DJI Announcing the Mavic Pro 2?
Not to be outdone by Parrot (ANAFI) and Yuneec (Typhoon H Plus), DJI has sent out invites to a press event on July 18th where invitees will be able to “See the Bigger Picture.” What do we expect to see on the 18th?
The Speculation
Like most DJI announcements, there are very few clues to be drawn from the invitation itself. The image is a top down shot of a mountain peak surrounded by trees and clouds. It very much resembles a picture of an eye, which meshes well with the, “see the bigger picture” message.
It’s not a stretch to suggest that DJI will announce a consumer drone with a larger sensor, but what could it be?
It seems unlikely that DJI would cannibalize sales of the recently released P4Pv2 by announcing a new Phantom aircraft.
Likewise, the Inspire 2 aircraft is just over a year old and it is unlikely that they would release a new airframe so soon.
Unless DJI is announcing an entirely new class of aircraft, it is likely that they will be focusing on the Mavic Pro which just turned two earlier this year. Twitter user @OsitaLV, noted a ‘secret message’ in the invitation that suggests a Mavic Pro 2 (sometimes seen as Mavic Pro II) is in the cards. We found another ‘secret message’ that suggests DJI has partnered with American rock band, 311 to create a new drone that plays rock funk/alternative reggae metal music through onboard speakers. While, I don’t put too much stock in secret messages, I do believe that a new Mavic Series aircraft with a larger sensor might be unveiled next month.
The reference to a ‘bigger picture’ certainly implies that a larger sensor is a strong possibility.
It will be interesting when upside down. pic.twitter.com/6RRJq4woj9
— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) June 18, 2018
...Or maybe DJI is partnering with American Rock Band, 311 🙂 pic.twitter.com/oraaeWzhS3
— DroneAcademy.com (@DroneAcademyCom) June 18, 2018
The Specs
Early reports had enthusiast and professionals alike giddy with anticipation as a 1″ sensor was reported to be onboard. However, it now appears as though DJI has chosen to go with a 1/1.7″ Sony IMX226 CMOS Sensor which is a slight improvement from the 1/2.3″ sensor on the current Mavic Pro.
Larger pixel size (1.85 µm vs. 1.55 µm) and STARVIS backlight technology should give the Mavic Pro 2 a low light performance boost; a very welcome addition when flying during the twilight hours.
Perhaps more exciting than the larger sensor is the addition of a variable (f/2.8-11) aperture. Unlike the Mavic Pro which has a fixed f/2.2 aperture, new system will allow for a finer control of the video shooting process since users can now control ISO, shutter speed, and aperture to get the perfect shot.
In addition to the upgraded sensors, current reports suggest the new aircraft is equipped with all (6) direction obstacle avoidance, improved propulsion systems, and a slightly longer endurance.
However, the source of much of this intel is @OsitaLV who has been wrong in the past, most notably about the Phantom 5 leak that turned out to be a custom built Phantom 4 Pro.
That being said, we have just under a month until DJI makes all things known. In the meantime, we will continue to speculate and hope for something amazing!
So, do you think we should expect a new Mavic Pro 2, a Phantom 5, or something else entirely?
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