End of Life - The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Series has been replaced by the DJI Mavic 3 and DJI Air 2S.
A $500 govt. rebate is available for this drone for NSW farmers. More info
This is the Smart Controller version (about $700 more than the non-smart controller version), because it comes with a controller that has a super bright built-in screen so you don’t have to use your phone or tablet. The inbuilt screen is super bright (1000 nits) compared to a typical mobile phone or tablet screen (typically 500-700 nits) meaning you can see more clearly on bright sunny days. The inbuilt screen also means faster and neater set up time (no cable or screen mounting bracket needed), plus it means you won't miss calls to your phone because it can stay in your pocket. Here is a good 8-min video review of the Smart Controller.
Comparing the Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro
The Mavic 2 Zoom is the same as the Mavic 2 Pro except for the camera. The Zoom has a 12MP camera and the Pro's is 20MP. The Zoom is essentially a quality all-rounder with a lower price tag than the Pro. The Zoom is intended for general film making such as making business promo videos, or zooming in on outdoor assets/structures to prepare a condition report. The Pro is more designed for semi-pro and pro photographers - it has a better camera but does not have as much zoom.
The Mavic 2 Pro features a Hasselblad camera with a 1-inch Sony sensor. The Mavic 2 Zoom has a camera with a 24-48mm zoom lens and offers the Dolly Zoom effect. Both drones have the new a hyperlapse functionality. DJI introduced OcuSync 2.0 with the launch of the new Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro - a very strong connection between the drone and the controller. It now has omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, improved APAS and ActiveTrack. There is also a Fly More Kit with two more batteries, a car charger, shoulder bag, spare props and the option to turn your batteries into a power bank.
Overall, the Mavic 2 Zoom is very popular and a very safe choice, especially if it's your first drone and you plan to use it for general use and will use the zoom function for something specific. You don’t even have to know a lot about videos or photos to be able to capture great footage. With all of the autonomous shooting modes, even if they sometimes fail, the options to create amazing content are endless. DJI rates the battery life at 31 minutes.
Interesting 1-min video showing how the Mavic 2 is made, inside the DJI factory. DJI is renowned for quality workmanship, and is referred to as the "Apple of the drone industry".