DJI Mavic 2 Pro Review: Is It Really Worth the Money?

Drone giant DJI has been releasing quality products left and right with their impressive lineups like the Mavic series, which has gained quite the attention of enthusiasts in the field of cinematography.

The Mavic 2 Pro sits comfortably in the mid-to-enthusiast-level price range, and it certainly packs a lot of punch.

It is the older brother of the twin Mavic 2 releases, with the Mavic 2 Zoom being a tad cheaper.

Read on for a comprehensive DJI Mavic 2 Pro review.

Quick Specs

WeightUnloaded wieght: 907 g
SizeLength: 322 mm
Width: 242 mm
Height: 84 mm
SpeedMax speed: 72 kph
SignalController Range: ~8 km
Operating Frequencies: 2.4 GHZ. 5.8 GHz
BatteryFlight time: ~31 mins
Capacity: 3850 mAh
Recording1080p, 4K supported resolution
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone with 20MP Camera & 4K Video
  • Equipped with a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with a 20MP 1” CMOS Sensor, the Mavic 2 camera...
  • Up to 31 minutes flight time, 44 mph max speed, 907G takeoff weight, 3-axis gimbal for...
  • Functions include ActiveTrack 2.0, Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing, Hyperlapse, Low-Noise...
  • The standard remote controller offers up to 135 minutes of battery life on a full charge....
  • DJI GO 4 App requires iOS 10.0.2, Android 5.0 or above. Compatible devices include: iPhone...

DJI Mavic 2 Pro Features

GPS/GLONASS Tracking

In this day and age, GPS/GLONASS-equipped drones are the norm, especially for a craft at this price point. The Mavic 2 Pro makes use of this dual positioning system to accurately represent its location on the DJI GO 4 app, allowing you to use its intuitive flight modes with almost full autonomy.

More than positioning, the GPS drone feature allows geotagging of aerial photographs, which is useful for photogrammetry with 3D mapping software.

ActiveTrack 2.0

Much like most of the drones DJI offers, the Mavic 2 Pro also has the ActiveTrack mode embedded into its processing algorithm. This allows the craft to track and recognize objects in the surroundings, allowing you to create custom tracking profiles to enhance precision during shoots.

You can gather up to 16 objects on-screen to be recognized by the Mavic 2 Pro’s tracking algorithm, so you can select whichever subject you want the drone to track while filming.

FollowMe

In conjunction with the ActiveTrack feature, the FollowMe sub-function allows the Mavic 2 Pro to follow and track your desired subject with impeccable precision. There are a handful of modes for FollowMe, but here are some of the most important:

Trace – This allows the Mavic 2 Pro to track the subject at a constant distance, ensuring it is always kept within frame for the duration of the shot.

Spotlight – Spotlight gives you more manual freedom on the camera by not automatically focusing on the subject while in flight, and instead points the camera in the direction of the shot.

Parallel – The Mavic 2 Pro maintains a constant angle from the subject while keeping it in focus.

TapFly

TapFly gives you the option to set the Mavic 2 Pro’s course on the digital map provided by the GPS/GLONASS combination. This is beneficial when you want to focus more on camera work, letting the drone fly along its intended path.

Point Of Interest

If you want to do circular sweeps around your subject, the Point of Interest function can come handy. Simply select the object, then set a radius, altitude and speed, and let the Mavic 2 Pro do the rest.

Waypoint 2.0

Another benefit of the GPS/GLONASS tracking of the Mavic 2 Pro is its ability to set waypoints for it to fly along.

Previously, the Waypoint functions of DJI drones required it to fly on the exact spot to mark the location. With the advanced mapping system of the Mavic 2 Pro, you just need to bring up the map and set the waypoints directly, eliminating the need of going to the exact locations for each of them.

Return To Home

With an expensive piece of hardware like this, it’s a smart move to include a safety feature like Return To Home.

If your Mavic 2 Pro is low on juice, had the transmission signal cut off, or you just want it back without the hassle of manually flying it, Return To Home takes care of it for you.

By recording its takeoff point, the Mavic 2 Pro easily retraces its flight path back to you, and is kept safe by the obstacle detection system to prevent crashes.

Obstacle Detection

One of the best selling points of the Mavic Pro 2 is its intuitive Obstacle Detection system.

Using omnidirectional sensors and a highly-intelligent algorithm, the Mavic 2 Pro has a protective sensing radius around it to avoid anything that may cause damage or crashes.

Hyperlapse

If you want to create dramatic film intros or montage-style videos, the Hyperlapse function might be for you. It allows the Mavic 2 Pro to take on a flight path to film on, and instantly process the footage for professional-looking timelapse videos.

Do note that the system is far from perfect, where stabilization is a common issue with the Hyperlapse feature. Also, you are limited to 1080p resolution on this mode.

Battery Life

The Mavic 2 Pro sits on the upper echelons of the battery level hierarchy, boasting 31 minutes, give or take, of uninterrupted flight power at a constant 7 mph speed.

The 3850 mAh LiPo 4S battery can be replenished in an hour or so, which is impressive considering the amount of juice it can provide versus its competitors.

Seriously. 31 minutes on an hour’s charge. Just wow.

Camera

The Mavic 2 Pro got DJI partnering with premium camera manufacturer Hasselblad for its optical system.

Equipped with a 1-inch, 20-MP CMOS sensor, the Mavic 2 Pro supports up to 4K video capture with HDR enabled, allowing for crisp stills and footage with amazing color reproduction, but you can opt for a low-contrast capture profile if you prefer to color-correct your shots.

The camera can be controlled on the DJI GO 4 App, allowing you to dial in manual values for the aperture. Movement is controlled by the controller’s side wheels and buttons.

Ease Of Use

The intelligent features of the Mavic 2 Pro make it easy enough to maneuver it without worrying about crashes or unexpected errors.

ActiveTrack is improved in this iteration, whereas the previous version would stop when an obstacle is encountered and await for manual correction, this one can intuitively skirt around them, continuing along its flight path.

Controller layout is basically what you’d expect: 2 joysticks, buttons for special functions, and dials on the shoulders for camera calibration. It has a monochrome screen for basic stat readouts like battery level and telemetry, so you can fly the Mavic 2 Pro without a smartphone. You’ll be sorely missing out on the FPV and extra functionality without one hooked up, though.

The DJI Go 4 App allows you to access a greater degree of control of the Mavic 2 Pro, from the smart flight features, to camera settings, essentially becoming an extension of the controller. You are required to recalibrate the drone before every flight, but it is a fairly straightforward process and should not take longer than 5 minutes.

As with most DJI Go 4 app compatible drones, you should always make it a point to update it and the firmware of your Mavic 2 Pro, as it denies you the ability to fly it once it detects an update but is not allowed to do so.

Design and Build Quality

The Mavic 2 Pro does well to emulate the original Mavic’s design, albeit a bit heftier all around. It sports a premium plastic construction for the most part and has no problem taking damage (although this is highly unlikely, given its ninja-like reflexes while flying).

One of the advantages of this is its foldable design, making portability a seamless process. We wish DJI went all out and included a carrying case for it as well, but who knows?

As stated earlier, the omnidirectional sensing system of the Mavic 2 Pro makes almost fully-autonomous flight possible. This is due to the sensors strategically loaded on the front, top, bottom, and sides, integrated into a cohesive system for unparalleled safety and intelligent operation.

Performance

DJI don’t disappoint in the flight performance of their drones, and the Mavic 2 Pro is no exception.

Controls are seamless and responsive, which reflects very well with the agile performance of the drone when maneuvering, following your every command with ease and fluidity.

The Mavic 2 Pro’s well-designed flight system is only made better with its intelligent flight features, keeping it incredibly stable and accurately position itself thanks to its GPS/GLONASS system.

The incredible 72 kph maximum speed might not always be a necessity, but it’s nice to know how fast this bird can go.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom

Mavic 2 ProMavic 2 Zoom
Weight907g905g
Battery Life31 mins31 mins
Camera4K / 20MP, 1″ CMOS Sensor4K / 12MP, 2x Optical Zoom
Our Rating5.05.0
PriceCheck here Check here

Final Thoughts

The Mavic 2 Pro is clearly positioned in a sweet spot for those who plan to expand their artistic vision’s horizon by taking to the skies.

Perfectly balanced and agile, the Mavic 2 Pro can keep up with your demands quite well. It doesn’t even burden you with thoughts of crashes with its incredible thinking and sense.

Of course, for a price point like this, it’s just fitting that the Mavic 2 Pro has exceeded expectations once again.

A very capable camera system and impressive juice levels take the prize in terms of value for this craft, and we bet you probably can’t name anything else better.

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