DJI drones are undoubtedly the most recognizable drones globally, and the brand is way ahead of the curve thanks to its long stint in the industry. Their 2 most popular models, the DJI mini 2 and Mavic air 2, have an actual competition. The DJI Mini vs. Mavic Air 2 debacle has been going on for a while now. Both models offer industry-leading features and fun flying modes for both beginners and seasoned pilots.
The drones are popular because they are the cheapest entry points into the DJI range of products. What’s more, they are on the safe side of the crucial 250g line weight restriction Trusted Source Model aircraft or RPA with maximum takeoff weight less than 250g — ANAC National Civil Aviation Agency - Brazil Model aircraft and RPA up to 250 grams are exempted from several requirements. Flying these aircraft is allowed by ANAC under full responsibility of the pilot. www.anac.gov.br in many countries. So, which drone is your best choice? This comparison guide will help you choose the best drone that is best suited and priced for your needs.
Quick Overview Table
| DJI Mini 2 | Mavic Air 2 | ||
| Dimensions Unfolded | 6.3×7.9×2.2 in | 7.2×9.9×3 in | |
| Dimension folded | 5.4 x 2.3 x 2.0 in (140×82×57 mm) | 7.1 x 3.8 x 3.3 in (180×97×84 mm) | |
| Weight | 0.54 lbs. | 1.3 lbs. | |
| Diagonal span | 8.38 in | 11.88 in | |
| Flight time | 31 min | 34 min | |
| Max. speed | 35 mph | 42.5mph | |
| Max. wind resistance | 29-38 kph (18-23 mph) | 29-38 kph (18-23 mph) | |
| USA range limit | 10km / 6.2 miles | 10km / 6.2 miles | |
| Photo resolution | 4000 x 3000 px | 8000 x 6000 px | |
| Sensors | 1 / 2.3 in | 1/2 in | |
| Video resolution | 4K @ 30 fps / 2.7K @ 30fps / 1080P @ 60fps | 4K @ 60fps / 4K HDR 30fps 1080P @ 240fps | |
| Bitrate | 100Mbps | 120Mbps | |
| Internal storage | None | 8 Gb | |
| VIEW ON AMAZON | VIEW ON AMAZON |
This is a fantastic drone for beginner drone photographers. It is ultra-compact, and lightweight yet packs a punch with top-notch features. It is a host of intelligent shooting capabilities that are found on higher-end drones, and it is super easy to use.
Here are some of the features that set the DJI Mini 2 apart:
Design
DJI Mini 2 is really lightweight and comes in a compact, foldable design
The drone is incredibly lightweight, coming in at 249g. It weighs just as much as an apple. Its foldable design can easily fit in your palm, thus easy to carry to any adventure.
Camera
This is where the DJI Mini 2 shines. It provides consistently smooth videos no matter how adventurous your piloting gets. The advanced 4F/30fps provides the best quality images. Also, thanks to the 4x digital zoom feature, you can take close-up shots while keeping your distance. What’s more, the DJI fly app will enhance the quality of your images after you download them. You will get vivid colors that pop, and you can even be a little extra by creating a panoramic masterpiece. All you have to do is choose 180 degrees from a wide angle, then leave the rest to the drone.
Flight Performance
The DJI Mini 2 offers an extensive flight time of 31 minutes, so you can get the most out of every adventure. Also, it has 1080p video transmission capabilities at distances of up to 10km that allow you to fly further and still be able to see clearer. You can count on the drone to give you a stable and safe footage even when flying in windy conditions as it has the ability to resist winds of up to 38kph.
Quick Shots
The DJI Mini 2 has newly added modes in QuickShots that allow you to get more unique footage. You also get to shoot great videos and pictures complete with filters and soundtracks to share on social media directly.
Trimmed Download and QuickTransfer Features
With the trimmed download feature, you can cut out a part of your footage to edit and download, saving you time and storage capacity. The QuickTransfer feature allows the drone to connect with the DJI fly app automatically so you can synchronize selected photos and videos.
The Mavic Air 2 is packed with tons of impressive camera and flight performance features, and it is perfect for both beginners and professional pilots. It is pretty similar to the original Mavic Air, except it has a few improvements in camera capabilities and intelligent features.
Here are the impeccable Mavic Air 2 features:
Design
The Mavic Air 2 also has a foldable design but it is twice heavier than DJI Mini 2
The Mavic Air 2 comes in a portable foldable design like all the other Drones in the Mavic series. It weighs 570g, but it can still fit in your palm when folded.
Camera
The drone features a 4K camera. With 4K/60fps video at 120mbps and the 3-axis gimbal stabilization technology, you are guaranteed stabilized videos. Also, you can count on the drone for incredible aerial shots as it offers 48MP photos. Moreover, thanks to the HDR Panorama, you get breathtaking wide-angle photos with impressive dynamic range.
As if that’s enough, the Mavic Air 2 has the SmartPhoto Trusted Source Mavic Air 2: How Powerful Is the New DJI Camera Drone? - DJI Guides Join us as we take a look at the new DJI Mavic Air 2 drone and discover new camera features like 48MP photo, HDR imaging, 8K Hyperlapse, and more! store.dji.com feature that combines HDR, Hyperlight, and scene recognition, perfect for shooting on the go and sharing directly on social media. Its photographic optimization is similar to that of modern-day smartphones. To top it all, there’s the 8K Hyperlapse that has 4 different modes for creating professional shots that don’t require any post-editing.
Flight Performance
With the Mavic Air 2, you have all the time you need to get the perfect shot. It comes with 3 intelligent flight batteries, and it has the longest flight time of 34 minutes in the entire Mavic series. Another thing that makes its flight performance stellar is the OcuSync 2.0 video transmission that delivers a 1080p FHD resolution up to 10km straight from the drone.
The APAS 3.0 feature sets the Mavic Air 2 apart. The advanced pilot assistance system utilizes an advanced mapping technology for smooth following and reliable obstacle sensing even in the most complex piloting situations.
Remote Controller
The new remote controller allows you to mount your smartphone at the top so you can have a better line of sight when flying.
FocusTrack
This is an intelligent tracking mode that allows you to get more varied footage. It has 3 different technologies that allow you to track fast-moving objects with powerful obstacle sensing capabilities, give you full control of the drone, as well as track your subjects while keeping them at the center of the frame.
The DJI Mini 2 and Mavic Air 2 are both fantastic drones. Here is a differences and similarities showdown that will show you which one compares favorably to the other based on your needs.
The DJI Mini 2 and Air 2 are pretty similar at first glance. The Air 2 is bulkier as it is twice as heavy as the Mini 2. The main physical difference between the 2 drones besides their weight is the battery. The Mini 2 has its battery housed inside and can only be accessed from the back while Air 2’s battery is part of its shell and can be clipped on and off as needed.
Featuring 60 fps, the camera on the Mavic Air 2 is more advanced compared with 30 fps on the DJI Mini 2
Both drones have the 3-axis mechanical gimbal thus are able to soak up bumps, turns, and vibrations from the flight to produce consistently smooth videos. What’s more, you can control the camera’s angle by tilting the lens down remotely.
The Mavic Air 2 has a slightly larger range of movement with its gimbal. This means that it can soak up sharper turns better, thus perfect for steady videos. It has a more advanced camera that can shoot 4K videos at 60fps. It also features a ½ CMOS sensor that can capture 48 Megapixel stills giving you better image quality than the Mini 2.
The DJI Mini 2, on the other hand, keeps the video incredibly smooth. Its lens can also tilt down to the artistically useful -90 degrees. Its camera can shoot 4K videos at 30 frames per second and 12 Megapixel stills in both JPEG and DNG raw formats. On top of its 4K video capability, the DJI Mini 2 has 4x zoom capabilities that allow you to take high-quality, smooth footage. Any amateur photographer or videographer can make the most out of its camera performance.
The DJI Mini has a maximum flight time of 31 minutes at a range of 10km. This is more than enough time for you to take the best shot. The drone is also built to withstand strong winds, and it can fly as fast as 57.6 km/h, even in adverse windy conditions. This distinguishes it as a very fast drone for its small build.
Also, thanks to the upgraded OcuSync 2.0 transmission system with 2.4/5.8GHz auto-switching, you can get a stable connection and smooth video downlink as it cuts through interference and signal fading.
The DJI Mini 2 comes with a couple of intelligent flight modes that make it easy to operate for both beginners and experts. Its ‘smart return to home’ mode makes the drone fly back to its home point automatically. The other modes; automatic take off and precision hovering help make the drone’s operation more streamlined. The QuickShot mode also makes the Mini 2 shine. It allows the capturing of dynamic videos with the simple touch of a button. You can choose from the Boomerang, Circle, Helix, or Dronie modes to create share-worthy videos that you can share on social media directly.
The Mavic Air 2 also has intelligent flight modes that make it easy to operate. It also comes with the 5 QuickShot modes like the Mini 2 but it has an additional 6th Asteroid mode. You can track objects while filming with the ActiveTrack 3.0 and point of interest mode. The Spotlight 2.0 mode allows you to lock the camera onto a subject while flying freely. To top it all, there’s the Hyperlapse mode that allows you to create complex shots that don’t require post-processing.
The Air 2 offers 34 minutes of battery life, whereas the Mini 2 offers 31 minutes.
The Air 2 wins when it comes to battery life. It offers 34 minutes flight time while the Mini 2 offers 31 minutes. Yes, the 3500mAh 3S battery is quite the load as 198g of take-off weight is not little, but you get to squeeze out more flight time from it. What’s more, the battery comes with a built-in charge meter which allows you to check the charge with a simple press of a button. This feature makes managing multiple batteries a tad easier. The Mini 2 doesn’t come with it.
Software features aren’t as easy to distinguish as hardware features. For example, a feature person tracking is assumed to come from collision sensors, but in reality it relies on contrast detection and AI from the video image.
The Mini 2 and Air 2 use the same software. The DJI fly software will meet all your needs including downloading files from the drone to your phone directly. Long 4K clips may take long to download but it works.
In addition to the DJI Fly software the Mavic Air 2 has the ARPS which is a kind of artificial intelligence. It’s safe to call it a software and it distinguishes the Air 2 from the Mini 2. It gives the Air 2 the ability to track a subject around an obstacle or two and keep going.
This is a very useful feature to consider when buying a drone. It’s quite surprising that the DJI Mini 2 has 2 times digital zoom capability in 4K resolution and 4 times zoom in 1080p. Zooming can help you in post processing as well as allowing you to see how a shot behaves in real life so you can frame it or simply see something that is so far away.
The Air 2 has 2 shooting modes in 4K including a zoom mode. However, it zooms further than the Mini 2. The zoom has a parallax effect that enhances the quality of your video by isolating the subject in front from a fast-moving background.
The Mini 2 got a huge Bitrate bump from its predecessor, the Mavic Mini which only had 40mbps. It has 100mbps while the Air 2 has 120 Mbps.
The DJI Mini 2 and Mavic Air 2 have so much in common, yet there is a huge price difference between them. The base price for Mini 2 is $449 while that for Mavic Air 2 is $799 dollars. Although the Mavic Air 2 has lots of cool camera and flight features, the Mini 2 offers the best value for money.
It offers excellent camera and flight performance at half the price of Air 2. Also, considering the battery prices for each drone, the Mini 2 wins by a large margin. A battery for the Mini 2 is 55 dollars while that for Air 2 is 115 dollars.
The drone you pick depends on your budget and needs as a drone pilot. The DJI Mini 2 is the more affordable model, coming in at 449 dollars. It is a fantastic choice for beginners and recreational pilots. If you are looking to dip your feet into drone life then the Mini 2 is your prime choice. With it you can capture amazing landscape videos and cool selfie to share on your social media.
In terms of build quality, the choice won’t be hard as both drones are well-made. The Air 2 does feel a little more robust thus best suited for frequent fliers. The bottom line is, the Air 2 is your best bet if you are a busy content creator because you never know when you will need to shoot higher frame rates or take advantage of high dynamic range. Moreover, it’s better to have collision sensors than not. It will give you the much needed confidence as a pilot.
You can never go wrong with DJI Mavic drones whether you are a beginner or a seasoned drone pilot. Choosing a drone from the Mavic series shouldn’t be hard if you know what you want out of a drone and where you want to use it. Our DJI Mini 2 vs Mavic Air 2 comparison has all the information you need to choose the best drone that suits your needs from the two popular options.
As a beginner, you can benefit from both models. If budget is not an issue for you, go for the Air 2 as you will enjoy all the advanced camera and intelligent flight features. The Mini 2 offers exceptional value for money. It is the ultimate drone for anyone who is looking to pick up drones as a new hobby. It has everything you would need for dope images and videos to share with your friends and family.
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