Hey guys I currently am in the market for my first drone, I will be using the drone to take videos of landscape, ocean ect on my solo travelling journey. From what I have researched I am still very 50/50, i have heard the no tracking feature can be a deal breaker, is there any major differences between the two? If there isn’t I think I’ll go with the pro, as tracking would be handy for solo flying (especially for paddle boarding and things). But I’ve heard also good things about the mini 2, how’s the range and reliability compared to the pro? Are they trash in wind?
MARK (LI)
Well-Known Member
I have a mini 2...my only other drone was a phantom...from my experience the Mini2 is better in the wind...in fact remarkably stable ....I don't fly above 20MPH winds.....the Mini 2 is a great size to stash when traveling...you have to give some thought to how you would handle the tracking when in the water....where do you leave the controller?...If you have someone on the beach to watch it for you ...you still want to get to it when it has to land...that being said...larger drones are easier to keep an eye on when they are in the air...good luck with whatever choice you make
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You should consider the Air 2 its one our all time favorite drones .
Its the got the ability to negotiate the wind, its been kept up to date , and we make the Gear for the Air 2 to fly in the Rain and Float on the Water.
Its an outstanding drone the Air 2S gives you just a little cleaner picture in low light with a few more senseless sensors but I would take either of those two drones.
Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain and Float on Water.
Its the got the ability to negotiate the wind, its been kept up to date , and we make the Gear for the Air 2 to fly in the Rain and Float on the Water.
Its an outstanding drone the Air 2S gives you just a little cleaner picture in low light with a few more senseless sensors but I would take either of those two drones.
Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain and Float on Water.
I have a pro and it isn,t that fragile in the wind I do a large amount of flying in nm in the spring and deal with a normal breeze of 12 14 or better everyday. If I need to when it gets up the carbon fiber three blade props actually stabilize it in winds 15 and up, but i expect they load the motors more than it was designed for. The pro is pretty stable and works hard and you do not see many reports about flyaways my three have never even offered , I have had to go pick them up on occasion from poor mission planning. but most of the time if I,ve put to much time, or the winds get up where it can,t make it all the way it will cut off the mission and return on its own even if it has lost signal using litchi of course ! the spark was like this to never had the priveledge of using mini2
vindibona1
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My take:
Definitely the Air 2 or Air 2 s unless there is a mitigating reason like weight restrictions for international journeys where the laws are stricter than the US. You won't regret the Air 2 S if you can swing it. I promise.
Like all of us at one time, you are new to the hobby. Its addictive. And truer words were ne'er spoken: "It's better to have it and not need it and need it than not have it". To pile onto that a bit, IMO it's better to buy something to grow into than something to grow out of. My first "real" drone was a Mini 1 and within 4 weeks I ended up buying a Mavic 2 Pro. It didn't take long to get hooked. nor as good as the Mini was, recognize its deficiencies. I ended up upgrading to a Mini 2 a few months later and now have two drones and both have it's place. But if I had to do it over again (at the time) I'd just buy the Mavic 2 Pro. Knowing what I know now, today I would be all over the Air 2S. Truth be known, with the exception of international travel (which has been COVID restricted) inspite of having a super-light Mini 2 my Mavic 2 Pro has been my travel drone. The M2P weighs twice what the Air2 or Air 2s weighs and I had no issues shlepping the M2P on my shoulder (in a compact case) all over the east cost this past summer. Dragging an Air2s along should be no issue at all. Its only 250 grams or so heavier than the Mini 2 and only a bit larger.
Money/cost: If you can comfortably afford the Air 2s BUY IT. I don't mean "afford" in terms of "willing to part with the money", but afford in terms of being able to buy it without stringing out payments and without it affecting anything else in your life. The new drones will bring a better resale price should you hate the hobby and choose to bail, in which case you can think of the difference not as a loss, but as the cost of trial/rental. Trust me. You will forget how much it cost 20 minutes after you write the check as long as you're not shorting yourself on other priorities.
My 2¢ worth
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i would rather have the air 2 s from what i,ve read and seen what it does
funflyer
Well-Known Member
I am also new to this hobby, about one month in now. I bought the mini 2 for 2 reasons: price and weight. All i can say is I am very happy. Easy to fly and transport around. Sometimes I kind of use it as an extended selfie stick because it is so stable. I believe this to be a great first drone. In the future, I’m sure i will end up with another, a magic for sure.
66427cobra
Well-Known Member
I got the bug about 6 months ago from watching all the videos taken by drones that I saw online and on TV. I went with the Mini 2 because of the lower price, not knowing how much flying I would do as I am retired with other hobbies.
Since it was winter and my wife is a real estate agent I decided to get my Part 107 cert, too. Had the time to self study and passed on the first try with a 92. Have done a few jobs for compensation and the Mini 2 was more than adequate. In fact the clients loved the picture and video quality.
I fly 1-2 times a week and have no regrets going with the Mini 2. Friends and family are amazed at how good the pics are. Terrific for family and vacation photography.
Do I dream about a bigger/better drone? Of course. I would love a drone with tracking and great obstacle avoidance like the Skydio 2 and hope to add to my inventory in the future.
So...if you are unsure of just how much flying you will be doing, the Mini 2 offers a great balance of functionality and price. If you expect to fly a lot, you may want to go for one of the other options. Regardless of which one you choose, fun is guaranteed.
Since it was winter and my wife is a real estate agent I decided to get my Part 107 cert, too. Had the time to self study and passed on the first try with a 92. Have done a few jobs for compensation and the Mini 2 was more than adequate. In fact the clients loved the picture and video quality.
I fly 1-2 times a week and have no regrets going with the Mini 2. Friends and family are amazed at how good the pics are. Terrific for family and vacation photography.
Do I dream about a bigger/better drone? Of course. I would love a drone with tracking and great obstacle avoidance like the Skydio 2 and hope to add to my inventory in the future.
So...if you are unsure of just how much flying you will be doing, the Mini 2 offers a great balance of functionality and price. If you expect to fly a lot, you may want to go for one of the other options. Regardless of which one you choose, fun is guaranteed.
I've got a Mini and Mavic 2 Pro. Picture quality from the M2P is better (video seems the same for both, but I rarely shoot video). Handles windy situations better, too. Mini is easier to carry, and legal to fly more places.
M2P shoots panoramas automatically, which makes a big difference to me. Don't know about you. (Used to shoot panoramas manually on the P4, so I appreciate the convenience of the M2P, plus the larger image size.)
I don't use the intelligent flight modes much, so don't miss the limitations of the Mini that way. The orbit on the Mini is a bit easier to set up than on the M2P, and apparently can track a slow-moving object (haven't verified that myself).
Mini is significantly cheaper, which means accidents while travelling won't be as costly!
M2P shoots panoramas automatically, which makes a big difference to me. Don't know about you. (Used to shoot panoramas manually on the P4, so I appreciate the convenience of the M2P, plus the larger image size.)
I don't use the intelligent flight modes much, so don't miss the limitations of the Mini that way. The orbit on the Mini is a bit easier to set up than on the M2P, and apparently can track a slow-moving object (haven't verified that myself).
Mini is significantly cheaper, which means accidents while travelling won't be as costly!
I also just started using a drone Being a newbie I went on to the forums for advise and bought a mini 2 I am amazed at this small drone , to me it seems like magic
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