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Upgrade from Mini

alan860

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Hi.

I’ve currently got a Mini, and thinking of upgrading to the MA2. Is it worth upgrading and if so, what’s the benefits? I’m not massively worried about higher resolution pics and video as the Mini is already pretty decent.
 
Alan, quite simply (And not sounding demeaning/harsh here) if you have to ask such a question..keep your Mini and be happy. They're two different tiers of aircraft and you'll know when and if you are ready and why and need a better than what you have kinda thing. You already said it best....Mini is already pretty decent ;)
 
When you ask a question "Is it worth upgrading", it depends on what your needs and perceived weaknesses of the Mini that aren't fulfilling your needs. I can only speak from my personal perspective.

My first DJI drone was the Mini, a great drone in its own right, but with inherent limitations. Takes great photos. The 2,7k video was limiting, but what was more limiting for me was its ability to withstand wind. I was sitting out 50% of the days I wanted to fly. For me the MA2 would have been a better first choice. My skepticism about flying was the issue, not the money, as I bought a Mavic 2 Pro about 5 weeks later after I fell in love with what I could do with a drone. Had I known 5 weeks earlier that I would have loved drone flying so much I would have gone straight for the MA2 and be perfectly happy. It just didn't make sense for me on my 2nd drone to stop at the MA2 so anticipating what I might be doing in the future I went the step beyond that.

So, do *I* think it's worth upgrading from a Mini to a MA2. I think for the money the MA2 is a great buy with huge features, at least compared to the next step up. But again, your needs and budget would have to dictate the value to you. JMO

Edit: I was just reminded... Ocysync in the MA2 and Mini 2. This is huge... but so is the controller :).
 
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To directly answer your question...

1. The MA2 will have better wind handling than the Mini (and likely than the Mini2).
2. The MA2 will have better range than the Mini (similar to the Mini2).
3. The MA2 has a *slightly* larger sensor that can resolve 48MP photos, but that won't make much difference. (It might give you a bit of a dynamic range advantage, though, due to the Sony's sensor architecture.)
4. The MA2 can do 4k60 video, which the Mini cannot (2.7k) and the Mini2 cannot (4k60)
5. The MA2 can do HDR video at 30fps or lower. Neither Mini can.
6. The MA2 can record in a flat color profile, unlike either Mini.
7. The MA2 can do in-camera HDR photo or up to 5 bracketed shots, unlike either Mini
8. The MA2 can shoot photos in RAW, unlike the Mini (the Mini 2 can shoot in RAW, though)
9. The MA2 has slightly better battery life if that matters.
10. The MA2 has one more quick shot (Asteroid) and several tracking modes, all of which are absent on the Mini or Mini2.
11. The MA2 has front and back obstacle sensing, with APAS to help automatically find pathways through obstacles at times. Neither Mini has those.

The only effective downside of the MA2 is size. It's bigger and heavier to carry and requires registration. Registration is easy in the US, so that's a non-issue from my standpoint unless you feel strongly about the privacy angle. Both drones have to follow the laws in the exactly same way. (The only other technical advantage of the Mini 2 is Galileo as an additional positioning system, but it's possible that the MA2 could be updated with it at some point. And, in any case, it's not a huge deal at the moment.)

For me, HDR and tracking were enough to drive me up to the MA2; I'm sure the reasons are different for other people.

I hope this helps!
 
When I traded up from the Mini to the MA2, I primarily wanted greater wind stability and a more durable aircraft. I always felt the Mini was just too fragile. I also liked the tracking the Mini can’t do. Longer battery life and Occusync were also bonuses.
 
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Thanks for the info everyone. I guess the key things I was after was a heavier drone which normally provides more stability, wind penetration and for lack of a better word, less fragility. But that alone wasn’t really enough to push the button. Occusync is a big factor as control stability is very important. I was just really after the other ‘niceties’ to push me over the edge. I’ve already got my certification up to 25kg drones so that doesn’t worry me.

All in all, the flymore pack will be joining my hangar later today, hopefully with a few test flights under its belt. Thanks guys.
 
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