Maybe the DJI Mini 4

[JimFox]

I have had the DJI Mini 2 for 5 or 6 years now as many of you know. I would one day like to upgrade it to the Mavic 3 or 4 Pro one day as I really would like the option to have longer lenses on a drone.

But I just saw that the Mini 4 was on sale for $249 on Amazon. It uses the same batteries as the Mini 2, so I could just get the package with the controller and 1 battery and be fine.

So I am thinking that maybe for $250 it would be worth it to upgrade from the Mini 2 to the Mini 4?

I don't recall if the camera is better, but it does have some obstacle clearance sensors, so that might be a nice addition as I have flown the Mini 2 which doesn't have any sensors inside of abandoned houses and such. It might be a little safer having the avoidance sensors.

What do you guys think? Worth $250?

 

[AlanLichty]

It will give you 4K video but still imaging at 12MP is a bit short of the mark. It would certainly be an upgrade from the Mini 2 with the obstacle avoidance if you need that feature. At $250 it's hard to get picky about the camera specs. Likely this price will be going up soon with the upcoming import taxes tariffs.

 

[JimFox]

It will give you 4K video but still imaging at 12MP is a bit short of the mark. It would certainly be an upgrade from the Mini 2 with the obstacle avoidance if you need that feature. At $250 it's hard to get picky about the camera specs. Likely this price will be going up soon with the upcoming import taxes tariffs.

That's what I am thinking, the resolution isn't better, but I mainly use mine for video, so getting 4K out of it would be a nice bonus. I will look up a comparison between the 2, but I am thinking for $250 it's probably a worthwhile upgrade for what it is.

My goal I think is to keep an eye out maybe for a used Mavic 3 Pro? But for now, upgrading the Mini 2 is perhaps reasonable.

 

[AlanLichty]

Check out the Classifieds over on the Mavic Pilots forum. Used specimens do show up from time to time.

 

[JimFox]

Check out the Classifieds over on the Mavic Pilots forum. Used specimens do show up from time to time.

Thanks Alan! What do you think would be a good price for a used one?

 

[AlanLichty]

Thanks Alan! What do you think would be a good price for a used one?

I have never really priced them to be honest. The biggest question would be how many flight hours are on the batteries. They don't last forever and they aren't cheap.

 

[Kyle Jones]

So I presume that is the Mini 4 and not the Mini 4 Pro? I've been completely happy with the Mini 4 Pro for what that's worth

 

[JimFox]

So I presume that is the Mini 4 and not the Mini 4 Pro? I've been completely happy with the Mini 4 Pro for what that's worth

I was looking at the Mini 4k. The Mini 4 Pro was more expensive. I was just comparing the Mini 4k to the Mini 2, and I found that that Mini 4k doesn't include obstacle avoidance. Does the Mini 4 Pro then include obstacle avoidance? I know it has the upgraded controller.

 

[Kyle Jones]

I was looking at the Mini 4k. The Mini 4 Pro was more expensive. I was just comparing the Mini 4k to the Mini 2, and I found that that Mini 4k doesn't include obstacle avoidance. Does the Mini 4 Pro then include obstacle avoidance? I know it has the upgraded controller.

Yes, it has the 360 obstacle avoidance, 48MP camera, and rotating camera to swap between portrait and landscape in the air.

 

[Beth]

i'd probably pass on the mini 4k. the mini 4k is good for video, but i wouldn't consider it for photos. dji raw files fall apart pretty quickly in post processing.

get something compatible with a controller with a screen rather than a phone hook up. that's one of the main issues our pilots have when it comes to flying a drone. they're all less likely to fly if they have to fiddle with hooking up a phone and keeping the phone app up to date. you still have to update the controller, but it's been less hassle and doesn't tie up the pilot's phone while they fly.

if your batteries are 5-6 year drone s old, it's probably time to replace them. if they're not kept charged for long periods of time they stop holding a charge. if you do use them regularly, then they need replaced every few years. it's not nearly as bad as it used to be with the inspire and phantom batteries, but it's still not as reliable as a camera battery.

alan's suggestion for a used drone isn't a bad idea. make sure it's a reputable source and they unbind the drone & controller from their dji account before you buy it. or, if they leave their controller logged in, you can unbind it before logging them out and logging yourself in. adorama does a decent job at fully resetting a used drone so you don't have to worry about all of that, but they might be more expensive than the mavic pilots forum.