DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

Total Rookie, new question.. Mini 2 Fly more or MA2 basic?

Aside from better wind-handling of the MA2, has it proved more reliable (overly broad question, I know) than the Mini 2. I've yet to fly my new Mini 2 because of multiple problems with connection, compass calibration, etc., and I still have a week left on return window. I'm a retired professional still and motion photographer who appreciates quality, but the drone will serve more for landscapes, casual boating videos, etc. I can afford the extra cost of the MA2 fly more package. I got spooked by my Spark flyaway, so I'm gun-shy with the Mini 2 exhibiting quirks. By the way, the 4k video of the Mini 2 is excellent, quite impressive. And I shoot 4k with an APS-C sensor as well as a 1-inch sensor, and I'm still impressed with the Mini 2 4k. I've so far used it as a remote camera to record birds up close. The 4k "zoom" still produces excellent quality by cropping the sensor. Impressive feat. I can only assume the MA2 is even better.
Problems with connection and compass calibration problems?

For the compass issues, you might be referring to the orientation indicator in Fly which relied on the mobile device compass in order to know which way YOU were facing. Fly app is used by MM1, MA2, and MM2 so all three were subject to conditions of the device compass.
Even Go app for older models relied on the device compass for the attitude indicator, which was RC centric. Not many paid attention to that indicator.

Fly version 1.2.2 replaced the orientation indicator with the attitude indicator which unlike Go's indicator is AC centric.
 
As for Mini having "fly away" issues, you may be thinking of the MM1 rather than MM2. MM1 had less power to overcome wind, and props were thinner and could warp easily causing less lift. The warping tended to be with the back props so it couldn't tilt forward as much as it should.

MM2 has stiffer props that are less prone to warping and more powerful motors. It's wind handling is comparable to MA2.
 
Problems with connection and compass calibration problems?

For the compass issues, you might be referring to the orientation indicator in Fly which relied on the mobile device compass in order to know which way YOU were facing. Fly app is used by MM1, MA2, and MM2 so all three were subject to conditions of the device compass.
Even Go app for older models relied on the device compass for the attitude indicator, which was RC centric. Not many paid attention to that indicator.

Fly version 1.2.2 replaced the orientation indicator with the attitude indicator which unlike Go's indicator is AC centric.
No, this is compass calibration required before you can fly, spin the drone to calibrate. I gave up yesterday, Mini in the middle of a hardwood floor, no metal nearby. My older quads I didn't fly in windy conditions, but one never knows when the weather can change suddenly. Seriously considering exchanging this for an MA2 as much for the issues I'm encountering with the Mini as well as having extra margin should winds come up.
 
No, this is compass calibration required before you can fly, spin the drone to calibrate. I gave up yesterday, Mini in the middle of a hardwood floor, no metal nearby. My older quads I didn't fly in windy conditions, but one never knows when the weather can change suddenly. Seriously considering exchanging this for an MA2 as much for the issues I'm encountering with the Mini as well as having extra margin should winds come up.
By the way, this forum is an excellent resource, has given me much food for thought and thorough insights into the amazing tech that goes into these machines. Tech, as always, can be glitchy. My old cheap quads were almost always rock solid, just can't provide the excellent photo and video of these which is my sole purpose for owning one now.
 
They both have strengths and weaknesses. If you’re active and want a great packable travel drone, Mini 2 - you will not be disappointed with the performance, pictures or videos. I’ve used the Mini 2 in 42km+ winds and it is stable enough for most uses. I’m not afraid of the Atlantic winds over water in the least. If photography/videography is the main use, MA2 has more features. Post edit, very hard to say the MA2 wins out.

Keep in mind the sub-250 is pretty much fly and go anywhere vs. MA2 is larger, restricted, attention attracting and takes more planning. It is like the Full Frame DSLR camera, you take it when you need the best picture/video but the smaller mirrorless quality is just about as good and is your go to that sees the most use for 95% of situations.

I think most will get more use of the Mini 2 but is comes down to purpose of the drone and lifestyle.
 
They both have strengths and weaknesses. If you’re active and want a great packable travel drone, Mini 2 - you will not be disappointed with the performance, pictures or videos. I’ve used the Mini 2 in 42km+ winds and it is stable enough for most uses. I’m not afraid of the Atlantic winds over water in the least. If photography/videography is the main use, MA2 has more features. Post edit, very hard to say the MA2 wins out.

Keep in mind the sub-250 is pretty much fly and go anywhere vs. MA2 is larger, restricted, attention attracting and takes more planning. It is like the Full Frame DSLR camera, you take it when you need the best picture/video but the smaller mirrorless quality is just about as good and is your go to that sees the most use for 95% of situations.

I think most will get more use of the Mini 2 but is comes down to purpose of the drone and lifestyle.
As a retired professional still, film, and video photographer, I agree with his analogy of camera types. I sold my almost new Mini 2 because the 4k video is a little noisy, and my sole reason for owning a drone again is video and photo. The Mini 2's performance is excellent and an amazing value for $449, hard to believe they can pack that much tech in such a small package for a reasonable price. The photos are very good quality for such a small sensor, and shooting and processing RAW files allows a lot of latitude in post. The MA2's video and photo quality is noticeably superior. The sensor is a little larger and a different kind from the Mini 2, hard to believe it can make that much difference, but it does. If you're not primarily a demanding 4k shooter, the Mini 2 is probably the way to go.
 
As a retired professional still, film, and video photographer, I agree with his analogy of camera types. I sold my almost new Mini 2 because the 4k video is a little noisy, and my sole reason for owning a drone again is video and photo. The Mini 2's performance is excellent and an amazing value for $449, hard to believe they can pack that much tech in such a small package for a reasonable price. The photos are very good quality for such a small sensor, and shooting and processing RAW files allows a lot of latitude in post. The MA2's video and photo quality is noticeably superior. The sensor is a little larger and a different kind from the Mini 2, hard to believe it can make that much difference, but it does. If you're not primarily a demanding 4k shooter, the Mini 2 is probably the way to go.
How do you rate the still images from the Mini 2? I'm curious what a pro's opinion is…
 
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
130,586
Messages
1,554,115
Members
159,586
Latest member
DoubleBarS