alawry Loc: Timaru New Zealand

Hi
I am seriously considering a drone. I am looking at mavic dj mini 2 I think it's called, many reviews call it perfect beginner hobbyist level. Comments on the reviews point out, it has no crash detection sensor, and that a beginner would find that useful. Then I see they make propellor guards for that model. Which goes a long way to prevent broken propellor. And then I see they reduce efficiency, cutting a 30 minute flight time to 18 minutes so I see why a good flyer would for go them. I would appreciate any advice on the subject, I guess the first reply will ask me, what do I want to do with it. I'll answer with general purpose use, and have fun.

I see the dj mini 2 as about the price point for me, but I guess that might be a starting point, what accessories should I consider?

I've been into this for a couple of weeks and have the brilliant idea, why not ask on hedgehog for advice?

Looking forward to ideas from other users. Andrew.

tcthome Loc: NJ

I use to work with a guy who purchased the original model used for $350 & was having a lot of fun. Might be a good way to start out cheap. This way if you trash it, not so bad do;;ar wise. Just a thought. Have fun.

twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England

Bought one for my grandson for Christmas - go for the "fly more" package. Terrific drone and DJI app makes flying easy to learn.

Ourspolair

I have the original Mavic Mini. It was a gift, I would go for the Mavic Mini 2 if I were you. According to DJI, it does have collision avoidance. Buy the propeller protection until you are confident enough to not hit a tree branch (or anything if you are learning indoors!) The Fly More package will give you extra batteries, which will allow you more flight time. With the propeller protection mounted, your flight time and maximum range/height will be limited. I have real aircraft and glider experience, but still managed to lose a drone - you do not have 350 degree vision without rotating the drone, I flew into a tree and lost my first drone in a lake. If I had not had all of the accessories for the Mini, I would have purchased the Mini2 because of its additional sensors and 4k camera.
Major advantage with the Mini series is that they come in under the weight limit for units needing licensing/registration at this time.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Check the drone forum under all section for answer from folks who are into this.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I bought the DJI Mini 2. It really is a "sweet spot" combination of weight, size, RAW shooting and 4K video. Every review is good.

During the shipping time I watched endless YouTubes, read tutorials and planned shoots. When it arrived, I put it on the shelf unopened until I could figure out the shoots.

I live in Washington State. It is illegal to use an amateur drone at Mt. Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, all Washington State Parks and in my retirement neighborhood. We try to go to Yellowstone in the camper yearly. Nope! Nearby is the huge Billy Frank/Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Illegal there too. Cruise ship trips? Nope! City and county parks? Not where I live.

I really wanted to keep it. I'm not current, but have been a pilot for 50 years.

I had to accept that it would get rare use. Special purpose drone shooting trips to (so far) unregulated National Forests would be the only use. Using it to enhance my photography and videography habits wasn't going to happen.

Thank you to B&H for having a generous return policy. To be fair, I never took the wrapper off.

whfowle Loc: Tampa first, now Albuquerque

The DJI Mavic Mini 2 is really good for the price. Here is a YouTube video comparing it to the pro, top of the line drone by DJI, the Inspire 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn847eeBOkA titled "DJI Mini 2 vs $11,000 Hollywood Movie Drone" I don't know what the rules are in New Zealand for flying drones but here in America, the Mavic Mini 2 at 249 grams just sneaks in under the rules for not needing a license to fly. Get the "fly more package". It is worth it.

zenagain Loc: Pueblo CO

My first drone was a super cheap one from amazon cost only $80.00. Good thing because i lost it on the 1st outing. Bought another one, with 30 minutes of extra careful practise, i had it down and was comfortable enough to fly it much higher and further away from me. It does not have many or maybe any of the cool features of the Mavic line of drones but i didnt want to lose several hundred $'s to just try one out.
Now I may go ahead and get the Mavic. They are really fun.
But i would suggest getting a cheapo first to see if it is something you would like to explore further.
Enjoy, it kinda brings the kid out in ya.

ksmichaelsross Loc: Westwood, KS

I was given the original mini as a gift and already have a spark. If you always wait for gps lock before taking off, the drone will hover in place if you release the controls eliminating most of the danger caused by pilot confusion regarding which way to move the sticks. A couple of flights in an open space should give a beginner enough experience to fly slowly in more obstacle congested areas. if in doubt, just release the controls. The Spark and the newer minis are amazing pieces of technology, the cameras are cellphone quality. The mini doesn't need a license in the US, but sadly can't be flown in natl parks.

forensics7 Loc: Davidson, NC

I used the Mavic Mini for over a year and understand the Mini 2 is much better. After reading the other posts here, I agree with them. Mini 2 will be great start- is reasonable price. Remember to purchase extra batteries. If learning to fly, I suggest keeping the mini at minimum altitude and watch your distance, obviously you need line of sight but also watch your battery power. The mini is also very light, so don't try to fly it on windy days. Download various apps to check weather and other surrounding area issues. There are also a lot of safety measures and software updates you will have to pay attention to, otherwise you will have IMU and calibration problems. Hope you have fun and enjoy.

DennisC. Loc: Antelope, CA

I have been using the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom for over a year now on real estate shoots for certain houses and businesses. It is basically impossible to crash it or run it into something with the collision senors turned on and as long as you keep it in site.

boredAlan2020

I am replying to your post about drones. I have owned drones for over 5 years. Here is my advice:
1. Do your research extensively before buying. If there is a local location store that sells drones, go there and chat them up on the important features.
2. For your first drone, don't by one that's cheap. It will be a waste of money. Commit yourself to spending at least several hundred dollars at least.
3. When you get the drone, go online and download an owner's manual. It won't make much sense at first, but read it through.
4. Find a large flat open space devoid of nearby trees or power lines and away from people.
5. Learn to lift off and then fly experimental routes not to far off the ground and learn to return to base and do a controlled landing. Do not fly too far off to a point where you can't see the drone and determine it's change of direction from your joystick controls.
6. When you are flying, and you are unsure of your direction or position, always take your hands off of the joysticks and let the drone pause and hover and then slowly start moving it again so you know it's orientation or position.
8. Do not fly over water, over crowds of people, or too close to trees or other fixed objects. It's very easy to end up misjudging distances and end up crashing the drone.
9. The drone receives it's commands through a wi-fi channel link to your controller. If you make the mistake of flying in an area where there is a lot of RF interference in the area, like dense urban areas or in an area of hilly topography, you may lose your line of sight communication. In that event your drone may suddenly cease to respond to your joystick commands and my just continue to fly onward, eventually getting totally lost or crashing in some inaccessible area or worse, doing some damage to something or somebody.
10. Be careful, and be cautious and practice a lot and learn before you let your enthusiasm overwhelm you in your desire to get great aerial images and video.
11. And one last thing: Do not fly close to wildlife. Drones can disturb them and may, in fact be illegal.
Good luck!
Alan Grant
dentadive@gmail.com
PS: Feel free to contact me by email if I can help further

hpucker99 Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

I bought the Mavic Mini at Costco in early November just about the time they released the Mini 2 model. I would have gotten the later version, it was about $50 dollars more. The later version has a better camera for stills and video and enhanced communication between the drone and the controller. An advantage to the Mini is that it weighs less than 250 grams so is exempt from registration and licensing currently. It's fun to play around with and if I outgrow it I can sell it or trade it in for another model.

As for accessories, the kit I got from Costco came with the dome charging station which I find impractical but also had an extra battery. The propeller guard seems unnecessary unless you are flying close to trees or low above grasslands. Have fun!

ecurb Loc: Metro Chicago Area

First thing I'd look at Is your government regulations. As NZ is a socialist paradise, I'd expect you be over regulated beyond the us rules. I worked for a small production house, the owner was starting to fly drones but quit when the regulations became bothersome.

rsworden

I second this. I received a drone as a gift, and found that my city and county parks do not allow them. The next city over does allow them in parks, so I go there sometimes... and much of that city is in a theme park no-fly area. I have flown on private property to get pictures or videos of houses and rooftop projects. But I do not fly it very often. So do some research on line to learn the regulations in your area.