We know you’re probably skeptical about any article or review that claims to have found the absolute best product in any category. However, we’re going to go out on a fairly substantial limb here and say that the DJI Mini 2 is the best mini drone available today. We’ve already said elsewhere that we think it’s the best mini with a camera, so we’ll expand that thought just a bit here.
The Mini 2 quadcopter isn’t exactly cheap, but since it is small, it doesn’t cost as much as a top of the line full-sized drone either. You may have to save a few more pennies to afford it, but we think it will be worth the wait.
If you simply can’t wait any longer to see the pricing and availability of the Mini 2 at Amazon, you can click the link just below. Otherwise, just keep scrolling and reading all the awesome details that will surely make you want your own DJI Mini 2 by the time you’re finished here.
- PACK LIGHT, FLY FREE: at less than 249 g, it...
- OCUSYNC 2.0 VIDEO TRANSMISSION: mini 2...
- POWERFUL PERFORMANCE: with a max battery life...
Major Benefits of the DJI Mini 2
The Mini 2 is a step up from its cousin the Mavic Mini. (As of this writing, there is no drone called the Mavic Mini 2, so don’t go looking for one or get the names confused.) If you had the two models sitting side by side, you might at first glance be hard pressed to tell which was which as they have similar builds. It’s mostly what’s going on inside that makes the Mini 2 the better drone.
The Mini 2 has 3 flight modes – Sport, Normal (also called Position), and CineSmooth. It flies faster than the Mavic in each of them. Sport mode gets you to your destination the quickest. CineSmooth is what you use when you need really good pictures or video from the camera.
If you’re near sea level and there’s no wind, you can fly 16 meters per second (about 35 mph) in Sport mode, 10 m/s (about 22 mph) in Normal mode, and 6 m/s (about 13 mph) in CineSmooth mode. Obviously you won’t usually have those conditions, so expect speeds somewhat slower than those.
Assuming you take off and land in Normal mode, the ascent and descent speed you can manage is right around 3 m/s (almost 7 mph). Of course, Sport mode will be faster and CineSmooth slower.
Once in the air, you can theoretically pilot your Mini 2 as far as 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) from home and still take pictures. However, local restrictions may not actually allow you to do so. In many locations, you have to keep your drone within your line of sight.
DJI says that it’s the OcuSync software inside the machine that lets you communicate over such long distances. Speaking of taking pictures, let’s look at the camera in more detail next.
Camera Usage and Specs
The camera gives you 12MP still shots using its 1/2.3” CMOS sensor. For those with a little photography background, you’ll want to know that the lens aperture is f/2.8 and has a focus range of 1 meter to infinity. You can shoot both JPEG and RAW formats, use auto exposure bracketing, and create panoramic shots (sphere, 180-degree, or wide angle). You can also zoom from 2x to 4x, depending on the resolution setting.
When it comes to recording video, DJI gives you several “QuickShot” modes – Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, and Boomerang. Most of those you can figure out from the name itself. Dronie is the “follow me” mode. Resolution ranges from 1920 x 1080 at full HD to 3840 x 2160 at 4K. You can shoot up to 60 frames per second in HD and at 2.7K. At 4K, the max is 30 fps.
The system, which uses GNSS, GPS, GLONASS, and GALILEO, runs at 2.400-2.4835 GHz and 5.725-5.850 GHz. This gives you several options for precision shooting.
The gimbal that holds the camera can tilt, roll, and pan and has stabilization on all three axes. The range of each movement is as follows.
- Tilt: -110° to 35°
- Roll: -35° to 35°
- Pan: -20° to 20°
General Specs
DJI managed to keep the weight of the Mini 2 drone under 250 grams (249g) so you won’t have to hassle with FAA registration. Size specifications (L x W x H in millimeters) are just below.
- Folded: 138 x 81 x 58
- Unfolded: 159 x 203 x 56
- Unfolded (with propellers): 245 x 289 x 56
- Diagonal Distance: 213
Remote Controller – Power and Connections
The batteries involved in the system are a 5200 mAh unit in the remote and a 2250 mAh LiPo 2S in the drone itself. With optimal conditions, this should give you a maximum of 31 minutes of flight time before a recharge is needed. To get a full charge using the 18W charger will usually take about 90 minutes.
The RC holds most phones – those measuring up to 180 x 86 x 10 millimeters. You can connect using Lightning, Micro USB, and USB-C. The live view on your phone shows up as 720p running at 30 fps, so you’ll get a decent look at what your drone is seeing, using the DJI Fly app which is available for both iOS and Android.
You can store your pictures and videos on 16, 32, 64, or 128 GB SD cards. DJI recommends many cards from makers such as SanDisk, Samsung, Lexar, and more.
Downsides to the Mini 2
It’s still just a mini drone, so it doesn’t have all the features that the bigger drones do. For example, there is no obstacle avoidance capability, so you have to be a little better pilot than with fancier models.
The Mini 2 is not waterproof, so don’t take it out in bad weather. Practice indoors instead on rainy days.
You can’t track objects with the DJI Mini 2, so don’t plan on following anyone around the neighborhood.
Conclusion about the DJI Mini 2 Drone
We haven’t covered every small detail and specification for the Mini 2, but we think we’ve given you enough to whet your appetite and maybe even make you drool for one.
The few negatives we did point out aren’t usually found in mini drones. We only mention them because this drone has features similar to a full size drone. We know you may not have been expecting such advanced features in a mini, but DJI can surprise you. Who knows what is coming up next. We highly recommend this drone so as soon as you have enough cash, head on over to Amazon and make your purchase. We’re sure you won’t regret it.