{"id":11449,"date":"2023-02-04T12:07:47","date_gmt":"2023-02-04T17:07:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=11449"},"modified":"2023-05-13T10:38:14","modified_gmt":"2023-05-13T15:38:14","slug":"a-tripod-in-the-sky-dji-air-2s-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/a-tripod-in-the-sky-dji-air-2s-review\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tripod in the Sky – DJI Air 2S Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve reviewed a lot of gear on this site, but I’ve never strayed too far from traditional photography, with a focus on camera bodies, lenses, etc. I’ve focused on the process of some things, my recent foray back into film shooting, and more. But I’ve never become a pilot to get a shot, until recently, with the DJI Air 2S. In this review, I’m going to discuss the features of the Air 2S, with a focus on the photographic features. As this is the only drone I’ve had the pleasure to fly, I can’t really compare the flight characteristics to any competitors, but will discuss my experiences in operation and flight, in addition to the camera features. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The DJI Air 2S in flight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Intro<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Camera drones have been available for the consumer for nearly 10 years now, and over that time, capabilities have improved, software has improved, cameras have improved, and prices have come down. I’ve thought for years about picking up a drone for my photography, but when I picked one up, I wanted to make sure it was going to usable as an actual photographic tool, and not just for snapshots. When DJI released the Mavic 2 Pro in 2018, I was very close to purchasing one. They were the first really obtainable and compact drones that had a 1″ camera sensor – the same type used in Sony’s excellent RX100 premium compact series. This sensor size was really my bottom limit in something I was going to put my hard earned money into. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But something held me back, and part of it may have been the price, as the vehicle launched at $1,500 for just the drone, which quickly rose to $1,750 after about a year. Add in spare batteries and accessories, and suddenly it’s over $2,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Classic are the true successors to the Mavic 2 Pro, but are still in the $2,000+ category when paired with the necessary accessories (though notably with an even larger 4\/3 sized sensor). However, it’s no longer necessary to go to that upper echelon to get a 1″ sensor in a DJI drone. In April 2021, DJI released the Air 2S: a mid-range folding drone with a 22mm equivalent 1″ sensor camera, and an impressive list of features. It’s a drone that is arguably superior to the Mavic 2 Pro in nearly every way, but at a starting cost of just $999 for the drone, or $1,299 for the Fly More combo. Well, this summer I finally felt compelled to pull the trigger, so I sold a couple of lenses that I wasn’t using much, and the Air 2S made its way into my kit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first thought? I should have done this long ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Equipment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The DJI Air 2S is a compact, lightweight camera drone that sits above the Mavic 3 Mini Pro, and below the flagship Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Classic. The Air 2S weighs in at a relatively lightweight 595g, and is just 3″x7″x3.8″ in size when folded. As a result, the controller, drone, some spare batteries and propellers, and a few other accessories can easily fit into a small bag or case, and be carried with ease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Air2S is very compact when folded for storage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft, like all DJI drones, uses GPS to allow for exceptionally stable positioning in flight or hovering. The Air 2S can fly at speeds of up to 42 miles per hour, and can operate at altitudes of over 16,000 feet (useful for flying in mountainous areas, not for flying the drone 3 miles above your location). The Air 2S has a listed maximum range of 7.5 miles while still maintaining control and the video feed to the controller, though this is in perfectly ideal conditions. The range is something that is nice to know about, but is something that pilots will rarely take full advantage of, if they are following the law. While drone laws differ around the world, in the United States, recreational flyers are limited to an altitude of 400 feet above the ground where you are, and are required to keep the drone in their visual line of site while flying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Air2S’s 20MP 1″ sensor camera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The camera system features a 20 megapixel 1″ sensor with an 8.38mm f\/2.8 lens (equivalent field of view to a 22mm on 35mm format). Video users can take advantage of full-width 5.4k at 24p or 30p, full width 4k at 24p and 30p, or cropped 4k at 60p. For slow motion capture, the Air 2S can shoot at 1080p at 120 fps. The whole thing is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal that provides outstanding stabilization capabilities. Even in moderately windy conditions, video footage remains as smooth as glass, and stills can be taken at exposure times of up to 8 seconds, though for sharp shots, you should really look to limit things to 4s at the absolute maximum. In windier conditions, you’ll need to adjust your shutter speed to be a bit shorter, though I’ve still managed to get some sharp shots approaching 2 seconds of exposure in 15-20 mph winds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air 2S has an array of sensors to provide the drone with obstacle detection, ground detection and so on, allowing the software to help keep the aircraft airborne and away from collisions. The Air 2S has the ability to detect obstacles to the front, top, rear and below, but unfortunately lacks the ability to detect obstacles to the side. Even with the advanced systems of the aircraft, it’s still up to the pilot to be aware of their surroundings, and ensure that you’re not going to have your drone clip branches or wires, and to keep it away from animals like birds, which have been known to attack drones when they invade their territory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fly More Combo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I’ve mentioned the Fly More Combo a few times already, and it’s the package that I feel essentially all buyers of the Air 2S should pick up. The Fly More Combo includes the aircraft, controller, three batteries, twelve propellers (so an initial and two full replacement sets), a triple battery charger, a set of ND filters and a carrying case. The case works fine to fit most of the accessories and such, but it’s not the best case for protection and ease of getting the drone in and out for shooting. However, everything else is fairly critical stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combo costs $300 more than the drone itself, and when you look at the included items, this does save you some cash at the outset. Spare batteries are $115 retail (though can be had for $100). The ND Filter set is $100. Just the spare batteries and ND filters therefore get you that $300, and most everyone will want to pick up those items. Then you get 8 spare propellers (which retail for $44 for four pairs), the multi-battery charger ($45) and the case ($66) for free. It’s not a massive savings, but any savings is good when these items are things you will almost certainly want to buy anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Fly More Combo includes essentially everything you need. (Not pictured: an additional set of spare propellers, the charger cable, and case)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You will definitely want more than one battery if you fly with any regularity. The batteries on the Air 2S last fairly long for a compact drone, with a rated life of around 30 minutes, though in real-world usage, I typically get about 25 minutes of flight time. Due to safety margins, I will try to land with about 25% of battery remaining, which results in flights of around 18 minutes or so. Then if I move to a new location, I’ll often want to swap to a fresh battery to make sure I’m not going to run out or cut the flight short. Three batteries should be enough for most shooters \/ flyers, though I’ve contemplated picking up a fourth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ND Filters I feel are a critical item to have, especially if shooting video. The included filters twist on to the Air 2S’s camera module and come in densities from 2 to 5 stops, allowing you to slow your shutter speed for smoother video work (matching the 180 degree rule), or for things like longer exposures at night or for blurring water. Also, if taking bracketed photos for later merging to HDR, the fixed f\/2.8 aperture and 1\/4000s maximum shutter speed means that you will blow out some bright portions of sky with the sun in or near the frame without an ND filter. I have started leaving my 2 stop ND on the drone as a default, unless I’m shooting at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all, these accessories are essentially must-have items, so you might as well get them at the outset and save a few dollars. I use everything in the set, save for the case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional Items<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While the Fly More Combo gives one everything they need to get started, there are a few other things that one should consider as well. As I mentioned above, I don’t use the included soft case. I purchased a third party hard case that provides good protection (and some water resistance), and very neatly organizes everything. It’s been fantastic to use, and I’m really happy with it. Below is my case and how I have it laid out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Symik Hard Case with Air2S Fly More Combo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you are planning on flying at night at all, you must equip your drone with aircraft visibility strobes by law. The requirement in the US is that there must be a white strobe on top of the aircraft that must be visible from a distance of 3 statute miles. Thankfully, there are quite a lot of small, lightweight and very bright strobe lights that can be purchased for a relatively low cost. I use the ViFly strobes, which are incredibly small, and extremely bright. I simply secure them to my drone using velcro (thus the reason why velcro patches are shown on my Air 2S in all the images). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ViFly strobes charge with USB-C, last several hours, and have several operating modes, including white, red, and green lights, which can be set to strobe, flash (slightly less intense, and slower), or stay on continuously (at again, slightly lower output). The strobe setting for all three colors is extremely bright, with the white strobe being brightest of all by a significant margin. In addition to affixing one of these strobes to the top of the drone for night flying, I also will sometimes attach two of them to the underside of the propeller arms, set to flashing, which provides increased visibility of the drone during daytime operations. This is important due to the legal requirement to maintain eyes on your drone at all times, flying only within visual line of site from your controlling location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Controller, Software and Flying<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Controller<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The included controller is a grey plastic-clad controller that feels very much like a modern video game controller, with two analog joysticks to control forward and lateral movement, altitude and yaw. Which stick operates which control is user-configurable, in one of three modes. The most common configuration for UAV pilots is Mode 2, where the left stick controls elevation and yaw, and the right stick controls forward and lateral movements. I fly the Air 2S using Mode 3, which is the same as Mode 2, but has the sticks swapped. This feels more natural to me, coming from a video game background, as it most closely resembles the controls in most games played with a gamepad. Mode 1 mixes the controls a bit, with the left stick taking forward and back movements, as well as yaw, while the right stick does up and down and left and right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Air2S controller is well laid-out<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I find the control sticks to feel quite nice in usage, with a good weight and feel. The sticks are removable for storage, and there are included spot in the base of the controller to store them when not in use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below the control sticks are two prominent buttons and a sliding switch. The sliding switch sets the flight mode of the aircraft, and on the Air 2S this consists of Cine, Normal and Sport modes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Normal mode provides reasonable flight speed, relatively responsive control changes, and allows the obstacle avoidance systems to work. The top speed of the drone in Normal mode is approximately 34 MPH (54 km\/hr). For still photography, I fly in Normal mode most of the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cine mode slows the stick response down, allowing for slower travel and smoother direction changes, which can be important for video shooting, or simply for finer control in tight spaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sport mode turns off obstacle avoidance, ramps up the top speed of the drone and allows you the highest degree of speed and maneuverability. I typically only use sport mode if I need to go fast, which is pretty rare. I don’t do video work in tight spaces where the speed and lack of obstacle avoidance allows more freedom. The top speed of the Air 2S in sport mode is 42 MPH (68 km\/hr). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The controller’s antenna is also a phone mount. The connection cable is stored in the controller, and can be swapped to match whichever phone you own<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Flanking the mode switch are the Return to Home button and Power button. Return to Home does exactly what it sounds like – it calls the drone back from wherever it is and lands it at the same spot you took off from. While executing a return to home, it first goes to a pre-defined altitude (which hopefully you’ve thoughtfully set), to avoid any potential obstacles on the return flight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the top corners are two buttons – a programmable Fn button (which I have set to reset gimbal position, which toggles between looking straight ahead and straight down), and a button that switches the camera between stills and video shooting modes. On the right shoulder is the shutter button. In stills, it takes a photo, while in video it starts and stops recording. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the left shoulder is a toggle dial, which angles the camera up or down. By default, the camera will only shoot between level and straight down, but a software setting allows tilting the gimbal up by up to 10 degrees (though you may occasionally get a propeller in the shot when looking up).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The top of the controller features the shutter button and gimbal tilt jog dial<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The top of the controller features the cradle for a smartphone, which extends (and features the antenna), to hold essentially any size standard smartphone, from small to large. A short cable is included, which physically connects to your smartphone port to allow for direct communication between the phone and the controller. DJI includes three short cables, allowing for connection to Android or iOS devices using USB-C, Lightning, or Micro USB. Simply use the cable that matches your device. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all, the controller feels good in the hand, and the controls are responsive and tactile. I also found the controller relatively intuitive to use, and rather quick to get accustomed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The DJI Software has a lot of available options, and it takes some time to become familiar with all of the features and options. I’m not going to go super in-depth on the software, but instead will give a brief overview of the major sections available to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you first hit the Go Fly button, you are brought to the main interface for the drone. This generally shows the view from the drone camera, you current height, speed and distance from the operator, as well as your current camera settings, basic camera controls, an overview map of the current aircraft location, the path it has flown, and a vector to your location in red. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the upper right of the interface is a set of icons and numbers denoting important information on current aircraft status. From left to right, this includes the current aircraft battery level in a circle with percentage remaining inside, the estimated flight time remaining on the battery given current conditions, the signal strength between the controller and the aircraft, the status of vertical proximity detection, and the currently connected number of GPS satellites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last number might seem a little odd, but precise positioning of the aircraft is dependent on solid GPS signals. You can fly the drone without any GPS satellites connected, but you are entirely on your own for maintaining position. The software requires you to manually override for liftoff if fewer than 8 satellites are detected, and warns you if it’s between 8 and 11. When more than 12 are connected, the aircraft considers it to have excellent GPS position data. Typically, when I’ve flown, I am connected to between 18 and 24 satellites once I get into the air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The main interface in flight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Camera controls are located on the right side of the interface (much like a smartphone camera), with the ability to change from Auto to Pro mode and set exposure settings by tapping on the icon in the lower right. This generally works quite well, though with manual exposure, I sometimes have to change a setting to get the metering to properly update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tapping on the bottom right allows you to adjust exposure values manually<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The inset map in the lower left corner can be magnified and manipulated to get a precise bead on the location of the drone, and can be switched to a simple compass if you prefer, though I find the map to be infinitely more helpful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressing the three dots in upper right corner brings you to the wide range of options in the software, including things like setting your maximum altitude, extended gimbal controls, the mode of the gimbal when turning (keeping the horizion level during turns, or fixing it so it acts like an FPV drone, and shows the banking), and many more features. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A small portion of the expanded settings in the DJI Fly app<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While airspace and clearance are things that a separate app should be used for, the DJI app will also occasionally give warnings if you are near controlled airspace, and if you are inside a known controlled area, it will ask you to confirm that you’ve received proper LAANC clearance, and will sometimes lock down the drone until you’ve requested an unlock with DJI for the controlled airspace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, of these warning type features, the one that is most useful for pilots is the warning that you get when a manned aircraft is flying at low altitude relatively close to your drone. While you will typically be flying below the height of manned aircraft, it serves as a useful warning to drop altitude and make absolutely sure you are not going to be a hazard to any manned aircraft. The screenshot below shows the warning coming in, and the apprixmate location of a helicopter that was flying a path quite close to my location. I kept my altitude under 100 feet, ensuring that I was well clear of the incoming chopper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The software warns you of approaching manned aircraft<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For video shooters, there are many features that can help in making dramatic cinematic shots, such as the ability to highlight and lock the camera view to a specific object, or to track and follow a moving subject, or even fully automated shots like circling a subject. These are found in the ‘Master Shots’ section of the camera settings. As one who shoots limited video, I’ve only tried these out a few times, but what I’ve tried works quite well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For photography, the special modes consist single shots and burst modes, along with autoexposure bracketing, panorama mode and Smart Photo. The autoexposure bracketing can do up to 5 shots, bracketed in very small half stop steps, meaning your final bracket only adds about a stop of highlight and a stop of shadow information. I wish I could set this to +\/- 2 stops for 3 or 5 photos for truly wide HDR merging later in post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want wider HDR processing in camera, though, the SmartPhoto process essentially does what modern smartphones do. It takes multiple images, merges them to HDR, emphasizes certain subjects through scene recognition and adjusts the light. It works fairly decently, but I tend to use it only minimally because I prefer to shoot RAW files and process in post. The automatic panorama mode will take many photos in a grid, by moving the aircraft and gimbal, and can even stitch multi-row panoramas. In theory, it’s great, but I’ve found the final stitched result to often have some alignment issues. Unfortunately, it doesn’t save the individual photos for stitching in better software later, so if you want to do that, you can manually shift the view to capture your panorama. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stills Photography shooting modes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Flying<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I got my Air 2S, I had never flown a remote controlled aircraft before. I do, however, play a lot of video games, and to be honest, it’s good training. Once setting the controls how I liked them, I found control of the Air 2S to be generally rather intuitive, though there is definitely a learning curve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drone can move quite fast, even in normal mode, and it took a few hours of flying before I really felt comfortable. The longest learning curve came when flying the aircraft back towards me, as the controls are reversed (as they always are oriented to provide motion relative to the front of the aircraft). Still, a little bit of practice, and I quickly settled in. The nicest thing is that the DJI software, GPS and other flight systems combine to give you a platform that is extremely stable and predictable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the GPS positioning, the aircraft will maintain position with excellent accuracy. If you, for instance, fly the drone 200 feet away and raise it 300 feet in the air, it will just sit there, in exactly the same spot, until you move it or the batteries die (at which point it will attempt an auto return to home or forced landing). Even in a 25 MPH wind, the drone will stay locked in the same spot, automatically countering the wind to maintain a fixed position. For stills photography, this is invaluable. Not only does this allow for relatively long exposures in calmer (and even moderate) winds, but it means that you can roughly position the aircraft and then just fine tune your exact position to get the composition you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Columbus Reflected – DJI Air 2S @ f\/2.8, 1\/800s, ISO 100<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a long-time photographer, the thing that was immediately apparent within minutes of flying was just how much freedom a camera drone gives you with regards to framing, height, and even lateral movement. It opens a new world of compositional possibilities. Of course, going up high and surveying things from a bird’s eye view is one of the primary draws, but I have found the Air2S to be just as useful for taking lower shots that are simply inaccessible otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My home city of Columbus, Ohio, sits at the confluence of two rivers, and the Scioto River runs right through downtown, giving some wonderful views of the city skyline along the riverfront. I’ve taken many shots along the river at various locations, but with the Air2S, I can take a shot from essentially anywhere<\/em> on the river. The shot above was taken with the Air2S hovering about 15 feet above the surface, halfway between the two banks of the river. It’s a shot that would have previously required renting a boat to get, and even then, I’d be limited to just what was available at water level. With no such restrictions, the compositional possibilities are dramatically increased. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, the biggest restriction on compositional freedom with a drone is legal in nature. It is important before you start flying to make sure you are fully informed and up-to-date on the laws regarding drone usage where you live and shoot. In the United States, recreational flyers are permitted to operate relatively freely, but there are still a number of restrictions that must be followed for legal drone operation. In addition to Federal regulations, state and local laws may prohibit drone usage entirely or without advance authorization in certain areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above the Dublin Link, Dublin, OH – DJI Air 2S @ f\/2.8, 1\/200s, ISO 110<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Anyone operating a drone that weighs more than 250g (which includes the Air2S), must register the drone with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). You must also read up on federal UAV laws and take the TRUST test for safe operation of UAVs. When out flying, you must carry a copy of your aircraft registration and your TRUST certificate with you at all times (these are the FAA docs labeled in the photo of my case). If flying in controlled airspace, you will need to secure a LAANC authorization before flying (as I had to obtain for the shot above). I’m not going to go through all the legal requirements for drone pilots, but if you venture into aerial photography with a drone, you need to know and follow the laws in your area, and in any area where you shoot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Camera Quality<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Camera Quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Well, for photographers we have come to perhaps the most important item: how good is the camera? The short answer is, it’s pretty darn good, but of course with some of the limitations of most 1″ sensor cameras, plus some other things to keep in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lens Quality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Air2S comes with an 8.38mm f\/2.8 fixed aperture lens. One of the cost cutting measures with the Air 2S vs. its higher priced Mavic brothers is the loss of an adjustable aperture diaphragm. This loss is probably the biggest true downside to the camera, as having that adjustable diaphragm would come in very handy for adding a touch of extra corner sharpness, adding sunstars, or for moderating exposure for both video and stills. Depth of field isn’t too much of a concern, however, as with a sensor of this size and the typical distances that are involved in aerial photography, it is rare that you will be taking photos where there is any background blur at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mountain Road in Autumn, West Virginia – DJI Air 2S @ f\/2.8, 1\/640s, ISO 100<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The lens is a reasonably sharp optic, with excellent central sharpness that fades a bit towards the edges, and with some softness in the corners. Color and contrast are rather good. There is plenty of native vignetting and some distortion, though these are corrected in-camera with built-in lens profiles that cannot be disabled in a program like Lightroom. Some other RAW converters will not apply the corrections, but I would say you would almost always want the lens corrections applied anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sunrise at the Concho Rim Overlook – DJI Air 2S @ f\/2.8, 1\/2000s, ISO 100<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the lens is generally very competent, when shooting directly into the sun, it can flare rather spectacularly, as you can see in the image above. As you’ll see in some of the other samples in this review, however, when the sun is partially shielded or in different positions, flare doesn’t seem to pose much of a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, I’m pleased with the lens quality on a reasonably priced drone like this. It’s good enough to create quality images, that are easily printable to 24″ or so, and look very nice. There’s room for improvement, but it’s a competent optic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensor Quality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While a 1″ sensor isn’t going to compete with a modern full-frame mirrorless camera with regards to image quality, it is a large enough imaging device to yield relatively good dynamic range, color accuracy and noise control. Of course, this is relative. At base ISO, there some fine grain visible (that cleans up very nicely with noise reduction software if desired), with good color response. At higher ISOs, noise starts to become more prominent, at least for stills work. I’d generally stick to ISO 400 and below if possible, though I’ve gotten usable images at ISO 1600 with proper post-processing. Thankfully, with the truly outstanding stabilization offered by the gimbal and flight capabilities, I very rarely need to shoot at ISOs greater than ISO 400, and even for most city shooting at night, I tend to shoot at ISO 100 or 200. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Columbus and the Main Street Bridge – DJI Air 2S @ f\/2.8, 1.6s, ISO 100<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dynamic range is good for a 1″ sensor, but of course falls short of APS-C and full-frame image sensors. For most shooting, the RAW files give enough flexibility to do what you want with the tones, even in contrasty situations. However, in areas where both bright sun and deep shadows are present, or when shooting into the sun, the dynamic range isn’t really enough. Thankfully, the DJI software has auto-exposure bracketing, allowing you to merge to HDR after the fact. As I mentioned earlier, though, I wish it had options for much wider bracketing steps. The shot below was taken with the city backlit at sunrise, and is a 5 shot AEB HDR shot, and with this method, I think yields all the dynamic range I would typically need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Columbus at Sunrise – DJI Air 2S @ f\/2.8, 1\/2500s, ISO 100<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Video<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I have mentioned in many of my reviews that I am not a videographer. This is definitely still the case, but the Air2S is coaxing me to become more of one. I don’t shoot all that much video with the drone, but I do tend to take a few clips on most days that I shoot with it. As I am most definitely not a video expert, I will leave detailed evaluation of the video features and quality to those more experienced, but I’ll give a brief overview and my thoughts<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air 2S can shoot full width 5.4K video at 24 or 30 fps, full width 4K at the same frame rates, 4K 60fps with a crop, and 1080p at up to 180 fps. I tend to shoot at 4K and 30fps most of the time, and I shoot in LOG to maximize dynamic range. As I am a fairly novice video editor, I simply use the manufacturer provided LUTs and adjust things to taste, editing in DaVinci Resolve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For my purposes, the video looks fantastic. LOG gives you quite good dynamic range, the video is detailed and clean, and the steadiness of the aircraft in flight makes it easy to get smooth footage. Below is a quick compilation video of clips I took around Columbus in the first few weeks I had the Air 2S. Note that in many cases, I was out shooting stills and just decided to grab a few video clips. As such, most of the time in this video I did not have the correct ND filter on the camera, and as such the shutter speed was quite a bit faster than the ideal 1\/60s it should have been (and as such, leads to a bit of a choppy feel in some spots). Still, I like the way this came out, so enjoy! Be sure to set the player resolution to match your display (YouTube often defaults to a lower resolution at first). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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