DJI Mavic Mini Review: Best Low-Budget Drone

When the DJI Mavic Mini was released in October 2019, it was a one-of-a-kind drone: a sub-250g drone with a great 2.7K camera and DJI’s handy autonomous flying modes.

The DJI Mini 2, which can shoot 4K video, has since replaced it. But that doesn’t rule out the Mavic Mini as a viable option. It’s still cheaper than the Mini 2, and if you’re content with 2.7K/1080p video, it’s still one of the best starting drones available.

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When the DJI Mavic Mini first launched, one of its biggest selling features was its 249g weight, which allowed it to avoid having to register with numerous civil aviation authorities. Some countries, including the United Kingdom, have since revised their registration regulations to cover all drones with a camera.

Still, in the United States and Canada, you don’t need to register the Mavic Mini, and the drone remains an attractive option for individuals who are just getting started with drones but aren’t quite ready to invest in a higher-end model like the new DJI Air 2S.

In addition to not having to register in some countries, the Mavic Mini has significant advantages over competitors like the Parrot Anafi. The Mini offers three-axis mechanical stabilisation (the Anafi only has two; the ‘third’ axis is electrical stabilisation), as well as convenient features like a hot-swappable microSD card port. With a flight length of 30 minutes, it offers a longer battery life than the Anafi.

The Mavic Mini, however, is not without flaws. Video capture is limited to 2.7K quality and 30 frames per second, so videographers who require 4K footage or the ability to slow things down at 2.7K will have to go elsewhere. It also lacks the extremely useful object-tracking and avoidance capabilities seen in its larger DJI brothers.

However, it’s worth noting that the DJI Mini 2 lacks these features, which are often found on higher-end versions like the DJI Mavic Air 2 and DJI Air 2s. If you’re searching for a compact, travel-friendly drone that can shoot high-quality 1080p video, the Mavic Mini may be a better option than its more recent sister.

DJI Mavic Mini Design

The Mavic Mini is collapsible, like its larger Mavic siblings, with arms that unroll to change it in a couple of spring-loaded motions. When it comes to design, this is unmistakably a DJI product. Like the DJI Osmo Action and DJI OM 4, the colour scheme is grey and dark grey, and the front is ornamented with a pair of “eyes” nuzzled beneath a flat, bevelled, angry-looking top-side. It remains one of the more attractive drones we’ve seen.

The 3-axis stabilised camera on the front of the Mavic Mini It comes with a camera protector, which you can remove when you’re ready to fly it. On the back, there’s an exposed microSD card slot and a charging micro USB port. The battery flap is located above this. The DJI’s design is far more convenient for regular storage swappers than the Parrot Anafi, whose SD card port is tucked away under the battery.

As previously stated, the Mavic Mini is designed to be under 250 grammes in order to avoid having to register with aviation authorities in the United States and Australia. However, as we previously reported, the UK has recently updated its drone registration laws to include all drones with a camera, so verify your local legislation.

DJI created this light form factor by combining a drone weighing around 150g with a battery weighing around 100g. It’s a miracle that it doesn’t collapse every time you fly it, and while lightness is generally linked with inferior quality, the Mavic Mini feels far from it.

The Mini isn’t crash-proof; unlike the DJI Mavic Air 2, it lacks object avoidance sensors on its sides, front, and back. However, there are a handful of sensors at the base, as well as a battery metre and a light, to let you keep track of your drone in the air and keep it in line of sight, even at night.

The Mavic Mini’s arms are very skinny, and one of ours shattered after a 1.8-meter drop—while it still works fine, this would not have happened if the safety guards had been installed. If you’re a beginner, plan to fly indoors, or know you’ll be flying in severe winds, the Fly More package with the 360-degree propellor guard is a good choice.

DJI Mavic Mini Controller

The DJI Mavic Mini doesn’t have a screen like some other drone controllers; instead, it unfolds to hold an Android or iOS smartphone. Screw-on joysticks are tucked away in the controller’s body, giving it a flat profile when compressed and a classic feel when opened out.

A micro USB connector is located on the controller’s left side for charging and connecting it to your phone. The drone also comes with Lightning, micro USB, and USB-C connectors, so you can use it with any smartphone whose software is compatible with the DJI Mavic Mini’s Fly app.

The jog-dial at the top of the controller pivots the camera vertically through 90 degrees, allowing it to look ahead and down. It lacks the ability to look up, which would have been a nice feature, but its range is typical of most drones. The L trigger starts video recording, and the R trigger snaps a photo-both of which are useful if you’re using the drone while wearing gloves.

It takes a minute to connect the controller to your phone, screw on the joysticks, and start the software. However, in terms of mobility, the experience is about as small as we could hope for when the drone and controller are collapsed, while still feeling sturdy and natural when flying.

We had no trouble pairing the drone with our phones once it was connected—we tried it with Android 9 and 10 phones as well as an iPhone.

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DJI Mavic Mini Camera

The DJI Mavic Mini is capable of recording 2.7K video at 30 frames per second or 1080p video at 60 frames per second.Its 1/2.3-inch sensor can also shoot 12MP photos in a variety of settings, including Position mode for basic operation, Sports mode for greater high-speed flight, and CineSmooth mode for smoother photographs and more cinematic film.

Drone footage seems faster on the computer than it was on the ground, so we mostly stuck to CineSmooth mode to capture the lingering views we wanted. All modes produced solid footage, albeit there was notable judder while changing direction in sports mode, as shown at 02:30 in the sample footage below:

The lack of a 60fps 2.7K option only adds to the desire to slow things down in the sky, as you won’t be able to do so in post-production with 30fps footage. However, if you’re happy shooting in 1080p, frame rates can reach 60fps.

The footage looks punchy, the information captured is good in bright light, and the dynamic range is adequate. However, a couple of clips cried out for an ND filter. The Mavic Mini’s image quality is outstanding for what it is, and good enough for relatively seamless inserts with other drone footage or casual aerial cinematography. There isn’t a lot of scope to extract details out of highlights on bright days, so it won’t be a pro filmmaker’s dream drone.

As a result, low-light shots are fully functional. Low-light footage has improved since we first got our hands on the Mavic Mini, but it’s still not something you’ll want to shoot on a drone with a 1/2.3-inch sensor unless you plan to aggressively edit and stylize it, or if you don’t mind a decent amount of noise.

DJI Mavic Mini Flying App

Since we last used it, DJI’s Fly app has been updated, and it now includes tutorials and example films so you can see what kind of footage you’ll be taking in its various settings.

But it’s an odd blend of experiences. On the one hand, some elements are very premium – the function tutorials and in-app tips are polished and useful, and the core UI is also intuitive and responsive. However, some elements appear in Chinese, and the Fly Spots component, which highlights safe flying areas, is not localised outside of China.

If you can get past these niggles, you’re in for a treat. The modes are easy to understand, and the three speeds (which we’ll discuss in the next section) are simple to switch between and provide plenty of flexibility.

Quickshots have also returned, as seen on the Mavic Air, which is fantastic. While one quickshot, Asteroid, is missing, the rest of the quickshots, including our favourite, Helix, are included.

There is little control over image and video capture, with no way to adjust contrast or saturation. While useful tools like a histogram and gridline can still be used to aid framing, we would have loved to see more enhancement options.

On the plus side, the gimbal has two modes: follow mode, which keeps the horizon line level, and FPV mode, which takes the drone’s perspective while maintaining a high level of stability. This isn’t just useful when flying; you can also use the Mavic Mini as a great handheld steady cam in a pinch by switching between both settings.

DJI Mavic Mini Connections and Battery

The Mini connects to your phone through Wi-Fi, sending live video to the controller, which plugs into your phone and interacts with the app UI. In a setting with plenty of ambient Wi-Fi connections, our Mini disconnected from the controller at roughly 60 metres with our phone’s Wi-Fi connectivity turned on.

Switching our phone to aeroplane mode considerably increased this range, and Mavic Mini customers flying the drone in less densely populated regions have reported distances of more than two miles, despite DJI’s stated maximum distance of 2.5 miles.

The controller charges your phone when plugged in, and its 2,600 mAh battery provides enough power for a couple of hours of flight time. The Mini’s batteries have a capacity of 2,400 mAh and a flight length of 30 minutes, depending on the location and usage. We found this to be fairly accurate, but flying largely in Sports mode cuts the flight time by a few minutes.

We’d have preferred to see USB-C charging on the Mavic Mini, but that’s really our greatest problem with the drone in terms of connectivity.

DJI Mavic Mini Pros

• Smart, collapsible design
• Incredibly stable video capture
• Impressive battery life
• Battery life is good

DJI Mavic Mini Cons

• No 4K or 60fps 2.7K video
• No object tracking
• Micro USB charging, not USB-C

our verdict

The DJI Mavic Mini is still one of the best beginner-friendly drones available, despite its age. The Mavic Mini 2, which replaced it in April 2020, added 4K video capabilities, Ocusync transmission for increased range, and the option to shoot raw images—but if none of these features are important to you, the Mavic Mini is still a terrific investment.

It’s a pity that firmware updates haven’t included a 2.7K/60p mode or object-tracking capabilities. However, thanks to a firmware upgrade in April 2020, the Mavic Mini now supports manual exposure and white balance control for films, as well as a 2.7K/24p mode.

It also has a 30-minute battery life, compared to the 10-15 minutes supplied by most drones of this size, and thanks to the three-axis gimbal, it takes remarkably smooth aerial video.

Yes, $399 or £369 for a drone isn’t cheap, but the Mavic Mini is an excellent alternative to our top selection, the DJI Mini 2, for casual users wishing to improve their aerial footage and newcomers who want a straightforward first step into drone flying.