Tiny drone gets better in all the right places
The DJI Mavic Mini 2, which starts at $449, is capable of flying for 30 minutes at a distance of 6 miles from the pilot. The drone transmits live highdefinition video back to the pilot and captures 4K video. If the pilot and drone lose contact, the drone safely returns to where it took off.
All of this is contained in a body that folds down to fit in the palm of your hand and weighs less than 9 ounces.
I reviewed the original Mavic Mini in early 2020. The Mini 2 improves on the original model in some very important ways.
CAMERA
The original Mavic Mini had a 2.7K@30 frames-per-second video camera.
This was fine, but because there were other drones with 4K cameras, this was thought of as a weakness in the original Mini’s feature set. Still photos are captured as JPG files.
The Mini 2 finally gets a 12-megapixel 4K@30fps camera with a 4x digital zoom (the first Mini had no zoom). A digital zoom is different from an optical zoom. Digital zooms make the image larger by cropping in on the sensor and enlarging the image. The image quality suffers with digital zoom.
The Mini 2 captures stills as JPG or RAW files, which are not compressed and will need processing before they can be used.
The camera is mounted on a three-axis gimbal that keeps the video and stills looking very sharp and stable.
OPERATING RANGE
The original Mini used a direct Wi-Fi link between the drone and the controller. This gave the user a 2.48-mile range.
The Mini 2 uses a technology called OcuSync 2.0 that is also used on DJI’s higher-priced drones. OcuSync 2.0 has a transmission range of just over 6 miles.
FAA rules for recreational drone flights say you need to keep the drone in your line of sight or have someone where they can see it who is in direct
communication with the pilot.
FLIGHT SPEED AND MODES
The original Mini has a top speed of 29 miles per hour, while the Mini 2 has a top speed of 35.7 mph. This helps you get the drone to a far-off shooting position faster, which helps you maximize flying time before changing batteries.
The original Mini had four QuickShot modes (Dronie, Circle, Helix and Rocket).
These modes simplify some pretty complex drone maneuvers that you might see in a movie or TV show.
The Mini 2 adds Boomerang, which travels in an arc and returns home.
The Mini 2 also adds Wide Angle, 180-degree and Sphere modes by stitching together images into one large image.
The DJI Fly app, which the Mini 2 uses for flying, now has some enhanced photo and video features to allow the user to process and edit photos and videos before they are uploaded to a computer or social media account.
The Mini 2 has Level 5 wind resistance, which is defined as wind speeds of 19 to 24 miles per hour.
When the drone senses unsafe wind speeds (higher than 25 mph), you’ll see a warning in the app.
The takeoff weight is 249 grams (about 9 ounces). This is an important number, as any drone under 250 grams is considered fairly harmless and is subject to fewer restrictions and does not require any type of registration in the United States and many other countries.
The Mini 2 has GPS, which makes all the difference for features like Return To Home.
That GPS is also helpful in keeping you from flying the drone intro restricted airspace, like too close to airports.
There are three modes for flying that change how the drone responds to commands – sport mode, normal mode and cine mode.
IN THE AIR
The Mini 2 is a joy to fly.
The remote controller has a mount for your smartphone, and while you are flying, your phone (or tablet) is showing you what the camera sees.
Once you mount the phone and attach a small cable to the controller, you launch the DJI Fly app and follow the onscreen instructions to connect the Mini 2.
Once the drone is connected and has a lock on the GPS satellites, you can take off.
Flying is started by either using the joysticks on the remote or pressing a button on your phone screen. Using the button causes the Mini 2 to take off and hover about 4 feet off the ground. You then use the two sticks on the controller to make the drone go up or down, turn left or right and rotate.
If you start to get confused or the drone is not going where you want, let go of the sticks and the Mini 2 will just hover in place.
If you want to start over, press the RTH button and it will land back where you started.