DJI Mini 2 impressions after 12 days and comparison to Mini 1

[BarrieW]

Great video and impressive rock formations, have to travel fair distance here in the UK to get anything near that but the weather has been so crappy here lately that no flying for a good while. I have mini 1 and mini 2 and am also impressed with the 2 so far - keeping the mini 1 purely for pleasure flying.

 

[Paleomanjim]

Great video and impressive rock formations, have to travel fair distance here in the UK to get anything near that but the weather has been so crappy here lately that no flying for a good while. I have mini 1 and mini 2 and am also impressed with the 2 so far - keeping the mini 1 purely for pleasure flying.

We visited the UK a few years ago and got lucky with the weather, awesome place. I remember a place called Orkney ruins in the north of Scotland, 5000 year old ruins that just blew my mind and incredibly beautiful. It would be an awesome place to video with a drone, but probably not allowed. Like you I have the Mini 1 and am keeping it as well, still a great flying little drone. Thanks

 

[Paleomanjim]

I found this interesting. While searching for what exactly the Max Video Bitrate of 100 Mbps referred to I discovered this statement on Gearbrain.com regarding the DJI Mini 2:
"The bitrate of footage sent to the controller is also up, from 4Mbps to 8Mbps, which should mean higher quality live footage beamed from the drone to its pilot."

That explains a lot. I knew the video quality on my iPhone appeared better on the DJI Mini 2 than the Mavic Mini 1 but assumed it was due to the Max Video Bitrate of 100 Mbps which it is not. I then assumed it must be the Occunsync, which it probably is at least partially. But the doubling of the bitrate footage from the drone to the controller apparently is the main reason. Anotyher big plus for the Mini 2 imo....

 

[Sjassie]

Hi, i just lost my mini into the water... you just convinced me to buy the Mini 2? I wonder if I should pay the extra for the remote control of the Mini 2 or use the one for the Mini... any thoughts? Jp

Buy the flymore, it is great value for the money. And if you do not like the controller sell it.

 

[joaobeninho]

So I have had the DJI Mini 2 for around 12 days now and have had it out in the field around 7 days with 15 flights or so. I consider myself as more of a pilot than a photographer so I may have a certain bias in my perspective. Here we go. The occusnyc is fantastic and far more reliable than the Wifi of the Mini 1. I have had no loss of screen reception at all so far. The higher 100 Mbps results in a much higher image quality. The controller/transmitter has a much better feel in the hands, solid and less awkward. The control sticks are taller than the mini 1, allowing more precise control of all 3 axis. Even more importantly the Yaw sensitivity can be adjusted in all 3 modes. That was a big issue for me with the Mini 1, there was no yaw adjustment available and making smooth yaw turns was difficult at best. I have reduced the Yaw sensitivity on the Mini 2 and this allows very smooth turns with no jerky movements in the video. The higher speed for all 3 modes is great also and not just the ability to handle higher winds in S Mode. The C Mode is now around 13 mph, pretty much perfect for getting low and slow near the ground, but not a snails pace either. All of this combined gives the Mini 2 a more confident feel in the air which allows for lower flying near the ground or in canyons. In the video below I have a couple scenes very low and slow flying at 2' above the ground that gives a perspective not normally seen in drone videos. The low mass of the drone allows much greater maneuverability at ground level than larger heavier drones. I fly these scenes visually rather than using the screen due to latency. Its a nice ability to be able to video small landscapes that just would not look impressive higher up. The zoom feature is awesome too, I was able to zoom in on rock climbers from far away without distracting them. The higher 4K resolution of the camera is a great feature too, but to be honest I have not used it yet. 1080P seems to fit my needs so far but eventually I'll give it a try. The video below was the result of hiking at Calico Basin most of last week using the Mini 2. Ended up with around 2 hours of video and condensed it down to 6 minutes. All video was just the stock Mini 2 footage with standard settings no filters and no color enhancement.

Amazing rocks! What's the music?

 

[DesertRat207]

So I have had the DJI Mini 2 for around 12 days now and have had it out in the field around 7 days with 15 flights or so. I consider myself as more of a pilot than a photographer so I may have a certain bias in my perspective. Here we go. The occusnyc is fantastic and far more reliable than the Wifi of the Mini 1. I have had no loss of screen reception at all so far. The higher 100 Mbps results in a much higher image quality. The controller/transmitter has a much better feel in the hands, solid and less awkward. The control sticks are taller than the mini 1, allowing more precise control of all 3 axis. Even more importantly the Yaw sensitivity can be adjusted in all 3 modes. That was a big issue for me with the Mini 1, there was no yaw adjustment available and making smooth yaw turns was difficult at best. I have reduced the Yaw sensitivity on the Mini 2 and this allows very smooth turns with no jerky movements in the video. The higher speed for all 3 modes is great also and not just the ability to handle higher winds in S Mode. The C Mode is now around 13 mph, pretty much perfect for getting low and slow near the ground, but not a snails pace either. All of this combined gives the Mini 2 a more confident feel in the air which allows for lower flying near the ground or in canyons. In the video below I have a couple scenes very low and slow flying at 2' above the ground that gives a perspective not normally seen in drone videos. The low mass of the drone allows much greater maneuverability at ground level than larger heavier drones. I fly these scenes visually rather than using the screen due to latency. Its a nice ability to be able to video small landscapes that just would not look impressive higher up. The zoom feature is awesome too, I was able to zoom in on rock climbers from far away without distracting them. The higher 4K resolution of the camera is a great feature too, but to be honest I have not used it yet. 1080P seems to fit my needs so far but eventually I'll give it a try. The video below was the result of hiking at Calico Basin most of last week using the Mini 2. Ended up with around 2 hours of video and condensed it down to 6 minutes. All video was just the stock Mini 2 footage with standard settings no filters and no color enhancement.

That is incredible footage ?

 

[MiniNubi]

Yes! Great flying and super area. Reminded me of the Sedona area. Here’s some from the Coffee Pot rock area in Sedona... No color adjustments done...

Is is ok (legal) to fly drone in Sedona National forest area? Beautiful area, thought there were restrictions?

 

[TaffyRookie]

So I have had the DJI Mini 2 for around 12 days now and have had it out in the field around 7 days with 15 flights or so. I consider myself as more of a pilot than a photographer so I may have a certain bias in my perspective. Here we go. The occusnyc is fantastic and far more reliable than the Wifi of the Mini 1. I have had no loss of screen reception at all so far. The higher 100 Mbps results in a much higher image quality. The controller/transmitter has a much better feel in the hands, solid and less awkward. The control sticks are taller than the mini 1, allowing more precise control of all 3 axis. Even more importantly the Yaw sensitivity can be adjusted in all 3 modes. That was a big issue for me with the Mini 1, there was no yaw adjustment available and making smooth yaw turns was difficult at best. I have reduced the Yaw sensitivity on the Mini 2 and this allows very smooth turns with no jerky movements in the video. The higher speed for all 3 modes is great also and not just the ability to handle higher winds in S Mode. The C Mode is now around 13 mph, pretty much perfect for getting low and slow near the ground, but not a snails pace either. All of this combined gives the Mini 2 a more confident feel in the air which allows for lower flying near the ground or in canyons. In the video below I have a couple scenes very low and slow flying at 2' above the ground that gives a perspective not normally seen in drone videos. The low mass of the drone allows much greater maneuverability at ground level than larger heavier drones. I fly these scenes visually rather than using the screen due to latency. Its a nice ability to be able to video small landscapes that just would not look impressive higher up. The zoom feature is awesome too, I was able to zoom in on rock climbers from far away without distracting them. The higher 4K resolution of the camera is a great feature too, but to be honest I have not used it yet. 1080P seems to fit my needs so far but eventually I'll give it a try. The video below was the result of hiking at Calico Basin most of last week using the Mini 2. Ended up with around 2 hours of video and condensed it down to 6 minutes. All video was just the stock Mini 2 footage with standard settings no filters and no color enhancement.

I liked your low level flight. Great capture of colour changes!

 

[Thomas B]

Is is ok (legal) to fly drone in Sedona National forest area? Beautiful area, thought there were restrictions?

Can’t TO or land in any US National Park. National Forest is different. Gotta do it from outside. There are maps to guide you posted there (Sedona trailheads). National Wilderness is not available as min legal altitude is 2000’ AGL.

 

[Brojon]

I'm puzzled by some of the color shifts.Some of the hills look gray one minute then poof red.

 

[JSM]

Pretty impressive camera! was that definitely shot at 1080p ?

 

[Paleomanjim]

Thanks everyone. Yes, all shot at 1080P with standard settings and no color enhancement. The shift in color sometimes hnappens when dramatic changes in sunlight occur. Fortunately, it is legal to fly drones including landing and takeoff at Calico Basin as well as Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area. No permits are needed, just common sense. The Mini 2 is great because it is quiet and small enough to go unnoticed and I try to avoid people at all times. They also allow rock climbing at both places too and the zoom on the Mini 2 isgreat for close upsof that. Music is:
Mountain Walk by Alexander Nakarada
Nowhere Land by Alexander Nakarada
Hope to do another video, this time in Red Rock Canyon (on other side of the hill) with the Mini 2. Unfortunately they now require reservation to enter and it will take 4 or 5 visits to get the footage I want and a dozen or more flights, so itwill take some time. Its only 10 miles away though and I have the senior pass and the time!

 

[dulcificum]

The 100Mbps only applies to 4K video. Since MM1 wasn't capable of 4K, it had no need for 100Mbps capability. If you were comparing the two with MM2 in 4K, that's not an equivalent comparison. A more fair comparison would be both in 2.7K or 1080p. You'll find that the bit rates between models for those two resolutions will be similar.

Is this actually true? So resolutions below 4K there is no bitrate advantage with the Mini 2?

 

[DanMan32]

Nitrate advance?
If that's a reference to playback speed for fast or slow motion, bitrate has nothing to do with it. Bitrate simply determines how much data is in the image, mainly compression. Frames per second may help with altered motion speed.

 

[JPthePilot]

Buy the flymore, it is great value for the money. And if you do not like the controller sell it.

Hi, DJI has replaced my MM... Christmas gift ??thanks for your
comment anyway...

 

[dulcificum]

Nitrate advance?
If that's a reference to playback speed for fast or slow motion, bitrate has nothing to do with it. Bitrate simply determines how much data is in the image, mainly compression. Frames per second may help with altered motion speed.

Phone typo. I think I meant "bitrate advantage".

 

[raymairjr]

So I have had the DJI Mini 2 for around 12 days now and have had it out in the field around 7 days with 15 flights or so. I consider myself as more of a pilot than a photographer so I may have a certain bias in my perspective. Here we go. The occusnyc is fantastic and far more reliable than the Wifi of the Mini 1. I have had no loss of screen reception at all so far. The higher 100 Mbps results in a much higher image quality. The controller/transmitter has a much better feel in the hands, solid and less awkward. The control sticks are taller than the mini 1, allowing more precise control of all 3 axis. Even more importantly the Yaw sensitivity can be adjusted in all 3 modes. That was a big issue for me with the Mini 1, there was no yaw adjustment available and making smooth yaw turns was difficult at best. I have reduced the Yaw sensitivity on the Mini 2 and this allows very smooth turns with no jerky movements in the video. The higher speed for all 3 modes is great also and not just the ability to handle higher winds in S Mode. The C Mode is now around 13 mph, pretty much perfect for getting low and slow near the ground, but not a snails pace either. All of this combined gives the Mini 2 a more confident feel in the air which allows for lower flying near the ground or in canyons. In the video below I have a couple scenes very low and slow flying at 2' above the ground that gives a perspective not normally seen in drone videos. The low mass of the drone allows much greater maneuverability at ground level than larger heavier drones. I fly these scenes visually rather than using the screen due to latency. Its a nice ability to be able to video small landscapes that just would not look impressive higher up. The zoom feature is awesome too, I was able to zoom in on rock climbers from far away without distracting them. The higher 4K resolution of the camera is a great feature too, but to be honest I have not used it yet. 1080P seems to fit my needs so far but eventually I'll give it a try. The video below was the result of hiking at Calico Basin most of last week using the Mini 2. Ended up with around 2 hours of video and condensed it down to 6 minutes. All video was just the stock Mini 2 footage with standard settings no filters and no color enhancement.

Great critique, I have had my new Mini 2 up once, first drone ever, just love it

 

[raymairjr]

Great critique, I have had my new Mini 2 up once, first drone ever, just love it

Great video as well, what do you use for video editing?

 

[Grey Hawk Photography]

Ok Ok fine I'll sale my MM1 and get the MM2 to add to my MA2.

 

[dulcificum]

So I have had the DJI Mini 2 for around 12 days now and have had it out in the field around 7 days with 15 flights or so. I consider myself as more of a pilot than a photographer so I may have a certain bias in my perspective. Here we go. The occusnyc is fantastic and far more reliable than the Wifi of the Mini 1. I have had no loss of screen reception at all so far. The higher 100 Mbps results in a much higher image quality. The controller/transmitter has a much better feel in the hands, solid and less awkward. The control sticks are taller than the mini 1, allowing more precise control of all 3 axis. Even more importantly the Yaw sensitivity can be adjusted in all 3 modes. That was a big issue for me with the Mini 1, there was no yaw adjustment available and making smooth yaw turns was difficult at best. I have reduced the Yaw sensitivity on the Mini 2 and this allows very smooth turns with no jerky movements in the video. The higher speed for all 3 modes is great also and not just the ability to handle higher winds in S Mode. The C Mode is now around 13 mph, pretty much perfect for getting low and slow near the ground, but not a snails pace either. All of this combined gives the Mini 2 a more confident feel in the air which allows for lower flying near the ground or in canyons. In the video below I have a couple scenes very low and slow flying at 2' above the ground that gives a perspective not normally seen in drone videos. The low mass of the drone allows much greater maneuverability at ground level than larger heavier drones. I fly these scenes visually rather than using the screen due to latency. Its a nice ability to be able to video small landscapes that just would not look impressive higher up. The zoom feature is awesome too, I was able to zoom in on rock climbers from far away without distracting them. The higher 4K resolution of the camera is a great feature too, but to be honest I have not used it yet. 1080P seems to fit my needs so far but eventually I'll give it a try. The video below was the result of hiking at Calico Basin most of last week using the Mini 2. Ended up with around 2 hours of video and condensed it down to 6 minutes. All video was just the stock Mini 2 footage with standard settings no filters and no color enhancement.

If you haven't used 4k yet how can you say the 100 Mbps gives better quality?