DJI Mavic Air: What You Should Know Before Buying!

In the last few days I've had a lot of quarreling with myself whether or not I would Buy DJI Mavic Air should or not. During that time I watched so many reviews and footage that I felt like a Youtube addict. :) In the end I decided to buy the little Mavic Air because I think that it meets my requirements. But I can tell you - at some points I was on the verge of sitting it out and waiting for the DJI Mavic Pro 2. Anyway: I have it Mavic Air combo ordered and in a few days I will take a closer look at it.

If you are also in the decision-making process and still have unanswered questions about the Mavic Air, then my contribution here may help you. I once set it up in the form of questions and answers because I think that's the quickest way to find the points that interest you. If some things seem double-mocked to you, it is because some questions have the same answer. But that was no reason for me to leave out the questions. All questions are divided into larger subject areas so that you can keep track of things a bit.

FAQ - Questions and answers about Mavic Air

The following list is a collection that I would like to continue. If you have a question that is not answered here, please leave it as a comment. I am happy to take it up and will try to find an answer to it.

If you want to buy a Mavic Air, you can find the appropriate link here:

» DJI Mavic Air in the DJI Store «

Camera / sensor

Is the sensor on the Mavic Air better than the sensor on the Mavic Pro / Phantom 4 (Pro)?

The sensor of the Air has 12 MP, like the sensor in the Mavic Pro and in the Phantom 4. The Phantom 4 Pro has a 20 MP sensor, which is also larger (1 inch). Rumor has it that the Mavic Pro 2 will also get this 1-inch sensor.

What is the field of view or the focal length of the camera?

The focal length of the Mavic Air is 24 mm. The FoV (Field of View) is 85 °. Here are the other drones in comparison:

• DJI Spark - FoV: 81,9 ° / focal length: 25 mm
• DJI Mavic Air - FoV: 85 ° / focal length: 24 mm
• DJI Mavic Pro (Platinum) - FoV: 78,8 ° / focal length: 25 mm
• DJI Phantom 4 Pro - FoV: 84 ° / focal length: 24 mm

Does a fish-eye effect occur in the photos or videos?

No, luckily not. DJI pays attention to this, so that even at 85 ° FoV there is no fisheye effect.

Can the camera record photos in RAW format?

Yes, the files are then saved in .DNG format.

Can video recordings be saved in a LOG format?

Yes, but the Mavic Air does not offer the D-Log and Cinelike-D formats like the Pro, but only Cinelike-D. From my point of view, this is not a disadvantage.

Does the Mavic Air also support bracketing recordings (AEB) - i.e. a series of exposures - for HDR photos?

Yes, I know that the Mavic Air also allows you to take photos with bracketing. While the DJI Spark only offers 3 photos, the other drones (Mavic Pro, Mavic Air and Phantom 4 Pro) can take bracketing with 3 photos as well as with 5 photos.

Can the Mavic Air take photos in HDR?

Yes, the Mavic Air is currently the only DJI drone that can take HDR photos without having to create them yourself with bracketing.

Can the camera do 4k at 60 fps?

No, there are only 4, 24 or 25 in 30K fps to select. The 60 and 120 fps are available in Full HD.

How big is the sensor and what resolution does the camera have?

The Mavic Air has a 1 / 2.3 inch CMOS sensor - like the Mavic Pro and the DJI Spark too. Only the Phantom 4 Pro currently has a 1 inch sensor (I leave out Inspire models). The camera offers 12 megapixel resolution and takes photos in the format 4: 3 (4056 x 3040 pixels) or 16: 9 (4056 x 2280 pixels). In comparison: The Phantom 4 Pro has a resolution of 20 MP with 5472 x 3648 pixels.

Does the Mavic Air also support the H.265 video codec?

No, unfortunately not. Only the Phantom 4 Pro currently has the H.264 / HEVC codec in addition to the usual H.265 / AVC.

Is there a course lock for the Mavic Air?

From a purely technical point of view, there is no reason why the Mavic Air should not be able to support this flight mode. But it is practical in the DJI Go App not available for the Air. I have hope that it will be delivered with a software update. With Course-Lock, very nice shots can be taken that would otherwise be difficult to fly.

Update 14.02.2018/XNUMX/XNUMX: I just have this video seen about three new tap-fly features the Mavic Air has. The tap-fly mode "Free" seems to be something like course-lock. From my point of view even more flexible, since the drone also automatically maintains climb or descent, which you would otherwise have to do tediously yourself.

Is the panorama function only available on the Mavic Air?

No. The other drones (DJI SPark, Mavic Pro and I think Phantom 4 Pro) also have the function in the DJI Go app. The selection includes spherical 360 degree panoramas, cylindrical 360 degree panoramas, 180 degree panoramas and vertical and horizontal panoramas.

Can the Mavic Air create a spherical panorama with the entire sky at its zenith?

In principle, the software makes the panorama almost complete. A small field is only interpolated vertically above the viewer, so that you can see blurred spots here if the sky had clouds there. If you have a completely blue sky, it looks good how the software calculates this part. But there is also the option of taking this zenith photo from the ground using the drone. You can see how to do that in this video.

What resolution does the spherical panorama have?

The Mavic Air takes 25 individual photos for a spherical panorama, which are then stitched together by the DJI Go app on the mobile phone to form a panorama. The result is a 32 megapixel panorama. If you take the trouble to add up the individual images yourself with PTGui, PanoramaStudio Pro or Autopano Giga, you can get a file with around 186 MP. The downsizing to 32MP is presumably done by the DJI Go app as social media has size restrictions that would prevent the image from being "shared". If you want to create your panorama with Autopano, you can here  get the XML files from Kilian Eisenegger for a simplified addition of the photos.

What crop factor does the camera have?

The 24mm focal length specified by DJI is the calculated 35mm 4,1mm equivalent. The actual focal length is 1mm and the sensor is a 2,3/6,16" CMOS sensor measuring 4,62 x 5,84mm with a crop factor (CF) of XNUMX. Here everything again in a clear list:

• Sensor size: 6,16 x 4,62 mm
• 24mm focal length: XNUMX mm
• actual focal length: 4,1 mm
• Crop factor: 5,84

Can you put an ND filter on the camera?

Yes, there are even ND filters for the Spark and so of course for the Mavic Air. I have to admit, the assembly is quite fiddly, but it works. You can find the most important tips here: Installation of ND filters on the Mavic Air. And I have put together suitable (and reasonable) ND filters for you here: ND filter for the Mavic Air.

radio link

Is the Mavic Air's wireless connection as vulnerable as that of the Spark?

No, definitely not. I wrote a post about the range of the DJI Mavic Air where you can find more details. But so much in advance: While I sometimes have serious problems with the radio connection with the Spark at 100 m, the Mavic Air flies at least 500 meters without the first error message. It is best to set the transmission manually to a 2,4 GHz channel, because the range is higher in this frequency band.

Update 14.02.2018/6/300: I now have a good XNUMX batteries with my Mavic Air flown empty and the Spark for comparison. The result: The range of the Enhanced Wifi may not be OcuSync, but today I never got a message that the signal was weak on any flight (distances up to approx. XNUMX m, even in areas with WiFi). The transfer went perfectly. Also no noticeable latency. The Mavi Air is really great!

Does the Mavic Air also have OcuSync?

No, that is also criticized by many. However, because the WiFi transmission with the DJI Spark was so bad. As a number of range tests with the Mavic Air in CE mode have shown, you don't have to worry about wireless transmission with "enhanced WiFi". It doesn't reach the 7 km of the Mavic Pro with OcuSync, but the range is significantly higher (500 - 2000 m) than you could fly "on sight". So in Germany absolutely ok.

Is it possible to select the frequency band of the enhanced WiFi transmission?

Yes, that is possible. This can be done via the DJI GO app. There you go to the settings of the drone, then to the Wifi symbol and there to "Custom". I'll do a detailed description in the next few days.

Can I connect the remote control to the smartphone using a USB cable?

That's fine. As with the other models, DJI also provides a selection of USB cables to help with this.

Where is the Mavic Air's WiFi name and WiFi password?

These data are on a sticker in the slot for the battery. If you remove this, you will see the small sticker. Tip: Take a photo with your smartphone and then enlarge it. Otherwise the password will be difficult to decipher. Otherwise you can also establish the connection with the QR code that you scan in the DJI Go app.

What is the latency of the video connection (enhanced WiFi transmission)?

DJI specifies the latency as 170 to 240 ms. However, the value also depends on the performance of the smartphone you are using and on interference. So FPV racing will probably not be possible with the Mavic Air ...

Update 14.02.2018/XNUMX/XNUMX: I have now made test flights with my Mavic Air. The latency is barely noticeable. You can make clean camera movements and don't have the feeling that commands are only executed after a second, as is often the case with the Spark.

What is the resolution of the video connection?

The enhanced WiFi works with the Mavic Air at 720p at 30 fps. So 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 frames per second.

Can the Atti-Mode be switched on manually?

Short answer: no. This is only possible with the Phantom. The Spark and Mavic Air or Pro do not have this option. With the Phantom, this is done via a switch on the spark, if I have that right in my head.

 

Drive / propeller

Is the Mavic Air as quiet as the Mavic Pro Platinum?

Definitely no. It does have the FoC drive system with sinusoidal control, but apparently the propellers are not designed to be "quiet". The noise level is between Spark and Mavic Pro. It does, however, have the high-pitched whirr (like a swarm of wild hornets) of the Spark. I have hope that DJI will deliver low-noise props for the Mavic Air.

Can the Spark folding propellers be used on the Mavic Air?

In principle, this is feasible, as you can in this video sees. They can be mounted and the drone also flies with them. However, the area of ​​the Spark propeller is smaller, which is why the motors have to turn faster for the same lift. This ensures a higher temperature in the motors and certainly also less reliability in borderline situations. Using the Spark propellers on the Mavic Air brings no benefits and only risks. That's why I would leave it ...

Are there any low-noise propellers for the Mavic Air?

Not yet. I hope that DJI will improve this and shortly deliver such low-noise props as you get for the Mavic Pro, but DJI has not yet officially commented on this.

Can the DJI Mavic Air fly in freezing temperatures?

In fact, at 5000 m above sea level, the Air already has a small record in terms of operating conditions. DJI specifies the temperature range for use as 0 - 40 °C. In cold temperatures around the freezing point, some users seem to get a "shake" from the motors, but this goes away after a short time when the motors are warm (source: here ). However, it shows that clean video recordings at -17 ° C are also possible in practice this video.

Why are the propellers not foldable?

DJI says that this makes the propellers more aerodynamic and makes folding the drone easier. Foldable propellers would also have no advantages with this design.

Up to what wind speed can you fly the Mavic Air?

Technically, according to DJI, this works up to wind speeds of 10 m / s. That is about 37 km / h or strength 5 on the Beaufort scale or 16-21 knots. Soft movements for video recordings are easier to achieve when there is less wind. If you want to see how the Mavic Air and Mavic Pro behave in strong winds (approx. 50 km / h), you can here daily.

Sensors

Do the sensors also detect obstacles at the side?

No, the Mavic Air's sensors are front, back, and bottom oriented. If you fly sideways, you can still crash into a tree or "pick up" a lamppost. It is also important that the distance sensors do not work via infrared (as with the Spark) but "optically". This means that they no longer work properly in the dark or at dusk. I've also seen videos online showing that the Mavic Air's sensors don't reliably detect wires or thin branches. So you should not trust the technology 100%.

Do the sensors work at night?

No, as described above, they only work with sufficient lighting. The DJI Spark, on the other hand, has infrared sensors that also work in the dark.

Do the sensors also work in sport mode?

Partly yes: The sensors facing down are also active in sport mode. The front and rear distance sensors, however, do not. Basically, you should fly as safely in sport mode as if you had no sensors. At over 60 km / h I would not expect the lower sensors to reliably detect rapid inclines.

What is the range of SmartCapture gesture recognition?

DJI specifies this at around 2,5 to 6 meters.

Why does the Mavic Air always fly at eye level when it is close to me in SmartCapture mode?

This is designed for security reasons. You can only control the flight altitude of the drone with your palms from a distance of 3 meters. Taking palms to the drone and then further apart means flying higher. Closer means flying lower.

General

How heavy is the Mavic Air?

At 430 grams, the Mavic Air is slightly heavier than the Spark (300 g). But it also offers a lot of features. The Mavic Pro weighs 734 grams and the Phantom 4 Pro 1388 grams.

If you then add the weight of the remote control and an additional battery, you get about 840 grams, which roughly corresponds to the weight of the remote controller of the Phantom 4 Pro (just the controller!). You can see how "light-footed" the Mavic Air is on the move.

Which SD cards are compatible with the Air?

Basically you can use any micro SD card that corresponds to Class 10, UHS-1 (U1) or V30. I have put together a selection of compatible SD cards here: SD cards for the Mavic Air.

In which file system should the SD card be formatted?

I took a look at the SD card I've been using in the DJI Mavic Air for a while, which I also formatted using the DJI Go app. This has “ExFAT” as the file system. This is a file system specially optimized for flash memory. The data can be read out on both a Mac and a Windows PC.

Can I use the DJI Goggles with the Mavic Air?

Yes, that is possible. But unfortunately not wireless (you would need OcuSync for that) and unfortunately not with as low a latency as the Mavic Pro. To connect the DJI Goggles to the remote controller of the Mavic Air, you need a USB to micro-USB cable (such as this one from anchor). How to connect the whole is in this video described. You may have to update the firmware of the goggles with the DJI Assistant 2 . make

Can the Mavic Air battery be charged via the USB-C port?

Unfortunately not. I wish it were like that, because charging the drone via a power bank in the backpack would be a nice feature that the Spark has already been happy to use. The power bank adapter that comes with the Fly More Combo is only suitable for converting from a DJI Mavic Air battery to make a power bank for the smartphone or tablet. That's not inconvenient either, but charging via USB-C would have been great. That means the USB-C output is only there to load the data from the drone onto a Mac or PC. This is necessary because the drone has 8 GB of internal memory.

Can you read out the inserted SD card via a USB-C cable?

The Mavic Air already has 8 GB of memory permanently installed. In addition, however, you can memory Cards plug in with up to 128 GB of RAM. If you have the drone (switched on!) with the USB-C cable plugged into the computer, you will find both a "NO NAME" and an "Untitled" as a storage medium (this name can vary because it is your SD card). If I open the "Untitled" storage medium, I get the folder structure, whereby all subfolders for panoramas, HDR photos, films and others can be found in the "DCIM" folder (see screenshot below).

Do I need drone insurance for Mavic Air?

Yes, as with all drones, you need insurance for Mavic Air. Here you can my recommendation on drone insurance read. Incidentally, the 250 gram limit only applies to mandatory labeling, but this also includes Mavic Air.

Do I need a drone license plate for the Mavic Air?

Definitely yes. All quadrocopters with a take-off weight of 250 grams or more require a sticker with the address of the owner. At 430 grams, the Mavic Air is above this limit. Here you can find my recommendation on drone license plates.

Do I need a drone driver's license for the Mavic Air?

There is no yes or no answer. If you want to fly privately or commercially in areas for which you need a special permit, then a drone license is mandatory. However, since the Mavic Air weighs well under 2 kg, you do not always need proof of knowledge (as the thing is also called) to operate it. You can find more about this topic in my post "Drone license".

Where should I put the address sticker on the Mavic Air?

If you have the refractory metal badge (here is my recommendation If you want to attach a mini metal badge that meets the legal requirements) my address to the drone, you should pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations. In some places, the installation can have a negative effect on the flight characteristics, as sensors, GPS or radio connections are disrupted, for example. According to the DJI, the sticker should be attached behind the gimbal (when looking at the camera from the front). Here is the sketch from DJI:

Is the Mavic Air waterproof or waterproof?

DJI gives a clear no in the specifications. That the small drone can withstand a bit of splashing water shows this video with a little immersion. A drying phase of several hours allowed them to fly again.

How long do the batteries charge in the charger?

The battery charging time is approximately 55 minutes according to the DJI. The charging station works in such a way that it recognizes the battery with the most remaining charge. It charges it first and then gradually uses the other batteries.

How often should I charge the batteries?

If you don't use the batteries of the DJI drones, they will discharge after a few days to extend the service life. So that they are not completely discharged over time, they should be fully charged once every three months. Or even better: go fly out! ;-) Lipo batteries like it best when they are used often.

Does the Litchi app work with the Mavic Air?

The Litchi app (see flylitchi.com) is a great thing if you want to completely preprogram your flights. This means that very professional tracking shots are also possible with smaller drones. Litchi does not currently offer any support for the DJI Mavic Air, but since the Mavic Air also supports waypoint flights and uses the mobile SDK interface, it is only a matter of time before the Litchi programmers will add the Mavic Air to their program. You can find the current status on the Litchi's "Help" page. All drones that can connect to the app are listed there.

Thank you!

I hope my contribution helped you decide for or against the Mavic Air. If you want to buy a drone from DJI, you can find the corresponding links to the different models in the DJI Store here:

• DJI Mavic Air
• DJI Spark
• DJI Mavic Pro
• DJI Mavic Pro Platinum
• DJI Phantom 4 Pro