DJI has released the DJI Air 2S, the latest in its line of Mavic drones. Like the Mavic Air 2, the Air 2S features an excellent combination of high-quality imagery and a compact size. However, the Air 2S goes above and beyond by giving you an even larger image sensor, upgraded obstacle avoidance, and a new and improved video transmission system. Whether you’re a fan of the Mavic Air 2 and you’re looking for an improvement or you’re simply looking for a new drone to shoot high-quality footage with, you can’t do any better than the Air 2S.
The DJI Air 2S features an incredible camera with a 1-inch 20-megapixel sensor that shoots crystal clear images and videos morning, noon, and night. It also includes four-directional obstacle avoidance that helps keep the aircraft safe during flight while you fly around looking for that perfect shot. We’ll go over all of the different features of the brand new DJI Air 2S so you can see what this latest DJI drone can do for you.
Ever since DJI first released the original Mavic Pro, the company has focused on portability as one of the main features of their drones. After all, many users need to travel with their drones to far away or hard-to-reach places in order to capture beautiful shots of landscapes and the wilderness. This has led to the Mavic series of consumer DJI drones that all feature a compact, foldable design, including the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, the Mavic Air 2, and the Mini 2.
The Air 2S continues this trend by featuring a compact aircraft body that includes foldable arms and propellers. This allows you to fold the drone up and easily stow it away in a bag when you’re not using it to make it easier to transport. With the compact, foldable design, you can take this drone with you almost anywhere and easily set it up to fly within minutes.
One of the most outstanding features of the DJI Air 2S is its powerful camera, which allows you to capture perfect detail no matter what lighting conditions you’re working with.
The Air 2S has a camera with an upgraded 10-inch CMOS sensor that can shoot 5.4K/30fps and 4K/60fps video as well as 20-megapixel photos. This means that the camera captures high detail and natural color tones at any time of day or during any kind of weather.
The larger 1-inch image sensor with the 20-megapixel resolution gives you a higher pixel size on the sensor than the Mavic Air 2. This gives you not only better low light performance but also results in less overall noise in both photos and videos. The Air 2S definitely has one of the best cameras of any of the compact DJI drones.
More Capacity For Color
One of the biggest annoyances of working with a subpar camera is the difference between what you see with your eyes vs. what the camera captures. The camera of the DJI Air 2S really stands out for its 10-bit Dlog-M color profile, which uses an upgraded SoC for image processing that allows you to record up to 1 billion colors. With the capacity for this wide variety of colors, you’ll be sure to authentically reproduce images and videos in life-like color that look closer to what you see in person.
Better Night Shots
The DJI Air 2S performs particularly well in low light conditions thanks to its 2.4μm Pixel size, which allows you to capture details without needing sunlight. The high-quality image processing and noise reduction also work together with the high dynamic range, resolution, and color accuracy to improve the DJI drone’s performance at night. Whether you’re shooting photos or video, you’ll be sure to shoot crisp and vibrant night shots with the Air 2S.
RAW Shooting
Another place where the DJI Air 2S shines is in its use of RAW images, which makes post-processing that much easier. Thanks to RAW shooting and the 12.6 stops of dynamic range provided by the 1-inch sensor, the Air 2S can capture more light data from the scene, giving you more flexibility when editing the photos. This means that you have more freedom in the post-processing phase to fulfill your creative vision and achieve the type of look you’re going for with your images.
Intelligent HDR
Another cool feature of the DJI Air 2S is the in-camera Intelligent HDR, which stands for High Dynamic Range. This feature automatically captures multiple shots at once using different levels of exposure. The image processor then merges these shots together to create one final image without you needing to do any editing. This final image is sure to provide superior detail in both the highlights and shadows of the photo, displaying every feature no matter how subtle.
Non HDR
HDR Enabled
Hyperlapse
You can also create eye-catching and dynamic videos using the Hyperlapse feature, which speeds up the movements of certain elements on the screen to create a gorgeous effect. This uses in-built presets such as circle mode, lock mode, or waypoint mode to help you shoot artistic hyperlapse shots just by pressing a few buttons. You can even use free mode to manually adjust the altitude of the aircraft or the angle of the gimbal to create your own unique hyperlapse shots.
Panorama
Lastly, the Air 2S expands the camera’s field of view with its Panorama feature, which includes three distinct modes. Using the Wide-Angle, 180°, and Sphere mode, you can shoot wider photos not limited to the camera lens’s field of view. The Air 2S will then automatically stitch together these images to give you one wide, large, and detailed image that you can access in the DJI Fly App.
You don’t have to be an expert pilot in order to operate the DJI Air 2S. Like many DJI drones, the Air 2S has several intelligent flight modes that allow even the most novice of users to capture movie-quality shots. All you have to do is tap a few buttons and you can set the Air 2S to fly on its own while keeping the subject centered in the frame, giving you clear, stable footage.
MasterShots
If you’ve flown DJI drones before, you’ve probably enjoyed the QuickShots feature that helps you automatically perform complicated maneuvers with the drone while you capture the perfect shot. The MasterShots mode is the next evolution of QuickShots, allowing you to execute one of 10 different cinematic aerial maneuvers with just a tap.
There are three different types of MasterShots including Portrait, Proximity, and Landscape, each of which gives you a different style of video. Simply mark the subject of your shot on the screen, then watch as the drone performs a complex aerial maneuver while keeping the subject in the center of the frame the entire time. Once the shot is completed, the system will automatically create a short cinematic video that you can edit or share.
FocusTrack
Another intelligent flight mode that can help you follow or orbit your subject is the FocusTrack feature. This consists of three different modes that can help you automate your shots to create footage that’s smooth, consistent, and stable. While you would normally need a crew of professionals to capture this level of movie-quality footage, FocusTrack does the work automatically.
Spotlight 2.0 keeps the subject in the center of the frame while you fly the Air 2S around or take some close-up shots. You can also use the digital zoom feature to shoot from a safe distance.
ActiveTrack 4.0 is the feature that helps you avoid obstacles while following the subject. Even if you temporarily lose the subject due to an obstacle, you can quickly pick it back up during flight and keep the subject in frame.
Point of Interest 3.0 flies the drone in a perfect circle at whatever radius and altitude you prefer while keeping the subject centered in the frame. You can also use the DJI Fly App to change the direction of rotation whenever you prefer while in flight.
The DJI Air 2S has an advanced safety feature that enables it to sense and avoid obstacles in four different directions. Using the Advanced Pilot Assistance Systems (APAS 4.0) algorithms, the Air 2S can detect and avoid obstacles that are in front of, behind, above, and below the drone. APAS 4.0 keeps the drone safe even when flying at high speeds or in complex situations.
The DJI Air 2S features the same upgraded DJI OcuSync 3.0 transmission system as the DJI FPV drone. Thanks to OcuSync 3.0, you can transmit video at 1080p with minimal latency to a range of up to 12km. OcuSync 3.0 also uses a Dual Frequency 2.4/5.8GHz system with 4 antennae to keep your video feed smooth, reliable, and crisp no matter how challenging the weather conditions.
With the compact, ergonomically designed Air 2S remote controller, you can view the video feed from the drone through the display at the top of the controller. The Air 2S also supports the DJI Smart Controller, which features a 5.5-inch 1080p high-brightness display with which you can view the video feed from the drone.
The DJI Air 2S further maintains the safety of the drone with the use of the industry-leading AirSense safety system. This system receives Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) flight location information from airplanes and helicopters in your area and displays those aircraft on a map in order to help you avoid collisions. You’ll also receive both audio and visual alerts through the DJI Fly App, further helping you keep your drone out of the path of incoming aircraft.
The DJI Air 2S comes in two options to buy: the standalone DJI Air 2S and the DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo. With the standalone DJI Air 2S, you’ll get the drone and the basic supplies you need to pilot it for only $1,299. This includes a remote controller, battery, propellers and gimbal protector, charger, and other cables. It’s definitely one of the more affordable DJI drones, especially for a newer release with this kind of quality.
For $1,699, however, you can get the DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo. This combo comes with an extra two batteries, twice the amount of propellers, and several more features that help you transport and store the drone and its parts. The Fly More Combo comes with a battery charging hub to make charging a breeze as well as a battery to power bank adapter to help you keep it charged on the go.
The Fly More Combo also comes with an ND Filters Set, which helps you prepare for any lighting situation. This set consists of both ND 4/8/16/32 and ND 64/128/256/512 filters, which give you better flexibility with regards to lighting when you’re shooting photos or video. It also comes with a shoulder bag that you can use to store the drone and all of the extra components in the Fly More Combo.
There are plenty of different types of DJI drones to choose from, each of which is suited for a different purpose. The DJI Mavic Air 2S is certainly one of the most compact and high-quality drones on the market right now. If you’re looking for a drone that’s easy to use and capable of shooting cinematic video no matter what the lighting conditions, then the Air 2S is the perfect drone for you.
Dr Drone
Author
DrDrone is Canada's leading provider of drone technical services, with over a decade of experience and the distinction of being the first company in the country to offer drone servicing and repairs. As the largest drone vendor in Canada, we are also the primary supplier of Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) to the Canadian government. Our team members possess extensive knowledge of each drone's technical specifications and have a wealth of hands-on experience. For more than ten years, we have been dismantling and reconstructing drones, ensuring a deep understanding of these systems.