Evo 2 vs Air 2s

[ORANGE CRUSH]

Can anyone that owns both drones give me a comparison on which one they prefer? I'm just a hobby flyer that will take pictures & video but not for professional purposes. The cost of batteries for the Evo are holding me back, the available accessories & battery cost for the Air 2s are favorable. Geo fencing won't affect my flying areas. Any input from owners of both would be helpful, thanks

 

[OldBlueHeron]

As much as I hate to say it, if your just a hobby flyer; then I would buy the Air 2S. I own both, but I’m a drone hoarder. If the geofencing isn’t an issue then the DJI is the superior drone. Better flight controls, cheaper overall ownership, and just all around better performance. The cameras are mostly a wash with different color sciences between the two.

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

You don't have to hate to say it, I owned several x-stars & have been thrown under the bus, but with that said, i appreciate your honesty & input. I've been doing some research, but not a lot of comparisons being talked about. I know they are 2 different birds, but for my needs, your input is very helpful, thanks

 

[OldBlueHeron]

Welcome. I love the big orange bus, and I fly it a lot but the Air 2S is the better overall bird.

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

Thank you for your input sir.

 

[mshmovie]

How about the benefit of longer VLOS with the EVO Pro II? Wouldn't it be easier to see at distance being substantially larger?

I have an Air 2S (and plenty more) and it's a wonderful drone and definitely what I will travel domestically with; taking my Mavic 2 Pro with five batteries to Arizona was a PITA.

However, I ordered the Autel Evo II Pro Rugged for the benefit of being able to see it at distance (and I'm a drone hoarder too).

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

How about the benefit of longer VLOS with the EVO Pro II? Wouldn't it be easier to see at distance being substantially larger?

I have an Air 2S (and plenty more) and it's a wonderful drone and definitely what I will travel domestically with; taking my Mavic 2 Pro with five batteries to Arizona was a PITA.

However, I ordered the Autel Evo II Pro Rugged for the benefit of being able to see it at distance (and I'm a drone hoarder too).

I like the way you think but for many of us, the size of the drone gets to be irrelevant after a certain distance which we all run up against pretty quickly. . meaning, I can see all of my drones when they flight, right up to a certain [long] distance and then they all seem to disappear. I have to admit when I'm looking at evo 2 in the great distance, doesn't quite look orange to me.

but I agree if I had a choice between the two, the evo 2 pro ftw. I have the air 2 and it's cool but I'm not in love with it, not my go to drone. do you think if I traded up for air 2s I would like it more than air 2? I do like the warnings from nearby low flying aircraft and the dji smart controller but autel is getting theirs soon.

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

Thanks for your input, this is all helping a lot.

 

[mshmovie]

I like the way you think but for many of us, the size of the drone gets to be irrelevant after a certain distance which we all run up against pretty quickly. . meaning, I can see all of my drones when they flight, right up to a certain [long] distance and then they all seem to disappear. I have to admit when I'm looking at evo 2 in the great distance, doesn't quite look orange to me.

but I agree if I had a choice between the two, the evo 2 pro ftw. I have the air 2 and it's cool but I'm not in love with it, not my go to drone. do you think if I traded up for air 2s I would like it more than air 2? I do like the warnings from nearby low flying aircraft and the dji smart controller but autel is getting theirs soon.

I never owned or flew the Mavic Air 2, just the DJI Air 2S; I don't have a frame of reference.

The 2S' camera is comparable to the M2P without variable aperture but beating it with 5.4k video and (I think) composite shots (48mp) the M2P lacks - also adds Master Shots. I do like it a lot.

It flys nicely and would be able to use your air 2 batteries.

You should ask on mavicpilots, you'll definitely find people that own both their and will provide honest feedback.

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

What about the noise produced between the air 2s vs evo 2? I fly a lot in my neighborhood & the mountains & want to keep as low of a footprint as possible.

 

[mshmovie]

What about the noise produced between the air 2s vs evo 2? I fly a lot in my neighborhood & the mountains & want to keep as low of a footprint as possible.

Hopefully others here will answer. My Evo 2 Pro should arrive on Sunday, albeit with the stock props. There are Autel Evo 2 low noise props that may be the better comparison.

I'll offer my POV once I get mine and fly them (A2S and AE2Pro) back to back.

 

[Eagle928]

Just got the Air 2S today and after the wind died down a bit I took it for a flight in D-LOG. I prefer to shoot in 4k 30p generally unless I need to really slow down something. I even used the Autel 709 LUT and it came out very comparable to the E2P.

I think the E2P is the better drone for many reasons but the A2S is more portable. The E2P is still a pro level camera drone and the A2S is a very good hobbyist drone. I like the controls on DJI drones better than the Evo 2's but the Evo 2 controls can be adjusted up to a point. The DJI is just easier.

If someone were to ask me which one of the two to get I'd say get the A2S unless the E2P was on sale like was last week.

The A2S has one serious drawback; battery life. It's only good for about 16-19 minutes whereas the E2 battery is good for 32-35 minutes where I am in elevation. So yes, the batteries are cheaper for the A2S but it takes 3-4 to equal 2 of the E2 batteries for flight time so cost wise it's a wash.

The A2S has some very good internal denoising processing going before or as it gets written to the SD card. That comes at an energy cost hence the shorter flight time.

Attached is a frame shot with the A2S and the Autel rec709 LUT with no additional editing.

 

[JohnOfDrones]

Can anyone that owns both drones give me a comparison on which one they prefer? I'm just a hobby flyer that will take pictures & video but not for professional purposes. The cost of batteries for the Evo are holding me back, the available accessories & battery cost for the Air 2s are favorable. Geo fencing won't affect my flying areas. Any input from owners of both would be helpful, thanks

I have the EVO II and MA2, which has similar flight characteristics to A2S.
I love the features as well as the aftermarket and 3rd party support of DJI drones in general. A2S is certainly benefitting on both those fronts. If experience is any indicator DJI will keep upgrading and adding new and amazing firmware features to A2S, for the next two fiscal quarters at least, in steady increments that will keep drone enthusiasts buzzing until they will then introduce 'THE NEXT DRONE!!!'
Autel EVO II on the other hand is an airframe with THE MOST ADVANCE OPTICAL AVOIDANCE SYSTEM ON THE MARKET (full stop) that will you probably be flying for years to come and can add new and better gimbals to as your skills and aspirations about drones and SUAV's in general expands.
In short, the DJI Air 2S is the drone of the season, Autel EVO II is the drone of a lifetime!

 

[mshmovie]

Can anyone that owns both drones give me a comparison on which one they prefer? I'm just a hobby flyer that will take pictures & video but not for professional purposes. The cost of batteries for the Evo are holding me back, the available accessories & battery cost for the Air 2s are favorable. Geo fencing won't affect my flying areas. Any input from owners of both would be helpful, thanks

There's a post on mavicpilots that is in the sweet spot of what you're looking for: Mavic 3 - Will You Upgrade?

 

[aebiv]

I don’t have the Air 2S, but I do have the Air 2 and the E2P.

The Air is easier to haul around being smaller, it flies great for a DJI, sensors do a decent job, tracking works alright, and has the slick automated modes for shots. I enjoy it, and wouldn’t get rid of it.

That said, the E2P I trust more in wind, is built better (the design of the way the arms attach and etc), has a superior camera, way better remote, and has object tracking that rivals the Skydio in a lot of ways.

Which would I pick for just screwing around?
Probably the Air. But largely just due to its size.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

Hopefully others here will answer. My Evo 2 Pro should arrive on Sunday, albeit with the stock props. There are Autel Evo 2 low noise props that may be the better comparison.

I'll offer my POV once I get mine and fly them (A2S and AE2Pro) back to back.

if you are just now getting your e2p, I find it hard to believe that you won't have the low noise props. it's been awhile since the change over and e2p comes with low noise props as stock. I know this is the case for bhp inventory.

 

[Eagle928]

I have the EVO II and MA2, which has similar flight characteristics to A2S.
I love the features as well as the aftermarket and 3rd party support of DJI drones in general. A2S is certainly benefitting on both those fronts. If experience is any indicator DJI will keep upgrading and adding new and amazing firmware features to A2S, for the next two fiscal quarters at least, in steady increments that will keep drone enthusiasts buzzing until they will then introduce 'THE NEXT DRONE!!!'
Autel EVO II on the other hand is an airframe with THE MOST ADVANCE OPTICAL AVOIDANCE SYSTEM ON THE MARKET (full stop) that will you probably be flying for years to come and can add new and better gimbals to as your skills and aspirations about drones and SUAV's in general expands.
In short, the DJI Air 2S is the drone of the season, Autel EVO II is the drone of a lifetime!

Well said! For the best video quality I reach for the E2P. For complex photos the E2P wins again.

It should be very interesting to see the specs and design for the Mavic 3 Pro when it comes out this summer. It will still be geofenced which is another reason to reach for the E2P.

I mean seriously; is there any real reason to go beyond 6K res in a prosumer class drone? Some people say a variable aperture isn't needed on a drone. Then why is it so important on the Phantom's and for pro photographers?

 

[mshmovie]

if you are just now getting your e2p, I find it hard to believe that you won't have the low noise props. it's been awhile since the change over and e2p comes with low noise props as stock. I know this is the case for bhp inventory.

I will know for sure about the props tomorrow. You're likely correct.

 

[mshmovie]

Well said! For the best video quality I reach for the E2P. For complex photos the E2P wins again.

It should be very interesting to see the specs and design for the Mavic 3 Pro when it comes out this summer. It will still be geofenced which is another reason to reach for the E2P.

I mean seriously; is there any real reason to go beyond 6K res in a prosumer class drone? Some people say a variable aperture isn't needed on a drone. Then why is it so important on the Phantom's and for pro photographers?

I like being able to stop down the aperture to get depth of field with subject matter in the foreground and background being in focus. Filters, shutter speed and ISO are not the same. But for practical use, the Air 2S does a good job. But I can tweak my M2P to get just what I want (and expect the same from my E2P when it arrives tomorrow).

 

[Quad808]

@OldBlueHeron @mshmovie
Here I thought I was the only drone hoarder.....!!!
You all don't want to know how many drones I have.

Just to add my 2 cents. No I don't have the Air2s, or the Air2. Why?
1. The Air2 and Air2S are LOUD compared to the E2Pro. Higher rpm motors, smaller props = noise. I also fly around my neighborhood, and sometimes at the beach (of course not over people) but keeping a low profile and not "bugging" people is a top priority for me.
2. Geofencing. You may not think this is a big deal....but think about this...you go on vacation and take both drones. One you may be able to fly (E2P) and one may be limited due to DJI geofencing. However....the E2P is bigger and heaver to take on a trip.

I have a solution for you. And it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the Air2S. The DJI Mini 2. Its small. It's under 250g. The video is beautiful and loaded with features for such a small drone. Its quiet. Its fast. It uses the same controller as the Air2S. It flies great, even in high winds due to the power to weight ratio. Its half the price of the Air2S. BUT...it does have DJI geofencing, which you can't turn off. Well...you can, but...well....you need to go through DJI to do so....but...that discussion won't happen here. (permanent unlock)

The rumor is, is that Autel is working on a "mini 2" type drone, under 250g. If it is as good as the Mini 2, people will buy it like hot cakes.
DJI makes the best drones overall, but none can compete head to head STILL with the E2Pro as far as camera's go. (DJI wins hands down on flight characteristics, smooth flight)
To put it bluntly....if DJI didn't steal your data and geofencing was not enforced, but just gave you warnings....I am not sure other drone makers would survive.

​