Mini 3 or larger- One man's opinion

[vindibona1]

I have had the pleasure of owning a Mini 1, a Mini 2 and now a Mini 3. 4 weeks after purchasing the Mini 1 I bought a Mavic 2 Pro. I probably should have gone with the Air2 out of the gate, but that's a whole 'nother thread. The reason for the M2P purchase was that I couldn't fly my Mini 1 50% of the time that I wanted. It just didn't have the juice to stand up against the strong winds we get here, especially near the lakefront.

DJI has done a pretty tremendous job improving wind resistance within their Mini series. But for those (particularly in the US without real weight restrictions) who are on the fence as to which drone to buy, I have to say the Air2s or heavier drone might be a better choice than the Mini 3. Don't get me wrong, I love my Mini 3 for a lot of reasons. And while I have stated this on other threads I want to reiterate; while the Mini 3 Pro has good power to avoid fly-aways it lacks stability in gusty situations.

What does that mean exactly?
Yesterday I was out capturing some fall footage for a project I'm working on. A lot of that footage required flying relatively close to trees and structures. Getting precise control of the Mini 3 was a challenge. It was getting buffeted around and while the gimbal did a good job on it's own, because I was close to stuff the buffeting didn't allow for smooth control. I didn't have my M2P with me, but it would have done a much better job, especially having Tripod mode, something DJI (unwisely) ditched, replacing it with "cine" mode.

For the most part the buffeting isn't so much of an issue when the drone is up in the air, traveling a long distanced relatively far from objects. But close to the ground, where you have to guide it precisely, the wind against the low mass of the Mini 3 can be somewhat of an issue. It was for me yesterday. I didn't have my M2P with me, but I know that it would have been rock solid in the same wind conditions.

One more thing that leaves me scratching my head is using ND filters. I've never used them on my Minis, largely because I'm cheap and typically don't fly close enough to stuff that it would make a whole lot of difference. But as I watch the footage from yesterday, flying 3-4 ft off the ground, capturing grass and leaves I saw what seems to be enough motion blur without the artificial quality that a lot of folks complain about in spite of higher shutter speeds. I never had them for any of my Minis and never seem to have missed having them, though I have both regular and gradient ND filters for my M2P. I love the (PolarPro) gradients and haven't yet used the standard ND filters on that drone since getting the gradients. Sadly PolarPro stopped making them. I had this set, possibly the last set available in the world, shipped to me from Japan.

 

[Ty Pilot]

Your path from smaller to bigger, and finding the M2P to have an advantage is similar to mine coming from the other side of the 'size' coin. For years I flew the early Phantoms and replaced them with Typhoons - the original and then later the H Plus. Those drones had phenomenal wind resistance and; the H Plus has a camera that is on-par with M2P.

The glaring downside is they are big, bulky and heavy. At first you don't notice until you need to get to places where a car can't go, then the limitation of weight and size will catch up to you.

I've had a Mavic 2 Pro now for about three years, and for a compact do-it-all drone, I simply don't see a replacement in terms of cost, functionality, camera and just general operational capability. If I had to replace the M2P today, hands down it would be the Air 2S

 

[vindibona1]

Your path from smaller to bigger, and finding the M2P to have an advantage is similar to mine coming from the other side of the 'size' coin. For years I flew the early Phantoms and replaced them with Typhoons - the original and then later the H Plus. Those drones had phenomenal wind resistance and; the H Plus has a camera that is on-par with M2P.

The glaring downside is they are big, bulky and heavy. At first you don't notice until you need to get to places where a car can't go, then the limitation of weight and size will catch up to you.

I've had a Mavic 2 Pro now for about three years, and for a compact do-it-all drone, I simply don't see a replacement in terms of cost, functionality, camera and just general operational capability. If I had to replace the M2P today, hands down it would be the Air 2S

If I had to replace my M2P today it would be... I don't know. The field is pretty narrow though. It might be a Mavic 3 in the future should refurbished ones appear on the market, especially if I could buy it without the featureless brick...err... RCN1 controller, which I already own one of. Alternately, possibly one of the Autels. A key feature for me that I wouldn't compromise on would be a variable aperture. In a few months we're going to see how RID shakes out and how DJI and Autel are going to implement it. I hope I can keep from destroying my M2P in the meantime. As you may have read in another thread I have purchased two new batteries for it which will stay in the sealed package in hibernation until I have to use them or sell them.

FWIW, last year we were all over the east coast on vacation and while I had my complete MP2 kit packed with us, I was able to carry the drone, batteries, filters and essentials in the Fly More bag without any issues or discomfort. While I owned a Mini 2 I never once wished that I'd brought the Mini with instead of or in addition to the M2.

While it's great to have a Mini 3, the Mavic 2 Pro, even being a 5 year old model still bests it in several areas. There are days that because of wind I wouldn't dream of launching the Mini 3 but wouldn't even give it a thought to throw up the M2.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

If I had to replace an M2P my first choice would be another M2P lol, for one thing it saves chasing spare batteries.

 

[Chrislaf]

For me, I purchased a Mini 3 to complement my Mavic 3. I had been wanting to get a Mini drone for a while and when the Mini 3 came out especially with the drone only package, I jumped on it. My Mavic 3 is much more stable in wind where the Mini 3 gets bounced around even if it can handle it. The photo quality from the Mini 3 is very good but it does not compare to the dynamic range I can get from my Mavic 3 and its micro 4/3 sensor. When I have my Mavic 3 in the air, I feel like I have a DSLR up there, whereas when I have the Mini 3 up in the air, I feel like I have a point and shoot up there. Here in Canada the rules for flying my Mavic 3 under my basic licence are much more restrictive than the rules for flying the Mini 3, so opportunities to fly my Mini 3 are much greater.

If there is ever a day when DJI releases a Mini drone (under 250g) that has a large sensor (1 inch or micro 4/3) and a variable aperture, that will be the day that I may be ready to give up my Mavic 3. I do love the telephoto lens though so that would be hard to give up.

Chris

 

[Eagle Eye 62]

For me, I purchased a Mini 3 to complement my Mavic 3. I had been wanting to get a Mini drone for a while and when the Mini 3 came out especially with the drone only package, I jumped on it. My Mavic 3 is much more stable in wind where the Mini 3 gets bounced around even if it can handle it. The photo quality from the Mini 3 is very good but it does not compare to the dynamic range I can get from my Mavic 3 and its micro 4/3 sensor. When I have my Mavic 3 in the air, I feel like I have a DSLR up there, whereas when I have the Mini 3 up in the air, I feel like I have a point and shoot up there. Here in Canada the rules for flying my Mavic 3 under my basic licence are much more restrictive than the rules for flying the Mini 3, so opportunities to fly my Mini 3 are much greater.

If there is ever a day when DJI releases a Mini drone (under 250g) that has a large sensor (1 inch or micro 4/3) and a variable aperture, that will be the day that I may be ready to give up my Mavic 3. I do love the telephoto lens though so that would be hard to give up.

Chris

Chris, I think you made a couple of good points. The Mavic 3 is better in strong winds for a number of different factors. First the weight helps alot, but also the fact that the motors are more powerful coupled with the larger props helps for stability. I also thin the larger sensor coupled with the zoom capability provides more imaging options and higher quality from the larger sensor and Hasselblad optics. I have both drones and use them for different missions.

 

[billy750cc]

I purchased the Mini 3 pro. The main advantages of the Mini is are it is Mini and has a remote with built in screen. It is great travel drone. Especially with the extended life battery option. I can just chuck it in my tank bag for motorcycle trips. It does a descent job of following at lower speeds without 180º turns back underneath the drone. If it is windy and the Mini 3 is the only drone I have with me I might just be SOL.

 

[skycam509]

I have had the pleasure of owning a Mini 1, a Mini 2 and now a Mini 3. 4 weeks after purchasing the Mini 1 I bought a Mavic 2 Pro. I probably should have gone with the Air2 out of the gate, but that's a whole 'nother thread. The reason for the M2P purchase was that I couldn't fly my Mini 1 50% of the time that I wanted. It just didn't have the juice to stand up against the strong winds we get here, especially near the lakefront.

DJI has done a pretty tremendous job improving wind resistance within their Mini series. But for those (particularly in the US without real weight restrictions) who are on the fence as to which drone to buy, I have to say the Air2s or heavier drone might be a better choice than the Mini 3. Don't get me wrong, I love my Mini 3 for a lot of reasons. And while I have stated this on other threads I want to reiterate; while the Mini 3 Pro has good power to avoid fly-aways it lacks stability in gusty situations.

What does that mean exactly?
Yesterday I was out capturing some fall footage for a project I'm working on. A lot of that footage required flying relatively close to trees and structures. Getting precise control of the Mini 3 was a challenge. It was getting buffeted around and while the gimbal did a good job on it's own, because I was close to stuff the buffeting didn't allow for smooth control. I didn't have my M2P with me, but it would have done a much better job, especially having Tripod mode, something DJI (unwisely) ditched, replacing it with "cine" mode.

For the most part the buffeting isn't so much of an issue when the drone is up in the air, traveling a long distanced relatively far from objects. But close to the ground, where you have to guide it precisely, the wind against the low mass of the Mini 3 can be somewhat of an issue. It was for me yesterday. I didn't have my M2P with me, but I know that it would have been rock solid in the same wind conditions.

One more thing that leaves me scratching my head is using ND filters. I've never used them on my Minis, largely because I'm cheap and typically don't fly close enough to stuff that it would make a whole lot of difference. But as I watch the footage from yesterday, flying 3-4 ft off the ground, capturing grass and leaves I saw what seems to be enough motion blur without the artificial quality that a lot of folks complain about in spite of higher shutter speeds. I never had them for any of my Minis and never seem to have missed having them, though I have both regular and gradient ND filters for my M2P. I love the (PolarPro) gradients and haven't yet used the standard ND filters on that drone since getting the gradients. Sadly PolarPro stopped making them. I had this set, possibly the last set available in the world, shipped to me from Japan.

Interesting observation about motion blur. I had a M2P and could tell a distinct difference between video shot in auto vs. using ND filters and adhering to the 180 degree rule. Now I have an Air 2s and a Mini 2. I sometimes use ND filters on the Air 2s, but not always. What is surprising to me, is that there is a certain amount of motion blur in a lot of my A2s video without NDs. I don't think it's just dumb luck and I ended up somewhere near the 180 degree rule because these are on sunny days where the shutter speed would be very high on auto. Has anyone else noticed this with the Air 2s or other drones?

 

[Glenh]

I mostly do mapping - with my Mini 2 at the moment which is not ideal (12mp). I have been advised to get a Phantom 4 Pro (20mp) and a mechanical shutter. Makes sense? Any other options in the price range?

Thanks

 

[guzewski]

Like others in this thread, I love my Mavic 2 Pro. I also have a Mini 2 for travelling but the Mavic 2 Pro is SO much better in the wind. I have considered an upgrade to the Mavic 3 Pro but I can't justify the cost when the 2 Pro is still such a great drone. BTW I was on a very windy outing and there was a guy flying his Air 2. We compared notes and it seems my Mavic 2 Pro might be a bit better in the wind, but it was a very close call.

 

[skycam509]

I mostly do mapping - with my Mini 2 at the moment which is not ideal (12mp). I have been advised to get a Phantom 4 Pro (20mp) and a mechanical shutter. Makes sense? Any other options in the price range?

Thanks

[Edit: The comparisons to the Mavic 2 Pro in this reply are because I originally thought @guzewski post was a reply to your comment.]

The Air 2s is the most popular drone out there, and for good reason. I had a Mavic 2 Pro. Once I got my Air 2s, I planned on keeping the M2P because the Air 2s lacked adjustable aperture. I found I was never flying the M2P, and eventually sold it.

Where wind is concerned, I like the Air 2s better. In a strong headwind, the M2P will loose forward obstacle avoidance due to the excessive forward pitch needed to counteract the wind. This is because the forward sensors are pointing too far downward to see far enough forward. The Air 2s has an extra set of sensors on the front that look upward that can see forward during high forward pitch events, keeping forward obstacle avoidance enabled.

I know you mentioned that you do mapping, so video is probably not as important to you. However, I find the video from the Air 2s noticeably better that from the Mavic 2 Pro, probably due to the higher bitrate. I also have a Mini 2. I can tell you that the Air 2s is an exponential upgrade from the Mini 2.

If you're considering the Phantom, just look at the size of case it requires compared to the foldable drones. That alone is a deal-breaker for me.

I hope this helps you. Good luck!

 

[Felix le Chat]

I mostly do mapping - with my Mini 2 at the moment which is not ideal (12mp). I have been advised to get a Phantom 4 Pro (20mp) and a mechanical shutter. Makes sense? Any other options in the price range?

Thanks

DJI states that the Phantom 4 Pro camera has a mechanical shutter (Mavic 3 Enterprise states the same). Mechanical shutter knocks a rolling shutter (sensor scan) into a cocked hat every time... but... and here's the BIG but: while both the P4 Pro and the Mavic 3 Enterprise cameras definitely have the leaf shutter - but there is a rolling shutter sensor behind it capturing the data.

Maybe if it was a global sensor (exposes the whole of the sensor to all of the light all at the same time) the mechanical shutter would make sense - but rolling shutter line scan data capture still creates the same problems as a dedicated rolling shutter (Mavic Pro/Mav 2/Air 2S et. al)
As far as I'm aware: the P4 Pro sensor doesn't line-skip, which gives rise to far fewer video aberrations usually associated with rolling shutter sensors that are firmware forced to line skip (Mavic 2 Pro).