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Megapixels vs. Sensor Size: Can the Mavic Air 2 Beat the Phantom 4 Pro?
I got ahold of a Mavic Air 2, and I just had to know how its higher resolution images compared to the 20 megapixel Phantom 4 Pro and its 13.2 x 8.8mm sensor. If the sensor sizes were the same, I would expect the sensor with more pixels to be the winner. But how do they compare when the higher resolution photos are from a much smaller sensor (6.4 x 4.8mm)? Let’s take a look.
See Also: DJI Drone Sensor Size Comparison Page
See Also: DJI Air 2S Review: Has DJI Finally Created a Superior Successor to the Phantom 4 Pro??
See Also: DJI Mavic 3 vs. DJI Air 2S - Image Quality Tests, Comparison and Review
See Also: Pelican 1400 Protector Case - A Customizable Waterproof Case for DJI Mavic Series Drones
( This page contains links to products, so if you find this site useful and use a link to make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks!)
When DJI announced the Mavic Air 2, I was a bit surprised at its max photo resolution of 8000x6000. Why, that’s 48 megapixels from a 6.4 x 4.8mm sensor! Considering all their more expensive drones with larger sensors produce images around 20 megapixels, what is going on with the camera on this new little drone?
I have had a Phantom 4 Pro for a few years, and they haven’t really released a sub-$2,000 drone with a better camera (as of July 2020). The Mavic 2 Pro is the closest to the Phantom 4 Pro with the same sensor size and photo resolution (though it is 28mm instead of the Phantom 4 Pro’s 24mm), but the Phantom 4 Pro from November 2016 still has better video specs than the Mavic 2 Pro.
2021 Update: DJI has now released the DJI Air 2S (also known as the Mavic Air 2S) which is a MUCH better drone than the Mavic Air 2. See my other article that tests the image quality of the DJI Air 2S vs. the Phantom 4 Pro.
I got ahold of a Mavic Air 2, and I just had to know how its higher resolution images compared to the 20 megapixel Phantom 4 Pro and its 13.2 x 8.8mm sensor. If the sensor sizes were the same, I would expect the sensor with more pixels to be the winner. But how do they compare when the higher resolution photos are from a much smaller sensor? Let’s take a look.
For the first shot, I took both drones to a lake:
The first thing I noticed is the Mavic Air 2’s max resolution is a 4x3 ratio (like a smartphone), whereas the more expensive drones (and most professional cameras) have a 3x2 ratio.
Both images seem great overall, so let’s take a closer look. For the first crop, I zoomed way in to the house on the little pointe in the upper left corner of the main shot:
The first thing I notice when comparing these two crops is that the Phantom 4 Pro seems to produce a much “cleaner” image with less random noise overall. The Mavic Air 2’s noise has the effect of making the image look like it was painted onto a rough texture when we are zoomed in extremely far. The Phantom 4 Pro (P4P) handles the trees with more sharpness and clarity, and produces less noise on the water. The brown house looks sharper and cleaner on the P4P with a sharper, cleaner, more defined shape.
One area I might give a win to the Mavic Air 2 (MA2) would be the shape of the boats to the right of the house. The MA2 picked up the shape of the boats better than the P4P, though there is a bit of noticeable color fringing.
The next crop is the closer house in the middle of the main images:
Again we can see the P4P produces a cleaner image overall. The window lines are more clearly defined and less noisy, the trees are more natural looking and defined, and the shingles on the roof look more natural and defined.
It is interesting to look at the MA2’s effect on the roof shingles at this extreme level of zoom… it’s almost as if the roof shingles have completely changed into an entirely different pattern.
That’s not to say the MA2 lost in every way… I think it did a better job of defining the curved line where the grass meets the cement, and a nicer job with the curved steps on the back patio area. I also think the MA2 did a better job defining the patio furniture in the upper left corner of this crop, and some of the roof lines seem sharper and more defined.
The last crop at the lake will be the boat, lift, and dock to the left of the houses in the middle of the main images:
In the above cropped images the P4P handles the tree leaves much better on the right. The MA2 turns the leaves into odd shapes that almost look like a painting. The P4P also did a better job with the water, as you can see the waves & ripples more clearly defined with less noise. The P4P also has less color fringing on the bright areas like the dock and raft.
The MA2 managed to define the shape of the blue boat lift canopy by the dock better, albeit with more noise than the P4P.
For the next setting I went to a park located north of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and took a shot facing south towards the city. Below are the main shots, which seem similar in quality and would be fine to use in most professional projects:
The first crop will be the big building to the right of the river:
The P4P handles the windows and lines on the buildings in this crop much better, with less noise and a more defined & natural look. The buildings and trees in the background are cleaner, sharper, and more defined. The supports under the nearest bridge are also clearer and sharper. Nothing in this crop jumped out at me as looking better on the MA2.
The next crop we can meticulously analyze will be the buildings in the distance to the left of the river:
I will have to give the win to the Phantom 4 Pro! Cleaner, sharper, more defined, more natural looking.
The MA2 does seem to have more sharpness and definition in the construction crane on top of the building though.
The last crop of the city photos will be some of the closer buildings to the left of the river:
In the above crops it seems like the MA2 again pulls a little more definition in the construction cranes. In this image I found it a little tougher to declare a winner, but the P4P does do a better job with the lines and windows on buildings. The P4P also better defines the tree line and buildings in the background near the upper right corner.
For the final photo location, I took the Phantom 4 Pro and the Mavic Air 2 to a golf course on a hot, hazy summer morning:
The first crop will show the area directly in front of the clubhouse:
In the above crop, the MA2 seems to pull more definition if you look at the roofs on the golf carts. But if you look at the shadow of the big tree in the upper left corner, there is a lot more noise in the MA2 image. Also, the P4P continues to handle the appearance of tree leaves much better (especially the tree on the right).
Next, we’ll zoom in to the shed by the little pond:
If you look at the door on the shed and the shingles on the roof, the P4P shows less noise and more definition, contributing to a more natural look. The water is less noisy on the P4P photo, and… this is the last time I will need to say it… but the leaves and grass on the P4P are more defined.
In the last comparison crop, we’ll take a look at the cars in the parking lot. This was a useful crop because it shows a big difference between the two cameras:
Look at all the sun glares on the cars in the MA2’s photo, and you will see… rampant purple! Look at the same glares in the P4P images, and you see the purple fringing is much more controlled. Wherever you have high contrast bright spots, you will often see purple fringing on the MA2.
I cranked the purple defringe amount to 7 under Adobe Lightroom’s manual lens correction panel, and here is the result:
Lightroom was able to correct the purple fringing for the most part, so that’s good that it’s a fairly easy fix.
Conclusion
I wanted to answer the question, “Are megapixels more important than sensor size?” I think we can answer that question with a “probably not.” In this case, the larger sensor on a 2016 Phantom 4 Pro was able to produce generally better images than a smaller sensor from 2020, even though the smaller Mavic Air 2 produces images with more than twice as many pixels. The P4P’s images were cleaner and handled trees, water, and buildings with more clarity & detail.
(I use the phrase “probably not” because the Mavic Air 2 from 2020 would beat a 6 megapixel APS-C camera sensor from 2006, but that’s obviously an extreme comparison)
That being said, whether you use a Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic 2 Pro, or Mavic Air 2, you have a more than capable drone that can capture quality photos & video for a variety of projects in a variety of environments. It will be hard to tell the difference between an image produced on a Mavic Air 2 and a Phantom 4 Pro (other than the aspect ratio) when you’re looking at the entire image. Whether you’re shooting aerial photos for real estate, landscape photography, or for fun, any of these drones are great options! So here are some additional thoughts I have on the Mavic Air 2 that may help you decide if it’s right for you.
Mavic Air 2 Pros
Super compact, easily fits in a camera bag or carry-on bag
Propellers fold in for transportation without detaching them
Relatively quiet and unobtrusive (especially compared with a Phantom 4 Pro)
Costs half as much as a Phantom 4 Pro or Mavic 2 Pro
Super simple remote app for beginners
Produces great images for most purposes
Only with extreme cropping & zooming will you notice a benefit with the larger, more expensive drones
Mavic Air 2 Cons
Bigger & more expensive drones produce moderately better images that may be helpful for larger prints
I feel like it is more likely to be attacked by or accidentally collide with birds than a larger, louder drone (fortunately I haven’t personally confirmed this)
Remote app and camera options might feel too limited and minimal for professionals (you have to use “DJI Fly,” not the “DJI Go” app)
If you want burst shooting or Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB), you have to shoot at 12 megapixels, not 48
2021 Update: DJI has now released the DJI Air 2S (also known as the Mavic Air 2S) which is a MUCH better drone than the Mavic Air 2. See my other article that tests the image quality of the DJI Air 2S vs. the Phantom 4 Pro.
Hopefully this article has been helpful. If you want to support more articles like this, feel free to use any link on this page if you make a purchase. Thanks!
Side Note: This test is also relevant when considering how modern day smartphones are starting to have huge megapixel numbers that are higher than the megapixel numbers of large full-frame cameras. Does that mean that smartphones are as good as full-frame cameras?? The answer is “probably not,” because full frame cameras have much larger sensors.
Products Mentioned in this Article on Amazon
DJI Drone Sensor Size Comparison Page
There are many drones & cameras available from DJI with minor or major differences in sensor size, photo resolution, video resolution, and video format. I thought it would be handy to have a page with specifications and significant differences laid out clearly in order to make comparison easy.
See also: DJI Product History Timeline
See also: Megapixels vs. Sensor Size: Can the Mavic Air 2 Beat the Phantom 4 Pro?
See also: DJI Air 2S Review: Has DJI Finally Created a Superior Successor to the Phantom 4 Pro??
There are many drones & cameras available from DJI with differences in sensor size, photo resolution, focal length, video resolution, and video format. I thought it would be convenient to have a single page with a visual sensor size reference and key camera specifications laid out clearly in order to make camera comparison easy. Did you know that in December 2018 there were five different variations of the Mavic being sold, with two different sensor sizes? =)
I will try to keep this page updated as new products come out.
For more info you can click on the product name and it will take you to DJI’s website.
**Note about camera sensor sizes: I am listing approximate physical sensor sizes in millimeters based on my own calculations and research to make them easier to compare. Actual dimensions may vary slightly.
The main reason I created this page is due to the different ways DJI lists the sesnor sizes in the specs pages, making it difficult to easily compare cameras. For example, DJI’s website lists the sensor size of the Zenmuse X7 in millimeters (23.5 × 15.7 mm) based on the real physical dimensions, but lists the Phantom 4 Pro’s sensor size as a 1” sensor, though it’s real diagonal measurement is probably more like 0.6 inches. By listing all the sensor sizes the same way it should be easier to visualize the difference. For more information on sensor format sizes, check out this table.
If you find this page helpful, most current products on this page have product links, and I'll get a small commission if a purchase is made through one of the links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The information provided here is for convenience only and should be confirmed on DJI’s website before making a purchase. Thanks, and enjoy!
- DJI FPV Series -
- Mavic Series -
Mini 3 Pro
(Mini 3 Pro on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 9.7 x 7.3mm
Max Photo Resolution: 8064×6048 (48 MP Mode) or 4032×3024 (12 MP)
Max Video Resolution: 3840×2160 @ 60fps
Camera Rotates to Vertical/Portrait Orientation: YES
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24mm
Aperture: f/1.7 (fixed)
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264, h.265
Mavic 3
(Mavic 3 on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 17.3 x 13mm
Max Photo Resolution: 5280 × 3956
Max Video Resolution: 5120 × 2700 @ 50fps / 4096 × 2160 @ 120fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24mm
Aperture: f/2.8 - f/11
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264, h.265, Apple ProRes 422 HQ (Apple ProRes is Mavic 3 Cine Only)
Mavic 3 Upper Telephoto Camera
Sensor Size: 6.4 x 4.8mm
Max Photo Resolution: 4000 × 3000
Max Video Resolution: 3840 × 2160 @ 50fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 162mm
Aperture: f/4.4 (fixed)
Photo Format: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264, h.265
**(Note: DJI released a firmware update in May of 2022 that added multiple features to the telephoto camera, including RAW shooting and video fps options. If the firmware is not updated you won’t see the RAW shooting option or a number of other features.)
DJI Air 2S
(DJI Air 2S on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 13.2 x 8.8mm
Max Photo Resolution: 5472 × 3648
Max Video Resolution: 5472 × 3078 @ 30fps / 3840 × 2160 @ 60fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 22mm
Aperture: f/2.8 (fixed)
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264, h.265
DJI Mini 2
(DJI Mini 2 on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 6.3 x 4.7mm
Max Photo Resolution: 4000 × 3000
Max Video Resolution: 3840 × 2160 @ 30fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24mm
Aperture: f/2.8 (fixed)
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264
Mavic Air 2
(Mavic Air 2 on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 6.4 x 4.8mm
Max Photo Resolution: 8000 × 6000 (sort of… see this)
Max Video Resolution: 3840 × 2160 @ 60fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24mm
Aperture: f/2.8 (fixed)
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264, H.265
Mavic Mini
(Mavic Mini on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 6.3 x 4.7mm
Max Photo Resolution: 4000 × 3000
Max Video Resolution: 2720 × 1530 @ 30fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24mm
Aperture: f/2.8 (fixed)
Photo Formats: JPEG
Video Formats: h.264
Mavic 2 Pro
(Mavic 2 Pro on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 13.2 x 8.8mm
Max Photo Resolution: 5472 × 3648
Max Video Resolution: 3840 × 2160 @ 30fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 28mm
Aperture: f/2.8 - f/11 (adjustable)
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264, h.265
Mavic 2 Zoom
(Mavic 2 Zoom on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 6.3 x 4.7mm
Max Photo Resolution: 4000 × 3000
Max Video Resolution: 3840 × 2160 @ 30fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24-48mm Zoom
Aperture: f/2.8 - 3.8 (non-adjustable, changes with focal length)
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264
Mavic Pro / Mavic Pro Platinum
Sensor Size: 6.3 x 4.7mm
Max Photo Resolution: 4000 × 3000
Max Video Resolution: 4096 × 2160 @ 24fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 26mm
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264
- Phantom Series -
Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 Pro v2.0, & Phantom 4 Advanced
Sensor Size: 13.2 x 8.8mm
Max Photo Resolution: 5472 × 3648
Max Video Resolution: 4096 × 2160 @ 60fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24mm
Aperture: f/2.8 - f/11 (adjustable)
Photo Formats: JPEG, DNG (RAW), JPEG + DNG
Video Formats: h.264, h.265
Phantom 3 SE
Sensor Size: 6.3 x 4.7mm
Max Photo Resolution: 4000 x 3000
Max Video Resolution: 4096 x 2160 @ 24/25fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 20mm
Photo Formats: JPEG or DNG (RAW)
Video Formats: h.264
Zenmuse X7 (Inspire 2)
(Zenmuse X7 on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 23.5 × 15.7 mm
Max Photo Resolution: 6016 × 4008
Max Video Resolution: 6016×3200 @ 30fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24mm, 36mm, 52mm, or 75mm via the 16mm / 24mm / 35mm / 50mm DJI Lenses (There is a crop factor of 1.5)
Photo Formats: JPEG, DNG (RAW), JPEG + DNG
Video Formats: CinemaDNG, ProRes RAW, ProRes RAW HQ, ProRes, h.264, h.265
Zenmuse X5S (Inspire 2)
(Zenmuse X5S on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 17.3 x 13 mm
Max Photo Resolution: 5280 × 3956
Max Video Resolution: 4096×2160 @ 59.94fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): Can take a variety of MFT lenses. Default lens is a DJI 15mm, and with a crop factor of 2, makes it 30mm
Photo Formats: JPEG, DNG (RAW), JPEG + DNG
Video Formats: CinemaDNG, ProRes, h.264, h.265
Zenmuse X4S (Inspire 2)
Sensor Size: 13.2 x 8.8mm
Max Photo Resolution: 5472 × 3648
Max Video Resolution: 4096×2160 @ 59.94fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): 24mm
Photo Formats: JPEG, DNG (RAW), JPEG + DNG
Video Formats: h.264, h.265
Zenmuse X5R (Inspire 1)
(Zenmuse X5R on Amazon)
Sensor Size: 17.3 x 13 mm
Max Photo Resolution: 4608 x 3456
Max Video Resolution: 4096 x 2160 @ 23.98fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): Can take a variety of MFT lenses. Default lens is a DJI 15mm, and with a crop factor of 2, makes it 30mm
Photo Formats: JPEG, DNG (RAW), JPEG + DNG
Video Formats: CinemaDNG, h.264
Zenmuse X5 (Inspire 1)
Sensor Size: 17.3 x 13 mm
Max Photo Resolution: 4608 x 3456
Max Video Resolution: 4096x2160 @ 23.98fps
Lens Focal Length (35mm Equivalent): Can take a variety of MFT lenses. Default lens is a DJI 15mm, and with a crop factor of 2, makes it 30mm
Photo Formats: JPEG, DNG (RAW), JPEG + DNG
Video Formats: h.264