LEARN TO FLY: DJI Mavic Mini

DJI turns the drone into a holiday essential with this ultra-small, ultra light, cheaper model

SPECIFICATIONS

Max speed 13m/s Max height 3000m above sea level Max flight time 30m Storage microSD card Camera 12MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS; up to 2.7K 30fps or 1080p 60fps video Gimbal Three-axis Dimensions Folded 140x82x57mm; Unfolded (with propellers) 245x290x55mm Weight 249g

DJI’s latest addition to its fleet is aimed at bringing drones to the masses, thanks to a lower price and a tiny weight of 249g.

That weight includes the battery and microSD card (32GB included). Like bigger Mavic drones, it’s foldable, so it becomes dinky enough to carry around with ease: it’s just 160mm long, 202mm wide and 55mm tall. When the arms are extended, the drone’s footprint from arm to arm is roughly about the same as that of the DJI Mavic Air.

The Mavic Mini’s tiny size and low weight should also help it survive most crashes and falls – it’s very light and those front arms are surprisingly flexible, so it should theoretically survive an accident better than any of its bigger and heavier stablemates.

Given that the camera is arguably the most important part of a drone, we’re happy to report that this one is a little cracker. Granted, it doesn’t support some of the picture and video profile choices of the larger Mavics, but even the standard picture setting is excellent straight out of the box.