Review : drone DJI Air 2S
The DJI Air 2S is the drone with the absolute best value for less than 1,000 $. Hobby pilots and semi-professional filmmakers and photographers can enjoy convincing shots with this copter and can look forward to a completely uncomplicated and very well stabilized flight behavior.
Outstanding video and photo quality, easy to fly, convincing obstacle detection and fair value for money: The DJI Air 2S is our number 1 in the drone sky.
The Air 2S is considered a pioneer in its compact size class: Because it is the first drone here to record photos with 20 megapixels and videos in 5.4K with a 1-inch sensor. The Air 2S is the perfect drone that you can always have with you. DJI designed it with a proven folding mechanism. When folded, it is just 18 × 9.7 × 7.7 centimeters, ready to fly the drone is 18.3 × 25.3 × 7.7 centimeters. At 595 grams, it is also a real lightweight.
The quality of workmanship is excellent. The gray plastic is stable and impact-resistant, the drone's battery is easy to insert and clicks securely into place, and the fold-out arms are robust and torsion-resistant. The foldable rotors can remain mounted for transport. If you ever have to replace one after the drone has failed to land: press down, turn, lift off - and the new propeller can be attached. No tools are required for this.
Four LEDs, each of which can light up green, allow a first rough orientation directly on the battery as to the remaining capacity. An exact percentage can be obtained via the drone's app.
On the side behind a rubber cover there is a USB-C port to connect the drone to a PC and save the photo and video files from the 8 gigabyte internal memory. On the opposite side is the slot for microSD cards with a capacity of up to 256 gigabytes. Attention: If you film in maximum resolution, you should use the fastest memory cards available on the market to ensure smooth film playback.
The drone's camera and 3-axis gimbal are protected by a clear plastic bell. Once you know how to set it up, it will work in no time at all.
The scope of delivery of the DJI Air 2S includes the drone, the remote control, a battery, gimbal protection, charger, spare propeller and connection cable for smartphone and controller. The Fly More Combo, which is 300 to 400 $more expensive, contains two additional batteries, a battery charging station, ND filters and a bag. For most, this package is probably the best option because the accessories make sense and are significantly cheaper in a set than if you could buy them individually. Including the Smart Controller, the remote control with a large display, you have to shell out at least 1,700 $. However, if you own a reasonably decent smartphone, you can do without this purchase.
Advantage of a DJI drone: The range of accessories from third-party suppliers is large. Whether smartphone holder, ND filter, bags or suitcases - there is also various equipment available for the Air 2S.
camera and gimbal
The camera is equipped with a 1 inch sensor. Photos (JPG and Raw) can be recorded with 20 megapixels and videos with 5.4K/30fps (5,472 × 3,078 pixels) or 4K/60fps (3,840 × 2,160 pixels) and a data throughput of 150 Mbit/s. Slow-motion recordings with 120 frames per second can also be realized in full HD resolution. The field of view of the camera is 88 degrees, the aperture is f/2.8.
A zoom is available for enlarging objects, but not optically, but digitally, which only artificially enlarges the pixels, which degrades the image quality. Depending on the resolution and refresh rate, pilots can choose between four to eight times the zoom. In addition, filmmakers can choose between the video codecs H.264 and H.265. The color profiles available are Normal (8 bit), D-Log (10 bit) and HLG (10 bit).
In addition to standard photo options like Timed Photo, Exposure Bracketing (AEB), and Panorama, the DJI Air 2S' SmartPhoto mode captures 20-megapixel photos, intelligent scene analysis, and uses deep learning to automatically select the top three options and the most visually appealing to create image. HDR, Hyperlight and scene recognition are also used. HDR merges multiple image variations into a single dynamic image, while Hyperlight is designed for low-light scenarios.
The gimbal stabilizes the drone camera over three axes. It allows the camera to be tilted (-135° to 45°), rolled (-45° to 45°) and panned (-100° to 100°) and can be modified via the DJI app and adapted to the needs of the user customize pilots.
Obstacle detection and range
The Air 2S is equipped with sensors at the front, rear, left, right, top and bottom to detect obstacles such as trees or rock faces on its own. This system works very reliably. Frontal crashes are effectively avoided, and even flying past at close range works flawlessly.
The so-called AirSense system of the DJI Air 2S also warns drone pilots of nearby planes and helicopters that are sending ADS-B signals. As a result, potential dangers can be identified and prevented at an early stage. The GEO 2.0 geofencing system reports that you do not fly illegally near airports or in areas with airspace restrictions. Like almost all drones now, the DJI also has a return function that can be used to bring the drone back to its starting point if it loses contact with the remote control or reaches a critically low battery level.
The Chinese manufacturer specifies a maximum transmission range of 8 kilometers with the OcuSync transmission technology O3. Four antennas are used. In the test, we flew the drone up to 400 meters away from our location. The signal was absolutely free of interference at all times, and the live preview in 1080p/30 landed on the smartphone without any jerking or dropouts.
flight performance and flight duration
The Air 2S can be flown in three different modes. In the brisk S mode (Sport) the drone can reach a top speed of 68 km/h, in N mode (Normal) the copter reaches up to 54 km/h, in C mode (Cine) the drone flies leisurely for a cinematic look and at best manages 18 kilometers per hour. DJI specifies a maximum rate of climb and descent of 6 meters per second.
The drone's 198 gram LiPo 3S battery has a capacity of 3,750 mAh. In the technical specifications, DJI lists a maximum flight time with no wind of 31 minutes, the maximum hovering time should be 30 minutes. In the test, we were able to fly the drone for 30 minutes on a cold autumn day and still had enough reserves for a safe landing.
steering
Like all DJI drones, the Air 2S is controlled via smartphone and remote control. The controller lies well in the hand and is reminiscent of the control center of a games console. The control sticks are stowed in the underside to save space and are screwed in. The stable smartphone holder is simply pulled out at the top and also securely holds large mobile phones. Four LEDs signal the remaining capacity of the battery.
Practical: The required cable (suitable cables for Apple and Android are included) can be stowed under the inserted smartphone holder - so there is no risk of forgetting the cord at home.
On the controller itself, you can select the flight mode, initiate the automated return action, pan the camera and start videos and take photos. The operating concept is almost self-explanatory. DJI does without a display. If you absolutely want this, you have to use the Smart remote control, which is part of the expensive Fly More Combo package.
The »DJI Fly« app is also largely self-explanatory. Here you get all important information at a glance: How many satellites are currently found? How tall is the drone? how far away is she How long will the battery last? You can also switch between the different recording modes, change the resolution and exposure, activate slow motion and use the automated flight modes (more on that in a moment). Overall, the app is a good compromise: It makes work easier for beginners, but also allows more advanced pilots to make manual adjustments.
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Even beginners need not be afraid of flying
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Controlling the drone is DJI-specifically very easy. The copter can take off and land if necessary without any outside intervention. If you, as a complete beginner, have dealt with the operating concept a little before the first flight, nothing can actually go wrong. The drone reacts absolutely reliably and directly and promptly carries out the pilot's commands. Amazing how easy it is to fly such a quadrocopter.
Clever recording modes
Some flight routes and maneuvers are not so easy to execute manually. Therefore, it makes sense to let the DJI Air 2S do the piloting itself. Because she has stored various preset flight routes and recording options in the app.
The so-called QuickShots, which include the »Dronie«, »Rocket«, »Circle«, »Helix«, »Boomerang« and »Asteroid« modes, have been known for some time. For example, the copter circles very precisely around a self-defined object, such as a church tower.
ActiveTrack 4.0 ensures that the Air 2S automatically circles a moving object such as a cyclist, follows it reliably or keeps it constantly in the center of the image while you carry out any control commands yourself.
MasterShots independently creates a flight path for the drone, selects from three different shooting modes, including close-up, landscape and portrait shots, and carries them out completely autonomously. You can choose from numerous templates, and the DJI Fly app creates a video independently.
All options are amazingly mature and work flawlessly. In this way, creativity can be significantly increased when filming from the air.
DJI Air 2S in the test mirror
Overall, the media response to the DJI Air 2S is consistently very positive.
alternatives
There is no question that the Chinese manufacturer DJI dominates the drone market. Even somewhat older DJI drones, which we no longer list among the alternatives and are listed below, you can still buy for the most part without hesitation. With Autel Robotics and Parrot, we can recommend at least two manufacturers who also offer interesting quadrocopters.
Filming in 8K: Autel Robotics Evo II
Yes, you read that correctly: 4K in the drone sky was yesterday, with the Autel Robotics Evo II the first quadrocopter with 8K resolution is on the move. The orange flying vehicle even outshines its competitor DJI, but in some respects it cannot get past the top dog.
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