Their return policy is 14 days... just sayin

NO RAGRETS... love this little basturd.

no regrets, got the combo at the right price so can't go wrong.  feels good trying to get to know the drone all over again.  i like it not love it.  i love my m2z.  with the mini, i miss the zoom camera and the wifi doesn't feel as solid and the drone is rather slow and no smc.  otherwise, it's great to take with, setup is fast, it's invisible when i fly....i feel like i can break out this drone and fly it when it's more or less inappropriate around others.  met a guy the other day with a m2p and his barely took a look at it, i guess he thought it was a toy drone.   my biggest disappointment is lack of accessories.
sorry forgot to say with i like the most.  i love this case that came with the fmc; makes it way more easier to go to and fro.

gfab71 Posted at 11-19 11:22
Yes, too many rules , often unclear, contradictory, here in Italy , for the use of that type of drones.
Finally  made my decision to sell both, and for my purpose (amateur photographer), i've waited for
a better solution.

Wow.
That is quite a change.
But I think the mini will do many things equally well

JohnnyMac41 Posted at 11-19 11:23
I have a Mavic 2 Zoom, my first UAV ever. I really like it, and got my Part 107 so I can use it at work, looking for towers in the distance from potential internet customer locations in the boonies of Ohio and West Virginia.

In my case, having the zoom lens where I can go to 96mm zoom via the video camera, then do screenshots with my iPad mini to show heading, height and what altitude is needed to clear trees is irreplaceable.

Nice application for the Zoom (and mini) I have to say!

One to watch I would say: been out for my 1st flight and somewhat disappoint both in terms of range (80meters and cut-out completely) and then also vid signal cut out. When it does work, the footage is great. Also, at 1st switch on, the gimal didn't work and I had to restart it. Teething trouble maybe, but for almost £500 I would expect the thing to work out of the box and the range to be better.

R&L Aerial photography Posted at 11-18 13:52
I may have received a lemon because my video gets fuzzy at around 120 meters...

Lucky you! Mine cut out after 85 meters!

I hope not to regret this purchase, so far it seems to be a very solid and mature product...

Montfrooij Posted at 11-20 03:11
Wow.
That is quite a change.
But I think the mini will do many things equally well

I think so too, then anyway I especially take photos,
I do not make many videos, and the quality of the camera
is still very good for my purposes.

I think the mixed feelings come from the fact that many MINI users actually own quite a few other drones, some bigger and more expensive and the comparison betwen them becomes natural. I mean if the MINI delivered 60MB/s or more and pretty much all the features the Mavic 2 has, many would probably be allright with just the MINI, and finding is not that close to a Mavic 2 can bring this regret/dissapointment.

Other users are people who owns bigger more PRO drones and are trying to make their minds and find reasons not to buy it. I would do the same.

From somebody who owns a lot of photo, sound recording and other gear, my first impression was very good, the feel not as Toysh as I thought (after all the comments).
Are you going to make a Netflix series with it? Nope, but for many other semi or profesional formats/platforms (social media, YouTube, websites), for sure is a decent camera and drone.

They have to fine tune maaaaany things IMHO, Will they? Not sure but I really hope so since this could be an even more awsome tool with a few touches/improments.

gfab71 Posted at 11-20 11:34
I think so too, then anyway I especially take photos,
I do not make many videos, and the quality of the camera
is still very good for my purposes.

Good to read!
I'm still hesitating about my next purchase

Juliflash Posted at 11-20 11:52
I think the mixed feelings come from the fact that many MINI users actually own quite a few other drones, some bigger and more expensive and the comparison betwen them becomes natural. I mean if the MINI delivered 60MB/s or more and pretty much all the features the Mavic 2 has, many would probably be allright with just the MINI, and finding is not that close to a Mavic 2 can bring this regret/dissapointment.

Other users are people who owns bigger more PRO drones and are trying to make their minds and find reasons not to buy it. I would do the same.

Very true!

Very disappointed with Mavic Mini.
I checked reviews on YT, all seemed positive and none mentioned the issue with the Go Fly app not working on most phones.
I bought the MM and then travelled with it before trying to set it up and use it.
I have the Mavic and had no reason to suspect there would be any problems with the mini.
Bought the 'Refresh' insurance also.
Now stuck travelling with a drone I can't use and will be too late to return it to the store by the time I am back.
Even if I had checked, based on the list of phones it is supposed to work with, I would have expected it to work for me.
Samsung J6+, Android 9.0.

I have no regrets. Works as I expected it too. But I researched it prior to making my mind up. I checked their website for my phone compatibility and it was on the list. I currently use an iPhone XR and it works great with it. I also sourced a used, cheap, that looks to be brand new, iPad air 2 that works great too.  I didn't expect it to have the same features as a mavic air or other more expensive drone. I was looking for something that was portable, easy to use, had a good camera and flies good. I wasn't looking for something that had all the features of the mavic air or mavic pro 2 or that would have been what I bought instead. In my opinion, the Mavic Mini delivered exactly what was advertised.

Great purchase for me too.
Spark was fantastic, but it all rolls on!

the range argument is interesting.  At 250m or so it's very hard to spot in the sky if you look down at the screen at back up.  So the idea of someone complaining it can't go over 2km seems mad to me (just my opinion). But i'm coming at it from a beginners stance where i don't feel the need to fly it really far away. im happy just going 500m

JodyB Posted at 12-4 04:12
I have no regrets. Works as I expected it too. But I researched it prior to making my mind up. I checked their website for my phone compatibility and it was on the list. I currently use an iPhone XR and it works great with it. I also sourced a used, cheap, that looks to be brand new, iPad air 2 that works great too.  I didn't expect it to have the same features as a mavic air or other more expensive drone. I was looking for something that was portable, easy to use, had a good camera and flies good. I wasn't looking for something that had all the features of the mavic air or mavic pro 2 or that would have been what I bought instead. In my opinion, the Mavic Mini delivered exactly what was advertised.

I started this thread but have since changed my mind, I’m very happy with the mini it’s an excellent drone for the money. I normally fly the mavic 2 pro with the hasslehoff camera so at first it seemed a little disappointing because I was comparing the mini to the mavic pro 2 but after looking at the mini for what it is it turns out to be a nice little quad. I have a few issues such as the mini not holding altitude and no usb plug on bottom of controller but it’s a lot of technology for $400 bucks..

R&L Aerial photography Posted at 12-4 05:00
I started this thread but have since changed my mind, I’m very happy with the mini it’s an excellent drone for the money. I normally fly the mavic 2 pro with the hasslehoff camera so at first it seemed a little disappointing because I was comparing the mini to the mavic pro 2 but after looking at the mini for what it is it turns out to be a nice little quad. I have a few issues such as the mini not holding altitude and no usb plug on bottom of controller but it’s a lot of technology for $400 bucks..

Agreed, it is a lot of tech for what you pay for it. Sure I do have a few little quirks, but I'm sure that as time goes by and DJI optimizes the software/firmware, it will get better. Of course no amount of software/firmware development will get us a USB port at the bottom, but some of the other issues will hopefully get ironed out as we go along.

As a buyer who is the intended target for this drone by DJI, I think I can share my purchase experience. This is my first and only drone, I didn't want to shell out too much on a drone and only later to realise the drone is kept somewhere in my cupboard and never to be used again. Thsi generally happens with me with stuff I buy. I used to love watching drone videos on YT which prompted me to buy one for myself, and I do realise some of  the videos on YT are shot with a very expensive drone and and handled by a reasonably experienced drone pilot. My expectations from the drone was to be able to shoot videos/photos of similar quality to that of my phone (S10 plus) and I was looking for a drone which was < 250g that avoids me registering my drone not only in the UK but many other countries which require prior permission before I can fly a drone > 250g even in unauthroized zones. I'm sure someone who is not from the US, will prefer a drone not requiring to be registered, as its not easy as signing up on the web like in the US. I was therefore left with only DJI Tello and other manufacturers, all were either 720p or 1080p at the best, with no 3 axis gimbal. I thought I will wait till someone comes up with atleast 4k with a 3 axis gimbal as minimum. I knew DJI was planning to come up with mavic mini about few months back so I decided to wait and the day it was made public, I looked at the spec and was a bit disappointed that there was no 4k but loved the fact it has 3 axis gimbal unlike the spark. It ticked every other box, but then when I checked reviews of the pre-production I was happy with the video and photo quality. I placed an order for the non-combo pack as combo would only deliver by end of December. After my first flight, I loved the video quality even though it was 2.7k, did not miss the 4k and the stablity of the drone video cos of its 3 axis gimbal is a treat compared to spark. Being a newbie in drone flying, the drone doesn't scare you much as that of losing a drone that costs 2000+ pounds. I was able to get it to fly up to 500m in distance post which the drone did an auto RTH and at an altitude of 80-100m in city limit. Keeping a line of sight (legal requirement) after 200m is next to impossible as the drone just disappears being so tiny when the weather is a bit misty.

Coming back to the question my regrets:

a. Not buying the combo, I'm now shelling out to buy additional battery, props and a case.

I do wish some features be added the DJI fly app and to the drone firmware but doesn't mean I regret buying the drone.

a. Manual settings for video mode.
b. Active tracking
c. RAW Image support
d. 4k support, even if that means decrease in flying time but the option should be given to the user.
e. Pano mode for photography.

Here is a link to the video I shot of my first flight, not bad for a drone under 250g.

Is it in compliance with the drone code?

fans7ec816e7 Posted at 12-4 07:23
As a buyer who is the intended target for this drone by DJI, I think I can share my purchase experience. This is my first and only drone, I didn't want to shell out too much on a drone and only later to realise the drone is kept somewhere in my cupboard and never to be used again. Thsi generally happens with me with stuff I buy. I used to love watching drone videos on YT which prompted me to buy one for myself, and I do realise some of  the videos on YT are shot with a very expensive drone and and handled by a reasonably experienced drone pilot. My expectations from the drone was to be able to shoot videos/photos of similar quality to that of my phone (S10 plus) and I was looking for a drone which was < 250g that avoids me registering my drone not only in the UK but many other countries which require prior permission before I can fly a drone > 250g even in unauthroized zones. I'm sure someone who is not from the US, will prefer a drone not requiring to be registered, as its not easy as signing up on the web like in the US. I was therefore left with only DJI Tello and other manufacturers, all were either 720p or 1080p at the best, with no 3 axis gimbal. I thought I will wait till someone comes up with atleast 4k with a 3 axis gimbal as minimum. I knew DJI was planning to come up with mavic mini about few months back so I decided to wait and the day it was made public, I looked at the spec and was a bit disappointed that there was no 4k but loved the fact it has 3 axis gimbal unlike the spark. It ticked every other box, but then when I checked reviews of the pre-production I was happy with the video and photo quality. I placed an order for the non-combo pack as combo would only deliver by end of December. After my first flight, I loved the video quality even though it was 2.7k, did not miss the 4k and the stablity of the drone video cos of its 3 axis gimbal is a treat compared to spark. Being a newbie in drone flying, the drone doesn't scare you much as that of losing a drone that costs 2000+ pounds. I was able to get it to fly up to 500m in distance post which the drone did an auto RTH and at an altitude of 80-100m in city limit. Keeping a line of sight (legal requirement) after 200m is next to impossible as the drone just disappears being so tiny when the weather is a bit misty.

Coming back to the question my regrets:

good summary.  Other than the fact i DID get the combo, i agree completely.  I didn't expect too much given the price but didnt need much as a beginner.  It exceeds my expectations completely.

but yeah your first flight looks like you immediately broke the law haha. but nice footage

Crummett Posted at 12-4 07:34
good summary.  Other than the fact i DID get the combo, i agree completely.  I didn't expect too much given the price but didnt need much as a beginner.  It exceeds my expectations completely.

but yeah your first flight looks like you immediately broke the law haha. but nice footage

Thanks mate - True, and it wasn't advertised to be the best in class. This drone does however make the market more competitive for the price range. It will get other manufacturers to drop their prices and come up with more features under 250g category and maybe in another years time I'm guessing 4k will be a norm for under 250g drones.

I tried my best to comply with drone code as a newbie, still learning

fans7ec816e7 Posted at 12-4 08:01
Thanks mate - True, and it wasn't advertised to be the best in class. This drone does however make the market more competitive for the price range. It will get other manufacturers to drop their prices and come up with more features under 250g category and maybe in another years time I'm guessing 4k will be a norm for under 250g drones.

I tried my best to comply with drone code as a newbie, still learning

Are you UK based? sorry if i've missed that info.  If so it may be worth registering anyway. You register yourself rather than the specific drone. £9 for the year and the test  is 20 questions and you can have the code book open while you do it so can't really fail.  If nothing else it did get me to read the code book and learn some bits and if anyone asks what im up to i can show im registered etc.

JodyB Posted at 12-4 04:12
I have no regrets. Works as I expected it too. But I researched it prior to making my mind up. I checked their website for my phone compatibility and it was on the list. I currently use an iPhone XR and it works great with it. I also sourced a used, cheap, that looks to be brand new, iPad air 2 that works great too.  I didn't expect it to have the same features as a mavic air or other more expensive drone. I was looking for something that was portable, easy to use, had a good camera and flies good. I wasn't looking for something that had all the features of the mavic air or mavic pro 2 or that would have been what I bought instead. In my opinion, the Mavic Mini delivered exactly what was advertised.

100% same opinion here, in fact since many Youtubers keep saying feels cheap, is a toy... bla bla bla... When I received mine I was positively amazed by the quality and engineering.
People looking to swap their Air or bigger Mavics for the Mini,I can understand their regret.

If you swap a big bird for a mini you're going to notice the difference as they've had to go for thinner plastic and the whole thing feels lightweight.
Once you fly it you will probably change your mind as long as it isnt super windy. If you fly in compliance with the rules you should see the drone is pretty much perfect unless you're looking for the best video or the best still photography. You're not going to get that considering the price point.

For the cash it is a very very capable product and with all the complaints over FCC/CE versions and the range I've had my CE version out past 2000m and still had video link and full control. Even with high power binoculars this thing would have been invisible at that range so it's clearly using it for a purpose it wasn't designed for.

Crummett Posted at 12-4 08:05
Are you UK based? sorry if i've missed that info.  If so it may be worth registering anyway. You register yourself rather than the specific drone. £9 for the year and the test  is 20 questions and you can have the code book open while you do it so can't really fail.  If nothing else it did get me to read the code book and learn some bits and if anyone asks what im up to i can show im registered etc.

Yeah based in the UK, nice probably won't be needing to register as I only have a mini with me. But its good to know if I do plan to have a bigger drone at some point in time. Thanks for the information mate.

it travels easy , can produces good photos with prep and a lot of editing .  If its someone first drone they will be amazed if it dont blow away

No regrets for paying $400 on a 250 grams flying camera (now that the software update allows me to actually use it). Let it be known it's my first drone, but fact of the matter is I would not be very happy to spend 4 times that amount on a flying brick which may get lose or damaged since i'm a newb.

Nope. not at all. I find myself looking for time each day to fly it.

It's a fun little toy.

Cheers!
=C=

Mine maintains altitude. Maybe you got a dud. Happy with mine...

MM is my first drone ever, after initial hiccups (every single one down to my inexperience),
I have flown it out to 1.2km
Make videos in 2.7 k
Slowly getting to grips with sticks
Ideal for my pocket
Had it up to 141m
And most importantly:
I thoroughly enjoy it!!!

The only thing im not happy about is that DJI's slow reaction in upgrading its delivery structure. Having to wait up to 2months for parts is cr#p

Love my mavic mini it's my first drone
I couldn't afford a pro drone so it's perfect for me
I live in London but have had no problems in the parks had a few dropouts but rth works perfectly and drone comes back right to your feet

R&L Aerial photography Posted at 2019-11-19 03:55
Thanks to everyone for sharing their opinions, I see that most are happy, I flew the mini in very high winds and it did great. The more I fly this little bugger the more I like....

Define "very high winds" LOL.  Partially due to the glowing reports of the Mini's good wind-handling, I bought one in November 2019.  It's now mid January 2020, and I have been able to fly outdoors exactly twice, and one of those two times was a "window of opportunity" between midnight and 0300.

I'm looking forward to less windy weather, and anticipate getting good use from my Mini.  But as of now, I can't even buy care refresh because there's no way to shoot the required verification video, and it looks like there won't be for months.

People's ideas about what constitutes "high wind" depend greatly on where they live.  Don't even think about moving to central Wyoming if you think the Mini can handle "very high winds".  ;)

Having said that, I am impressed with the little thing.  I think it's an amazing gadget for the size, weight, and price.

I have a pro also so I can easily compare the quality of each. But when I ordered the mini I had realistic expectations. I think for a 249g drone at the price point I thinks it’s a great drone. My main reason for getting it was I was too afraid of flying (and losing) my pro. Building my confidence with the mini has helped tremendously and I now have much more trust in my pro.

davidms Posted at 1-15 18:00
I have a pro also so I can easily compare the quality of each. But when I ordered the mini I had realistic expectations. I think for a 249g drone at the price point I thinks it’s a great drone. My main reason for getting it was I was too afraid of flying (and losing) my pro. Building my confidence with the mini has helped tremendously and I now have much more trust in my pro.

I've been on the fence about buying one of the Mavic Pros for a long time.  And your point is a good one.

I got the Mini, in part, because I figured I could learn how to fly so I'd be more competent if and when I do decide to get one of the Pros.  AND as another person posted earlier in the thread, I can find out if it's something I will use often enough to make it worthwhile to purchase one of the more expensive drones.

In a way, it may be good that the Mini is more unforgiving than the more expensive ones if we're using it as a "trainer".

And since I have been mostly restricted to flying indoors, it may be that I'm learning the controls better due to having to fly in tight spaces and avoid many obstacles.  Hopefully I'll be well trained by the time the weather is more suitable for flying!

davidms Posted at 1-15 18:00
I have a pro also so I can easily compare the quality of each. But when I ordered the mini I had realistic expectations. I think for a 249g drone at the price point I thinks it’s a great drone. My main reason for getting it was I was too afraid of flying (and losing) my pro. Building my confidence with the mini has helped tremendously and I now have much more trust in my pro.

sorry but I'm going to have to disagree with you.  for the beginner and from my pov, unless the new flyer is seriously disadvantaged, I think the Mavic 2 zoom is a much better drone to learn to fly well....money notwithstanding.  I have both and I just feel like my m2z is easier to fly, easier to see, the connection is more solid and the drone is more responsive.  it does what I ask, when I ask and there is no fear even out to a mile.  with the mm, it's quite the opposite and even with care refresh, I fear I might make a mistake or the winds might be blowing and off she blows never to be seen again.  I have never once felt my m2z was going to blow away and I've had it out in some pretty windy days.  perhaps all the forum reports are making me mini-cautious but I get nervous every time she flies more than let's say 200 meters away.  whereas my finger is always on the m2z rth, at the point I feel like the mm rth is unusable.  my opinion.  if you're learning, start with a m2 if you can because if money is not an issue and you're not taking advantage of size, the mm is just a toy 2nd drone for me for fun for the latest.

The Saint Posted at 1-15 20:48
sorry but I'm going to have to disagree with you.  for the beginner and from my pov, unless the new flyer is seriously disadvantaged, I think the Mavic 2 zoom is a much better drone to learn to fly well....money notwithstanding.  I have both and I just feel like my m2z is easier to fly, easier to see, the connection is more solid and the drone is more responsive.  it does what I ask, when I ask and there is no fear even out to a mile.  with the mm, it's quite the opposite and even with care refresh, I fear I might make a mistake or the winds might be blowing and off she blows never to be seen again.  I have never once felt my m2z was going to blow away and I've had it out in some pretty windy days.  perhaps all the forum reports are making me mini-cautious but I get nervous every time she flies more than let's say 200 meters away.  whereas my finger is always on the m2z rth, at the point I feel like the mm rth is unusable.  my opinion.  if you're learning, start with a m2 if you can because if money is not an issue and you're not taking advantage of size, the mm is just a toy 2nd drone for me for fun for the latest.

"I fear I might make a mistake or the winds might be blowing and off she  blows never to be seen again.  I have never once felt my m2z was going  to blow away and I've had it out in some pretty windy days."


There is a possible explanation relating to Max speed differences of Mavic Pro (18 m/s) and Mavic Mini (13 m/s).
Average wind speed around world, over land during day is nearly 5 m/s.  That being average there is naturally above and below, a distribution of wind speeds.

Example #1


When you look at wind speed distribution, wind speeds occuring for Max speed of Mavic Mini happens 3% of time.  
Whereas, wind speeds occuring for Max speed of Mavic Pro happens 0% of time.


Example #2 (different area of world than #1)


When you look at wind speed distribution, wind speeds occuring for Max speed of Mavic Mini happens with probablity of ~ 0.045  
Whereas, wind speeds occuring for Max speed of Mavic Pro happens with probablity of ~ 0.018

You can see that Mavic Mini is more likely too encounter above average wind speeds which it can not handle, than Mavic Pro.

So i wait a day or 2

I live on the South coast and we often have very strong winds. Probably not ideal for a mini but other than that it looks like it would fit many folks needs. The point and shoot equivalent of a pocket camera.

No regrets here, no issues, great range (q3p