“ The drone for everyone “, this is the name by which DJI Mavic Mini is known. Small and light, the foldable quadcopter of the Chinese brand is certainly one of the easiest solutions for those who want to approach the world of aerial shots due to price, size and weight. ‘ For all’ is a somewhat optimistic appellation, as you always need precautions, a little experience and, as we have already said on these pages, knowledge of the rules of the air. Before talking about the launch of the new DJI Mavic Mini 2 it is necessary to make a small premise.

The drone is there, the category is not

In theory at this point of 2020 it should already have been operational (from July) the new EASA regulation for drones, which aims to standardize the rules of the air at EU level and which introduces important changes compared to the past and the national regulation created by ENAC for our country. The Covid pandemic – 19, however, has also affected this sector and the entry into force of the new EASA regulation has been postponed to 31 December 2020 . In particular, and this is the reason for this premise, the new categorization of aircraft would have been in force, with the division into 5 classes (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4), which also determines the requirements for its use.

For a product like DJI Mavic Mini 2, the sub-category to which it belongs is fundamental to be able to designate it (or not) the title ‘ For all ‘. The problem is that, since the final regulation is not yet in force, the drone will not have the C0 labeling which certifies its belonging to Class 0, although it complies with the requirements. , with a take-off weight of less than 250 grams. The drone, according to current indications, will therefore be able to fly according to the rules of the category starting from 1 January, but its destiny must be assessed at the end of the transition phase (and derogation) set up to allow all countries of union to ratify the indications by incorporating them into their national regulations. The end date for this transition period is currently set to January 1 2023 . Waiting for the final regulation, we also remind you that, although weighing less than 250 grams and usable according to the rules Europeans in the category, a drone equipped with shooting system will still have to be registered with the national body, a procedure that today is much less complex (and expensive) than in the past . For information, please refer to the d-flight platform site which has been assigned the task of managing the registration of operators and aircraft.

DJI Mavic Mini 2: it’s 4K time

Coming to the technical data, the new DJI Mavic Mini 2 introduces important improvements compared to the previous model , unlocking some functions that on the first Mini had been ‘castrated’ for positioning and marketing reasons. The megapixel photo / video camera module with CMOS sensor in 1 / 2.3 “ format it is finally ‘free’ to record videos to the best of its ability and users can also take advantage of the 4K / format) pa 100 Mbps , while before they had to settle for the maximum 2.7K format. When shooting in Full HD format 1080 p you can also now access one 2x digital zoom without loss, taking advantage of cropping 4K image. News that will certainly please those who take photographs is the possibility to record also in RAW format and no longer only in JPEG as on the first Mini.

DJI Mini 2 integrates several optimizations for what concerns the functions and flight performance, compared to the original version. Drone and controller communicate with the technology OcuSync 2.0 can offer (where legislation allows) to control Mavic Mini 2 up to 4 km away . The dual frequency technology automatically changes the band in use, in order to minimize interference.

DJI has updated the rotors and motors bringing the flight range to 31 minutes and with the possibility of raising the drone even in difficult conditions with winds up to 38 km / h. The drone uses GPS, position and vision sensors to maintain a stable position in flight, but it lacks the sensors for the detection and avoidance of obstacles that instead characterize the older brothers ..

The maneuvers and automated shooting modes, which have greatly contributed to the success of DJI products, remain a fixed point. We therefore find the maneuvers with automated shooting Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Cerchio and Boomerang , in addition to the shooting modes of panoramic shots (directly mounted in a single image) ball, a 180 ° and 3×3 wide-angle.

News also with regard to the phases following the flight, with the possibility of connecting the smartphone directly to the drone , without having to go through the remote control anymore, to share photos, downloading them to your phone and editing them with the DJI Fly app. It is also possible to download the videos, with the further possibility of segmenting them and downloading only the most interesting portions, to avoid wasting unnecessary time to transfer several gigabytes of data when perhaps you are only interested in a few seconds of a clip.

Price and availability

DJI Mini 2 is available for purchase starting today on store.dji.com and at authorized resellers. DJI Mini can be purchased through two options. The standard package includes the drone, a remote controller and a battery for the price of 459 ?? . The Mavic Mini 2 Fly More Combo is also available and includes the drone, the remote control, 3 batteries, a bag for transport and a battery charging station at the price of 599 ?? . Find a detailed overview for all purchase options here.