DJI Mini 2 vs Mavic Mini

DJI Mini 2 vs Mavic Mini – Core Features

So, which is the better drone between the DJI Mavic Mini vs the DJI Mini 2? In a nutshell, it is the newer DJI Mini 2, however, the Mavic Mini remains a great drone and both are good cheap options for drone photography.

There is no doubt that DJI make the best consumer drones and the Mavic Mini and Mini 2 are two of their cheapest drones that are suitable for professional photography. Both drones cost less than $500 and come with some fantastic features, although I do have a feeling that DJI may stop production of the Mavic Mini like they have with some of their other drones.

Mavic Mini vs DJI Mini 2

Camera

The main reason drones are so popular is because they come with cameras and both the Mavic Mini and the Mini 2 come with excellent cameras that can be used for professional purposes.

The Mavic Mini has a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that can capture 12MP still images in JPEG format, the DJI Mini 2 comes with a similar sensor and can also capture images in 12MP but with the DJI Mini 2, you can capture images in both JPEG and RAW. For professional photographers having the option to capture images in RAW will provide them will greater flexibility in post-processing.

Another added feature that comes with the DJI Mini 2 is the ability to zoom into your subject matter with its 4* digital zoom function. This will allow you to capture great close-up photos/videos without having to sacrifice too much loss of quality or flying the drone closer.

The Mavic Mini comes with an excellent camera that can record video footage in 2.7k at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. It has a recording speed of 40Mbps, and the camera is stabilised by an advanced 3-axis motorised gimbal for distortion-free videos.

The DJI Mini 2 comes with a superior camera, it can record stunning videos in 4k/2.7k at 30fps or 1089p at 60fps and records at a speed of 100Mbs. It’s an amazing camera that is perfect for people looking to get into professional drone photography. The Mini also comes with HDR support and you can shoot amazing panorama photography in three different modes, spherical, 180° and wide-angle.

Both the DJI Mavic Mini and Mini 2 stream live video footage in 720p at 30fps, however, the Mini 2 uses DJI’s Occusync 2.0 transmission technology which allows it to transmit over a longer distance than the original Mavic Mini which transmits over WiFi.

Overall, the DJI Mini 2 comes with a better camera and it costs around $50 more, I think it is the better choice.

DJI Mini 2 vs Mavic Mini – Design

Both drones look very similar to each other, they have the same colour scheme and weigh less than 250g. This weight is relevant to mention because it means that if you are just going to be flying for fun, you will not need to register the drone with the CAA (UK aviation authority) or the FAA (USA authority).

However, as drone laws are kind of fluid as the technology advances and more people start to use, I do advise you to check up on what the rules and regulations are wherever you live just to make sure that you are complying with the law.

Both drones come with advanced GPS modules, the Mavic Mini can connect with satellites from GPS&GLONASS while the DJI Mini 2 can also, connect with satellites from the European Galileo system.

For extra flight stability, both drones also come with infrared and optical flow sensors, these will also allow you to fly the drones in areas where the GPS signal may be weak.

The DJI Mini 2 comes with powerful brushless motors, as does the Mavic Mini, but the ones on the Mini 2 are more powerful and provide it with better flight stability in windy conditions. Also, because of its propulsion system, the DJI Mini 2 can fly faster than the original Mavic Mini.

There is a micro SD card slot on both drones, its recommended that you purchase a high-speed memory card of class 3 or above to get the best video recording quality.

While both drones come with similar flight times, the Mini 2 has the slight edge with 31 minutes to the 30 minutes that the original Mavic provides. It’s also a good idea to purchase an extra battery to extend the flight time as the intelligent batteries that power these drones do take a while to fully recharge.

As for the controllers, the Mini 2 comes with the same controller as the Mavic Air 2, it is a nice controller, although larger than the Mavic Mini but still comfortable to hold. Most of the controls are easy to identify and it can hold a large smartphone or tablet on the top. As it uses DJI’s Ocusync 2.0 transmission technology, it has a control range of around 10km which is much better 4km transmission range of the Mavic Mini controller.

The DJI Mini 2 and Mavic Mini both use the DJI Fly app that will give you access to most of the drone’s features. It does not have as many features as the DJI GO 4 app, but it is easier to use and has an intuitive user display. It gives you more control over the camera settings and has a very useful video editing suite that will allow you to enhance your videos and share them on your social media accounts.

Flight Features & Performance

The drones come with the three flight modes, they are:

• Normal
• Sports
• Cinematic

In the sports mode, it allows the drones to fly faster and the controls are a little bit more sensitive, while on the cinematic mode, the drones maximum speed is reduced so that you can record smooth cinematic quality videos.

Both drones also come with a flight feature called QuickShots, you can access this feature via the app and it will allow you to take quick cinematic videos hands-free from different angles. The Mavic Mini comes with 4 of these quickshots while the Mini comes with 5.

One thing I was surprised by is that there are no intelligent flight modes like image tracking or point of interest. There were rumours that the Mini 2 would come with these smart flight modes but currently, these flight modes are not available with either drone.

Both drones have a good flight time, the Mavic Mini can fly for a maximum of 30 minutes while the Mini 2 can stay up for 31 minutes.

As you would expect from DJI drones, their flight performance is very good, both drones fly well and are easy to operate. Despite being small and lightweight, the Mavic Mini and DJ Mini 2 hold up relatively well in mildly windy conditions. The Mini 2 is slightly quieter than the Mavic Mini thanks to its upgraded motors and it is also faster. Both the Mavic Mini and Mini 2 stream live video footage in 720p quality, however, the Mini 2 can stream over a longer distance thanks to its more advanced transmission technology.

There is a return to home feature on the Mavic Mini and Mini 2, you can activate this manually via the controller or the app. This feature is also activated automatically if you lose connection or if the battery gets low on charge.

Final Thoughts

So, it is obvious from this article that the best drone is the new DJI Mini 2 and although it costs a little bit more than the Mavic Mini, it is definitely worth the price. It’s over design and weight remains the same, which is great because it makes for a great drone to travel with but where it stands out from the Mavic Mini is its amazing 4K camera. The Mavic Mini is still, a very good drone and comes with some really good features but unless DJI drastically reduce the price, paying a little bit more for the Mini 2 will be worth it. For more options for drones under $500, click on the button below.