Tool Reviews

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Recently, DJI presented its new drone – DJI Mavic Mini. DJI’s model will face serious competition right from the start, both from DJI’s own drones, including Spark and Mavic Air, and from other manufacturers – for example, the price of Parrot Anafi, which allows you to shoot 4K video, has almost halved since its release. .

In addition, many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and, more recently, Russia, have introduced amendments that require mandatory registration of drones weighing more than 250 grams. The same Anafi and Spark weigh 300 grams each, so it is not surprising that DJI’s reaction was the release of a 249-gram mini drone.

Unlike the more expensive Anafi, the Mavic Mini is equipped with three-axis mechanical stabilization (in Anafi, stabilization along the third axis is electronic) and received a number of convenient features, such as a microSD slot with hot-swappable cards (replacing the card right during operation without turning off the drone). DJI also promises a longer battery life of 30 minutes, which is best in class.

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On the other hand, not all the characteristics of the novelty are so good. The maximum video resolution of the Mavic Mini is 2.7K at 30fps, which is not suitable for videographers who need 4K footage. The novelty also did not receive such an advanced obstacle avoidance system as the more advanced models of the series. Therefore, in the new model, we received several obvious, although not surprising, compromises. However, despite all this, the new DJI quadcopter leaves the most pleasant impression.

Release date and price

The official release date for the DJI Mavic Mini has been set for November 11th. Like other DJI models, the novelty will be available in two trim levels: basic (drone, battery, remote control) and a Fly More Combo kit with a double charging hub that can be used as a power bank, 360-degree propeller protection and two additional batteries.

The base drone will cost $399 and the Fly More Combo will cost $499. In our opinion, the Fly More Combo fully justifies itself for the additional batteries, which can provide about 90 minutes of flight time. For novice pilots and those planning to fly indoors, propeller guards can also come in very handy.

Design

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Like most of the best consumer drones out there right now, the Mavic Mini is foldable, with the legs folding down in a matter of seconds. There is a stabilized camera on the front, and a microSD card slot and a micro USB port for charging on the back. Above them is the battery cover and a button at the base.

An important feature of the drone is its weight. Mavic Mini weighs only 249 grams. As noted above, a drone with such a weight is not subject to mandatory registration. At the same time, the battery weighs about 100 grams – almost half the weight of the entire quadcopter.

Although the Mavic Mini lacks obstacle avoidance sensors on the sides, front, and rear, there are several sensors on the bottom of the drone, a battery indicator, and an LED light that makes it easy to track the drone in the air.

As we said above, the Fly More Combo also includes a propeller protection kit, which is recommended if possible. The legs of the drone are relatively thin, so a fall can damage them quite easily – protecting the propellers will just help to avoid not only breaking the propellers, but also the legs of the drone.

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As for the overall aesthetic, DJI has stayed true to itself: the color scheme combines gray and dark gray tones, the shape of the drone vaguely resembles some kind of insect, and branded “eyes” are located on the front.

Remote control

Like the DJI Mini itself, the remote control is foldable: the smartphone holders and antenna can be folded up, while the joysticks can be detached for easy transport. On the left is a micro USB port for charging and connecting a smartphone, USB-C and Lightning connectors are supplied.

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A rotary switch on top of the remote makes the camera rotate 90 degrees so you can point it 90 degrees down, but unlike the Anafi, it can’t look up. The left lever starts video recording and the right one takes a photo.

Connecting your smartphone to the remote takes time: you need to connect the cable, attach the joysticks and turn on the application, which takes about a minute, but in terms of compactness, the remote is very convenient and still feels quite sturdy and reliable.

Application

The DJI Go Lite app (only available in beta at the moment) covers all the basic features of the drone, but feels a bit limited compared to the more expensive versions.

After you log in and connect your Mavic Mini to the remote controller, you will receive an easy setup guide and a prompt with a link to the latest safety information (FlySafe Database). The drone records the location to return home when the connection with the remote control is lost.

The beta version lacks object tracking, but does feature Quickshots, just like the Mavic Air. These pre-programmed flight paths allow you to capture dynamic panoramas with the push of a button.

Management of photo and video settings is still quite basic, without the ability to adjust contrast and saturation. Handy tools like histograms and cropping grids are still available.

The gimbal supports two modes: Follow, which maintains a horizontal level, and FPV (First Person View), which uses the perspective of the drone itself, while keeping everything in a very stable position.

Camera

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The Mavic Mini shoots 2.7K video at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. Its 1/2.3-inch sensor also allows you to capture 12-megapixel still images in a variety of modes, including basic Position mode, Sports mode for more advanced pilots, and CineSmooth for smoother cinematic footage. While viewing the footage on a computer, the video may seem slightly faster than when it was actually shot, so CineSmooth can be used to get slightly slower footage.

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Photography can be controlled manually by increasing the shutter speed to 4 seconds and pushing the ISO up to 3200. However, shooting in poor light is not the best idea, given the drone’s 1/2.3-inch sensor.

Connection and battery

The Mini connects via WiFi, streaming live video to a remote controller that connects to a smartphone and uses an app interface.

When connected, the remote charges the smartphone – 2600 mAh is enough for about two hours of use. As for the Mini itself, the 2400 mAh batteries should last a maximum of 30 minutes (in ideal conditions), in practice everything will depend on the wind, temperature and the overall speed of the drone.

Of course, I wish the Mini could charge via a USB-C port rather than micro USB.

Results

Pros of DJI Mavic Mini:

• Convenient folding design.
• Excellent 3-axis mechanical video stabilization.
• The flight time is the best among miniature drones.

Minuses:

• Lack of 4K and 60 fps at 2.7K.
• Lack of object tracking (in beta version).
• Charging via Micro USB (not USB-C).

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The DJI Mavic Mini is a very special drone that seems to have created a new niche in the consumer quadcopter market. It combines a lightweight compact body (smaller and lighter than the Spark) with reliable flight performance and very decent video quality.

Of course, I wish the Mavic Mini could shoot 4K or 2.7K at 60fps, as well as have more control over the picture – the ability to adjust contrast, saturation, or use cinematic profiles. Also in the beta version of the application there is no tracking of objects, which may appear after the update.

It’s the company’s most affordable and lightest drone yet, with some (perhaps necessary) compromises in terms of feature set. At the moment, DJI Mini looks like one of the best drones for beginners and regular users, which can not only please the flight, but also allow you to shoot high-quality aerial photos and videos.