Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom: What’s the Difference?

Can't decide between DJI and DJI? We compared them for you.
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Last updated: November 09, 2024
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Can't decide between DJI and DJI? We compared them for you.
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DJI Mavic 2 Pro Specifications

Max Speed: 44.7 mph / 72 km/h

Max Flight Time: 31min

Obstacle Avoidance: Downward, Forward, Backward, Left, Right

Sensor: 1″ CMOS

Aperture: f/2.8 – f/11

Focal length: 28mm Equivalent

Resolution: 20 MP

Weight: 2lb (907 g)

Folded Dimensions L x H x W: 3.6 x 3.3 x 8.4″ / 91 x 84 x 214 mm

DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Specifications

Max Speed: 44.7 mph / 72 km/h

Max Flight Time: 31min

Obstacle Avoidance: Downward, Forward, Backward, Left, Right

Sensor: 1/2.3″ CMOS

Aperture: f/2.8-3.8

Optical Zoom Range: 24-48mm Equivalent

Resolution: 12 MP

Weight: 2lb (907 g)

Folded Dimensions L x H x W: 3.6 x 3.3 x 8.4″ / 91 x 84 x 214 mm

Intro

The very first drone was made in the garage of Abraham Karem and was given the codename ‘Albatross’. This design is what ultimately led to the design of the modern Predator drone, which is used by the US Airforce. But drones have become much more than a tool for the military to utilize. These days, it’s an essential part of every cinephile and photographer’s life. Taking the possibility of capturing both reality and imagination to a whole new level is the DJI Mavic 2 series. But what is the difference between the Mavic 2 Pro vs. Zoom? In this article, we’ll lay out where the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom align and where they stand on their own.

DJI MAVIC 2 PRO VS ZOOM: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The DJI Mavic 2 series is truly something to marvel over. It doesn’t matter what kind of creator you are, whether you’re only in it for fun or because The Mavic 2 series will offer you exactly what you need to get that perfect shot. Whether you’ll need a Mavic 2 Pro or a Mavic 2 Zoom depends on your goals and whether you’re willing and able to do many things in post. But which one do you choose? When it comes to the Mavic 2 Pro vs. Zoom, there are a lot of inconsequential similarities. But the devil is in the details. So, what’s the difference between the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom? Let’s look at how the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom compare with each other.

Design-Circles Vs. Squares

Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom: What’s the Difference?

The most obvious difference between the Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom is their external designs. The Mavic 2 Pro comes with a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera, on itself round but has been placed in a square compartment. The difference in design was necessary in order to fit the powerful camera in its place without compromising on a small overall design. On the other hand, we have the Mavic 2 Zoom, which has been given a round design. The design doesn’t change anything about the internal working of the gimbal cameras.

It won’t be hard to find circularly polarized (CP) and neutral density (ND) lens filters for the Mavic 2 Zoom, thanks to its universal, small, and symmetrical design. It also comes with an extra set of four ND filters, including ND4, ND8, ND16, and ND32. And while DJI does offer ND filters for the Mavic 2 Pro, these aren’t as easy to come by.

Speed & Maneuverability

Both the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom are capable of reaching speeds up to 72 km/h (44.7 mph) in Sport Mode Trusted Source Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom This section introduces Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom and lists the components of the aircraft and remote controller. dl.djicdn.com , without wind, and around sea level. This also means the ActiveTrack 2.0 that the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom both come with is able to track fast-moving objects at these high speeds effortlessly. Moreover, the Mavic 2 series is equipped with an intelligent vision system and trajectory prediction algorithm that is able to predict where the object you tracking will pop up again when it’s temporarily obstructed from view, thanks to the 3D map it creates of the environment.

The Mavic 2 series is optimized for forwarding flight and is equipped with slick low-noise propellors. The Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom both have an excellent aerodynamic airframe, which is why they consume less energy during forwarding flight than hovering. They’re able to resist winds of up to level 5, measured on the Beauford scale.

Because of the Mavic 2 extraordinary overall capabilities, sacrifices had to be made somewhere. In the case of the Mavic 2 series, this is with the flexibility of the gimbal. It is not possible to roll the gimbal along the roll axis because the Mavic 2’s gimbal structure was designed for optimal stability. However, if you do want to fake a portrait view, it’s possible to choose Vertical mode in Panorama and achieve a sort of placebo effect that will leave you with the same basic result.

Distance

When testing the Mavic 2 Pro and the Zoom in extreme testing environments, it was found that these amazing drones were capable to reach a maximum distance of 18 kilometers, as the crow flies, measured in 50.4 km kilometers per hour and absolutely windless conditions. But you want to make sure that you have enough battery to allow your Mavic to come back home safely.

The maximum distance your Mavic is able to achieve is particularly important when you’re on the road a lot with your drone and may not have the possibility to charge your batteries as often as when you stay closer to home. Take a look at the best travel drones to see how much of a difference there can be between meeting the specific needs you may require from your drone

Battery

The Mavic 2 series comes with a powerful LiPo 4S battery Trusted Source LiPo 4S Battery 101: All About LiPo 4S Batteries Lithium Polymer (LiPo or Li-Po) rechargeable batteries consisting of 4 cells connected in series are most commonly known as LiPo 4S batteries and are very popular high-discharge batteries used in various remote-controlled (RC) toys, RC trucks, and other RC vehicles, RC planes, in FPV applications and other applications where a lightweight power source is required that is able to provide plenty of power. www.batteryequivalents.com that has a maximum capacity of 3850 mAh. Its maximum charging Voltage is 17.6 V, and 80 W is in maximum charging power. The Battery Charging hub that comes with your Mavic 2 Pro or Zoom has been programmed to charge your batteries in sequence, which gives you a fully charged battery in the fastest way possible. Moreover, it only takes 1.5 hours for a battery to be fully charged again

The battery of the Mavic 2 series is just as powerful as the rest of the Mavic 2, but you should be aware that it’s not recommended to fly in snowy or rainy conditions. The Mavic 2 will hold its own in temperatures between -10°C and 40°C, but it goes without saying to always be careful when shooting in extreme environments.

Controller

Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom: What’s the Difference?

With the DJI Mavic 2 series, you have more freedom of flight than you’ll know what to do with, it allows you to fully edit your footage while still in flight directly from the cache on your phone. Even in environments where your signal has to handle a lot of interference.

Frequency

With the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom it will take a lot to lose contact with your controller. When presuming ideal conditions, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allows a Maximum Transmission Distance of 10000m, while in Europe, the range has been limited to 6000m. The US generally allows for greater transmission power than other countries do. The Mavic 2 series is able to reach these distances with an operating frequency of 2.400 – 2.483 GHz, and 5.725 – 5.850 GHz.

Phone Compatibility

The Mavic 2 series supports lightning, USB-C, and micro USB. It’s recommended to remove the protective casing off your phone before connecting it to your controller, even if your phone is smaller than the maximum 160 mm in length and 6.5-8.5 mm in thickness. If your phone doesn’t meet these specifications, or you’d like to use a tablet when controlling your Mavic 2, you can always add the DJI Mavic 2 Tablet Holder.

Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensors

The DJI Mavic 2 series was the first DJI ever to get obstacle sensors on all sides of the drone, Trusted Source Omnidirectional obstacle detection using minimal sensing An integrated approach to visual obstacle detection for aerial multi-rotor vehicles (drones) is introduced. The approach achieves omnidirectional detection of obstacles via the suitable synergy of hardware and software. dspace.mit.edu connected with an intricate digital nervous system that transmits information non-stop. This enables it to scan for potential obstacles continually, so you never have to worry about flying into an obstacle.

It should be noted that the omnidirectional obstacle sensors are gathering information from multiple directions, not a whole 360° arc. The omnidirectional obstacle sensors are accountable for left, right, up, down, forwards, and backward. The sensing system is also not available in every shooting mode. In fact, the left and the right obstacle-sensing systems only work in certain modes and in specific environments. These modes are POI, Tripod mode, ActiveTrack, and QuickShot.

DJI Goggles

There are, of course, lots of different VR goggles for drones on the market today, but the Mavic 2 series are not just compatible with the DJI goggles, they give you a much better experience thanks to the stable video feed they both come with, with even less latency than previously. And when it comes to the best VR drones, DJI will still dominate in most cases. That’s why it’s always preferred to team up your Mavic 2 with the DJI Goggles.

The app that’s used to connect the DJI Goggles, DJI Go 4, uses OcuSync 2.0 and has much less latency than its predecessor, coming in at only 120 – 130 ms, depending on the weather conditions and how fast your mobile phone or tablet is. But with a maximum live view bitrate of 12Mbps, you can be sure that your VR experience using the DJI Mavic 2 is going to be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before with a drone.

Camera & Lens

This is where the real comparison starts when you’re looking at the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom. In the end, it completely depends on what your goal is for your Mavic 2. Specs are only as good as the job they have to fulfill.

Mavic 2 Pro

Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom: What’s the Difference?

The Mavic 2 Pro has a camera that was designed in collaboration with Hasselblad, especially for the DJI Mavic 2 series. The result is the powerful L1D-20c camera. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro also comes with a 1-inch CMOS sensor with an active sensing area four times more effective than the original Mavic Pro, which translates into better performance in low-light environments and a much wider ISO range. The maximum ISO for the Mavic 2 Pro is 12800.

Straight from the camera, you can get a much softer, more organic feel to your footage with the Mavic 2 Pro. The footage has a warmer hue to it and gives you an instant cinematic feel without having to work in post on it too much. The dynamic range is great, making it the perfect drone for photography, where getting the bigger picture is your primary goal.

Burst
The Mavic 2 Pro has a burst option of 3/5 frames at intervals between 2s and up to 60s when shooting in JPEG and at intervals between 5s and 60s when shooting RAW.

10-bit Dlog-M
One thing the Mavic 2 Zoom does not have, is the 10-bit Dlog-M. This comes on top of the Mavic 2 Pros ability to shoot full 4K HDR 10-bit videos at an impressive 100Mbps. While shooting in this setting, your footage will look flat and lifeless, but in reality, this will give you much more freedom in post. With the color information scaled way down, you actually retain all of the colors in places that would otherwise have been over- or underexposed, from which you can edit in much more accurate detail thanks to its higher dynamic range. The Mavic 2 Pro also comes with the Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS), Trusted Source HASSELBLAD NATURAL COLOUR SOLUTION (HNCS) The Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution (HNCS) is a colour management system independently developed by Hasselblad. From the initial capture to post-editing. It empowers Hasselblad cameras to render genuine, true-to-life colours with smooth, detailed transitions to restore the world of colours as perceived by the human eye. www.hasselblad.com which assures you actually catch the colors that you’re seeing in real life.

Mavic 2 Zoom

Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom: What’s the Difference?

This drone is all about getting the ultimate dynamic perspective and reaching places that were previously off-limits because it would have put your drone in danger. The Mavic 2 Zoom is armed with a 1/2.3-inch 12-megapixel sensor. It’s able to support shooting at up to four times lossless zoom in 1080p, which was unheard of before the Mavic 2 Zoom came into existence.

Without working on the footage for a second, the Mavic 2 Zoom has a crispness to it that is almost unparalleled, giving a dynamic perspective that is no match for its series rival. The two-times optical zoom allows you to get intimate shots placed without ever having to compromise the safety of your Mavic 2 Zoom. This means it’s a great drone for storytelling, where you’ll want to get as many perspectives as possible to stitch together the images that you have in your mind. Only the Mavic 2 Zoom will give you that parallax effect that would otherwise be near impossible to create with a drone.

Burst
The Mavic 2 Zoom has a burst option of 3/5/7 frames at intervals between 2s and up to 60s when shooting in JPEG and at intervals between 5s and 60s when shooting RAW.

Dolly Zoom
The Mavic 2 Zoom comes with the ability to use Dolly zoom, allowing you to create footage that appears to be changing the laws of nature. This feature does not come with the Mavic 2 Pro and won’t be useful to everyone but it is a feature worth considering because there is nothing the Pro offers against it.

D-Cinelike
Maybe the Mavic 2 Pro has 10-bit Dlog-M, but the Mavic 2 Zoom doesn’t come unarmed in this regard. While the Pro was designed specifically with photographers in mind, the Zoom has been equipped with D-Cinelike, which allows you to quickly and effortlessly access color correction on the spot. It’s able to reserve more color information than a standard color correction mode, allowing for more room to breathe in the post as well.

Video Quality

When comparing the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom, it’s important to understand what your needs are and what you plan on doing with your Mavic. Depending on how much work you intend to put into the post and whether you will rely on close-ups that could put the safety of your Mavic in danger, you’ll want your Mavic to be able to do different things.

Effective Pixels

As expected, the Mavic 2 Zoom has a few fewer effective pixels, coming in at 12 million pixels. Compared to the Mavic 2 Pro, which boasts an impressive 20 million pixels, it may seem like the camera of the Zoom isn’t as powerful. But when it comes to coming in close, the Pro can’t win from the Zoom. In effect, having the Mavic 2 Zoom in the air means you have the power to choose between two cameras; one that gives you the big picture and one that shows you the finer details of how that picture has been made up. All the while without ever having to risk the safety of your Mavic zoom.

Aperture

Mavic 2 Pro:               f/2.8-f/11
Mavic 2 Zoom:           f/2.8-f/3.8 (24mm-48mm)

If there is a place where the difference between the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom becomes clear, it’s aperture.  The Mavic 2 Zoom does not have an adjustable aperture, making the Mavic 2 Pro far superior when you rely on having that freedom. This gives the Mavic 2 Pro a range that isn’t achievable for the Mavic 2 Zoom.

Shooting Range

Mavic 2 Pro:   1m to ∞
Mavic 2 Zoom 0.5m to ∞

The Mavic 2 Pro will never be able to live up to the zoom capabilities of the Mavic 2 Zoom, simply because it was designed to create amazingly sharp footage with a greater range. The Zoom allows you to remain distant from your object and still get a closer image than you’d ever be able to achieve with the Mavic 2 Pro.  Even if you don’t rely on closeups that often, the ability to switch from the bigger picture to up close may be a deciding factor.

Still Image Size

Here as well, the Mavic 2 Pro has the upper hand, with 5472×3648, compared to 4000×3000 for the Mavic 2 Zoom.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs. DJI Mavic 2 Zoom: Similarities

At the end of the day, the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom have a lot of things in common, but most of them are inconsequential for their intended purposes. They both have the same powerful motor, silent blades, flying range, safety, and battery. So, when it comes to flying power, there really isn’t a reason to choose one over the other. If you look at the best DJI drones on the market today, and you’ll notice the variety, there can be when you take the bigger picture into account.

Though slightly different in design, both the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom come in a compact shell, both coming in at a little more than 900 grams, and a foldable design that makes the Mavic 2 series ideal to take on any kind of trip.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro vs. DJI Mavic 2 Zoom: Differences

Mavic 2 Pro vs Zoom: What’s the Difference?

The real choices have to be made when comparing the gimbal cameras of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom. Both the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom have incredibly powerful cameras, each designed to be the best at what they were made to do. While you may not be able to adjust the aperture, for example, on the Mavic 2 Zoom, it does allow you to get footage that would otherwise have been off-limits with the Mavic 2 Pro in order not to put your drone in any danger.

When forgetting the optical zoom of the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom, the biggest difference that potentially has a lot of impact on your footage is the option to adjust the aperture on the Mavic 2 Pro. Especially at sunrise and sunset, the option to adjust the aperture can make or break your shot.

The Mavic 2 Zoom technically gives you two different kinds of cameras in the air at once. You can get a wide range of shots with the use of only one drone. But it will take a little more work to make the footage look as best as it can be in the post. This is where the Mavic 2 Pro outshines Zoom, which gives you great footage straight from the camera while allowing for a broader scale to work with while color grading at the same time.

Mavic 2 Pro Overall Pros

With the Mavic 2 Pro, you’ll get clean footage straight out of the camera. While you have the option to adjust settings while shooting, you could potentially film from the flat profile and still end up with mind-blowingly beautiful footage. The Mavic 2 Pro allows you to adjust the aperture down all the wat to f/11, which is why you don’t necessarily need ND filters to make your work look professional without the risk of ending up with footage that hides that high shutter-speed look. Overall, the Mavic 2 Pro gives a more organic, softer look to your footage, with a slightly more red hue, especially when working from the flat profile.

The Mavic 2 Pro is ideal for anyone who wants the option of not having to mess around in posts too much while still having flawless footage. The Mavic 2 Pro is also the drone that allows for a greater manipulation base if you do want to work extensively on your footage in post. This is a great drone for photographers, as the still image size is far superior, and the range of the camera exceeds some of the capabilities of that of the Mavic 2 Zoom as well. In general, the footage of the Mavic 2 Pro feels and looks more organic, giving it an instant cinematic look. It’s much easier to add sharpness in the post when necessary than to bring the footage back to a more organic look.

Mavic 2 Zoom Overall Pros

The Mavic 2 Zoom gives you the crispiest footage you can imagine getting from a drone. Straight out of the camera, there’s an obvious difference between the Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro. Where the Pro is soft, the Zoom is sharp. There is an overall blue hue to the footage that comes from the Mavic 2 Zoom, which means you’ll probably need to spend a little bit more time in post if you want to bring it back to a more natural feeling

But the biggest draw for the Mavic 2 Zoom is, of course, it’s zoom. Before the Mavic 2 Zoom, you couldn’t imagine getting the kind of cinematic shots that this drone is so effortlessly able to make. The ability to remain distant from the object you’re trying to capture is a luxury you won’t want to give up once you’ve tasted it. In effect, working with a Mavic 2 Zoom feels like working with two amazing cameras at once, without the hassle of actually having to use two drones.

FAQ

Why are the maximum active flying and hovering times different for the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom?

The Mavic 2 series doesn’t just look slick, they truly are aerodynamically designed to be most effective when in forwarding flight. It may seem counter-intuitive, but its rotor system has been optimized primarily to move forward, which is why it also consumes less power at certain forward speeds.

Does the Mavic 2 series support Wi-Fi control?

The only way to control your Mavic is with the remote controller, which connects to your mobile phone.

Is the DJI Mavic 2 series waterproof?

No. Neither the Mavic 2 Pro nor the Mavic 2 Zoom is waterproof. It’s not recommended to fly them in rainy or snowy conditions, as this can cause issues with the drone. The battery of the Mavic 2 series is capable to withstand temperatures between -10°C and 40°C, so be careful in extreme environments. Both extreme heat and cold can have adverse effects on the battery life of your drone or even damage it.

Can I take pictures while filming with the DJI Mavic 2 series?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to take pictures whilst video recording is in process.

Final Thoughts

The differences between the DHJ Mavic 2 Pro and DJI Mavic 2 Zoom are significant enough for every enthusiast to be of importance. Both the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom are wonders of technology and deserve to be praised as the best of their kind. So, what do you want to do with your Mavic? Do you want to get into precarious places while also being able to create a seemingly never-ending depth, creator story with stunning visuals? Or is your focus more on the cinematic shots, and are you relying on lots of space to work wonders in the post? In the fight between the Mavic 2 Pro vs. Zoom, there really isn’t a clear winner. It all depends on your needs and what you make of it yourself. You decide what works best for you.

References

1.
Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom
This section introduces Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom and lists the components of the aircraft and remote controller.
2.
LiPo 4S Battery 101: All About LiPo 4S Batteries
Lithium Polymer (LiPo or Li-Po) rechargeable batteries consisting of 4 cells connected in series are most commonly known as LiPo 4S batteries and are very popular high-discharge batteries used in various remote-controlled (RC) toys, RC trucks, and other RC vehicles, RC planes, in FPV applications and other applications where a lightweight power source is required that is able to provide plenty of power.
3.
Omnidirectional obstacle detection using minimal sensing
An integrated approach to visual obstacle detection for aerial multi-rotor vehicles (drones) is introduced. The approach achieves omnidirectional detection of obstacles via the suitable synergy of hardware and software.
4.
HASSELBLAD NATURAL COLOUR SOLUTION (HNCS)
The Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution (HNCS) is a colour management system independently developed by Hasselblad. From the initial capture to post-editing. It empowers Hasselblad cameras to render genuine, true-to-life colours with smooth, detailed transitions to restore the world of colours as perceived by the human eye.
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