DJI Mini 2 review

DJI Mini 2 Review.

A top-flight drone for first-time pilots.

brief presentation of the drone why is it first time drone? Price < $500, entry level drone, missing advanced features, avoid FAA registration weight <250g

DJI’s second-generation entry-level drone, the Mini 2 ($449.99), gets a bit of a rebrand, dropping the Mavic moniker that’s long identified the company’s small, folding quadcopter series. It costs a bit more than the first-generation Mavic Mini, but includes an updated camera, more powerful motors, and a stronger remote control connection. It’s missing some of the more advanced features found in the $800 Mavic Air 2, but it’s a fine choice if you want to spend less—and avoid dealing with the FAA—earning our Editors’ Choice award.

DJI’s Smallest, Lightest, Folding Drone.

size folding weight faa

The Mini 2 matches the original Mavic Mini’s exterior design. The two models use the same airframe, coming in at a 249g (8.78 ounces), skirting the federal requirement for FAA registration. (You’ll still need a commercial license if you plan to use the Mini 2 for profit.).

When folded, the drone can slide into a jacket pocket, but you’ll probably still want to carry it in a small bag. The included remote control is a bit bigger this time around, but with more advanced wireless communication tech and stronger antennas. Where the first-generation aircraft struggled to keep a solid connection at longer distances, the Mini 2 is absolutely rock solid.

Battery life is improved, too. The Mini 2’s motors are upgraded to be both more powerful and power efficient, pushing the rated battery life from 30 to 31 minutes. It’s a modest bump, and still shy of the 34-minute rating you get with the pricier DJI Mavic Air 2, a drone that’s best-in-class when it comes to flight time.

Real-life flight times will vary a bit, and tend to be a few minutes shorter—closer to 27 minutes of actual flight time. The DJI Fly control app warns you when the battery is getting low, so you can bring the drone home safely and land it. The app, and a smartphone to run it, are requirements—DJI Fly is available for current-gen Android and iOS handsets. I tested the Mini 2 with an iPhone 8 Plus and iOS 14.

You’ll have to find some level ground for takeoffs and landing. The low-profile design means that even blades of grass from well-manicured lawns will prevent the Mini 2’s propellers from spinning up. If you’re new to drones, read our guide on the basics of piloting.

The Mini 2 ships with a single battery. Spares cost $45 apiece, and there’s a Fly More bundle available, priced at $599. The extra $150 gets you two additional batteries (for a total of three), a multi-battery charger to replenish all three in sequence, a carrying case, and some other items.

You can also charge the battery in-drone, via the aircraft’s USB-C port. It’s located at the rear, next to the microSDXC memory card slot. The Mini 2 doesn’t include any internal storage of its own, so don’t forget to buy a memory card—I recommend a 16GB card at minimum for 1080p, and 32GB or 64GB if you plan on recording video at 4K.

Safety Features.

safety faa geofence etc.

The drone includes transceivers for both GPS and GLONASS positioning systems, tools that work to pinpoint its location on a map and improve its ability to hover almost perfectly in place. The flight control app, DJI Fly, includes a Find My Drone feature that shows the location of the aircraft’s last known position, and will flash lights and make sounds if the Mini 2 is still up and running. It’s a feature you hope you don’t have to use, but is there if you need it.

The GPS system also makes autonomous and semi-autonomous flight possible. The Mini 2 has a number of automated Quickshots—automated flight paths that circle, corkscrew, or pull back and away.

Subject tracking, which DJI calls ActiveTrack, isn’t included. DJI cites the lack of obstacle detection sensors as the reason, and that makes sense—the Mini 2 has no way of knowing if an object is in its path, so you don’t want it piloting itself into a tree. If you want a drone that will track and follow you, the Mavic Air 2 and Skydio 2 are better choices.

DJI drones also include a geofence system, FlySafe(Opens in a new window). It prevents you from taking off in restricted airspaces, including those set up to prevent unauthorized flight around major sporting events, during wildfires, at National Parks, and around Washington, DC. You should check the map before you buy a drone to make sure you’re able to use it in your neighborhood.

The geofence can also be set to keep the drone within a certain radius of the remote, and I absolutely recommend that first-time pilots take advantage of it. Visual range depends on conditions, of course, but suggest beginners take advantage of the feature.

4K Camera With Raw Imaging.

camera performance

The Mini 2’s camera matches the Mavic Mini’s in angle of view, aperture, and still resolution. Video has been upgraded, from 2.7K to 4K. The extra pixels are helpful, so you can view video on your 4K UHD TV at full quality. A digital zoom feature is included—it’s lossless when recording at 2.7K or 1080p, but does cut into video quality if you use it for 4K.

I criticized the first-generation Mini not for its 2.7K resolution, but for a lack of color profile options and HDR video. HDR isn’t a basic feature, though it’s included in the Parrot Anafi and DJI Mavic Air 2—it’s a plus for drone video, as HDR footage does a better job of capturing scenes with mixed lighting, such as sunset and sunrise shots.

If you want to give your video a different look you’ll need to edit it, either in DJI Fly or an editing app of your choice. The app automatically caches HD video for editing, and can download 4K footage to your phone after landing automatically if you want it to. We’d still like DJI to include basic color profiles in the app.

The camera itself is mounted at the front, on a three-axis gimbal. It’s perfectly stable during normal flight, and you can switch to a high-speed Sport mode or a low-speed Cinema option to net shots with a stunning sense of motion or a more graceful, slower-moving look. The Mini 2 really zips around the air in Sport, but you should be extra careful with obstacles, as it won’t stop on a dime when moving that fast.

Stills are saved at 12MP quality in your choice of JPG or Raw format. The Mini 2 takes JPGs out of the box, and captures good-looking photos with crisp detail and colors that lean slightly, but not garishly, vivid.

Raw images are a bit flatter, color-wise, and retain more data. They’re what you’ll want to use if you want to fine-tune the look of your images, but it does mean you’ll need to take some time to edit them before sharing. As happy as I am to see Raw added for serious photographers, it would be nice to include more tools those who want to add some artistic flair to their aerials when capturing ready-to-share JPGs.

There are camera features you get with the upmarket DJI Mavic Air 2 that are missing here. We’ve already mentioned ActiveTrack and HDR, but the Mini also omits Hyperlapse, a video mode that mixes time lapse with motion.

The Best Drone for Beginners.

conclusion about the drone

We expect entry-level models to have fewer features than midrange and high-end alternatives—the question is generally whether the extra features are worth spending money on. The DJI Mini 2 drops some of the more enthusiast-targeted video and imaging options offered by the $800 DJI Mavic Air 2—you don’t get a 48MP Quad Bayer camera, obstacle sensors, or other upmarket features. Instead, DJI has taken the original Mavic Mini and addressed a couple of very real-world concerns. The Mini 2’s more forceful motors, and its much better wireless system work together to ensure that the drone will respond to commands if it’s strayed a bit far from home base, even on breezy days.

DJI has also updated the camera to 4K, added Raw imaging, and ever so slightly upped flight time per charge. For $50 more than the first version, the DJI Mini 2 is a better entry-level drone, and our Editors’ Choice winner. We’re rating it a bit lower than the Air 2, but if you’re just getting started, and don’t want to spend closer to $1,000 on a drone and accessories, the Mini 2 is absolutely worth considering.

As for alternatives, DJI continues to dominate the consumer drone market, but it isn’t the only game in town. The Parrot Anafi is also very good, starting at $600, with 4K HDR video being its most notable advantage over the Mini 2.