DJI Mini 2 vs Mavic Air 2 VIDEO Shootout: Can You Even Tell the Difference?

Thanks for sharing

The camera is quite good, maybe not as good as the mavic pro but, more or less like the Air 2 one. The main advantage of the Mini 2 is that you can use it virtually anywhere, while other bigger drones have lots of flight restrictions and pick lot of attention.

Take the mini 2 out of the pocket, or the bag, unfold it, take some awesome footage and put it back to the pocket... Air 2, Pro 2, Zoom 2... just can't compete with that. Even on the profession side, Mini 2 is far more versatile and weighting less than 250g means you can even fly above people (depending on the country you live, of course).

• Footage mostly as good as the Air 2 (operator/photographer/videographer is what makes the real difference).
• Atonishing flight range (like their bigger bothers).
• 20-25 minutes in the air like the bigger ones.
• Fits in the pocket and weights less than 250g (bum, Mini 2 wins).
  

PS: And... yep, it's way cheaper. My heart stops everytime the Mini2 loses a bit of connection (600€ with the FM Combo)... don't want to imagine how is flying a Pro2 (1800€ with the FM combo) ^_^

Hi DAFlys, thank you for reaching us out and I appreciate the video you have shared here in DJI Forum. That is a great comparison so that users will get clarification if which one they will get. Always fly safe! Thank you for your support.

The mini 2 doesn't have d-log/d-cinelike though so you get what you get out of the drone and have no flat profile to colour grade with. In a lot of situations it may not matter but for me shooting sunrise and sunsets where the colour range is huge, the air 2 is just so smooth and crisp and holds so much more colour details. I have the mini and the air 2. I have shot some great stuff on the mini but for me the air 2 is really a lot better and even from my first flight i'm like ok wow, this thing is amazing. Even photos with the air 2 the histogram is so balanced and the highlights aren't an issue where I always had to underexpose with my mini to get good balanced photos. Anyhow, I'll post a comparison videos I took below to show the difference:

Mavic Mini sunrise footage

Mavic Air 2 sunset footage (shot last night actually!)



So watching the footage, the mini footage is great for sure. Noone will deny that. But I would never rate it over the air 2. Shooting on the air 2 is so much less hassle than with the mini. I really had to work to get decent footage both in shooting it and post production, although admittedly if you shoot in good light like sunrise or sunset it makes it much less difficult. The air 2 is much better in lower light scenarios like sunsets.

itsdavesdrone Posted at 11-26 15:11
The mini 2 doesn't have d-log/d-cinelike though so you get what you get out of the drone and have no flat profile to colour grade with. In a lot of situations it may not matter but for me shooting sunrise and sunsets where the colour range is huge, the air 2 is just so smooth and crisp and holds so much more colour details. I have the mini and the air 2. I have shot some great stuff on the mini but for me the air 2 is really a lot better and even from my first flight i'm like ok wow, this thing is amazing. Even photos with the air 2 the histogram is so balanced and the highlights aren't an issue where I always had to underexpose with my mini to get good balanced photos. Anyhow, I'll post a comparison videos I took below to show the difference:

Mavic Mini sunrise footage

Thats lovely looking footage to me,  Id be very happy with that.

When I go out to take some footage I don't like to draw attention, either with the drone or with my SLR cameras, I just like to go unnoticed and enjoy the shooting.

For example when shooting photos on the outside I don't bring the tripod with me, and I love to use the tripod... but as soon as you put the tripod in place you start to draw undesired attention. With the drone is the same, big drones draw lots of attention while mini 2 seems like a toy and nobody really cares about it, you can shoot nice footage mostly unnoticed and it has way less flight restrictions than Air 2, Pro 2, Zoom and other  drones.

<250g drones are the way to go for me, as ease of use usually is better than quality for the most part of the time, unless you're shooting a movie, on a set, or in a very controlled environment. I also love large format cameras... but are bulky and require lots of time to work, so I stick to my SLR for both work and hobbie.

I'm sure a real pro will push more out of the M2P regarding dynamic range and lower noise levels, but the MM2 gets close if you go without processing.
It will be hard to tell the difference via youtube, (with the youtube compression) but in fact not many will need a M2P because the MM2 is already that good.

Montfrooij Posted at 11-27 03:51
I'm sure a real pro will push more out of the M2P regarding dynamic range and lower noise levels, but the MM2 gets close if you go without processing.
It will be hard to tell the difference via youtube, (with the youtube compression) but in fact not many will need a M2P because the MM2 is already that good.

I agree,  its easy with the M2P to take bad footage.

I immediately determined that A-Air2, it is clear that the dynamic range is greater, and in Mini 2 the picture is more saturated in color.

But from the landscape of the first comparison, I shuddered, so similar to a typical Russian city...

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 04:08
I agree,  its easy with the M2P to take bad footage.

Especially if you work in raw

Montfrooij Posted at 11-27 04:23
Especially if you work in raw

Yes I tried that and won't be doing it again for a while.

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 04:31
Yes I tried that and won't be doing it again for a while.

It does reveal how 'bad' these tiny camera systems really are.
(and how good they can mask it with the jpeg processor)
Not something that is DJI specific.
But they have to work with tiny (lightweight) lenses that clearly don't give the best quality footage.

Montfrooij Posted at 11-27 04:54
It does reveal how 'bad' these tiny camera systems really are.
(and how good they can mask it with the jpeg processor)
Not something that is DJI specific.

Sometimes when I zoom in on a photo I’m disappointed how bad the details are.

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 05:09
Sometimes when I zoom in on a photo I’m disappointed how bad the details are.

Me too.
Looks good if you look at the whole frame but I guess we are spoiled having nice Nikon DSLR's with big resolving lenses....

Montfrooij Posted at 11-27 05:53
Me too.
Looks good if you look at the whole frame but I guess we are spoiled having nice Nikon DSLR's with big resolving lenses....

Well I’m a full frame canon man. But I know what you mean.

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 06:02
Well I’m a full frame canon man. But I know what you mean.

All the same (sort off)
I have used the 5D MkII a lot.
A really nice camera
And the first that combined video and DSLR in a usable way.

Montfrooij Posted at 11-27 06:09
All the same (sort off)
I have used the 5D MkII a lot.
A really nice camera

I have a 5d2 in my collection, it’s a camera I really like.  

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 06:16
I have a 5d2 in my collection, it’s a camera I really like.

It is getting a bit noisy compared to my new D750, but still nice to have.

Montfrooij Posted at 11-27 06:31
It is getting a bit noisy compared to my new D750, but still nice to have.

I always keep the iso low to avoid that.

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 06:40
I always keep the iso low to avoid that.

Indeed. And some of the pixels are acting up recently.
So it ends up in the bag a lot more than it used to.

Montfrooij Posted at 11-27 06:43
Indeed. And some of the pixels are acting up recently.
So it ends up in the bag a lot more than it used to.

That’s a shame.  Mines still like new.   I also have a 70d that’s converted for IR and the build quality on that is nothing like the 5d

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 06:55
That’s a shame.  Mines still like new.   I also have a 70d that’s converted for IR and the build quality on that is nothing like the 5d

Well it was used to the max I think.
I share it with my sister and previously it was owned by our brother in law that was a professional photographer.
So it had its share.

Thanks for sharing.  

itsdavesdrone Posted at 11-26 15:11
The mini 2 doesn't have d-log/d-cinelike though so you get what you get out of the drone and have no flat profile to colour grade with. In a lot of situations it may not matter but for me shooting sunrise and sunsets where the colour range is huge, the air 2 is just so smooth and crisp and holds so much more colour details. I have the mini and the air 2. I have shot some great stuff on the mini but for me the air 2 is really a lot better and even from my first flight i'm like ok wow, this thing is amazing. Even photos with the air 2 the histogram is so balanced and the highlights aren't an issue where I always had to underexpose with my mini to get good balanced photos. Anyhow, I'll post a comparison videos I took below to show the difference:

Mavic Mini sunrise footage

Excellent comparison videos.  MA2 for the win.

DowntownRDB Posted at 11-27 09:04
Thanks for sharing.

You're very welcome.

DowntownRDB Posted at 11-27 09:04
Thanks for sharing.

no probs chap.   Did you enjoy thanks giving.

itsdavesdrone Posted at 11-26 15:11
The mini 2 doesn't have d-log/d-cinelike though so you get what you get out of the drone and have no flat profile to colour grade with. In a lot of situations it may not matter but for me shooting sunrise and sunsets where the colour range is huge, the air 2 is just so smooth and crisp and holds so much more colour details. I have the mini and the air 2. I have shot some great stuff on the mini but for me the air 2 is really a lot better and even from my first flight i'm like ok wow, this thing is amazing. Even photos with the air 2 the histogram is so balanced and the highlights aren't an issue where I always had to underexpose with my mini to get good balanced photos. Anyhow, I'll post a comparison videos I took below to show the difference:

Mavic Mini sunrise footage

Awesome footage

Huginn Keningar Posted at 11-27 03:50
When I go out to take some footage I don't like to draw attention, either with the drone or with my SLR cameras, I just like to go unnoticed and enjoy the shooting.

For example when shooting photos on the outside I don't bring the tripod with me, and I love to use the tripod... but as soon as you put the tripod in place you start to draw undesired attention. With the drone is the same, big drones draw lots of attention while mini 2 seems like a toy and nobody really cares about it, you can shoot nice footage mostly unnoticed and it has way less flight restrictions than Air 2, Pro 2, Zoom and other  drones.

I know what you are saying. But the air 2 is quieter than my mini. I was at the beach the other week, when I took off there was no-one around but when I had 10% battery left and had to land some people were near me and some kids. The drone flew in and the mother smiled and pointed at it with her child in her arms. The air 2 is really quiet so I think that makes a big difference in how people react to it. I loved the mini because 50m up it basically disappears but the air 2 disappears too mainly because it is so quiet.

DowntownRDB Posted at 11-27 09:06
Excellent comparison videos.  MA2 for the win.

Yes, for sure. That's not to say the mini isn't good. But it isn't as good as the air 2. The air 2 has a lot more tricks up its sleeve too like HDR video mode which is great for low light scenarios or high contrast like sunsets and sunrises. Even slow mo mode, there's just a lot more options. It's a different league of drone and that's why its around twice the price.

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 09:08
You're very welcome.

My pleasure!

DAFlys Posted at 11-27 09:15
no probs chap.   Did you enjoy thanks giving.

First thanksgiving where I celebrated it alone but it was okay as I watched several football games and did talk to my kids and grand kids on the phone.  This pandemic is a big pain in the arse.

DowntownRDB Posted at 11-28 17:16
First thanksgiving where I celebrated it alone but it was okay as I watched several football games and did talk to my kids and grand kids on the phone.  This pandemic is a big pain in the arse.

It certainly is,  we are all in lockdown here in the uk for another week yet.  Then into regional lockdowns after that.

DAFlys Posted at 11-29 02:29
It certainly is,  we are all in lockdown here in the uk for another week yet.  Then into regional lockdowns after that.

At least it appears you guys have a better plan than we do here in the US.  It varies not only from state to state but from city to city.  Lots of state Governors are not heeding scientific advice because it adversely affects the economy.  Sometimes it seems that people's lives are not important to politicians.  Time to try and vote a bunch of them out of elective office.  Rant over.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 11-30 08:18
At least it appears you guys have a better plan than we do here in the US.  It varies not only from state to state but from city to city.  Lots of state Governors are not heeding scientific advice because it adversely affects the economy.  Sometimes it seems that people's lives are not important to politicians.  Time to try and vote a bunch of them out of elective office.  Rant over.

I listen to MSNBC most days,  Morning Joe etc and its amazing how its been handled there.  I cant say our government is perfect but they are at least trying to do something sensible without all this nonsense rhetoric.