DJI Air 2S Drone: More Capable, More Camera, More Sensors & Cost

DJI has announced the newest evolution of their “Air” family of drones: The DJI Air 2S. Barely distinguishable from the outside from the earlier DJI Air, the Air 2S nonetheless offers some significant upgrades from the earlier model.

1” 20-megapixel Camera of the DJI Air 2S
The most attention-grabbing specification for many will be the inclusion of a 1” 20-megapixel sensor. While packaged in a rectangular housing like the 1” 20-megapixel camera on the Mavic 2 Pro, gone is any mention of the Hasselblad L1D-20c camera, or even the name Hasselblad, on the DJI Air 2S.

It is unclear why Hasselblad color science was omitted (or least mentions of it) in the Air 2S, but it could be to avoid expense that would drive up the cost.

Another omission compared to the Mavic 2 Pro is the lack of a variable or adjustable aperture on the Air 2S. Instead, the DJI Air 2S offers a fixed aperture of f/2.8 on a lens it says is the equivalent of a 22 mm focal length on a full frame or 35 mm format camera. The field of view is 88 degrees. The fixed aperture and missing Hasselblad color science may also be a way for DJI to avoid cannibalizing their more expensive Mavic 2 line of drones, the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom.

One can also see this trend in the dynamic range delivered while taking photos in the two products. While the higher end Mavic 2 Pro drone with Hasselblad technology offers 14 stops of dynamic range, the Air 2S specification is 12.6 stops.

The Air 2S can capture both raw and jpeg files. The 12.6 stops of dynamic range is only possible when shooting raw.

Interestingly, when capturing video, the DJI Air 2S in some ways exceeds its older and more expensive stablemates. While the Mavic 2 Pro captures video at 4K and 30 frames per second (FPS) at a 100 Mbps bit rate, the Air 2S can shoot 4K at 60 fps, at 150 Mbps, and even capture 5.4K video at 30 fps.

While the Mavic 2 line was split between two models, the Pro and Zoom, the Air 2S offers a digital zoom that blends these features in one flying machine. At least when shooting video. It should be noted that at this time (April 2021) digital zoom is not available in photo mode. It is conceivable that DJI could change that in a future firmware update.

Air 2S Obstacle Avoidance Upgrades
Beyond the bigger camera, the one external difference between the original DJI Air and the Air 2S sharp eyed observers will notice is the addition of two upward-facing sensors near the front of the drone. Coupled with what the company claims is its most advanced version of its Advanced Pilot Assistance System, (APAS) 4.0, the new sensors are angled slightly and binocular in design to improve obstacle detection and avoidance in all flight regimes, but especially as the drone flies faster and typically tilted slightly nose-down. They also offer, combined with other forward-facing sensors, what DJI describes as a wider field of view to detect obstacles.

The Air 2S is equipped with DJI’s implementation of ADS-B which the company calls its “AirSense” system. According to the company’s website, DJI’s AirSense does not transmit drone location data to other aircraft, it is limited to “ADS-B In” only. This mode analyzes “ADS-B Out” information shared by nearby airplanes and helicopters, and warns the drone pilot of potential mid-air collision hazards.

Air 2S Flight Time
Using exactly the same batteries as the earlier DJI Air, as expected with the addition of a larger, more capable camera and gimbal, along with additional sensors, antennas and data processing requirements, the Air 2S has a slightly shorter maximum flight time of 31 minutes. That is still impressive given where flight times were just a few years ago.

There will be a more comprehensive look at and review of the DJI Air 2S from a video (filmmaking) and aerial photography perspective on AeronauticPictures.com

DJI Air 2S Drone Cost
Unsurprisingly, with the upgrades to the camera, obstacle avoidance and addition of ADS-B technology, the price of the new edition has also gone up.

The base package of the DJI Air 2S, which includes just about everything you need to get flying, is $999.00

The DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo, which includes extra batteries and supporting charging gear, neutral density (ND) filters, and a drone case, is $1,299.00

By comparison, the base package of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is $1,599.00

The price of the original DJI Mavic Air 2 base package is $799 while the Fly More Combo is $988.

Yes, it seems DJI is referring to the original “2” edition as the DJI Mavic Air 2 while this new version is dropping the “Mavic” name and using DJI Air 2S.

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DJI Air 2S Specifications
Takeoff Weight: 595 g
Dimensions
Folded:
180×97×77 mm (length×width×height)
Unfolded:
183×253×77 mm (length×width×height)
Diagonal Length
302 mm
Max Ascent Speed
6 m/s (S Mode)
6 m/s (N Mode)
Max Descent Speed
6 m/s (S Mode)
6 m/s (N Mode)
Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level
5000 m
Max Flight Time (no wind)
31 minutes
Max Hovering Time (no wind)
30 minutes
Max Flight Distance (no wind)
18.5 km
Max Flight Speed (near sea level, no wind)
19 m/s | 42.5 mph (S Mode)
15 m/s | 33.55 mph (N Mode)
5 m/s | 11.19 mph (C Mode)
Max Wind Speed Resistance
8.5-10.5 m/s
Max Tilt Angle
35° (S Mode)
25° (N Mode; 35° under heavy winds)
Max Angular Velocity
250°/s (S Mode)
90°/s (N Mode)
Operating Temperature Range
0° to 40°C (32° to 104°F)
(upward sensors and camera AF will be disabled at -10°C or lower)
Operating Frequency
2.4 GHz
5.8 GHz
Transmission Power (EIRP)
2.4 GHz:
FCC: ≤30 dBm
CE: ≤20 dBm
SRRC: ≤20 dBm
MIC: ≤20 dBm
5.8 GHz:
FCC: ≤30 dBm
CE: ≤14 dBm
SRRC: ≤29 dBm
Hovering Accuracy Range
Vertical:
± 0.1 m (with vision positioning)
± 0.5 m (with GPS positioning)
Horizontal:
± 0.1 m (with vision positioning)
± 1.5 m (with GPS positioning)
Propellers
Quick release, low noise, folding
Aircraft Arms
Foldable
GNSS
GPS+GLONASS
Compass
Single Compass
IMU
Single IMU
Internal Storage
8 GB
DJI Air 2S Battery Capacity
3500 mAh
Voltage
11.55 V
Max Charging Voltage
13.2 V
Battery Type
LiPo 3S
Energy
40.42 Wh
Weight
198 g
Charging Temperature Range
5° to 40°C (41° to 104°F)
Max Charging Power
38 W
Built-in Battery
None
Sensor
DJI Air 2S Camera Specifications
1" CMOS
Effective Pixels: 20 MP; 2.4μm Pixel Size
Lens
FOV: 88°
AF, 35 mm Format Equivalent: 22 mm
Aperture: f/2.8
Shooting Range: 0.6 m to ∞
ISO Range
Video:
100-6400 (Auto)
100-12800 (Manual)
10-Bit Dlog-M Video:
100-1600 (Auto)
100-3200 (Manual)
Photo:
100-6400 (Auto)
100-12800 (Manual)
Still Image Size
20 MP
5472×3648 (3:2)
5472×3078 (16:9)
Still Photography Modes
Single shot: 20 MP
Burst shooting: 20 MP (continuous burst)
Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 20 MP, 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7 EV bias
Timed: 20 MP, 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60s
SmartPhoto (including HDR and HyperLight): 20 MP
HDR Panorama:
Vertical (3×1): 3328×8000 (width×height)
Wide-angle (3×3): 8000×6144 (width×height)
180° (3×7): 8192×3500 (width×height)
Sphere (3×8+1): 8192×4096 (width×height)
JPEG/DNG (RAW)
Video Resolution
5.4K: 5472×3078 @ 24/25/30 fps
4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60 fps
2.7K: 2688x1512 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60 fps
FHD: 1920×1080 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60/120 fps
MP4/MOV (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC)
Max Video Bitrate
150 Mbps
Supported File System
FAT32/exFAT
Supports a microSD card with a capacity of up to 256 GB.
Digital Zoom
Zoom recording is not available while recording 10-bit videos and 120fps videos.
4K/30fps:
4x;
2.7K/60fps:
4x;
2.7K/30fps:
6x;
1080p/60fps:
6x;
1080p/30fps:
8x
DJI Air 2S Gimbal Specifications
Stabilization
3-axis (tilt, roll, pan)
Mechanical Range
Tilt: -135° to 45°
Roll: -45° to 45°
Pan: -100° to 100°
Pan Axis
Controllable
Controllable Range
Tilt: -90° to 0°(default); -90° to 24° (extended)
Pan: -80° to 80°
Max Controllable Speed (tilt)
100°/s
Angular Vibration Range
±0.01°
DJI Air 2S Sensing System
Forward
Precision Measurement Range: 0.35-22.0 m
Detection Range: 0.35-44 m
Effective Sensing Speed: ≤15 m/s
Field of View (FOV): 71° (horizontal), 56° (vertical)
Backward
Precision Measurement Range: 0.37-23.6 m
Detection Range: 0.37-47.2 m
Effective Sensing Speed: 12 m/s
Field of View (FOV): 57° (horizontal), 44° (vertical)
Downward
Available Downward Sensors: Dual Vision Sensors + Time of Flight Sensors (ToF)
ToF Measurement Range: 0.1-8 m
Hovering Range: 0.5-30 m
Left/Right
N/A
Upward
Precision Measurement Range: 0.35-22.0 m
Field of View (FOV): 78° (horizontal), 63° (vertical)
Downward Auxiliary Light
Single LED
DJI Air 2S Video Transmission
Transmission System
O3
2.4 GHz/5.8 GHz Auto-Switching (compatible with OcuSync 2.0)
4-antenna 2T4R
Max Transmission Distance
12 km (FCC), 8 km (CE)
8 km (SRRC), 8 km (MIC)
Live View Quality/Latency
Drone + Remote Controller: 1080p/30fps 12 Mbps <120 ms Drone + DJI Smart Controller: 1080p/30fps 12Mbps <130 ms Max Transmission Bitrate 44 Mbps Operating Frequency 2.4 GHz 5.8 GHz
DJI Air 2S Remote Controller
Multiple Controllers
N/A
DJI Smart Controller
Supported
Remote Controller Transmission System
OcuSync 2.0
Battery Life
9.36 Wh ×2
Supported Mobile Device Connectors
Lightning, Micro USB, USB-C
Max Supported Mobile Device Size
180×86×10 mm (length×width×height)
Operating Temperature
-10° to 40°C (14° to 104°F)
Transmitter Power (EIRP)
2.4 GHz:
FCC: ≤26 dBm
CE: ≤20 dBm
SRRC: ≤20 dBm
MIC: ≤20 dBm
5.8 GHz:
FCC: ≤26 dBm
CE: ≤14 dBm
SRRC: ≤26 dBm
DJI Air 2S Charger Specifications
Charging Input
100-240V, 50/60 Hz, 1.3 A
Charging Output
Charging Port: 13.2 V⎓2.82 A
USB Port: 5 V⎓2 A
Voltage
13.2 V
Rated Power
38 W

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