So I have Mini 1 and was waiting for the 3 to see the specs etc. I expected it to cost more, but not this much and don’t quite understand why DJI have went this way with a 3 Pro. The mini line was great for price, features and function. They’ve jumped too far for me.

So I’m wondering wether to sell my 1 and get a 2 instead now. I only use it casually got personal use. Works great and why I was waiting to jump to a 3.

So are the mini 2 upgrades worth it, ocusync, 4K, better stills?

To be honest I think a mini 3 “normal/standard” will come eventually as a lot of mini 1 and 2 users weren’t expecting the massive price increase for a mini 3.

Mini 2 over mini 1 is a good jump.  Ocusync alone is worth it over that flaky wifi connection.   I’d be tempted to see if you can pickup a light use second hand one once the mini 3 is shipping.  

Probably most original mini, mini 2 owners are now experienced enough and want something more capable. Active track with avoidance have been a long requested feature and the DJI RC makes the whole package so much more travel friendly ((not having to use your phone except for GPS tether is a big plus).
That said, there should be a flood of used Mini 2 on market starting now so you may find a good deal.

If what you have suits you and fulfills all you wants.........why change?

I have both the Mavic Mini and the Mini 2.  

In terms of the drones' abilities in wind it seems fair to me to say that the Mini 2 is better in wind than than Mavic Mini but if the wind conditions were such that the difference in their abilities figured in my choice of which drone to fly then I think I would be pushing the boundaries for both and deciding NOT TO FLY would be the best choice.
Despite their best efforts I have seen both blown down wind by gusts but I still have both, you need to know what to do to save them rather than rely entirely on their abilities to fight the wind. Most of my flying would be over the sea so there would be very few second chances.

With regards to the camera and video, I am not in a position to comment on that as my screens etc. can not handle 4k video.

I like the smaller size of the Mavic Mini controller, for its portability, but I prefer the feel of the Mini 2 controller's sticks and I think I am beginnig to prefer the Mini 2 method of phone clamping.
With regards to control range, both can exceed my VLOS but I don't fly where there is much interference........ so what more do I need? I certainly would not routinely approach their theoretical range limits. That said I have seen a mavic mini (EU spec) exceed its 2km stated limit, from memory the pilot's bottle ran out before the control signal did.

I will be honest and say the Mini 3 tempts me, if nothing else I like the idea of the  portrait mode without cropping an image, but there is no way I am going  to stump up the current retail price. I would/will wait for offers or  the second hand market to become established and will wait out any  teething-troubles/unfinished-software.

Mini 2 offers quite a bit more over the original Mini.  Better camera, more functions but more importantly it has Occusync vice depending on wifi for connectivity.  

Maybe DJI will have some Mini 2 sales here soon.  Or try and take advantage of a slightly used Mini 2 from eBay or Facebook marketplace.

Good luck in your upgrade decision.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 5-10 11:08
I have both the Mavic Mini and the Mini 2.  In terms of the drones' abilities in wind it seems fair to me to say that the Mini 2 is better in wind than than Mavic Mini but if the wind conditions were such that the difference in their abilities figured in my choice of which drone to fly then I think I would be pushing the boundaries for both and deciding NOT TO FLY would be the best choice.
Despite their best efforts I have seen both blown down wind by gusts but I still have both, you need to know what to do to save them rather than rely entirely on their abilities.

regarding, why change? it's more for the progression, and better connection and 4K suppose. It does everything, but even though I don't go out of VLOS, surely the Ocusync is better in this scenario, and less risk.

I've lost connection on mini 1 when its less than 200M away, over a river, persiceived no interference, I couldn't understand it. I hope Mini 2 would fix this.

I prefer portability and yes the mini 1 controller I'd be fine with, even fits in my pocket! suppose having ocusync means bigger controller.

Not sure on the 2nd hand though, never know really. Suppose I would do an Amazon warehouse as a lot are returns, but never sure on 2nd hand, especially the battery.

delete please

delete please

delete please

Re second hand stuff, the only new drone I have bought is the Mavic mini. All the others are second hand and two of those were actually brand new unactivated care refresh replacements for damaged drones.
I have had 1 Phantom 3 battery arrive dead, all other batteroes have been fine.
Bought via the likes of ebay, second hand items sold as used must match ebay's definition of the condition category, here UK that means they must be "operational and functions as intended" otherwise you have grounds for a "not as described" return which is at the seller's expense. Of course check the seller's reputation and avoid sellers with not good ones.
I returned a Phantom for undeclared motor mount cracks and the seller got a bit uppity, I merely put the matter in ebay's hands and got the return label and refund.

The biggest concern with second hand drones that are 'bindable' is now probably that the previous owner might not have unbound the drone etc. form their account and that can create problems.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 5-10 11:35
Re second hand stuff, the only new drone I have bought is the Mavic mini. All the others are second hand and two of those were actually brand new unactivated care refresh replacements for damaged drones.
I have had 1 Phantom 3 battery arrive dead, all other batteroes have been fine.
Bought via the likes of ebay, second hand items sold as used must match ebay's definition of the condition category, here UK that means they must be "operational and functions as intended" otherwise you have grounds for a "not as described" return which is at the seller's expense. Of course check the seller's reputation and avoid sellers with not good ones.

Its more the batteries, if they've been cared for and how much use. Not sure you can check how many times once it is factory reset? I know my mini I can see how many cycles/uses its had.

I'm in UK and was thinking of CEX, trading in my Mini 1 and getting a Mini 2 from them, again just a little nervous no 2nd hand.

im going to say get the mini2 for a couple of reasons:  1) because i will sell my mini2 (and you should buy it!) now that i ordered the mini3.  not right away but as soon as i'm totally good with the mini3.  i believe the mini2 market will remain viable and like you, a ton of people simply don't want to pay so much for a mini3.  and 2) because i cannot believe you sat so long on the mini1.  i had a mini 1.  hated it.  range was lousy but i could never fly it in the wind.  i live in a very windy part of the country and far too often i was disappointed, not because conditions are poor for flying but conditions made it simply impossible to fly the mini1.    no other drones had this problem so the mini1 became useless to me.  i may exaggerate a bit but flying a drone is supposed to be "fun" and i think the mini2 will be a huge improvement if only for wind resistance.

americans seem to believe the mini drone family is exempt from the rules.  because it does not have to be registered, most believe none of the laws apply when it comes to restrictions, VLOS, AGL, LAANC, and testing/licensing/etc.  now i am reading more and more how these will be the only drones you can fly anywhere forever without RID.  therefore, i don't see the bottom dropping out on prices since demand should be brisk.  as mentioned, initially a wave of minis for sale and as soon as the refurbs dry up, end of the summer should be good to go.

MM_fly Posted at 5-10 11:42
Its more the batteries, if they've been cared for and how much use. Not sure you can check how many times once it is factory reset? I know my mini I can see how many cycles/uses its had.

I'm in UK and was thinking of CEX, trading in my Mini 1 and getting a Mini 2 from them, again just a little nervous no 2nd hand.

You can check the number of times a battery has been charged in the app, that to some extent would be indicative of its usage. I do not remember if there is a health indicator.
With App ver 1.3 .0 you can check the batteries' date of manufacture but that ability seems to have disappeared in App ver 1.5.4.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 5-10 12:23
You can check the number of times a battery has been charged in the app, that to some extent would be indicative of its usage. I do not remember if there is a health indicator.
With App ver 1.3 .0 you can check the batteries' date of manufacture but that ability seems to have disappeared in App ver 1.5.4.

So even if I bought a 2nd hand it would, once I register etc, tell me how many times its been charged? Strange how they've lost the ability to check date of manufacture...

I'm still unsure....I may trade in the mini 1, or sell it although I'd again be nervous selling on eBay as someone could just say "it doesn't work" when they may have crashed on first go, and then buy new form Amazon maybe....unless DJI have a sale, which I thought they might when releasing mini 3.

MM_fly Posted at 5-10 12:36
So even if I bought a 2nd hand it would, once I register etc, tell me how many times its been charged? Strange how they've lost the ability to check date of manufacture...

I'm still unsure....I may trade in the mini 1, or sell it although I'd again be nervous selling on eBay as someone could just say "it doesn't work" when they may have crashed on first go, and then buy new form Amazon maybe....unless DJI have a sale, which I thought they might when releasing mini 3.

Providing you are logged into a suitable version of the App there is no need to register anything in order to fly a second hand drone.
Yes the app will show you how many times the battery has been charged.
Re changes to the app not all changes are for the better, lol.
I got the Mavic Mini from Curries, on offer, but I had no problems with the drone so can not comment on their return policy. Amazon's return policy is very favourable and a major reassurance and selling point.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 5-10 13:18
Providing you are logged into a suitable version of the App there is no need to register anything in order to fly a second hand drone.
Yes the app will show you how many times the battery has been charged.
Re changes to the app not all changes are for the better, lol.

How much was it on offer at Curry’s if you don’t mind me asking. Was it the fly more or just the drone itself?

I’m hoping maybe Argos, Currys, or Amazon have offers on when 3 is on general sale.

To be honest I think I’d prefer new now I’m thinking, as can then get refresh as well.

Amazon do 5 payments as well so that’s better to spread cost to.

MM_fly Posted at 5-10 12:36
So even if I bought a 2nd hand it would, once I register etc, tell me how many times its been charged? Strange how they've lost the ability to check date of manufacture...

I'm still unsure....I may trade in the mini 1, or sell it although I'd again be nervous selling on eBay as someone could just say "it doesn't work" when they may have crashed on first go, and then buy new form Amazon maybe....unless DJI have a sale, which I thought they might when releasing mini 3.

agreed you would have to be careful with selling anything on ebay.  i have found success by strongly vetting the bidders and buyers which could cost you a little bit in the long run.  however, the last thing you need is to lose out because ebay so favors the buyer.  i have been known to cancel ebay bids and ban them when i have not been able to "verify" the bidder's identity.  if you win my [drone] auction it's only because i'm ok with it.

MM_fly Posted at 5-10 14:57
How much was it on offer at Curry’s if you don’t mind me asking. Was it the fly more or just the drone itself?

I’m hoping maybe Argos, Currys, or Amazon have offers on when 3 is on general sale.

£436, I think, for a flymore, I can't remember the going rate at the time, May 2020, but from memory it was a good price at the time.
You can get care refresh outside the 48hours from activation but have to jump through some hoops to do it, google "dji care refresh verification video".

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 5-10 16:40
£436, I think, for a flymore, I can't remember the going rate at the time, May 2020, but from memory it was a good price at the time.
You can get care refresh outside the 48hours from activation but have to jump through some hoops to do it, google "dji care refresh verification video".

recently the process has been streamlined if what i did last time is an indication, it's super easy.  turn on the screen recording on your device, record a few details like standby status, serial numbers, video feed, hover and twist and turn a bit, post on yt, get your serial number whitelisted.  no more recruiting a friend to make a small movie production with your flying your used drone all over the city.

Hello there MM_fly. Good day and thank you for reaching out. For additional reference I will post a DJI link ( https://www.dji.com/products/com ... ndsite&from=nav ) where in you can compare the specifications of the new DJI Mini 3 Pro to the DJI Mini 2 and to the DJI Mavic Mini. Thank you.

The big price difference for M3 comes probably mainly because of the bigger image sensor (sensors cost a lot...), plus the avoidance sensors, new better lens etc.
Regarding if you should change M1 for M2, from my point of view is a big YES

I own both Mini 1 & 2. Going from M1 to M2 was a game changer. I hate the wifi connectivity in M1 and poor wind resistance. Those two things alone improved the safety of drone and decreased the likehood of losing/damaging it.

Now... Mavic Mini 3 Pro.

£700-£800 is a lot for some and I don't think I can justify spending that amount of money on a tighter budget. M3's improvements are not game changing (I mean obstacle avoidance would allow for more "daring" shots), but don't think connectivity and wind resistance have improved.

Also, DJI is really ... with essential updates (ask anyone who uses Galaxy 21 Ultra or Pixel 6 Pro). I'm not confident that M3 will be fully usable right from the start. Think Mavic 3's launch was also a fiasco so it might be wise to wait few months to make sure everything works well.

But to answer your question, if you're on a tight budget and you don't need obstacle avoidance then you gonna love M2. If you got extra cash, wait for user reviews and go for M3

Monika Liberadzka Posted at 5-13 03:19
I own both Mini 1 & 2. Going from M1 to M2 was a game changer. I hate the wifi connectivity in M1 and poor wind resistance. Those two things alone improved the safety of drone and decreased the likehood of losing/damaging it.

Now... Mavic Mini 3 Pro.

So Mini to Mini 2 is a great step. Like you it’s more for the connection, WiFi isn’t the best, and presume O2 is a lot better and stable?

I didn’t know the wind resistance was that much better? It’s only a step increase, so just thought was a little better?

It’s not that’s it’s too expensive, it’s just I wouldn’t get the use, and can’t justify personally the jump up from a Mini 1/2 price. I understand the concept, but I think there maybe a Mini 3 standard in peipleline.

If the Mini 1 to a 2 is a big upgrade then I may trade in, was just hoping I could skip the 2 and goto 3.

I’m not too bothered on obstacle avoidance, but having a better camera is a big plus. Does the Mini 2, in real life use, have much better results than the 1?

I’m in agreement with everyone else, the Mini2 is awesome.
I have a P3Pro, a P4pro, a Mavic Air 2, and now a Mini 2. Since I got the Mini2 it’s been the only one I’ve flown. I take it everywhere, fly it in the wind, send it out for miles over the water. The video is good enough for me, I’m just a hobbyist, but the flying experience with this tiny drone is so much fun.

Yes the mini 3 is taking the mini series down the pro avenue and away from being a beginner drone series I'm no camera snob...and my mini 2 is a great balance of drone specks for its price ie camera I've flown 350miles and NO crashes so obstacle avoidance?? Really mini 3 is £1,018 if u buy fly more combo and the RC screen controller when u see what u get for mini 2 it is half the price

Yes Mini 3 Pro is out of my price range for what I am, a casual user.

I am thinking of selling my Mini 1 and goto a 2, I was hoping I could step up to the 3, but it’s too big a jump.

Camera/video is fine on my Mini 1, it’s more for the better signal I’m thinking, could maybe fly a bit farther (still LOS obviously), and/or stronger at closer as sometimes I lose connection on open river about 150M away which is disappointing.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 2022-5-10 13:18
Providing you are logged into a suitable version of the App there is no need to register anything in order to fly a second hand drone.
Yes the app will show you how many times the battery has been charged.
Re changes to the app not all changes are for the better, lol.

Yeah the mini 3 pro is too expensive and u can get the air 2 s cheaper sometimes BUT u need the a2 cofc flight licence to fly it urban so ive jusy gone from mini 2 up to mini 3 pro awaiting delivery now... had a great time with mini 2 like just under 2000km 130 hrs since sept 2021 ...love the versitility the sub 250g gives the freedom so sucked on the price and bought it

The mini 2 is a pretty impressive little drone, I sure love mine.

I paid the same amount for the Mini3+RC-N1+one battery as I paid for the M2 (same package) a year and a half ago.

The M2 has been excellent in its class. The  M3 is an upgrade in various ways...and options.  So far, I think the M3 is as reliable as the M2 for my purpose so I'd have to say just get the M3  or  an M2 in new-condition at a discount and you will be pleased.

Too many trees and powerlines around me to bother with M3pro's collision avoidance in two directions only...but I suppose a body could grow into the higher movie qualities the M3 has. The fancy RC is probably pretty good but I like the flexibility of the RC-N1

I've had all 3 minis, first mini was fun but lacked 4k, weaker wind resistance, more signal dropouts. I really loved my mini 2, even when I got the Air 2s, but lost it in a tree on a cliff hanging over the river. I kept thinking I might replace the mini 2 as I had the fly more combo, but I found Costco had a mini 3 with ND filters, Micro SD card for $430, mini 2 was $449 from DJI. So I need to sell my fly more kit. the mini 3 is a good step up from the mini 2, it does offer many pluses. Longer battery life, extended battery option, bigger sensor, better low light, larger gimbal range, vertical shooting, etc.