Field Report: Using the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom in NYC

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom are fun tools to use for the enthusiast and hobbyist, but serious photographers will surely want more.

Testing drones here at the Phoblographer has always been pretty difficult; NYC has very strict rules about where you can fly, times, etc. and to that end it’s not always as simple as setting up a camera and shooting. It draws attention, and doing it responsibly and legally can provide a number of challenges. Take for example the day we went out with DJI to play with their new DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom drones–Trump decided to do a flyover of NYC and so the locations, timing, and altitude were all pretty difficult to make work. Despite the Pro designation, it doesn’t really feel quite pro. Professional photographers will surely be able to do great things with it, but the heart of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom leave me really wanting.

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First Impressions: DJI Mavic 2 Pro and DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

The new DJI Mavic 2 Pro and DJI Mavic 2 Zoom feature major camera improvements.

DJI introduced the next iteration of the Mavic drone series in Brooklyn this morning. Replacing the Mavic Pro are two new drones: the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom. It’s been almost two years since DJI first released the Mavic Pro, and DJI has included some major improvements to the pair of new Mavic 2 drones. Front and center are two brand new cameras which differentiate the two Mavic 2 models. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro comes equipped with a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera that features a 28mm lens with an adjustable aperture range of f2.8 to f11. At the heart of the Mavic 2 Pro’s camera is a 1″ 20MP CMOS sensor. The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom on the other hand comes equipped with a 24-48mm optical zoom lens, capable of 2x optical and 2x digital zoom, and is paired with a 1/2.3″ 12MP CMOS sensor. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro’s camera will benefit from Hasselblad’s world renown color science, while the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom comes with a new “Super Resolution” mode that stitches nine images together onboard the drone itself to create one large composite.

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First Impressions: DJI Mavic Air (The Drone That Fits Into a Coat Pocket)

The new DJI Mavic Air is so small it can fit into a coat pocket with ease.

Today, the new DJI Mavic Air was announced to an absolutely astounded crowd. Designed to be put into a coat pocket and carried anywhere along with the remote, your phone, and all the other stuff you normally bring with you, the new DJI Mavic Air also brings with it a lot of technology. For starters, there is a three axis gimbal that works in conjunction with the 12MP camera. At the heart of the camera is a 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor – not that big, we know – but everything you’re shooting also has a very deep perspective. There are cameras and sensors all over the body to help protect it from crashing into things. Additionally, the antennae were designed to be fit into the landing gear yet face outward to ensure that the signal connection stays strong. It’s designed to be high wind resistant and has some pretty cool features such as a smart pathing technology and hand gestures that are built in.

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First Impressions: PowerVision PowerEgg Drone

When you look at drones these days, many of them have a very similar design. But as of recently, things have started to change. And with today’s announcement of the new PowerVision PowerEgg, things are really starting to look different. For the uneducated, the Portal-Turret-Looking-Drone may not even look like a drone. But indeed, it’s a beautiful product that wants to promise users a simple experience and a fun time overall.

More importantly, it will change the way you look at a drone.

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