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Apr
Article updated on 28 June 2024
You’ve probably heard or read a lot of good things about the successor to the DJI Mavic Air 2, the DJI Air 2S. This new model got rid of the Mavic brand name for a shorter name and gained an S in the process. But what else does it have, what is it worth in general, and most importantly, should you get it? The answer in our test of the DJI Air 2S.
DJI Air 2S: design and radio controls
The design
| Weight | 595 g |
| Dimensions (folded) (L x W x H) | 180 x 97 x 77 mm |
| Dimensions (unfolded) (L x W x H) | 183 x 253 x 77 mm |
The DJI Air 2S has the same reliable and robust build quality displayed by DJI drones. Its appearance is very similar to the Mavic Air 2, with a few differences: obstacle detection sensors have appeared on the top of the drone as well as an auxiliary lightunderneath to facilitate take-off and landing in low light.
The familiar foldable design of the Mavic series of drones has been retained, making it much easier to transport. When folded, the DJI Air 2S measures only 180×97×80mm (4mm shorter than its predecessor) and can fit in the palm of your hand. Its dimensions are 183×253×77mm when unfolded.
Weighing in at 595g, the DJI Air 2s is a really light drone and is only 25g heavier than the Air 2, which is pretty impressive considering that it houses a larger camera.
Radio controls
| Compatible radio controls | DJI RC-N1 DJ RC DJI RC Pro DJI Smart Controller |
| Video transmission system | DJI O3 |
| Operating frequencies | 2.4 GHz 5.8 GHz |
| Max. transmission distance | 12 km (FCC) 8 km (CE) |
The radio control supplied in the basic package is the same as that used on the Mavic Air 2 and Mini 2, DJI’s standard RC-N1 remote control. A telescopic handle is located on top to accommodate your smartphone and for ease of transport, the joysticks unscrew and can be stored in the rubber sections at the bottom of the controller.
This remote control is unfortunately larger and heavier (393g) than that of the Mavic 2, which also has the advantage of being foldable, and lacks a screen to display basic flight and camera information. However, it’s comfortable to use, boasts longer battery life and includes all the functions you need to fly the drone, except for using the camera, for which you’ll need to use the DJI Fly app.
The DJI Air 2S is also compatible with 3 radio controls with integrated display:
- DJI RC remote control, released with the Mini 3 Pro
- the DJI RC Pro remote control, another level up, released with the Mavic 3
- DJI Smart Controller radio control, an older model that has since been replaced by the RC Pro
These remote controls are not available as part of the DJI Air 2S package . If you’re interested in any of them, you’ll need to purchase them separately. Please note that the Smart Controller is no longer sold by DJI.
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DJI Air 2S: features and flight performance
Flight modes
The DJI Air 2S is extremely easy and safe to fly thanks to the flight functions that the Mavic series of drones are known for. Its automated flight modes and anti-collision functions give you all the assistance you need.
Of course, the drone features the usual Quickshot modes, automated flight modes that make it easy to create professionally rendered videos. These modes are as follows:
- Rocket: the drone rises into the sky with its camera pointing downwards
- Circle: the drone turns around the subject
- Dronie: the drone flies backwards and upwards and the camera is fixed on the subject.
- Helix : the drone climbs and spirals around the subject
- Boomerang: the drone flies around the subject with an oval trajectory
- Asteroid: a kind of Rocket mode where the effect ends with a 3D view of the Earth
These are complemented by FocusTrack mode, which includes several programmed modes in which the pilot must draw a frame around the subject for the drone to follow.
There is also a Spotlight 2.0 mode in which the drone is flown manually by the pilot with the camera locked on the subject so that the subject is always in the centre of the frame.
Finally, DJI has added a completely new mode called MasterShots to allow you to generate professional quality footage ready to share on social networks. In this mode, the drone automatically flies around the subject and takes 10 different video sequences from different angles. The application then stitches these scenes together and adds music to produce a video clip that you can then share immediately online. The result is interesting, but it feels more like a showcase of all the QuickShot modes in one video, and one might only use this mode a few times before returning to the classic modes.
Security
| Obstacle detection system | Forward To rear To top Downwards |
The DJI Air 2S is extremely safe to fly thanks to its obstacle sensors all around the drone, in front, behind, under and above the aircraft. These use binocular zoom technology to recognise objects further away when moving quickly.
The Air 2S also features the Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) 4.0, which can be set to automatically stop the drone or fly around, under or over detected obstacles to maintain smooth and continuous flight.
Another safety feature it comes equipped with is AirSense, which uses ADS-B aviation technology to receive signals from nearby planes and helicopters and display their position on the on-screen map in the DJI Fly application.
Finally, there is also GEO 2.0 geocoding to keep the drone away from places where airspace is restricted, such as airports.
Steering
| Maximum speed | 19 m/s (S mode) 15 m/s (N mode) 5 m/s (mode C) |
| Max. ascent speed | 6 m/s |
| Max. descent speed | 6 m/s |
| Max. wind resistance | 10.7 m/s |
DJI drones have the advantage of flying with a reliability that immediately inspires confidence, and the DJI Air 2S is no exception.
The DJI Air 2s has three flight modes: Normal (N), Sport (S), and Cinema (C). Its top speed is 68km/h in Sport mode, 54km/h in Normal mode and 18km/h in Cinema mode, where the speed is deliberately limited and the controls are less sensitive in order to film the most cinematic-looking video sequences possible.
The first thing we noticed during our test is that the Air 2S is incredibly quiet. The fact that DJI has updated the electronic speed controllers and created more aerodynamic propellers has a lot to do with it. The controls are as smooth as ever, the drone responds quickly and does exactly what you tell it to do. The drone is very stable in light winds, but it gets a bit tricky in moderate to strong winds.
Battery and flight time
| Max. flight time | 31 minutes |
| Max. hovering time | 30 minutes |
The maximum flight time announced by DJI is 31 minutes, which is three minutes less than its predecessor, the Air 2. But of course, this figure applies in the absence of wind and if you take into account the weather and the automatic return function which is triggered when 25% of the battery remains, the flight time is inevitably lower, which is normal. In our test, we found flight times to be closer to 20 minutes.
DJI Air 2S: the camera
| Sensor | 1-inch CMOS |
| Lens | 22 mm equivalent, FOV 88°, f/2.8 aperture |
| Photo resolution | 20 MP |
| Max. video resolution | 5.4K up to 30 fps 4K up to 60 fps 2.7K up to 60 fps FHD up to 120 fps |
| ISO range | 100 to 12800 (Photo) 100 to 6400 (Video) 100 to 1600 (Dlog-M 10-Bit video) |
| Max. bit rate | 150 Mb/s |
| Color profile | Normal (8 bits) HLG (10 bits) Dlog M (10 bits) |
| Digital Zoom | 4K/30ips: 4x 2.7K/60ips: 4x 2.7K/30ips: 6x 1080p/60ips: 6x 1080p/30ips: 8x |
Image quality is clearly the most important feature on a drone. And the DJI Air 2S is unquestionably up to the task, with its one-inch CMOS sensor offering 20 MP resolution, an 88-degree field of view (equivalent focal length 22mm) and a fixed aperture of f/2.8, with a focusing range from 60 cm to infinity. All mounted on a 3-axis gimbal capable of tilting 90 degrees down and up to 24 degrees up.
Photo
It is possible to take pictures in RAW and JPEG formats. The images produced are sharpest in the centre with a drop in sharpness towards the edges but this is common to most consumer drones, so it is not a major problem. In video, the image is sharp throughout the frame.
All photo modes are accessible via the DJI Fly app and there are all the classic functions such as single shot, self-timer, burst mode, panorama and hyperlapse modes.
The following advanced modes are also available:
- HDR: the camera automatically captures seven different exposures and combines them for a more dynamic image
- Hyperlight: the camera takes multiple photos and merges them to give a clearer image in low light conditions which tend to give grainy images
- Scene recognition: this mode allows the drone to recognize five major elements of a photo (sunsets, blue sky, grass, snow and trees) to maximize tone, clarity and colour
There is also a new SmartPhoto mode that analyses the scene to automatically choose the best of three options – HDR, Hyperlight and Scene Recognition – to get the ideal image. This mode is convenient for beginner photographers who want to get a quality image with minimal effort, but will be less useful for more advanced users.
Video
You can shoot 5.4K video at up to 30 frames per second, 4K video at up to 60 frames per second and Full HD video at up to 120 frames per second, allowing you to shoot slow motion.
Captured video can be saved in H.264 or H.265 formats, and you can choose from three video color profiles: Normal (8-bit), DLog M (10-bit) or HLG (10-bit), providing the perfect range of options for professionals and a significant improvement over Air 2.
ISO sensitivity
ISO sensitivity from 100 to 12800 is available for photos, and from 100 to 1600 for video. ISO handling is far superior to that of the Mavic 2 Pro. The most significant improvement in image quality is certainly the management of noise at high ISO: images taken at ISO 3200 are surprisingly clean and noise is only noticeable at ISO 6400 and above. If necessary, it will therefore be possible to shoot at higher ISO settings in low light conditions.
Digital Zoom
The DJI Air 2S has an 8x digital zoom, which starts at 4x in 4K at 30fps and increases to 8x in 1080p at 30fps. Unfortunately it is not available for 10-bit or 120fps, but it allows you to get closer to the action without the drone being physically closer, which is very useful. However, when shooting video footage, it is best not to use a zoom setting of more than 2x, as the image quality naturally decreases beyond that.
DJI Air 2S: the price
🚨 Update
The Air 2S is no longer available from the DJI online store. However, it is still possible to find it on other sites such as Amazon, or second-hand. The prices indicated in this paragraph are the latest prices available on the manufacturer’s official website.
Note: this section contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend devices that we have personally tested and approved.
| Standard pack (DJI RC-N1 remote control) | 799€ (DJI website) |
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| Fly More Pack (DJI RC-N1 remote control) | 1039€ (DJI website) |
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As is often the case with DJI drones, the DJI Air 2S is available as a standard package or as a Fly More Bundle.
The standard package costs €799 and includes the drone, RC-N1 remote control, battery, charger, cell phone cables, 3 pairs of propellers, a basket protector and a pair of spare joysticks.
The Fly More Bundle contains all the accessories of the standard package, plus 2 batteries, 3 pairs of propellers, a set of ND 4/8/16/32 filters, a charging station, an external battery adapter, and a shoulder bag. Priced at €1039, this is the pack that offers the best value for money, as all additional accessories are inevitably more expensive if purchased separately.
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Conclusion: should you buy the DJI Air 2S?
Combining the compact design of the DJI Mavic Air 2 with the image quality of the Mavic 2 Pro, the DJI Air 2S is clearly one of the best compact drones on the market, although in the meantime DJI has released the Mavic 3 which is truly exceptional but also much more expensive. But to put it simply, the DJI Air 2S is a great drone: compact, light, quiet, with good battery life, incredible on-board technology and its 20MP camera takes stunningly sharp photos and videos even in low light. For its price, it is clearly a fantastic product.
Buy it if…
… you need superb image quality and are looking for the best value! The DJI Air 2S is clearly a great option. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional videographer looking for an ultra-portable drone to add to your arsenal, the Air 2S is the smallest and lightest consumer drone with a 1-inch sensor and a camera to match. Of course, the Mavic 3 has since been released, but its price is much higher. And if you already have the Mavic Air 2, it’s up to you: the Air 2S has new features and a better camera, but its predecessor remains a very capable drone.
Don’t buy it if…
… you need the best of the best: the Mavic 3 clearly has the best camera on the market for a portable drone. But if you are not a professional, the price may hold you back. If, on the other hand, you need an even smaller and more portable drone, then the DJI Mini 2and its 249 grams are the best option. And it’s capable of shooting RAW photos and video up to 4K.
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