After trawling the world wide web for feedback, detailed information, and more importantly reviews from experienced users on their thoughts on the 3 drones I was looking at – Mavic Mini, Parrot Anafi & DJI Mavic Air 2, I have concluded that I will be going with the Mavic Air 2. The idiom “To Each Their Own” is applicable here, as I uncovered myriad reasons as to why one would want to own a drone – ranging from photography, videography, and heck for the fun of it (I would recommend the Mavic Mini if you fall under this category). So again, it all boils down to why you want a drone.
The Mavic Air 2 came head to head with the Parrot Anafi but based on the 5 key criteria I have laid out (Price, Camera, Flight Time, Obstacle Avoidance and Bundled Offer), and of course, me being new to the world of Drones, I decided that the Mavic Air 2 will suit me perfectly. I will be posting a detailed review once I have acquainted myself with the Mavic Air 2, but for now, I will briefly summarize my decision making based on the criteria indicated earlier. With a budget of £1K, my option was limited and these 2 drones fitted the bill (no pun intended).
Taking scenic landscape shots being one of the primary reasons that I am getting a drone, the quality of the camera is important, not forgetting the capability of taking shots in RAW format – which both drones are fully capable of. While the Anafi has a respectable Sony 1/2.4″ CMOS 21MP under its hood, the Mavic Air 2 has a new half-inch ‘Quad Bayer’ sensor backed by a fixed 28mm f/2.8 lens, which can provide up to a 48-megapixel quality shot.
Considering I will be flying the drone over miles and miles of the picturesque English countryside, long battery life and the obstacle avoidance option played a part in my decision-making process. The Parrot Anafi’s Flight Time is respectable but when compared to the Mavic Air 2, it fell short of 10 minutes (Parrot Anafi @ 25 minutes vs Mavic Air 2 @ 35 minutes), which in Drone terms is a huge difference. Parrot Anafi doesn’t come with Obstacle Avoidance so it was an easy comparison there as Mavic Air 2 has Advanced Pilot Assistance Systems (APAS) 3.0 included in its hardware.
The bundled offers provided by conglomerates like Parrot and DJI to entice newbies like myself are the last out of my key criteria. It is the least important of the lot but one where I took more time than expected in my decision-making. As spare batteries were important to me and considering a standalone battery cost almost GBP100 -/+ a piece, getting it in a bundled offer was a smarter choice. On top of the standard package (drone, controller, battery, and cables) Parrot ‘Anafi Extended’ and DJI’s ‘Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo’ both provides an additional 2 batteries and a travel bag which comes in handy when commuting. While the DJI bundle is slightly higher compared to Parrot’s bundle at GBP 100 +/-, DJI’s bundle packs a punch as it includes a Neutral-Density Filter Set when you need to reduce the amount of light entering your lens (£ 55), battery charging hub to simultaneously charge your 3 batteries (£ 49), gimbal protector to ensure the key component of you drone is not damaged when you are out and about (£ 9), a battery to power bank adapter when your other devices run out of juice (GBP 19) and an extra pair of control sticks (GBP 9).
