Sony made large strides last year starting with CES 2020. They introduced their very own electric vehicle concept that can also drive itself, the Vision S. They also made the gaming community very happy by releasing the PlayStation 5 at the end of the year 2020. Sadly, we still have not been able to get our hands on one just yet.
This year is no different for Sony. They kicked off the year with CES 2021, and they look amazing at it. No new earphones to introduce, not new smartphones just yet too. But they did introduce a new concept, a new idea, a new project. They introduced the AirPeak.
If you see DJI printed all over this, you are not the only one. We see DJI all over this too. We see DJI’s Matrice line-up in this AirPeak. This is not a DJI device though, it is by Sony, for Sony.
Source: Sony
When we say, ‘for Sony’, we meant that this is designed around their Alpha camera system. It could be a mid-range mirrorless line-up or a high-end mirrorless camera, the AirPeak is designed to take on any payload from any Alpha lien-up from Sony. It is also the world’s smallest drone to boast such feat.
It is designed to take these cameras off the ground and into the air. It is a clever system too, that stabilises itself in the air with multiple sensors. All these features, and it is still smaller than the Matrice line-up from DJI. Yes, the DJI can lift even heavier payloads and can be retrofitted to be used in industrial cases. The AirPeak is not about that though. It is about expanding film making capabilities and open up new creative avenues with Sony’s very popular Alpha camera line-up.
The AirPeak, at this time, is still in its project phases and Sony is looking for professional collaborators to work on the project. Very much like the Vision S, but the technology is technically already available and easy to work with. This also means that the AirPeak is closer to reality than you might think.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
There are no mentions on specs and weight limits on the AirPeak just yet at this point, but we are guessing they might want to look into making the drone powerful enough to carry a Sony FX6 at the very maximum, and still keep it small enough that you do not need to own a lorry to carry it around. More information on the Sony AirPeak on their website.
There is one thing that plenty of us miss during this quarantine period. That thing is travelling. Specifically, we all miss flying away to faraway lands and see the beauty of this ball of dirt floating through space from high up above.
There is, of course, another way to fly. There is another way to explore the vast outside world in this ‘stay home, stay safe’ period. After all, staying indoors for about 40 days without seeing what grass or trees look like is difficult and depressing. Buy a drone, any drone.
Thing is, just any drone does not cut it sometimes. There is so much potential with a drone. If you invest in one now, you can take it to your travel destinations after the whole COVID-19 situation blows over and create some stunning videos and photos to make your friends all jealous of you.
It is true, a simple aerial shot can be more stunning than it seems. Aerial photos and videos make the plainest places in your eyes look even more stunning than you can imagine. That is why plenty go for DJI drones. They are the best in the business, so it only makes sense.
Last year they introduced a near perfect drone package in the DJI Mavic Air. The compact, lightweight Mavic remote controlled drone was half the weight and size of the larger Mavic 2. That also means that it is more travel friendly than before with its foldable propeller arms introduced into the world with the DJI Mavic Pro.
It was no larger than a 500ml drinks bottle, which was quite fascinating. Considering you still can shoot videos at 4K 30fps with such a small package was wonderful. It even has longer battery life compared to the Mavic Pro all while costing less. Even the fly more combo was still cheaper that the basic DJI Mavic 2.
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
There is no way they could top that within 6 months, we thought. Then earlier today they released their new DJI Mavic Air 2 and all hell broke loose. It is the successor to the DJI Mavic Air and it comes with a whole list of upgrades that they conveniently put in a single video.
Source: DJI
Bigger, Better, Faster
Source: DJI
The first upgrade, which will yield the most thumbs up is its sensor itself. The DJI Mavic Air 2 now features a larger ½-inch sensor that give you the power of 48 million pixels. You get to shoot at 4K resolution still, but now you can do it at 60fps instead of 30fps. 1080p Full HD videos can be shot at 240fps for a nice, smooth slow-motion videos, if you really need one in the air.
48-Megapixel sensor also means that you get incredibly detailed and sharp photos. You can choose between that or a compressed 12-Megapixel photos for your Social Media needs. Then there are more clever stuffs like HDR photos, Hyperlight low-light mode, and even scene recognition.
Beefed Up, Souped Up
Source: DJI
It is a bigger drone than the original Mavic Air. It even looks like its bigger brother now. No more cheap white plastic you can draw on or customise on your own. It is now built with the same materials as the bigger Mavic Pro. It is built to the same quality standards too meaning. It is still lighter than the bigger Mavic Pro at 570g but put on quite a lot of weight compared to the older Mavic Air 480g body.
The added weight also means that the DJI Mavic Air 2 packs a longer battery life at 34-minutes of flight time. There is a whole slew of new sensors packed with Mavic Air 2 as well to keep it flying and not hitting anything in front of it. That might make for some remarkably interesting review video though, obstacle avoidance. They call the new system Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) 3.0. Even if you are a rubbish drone operator, you can still fly it. I did not say you cannot crash it, you can if you try hard enough.
Source: DJI
Still, the added weight also helps with in-air stability if anything. You really want that stability in windy conditions especially when you can keep it about 10km away from you with the new remote system and OcuSync 2.0. Oh yes, the remote is also now beefier and a little cleverer.
Clever Flying, Clever Shooting
The new DJI Fly app has been improving with each iteration and that is no doubt the case with the app. It should be more intuitive than ever and even better to use than ever. But shooting aerial photographs or videos is much more than that.
Source: DJI
There are new sets of ND filters you can equip the camera with, because you really want to block out some harsh sunlight in super sunny conditions. You are shooting outdoors anyway, and ND filters are important in outdoor shoots just to compensate for the harsh lighting.
The drone itself can now shoot timelapses in 8K resolution if you really want to. With timelapse mode you have Free movement, Circle, CourseLock, and WayPoints mode to get that stunning moving timelapse. Of course there are other shooting modes that you might be used to with the DJI Mavic Air.
There is a new cleverer ActiveTrack 3.0 that should be a large improvement over the ActiveTrack 2.0 from the older Mavic Air though. With the new Point of Interest 3.0 also, tracking subjects on a shoot is much more accurate and natural. That is also true for the new Spotlight 2.0 mode that is usually only found on DJI’s professional drones. All this makes for an independent aerial photography and videography a breeze for single operators.
Pricing and Availability
The DJI Mavic Air 2 will be available 10th May 2020 onward. You can pre-order your’s today onward though via authorised DJI retailers in Malaysia. Of course, with a beefier spec, comes a beefier price tag too. A standard package will set you back MYR 3,299. The Fly More Combo that comes with an extra piece (two pieces of battery) of everything you get from a standard package (except for the drone itself, of course) a shoulder bag, ND filters, and a charging hub for MYR 4,299. For more information on DJI’s latest portable and foldable flyer, check out their website.
