Mavic Air Review
The Mavic Air is essentially a pocket-sized drone that gives you the opportunity to be creative on your travels. Through either aerial filmmaking or photography. Ours is constantly with us everywhere we go just in case we get happen to come across something worthy of carrying out a little aerial filmmaking. An amazing little innovative piece of kit. That takes no setting up.
Permission For Commercial Operations
After completing our PfCO (Permission for commercial operations) essentially a permission from the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) we toned down the creative drone flying due to the education received regarding their use, during the ground school training. You are quickly informed of all your wrong doings as a hobbyist RPAS pilot.
Essentially it is a steep learning curve that every commercial drone pilot is required to go through at some point. Most of whom will discover their previous flying ability may well be on the far end of being legal, although everybody’s perception of risk is of course different. What sets you apart is how you mitigate that risk to cover all bases during your flight.
Irrespective of how light and portable the Mavic Air is and how you may well mitigate your risks differently to of that when operating the M600 or M210 the Mavic Air still has the potential to harm. Please don’t be complacent. Aerial filmmaking is made easy through the use of the Mavic air and its onboard gadgets and capabilities to perform complex maneuvers and cinematic expressions, this does not give you the ability to fly safely and you should be vigilant at all times throughout your filmmaking projects.
The Mavic Air
The Mavic air is pocket-sized and can literally be carried around in your pocket or bag and controlled via your mobile phone portable device or Remote Control if you prefer. The camera quality it employs as standard is second to none and can compete if not blow the other high-end consumer filmmaking drones out of the water, but what else do we expect from DJI?
Overall when considering camera dynamics such as dynamic range, color, distortion and of course sharpness across the entire field of view. The Mavic Air does not disappoint. We were fully expecting it to underperform at all levels but as you can see by the below aerial images, this was definitely not the case. Even when using its filmmaking capabilities we were pleasantly surprised with the outcome and allows the same “Log” options as its descendants.
Firstly the Mavic Air 3 axis gimbal is the most compact 3 axis gimbal currently on the market and is operationally excellent. The general consensus around the Mavic Air is that DJI has taken both the Mavic pro and Spark and combined the best parts of both to come up with the Mavic Air.
All three have the same size 1/2.3” CMOS sensor but the Mavic air is top of the league with its 100mb/s data rate. The results are spectacular.
Mavic Air Statistics
This Mavic Air review isn’t all about our own opinion of its capability. We have also included statistics which you could find on the DJI site but you’re here now so see below stats list. Our aim is to create a detailed comparison of both the Mavic Air and the Phantom 4 Pro which will no doubt come in a later blog. So please do stay tuned in.
AIRCRAFT
| Takeoff Weight | 430 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | Folded: 168×83×49 mm (L×W×H) Unfolded: 168×184×64 mm (L×W×H) |
| Diagonal Distance | 213 mm |
| Max Ascent Speed | 4 m/s (S – mode[1]) 2 m/s (P – mode) 2 m/s (Wi-Fi mode) |
| Max Descent Speed | 3 m/s (S – mode[1]) 1.5 m/s (P – mode) 1 m/s (Wi-Fi mode) |
| Max Speed (near sea level, no wind) | 68.4 kph (S – mode[1]) 28.8 kph (P – mode) 28.8 kph (Wi-Fi mode) |
| Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level | 5000 m |
| Max Flight Time (no wind) | 21 minutes (at a consistent 25 kph) |
| Max Hovering Time (no wind) | 20 minutes |
| Max Flight Distance (no wind) | 10 km |
| Max Wind Speed Resistance | 29 – 38 kph |
| Max Tilt Angle | 35° (S – mode[1]) 15° (P – mode) |
| Max Angular Velocity | 250°/s (S – mode[1]) 250°/s (P – mode) |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0°C – 40°C |
| Operating Frequency | 2.400 – 2.4835 GHz 5.725 – 5.850 GHz |
| Transmission Power (EIRP) | 2.400 – 2.4835 GHz FCC: ≤28 dBm CE: ≤19 dBm SRRC: ≤19 dBm MIC: ≤19 dBm5.725 – 5.850 GHz FCC: ≤31 dBm CE: ≤14 dBm SRRC: ≤27 dBm |
| GNSS | GPS + GLONASS |
| Hovering Accuracy Range | Vertical: ±0.1 m (with Vision Positioning) ±0.5 m (with GPS Positioning)Horizontal: ±0.1 m (with Vision Positioning) ±1.5 m (with GPS Positioning) |
| Internal Storage | 8 GB |
SENSING SYSTEM
| Forward | Precision Measurement Range: 0.5 – 12 m Detectable Range: 0.5 – 24 m Effective Sensing Speed: ≤ 8 m/s Field of View (FOV): Horizontal 50°, Vertical ±19° |
|---|---|
| Backward | Precision Measurement Range: 0.5 – 10 m Detectable Range: 0.5 – 20 m Effective Sensing Speed: ≤ 8 m/s Field of View (FOV): Horizontal 50°, Vertical ±19° |
| Downward | Altitude Range: 0.1 – 8 m Operating Range: 0.5 – 30 m |
| Operating Environment | Forward: Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux > 15)Backward: Surface with clear pattern and adequate lighting (lux > 15)Downward: Detects clearly patterned surfaces with adequate lighting (lux>15) and diffuse reflectivity (>20%) |
REMOTE CONTROLLER
| Operating Frequency | 2.400 – 2.4835 GHz 5.725 – 5.850 GHz |
|---|---|
| Max Transmission Distance (unobstructed, free of interference) | 2.400 – 2.4835 GHz: FCC: 4000 m CE: 2000 m SRRC: 2000 m MIC: 2000 m5.725 – 5.850 GHz: FCC: 4000 m CE: 500 m SRRC: 2500 m |
| Operating Temperature Range | 0℃ – 40℃ |
| Transmission Power (EIRP) | 2.400 – 2.4835 GHz: FCC：≤26 dBm CE: ≤18 dBm SRRC: ≤18 dBm MIC:≤18 dBm5.725 – 5.850 GHz: FCC: ≤30 dBm CE: ≤14 dBm SRRC: ≤26 dBm |
| Battery | 2970 mAh |
| Operating Current/Voltage | 1400 mA ⎓ 3.7 V (Android) 750 mA ⎓ 3.7 V (iOS) |
| Supported Mobile Device Size | Max length: 160 mm Supported Thickness: 6.5-8.5 mm |
| Supported USB Port Types | Lightning, Micro USB (Type-B), USB-C |
CHARGER
| Input | 100 – 240 V, 50/60 Hz, 1.4 A |
|---|---|
| Output | Main: 13.2 V ⎓ 3.79 A USB: 5 V ⎓ 2 A |
| Voltage | 13.2 V |
| Rated Power | 50 W |
APP
| Video Transmission System | Enhanced Wi-Fi |
|---|---|
| Name | DJI GO 4 |
| Live View Quality | Remote Controller: 720p@30fps Smart Device: 720p@30fps DJI Goggles: 720p@30fps |
| Latency (depending on environmental conditions and mobile device) | 170 – 240 ms |
| Required Operating System | iOS v9.0 or later Android v4.4 or later |
GIMBAL
| Mechanical Range | Tilt: -100° to 22° Roll: -30° to 30° Pan: -12° to 12° |
|---|---|
| Controllable Range | Tilt: -90° to 0° (default setting) -90° to +17° (extended) |
| Stabilization | 3-axis (tilt, roll, pan) |
| Max Control Speed (tilt) | 120°/s |
| Angular Vibration Range | ±0.005° |
CAMERA
| Sensor | 1/2.3” CMOS Effective Pixels: 12 MP |
|---|---|
| Lens | FOV: 85° 35 mm Format Equivalent: 24 mm Aperture: f/2.8 Shooting Range: 0.5 m to ∞ |
| ISO Range | Video: 100 – 3200 (auto) 100 – 3200 (manual)Photo: 100 – 3200 (auto) 100 – 3200 (manual) |
| Shutter Speed | Electronic Shutter: 8 – 1/8000s |
| Still Image Size | 4:3: 4056×3040 16:9: 4056×2280 |
| Still Photography Modes | Single shot HDR Burst shooting: 3/5/7 frames Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7EV Bias Interval: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s |
| Video Resolution | 4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 24/25/30p 2.7K: 2720×1530 24/25/30/48/50/60p FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p HD: 1280×720 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p |
| Max Video Bitrate | 100Mbps |
| Supported File System | FAT32 |
| Photo Format | JPEG/DNG (RAW) |
| Video Format | MP4/MOV (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC） |
MOBILE DEVICE CONTROL
| Operating Frequency | 2.400 – 2.4835 GHz 5.725 – 5.850 GHz |
|---|---|
| Max Transmission Distance (unobstructed, free of interference) | Distance: 80 m Height: 50 m |
INTELLIGENT FLIGHT BATTERY
| Capacity | 2375 mAh |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 11.55 V |
| Max Charging Voltage | 13.2 V |
| Battery Type | LiPo 3S |
| Energy | 27.43 Wh |
| Net Weight | 140 g |
| Charging Temperature Range | 5℃ – 40℃ |
| Max Charging Power | 60 W |
SUPPORTED SD CARDS
| Supported SD Cards | microSD Class 10 or UHS-1 rating required |
|---|---|
| Recommended microSD Cards | 16G Sandisk Extreme Kingston 16GB SDHC-I SDCAC/16GB 32G Sandisk Extreme V30 Sandisk Extreme V30 A1 Sandisk Extreme V30 Pro A1 64G Sandisk Extreme V30 A1 Sandisk Extreme Pro V30 A1 128G Sandisk Extreme V30 A1 Sandisk Extreme Plus V30 A1 |
Mavic Air Facts
See below a list of quick Mavic Air facts to further enhance its capabilities from our perspective.
- The Mavic Air can be flown without a controller using your mobile device
- The Mavic Air produces 78Db of noise due to its upgraded motors
- The Mavic Air has its own onboard 8GB storage cache
- The Mavic Air has the same footprint as the iPhone 7 Plus
- The Mavic Air can safely fly in 22mph wind
- The Mavic Air when filmmaking can capture 4K @ 30fps & 100mbps or 1080p @ 120fps
- The Mavic Air captures 12mp stills at f/2.8
- The Mavic Air can capture several different panoramic shots including tiny planet
- The Mavic Air allows you to control the drone with smart gestures
Remain Vigilant
There may well be some attempt to shy away from the general rules and regulations due to the size and portability of the Mavic air, however, it still has the potential to cause harm and maim people if used irresponsibly with no cause for concern over people’s privacy and wellbeing.
So if you do happen to own one please do remain within the boundaries of the drone code. Whilst out shooting aerial photography or filmmaking projects. Granted the general damage caused to a building or property if it does drop out of the air or collide will be minimal but the secondary issues that might be evident from that still have the potential to seriously harm people if not worse.