The DJI Mavic Mini is so small that it doesn’t need to be registered for city flights, and the image quality is ready to compete with professional cameras. Let’s disassemble the drone “brick by brick”.
Appearance and design
The first thing that catches your eye is the miniature dimensions. The small weight of 249 g “unties hands”, it does not need to be registered. By law, in the US and EU countries, you must register a quadcopter if it weighs more than 250 grams. This little guy went over the upper weight limit but stayed in the safe zone.
The device looks like a classic mini quadcopter. Spark differs from its predecessor in three features:
- The arms fit snugly, so the width of the drone when folded is 8.2 cm. The Spark is the same size – 14.3 cm. The length of our hero is comparable to exactly the same as the iPhone 12 – 1140 mm. The Mavic Mini fits in the palm of your hand and in a deep pocket.
- Slots for charging and memory cards have moved to the back of the device – closer to the battery compartment.
- Spark weighs 300 grams and had to be registered in many countries. Mavic Mini escaped this fate. The gadget is suitable for travelers who want to get a video from their vacation, but do not want to bother with permits.
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autonomy
The device is powered by a 2400 mAh lithium polymer battery. Despite the modest volume, it lasts for 30-40 minutes. It charges in 1.5 hours.
The battery is hidden in the housing and closes from the outside. Therefore, worries that the battery will fly out during pirouettes are absolutely groundless. It will remain inside even after the “dead loop”. What’s more, this is the first DJI quadcopter to be powered by a power bank. Well, what is not salvation for travel lovers, right ?!
Management and setup
Basic remote control included. It is quite enough to control the copter alone. You can also connect your smartphone to the remote control – then it will become even easier to fly. The ergonomics of the remote control is thought out to the smallest detail – your hands do not get numb even after an hour of working with the device.
Thanks to enhanced Wi-Fi, Mavic Mini picks up the signal from the phone and remote control at a distance of up to 2 km from the user:
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at 2.4 Hz
In European (and Ukrainian) models;
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at 5.8 Hz
In the version for the US market. Here, data transfer is faster, the device responds faster to commands from the phone and streams in full resolution 2.7K without lags even at a distance.
To control the drone via mobile phone, you need to download the DJI Fly app. Further settings are carried out through it, including training, firmware updates and video editing.
Related: TOP 5 DJI quadcopters (drones)
Equipment
The device comes in two configurations (depending on the model).
- The standard kit does not differ from the rest of the company’s drones.
- Advanced is aimed at extreme shooting.
What is packed with the drone, depending on the configuration, see the comparison table:
The extended set is almost 3,000 hryvnia more expensive than the standard one, but it justifies its price. The kit is useful for those who often conduct aerial photography and want to keep the drone under reliable protection during their trips. If it is not possible to buy an extended kit right away, DJI offers to purchase parts separately.
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Camera
The mini model shoots with a built-in camera. Despite the dimensions, it does it with high quality, since the lens catches a lot of light and has a good resolution of 2.7K. So, if desired, it will be possible to “cut off” part of the picture, which will not affect the final look of the video span.
Features of the DJI Mavic Mini Camera:
1. Matrix type – CMOS
Consumes little power, takes up virtually no space, and increases camera sensitivity in low light:
- The number of megapixels is 12.
- The viewing angle is 83 degrees.
- Light sensitivity – 2.8.
- The angle of inclination of the stabilizer varies from -90° to +20°. So it will shoot the object from any angle.
2. When shooting video, the number of frames and resolution are adjusted to any requests
- Resolution – 2720×1530 – is an analogue of 2.7K. Frame rate (frames per second (FPS) – 30 fps.
- Lowering to FullHD (1080p) – FPS will increase to 60 fps.
- The shooting format is MP4 (in the H.264 codec). Such a video can be immediately uploaded to YouTube or mounted in any video editor – it will not lag.
- The maximum photo quality is 4000×3000 in JPEG format.
3. Dynamic range is good even under bright sun, no overexposure
There is no built-in memory – you will have to stock up on micro SD flash drives. Their maximum amount of “additional memory” is 256 GB.
Read: How to choose a quadcopter for a child: 6 main criteria
Flight
The device works stably in cold weather, in bad weather with a gusty wind of 13-15 m/s. It withstands heat with dignity: at 40 degrees it does not overheat.
However, Dji Mavic Mini owners will have to carefully monitor the trajectory of movement. The drone does not have a “smart obstacle clearance” system and dozens of sensors on board. And here you understand engineers: each of a dozen smart flight sensors would take several grams, which are worth their weight in gold in this device.
The Mavic Mini only has 2 sensors that track where the drone lands. And it helps out when you need to land on an uneven surface. The landing spot detection range is from 50 cm to 10 m. The function of returning to the take-off point is also provided, but still, it will not hurt to follow the copter’s trajectory.
Four QuickShots video modes help the quadcopter to track the subject:
- Dronie – rises at an angle;
- Rocket – flies up;
- Circle – flies around the item being removed;
- Helix – flies around, moving away from the thing.
Active Track mode (object tracking and movement) is not provided here. You will have to “play surveillance” when working on epic videos in manual mode. This feature was removed for safety reasons: since there is no interference avoidance system, the drone can crash into something.
To make the Dji Mavic Mini compact, the manufacturer had to add new small motors. Despite their diminutiveness, the device can please with the speed of flight:
- up to 25-30 km / h – in normal mode;
- up to 46-48 km/h — in S-mode.
The descent speed varies from 3.6 to 11 km/h (depending on the mode). The rate of climb in sport mode reaches an incredible 14.5 km / h, in normal flight this figure drops to 5-7 km / h. It can rise above sea level by 3000 m. Hiking in the Carpathians will easily withstand, but the conquerors of the Himalayas will have to look for another model.
Review verdict: DJI Mavic mini quadcopter is suitable for those who want to join the “air” community, but are not ready to spend all the money in the world on large and serious models. This drone is designed for travelers who do not want to bother with obtaining permits for the device. Due to its miniature weight, it can be used in any country. Thousands of satisfied reviews of tourist bloggers confirm this!