DJI Mini 2 – Ultralight and Foldable Drone Quadcopter, 3-Axis Gimbal with 4K Camera, 12MP Photo, 31 Mins Flight Time, OcuSync 2.0 10km HD Video…

For all the hobbyists this is probably a great drone. I’m not a hobbyist and purchased this to take aerial photos of homes that I sell and probably would never operate it higher than about 75-100′. Unfortunately, what isn’t mentioned here is that this product has many restrictions called geo zones which render this drone useless in quite a few areas. It was a little frustrating to find this out after purchase when my drone refused to even take off indoors, I’m in a restricted zone. Seasoned drone pilots are well aware of this products limitations but given it’s low price, and attraction to entry level buyers, I would have hoped that the manufacturer would make this clear to newbies such as myself. Look up the geo zones on the manufacturers website to make sure this drone will operate in the areas you want to use it before wasting your time.

Way much better than its older brother but the flight time is about 26 minutes so don’t expect it to fly for 31 minutes as advertised.
It gets really hot when you turn it on but don’t take it off.
Camera is a bit weird and prone to turn colors into red in specific angle to the Sun, an ND filter might help address this.
It’s quiet, relatively fast while smooth.
QuickTransfer feature is very sensitive to interference and the transfer rate could be highly impacted by other wireless sources or magnetic fields.
Not sure why the GPS module sucks indoor, most devices are able to find a few sattelites but Mini 2 is not.
Props and batteries are not yet available for purchase on Amazon.
Overall: the greatest drone under 250g until 2021 models.

Edit:
Had to return it due to IMU calibration issue before every flight.
I read multiple posts online and it looks like a real issue but only a batch might be defected.
Mine started to drift 3 times.
One time it was steady and stable until I touchded the record button on the app, it went backward ! And I had to land it for IMU calibration again.
DJI needs to invesigate it before people damage their drones and compromise each other’s safety with a micro drone without the need of registration.

Canadians can save $30 bucks if they purchase this item from Dr Drone in Dartmouth, NS

 Rather than list all the new features, here are the practical differences that I noticed the most compared to the original Mavic Mini. I took this out on a very windy day with gusts >30mph. In this video, the Mini 2 holds stable in high wind.

Most importantly, the range is better with OccuSync 2.0. I use this to monitor abandoned railroad tracks. The original Mini 1 would lose video reception after about 1200 feet following the tracks, hovering low between dense trees. The new Mini 2 reaches about 40% further in this dense environment, only losing the signal after it is blocked by a concrete bridge. The range difference is most dramatic, however, while flying higher with clear line of sight, where the distance is supposed to be more than double (10km is much further than I would want to test). There are 3rd party clip-on Yagi signal boosters that may extend the range even more.

After the increased range, my next favorite new feature is the much improved remote controller. The Mini 1 has a bad design where larger phones, such as the iPhone Plus or Max series, do not fit on the mount, and the cable doesn’t reach with a phone case. The Mini 2 phone mount is so much better! The antenna also functions as a spring clip so the phone sits on top in a better viewing position, and the larger phones easily fit. Another wonderful design improvement is the cable storage inside the antenna compartment, so it’s easy to grab-and-go just the controller and aircraft without having to separately carry the little cable.

The controller now a return to home button, and cine / normal / sport selector switch right on the controller. This is nice as it reduces the panic when I’m trying to locate the return to home on my phone screen when someone is trying to call me on my iPhone.

The other new feature I love is the ability to do 4K video, wide-angle, 180°, and sphere panoramas (vs. 2.7K on the Mini 1). It’s hair-raising to see the video results play back on the computer. It feels like cinematography quality video with a cute little thing that fits in the palm of your hand.

Looking closely at the two side-by-side, both models are identical in physical form, so the the same physical accessories designed for the Mini 1, such as the propeller guard will work on the Mini 2. I was curious about the weight difference so I weighed them on a precision lab scale. Mini 1 without battery: 5.27 oz. Mini 2 without battery: 5.56 oz. Mini 1 with battery: 8.68 oz. Mini 2 with battery: 8.37 oz. DJI made up for the slightly increased weight of the fancy new internals with a lighter battery design.

Is there anything I don’t like about the updated model? Just one very minor thing — the kit comes with a soft padded case that is similar to a camera bag or binocular bag with a shoulder strap. I much prefer the semi-hard case that came with my original Mavic Mini Fly More Combo. The gray semi-hard case looks nicer, is easier to pack in a hurry, and offers better protection. However not a big deal, as many 3rd party accessories are available.

Overall I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Mini 2, even if you already have the original Mini. (Save some time, stop reading a million reviews, and click the BUY button). Also, this would make an amazing gift for “someone who already has everything” if they haven’t tried drones before. It’s super easy to fly because of the self-correcting stabilization (just before this review I accidentally hit a tree branch and it recovered itself after doing a flip, and came back home — yay!)

As an avid photographer who is new to aerial photography, I am delighted with the DJI Mini 2. It is easy to fly–I even took it out over water on my first flight, although briefly and controlled in Cine mode. Despite the small, compact size, it is surprisingly stable and takes sharp images, even in some wind.

The controls are responsive and set up is intuitive and plug-and-play while still providing numerous options for customization.

As a first drone, this is a winner. I am happy with this purchase and highly recommend this product.

The entire combo package is great. Was a bit lengthy to get the vehicle activated through DJI but it all worked out. Installed the app on my cellular phone and connected with the vehicle through the phone and controller. Configured all the basic settings, calibration and reviewed many videos on YouTube before even attempting to operate the vehicle. This is key if you have never flown this type of vehicle before.

Just tried it out for the first time as a new user. WOW. This thing is amazing. I tried it outside in 0C temperature and so far it functions okay with no glitches. Tried the basic start and take off, hover, up and down, yaw, sideways, gimbal control and landings. I moved it around but outside and brought it it back manually to home base. All to just get comfortable with the vehicle. I even made it hover above my landing zone until the battery in the vehicle got to low to continue operating and it landed itself at the exact spot that I aligned it with the camera facing downward to make sure that it landed safely. Not done and not fully comfortable with it yet so more practice is needed but so far FUN!!!

UPDATE:
So I was out ice fishing recently, on a lake. Beautiful clear sunny and very very cold day (-26 Celsius). Tried the DJI Mini 2 and wow! Astonishing that this little drone could fly at such a low temperature. The return to home function while over 2km, on the lake and over an exiting stream. Was able to observe and record in 4 K. The speed at which this thing travels is amazing. The RTH function maximizes battery efficiency to fly at a controlled but quick speed to return to home base before the battery became too extremely low.
This was my first time really putting the capabilities of the drone to test and in such low subzero temperatures. Impressed.
Even without any lense filters, the quality of the video footage, in sunlight, is impressive.

Second update:
So the DJIMini 2 stands up to its heavy wind capability. If the wind gets even greater, it will let you know on screen that it’s struggling and will notify you of what to do. The downward sensor works like charm. Very sensitive. The 4k images and video are amazing. The quality is outstanding. The smart technology that monitors and advises you on screen of the battery life and while using the RTC function, will return to home position using effective power consumption to make it back safely in a straight line.

Further updates will be provided after further practice.

Significant upgrades across the board when compared to the Mini 1. The main one is definitely Ocusync 2.0, which is a tremendous improvement from the Wifi system utilized in the Mini 1. Everything else was bumped up a bit as well: 4k camera, improved top speed, implementation of RAW image format. It’s basically what the Mini 1 should have been.

BUY THE PROTECTION PACKAGE !!!!!

THE MINI 2 LOOSES CONTACT WITH THE CONTROLLER WHILE HOVERING AND THE DRONE WILL CRASH !

DJI WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND THEY WILL CLAIM IT IS USER ERROR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT WAS HOVERING !

I ALSO OWN THE MAVIC 2 PRO WHICH HAS NEVER SUFFERED THIS TYPE OF MALFUNCTION. I SUSPECT SMALLER DRONE, SMALLER ANTENNA AND MORE SUSEPTABLE TO INTERFEFENCE….. THAT SAID, IT SHOULD NOT CRASH WHILE HOVERING

IF DJI REPAIR HAD A SHREAD OF INTEGRITY THEY WOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT…… BUT THEY DONT.