DJI Mavic Air 2 vs Autel Evo II 8K Camera Drone Comparison

Spec Comparison of the DJI Mavic Air 2 and the Autel Evo II Camera Drones

In this comparison we compare two brand new for 2020 camera drones, for aerial photographers and film makers.

Both released in spring and summer of 2020 and at the price of $999 for the DJI Mavic Air 2 (MA2) and $1495 for the Autel Evo II 8K.

These are both 2nd generation camera drones of their original model name, the Air and the Evo.

Physical Comparison

The dimensions of the Autel Evo II are slightly larger than that of the DJI Mavic Air 2, with all three dimensions being slightly bigger.

This means the volume of each camera drone is much different. They both fold their arms in and pack away, and in their smallest form, the Autel Evo II 8K is 3335cm³ and the DJI Mavic Air 2 is 1466cm³. This means the DJI Mavic Air 2 is half the size of the Autel Evo II.

This is quite a considerable size difference, but shows how small the MA2 is compared to most other camera drones on the market today, with the Autel being similar to that of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro dimensions and size.

The weight of the two drones is similar in reference to their size, with the Autel Evo II 8K weighing in at exactly 1KG, 1000grams and the Mavic Air 2 weighing nearly half that, at 570grams.

Even though the Autel is a portable folding arm drone, it shows how much of a difference there is in some of these portable travel drones on the market today.

One of the biggest differences is the modular camera on the drone itself, which means you can change the camera to different resolutions and features.

Performance Comparison

Like it's original version, the Autel is capable of high speeds and has a top speed of 72kmh. The DJI Mavic Air 2 is close with a top speed of 68kmh.

The ascent speed is quicker on the Autel Evo II 8k camera drone, at 5m/s, compared to the 4m/s of the DJI Mavic Air 2, so not a big difference.

The descent speed is slower too, at 3m/s for the Autel and 4m/s for the DJI Mavic Air 2.

This makes the ascent and descent speed for the MA2 the same at 4m/s.

Transmission distance is similar between the two, an improvement for the Autel Evo II 8k over its first generation drone, capable of 9km transmission.

With the DJI Mavic Air 2 capable of an astounding 10km, which is a huge difference.

One feature the Autel Evo II 8K is unbeaten on with any camera drone in 2020, is flight time.

It has a 40 minute flight time, not just one or two minutes faster than others, but in this case, a whole 6 minutes longer than the DJI Mavic Air 2 which has a decent flight time of 34 minutes.

The Autel Evo II 8K can also charge more quickly at 80 minutes, compared to the MA2 100 minute recharge time, which gives the Autel an uptime of 33/100 compared to the score of 25/100 for the DJI Mavic Air 2.

This means that theoretically, with its top speed, flight time in minutes, the Autel Evo II 8K is potentially capable of flying up to 48km in one flight.

You get more obstacle avoidance with the Autel Evo II 8K which means it is a safer drone to fly as it has omnidirectional avoidance compared to the backward, downward and forwards obstacle avoidance on the Mavic Air 2.

Photo and Video Comparison

The cameras have two different field of views, with the fov of the Autel Evo II 8k at 79° and the MA2 at 84 degrees. This means the Mavic Air 2 will have a wider field of view and will see more when they are sat in the same spot in the sky.

They both offer 120 mbps which is the most of any other camera drones on the market and what is interesting is that they both also use the exact same image sensor.

The Sony IMX 586 is the image sensor used in these two camera drones, which is half an inch in size diagonally at 8mm. This is a slightly larger than standard image sensor as most camera drones utilise a 1/2.3".

Both camera drones are capable of 48MP photos in JPEG and also take smaller resolution photos in RAW and DNG formats.

They are both high video resolution drones with the Autel Evo II being able to record in 8K video resolution, which is huge.

Compared to the 4K of the Mavic Air 2.

The DJI Mavic Air 2 does do better slow motion at 240fps at 1080p.

You also get HDR video in the Mavic Air 2 and D-Cinelike flat profile video format, so a few extra video formats here compared to the Autel Evo II 8K.

Both camera drones use 3-axis gimbal to smooth out their footage.

Summary

The Autel Evo II 8K is the only 8k video camera drone on the market, which means you can crop, zoom and be more versatile with your footage than ever before, perfect for those using it for more practical solutions like search and rescue or on building sites who need aerial photography and video.

There is also the modular camera which can be removed and swapped out for different camera features.

You also get a phenomenal flight time of 40 minutes which is minutes longer than any other camera drone.

The Mavic Air 2 is also a phenomenal camera drone, offering 240fps at 1080p which the Autel does not and great footage, although they both share the same image sensor in the IMX586.

If portability is your requirement then you do get a much smaller drone in that of the Mavic Air 2 and for a little bit less cost.