You Should Buy: DJI Mini 2 Drone
A tiny, lightweight drone that you don't need a license to fly. And it takes great photos and videos, too!
Drones used to be this mind-blowing bit of expensive, futuristic tech that were difficult to fly and had horrible video and photo quality. Now I have a DJI Mini 2 that weighs 249g, fits in a large pocket, and costs less than $600. Here’s why I think you might want to check it out.
Why 249g?
Why are so many smaller drones just under 250g? Because the powers that be have decided that sub-250g pose very little risk of injury, and are thus allowed to be flown without registration, license, and flight plan:
Regulators in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Australia, and other regions have agreed that drones weighing less than 250 grams (0.55 pounds) are virtually harmless. In a fall or a collision, a sub-250g drone is just not going to cause the same kind of damage as a heavier drone. Since they consider sub-250g drones to pose the lowest risks, they have made them subject to fewer restrictions and requirements than their heavier counterparts. The rules differ in each country, but in many places, a sub-250g drone may not require registration, and may also be eligible for more complex operations, such as flying over people.
I’m Afraid of Flying
The DJI Mini 2 is incredibly easy to fly. In fact, DJI calls it a “beginner-friendly drone” on its website. If you’ve never flown before, you can learn using the Flight Academy section of the DJI Fly app.
If you’re afraid of it flying away in the wind, DJI has made huge improvements over the previous model and it now has “Level 5 Wind Resistance,” which means it can remain stable in winds up to 38km/h.
Using the Mini 2 is easy: you plug your smartphone into the controller, download the DJI Fly app, push and hold a button on the screen and your craft will be airborne. Within the app, you change between taking videos and photos, and even access Quick Shots - pre-programmed flight paths that create stunning videos.
Quality
The Mini 2 shoots 4K video and 12-megapixel photos and the quality is stunning for a device this small. It can also automatically create panorama photos, from wide to 180 degrees to spherical.
The video range is 10km. The Mini 2 gains OcuSync 2.0 from some more expensive models and this allows you to view high-quality video on your phone while the drone is up to 10km away.
Cards and Batteries
You’ll need to buy a MicroSD card for the Mini 2, but those can be picked up just about anywhere for $10-60, depending on capacity. For instance, the one I have is a SanDisk Ultra 64GB and it only cost $16.
Also note that you’ll only get 31mins of flight time per battery charge, and that is in ideal conditions (no wind, warm temperatures). To that end, I would suggest buying the Fly More package, which includes 2 more batteries and a 3-battery charging hub. That package also includes a nice carrying bag and a few other accessories. It’s definitely worth the extra cost.
You Should Buy This
If you’ve been wanting to experiment with a drone, or you want to take photos and videos from a new perspective, you cannot go wrong with the DJI Mini 2. It’s the perfect balance of cost, weight, quality and ease of use for folks just starting out. But it’s good enough quality that I use it professionally as well.
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