Sony IMX586 Sensor in Mavic Air 2 Drone Can Do 4K @ 90fps

As we get closer to the ‘official’ Mavic Air 2 drone release tomorrow, the last 48 hours of leaks is fairly predictable. Retailers usually have stock of the product, which means their employees are tempted to start sharing images of the merchandise despite embargoes.

Bookmark the DJI Mavic Air 2 launch page here.

Today we got the first image of the retail, boxed up Mavic Air 2 drone in it’s protective shrink-wrap.

If you stare at the image the reflection of the person taking the photo starts to appear in the reflection of the wrapper.

Like the previous Mavic 2 Pro series, DJI will market the Mavic Air 2 as a basic kit and sell a separate ‘Fly More Combo’ with additional batteries, props, etc.

Pricing on the Mavic Air 2 is still firmly planted around $799, but with two versions (ADS-B and non ADS-B) we think there might be two price points.

But today’s article is all about the Sony Camera sensor on the new DJI Mavic Air 2, so let’s get to it.

The good news is that the confirmed Sony sensor means we do truly have 48 megapixel still photos with the Mavic Air 2. The IMX586 sensor that DJI has chosen for the Mavic Air 2 has already seen broad deployment in cell phones such as the OnePlus 7 Pro, Xiamomi Redmi 1, the Samsung Note 7 Pro and others.

The even better news is that the Sony IMX586 sensor is actually capable of 4K video up to 90 fps. We really just need 60fps to make most of us happy, but this is an amazing development.  On the eve of the Mavic Air 2 launch, we finally have decent confirmation that the Mavic Air 2 will very likely have 4K60fps video!

But the important thing to remember about digital photography is that megapixels don’t matter, sensor size does.  How all of this plays out in real images taken with the Mavic Air 2 is yet to be seen.

Drone photography purists may not be thrilled to think they are paying for a ‘flying cell phone’. But if you study the images that users have captured with this sensor, you might think differently.

And when you factor in the low-light performance of the Sony sensor, it really opens up a lot of possibility for the Mavic Air 2.

The proof is in the pudding, though, and we’ll just have to wait for the Mavic Air 2 to actually arrive before we review the camera.

Related: Mavic Air 2: 23 confirmed specs, and one juicy new rumor.

Over the weekend we received more photos of the ‘boxy’ Mavic Air 2 controller. Shaped a lot like it’s older brother, the Smart Controller, we think drone pilots will enjoy the new form factor.

We’ve been using the Smart Controller since it was released and it is a lot more comfortable to hold than the old style controllers with their fold out arms. And having the smartphone display at the top of the remote brings it closer to the pilots natural field of view while operating the drone.

From the photos we can clearly see the top-mounted cell phone holder. It doesn’t look like it will extend enought to hold a tablet so users will need to separately purchase one like the Skyreet mount. We’ve used the Skyreet mount for years with the Spark and original Mavic Air and it is rock solid. The removable joysticks are stored in rubber grips on the bottom of the contoller, located on either side of the USB-C port.

 

The rear view of the new Mavic Air 2 controller clearly shows that the extended smartphone holder slides into a recess in the top of the controller for storage.

What do you think?  Is the Mavic Air 2 a drone you’re considering?  Is 4K60fps a game changer for you?

Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear what you have to say!