The DJI Fly app is a well-balanced combination of simple to use, but powerful enough to offer depth to more experienced fliers. Where the app excels for power users is the expanded menu, accessible by hitting the three dots in the top right. This is where max altitude and distance can be set, as well as your Mini 2’s home point.

The Mini 2 SE isn't far off from other small folding drones in concept. Its arms collapse in for storage to create a 2.3-by-3.2-by-5.4-inch (HWD) frame. To keep costs low, the drone shares much of its tech with earlier models in the series; its airframe and motors are from the Mini 2, and its camera is from the original Mavic Mini. DJI’s reliable stabilization has become as synonymous with the brand as the shades of grey that adorn all its consumer products, and we’re here for all of it. The Mavic Mini 2 is an excellent drone for hobbyists and beginners alike. One particular line that resonates is that this is 'a drone that grows with you.' The original Mini had its limitations with JPEG-only imagery, 2.7K video footage, and a Wi-Fi signal. DJI took the logical next steps to ensure that anyone purchasing the Mini 2 could accomplish a lot more with their investment.

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The system still produces just .MP4, so it’s really for people who don’t expect to be grading (and the results do look good enough to share). In that spirit, DJI have also added digital zoom, which can be quite handy. It means you can operate further from the kids, and up to 2x (from a possible 4x) in 1080P it isn’t even lossy, though 2x at 4K is as far as it’ll go. If you prefer to get something without cropping in post, or even just to practice a shot before reverting to shooting in 4K at 1x, you might be grateful for this.

Also worth noting: the Mini 2's 249g weight doesn't exempt anyone from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) rules and regulations for operating unmanned aircraft. It just means registering a Mavic Mini with the FAA, or regulatory agencies in other countries with a similar 250g cut-off, isn't required.Unedited footage can look a bit flat and underexposed in overcast scenes; it’s clear DJI processes footage cautiously and with video editors in mind. The clarity is respectable. Digital zooming is limited to about 2x if you’re shooting in 4K, though you can get usable 3x zoom footage at 1080p. As soon as the light drops, though, so too does the Mini 2’s usable zoom range, and indeed usable footage. The step up to 4K is unarguably welcome. Whether creators need 4K is hardly the point anymore –it’s a standard feature on a mid-range phone. It also means the system is now capturing 100Mbps, which is good to know (though between that and Raw you might want a slightly bigger MicroSD card). The core sensor/lens specs match last year’s model like-for-like, which means existing Mavic Mini owners will likely begrudge forking out extra for this upgrade. The Mini 2’s 83-degree (24mm equivalent) field of view means the drone’s framing isn’t dissimilar to that of a human eye, if slightly wider. Meanwhile, the f/2.8 aperture fixed-focus lens is wide open, but still narrow enough to keep skies from blowing out too easily.

As for the transmission tech, the Mini 2 doesn't rely on Wi-Fi communication. With OcuSync 2.0, dual-frequency transmission automatically alternates between channels to prevent signal interference between the remote and drone. DJI claims connectivity up to 10km (6.21 miles). While that's impressive, it is important to keep the drone within your visual line of sight at all times. With expanded options to fire up a histogram, overexposure warnings, and gridlines, not to mention switching out the refresh rate across 50hz and 60hz, it’s commendable just how well DJI’s balanced the pro features with a simple UI at the heart. There are two other significant upgrades to the latest Mini beyond the camera: upgraded motors and the addition of DJI's OcuSync 2.0 transmission technology.The original Mavic Mini could only capture up to 2.7K/30p footage at 40 Mbps. The Mini 2 now allows you to record in resolutions up to 4K/30p, 2.7K/30p, and 1080p/60p at 100 Mbps. You can also zoom in on subjects while recording. Both 4K and 2.7K allow up to 2X zooming, and 1080p resolution allows you to hone in on a subject up to 4X, though the quality only remains lossless at 2X zoom. Finally, the app opens up manual photo shooting with an optional shutter speed of up to four seconds for photos and 1/60 seconds for video, and a max ISO of 3200 across both modes. DJI Mini 2 review: features and performance The drone’s battery isn’t the only cell worth talking about. The Mini 2’s 5,200mAh controller battery is huge, lasts for ages and takes a couple of hours to power up. It also charges your phone while connected.

The bump in video resolution from 2.7K to 4K is welcome. Sure, technically, there’s no reason we can think of that 4K capture wasn’t built into last year's model, but in well-lit scenes, the extra recorded pixels mean more scope for zooms and crops. For stills, the Mini 2 SE supports JPG and Raw DNG capture with 8MP (16:9) or 12MP (4:3) output. The JPG color profile matches the standard look, while DNG pictures save more data so you can edit them to your heart's content in software like Adobe Lightroom Classic or a different Raw converter. Overall, picture quality is in line with mid-range smartphones; we again point to the Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro as a step-up option for more demanding creators, as their larger Type-1/1.3 Quad Bayer cameras are more in line with those on premium compact cameras and flagship smartphones. Like most consumer drones, a smartphone is a must-have for the Mini 2 SE. The drone includes a remote, the DJI RC-N1, as part of its basic bundle, but it's not the type with a built-in screen and app; the fancier DJI-RC doesn't work with the Mini 2 SE. Therefore, you need to load the free DJI Fly app on your phone (available for Android and iOS) to complete the setup and ultimately fly the drone. FCC: United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Chile, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and other regions; CE: UK, Russia, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Macau, New Zealand, UAE, and other regions;Maximum flight range specification is a proxy for radio link strength and resilience, not aircraft battery capability. It only refers to the maximum, one-way flight distance. Data was measured in an open environment without interference. Please pay attention to the return prompt on the DJI Fly app during actual flight. Refer to the following applicable standard in different countries and regions: