DJI Mavic Air 2 vs UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D Camera Drone Comparison

Spec Comparison of the DJI Mavic Air 2 and the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D

In this article we compare the very different DJI Mavic Air 2 folding arm camera drone and the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D, which is a fixed wing quadcopter with 3D and 4K ready camera gimbal sat under the drone body.

The UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D is half the price of the Mavic Air 2 and was released 1 year prior in spring of 2019 to that of the Mavic Air 2.

Physical Comparison

These are two very different looking camera drones, with the DJI Mavic Air 2 being a folding arm camera drone, better suited to portability and travelling than the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D which has fixed wings and it's it a much bigger volume and less practical in terms of portability.

The UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D has a total volume of 39619cm³ that is 39L in size, which is one of the biggest camera drones on the market. If you imagine a 40L backpack, you should be able to just fit that in.

The DJI Mavic Air 2 on the other hand is tiny in comparison, at 1466cm³ in volume, which is just under 1.5L.

The weight differences are huge as well, with the DJI Mavic Air 2 weighing in at 570 grams compared to the 1350grams of the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D.

Performance Comparison

Given it's size, can the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D keep up with the DJI Mavic Air 2 in terms of performance?

The first feature to look at is the top speed, here the DJI Mavic Air 2 comes out on top, with a max speed of 68kmh which is 18kmh faster than the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D. That camera drone has a top speed of 50kmh.

Ascent speeds are identical at 4m/s with the descent being 2m/s faster on the DJI Mavic Air 2.

The transmission range is also in the favour of the Mavic Air 2, with a total video transmission of 10km, compared to 2km for the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D, thats 5x the distance transmission improvement.

Both camera drones have active tracking but the Mavic Air 2 also has a number of other auto shooting modes and better obstacle avoidance.

Photo and Video Comparison

For the money, the DJI Mavic Air 2 has one of the best cameras on the market, using the 1/2" image sensor, Sony IMX586.

The UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D uses a 1/2.3" sized image sensor which is the standard for camera drones, with the majority using this size.

The DJI Mavic Air 2 can capture 48mp JPEG photos and 12MP raw photos in DNG format.

But the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D is capable of capturing 4K video and 3D imagery, which we know of no other camera drone that can do this. If this is a specific requirement you are looking for in a camera drone, the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D is the one for you.

Both camera drones do 4K with the MA2 capable of 60fps at this video resolution and 1080p at 240fps, compared to the 60fps which the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D can do in 1080p.

So you get more video resolutions and frame rate pairings with the DJI.

You also get HDR video and d-cinelike flat colour profile if you want to get decent auto video or colour grade yourself in post.

Both camera drones use a 3-axis gimbal to smooth out their footage.

Summary

For half the price of the DJI Mavic Air 2, the UpAir 2 Ultrasonic 3D is a phenomenal drone, it's just not as portable as most others on the market which have folding arms, if this is not an issue, you can get hold of it for under $500 and get in to the aerial photography and drone film making hobby.

The DJI Mavic Air 2 does give you a tonne more features, but at a cost of double the price.

If portability is a requirement, you can't go wrong with this drone.