In terms of top speed, the Mavic 2 series is ahead. It is the only variant with a 4-cell battery, thus achieving top speeds of up to 72 km / h. The other models with weaker 3-cell batteries fly at 65 to 68 km / h nevertheless fast enough, for example, to track racing cyclists.
Although the first generation of the drone already has an obstacle detection, this works only when landing or in forward flight. That’s enough for experienced pilots and most applications. However, if you are filming yourself and driving the drone away from you, you run the risk of flying them backwards into trees or houses – corresponding videos can be found hundreds of times on Youtube. For such tasks, the newer models are more suitable because they also have rear-facing optical sensors to prevent collisions. Anyone planning to fly in forests or buildings is best advised with a Mavic-2. This also carries the optical sensors on the sides and an infrared sensor on the top. Collisions are therefore theoretically excluded. In the test flights with the Mavic 2 Zoom, the automatic emergency stop in front of trees, buildings and the pilot has always worked reliably.
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The most important flight data, including distance, altitude or remaining flight time, are displayed to the pilot via app on the smartphone. With the hand transmitters of the Mavic Pro and the Mavic 2 series, this information is also available on a separate LC display. In the event of a picture loss or an empty smartphone, the pilot always has all relevant information at hand. The app also shows the live image of the camera, which is why the drones can be controlled reliably even without direct visual contact. However, according to the German Drones Regulation this is not allowed: Legal are only flights with direct visual contact.
Apropos: The topic is an important differentiator between the different models. The Mavic Air uses a conventional Wi-Fi connection for control. This allows, according to the manufacturer, distances up to two kilometers. In practice, however, it looks different. In numerous forums, pilots complain about disconnections after only a few hundred meters. This is especially the case in inhabited areas with numerous WLANs. These disturb the signal and cause disconnections. Without other wireless networks in the area the problems do not arise.
The Mavic Pro and the Mavic 2 series create significantly longer distances. Instead of a WLAN connection, the dji mavic 2 zoom quadcopter proprietary development OcuSync is used to transmit control signals and live images. It has a theoretical range of up to 7 km, a low latency and transmits short-distance videos in Full HD, moreover, in 720p. Since other frequencies are used, there are also no problems with wireless networks in the vicinity. Experience has shown that the wireless and video connection via OcuSync always works reliably, which is indispensable not least for professional use.