Best DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

DJI offers not one, but two models of Mavic 2 to take over from its excellent Mavic Pro. If our test of the Mavic 2 Pro especially revealed a great potential in photo, this Zoom version stands out for its part in video.

Presentation

Forget the 1 “20MP sensor from the Hasselblad camera that benefits the Mavic 2 Pro; the Mavic 2 Zoom retains the smallest 1 / 2.3” and 12MP sensor of the Mavic Pro, but can count on an optical zoom 2x! Apart from this difference in camera, the Mavic 2 are technically identical, to within 2 grams, and this is why we invite you first to read the  Mavic 2 Pro test to avoid an almost complete repetition of the different paragraphs concerning handling, theft and autonomy, practically identical for the two devices. So here we will focus on their differences , especially in terms of image quality.

Best DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. DJI Mavic 2 Zoom – Drone Quadcopter UAV with Optical Zoom Camera 3-Axis Gimbal. 4K Video 12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor, up to 48mph, Gray

2. DJI Mavic 2 ZOOM Drone Quadcopter Fly More Kit Combo Bundle with 3 Batteries, Hard Rugged Case. ND and Adjustable Polarizer Filter Set and Must Have Accessories (12 Items)

3. DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

4. DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Combo Bundle with 2 Batteries, 4 Channel Charging Hub, Carrying Case. ND & Adjustable Polarizer Filter Set, Micro SD Card, Landing Pad and Signal Booster

5. DJI Mavic 2 Zoom – Drone Quadcopter UAV with Smart Controller Optical Zoom Camera 3-Axis. Gimbal 4K Video UAV 12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor, up to 48mph, Gray

Getting started

905 g for the Mavic 2 Zoom, 907 g for the Mavic 2 Pro, we cannot say that this will change anything and we will have to comply with the legislation applied to drones over 800 g (see box) ). The two quadrotors are almost identical to their dark gray color, and only their camera changes.

Excellent manufacturing quality, robustness, compactness when folded and small radio control a little improved since the first version … so many good points that make Mavic 2 devices very convincing.

On the other hand, who says identical technical base also says same problems of updates with this Mavic 2 Zoom which was shown somewhat recalcitrant with some of our smartphones, requiring to go through a computer to apply the latest firmware of the machine .

Flight

Again, no change from the Mavic 2 Pro, the device being identical and behaving in exactly the same way. We appreciate the simplicity of piloting and all the security measures implemented by DJI and based on a myriad of sensors. What focus on the framing, which is all the more important here since by using the zoom, we perceive less the environment of the drone on the screen. The application interface is however a little more loaded due to the display of the focal length on the screen (optical zoom).

The first major difference between the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom is in their flight modes. The Mavic 2 Zoom is indeed capable of automatically achieving a vertigo effect, also called Dolly Zoom. It relies for this on its optical zoom. In practice, all you have to do is select a subject on the screen for the camera to focus on it and start moving away from it while zooming in on it. This creates striking perspective and distortion effects without loss of quality (Ultra HD from start to finish) thanks to optical zoom – the effect can be produced from Ultra HD video by digitally zooming in the image , for example, but at the cost of a reduced final image definition (at Full HD, for example).

If not always have the same automated flight modes as on the Mavic 2 Pro, that is to say a beautiful panel of cinematographic effects at hand, without the need to be an ace of piloting or to leave the controls to a cameraman to realize them .

Image quality

If we have to choose between Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom, it’s really the image quality they produce that can make us lean towards one or the other model. We saw it in the test of the Mavic 2 Pro and our photo Lab news , the Hasselblad camera with CMOS sensor of 1 inch and 20 Mpx allows to obtain beautiful images, well defined and with a fairly clean ISO rise. Obviously, with its small sensor of 1 / 2.3 inch and 12 Mpx, the Mavic 2 Zoom is more difficult in the photo part. We can still capture beautiful images and DJI has thought of exploiting the 2x zoom of his device by offering a “Super Resolution” photo mode which compensates a little for the weaker definition of his sensor.

It is thus capable of creating an image of 48 Mpx from 9 photos taken at the focal length of 48 mm (that is to say with 2x optical zoom), with a framing equivalent to that which one would obtain with the 24 mm focal length (equivalent to a photo without zoom). Interesting to capture landscapes, for example, provided that there are no moving elements during the capture, as for a panorama.

Despite this, in terms of aerial photography, there is no debate, the Mavic 2 Pro dominates the Zoom of the head and shoulders. 

More

So why choose a Mavic 2 Zoom? For its video qualities, quite simply, and not simply because of its lower price! Indeed, it is really the 2x zoom that gives all its meaning to the Mavic 2 Zoom and allows it to pull out of the game. As we saw during its test, the Mavic 2 Pro unfortunately does not take full advantage of its 20 MP video sensor, which limits its technical superiority. Indeed, the scaling in Ultra HD is done at the price of a loss of sharpness and only the Ultra HD HQ mode allows to enjoy the best possible sharpness with this sensor (at the price of a drastic restriction of the angle of view). Certainly, the best dynamics and the greatest sensitivity of the latter have advantages when

However, the optics of the Mavic 2 Zoom offer very interesting creative possibilities for a videographer. In addition to its wider field of vision, of 83 ° (24 mm) against 77 ° (28 mm) on the Mavic 2 Pro, we of course think of its 2x optical zoom (passing to 4x if we use the digital zoom in going from Ultra HD definition to Full HD), allowing rapid framing changes and avoiding having to get too close to the subject. Very useful to remain discreet with a device which is precisely not because of the noise it emits. By using the zoom, we also gain parallax effects which are very useful for detaching the background from the subject more clearly.

Autonomy

No really noticeable change in terms of autonomy, the Mavic 2 Zoom also takes almost 25 minutes in “normal” flight. Sufficient to make beautiful shots taking into account the time to return to the initial position.

STRONG POINTS

  • Good image quality.
  • Very interesting optical zoom in video.
  • Many useful and well thought out flight modes.
  • Obstacle detection on all sides.
  • Easy and safe flight / Stability.
  • Excellent build quality.
  • Still compact, although a bit larger than the Mavic Pro.
  • Good autonomy.

WEAK POINTS

  • Rechargeable batteries only via the proprietary charger.
  • Fairly high introductory price.
  • Optical zoom camera with small sensor or 1 “20 Mpx sensor, choose (Mavic 2 Zoom or Mavic 2 Pro).
  • Problems with updates via the smartphone detected by several users, including us.
  • Android application still not translated into French!

CONCLUSION

Even easier to fly and still easy to transport despite a slightly larger size, the Mavic 2 Zoom easily outperforms the Mavic Pro, our favorite flying camera of 2016. If it does not progress on the strict plan of quality image, failing to take advantage of the new 1 “20 Mpx sensor reserved for the Mavic 2 Pro, it can count on its optical zoom to make the difference in video by offering more cinematographic possibilities. If you make more videos than aerial photos and don’t worry about the 10-bit recording reserved for the Pro, so we are more likely to recommend this Mavic 2 Zoom.

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