Mavic Mini as an aerial survey tool

[Symeboy]

Hi,

I have the mavic air and I love it, but I want to upgrade to start doing some aerial habitat survey work.

I had initially thought to get the Pro 1 used, main reason being improved connectivity but also better battery life (the Pro 2 doesnt seem that much better to warrant the extra cash). However looking at the mini and the amazing battery life, I'm actualy seriously considering it!

It wont quite as good connectivity and I presume it will be way less reliable in terms of wind and the camera wont be great, but the battery life could be a game changer for me. I'm just hoping it eventually gets support for waypoints by Litchi, if so I will probably go for it.

Anyone have any thoughts? Maybe the new Mavic 3 will be worth the wait instead?

Thanks

 

[slup]

Hi,

I have the mavic air and I love it, but I want to upgrade to start doing some aerial habitat survey work.

I had initially thought to get the Pro 1 used, main reason being improved connectivity but also better battery life (the Pro 2 doesnt seem that much better to warrant the extra cash). However looking at the mini and the amazing battery life, I'm actualy seriously considering it!

It wont quite as good connectivity and I presume it will be way less reliable in terms of wind and the camera wont be great, but the battery life could be a game changer for me. I'm just hoping it eventually gets support for waypoints by Litchi, if so I will probably go for it.

Anyone have any thoughts? Maybe the new Mavic 3 will be worth the wait instead?

Thanks

To be honest ... the only thing that gets an upgrade comparing to the Air is the battery life, to this you get a lot of severe downgrades ... aside the bells & whistles (camera specs, flight modes) you get a drone with such a flimsy build quality that the props hits the fuselage due to bending legs in flight & that so far isn't safe to fly due to the "uncommanded descent" that DJI hasn't resolved yet. Then of course the low wind resistance were the spec is on the border line to high were your present Air have the power to wrestle itself home to safety even above the stated wind spec.

Can't recommend the Mini until DJI have solved the problem with the uncommanded descents ... jump over to --> Mavic Crash & Flyaway Assistance & look around before you make up your mind.

 

[Gkinghrn]

Of course for the few who have issue with it there are hundreds , maybe thousands who don’t ... I guess you don’t like it ... well I love mine and it works just fine so far ..

 

[Chanctonbury]

Of course for the few who have issue with it there are hundreds , maybe thousands who don’t ... I guess you don’t like it ... well I love mine and it works just fine so far ..

+1

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

The Mini is a good little drone for the money. Depending what you are hoping to accomplish, it could be a good choice for you, or you might need a more powerful camera depending on what height you are planning on flying at and what you are wanting to see and the amount of detail. Feel free to shoot us a message and I would be happy to send you a quote on a Mini or discuss what other options might be better suited for you!


Thanks,
FDS Team

 

[bumper]

I'd either stay with your Mavic Air or, if funds permit, the M2 (P or Z). Maybe a few too many compromises paring down weight to keep the Mini under the 250 gram weight limit. While no small accomplishment, designing things to arbitrary strict limits can bring unforeseen problems.

 

[HumbearKS]

The mini is really not a bad bird at all. You will need to consider though how impacted you might be by stronger winds in your area where you are flying. I never let her up in areas where the wind/gusts are close to 25 mph. I will get extremely careful around 20mph...something to think about...

 

[Flycaster]

The Mavic series is way more robust than the Mini...

 

[x-uas]

Portability, size, flight time, price - Yes the Mini wins. There are issues with it, specifically in terms of reliability and durability but those are probably necessary trade-offs To achieve the factors it does win at.

As others noted, consider investigating what is important to you. Sounds like flight time is your number one constraint with cost second? The mini does those two well.

But, if you’re thinking of survey work in particular, you will have lower wind limits which could ground you more frequently than you’d like. And currently, the Mini has a very limited ability to perform this mission. The Fly app is limited - specifically it is a real pain to unlock authorization (blue) areas. No waypoint support. No Litchi support as you noted. So, for now the Mini is unsuitable for this mission without significant work around or manual collection. You’d be buying and “hoping” for software enhancements that may or may not come.

Now I’m not a Mini hater at all. For what it does it does it great. If you need a drone that is small, lightweight, easy to pack - it’s a winner. Endurance is a win. A mini can into places and get shots that you might be less willing to take because of its small size and low cost. It’s kind of a different tool - and at least with DJI’s current lineup, there is no one size fits all. You really have to look at your mission and intended purpose more than cost and flight time alone. Good luck and fly safe! Hope this helps.

 

[darren6270]

I've got the Pro and a recent purchase of the mini. To me the convenience and performance of the mini is so good i've not got my pro out since. I think it's great. No issues and as long as you are not stupid with the wind or range expectation (I never pushed either with my Pro) it does 90% of what I used my Pro for. I know which one I will be putting in my bag for holidays this year. In fact a friend of mine wanted a camp site filmed for his job, I took both drones and on a relatively windy day never had to use the Pro. Captured exactly what he needed with the mini.

 

[Fort Pierce Pilot]

I have a Mini & a Platinum Pro. New to both but I started with the mini. Great drone. Easy to get good quality photos or video. But, it's kinda like taking pictures with your phone. Very handy and not a lot of settings to consider. I would be comfortable in ground winds under 5mph and distances to 600 feet or so. Mind you with this tiny thing that's beyond VLS. Yes, I have seen the 2 mile videos. I also read about lost minis here almost daily - most to wind, WiFi interference, or excessive distance. I bought the Pro for a more rugged machine. I have to say it's much more comforting when I'm a ways off and I get a high wind alert. The settings and available options are much greater. In hindsight though I would buy a used Mavic Pro - which you should be able to find for only a bit more than the mini. (~$500) From what you describe a Pro seems much better. One thing I really like about the mini is its stealth. It simply dissapears above 75 ft. You don't hear it and it's as small as a bird. So if I'm doing a flyover where I think someone might raise a ruckus the mini comes out. I simply wait for a really calm day. I've seen folks haul amazing things with a Ford Ranger but if I wanted a real work truck I wouldn't go below a F150 - if you get my analogy.

 

[Dbez1]

Look, I get the limitations as noted by several people above, but I started a thread asking “How many with MM have been trouble free?” and the positive responses filled pages. As for wind, if it’s under 20mph, I fly! As for distance, the majority of my flights are 1500’ +, the worst problem is VLOS as once you look down, you can’t find it again in the sky. I’ve never had a problem with the props hitting the legs and there’s not a single mark on the original props. At 13.4 hours, 95.3 miles, and 79 flights, I love the mini. Re the camera...I’m a retired professional photographer and yes, like an iPhone, it has it’s limitations, but unless you’re going larger than 8x10 or doing some significant cropping, it’s pretty good (see sample below). I’m sure the MM video will not come close to the Hasselblad lens, but it’s very acceptable for general use (probably not professional). I’ll try to include a link I saw on uTube where an Irish filmmaker compared the mini and the air. In full disclosure, I live rurally and don’t have to fight the ocean winds or lots of competing WiFi. What I did do was read the threads on this forum and learned from the mistakes of others. I don’t know which is best for you but have tried to give you some information to add to the other posts. Best wishes!

 

[Symeboy]

Thanks for your replies guys.

I was talking to a professional today and I think I will purchase a power bank to give me more fly time. I think this is the best option cost wise! Soon as the mavic 3 is out I might consider that.

Thanks again

 

[slup]

Thanks for your replies guys.

I was talking to a professional today and I think I will purchase a power bank to give me more fly time. I think this is the best option cost wise! Soon as the mavic 3 is out I might consider that.

Thanks again

Wonder how you will utilize a power bank to extend battery time for your present Mavic Air ... I mean, you do know that you can't charge it through the USB-C port, or ?

 

[Deleted member 93449]

The only thing the Mini has going for it are size and weight. It's a different class of drone versus the Mavic Pro. The Pro blows it away (literal) when it comes to connectivity and ability to handle the wind. Then you've got the capabilities of the cameras, obstacle avoidance and other features you have with the Pro the Mini doesn't have. No comparison.

 

[Symeboy]

Wonder how you will utilize a power bank to extend battery time for your present Mavic Air ... I mean, you do know that you can't charge it through the USB-C port, or ?

I haven't looked into it yet but apparently you can get a high capacity battery charger to charge your batteries when you are out in the field, so just means you can recharge them without having to go home