The new DJI Mini 2 could almost be deemed a 'toy' it is so small and light. But with the continued miniaturization of gear, more and more people are being able to get their hands on affordable, good quality equipment which will literally elevate their production levels, pun intended. When I passed my Drone CAA PfCO over two years ago now and starting flying with the Mavic 2 Zoom, I though that was the pinnacle of small, nimble and affordable drones. But this little pup is another level. For big shoots I tend to insist on a dedicated drone op/crew using a serious bit of kit like the Inspire 2 or Matrice. But, not every production requires that level of quality.
The above video is a (very) quick test of the DJI Mini 2 in the forest near me. This little thing is a lot of fun. Conditions were not fantastic, I had about 40 mins before it started raining and it was gusting about 20-25mph at around 150ft above take off altitude. But the Mini 2 managed to cope pretty well. There were a couple of times where I needed to switch it into 'Sport' mode to prevent it drifting and getting thrown around, but for the most part it did a great job in the less than ideal flying conditions.
Sometimes, just being able to stop and throw a drone up in the air for a few minutes to grab one or two establishers can transform a production. The big drones require so much more time, cost, crew and faffing around that often just cant be afforded. So that's where this little chap steps (flies) in, at less than 250g it falls under a lot of the stricter regulations (but still the law must still be abided, of course!). Small enough to throw it in the camera bag and barely even notice it, I'm hoping the quality and versatility of the Mini 2 will enable some more options on location.
Its size and ability means it draws very little attention and can be deployed in seconds, which I love.
The footage is okay. When I say okay, I mean for its size its actually pretty impressive. But this tiny drone will definitely only be employed for fast turnaround, lower budget, when you just need a few simple drone shots on location or for a bit of fun. But that's what it's designed for. Don't expect images worth printing or blowing up any bigger than typical social sizes. And don't even bother pixel peeping, the raw files at 100% look a bit mushy and details are soft.
I can certainly see myself upgrading soon and getting a Mavic 2 Pro again after the laws change at the start of Dec / next year.
But, to just throw it in the bag for quick run and gun jobs this thing is a hoot. Nice work DJI.