Another reason to consider a bigger drone than the Mini 2

[Skybuyer]

You are comparing two completely different drones designed for two different markets.

You could consider this the same as comparing a 2WD truck to a 4WD truck. It doesn't snow here in FL, I don't have a boat to tow and don't plan on going off road. It makes no sense for me to buy a 4WD truck that would cost a 20% premium when a 2WD will do everything I want it to do.

Might want to check out this thread to see what experienced owners think of the mini2. It isn't the first drone for any of them. Mavic Mini 2 vs. Original Mavic Pro - Considering a change

I think you missed the point complete. The thread is to differentiate between the 2wd truck and the 4wd truck illustrating some of the often overlooked reasons why giving up the light weight and cheaper price might be the better option for those who might not be as familiar as those that have already been in the DJI drone market.

 

[Capt KO]

Upgraded from MM1 to A2. After getting a hard case (A2 fly more), its almost as big and heavy as my Phantoms. Missing the Mini already and may get the Mini2 for travel especially aboard a boat where size matters. Mini1 just didn't quite have the balls needed in moderate winds even with the firmware update. The Minis are impressive in their own right, but have to admit, the A2 is much stronger.

 

[spudster]

I think you missed the point complete.

I missed nothing. Did you even read that thread. 10 people replied with their opinion on the Mini2, all have (or still) own other DJI drones. 8 say it is one of, if not their favorite drone. Some even say they have seldom fly their A2 and only fly the Mini2. To say that about the only people that buy the Mini2 are beginners and that owners of other DJI drones don't is disingenuous at best.

Of course the A2 is "stronger". It is also about double the price. If you go around hitting things then the A2 might be a better choice.

 

[Tiger64]

Wow.
My take on it was that he was trying to say,
If you are trying to decide between the 2 drones, you might want to consider durability as well as price, size and weight .

 

[knuterh]

I currently have a Mini 2 and a Mavic 2 Pro so I speak from experience.
My Mini 2 has crashed and had minor damage twice once because of over-aggressive reaction to minute stick movements and once because the rear props made light contact with an object, flipping it over and it fall all of 3 feet. In both instances I believe that it would not have happened with my Mavic 2, but for different reasons. In the latter instance, contact with objects, I know now for a fact that my Mavic 2 can recover from incidental contact with an object whereas the Mini 2 would simply fall to the ground.

Yesterday I was flying on the beach and inadvertantly in sport mode and as I came back in, I was standing not far from a tree. I let off the sticks but the drone didn't brake in time to avoid flying into the tree branches. They weren't thick like a tree trunk, but I could see the M2P momentarily get tangled in the tree branches and leaves, struggle to fight its way out, was turned almost vertially upon exiting the tree branches... and then recover. Upon inspection, no damage to props, but treen stuff from shredded leaves on the props and on the front of the drone. My Mini 2 would have certainly fallen to the ground and I probably would have needed to replace all the props. I was actually surprised that there was no prop damage at all. It was like a virtual weed whacker chopping its way out of a nest.

I don't own a Mavic Air 2, but I suspect it would have similar resiliance as my M2P because of how powerful the motors are. Not sure about structural rigidity and ability to recover from being knocked around a bit. . And while the Mini 2 is great and super light weight for (subject reasons IMO) it is fragile and lacks power in critical situations. I love both my drones, but wanted to bring out this one areas that I don't think has been discussed when we get into the "Which drone should I buy" threads.

Thanks for your input. And I am sure everybody agrees with your point. Personally I have a mini 2, and it’s my first ever drone. And I think it is absolutely fantastic. There are two main reasons for it being great, and it is size and affordability, with the size thing being number 1 in my mind. We all know bigger drones are better, but the ease of use with the mini2 is spectacular and it weighs up for a lot of the other stuff. According to the YouTube videos I have seen it also holds up really well picture wise. I like it. I wish you a great day further and thanks for your input.

 

[Gkinghrn]

I still think my initial response to you was right …. Everything I read is just a whole load of stuff trying to justify your first post …

 

[RoarRoar]

I love the idea of a small drone that is why I keep my spark Amongst other drones. Why haven’t I upgraded to a mini? I find the spark handles winds much better. I do lots of beach flying and the wind factor is an important one to me.

 

[Thomas B]

I love the idea of a small drone that is why I keep my spark Amongst other drones. Why haven’t I upgraded to a mini? I find the spark handles winds much better. I do lots of beach flying and the wind factor is an important one to me.

I still have mine too.... love the hand signal control feature.

 

[maelstrom]

When you take away size because the MA2/A2s are not all that much bigger than the Minis, and the REGULATED need for <250g the remaining question is, what are the reasons or advantages of spending more money to step up to one of the more sophisticated DJI drones?

For a lot of people, the weight is more important than the size or durability. In many countries, sub-250g drones have far fewer restrictions than those weighing over 250g. Yes, the Mini (1 or 2) can be considered a starter drone but many people buy it because they can legally do more with it. That was certainly one of the main reasons I bought it.

 

[Skybuyer]

For a lot of people, the weight is more important than the size or durability. In many countries, sub-250g drones have far fewer restrictions than those weighing over 250g. Yes, the Mini (1 or 2) can be considered a starter drone but many people buy it because they can legally do more with it. That was certainly one of the main reasons I bought it.

The legalities and weight restrictions of non US countries is a given. I get that. If I were in an EU country I'd have only a Mini until I could jump through the hoops to legally fly something bigger.

I did find one more issue with the Mini 2 just yesterday that I would not have expected. I'm thinking to do a separate thread on that.

 

[Kilrah]

As your skills improve you will start getting closer to objects and depending upon the angles your drone may come in contact with something.

IMO if you come into contact with something then your skills were not good enough to come close to objects in the first place, poor judgment / self-assessment. The elusive mishap happens, but if it happens regularly there's a deeper problem...

But in terms of "knowing to fly it within its capabilities", while I'm not skilled enough to be flying FPV acro I have enough experience with both my drones to know what they both can do under most circumstances. The Mini 2 has a stick sensitivity/latency issue that is well documented on DJI's forum. The input curve plus the latency makes it very difficult to control in tight spaces, especially when the Mini 2 has to fight it's own vorces (like in a hallway or doorway). Add a sudden shift into Atti mode in a tight space and you have more than one issue to deal with.

Flown a lot both indoors and outdoors with I1, M1, M2, MA1, MM, MM2 and have never had issues with or crashed any of them...

 

[crazeuk]

A lot of people use the term 'starter drone', in reality that's like saying a starter car. It's still a car
Yes the m1 / m2 can fly faster and further. But in the end both do the same job.

You can't use any of the dji stuff (except fpv) for sports or acrobats.

Really they are all just flying camera gimbles.

I guess for me for the moment the mm2 is fine. It flys. It gets to where I need, although handles winds a little worse off.

When I want to upgrade my altitude photography game I will upgrade to a full frame camera drone.

 

[SpitFire]

I own two MP's, I want a lighter weight, smaller drone. Just because, its smaller, does not attract a lot of attention. Its, a matter of personal choice, just reading all the comments, each person has their own criteria. I don't even want to offer my opinion on which drone is better.