I hope DJI keeps adding more features to this drone, too, but as always you shouldn’t buy hardware today based on the hope of a software update in the future. It’s also part of the reason why this is a perfect drone for almost everyone. Usually when I take out the Mavic 2 Pro, I worry about ND filters, polarizers, and I try to keep the aperture at that sharpest f/5,6 – f/8 range. It’s almost like going from a fully manual SLR to a point-and-shoot camera. I basically just leave everything on auto without being too precious about the technical side of things, trusting that everything I get will actually be quite good.
Despite all that, DJI’s products continue to be available in the US as of this writing. Derek specialises in home and outdoor wares, from coffee machines, white appliances and vacs to drones, garden gear and BBQs. He has been writing for more years than anyone can remember, starting at the legendary Time Out magazine – the original, London version. The basic retail price of the Mavic Air 2 is substantially higher than the Mini 2. It’s bad enough losing £400/$350 worth of gear but the pain increases exponentially when £700/$600 worth or more goes AWOL. By contrast, the Mini 2’s camera comes with a smaller 1/2.3” CMOS sensor with an effective pixel count of 12MP .
Before storage, it is recommended to charge the battery to approximately 72%. It is recommended to charge and discharge the battery once every three months to improve battery performance. If the battery level is below 72%, it is recommended to charge it until it is 72% before storing. If the battery level is above 72%, the battery will discharge automatically after 5 days to 72%. The maximum flight altitude is 500 m, which may vary in different countries and regions due to local laws. Before flying, please check local laws and regulations.
For some pilots, obstacle avoidance is a significant addition. When controlled by the pilot, it will also refuse to fly into a wall or people even if you accidentally steer the drone in that direction. This is a brilliant safety feature, especially when used manually, but it isn’t really required if common sense prevails.
It is not fool proof and adds more confusion to flight. Little known fact is that the 249g of the Mini 2 isn’t actually 249g. I clocked it in at 237g, and official specs say (I kid you not – 242g… “roughly”) – somehow dji mini 2 fly more combo there’s quite a variance there. Most of the weight savings appear from the battery and changing technologies there. Adding insult to injury is that the Mini 2 remote is basically double the size of the Mini 1 remote.
The controller comes with two joysticks that can be screwed in and it has an extendable holder for your phone. The DJI app is easy to use and comes with several safety features such as a range limiter and a return to home function. The standard package includes DJI Mini 2, remote controller, and one battery for the retail price of $449. The Fly More Combo is also available, including three batteries, a charging hub, DJI Mini 2, a carrying case, and a remote controller for the retail price of $599.
By default the Mini 2 will try and identify some objects within the frame – like people for example. Else, you can simply use your finger to draw a green square over someone/something. That’s useful for really big objects like a windmill or building. Lossless means that it’s doing a straight crop from the larger sensor size, so there’s no degradation of quality.
Thanks to Smart Return to Home, automatic takeoff, and precise hovering, operation is more streamlined and safer than ever. Disappointing experience as device received was obviously broken which would have been caught by any QA person. When I reached out, the person who replied was kind and asked me to return for refund and then to order again. I asked if an exchange would be possible since the price is now higher. Seems like they were flooded with orders and potentially overwhelmed.