Comparison DJI Air 2S vs DJI Mavic 2 Pro with Goggles RE

The distance that a quadcopter can travel in the air on one full battery charge. Simply put, this is the drone's range in kilometers. Note that smaller, lighter drones tend to have a more limited flight range compared to larger, more powerful models. In the latter, it can reach 30 km or more. Also, the maximum flight distance is often influenced by weather factors and the load carried by the copter.

The highest speed that a quadcopter can achieve in horizontal flight. It is worth considering that in most cases this parameter is indicated for optimal operating conditions: a fully charged battery, low air temperature, minimum weight, etc. However, it is quite possible to rely on it both when choosing and when comparing different models of copters with each other.

Note that quadcopters were originally designed as stable and maneuverable aerial platforms, and not as high-speed vehicles. Therefore, you should specifically look for a fast quadcopter only in cases where the ability to quickly move from place to place is critical (for example, when the device is supposed to be used for video recording of fast-moving objects over large areas).

The speed at which the quadcopter rises up in the air or descends to the ground. Recreational, photo and video models tend to have more moderate climb/descent speeds, while professional or racing drones can rise and fall much faster. This indicator can be used to evaluate how quickly the copter can rise to a height for filming or, if necessary, avoid obstacles, and a high descent rate will be useful if the drone needs to be returned to the ground quickly and safely.

The ability of a quadcopter to maintain and maintain stable flight parameters in windy weather. In this column, it is customary to indicate the wind force in meters per second, which ensures trouble-free takeoff and landing of the drone within the permissible wind speed. Directly in flight, copters can overcome the resistance of even faster winds. But takeoffs and landings with wind strength above the designated level are fraught with unpredictable movements of the drone, loss of control and an increased risk of emergency situations.

The type of camera installation that the quadcopter is equipped with.

- Built-in. A camera that is permanently installed on the vehicle and cannot be removed without disassembling the fuselage. This is the simplest option for tech who want to use a quadcopter for photo and video shooting or for flying with a first-person view (see “Real-time broadcast”); In addition, this camera design is considered more durable and reliable than a removable one. On the other hand, it does not make it possible to remove the camera to make the car lighter or replace it with another one that is more suitable in terms of characteristics.

- Removable. As the name suggests, such cameras are installed on detachable mounts. Thanks to this, the customer can remove or install the camera, depending on what is more important to him at the moment - the light weight of the car or the presence of an electronic “eye” on board. Note that in some models you can install not only a standard device, but also a third-party device.

- Absent. Drones that are not equipped with cameras at all fall into two main categories. The first does not involve the use of any cameras at all; As a rule, it includes inexpensive devices primarily for entertainment purposes, for which the “peephole” is just an expensive and unnecessary excess, which also increases the weight of the entire structure. The second type is models with...the ability to install a camera. It includes quite advanced copters - up to powerful professional machines capable of carrying a digital SLR. This option will be useful for tech who would like to independently select a camera to suit their needs. However, we note that the second type may have an auxiliary “eye” for live FPV broadcasts (see below); however, if such a “peephole” does not allow for taking photos/videos, it is not considered a full-fledged camera, and its presence is indicated only in additional notes. — Thermal imaging. A camera operating on the principle of a thermal imager - it detects infrared radiation from heated objects and forms a characteristic thermal image visible to the drone operator. Each color in this image corresponds to a specific temperature. A thermal imager equipped in a drone opens up possibilities not available to traditional optical cameras. Thus, it can be used to distinguish a person or animal against a camouflage background or in dense vegetation in an area. Thermal imaging cameras also “see” perfectly in complete darkness.

Quadcopters with a thermal imaging camera are by no means a cheap pleasure. They are used by rescuers, military, law enforcement, repairmen, hunters and fishermen. In particular, drones with a thermal imaging camera help find living people when clearing rubble, and are widely used to search for possible fires, gas leaks from pipelines, etc. In some situations, the performance of a thermal imager may be low - for example, it is not able to clearly identify an object if its temperature coincides with the background temperature (which makes it difficult to use in hot weather). In addition, the resolution and detail of the picture, even in advanced models, is quite modest. Thermal cameras in drones can be built-in or detachable.

Aperture - a characteristic that determines how much the camera lens attenuates the light flux passing through it. It depends on two main characteristics - the diameter of the active aperture of the lens and the focal length - and in the classical form is written as the ratio of the first to the second, while the diameter of the effective aperture is taken as a unit: for example, 1 / 2.8. Often, when recording the characteristics of a lens, the unit is generally omitted, such a record looks, for example, like this: f / 1.8. At the same time, the larger the number in the denominator, the smaller the aperture value: f / 4.0 lenses will produce a darker image than models with f / 1.4 aperture.

The maximum resolution and frame rate supported by the aircraft camera when shooting in HD (720p).

HD 720p is the first high-definition video standard. Notably inferior to Full HD and 4K formats in terms of performance, it nevertheless provides pretty good detail without significant demands on the camera and processing power. Therefore, HD support is found even in relatively inexpensive copters. And in high-end models, it can be provided as an addition to more advanced standards.

In drones, HD cameras typically use the classic 1280x720 resolution; other, more specific options are practically non-existent. As for the frame rate, the higher it is, the smoother the video turns out, the less movement is blurred in the frame. In general, values up to 24 fps can be called minimal, from 24 to 30 fps — medium, from 30 to 60 fps — high, and speeds over 60 fps are used mainly for slow motion HD.

Maximum resolution and frame rate supported by the aircraft camera (built-in or bundled) when shooting in Ultra HD (4K)

UHD is a much more advanced video standard than Quad HD and even more so Full HD. Such a frame is approximately 2 times larger than a FullHD frame on each side and, accordingly, 4 times larger in terms of the total number of pixels. In this case, specific resolutions may be different; in copters, 3840x2160 and 4096x2160 are the most popular. Thus, shooting in this standard gives excellent detail; on the other hand, it puts forward rather high demands on the hardware of the camera and the amount of memory. Therefore, 4K support is an unmistakable sign of a high-end built-in camera. At the same time, we note that in modern drones you can also find more solid resolutions — see “Shooting above 4K”.

As for the actual frame rate, the higher it is, the smoother the video turns out, the less motion is blurred in the frame. On the other hand, the shooting speed directly affects the requirements for the power of the hardware and the volume of the finished files. In general, values up to 24 fps can be called minimal, from 24 to 30 fps — average, from 30 to 60 fps — above average, and a speed of 60 fps already allows us to talk about high-speed shooting UltraHD. However for full-fledged high-speed shooting, which allows you to create slow-motion videos, an even higher frame rate...is desirable, which is not yet found in copter cameras; however, modern technologies are developing rapidly, and the situation may change in the near future.

The maximum resolution and frame rate supported by the aircraft camera (built-in or bundled) when shooting at a higher standard than 4K.

Some time ago, the most solid of these standards was UltraHD 5K with resolutions from 5280x2972 to 5472x3078. However, quadcopters with support for even higher resolutions later appeared: for example, as of mid-2021, there were models capable of shooting in 8K (7680x4320). Anyway, these video standards provide a very high degree of detail, but are expensive; in addition, to fully view materials captured in such formats, screens (TVs, monitors, etc.) of the appropriate resolution are required. As for the frame rate, in this case it usually does not exceed 24 fps — this is the minimum figure required for more or less comfortable viewing; a higher shooting speed would require too expensive and “gluttonous” (in terms of power consumption) electronics.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the professional use of drones from this category. In general, high resolutions can be very useful for aerial surveillance, broadcasting of various events, professional filming of documentaries and feature videos, etc. However, in fact, for such tasks it is more convenient and reasonable to use a heavy industrial (see "Type") copter with a gimbal , on which you can install a professional "SLR" or video camera. Such equipment often provides a higher quality of shooting than the compact built-in (or complete)...“peephole” of the copter, and the user’s capabilities are wider — for example, you can use different lenses on the camera, choosing optics for the specifics of a particular situation, and then and even install different cameras on the drone. So nowadays, support for 5K or 8K can only be found in individual devices of small sizes. It makes sense to purchase such models in cases where manoeuvrability and speed are no less important to you than high-resolution video — for example, for filming air races on the same quadrocopters.