Mavic Mini vs. Mavic Air

[Rayray]

For those of us who have wondered if the new Mini could be a suitable replacement for the Mavic Air, the answer is in: NO, not even close!

Mini: no 4K video, no obstacle avoidance, 15 or so MPH wind resistance, and many more limiting factors in comparison. It's cute (tiny!), but I'll stick with my MA, it's great...

 

[trailhawk]

It is a lot cheaper and the mavic air's propllers are loud!

 

[JoostGT3]

Yeah, I think DJI are masters in creating new niches and placing products in there that we didn't even know we wanted.
From the specs it seems obvious that the Mini will not be a competitor to the Air, all I wonder is: will it be a competitor to the Spark? I am a little bit concerned that they dumbed down the whole photography part to a level where it will just be a point and shoot experience. On the other hand, the Spark is already like that, and I love it for that.

On a side note; it seems to be a consensus that the whole "gesture control" of the Spark is more a gimmick than a real usable feature, and I for one am not at all disappointed to see that it has not found it's way to the Mini. Same with the object avoidance; I am really happy that it saved my Mav's one or two times from horrible crashes, but mostly it is just an annoyance that it completely ruined shots when flying into the sun and detecting that as an "object". I am looking forward to discovering whether I will find the Mini's feature set too simplified, or gloriously simple.

 

[Lastrexking]

It is a lot cheaper and the mavic air's propllers are loud!

it’s a lot cheaper because it doesn’t have;

4k
manual camera settings
RAW
built in 8gb memory
avoidance sensors
active track
100mb/s data transfer
tap to fly

and, many other features.

It’s like comparing a DSLR to a point and shoot.

 

[trailhawk]

it’s a lot cheaper because it doesn’t have;

4k
manual camera settings
RAW
built in 8gb memory
avoidance sensors
active track
100mb/s data transfer
tap to fly

and, many other features.

It’s like comparing a DSLR to a point and shoot.

It's a starter drone, plus they were trying to make it light, and some of those features add weight. If you want all those features, just get the mavic air or pro. Can't you just appreciate a new class of drones for dji?

 

[webvan]

it’s a lot cheaper because it doesn’t have;

4k
manual camera settings
RAW
built in 8gb memory
avoidance sensors
active track
100mb/s data transfer
tap to fly

and, many other features.

It’s like comparing a DSLR to a point and shoot.

Also no panos/spheres (really no technical excuse for that) and no SmartCapture (works really well on the Air, unlike on the Spark).

 

[Lastrexking]

It's a starter drone, plus they were trying to make it light, and some of those features add weight. If you want all those features, just get the mavic air or pro. Can't you just appreciate a new class of drones for dji?

Exactly, I was pointing out why it’s cheaper, and that your point on noise wasn’t relevant.

 

[Scottalmas]

I don't "get" the Mini at all. If size, transportability and convenience are main drivers of this drone, why the heck would you not make it controllable via cell phone only and how could you possibly omit gesture control? There is nothing convenient about power up the drone then powering up a controller and fumbling around with the controller when taking a selfie or group selfie. Compare to the Spark and gesture control. Power on, double tap the power button and release the drone. Done and done! Also: no follow me? Seriously?! I don't know why people are talking about this being an Air-killer or Spark-killer, or talking about where it sits in the DJI line up (i.e., higher or lower than the Air?). If I were to get this little guy it would be to replace my Tello because it doesn't offer anything close to the functionality and convenience of my Spark or Air for my purposes.

I am also curious why 249 grams is such a big deal. In the US, it takes all of 2 minutes to register and costs $5 for three years, which is presumably longer than anyone will own this drone. I don't get it.

But that's just my $.02.

 

[webvan]

Are we sure for a fact that it's controllable from a Smartphone ? I've been looking everywhere and asking "reviewers" and can't get an answer...which probably means it's missing.
TBH "Gesture Control" on the Spark is really unreliable, on the Air "Smart Capture" is great though !

EDIT - lack of direct control by Smartphone now confirmed, sadly

 

[Unknown Pilot]

I am also curious why 249 grams is such a big deal. In the US, it takes all of 2 minutes to register and costs $5 for three years, which is presumably longer than anyone will own this drone. I don't get it.

Agreed - it's hardly an onerous task.

 

[Teddy warrick]

It’s a high dollar TOY .......

 

[Pejebe55]

ik denk dat de drone bewust beneden 250 gr. werd gehouden om toch een drone te hebben, aangepast aan de Eurpese wetgeving. Drones boven de 250 gr. moeten worden ingeschreven met de nieuwe wet. Bij deze drone heb je niets nodig, geen vergunning, geen inschrijving, geen verplichte verzekering etc..

 

[Dave Maine]

The biggest problem I see is in the imaging system. Not having exposure control makes for lots of post work where the variation in exposure from the drone needs fixing.

Working low and slow generally means turning the obstacle sensing off anyway because you can’t get really close to things without the os creating sudden stops.

 

[Peiper44]

? for Mavic Air and ?? for Mavic Mini.
Haha!

 

[Scottalmas]

Are we sure for a fact that it's controllable from a Smartphone ? I've been looking everywhere and asking "reviewers" and can't get an answer...which probably means it's missing.
TBH "Gesture Control" on the Spark is really unreliable, on the Air "Smart Capture" is great though !

EDIT - lack of direct control by Smartphone now confirmed, sadly

Although I agree that Gesture Control on the Spark is not as effective as on the MA, with some practice, I've gotten pretty adept at using it and it is certainly usable enough for that quick selfie pic or video on the beach, golf course, etc. I love that it is hand launch and capture rather than starting from the ground as you must with the MA, thereby avoiding having to take off from the beach or laying out a towel.

 

[b52danno]

Mini has built in altitude limit. And cops can trace operator location. Just so you know.

 

[Unknown Pilot]

The biggest problem I see is in the imaging system. Not having exposure control makes for lots of post work where the variation in exposure from the drone needs fixing.

That would be fine if we could shoot in raw but there's less wiggle room with JPGs.

 

[webvan]

Although I agree that Gesture Control on the Spark is not as effective as on the MA, with some practice, I've gotten pretty adept at using it and it is certainly usable enough for that quick selfie pic or video on the beach, golf course, etc. I love that it is hand launch and capture rather than starting from the ground as you must with the MA, thereby avoiding having to take off from the beach or laying out a towel.

True, I was actually thinking of the "trace" mode that's a complete nightmare to activate on the Spark, as well as starting videos if memory serves, for a quick pic it works fine.

 

[mmerino]

it’s a lot cheaper because it doesn’t have;

4k
manual camera settings
RAW
built in 8gb memory
avoidance sensors
active track
100mb/s data transfer
tap to fly

and, many other features.

It’s like comparing a DSLR to a point and shoot.

The camera (and sensor) are the same in MA & MM...4K and mps are software constraints.

 

[Deleted member 93449]

If I had a Spark there is nothing about the Mini that would motivate me to spend another $400 to get one. If I already had a Mavic Air or Mavic Pro or some other Mavic there is nothing about the Mini that would motivate me to spend another $400 to get one.

I see the Mini as a very capable drone for a beginner or for someone looking to upgrade from an inexpensive drone that has inferior performance (flight controls and camera) but wants to stay under $500 or someone that just likes to have all the newest stuff that come out.

As far as the drone market in general, my understanding was the consumer market has been shrinking so I wonder if there is a significant market for a drone at this price point.