DJI Introduces New Intelligent Camera Drones

By Mike Ball / 26 Aug 2018
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DJI Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro

DJI has announced the introduction of two additions to its Mavic series: Mavic 2 Pro, the world’s first drone with an integrated Hasselblad camera, and Mavic 2 Zoom, the world’s first foldable consumer drone with optical zoom capability.

The Mavic 2 is the most advanced DJI camera drone ever built, designed for professionals, aerial photographers and content creators. Incorporating the folding design of the Mavic Pro, the Mavic 2 is a powerful platform with new gimbal-stabilized cameras and advanced intelligent features like Hyperlapse and ActiveTrack. With a flight time of up to 31 minutes and a more stable video transmission system, Mavic 2 delivers an improved flight experience for capturing photos and video.

“When the Mavic Pro was launched two years ago, it redefined the way people looked at a drone and expanded possibilities for creators around the world,” said Roger Luo, President at DJI. “Today, we enter a new era of aerial photography with the introduction of DJI’s new flagship product, the Mavic 2 series. The Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom will enable photographers and videographers to take their inspirations to the air quickly and elevate their creative ideas to new heights.”

Co-engineered in partnership with Hasselblad, the Mavic 2 Pro is the world’s first drone with an integrated Hasselblad camera for high image quality with superior light and color performance. Housing a 1-inch CMOS sensor with a 10-bit Dlog-M color profile, the camera captures four times as many levels of color per channel compared to Mavic Pro to provide maximum flexibility for photo and video editing. The Mavic 2 Pro can capture 20-megapixel aerial shots with utmost color accuracy using Hasselblad’s unique Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS) technology, while an adjustable aperture from f/2.8-f/11 provides more control across a wide variety of lighting conditions. With 4K 10-bit HDR support, the Mavic 2 Pro can be plugged into a 4K TV with HLG and will play back footage with the right color tones.

Powered by a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, the Mavic 2 Zoom is DJI’s first foldable consumer drone with zoom. With the Mavic 2 Zoom, users can get closer to their subject at a moment’s notice by combining two-times optical zoom (24-48mm) with two-times digital zoom to simulate a 96mm telephoto lens that captures lossless video in full HD resolution. Hybrid auto-focus on the Mavic 2 Zoom combines phase and contrast detection for higher focus accuracy with an increased focus speed of up to 40% faster than before. Shoot vivid 12-megapixel photos or take advantage of the new Super Resolution feature that uses optical zoom to automatically capture and stitch nine photos together for a highly detailed 48-megapixel image, making it an ideal option for landscape photography.

Exclusive to the Mavic 2 Zoom, the new Dolly Zoom QuickShot mode creates an otherworldly warped perspective by automatically zooming in as it flies away from its subject, keeping the subject the same size while the full background of the scene is revealed.

Both cameras capture vivid 4K ultra-high definition video with extreme detail, recording at a maximum bitrate of 100 megabits per second using the H.265 compression codec to give users an exceptional degree of latitude in post-production workflows. For photographers, new Enhanced High Dynamic Range capabilities blend a sequence of photos for ghost-free high dynamic range, giving the Mavic 2 Pro 14 stops of dynamic range and Mavic 2 Zoom up to 13 stops.

The Mavic 2 is optimized for aerial content creation with new intelligent flight modes that make capturing professional-quality results easier. A new Hyperlapse feature produces establishing shots that show the passing of time, which users can share to social media immediately. JPEG and RAW photos can be simultaneously saved on a Micro SD card or the internal storage, leaving more room for post editing. Choose between Circle, Course Lock, Waypoint or Free mode to create timelapses with a simple tap of a button in the DJI GO 4 Mobile App:

  • Free – pilots the drone manually while shooting a Hyperlapse video
  • Circle – automatically flies the drone in a circular pattern around a subject the user selects to create a timelapse video that captures the action
  • Course Lock – keeps the camera fixed on shooting subject while the drone flies in a straight direction to create a unique perspective
  • Waypoint – plans a complex flight path based on both altitude and GPS coordinates to capture complex shots

Keeping a moving subject in the frame is now easier than ever with ActiveTrack 2.0. This enhanced auto-track feature delivers a combination of autonomous tracking and obstacle sensing capabilities never before seen in a DJI drone. Using the main camera and the front dual vision cameras, the Mavic 2 creates a three-dimensional map of the area in front of it, and uses new trajectory algorithms to analyze motion and predict the subject’s path up to three seconds in the future. When tracking a target, the Mavic 2 can recognize and avoid obstacles while shooting a target without interruption. It can stay on target, even if the subject momentarily goes behind an obstacle, and can track the subject at higher speeds of up to 44 mph (72 km/h).

The Mavic 2 delivers autonomous flight capabilities that help users capture shots with even more confidence in complex environments. A fully upgraded FlightAutonomy system transmits data to a more powerful central processor for more accurate obstacle sensing and safer flight. For the first time ever in a DJI drone, Mavic 2 has 10 sensors on all sides of the aircraft to automatically detect obstacles in its path and help prevent collisions, allowing pilots to focus on capturing the perfect shot.

An improved Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) allows the aircraft to analyze its surrounding environment and automatically fly around obstacles without stopping. In addition, the Mavic 2 has a Bottom Auxiliary Light that turns on automatically to ensure safe and precise landings in low-light situations.

A newly designed OcuSync 2.0 video transmission system enables a more stable connection between the drone and its remote controller. The system features stronger interference resistance and auto-switching capabilities that supports both 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequency bands with the capability to use different frequencies for uplink and downlink data streams. It delivers 1080p video transmission feeds at a distance of up to 8km, allowing users to instantly edit and upload Full HD footage directly from the video cache in the DJI app in a wider variety of situations. Original resolution photos in JPEG can be saved directly to a mobile device, so that users can immediately share creations without the need to transfer files from the drone.

The Mavic 2’s redesigned, more aerodynamic airframe reduces body drag by up to 19% compared to the Mavic Pro, allowing the Mavic 2 to fly at speeds of up to 44 mph (72 km/h) in Sport mode. Combined with a more efficient, quieter propulsion system and noise reducing propellers, the Mavic 2 has a maximum flight time of up to 31 minutes.

To ensure crisp photos and smooth, shake-free footage, the Mavic 2 houses an ultra-precise three-axis mechanical gimbal to stabilize its camera even during high-speed motion. Photos and videos can be saved directly to the drone using its 8 GB onboard storage. All DJI users have control over how their data is stored and managed, as part of DJI’s commitment to protecting its customers’ data.

A redesigned remote controller features detachable control sticks for ease of storage and portability. The Mavic 2 is compatible with DJI Goggles with the gimbal (yaw) control range up to -75° – +75° in Head Tracking mode, offering users a more immersive FPV flight experience.

Posted by Mike Ball Mike Ball is our resident technical editor here at Unmanned Systems Technology. Combining his passion for teaching, advanced engineering and all things unmanned, Mike keeps a watchful eye over everything related to the unmanned technical sector. With over 10 years’ experience in the unmanned field and a degree in engineering, Mike’s been heading up our technical team here for the last 8 years. Connect & Contact