More details on rumored Sony image sensor for DJI Mavic Pro II (2)

This morning we woke up to snow here in New York and to new rumored details of the 1/1.7″ image sensor for the DJI Mavic Pro II (2). According to OsitaLV, the information comes from beta-testers of the foldable drone and confirms the information from last week.

Better low-light performance, improved dynamic range and less noise

This morning, OsitaLV tweeted that beta testers of the DJI Mavic Pro II (2) informed him that the new foldable drone from DJI will have:

• obstacle avoidance in 6 directions,
• a camera with 24mm field-of-view in the 35mm format,
• a variable aperture of f/2.8-11,
• using the 12-MegaPixel Sony IMX226 CMOS 1/1.7″ sensor that will allow for 10-bit, 4K video recording at a maximum of 60 fps,
• the release date is unknown.

Gathered those info from beta testers, here it come!
Release date: UNKNOWN pic.twitter.com/XhuTY2dL2q

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) April 2, 2018

Improvements over the current Mavic Pro

Image quality

If the rumored specs turn out to be true, the new DJI Mavic Pro II (2) will feature greatly improved image quality both for stills as well as video footage. The new 12-MP Sony IMX226 CMOS 1/1.7″ sensor is larger than the outgoing Sony IMX377 CMOS 1/2.3″ sensor, that we believe is the sensor in the current Mavic Pro. The new sensor has a larger unit cell size, 1.85 µm (H) × 1.85 µm (V) instead of 1.55 µm (H) × 1.55 µm (V). Larger cells mean improved low light performance, better dynamic range, as well as less noise. In his drawing, OsitaLV also mentions STARVIS, which is Sony’s back-illuminated pixel technology used in Sony CMOS image sensors to improve low light performance. Interestingly, the use of this sensor was first speculated on this forum.

Variable aperture – f/2.8-11

The new DJI Mavic Pro II (2) is rumored to have a variable aperture from f/2.8-11. This represents a significant improvement for video shooters over the outgoing Mavic Pro, which is outfitted with a fixed f/2.2 aperture. Where the current Mavic Pro only has the ability to change the shutter speed and ISO to compensate for changing lighting conditions, the new Mavic Pro II (2) will have a variable aperture, i.e. allowing you to keep your shutter speed fixed for more cinematic looking footage and only change the aperture or ISO to compensate for changes in light.

Obstacle avoidance

The current DJI Mavic Pro has obstacle avoidance in only two directions: forward and downward. If the rumors are true the successor will have obstacle avoidance in all 6 directions. This would also represent a significant improvement over the current model.

Design of the new DJI Mavic Pro II (2)

What is interesting in OstiaLV’s drawings is that the design of the drone itself seems to exactly match the design of the current DJI Mavic Pro. I find it hard to believe that the new DJI Mavic Pro II (2) would have the same design as the outgoing model with the vulnerable camera/gimbal setup. When you look at how much the design of the Mavic Air has been improved over the design of the Mavic Pro and Spark, it would be hard to imagine that DJI will not improve the design of the new Mavic Pro II (2). The fact that OsitaLV keeps sketching the same drone in his drawings, seems to indicate that he has not actually seen the new DJI Mavic Pro II (2) yet.

Release date unknown

In earlier rumors, OsitaLV informed us that the new DJI Mavic Pro II (2) would be released late in March, which obviously didn’t happen. Then he mentioned that the release of the foldable drone might be later this spring and in his tweet today he states, ‘release date unknown.’  Let’s hope that this doesn’t mean the introduction of the eagerly awaited drone from DJI will be delayed.

Updated RUMORED SPECS OF THE MAVIC PRO II (2)

• The official name will be Mavic Pro II instead of Mavic Pro 2
• It will be substantially larger than the current Mavic Pro
• 8.8mm lens (equivalent to a 24mm field-of-view in the 35mm world)
• Camera/gimbal combination will be the FC6510, which is the Zenmuse X4S (link 1 and link 2) – No longer true as the X4S has a 1-inch sensor.
• 4820 mAh battery capacity and 15.2 V power (compared with 3830 mAh and 11.4 V for the current Mavic Pro).
• Different battery design than the current Mavic Pro
• Upgraded propulsion with larger motors (slightly smaller than current Phantom 4)
• 32-minute flight time. Maybe longer (current Mavic Pro has 27-minute and Platinum 30-minute flight time).
• It will have ‘quiet’ propellers
• Top speed is 72 kph (45 mph) in sport mode (2/24)
• 12 MP Sony IMX226 CMOS 1/1.7″ STARVIS sensor (current Mavic Pro has 1/2.3” CMOS sensor) with 28mm (now 24mm) lens.
• No mechanical shutter
• Variable iris/aperture f/2.8-f/11
• Newly designed 3-axis gimbal
• Obstacle avoidance in all directions
• Infrared 3D sensing to avoid obstacles even in the dark
• It will have an improved vision processing system, faster than Mavic Air
• Binocular rear vision obstacle avoidance sensors.
• The same design of remote control as old Mavic Pro but drastically improved
• Will use OcuSync.
• Video transmission frequency is unknown.
• Improved agility and precision.
• Expected to outperform current Phantom 4 Pro.
• Beta testing of the Mavic Pro II ended late January.
• Mass production has started already (early Feb) and will not be impacted by Chines New Year.
• Launch date possibly March 22nd but could be later. Update: launch date likely to be in June
• The Mavic Pro 2 will be controlled with the DJI GO 4 app just like the current Mavic Pro.
• Expected price point: $1299 USD or more. The FlyMore combo will be more expensive. It will be very expensive!!

Second, 3rd-gen prototype has obstacle avoidance in every direction and it has a silver gray shell, a little bit darker than Mavic Pro Platinum. I didn't see the true thing, just let you know. Be prepared!

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) March 29, 2018

So this is what I know. pic.twitter.com/LNrG5kC9TB

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) March 27, 2018

As far as believing OsitaLV. Keep the following in mind, OsitaLV is not a leaker according to his own words AND he likes to play games. At the same time though, he seems very well connected to DJI or DJI employees. My advice is, take it all with a grain of salt as we warned you in early February. However, at the same time, we do think that he knows more than he has led many people to believe.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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