Review: Is DJI Mini 2 a Good Drone?
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A drone is one of our essential travel devices for excellent travel photography and video recording. In this DJI Mini 2 review, we share why we are happy with this small-sized yet powerful drone. Read the review and understand the pros and cons of this drone.
Covered in the Article
DJI Mini 2 - Lightweight Drone
DJI Mini 2 is a small drone weighing only 249 grams. This number is not a coincidence because, in many countries, the regulations allow flying drones less than 250 grams without training. The low weight also provides other benefits: The maximum flight time is longer, and the drone is easy to carry while travelling.
DJI Mini 2 is the successor of DJI Mini. Both models look almost identical, but there are a few essential differences. The flight time of DJI Mini 2 is one minute longer, while its camera can record real 4K videos. The most crucial difference is the new Ocusync signal transmission technology, significantly increasing the drone´s range. In contrast, the real-time video transmission works well, and the picture stays clear. The drone is no anymore dependent on unreliable Wi-Fi technology.DJI Mini is slightly cheaper than DJI Mini 2, so you should not buy the older model with worse features.
Drone, Remote Controller and Application
A remote controller always comes with DJI Mini 2 because of the Ocusync transmission technology. In addition, you need a mobile phone with the DJI Fly App to control the drone's settings and to view the live camera. The controller is connected to the mobile phone through a USB cable - not via an unreliable Wi-Fi connection as in older drones. The cable is included in the drone package. A minor issue is that the DJI Fly App can´t be found on Google's Play store. Rather, it must be installed manually from DJI´s website.
Designed in China
DJI is a Chinese company that is the drone market leader. The company manufactures uncrewed aerial vehicles for photography and videography. The portfolio also contains camera gimbals, action cameras, camera stabiliser platforms, propulsion and flight control systems. While DJI is not the cheapest drone manufacturer, the company's long experience guarantees quality. This time, the Chinese origin means quality.
DJI Mini 2 Features
Flight Time
The flight time of DJI Mini 2 is 31 minutes according to the DJI's specs. This requires a calm and warm environment with peaceful flying habits. The further you fly, the less flying time you have. Wind, cold temperatures or fast flying will reduce the available flight time.
Range
The maximum distance between the drone and the remote controller can be even 10 kilometres, but in Europe, only 6 kilometres. This requires a line-of-sight connection to the drone. Buildings, trees and other heavy obstacles will decrease the range by many kilometres.
Return-to-Home (RTH)
Like all good drones, the DJI Mini 2 also has a reliable automatic Return-to-Home function. It can be triggered manually, or it will be triggered automatically when the drone is running out of battery or has lost the remote control's signal.
The RTH function requires that the drone has a GPS connection before the take-off to record the home point. That is why RTH won´t work in closed environments / unanticipated flight environments. The home point can also be set manually.
We have lost the signal a few times. Usually, there is about a 10 to 15-second blackout period while you don´t get any information about the drone. When the signal returns, the drone is already on its way home. These seconds are exciting when you are unsure if your drone is safe.
Photography and Video Recording
The most important feature of any drone is the ability to shoot photos and video. DJI Mini 2 can record 4K photos and videos. The data is saved in an SD card that must support at least UHS Speed Class 3. Low-resolution versions are saved into the phone in real-time and can easily be used on social media. You can also download the full-resolution files from the drone with the DJI Fly App without taking the SD card out of the drone.
The camera has 12M pixels, just the minimum to record 4K videos. With a few more pixels, the quality would be even better. Luckily, the drone has a 3-axis gimbal that keeps the video smooth. The gimbal reduces the camera's vibration. Never buy any drone with only a 2-axis gimbal because the video will be shaky.
Automatic camera settings work well, but parameters can also be set manually. That is necessary for challenging lighting conditions.
The drone has a cinematic mode for smoother flying while filming. Movements will be slower and softer with this flying mode. The other two modes are the normal flying mode and a fast sport mode with the max speed of 16 m/s.
Quickshots
DJI Mini 2 has five automatic flight modes that are called Quickshots. The modes are Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle and Boomerang. To use them, you must fly the drone manually to the starting position, lock the target in the camera view and choose the Quickshot parameters like distance. After that, the Quickshot mode will control the drone automatically and record a video.
In the Helix Quickshot mode, you need to lock the object on the camera view and choose the distance. The drone will then automatically fly a helix and record a video. It is important to supervise the drone well because it cannot avoid collisions.
DJI Mini 2 cannot fly pre-defined tracks and route. Better features are available in DJI´s more expensive drones.
Flight Recording
Besides the remote controller, you need the DJI Fly App to control the drone. DJI Fly App records the flight route and all command inputs you have given in a detailed way. It is easy to analyse and identify incidents afterwards and learn from them. The data is synchrosynchronizedo to DJI´s cloud if the user has accepted this setting.
We had a few minor incidents with our previous drone, DJI Spark. After the incidents, we always analyse whether our mistakes caused them or were technical faults.
DJI Mini 2 Review: Our Experiences
We replaced our older DJI Spark with DJI Mini 2. Both drones have 12M cameras, but the Mini 2 is much lighter, has a longer flight time and can record more stable videos. In this DJI Mini 2 review, we analyse analyse our experiences.
Flight Time
The flight time with a brand new battery has varied between 20 and 24 minutes. It is not wise to consume the full battery because it causes safety risks and may damage the battery itself. For example, after,r 24 minutes of flying in light winds, we had 11 per cent battery left, and the total flown distance was more than 1 kilometre. We have been happy with the flight time.
We have four batteries together. The charging time of a single battery is a little more than an hour. Even though we have DJI´s charging hub for three batteries, it charges them individually. The good thing is that you can use any high-power charger that has a USB-C connection.
Always store the batteries fully charged to increase their life span.
Range
We have been flying in Europe, so the promised signal range is 6 kilometres. Our maximum distance has been 2 kilometres. That has not caused any signal issues in an open environment. We do not need to fly further. However, when there are buildings or trees between us and the drone, the signal quality gets weak after 1 kilometre. Automatic Return-to-Home has been triggered a few times. So it is crucial to have a line of sight to the drone to avoid unwanted RTHs.
Drone for Windy Conditions
The wind resistance of DJI Mini 2 is great. We flew our drone in the Alps at an altitude of 2.5 kilometres. The drone didn´t encounter any issues returning home, even though there was a headwind. The RTH speed was also more than ten m/s. The wind resistance of the DJI Mini 2 is much better than that of our previous DJI Spark. We still do not recommend flying in too windy weather to stay safe.
Stability
DJI Mini 2 is easy to control and can hover precisely using the vision system and the GPS. The video quality is also stable. The stability of the drone is just perfect.
The drone has no difficulties flying even at a high altitude. To record a smooth video, it is wise not to rotate the drone while recording. Other movements must be done using the cinematic mode with small control movements.
Camera
The drone´s camera is only 12M, the minimum to record 4K video. Thanks to the 3-axis gimbal, the video is stable. The video and the photo quality are good, but it would be even better with some more pixels. The quality is enough for web publishing and YouTube videos.
In bright light, it is complex to record the blue colour of the sky. The sky looks almost white, or when the sky looks blue, the other parts are too dark. Maybe this white balance issue could be solved by adjusting camera settings manually?
Crash of the Drone
Even though DJI Mini 2 is a reliable drone, we have crashed it once into trees. The technology worked perfectly, so the crash of a human error.
It was a windy day, especially with strong gusts. Before the incident, we had made shorter test flights to see if the drone could survive the gusts. The test flights were eventless, so we continued flying normally in the windy conditions. The last flight was also eventless until the last return-to-home phase.
We were about 450 metres away from the home point when the drone had signal issues briefly. The connection became stable again, and we continued flying. However, we noticed that the battery level was already below 20 per cent, so it was time to return to the home immediately.
We initiated the RTH function, but surprisingly, the drone was moving back really slowly - almost not at all. There must have been powerful headwind gusts. We decided to start flying the drone manually using the sport mode, but we could still fly only about three m/s against the wind.
While we were flying the drone manually and concentrating mainly on the map, we didn´t notice that the battery had gone below 10 per cent and the drone had started auto descend. Because we were following the map, we didn´t realise the drone was time desrealise into trees. Out of the blue, we lost the signal when the drone crashed into the trees at about 20 metres high.
With the aid of the DJI Fly app, we were able to locate the drone about 260 metres away from us in a thick forest. The drone was exactly where the app directed us. It hadn´t any visible damage. The drone has also been functioning well since the incident. The crash must have been quite soft because of the thick trees. We even have the drone´s video of the crash, and the incident seems to have lasted a long time. The final impact on the ground has been quite soft.
We had made many mistakes that led to this incident. Gusts were too strong for the drone. We were flying too far from the home point with a low battery level. The return-to-home altitude was too high, and the wind was even stronger. And above all, we didn´t have visual contact with the drone during the return-to-home phase. We conclude that DJI Mini 2 is strong enough to survive soft crashes.
Cons of DJI Mini 2
Based on our hands-on experiences, DJI Mini 2 is an excellent drone but still imperfect.
Slow Battery Charging
Battery charging is slow. You need about five hours to charge four batteries with DJI´s charger.
Only Few Automatic Flight Modes
DJI Mini 2 has only a few Quickshot modes. it can´t follow a predefined track.
Toy Lpredefinedote Controller
We are unsure if this is a real issue, but the remote controller looks like a toy. DJI could redesign it to look more professional.
Lack of Collision Sensors
Because the drone is so light, it lacks important collision sensors. There are no sensors in the front or back of the drone,e so it can easily collide with obstacles. You need to be careful when flying DJI Mini 2 in complicated environments. We recommend setting the Return-to-Home altitude to the maximum allowed when the wind isn't an issue.
The drone has a good GPS, a downward vision system for hovering and a barometric altimeter.
DJI Mini 2 - Drone for Travelling
DJI Mini 2 is perfect for travelling because of its small size. It fits DJI´s well-designed bag perfectly. The bag comes with DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo.
Easy to Carry in Airplane
Not all airlines allow you to carry drones. Consider this when booking flights. The simple rule is, don't fly with the airlines that prohibit you to take drones!
During a summer trip around the Mediterranean Sea, we had the plan to fly our drone. We had mistakenly booked a flight by Volotea, which did not allow us to carry drones neither inside the cabin nor in the hold. The only obvious option was to leave the drone at home. Usually, all airlines allow drones onboard, but Volotea was an unfortunate exception then.
If the airline allows carrying a drone, it must be taken inside the cabin. Batteries cannot be attached to the drone but should be stored in fire-proof cases. It may also be enough to use tape to prevent batteries from getting short-circuited.
It is forbidden to travel by aeroplane with batteries that have more than 100 Wh energy in a single battery. Usually, small drones' batteries have a much smaller capacity, so this should not become a problem. Always check the capacity limit from the airline. The battery capacity of DJI Mini 2 is 44.4 Wh.
Battery capacities are often measured by mAh. You can convert the mAh unit to Wh with the formula: mAh x battery voltage / 1000. Airlines usually use Watt-hour (Wh) as the unit of measurement for batteries in their written guidelines in contrast to what is indicated in the batteries.
Compatible with the EU Drone Law
In the EU, there is a European-wide drone law. Like all camera drones, DJI Mini 2 must be registered in your home country, and the drone operator should obtain an operator ID. The operator ID is valid in the EU area.
In addition, all drone pilots must complete online training, and the certificate from this training should be brought along while travelling with a drone. Normally, the maximum allowed flight altitude is 120 metres from the ground, but some countries may have extra rules. Check them carefully before flying a drone in any EU country.
Liability Insurance Recommended
When you are sure that flying a drone is legal, consider having liability insurance. In some countries, it is even mandatory to obtain such insurance. For example, this is the case in Germany and Austria.
In case of any incident, you may cause a lot of damage to third parties so that insurance will protect you. Of course, if you fly far from the cities and people, the risk of incidents will be significantly lower.
Check Coverdrone for the EU compliant liability insurance.
Buying DJI Mini 2
DJI Mini 2 drone is sold globally in many electronics shops, some countries, and well-equipped supermarkets. Ordering a drone from the internet may become a little more affordable, especially if you live in a small city. We bought our drone from a local store, Gigantti, because they had a sale where all drones were discounted.
DJI Mini 2 Combo
It is possible to buy just the drone with a remote controller, but you should buy DJI Mini 2 Combo. You will get two more batteries, a handy charging dock, a bag for the drone and some spare parts. Buying just a drone will make you regret it later when you have to buy the extra accessories separately and pay much more.
DJI Mini 2 Combo is slightly more expensive than the drone. And the 2-way charging hub has a nice extra feature: it can be used as a backup battery for your phone.
Price
DJI Mini 2 is a medium-priced drone, and extra batteries are affordable compared to professional drones.
Memory Cards and Backup Capacity
The drone comes without an SD card. We recommend buying at least a 128GB SD card to have enough capacity for long 4K videos. The card must follow UHS Class 3 specifications to work well. 128GB SD card costs about 25 euros. We recommend buying at least two of them since you don't want to run out of memory while on the road.
Never store your material for a long time on an SD card. They are quite unreliable, and you should back up the material into a traditional hard disk, preferably two of them. Cloud backup is also a good option. It is a good idea to take a portable hard disk to back up videos while travelling.
Rating
We rate DJI Mini 2 as a 4-star drone in its price class. Our DJI Mini 2 review showed that the drone is reliable and has high-quality features. The battery duration is especially long, and the signal range is awesome. The missing collision avoidance sensors and professional automated flight modes are the biggest cons of this drone.
Alternatives for DJI Mini 2
There are few good enough alternatives for DJI Mini in the same price class. The original DJI Mini is an option, but because its features are worse, we do not recommend buying it.
We recommend checking Autel Nano+. This drone is slightly more expensive than DJI Mini,2, but has better camera and collision avoidance sensors. A better camera makes digital zooming possible. Autel Nano+ also has more automated flying modes. Otherwise, the drone's weight is the same as the Mini's weight, and the other features are quite similar to DJI Mini 2.
DJI Mini 3 Pro
When writing this, DJI Mini 3 was just published. This successor of DJI Mini 2 is called DJI Mini 3 or DJI Mini 3 Pro.
DJI Mini 3 has improved features to Mini 2. The drone has a better camera (48M), collision avoidance sensors in the front, rear and bottom, faster charging and more automated flight modes. The size and weight have remained about the same.
The new drone is also more expensive, so buying the older DJI Mini 2 is still a good choice. Despite the lack of improved features, DJI Mini 2 is an excellent drone, to begin with.
Common Questions
- Is DJI Mini 2 reliable?
- Yes, it is very reliable.
- Should I buy the DJI Mini 2 or the DJI Mini 2 Combo?
- It would be best if you bought the combo.
- Can I fly DJI Mini 2 in windy conditions?
- Yes, DJI Mini 2 can resist wind quite well.
- What is the charging time of a DJI Mini 2 battery?
- With DJI´s charger, charging a single battery takes about 90 minutes.
- Does DJI Mini 2 have collision avoidance sensors?
- Unfortunately, it does not have.
- What is the observed battery duration of DJI Mini 2?
- Our experience shows it is about 20 - 24 minutes with some reserve left.
- What is the observed range of the DJI Mini 2 drone?
- We expect it to be about 4 kilometres in Europe.
- What is the maximum flight altitude of a drone?
- In many countries, the maximum allowed altitude is 120 meters, but less close to airports. But the drone can climb much higher.
- Is flying a drone difficult?
- With all the automated functions, flying a drone is simple. However, the automated functions may fail, so you need to be able to control the drone manually, too.
- Does flying a drone require a license?
- It varies between countries. Consumer drones can usually be flown without a license. In the EU, you must register as a drone operator and complete online training to operate one legally.
- Do I need liability insurance to fly a drone?
- In some countries, you must have insurance. We recommend you to have it always.
- Can I take the drone's batteries inside an aeroplane?
- The majority of airlines allow it. Check the rules of the airline. The maximum energy in the batteries is limited to 100 Wh.
- How much does a good drone cost?
- Prepare to spend at least 600 euros on a good consumer drone and its accessories.
- What is the best drone for a traveller?
- There is no best option, but DJI Mini 2 is great.
Bottom Line
DJI Mini 2 will take your holiday photography to the next level. We think DJI Mini 2 is an excellent drone in its price class, even though DJI has even better and more expensive professional products. Learn to fly the drone in your home country in good conditions before heading overseas to ensure you can fly a drone safely!
We do recommend buying at least three spare batteries to carry along with you for every single flying session to maximise the potential of getting the desired quality videos. Ensure you buy the DJI Mini 2 combo instead of only the drone.
Before a journey, do background work well. Learn to pack the drone safely. Investigate the laws related to drone flying of your destinations and the airline's rules. Take insurance if required.
With good preparations, travelling with DJI Mini 2 will be rewarding. It is a reliable mini drone for travellers. Those Instagramable photos and videos you take with a drone will surely make great holiday memories.
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