2 Zoom feels much more stable and robust than its predecessor with no drifting, wandering, or slippery controls.  It is one of the sturdiest, most well-built drones we’ve ever flown.

The Mavic 2 Zoom is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor, with rock-solid construction and the same brilliant folding-arm design.

The Mavic 2 is evolutionary than revolutionary, DJI kept things that worked well in the first-generation Mavic drones, and improved on key areas like the camera.

Mavic 2 Zoom Camera

The Mavic 2 Zoom camera has 2x optical zoom (24-48mm) and 2x digital zoom, which effectively means it can simulate a 96mm telephoto lens that captures lossless video in 1080p.

The Mavic 2 Zoom boasts a smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor, as well as the ability to zoom from 24mm to 48mm.

The 2 x optical zoom works for still images as you can see for our two sample images below taken of Canary Wharf London from behind the O2 arena.

The first image is at 24mm and the second is taken from exactly the same place zoomed in  at 48mm.

These two images show the real power of this camera, and later we show how effective, practical and useful the zoom can be for aerial inspections.

As we discovered during our testing and use on recent commercial jobs, this zooming ability is a very powerful feature to have on a drone.  It allows you to get closer to your subject without actually flying closer.

Actual Drone Roof Survey

Here are some images taken in September of  one of our client Drone Roof Surveys using the Mavic 2 Zoom.

The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom has the capability to take 9 photos and merge them into one image 8000 x 6000 pixels.  This is an example of one of these larger images used on this client drone building survey.  When this image is combined with zoomed images,  it is a really powerful and effective tool to show and highlight a specific area of the roof.  This is one of our fastest growing business sectors for Drone Photography.