Dji Mavic Air Quadcopter

The basics of the DJI Mavic Air Quadcopter

DJI is the leader in commercially available drones with many models in the market. The DJI Mavic Air is a serious contender just a few shades larger in size and weight than the DJI Spark but with quite a bit more power and speed. The main feature separating the two being the 3-axis all-mechanical gimbal that means the pictures and videos are super sharp even when flying at speed or hovering in wind.

Main features

At 450 grams it is roughly the weight of a tablet and with the foldable propeller arms it can be packed nicely into a small bag that can fit into a backpack easily. For the fact that it is so compact, the functionality is very impressive. The main camera is a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with an equivalent 28mm f/2.8 aperture lens for 12-megapixel stills. Video runs at 4K with 30 fps and a 100 Mbps bitrate or at 1080p with a 120 fps slow motion. The addition of 8GB storage onboard is also a great feature this means you can capture footage without an SD card. Given that a two-minute 4K video at 30fps eats through about 1.5 GB of data means you will need SD cards on hand. 

With cameras and sensors for obstacle detection and avoidance on the front, back and bottom, the sideways flying will require some manual avoidance by the pilot in case of any object. The flight time of 21 minutes at a fixed speed of 15.5mph will reduce in conditions of wind as the drone will burn through more power to maintain stability. There is a sports mode to make it zip around a lot faster with a max speed of 42mph which would result in some great shots if used well! Also one would need to be dexterous with the flying as even with a 20-meter detection of objects the chances of hitting something would increase significantly. The range on a tablet or smartphone is at 50 meters height and 80 meters distance but this can go up to 4km in line of sight with the separately sold remote attached.

Video & picture

Some of the video shooting modes are really interesting such as 'Boomerang' where the drone goes up and around behind the subject and back to the start as a way to capture the subject plus the surrounding area perfectly. 'Asteroid' mode makes the drone take a spherical image from a high point then zooms and twists into the subject on the ground creating an effect as though you’re flying down from space. Gesture control is one of the coolest features of the DJI Mavic Air Quadcopter; with the usual flying gesture controls that make it a lot simpler to control. Aside from the basics putting up a 'v' sign with your hand makes the drone take a still image and if you make director framing hands it starts to shoot video, with small lights on the drone that blink to let you know the drone has received your commands which is a neat feature. 

The still image abilities are also full of features such as panorama and also vertical panorama, with the option for 180 degrees or a full sphere. To achieve these the drone takes multiple shots and stitches them together digitally. Some of the standard modes are like HDR shots or 'AEB' which takes multiple varied exposure shots so you can later pick the one you like. 'Timed Shot' is also useful for a timelapse where you can choose how many shots you want it to take and with what time interval. The tracking in this is able to follow 2 subjects headed in the same direction allowing it to nicely frame people running or cycling together.

Other considerations

To avoid signal interference of any kind it is advised that it is flown in a clear area. Also, keep local laws and customs in mind, certain countries need the flyer to have a permit for some drone models and the DJI Mavic Air Quadcopter falls into this category in some places. Or for instance up north in Pakistan, in Hunza, the locals do not want people flying drones around obstructing the view for others while making noise too. 

The DJI Mavic Air is the right size if you don't want a professional level drone but also want a drone that could have you covered for some work and hobbies, somewhere in the middle of that spectrum so it is very versatile if used right! Compare prices on Shopsy to see which online store you want to acquire it from. The Mavic Air is an expensive device to purchase.