When the DJI Mavic 2 Drone launched last year, it won plaudits for being small and compact, but what really wowed the crowds was that it was the first commercial drone to put a Hasselblad camera into the skies (you can read more about the Mavic 2 ). It can’t get much better than that, you might have thought – but you’d be wrong. There’s now a way to make your Mavic 2 even easier to control.
Compatible with both the Pro and Zoom versions of the Mavic 2, the DJI Smart Controller is the ultimate peripheral for your drone. At its heart, it does what you’d expect it to – it enables you to direct your drone using the controller’s 5.5in touchscreen. But this isn’t just any controller – a fact you’ll realise the moment you switch it on. About twice as bright as the screen on a smart device, it does an impressive job of showing you what’s going on, even if you’re using it in direct sunlight. Bright, clear images at a ratio of 1000cd/m2 will blow you away.
However, as you’d expect for the price, the Smart Controller is capable of much more than this. It can act as a handy hub for all your video footage. You can play back a video on the Smart Controller or transfer it to your smart device using the new Go Share function on the DJI GO 4 app. Although the screen itself is only 1080p, the Smart Controller can play videos through the HDMI port at 4K 60fps.
DJI’s Smart Controller can also edit video footage and even live stream your drone’s view to your social media accounts. There’s also a mic and a speaker on board so you can easily add audio to your videos, then play them back through the HDMI port at 4K using the H.264 and H.265 codecs.
Multi-talented
The controller can switch automatically between 2.4Ghz and 5.8Ghz, helping to reduce interference so you can continue to control your drone in challenging environmental conditions and still receive perfect images. This also means you’re able to continue communicating with your drone, even if it’s as far away as 8km.
Take-off is easier and more convenient than it has ever been. As soon as you switch it on, the Smart Controller connects instantly to your drone, speeding up take-off so you can get where you need to be quicker than ever.
It won’t let you down in extreme weather conditions, either. Working in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 40°C, it’ll cope just as well with frozen landscapes in Iceland as it will with sweltering townships in India. No matter what conditions you’re working in, there is no impact on your ability to control your drone, even while it streams back HD images of its current location.
Make your flight live
SkyTalk is the other big innovation. It’s thanks to this that you can live-stream the view from your drone directly to social media accounts such as Facebook and Instagram, instantly sharing them for all the world to see. It also enables you to edit your videos so you can easily create short films from your flight.
Features like this inevitably put a drain on the battery life but DJI says its 5,000mAh battery should last up to 2.5 hours – more than enough to catch your latest sky-high manoeuvres. Even if the battery does fail, it can be charged in double-quick time thanks to support for super-speedy, smart recharging.
This is a solid piece of kit that feels right in the hands. With its detachable control sticks, it takes up only minimal space when you’re out and about. Combined with all the other features, the Smart Controller makes the perfect partner for a Mavic 2. That super-bright screen gives you a much clearer view of what’s going on than your traditional smart device ever could, and makes flying more focused. It’s about as smart as they come and, even if you don’t think you need one, just wait until you hold it in your hands and you’ll soon change your mind.
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