Drone review: DJI MINI 2 - Fun & productive portable aerial photo/videography drone

About

Last year in the early of December 2021 i had my HUBSAN ZINO HS117 drone do a 'follow me' tracking to take a video of me mountain biking through the forest trails.  Unfortunately ZINO hit some tree branches and fell on to the ground. It can fly back but the camera gimbal horizontal axis stabilization crooked to one side making any footage looks slanted to the right side. Many attempts trying to fix the gimbal fall short because an overheating gimbal motor gave out bad signs of  MOSFET chip that control the camera gimbal motor gone bad.   Any attempt putting money to fix the ZINO is a waste because its gimbal problem is very popular among owner of this type of drone.    So off i to buy a new drone,  this time i'm looking straight into the big 3 alphabet:  DJI.

Because i've been through almost 2 years into "work at home" scheme due to COVID-19 pandemic i'm able to saved a lot of money not spending much into transportation, food or shopping due to social distancing rules, so i'm able to choose more quality and expensive drone which my first choice was a 'DJI MAVIC AIR 2'.  I was dead on getting the MAVIC AIR 2 after much research since it has similar size, mass and autonomous flight capability like what my HUBSAN ZINO HS117 used to have however  my long time R/C hobbyist friend Mr. Foo who own an R/C shop and also an authorized DJI dealer says i should get the DJI MINI 2 instead because he knows better what i'm doing since both of us are local R/C hobbyist for years.  After showing off his work station with parts debris of customer's MAVIC model from first to latest generation queued for repair he told me that much of the feature i want especially the autonomous flight are a waste of money and will not able to fit my need for cycling tracking use and also it can be a cumbersome size to move around on two wheels.  He strongly suggest i should get DJI MINI 2 not only its the best seller but also technically more reliable, robust and he knows i can utilized more on smaller size than bigger drone.  After much thinking i took his advice and bought a DJI MINI 2 from his shop.  Although DJI MINI 2 lack of autonomous flight such as 'follow me', waypoint, active track and also have smaller camera sensor than the MAVIC AIR this MINI 2's 4K video/photo quality and reliable OCUSYNC 2.0 long range video and control should make me happy enough for few years. So i saved half my budget....was i happy with my new DJI MINI 2 drone?YES indeed!!  2 months later i have many eye opening experience and new found interest into serious aerial photography shots.   It really made me dive into curious world of professional photography after playing around with RAW (*.DNG) photography files and lots of photo editing production  works!   Its a tiny drone of wonders at 249grams!  Oh wait! there's more; Late 2021 DJI officials have released developer SDK that allow developer to unlock DJI MINI 2 capability. The results in early 2022 LITCHI app and others on GOOGLE PLAY store have released latest updates that allows more premium autonomous function such as WAYPOINT, FOLLOW ME, FOCUS, ACTIVE TRACK, MAGIC LEASH and more to be supported on DJI MINI 2 and SE version making this mini drone as good as its bigger sibling the MAVIC series!  Now lets hear my story why i love this this drone.

* Disclaimer:  For this review i'll be sharing my experience using the DJI MINI 2 rather than describing technically how to use or operate it.  For technical and video stuff you can find all of these from Youtube or other websites since DJI MINI 2 drone resources are abundant all over the internet due to its immense popularity.   Enjoy reading.

 
Specification (as describe by vendor/manufacturer)

Brand name: DJI
Model name:  MINI 2
Release date: November 2020

Includes (for 'Fly More Combo'):
+ DJI MINI 2 & Controller
+ Over shoulder bag
+ Spare propellers
+ 3x Intelligent Flight Battery
+ 3 slot battery charging cradle (USB Type-C)
+ Manuals

App download required and other self supplied items:
+ DJI FLY app (essential)
+ LITCHI app (optional for extra flight features)
+ Micro SD card (i'm using SANDISK EXTREME MICRO SD USH-I 64GB memory card capable of 100MB/s read speed.)

Flight level/piloting experience requirement:
+ Piloting level: Beginners
+ Minimum past model experience: No experience required.

First impression

When i first unboxed it and hold in my hand i can see where my money worthy at,  it feels very premium and something worth paying for such high price.  Feels like holding a premium original CASIO G-SHOCK watches than cheap ones you get haggling at street vendor.  I was like 'Wow!' when i first seeing and hold the DJI MINI 2 in my hands reminds me the similar feeling i would feel holding my first expensive high end SONY WALKMAN portable music cassette player given by my father the day when i first went into college to live as independent life in 1996.   The advancement of DJI products over the years made me felt so left out from the world after being absent so long from multirotor scene....yeah! i've been in the 'cave' for so long because i'm more on FPV wing'ed drone flyer all these years.  My first DJI branded drone was a 2013 PHANTOM V1.1.1, a revised 1st generation DJI drone which is 'not so reliable' when it comes to GPS related flight. In the early days DJI Phantom V1 owners have to implement their own FPV system via add-ons and 55% of the time knew the risk of encounter 'fly-away' issues due to unreliable GPS lock and also radio signal loss through its archaic 2.4Ghz radio protocol.  It takes lot's of money, time and hard work to mods the first generation DJI just to get it fly stable and barely reaching at least 1 kilometer range.  The PHANTOM V1 is very plastic like drone similar feel like you're holding a plastic water bottle and same goes to its controller too.  Originally was a pure L.O.S aerial photography drpme before DJI PHANTOM FC40 emerged into aerial photography market in 2014.  My DJI Phantom V1.1.1 was pain in the ass and a hassle to operate, after year 2015 i've abandoned my enthusiasm on multirotor drone and just continue my passion on fixed winged drone instead because it does better in range and endurance even to this day at the time of writing. Only in 2019 i'm back into aerial photography multirotor drone scene through some sponsorship. Toying few brands of these sponsored drones enough to spark my curiosity how much these drone technology have evolved over years.   The HUBSAN ZINO H117s drone peaked my interested and has led me to purchase my own premium drone the DJI MINI 2 in late 2021.  So that's my history 101, so lets get back to the MINI 2 talk.

So like i said before the MINI 2 is very premium product, with such quality build it doesn't looks like any indication that manufacturer cutting any corners.  Since i bought 'FLY MORE COMBO' package it comes with 3x Intelligent Flight Battery to keep me busy flying for half and hours outdoors (Avg: 3 x 31min = 93 minutes) and abundant of spare propellers just incase something happens.  Comes with shoulder bag storage and USB Type-C cradle to charge all the battery too which is very convenient.  As for the comparison between the 'Combo Fly More' price vs the basic package the price saving having some extra  battery and useful accessories are totally worth it if you're looking to expand your flight activity in the long run, i was on the right track purchasing the combos.

The controller have very beefy and solid feel to it, very smooth on the stick gimbal and camera knobs, button are clicky too.  The plastic are hard solid yet slightly rubbery textured for better grip on my palms.  When i hold and grip the controller on my hand it feels exactly like holding an expensive professional DSLR camera...feels like holding an expensive gadget!..nice!  On the rear it has grill panel as heat vents and also adjustable smartphone mount which also at the same time serves as a hidden antenna.   The controller is USB charged having internal Lithium battery inside.  Gimbal stick can be removed and stored at the base of the controller through hidden rubbery cavity for compact storage.   I must say i love the feeling of the controller in my hand, feels much ergonomics and it doesn't feel cheap or so 'plastic' like feeling.  It has the sensation of  the urge to 'touch me more!' controller, lol!  This controller on DJI MINI 2 is a major step quality upgrade including its build in solid OCUSYNC 2.0 HD video transmission unlike its janky black controller on its early models the DJI MINI 1.

For the DJI MINI 2 drone itself i'm so impress how light it was when i hold it in my hand.  I can't believe a drone so small and lightweight could fly 5km (CE mode) or more to almost 10km (FCC mode) as seen on my owner's Youtube video.  What amazed me the most is the build quality and the engineering on this is very premium and precise! The plastic body molding is very high quality.  The rotor folding arm mechanism is precise and smooth not wobbly as you would find on rival drone manufacturer. Battery insertion bay and hatch is very flawless to insert. The camera lens is clear and well build. It doesn't seems to fog easily when exit from cold room to hot outdoor muck like i encounter on my other drone i used to handled.  Every corner of this drone from motors, rotor blades, camera gimbals, buttons, lights and etc speaks high in quality and precision build.  Its like i'm looking at high quality NOKIA hand phone of the 90's..... solid build, reliable and indestructible.  For the amount of money i paid for this drone even i haven't start flying it i'm not disappointed with my purchase. For its compact size and portability; i could hold the drone, the controller including the 3x combo battery inside the charging cradle on a single grasp of my either hand...that's is extremely compact.  That's describe how easy it was to store inside my jacket size pocket  or inside moderately size baggy pants.   For the price i paid everything inside the package is ready for consumer to fly without hassle nor without training.  Just download the DJI FLY apps from DJI website, charge the drone battery and controller, connect to your smartphone, follow the apps instruction and fly! USB cable or what every connection accessories are all included (USB Type-C and Mini).  Oh yes, you'll have to supply your own micro SD card to slot at the back of the drone for photo and video recording.  As for recommendation i'm using SANDISK EXTREME MICRO SD USH-I 64 memory card capable of 100MB/s read speed.

The first day of flight

I've flown lots of mutirotor drones before from tri, quads to hexa configuration the all share the same annoying traits before flight; need to calibrate compass, camera gimbal, wait for GPS lock, battery check, radio interference and some technical craps that makes me feel discourage to fly due to so much hassle to prep it to fly...sometimes takes 10 minutes to get it ready and the battery already drained half way on the ground.  Once in the air i'll have worried about how much GPS maintain its lock, position drift, battery runtime and most annoying is video transmission interference....operating the drone can be so unpredictable and random failure can happen. I lost once a drone to 'run-away' due to GPS failure to lock issues and that was a common problem for old drone tech before year 2017.  Even the new HUBSAN ZINO series still have unpredictable battery life and random video cut-off in urban area.   I guess "You get what you paid for" term when purchasing drone.  Although DJI in the past faced the same issues back in the 2013~2015 with their first drone particularly during PHANTOM series era the DJI MINI 2 is already a huge leap of technology from going cave man to man on the moon.  Even its older sibling the DJI MINI 1 model is left behind collecting dust due to low resolution camera, low range video transmission and unable to fight heavy gust of wind compare to more mature build and reliable DJI MINI 2, the gap of performance between them is huge.

On my DJI MINI 2; from pulling out the controller and the drone out from my sling bag to taking off from the ground it takes on average 2~3 minutes to get it up in the air and go. The GPS satellite lock takes about around at best 15~20 second to get 7~9 satellite lock to register a RTH home point and safe enough to fly regardless in rural forest even in the center of busy urban area. On average i would get a constant 18 to 22 satellite lock where i live in East Asia region.  Should you need to calibrate anything the DJI apps will give notification and warning if calibration needed or error arise.    I don't have to do much calibration especially on Compass sensor setup unless i flew at new far away location where magnetic declination does make differences. The wireless video connection is solid and flawless thanks to their OCUSYNC 2.0 technology that allow solid video connection even flying on WIFI and radio infested urban area which can go as far as 5km with acceptable video/control latency.  Overall the preparation before flight was extremely quick and less hassle which is one of major factor why i love to carry DJI MINI 2 very often when travelling to work, cycling or anything outdoor related....just turn on the power and go with no time wasted. Excellent!

Satisfaction rating:

• Ease preparation before flight: 10/10
• One time compass/leveling calibration:  10/10
• Quick solid GPS lock time (under 30 second): 10/10
• Immunity from urban WIFI and other radio signal interference: 9/10

Flight performance and handling

Once in the air i notice the DJI MINI 2 holds solid in place in both axis even being pummeled around by heavy sea wind around 6m/s wind shear near the beach side where i live.  On screen i don't see much wobble or jerking on camera gimbal unless if it got hit by higher gust of wind over 8m/s on it side the gimbal will slightly bank left or right a bit but slowly return to normal position.  I always fly around gusty river and ocean about 2km away to take photos of ships and waves, this drone could take a bite on heavy wind far better than first generation DJI MINI (V1) which i observed my friends flight.  When capturing photos i get very sharp quality images and no blurry lines which means the drone stabilized very well in windy condition usually during the daylight.  Pro note; at night when there's a wind its better to use faster camera shutter speed setup to avoid blur photo or just wait until the gimbal remain stable in place.  After quick acceleration and then make a sudden brake and hover the drone stop extremely well at predictable control. However when the camera gimbal pointed exactly 0 degree toward the ground during acceleration and stop moment it will jerk forward and backward axis and leaving some off-set which you'll need to adjust gimbal position manual again but that's not much of a technical problem nor glitch from my point of view.

DJI MINI 2 have 3 flight handing modes which can be toggle using slider button on the middle of the controller: 

• CINE/Cinematic mode
  Slow stick control. The drone fly slow and stable ideal for getting smooth, precision and steady photo/video capture.

• NORMAL mode
  Normal speed stick control.  The drone fly fast enough to get from one point to another.  Its default recommended mode to fly.

• SPORT mode  (Fight the wind to move around then use this)
  Fast respond stick control.  The drone flies fast like a racer, ideal mode to break into wind.  If you encounter heavy wind during flight and can't move forward easily then switch to SPORT mode to increase the forward throttle strength.  However this flight mode guzzle huge amount of battery power and may reduce overall flight time.  So use it cautiously when necessary.

So far i haven't had any problem moving around in heavy wind,  the only issues is when the wind started to hit more than 10m/s with wave turbulent on the ground the gimbal hit its limit shaking violently making any photo/video capture too shaky to use.  Sometimes it can be problematic to fly lightweight drones in 'inconsistent' turbulent wind.

Satisfaction rating:

• Flying against strong wind (8.5-10.5 m/s): 9/10
• Camera gimbal stabilization against strong wind (8.5-10.5 m/s): 7/10
• Stationary hovering drift (6.5-10.5 m/s): 7/10

Battery runtime and care

Among all out of box drone i tried the DJI brand always give the best approximate and 'acceptable' battery runtime as claimed in their specification.  For example it claimed 31 minutes of flight time on the box but i was able to get 29 minutes with normal flight doing manual photo shots with no video recording running which is ok good enough for me even it hits 2~3 minutes differences.  I notice that the battery could hold longer endurance when just taking manual photography than taking video all the way.  For normal photography mode you'll get approximate between 29 to 27 minutes if you move a lot in the air. Photos while hovering and moving a almost stationary wind zero wind can get around 30 minutes tops.  However when flying and taking video from start till the end especially on 4K HD 30fps would likely consume 27~25 minutes and drain faster when flew using SPORTS mode on the stick.  On video recording the drone does feel much warmer in temperature round its body too.  Overall even having battery endurance as low as 25 minutes is still a blessing compare to ambiguous flight time on many rival drones of similar size and mas in the market.  Unlike other aerial photography drones on the market even self build DIY hitting 29 minutes mark is a challenging feat by today standard so i'm consider grateful for such runtime with no complain. 

DJI MINI 2 uses 'Intelligent Flight Battery' which actually helps to regulate the voltage from over charged, discharge and keep the battery in storage mode when not it use for a long time because Li-Po battery may damage if it holds full charged too long unused or goes below voltage cut-off per-cell.  That's another plus feature since i don't really like to waste time thinking too much about caring for battery all day...i have other important things do to like thinking how to pay bill, cooking and work.  Pretty much the DJI technology  on this drone take care by itself which is great especially when most of the new consumer into this hobby are too green to maintain the drone health especially when it comes to battery care.  After charging usually i'll remove the battery from the charging cradle and let the battery pack left store in the open disconnected from anything to make sure the intelligent circuit build in the battery could concentrate manage the battery voltage especially when not using it for more than 3 days or longer.  *Note: According to many establish drone user both on Youtube channel and discussion forum its recommended not to keep the 'Intelligent Flight Battery' connected inside the charging cradle or inside the drone for too long because it may hinder the ability for the 'Intelligent Flight Battery' to regulate the battery storage capability.  So keep it out and remove from charger cradle slot and away from drone battery bay if not used for more than 3 days.

Satisfaction rating:

• Battery endurance during flight:  9/10
• Ease to charging via USB-C:  10/10

• Automated battery care (if battery removed from drone/USB charging cradle):  10/10

Video & Photo quality

As mentioned on the camera's photo and video output specification above page the quality and details are excellent for such mid range drone at such price.  Videos and photo are max at 4K HD with no pixelated details during day light and very minimal in the dark far better than any rival drone of the same size.   For day light i use default automatic setting to take photo, only have to adjust the +EV value to make sure the view i wanted to take does not getting over exposed by bright light.  For night time in the dark i use manual mode; my favorite always using ISO 100 with shutter speed at 1, 1/2 or 1/3 to take photos.  DJI MINI 2 only have 1/2.3” CMOS camera sensor size, it will be a bit pixelated when photo capture any scene at night in the dark but i can be minimized through editing *.DNG raw photo via post processing.  The pixelated background at night even after post processing work on photos doesn't look so obvious when viewed from smartphones which is great enough to post to social media platform to impress your friends and public online.

I do a lot of manual shots photography than doing videos on MINI 2 because with JPEG + RAW photography mode i can edit *.DNG files to manipulate the colors, contrast, sharpness, ISO, HDR and other attributes to make normal photo looks spectacular as if you're looking at some professional photography work....that what makes photography on DJI MINI 2 fun = photo manipulation (Post processing).  For me i can't speak much on video production because since i already flew lot of drones (FPV/UAV) making video scene throughout the land i flew above so i don't need to make another one for DJI MINI 2.  So photography activity is my strong point having on the DJI MINI 2.  For photo editing/enhancement on RAW file (*.DNG) i'm using  free to download 'RAWTHERAPEE' (https://www.rawtherapee.com/) imaging tool which is almost as good as professional 'ADOBE LIGHTROOM' software according to several online review and benchmarking.  Second best free alternative you can also use 'DARKTABLE'  (https://www.darktable.org/) tools to edit your raw photo too. 

Satisfaction rating:

• Video quality:  10/10
• Photo quality in daylight:  10/10
• Photo quality at night low light:  7/10
• Video/photo professional manual adjustment (ISO, BW, Shutter and etc):  10/10

• Gimbal stabilization:  10/10

Portability

What makes me love this drone more than other drone on the market is the size and weight of the MINI 2.  Its so small and feels good on palm of your hand make me feel i wanted to bring it along with me every where i go everyday.  Its cute size really begs you to tag along.  Since i travel a lot of places on bicycle i need something lightweight and less cumbersome to carry stuff around in my pocket or bike commuting back pack.  Before i got my DJI MINI 2 i used to lug around bulky drone inside my bag and sometimes strapped outside my bag for being over sized. Used to be very annoying to carry bulky drone, battery, controller, camera and even an FPV goggle itself tight fit inside or loosely outside the bag.  It is the most major turn off for me to enjoy drone aerial photography which is why i seldom enjoy flying them before.  Even foldable HUBSAN ZINO drone which have the same mass as a MAVIC AIR also can be too cumbersome to carry inside the pouch as it bounced around as i bike on rough terrains.  Sometimes i need to sacrifice some space inside my bag just to fit these.   However after i got my DJI MINI 2 moving around is getting easier than before, convenient and more comfortable as i don't feel any bulky weight or visual presence on my luggage.   Feel more 'freedom' like carrying credit card on your wallet rather than bulky stash of cash.  

Portability rating:

• Easiness store in jacket and baggy pants pocket:  9/10
• One hand grab carry everything as whole: 10/10
• Travelling compactness and lightweight: 10/10
• Less weight and bounciness in pocket (jacket, baggy pants or long pants):  7/10
• Less weight and bounciness in backpack 1~2L capacity:  10/10

Stealth & Visibility

This is where the MINI 2 shines....being almost invisible both visual and less audible.  What makes DJI MINI series more appealing to fly as casual aerial photography flyer than any other lines of DJI drones that exist in the market is being 'stealthy'.  DJI MINI 2 flies almost silent and spotless in the air both day and night.  Even i'm myself as an operator have trouble locating my drone through visible viewing eyes via line of sight at 20~30 meter distance.  Its impossible to see it coming in the backdrop of both urban and natural environment even at close range, the rotor noise almost as faint and blend well with background noises.  When me and my friend went out for our night flight i can see stark noticeable contrast between my MINI 2 and his MAVIC AIR 2 S.  His drone makes more rotor noise and also blaring to much light strobe underneath MAVIC AIR 2 S than faint LED lights on MINI 2.  As we flew pass by tall building at night it seems the MAVIC AIR 2 S can be easily spotted by public in the night sky than MINI 2 on the same route.  Flying in the public space the size of DJI MINI 2 doesn't seem to be a threat to any nearby people who seem me flying since i constantly fly around public places with people around me,  for them it looks like tiny toy than legit size drone.  So i can pretty much whirl around the park and any places without much threats and risk of large impact or injury to both living things and property due to being lightweight nor being criticized to fly MINI 2 around .  My finger did get hit by its tiny spinning propeller when trying to land on my hand but so far no injury or scratches on my skins, i chuckled when i feel it, lol!

Visibility rating:

• Daylight visibility when operator viewed from the ground (20m~30m height):  9/10
• Night visibility when operator viewed from the ground with onboard front light turned on. (20m~30m height):  4/10
• Noise listened from the ground (20m~30m height):  6/10
• General public spotting the drone during daylight (20m~30m height):  5/10
• General public spotting the drone during night time (20m~30m height):  1/10

Radio/Video signal range

For DJI MINI 2 the controller will  automatically select your radio region mode either FCC or CE certification/radio regulation based on which region or country you live in. For CE mode user will get around 5km range while FCC mode user get around 10km range. However despite good amount or distance the radio/video frequency could travel your battery endurance will cap/limit your ability to roam far away from base so be aware. For my region i'm using CE radio regulation so according to specs it could fly as far as 5km straight line on open field. But i don't really go as far beyond 3km since i'm only doing some localized aerial photography than trying to prove MINI 2 technology prowess.  Only my friend who also own DJI MINI 2 (CE) did manage to get 5km clean range.  You can also watch many video of Youtuber online have successfully manage to go 5km and beyond where battery capacity permitted while some didn't manage to return back due to battery exhausted.  Thanks to OCUSYNC 2.0 wireless video transmission protocol DJI MINI 2 can actually fly further beyond its published max distance.  The video connection via OCUSYNC 2.0 protocol was clean and stable at 720HD live quality on smartphone screen and only started to show some minor lag over populated urban full of WIFI interference by the time it passes 5km but still manageable to operate without problem.  I do notice my friends MAVIC AIR 2 S with OCUSYNC 3.0 manage to fly lower altitude behind obstacles such as trees and building at longer distance without problem which is another advantages over version 2.0.   Its such an amazing wireless video technology by DJI able to introduce such a solid HD video transmission where analog FPV technology still struggle to keep up.

Satisfaction rating:

• Live FPV video quality & smoothness within 5km (+ 100m altitude) in open space: 9/10
• Live FPV video quality & smoothness within 5km (+ 100m altitude) in crowded urban area: 7/10

Safety feature

As usual the drone have RTH (Return To Home) to base and also 'DYNAMIC' (Follow the location of you phone GPS) to make sure your drone return safely to the operator.  For your information i'm using budget HUAWEI Y9 2019 android smartphone, it internal decent GPS feature works accurately well for DJI MINI 2 to track my location in dynamic mode.  In even of lost signal to the controller and complete power off it will RTH by itself.  It will also calculate how much power left per-distance travel which allow safe amount of battery power to return back home. A warning when to turn back home will pop-up on the screen strongly suggest you return home if the battery is low enough to fly home.  Another important feature is 'GEO FENCE' which shows map of flying zone that warn user where not to fly/prohibited to enter else it will ask user to force comply, disable drone, force landing or request to submit flight permit on the spot by contacting through your phone number.  These safety feature are good stuff to avoid too many drone newbies who try to break the law and avoid spoiling our hobby as whole in our community.

Satisfaction rating:

• RTH landing accuracy to base take-off:  8/10 (1 meter error)
• RTH to current user mobile GPS location on the move (Dynamic): 10/10 (1~2 meter error)
• RTH when no loss radio signal or controller off): 10/10
• Stop and hover when detecting a ground obstacle during descent/landing: 10/10
• Ability to control drone without or controller disconnected from smartphone: 10/10
• Warning when flying close to sensitive/prohibited flying zone location eg:- airport (Geo fencing): 10/10
• Record real time flight log and store flight data:  10/10

Usefulness & Productivity

As creator for R/C flight simulator content DJI MINI 2 has tremendously helped to capture high quality 360 degree panoramic sphere photo to create a VR like environment.   Before i had this drone it was a hard work to manually hand capture a 360 degree panorama sphere photograph, it takes hours on the site to take multiple stable shots by hand and another half day to compile all tiled photo into one 360 degree scene then convert into Cubemap format.  That manual works takes lots of sweat and time plus the quality isn't as good as i expected from my smartphone camera nor my old Go Pro Hero 3 and 4 to do it.  After DJI MINI 2 came into my hand all the task took only combined 2 hours from shooting the 360 spehre pano up to compiling the RAW files photo to 'Cubemap' format ready to be use as virtual R/C flying scenery in simulator.   Plus i don't have to walk to any site to take the shots, this drone just fly over there and took all the 360 panorama shots automatically while i'll just stand somewhere far away under the shade away from hot weather.  DJI MINI 2 finally makes my work superbly easy, produced precision and high quality photographs.  Awesome!!!  My life with DJI MINI 2 was a life changing experience!  I'll give a perfect 10/10 score for productivity work tool.  Btw you can check out my R/C sim scenery content produced by DJI MINI 2 at this page "TEC-DEC" flying site as proof of my work with DJI MINI 2. 

My production rating:

• 360 panorama sphere quality:  10/10
• JPEG + RAW (*.DNG):  10/10
• Access hard to reach places:  10/10
• Ease to operate in all weather (except rain):  10/10

Extra: LITCHI app (Focus, Waypoint, Active track flight mode)

By default out of box DJI MINI 2 doesn't comes with autonomous features like its bigger sibling MAVIC have.  It just have basic fly by hand, take photo, video and auto Return Home function and that's it.  Somewhere in January and February 2022 at GOOGLE Play Store the LITCHI app developer have released support for DJI MINI 2 to unlocked most anticipated autonomous feature such as WAYPOINT, FOLLOW ME, FOCUS and ACTIVE TRACK flight mode turned DJI MINI 2 drone as good as its MAVIC series.  Finally my pocket size drone now have all those great 'robotic features which helps me to take photo and video autonomously without my hands on the controller...a bang for buck feature in a drone after a year waiting.   Since i ride my bicycle a lot its cool to have 'handless' automated aerial shots of me doing outdoor activity as i traverse through many places on the ground.  Do take note there's many alternative app developer other than LITCHI which makes autonomous function for DJI MINI 2 via app store.

Satisfaction rating:

• WAYPOINT flight smoothness and path precision:  9/10
• FOLLOW ME flight smoothness, path and tracking precision:  7/10
• FOCUS object and mobile mode tracking :  8/10
• ACTIVE TRACK flight smoothness, path and tracking:  6/10

Which user benefit the most?

If you're looking for a first 'proper true' high quality drone flying experience with no "marketing & gimmick bullshit" and at the same time just wanted to have fun experimenting your first aerial photography and videography activity without burning your wallet the DJI MINI 2 will fit your needs especially in the year 2022 (Maybe in the future they have better ones).  Its geared fun flying, curious aerial explorer and also those who travel a lot just wanted to post some cool images or video footage on social media or something memorable to keep into your digital storage drive.  You can also be artistic with your photography style with post processing tools too.  With 3rd part app such as LITCHI or other compatible ones on the internet you also can unlock some hands-off autonomous  flight to capture yourself some activity moments on the ground.  If you're an established photo/videographer who is looking for commercial value producing high quality photo for marketing or selling digital visual on image stock market you may need to spend more money on bigger CMOS camera sensor for 'true' high quality capture such as the bigger MAVIC series such as DJI MAVIC AIR 2 S.  For now DJI MINI 2 suits for those doing it for fun and curious adventurer on the go.  If you're new into drone the DJI MINI 2 is a good start for the money and fun longevity. If you've currently owned an old drone such as DJI PHANTOM series from P1 up to P3 then the MINI 2 is a huge upgrade in term of overall leap of technology especially the OCUSYNC 2.0 robust video transmission technology (5~10km range).  However if you owned a P4 the reason you wanted to go for MINI 2 is being portable drone in  your pocket and that's all it is else go higher like getting a MAVIC series.  My friends who owns a PHANTOM 3 is totally spaced out when he see how capable the MINI 2 out perform in everything  for a palm size tech. Even my HUBSAN ZINO H117S is just 30% of what MINI 2 are capable off.

User compatibility rating:

• Fun beginners hobby grade aerial photo/videography + social  media posting:  10/10
• Serious professional grade aerial photo/videography for commercial production:  6/10
• For traveller, VLOG/BLOG user and staying legal while flying all over places:  10/10
• For active outdoor and sports capture via automated tracking:  6/10

Spare parts, warranty & customer support

One of the best reason why many user including myself prefer DJI brand is because of the strong customer support, maintenance services, warranty and abundant of spare parts available both local and globally.  Both online and even at local stores spare parts and warranty claims are easily obtained from any authorized seller.   Warranty claim is valid after DJI agent inspect the recorded flight log from your smartphone should you loose your DJI drone unintentionally eg: flyaway or due to technical flaw and will be replaced immediately free of charge.  Even on non-authorized DJI store the DJI spare parts seems to be a normal staple products on any normal hobby stores, photography and tech gadget stores too. When it comes to pricing almost all the prices for spare parts at almost similar priced because its products mass flooded on the market.  Maintenance workshop can be easily found any local venue since DJI products are almost as common as having TV or washing machine in any modern town.  Should you lost and wanted to find community or club for extra guidance and support there lots of DJI drone related  online forum, discussion boards and social media groups like in Facebook or Reddit where you can ask question or show off your photos/videos on your DJI drones.  This is why DJI have much stronger and well establish footing when it comes to drone product that other brands from around the globe.

Support rating:

• Spare parts availability local & online:  10/10
• Warranty claim/support from authorized dealer local & online:  10/10
• Product return policy from authorized:  9/10
• Online support and call service: 9/10
• Online community forum, discussion and social media clubs/groups: 10/10

Videos/Medias
Unfortunately unlike my other review for this drone i don't make much video about DJI MINI 2 because i'm more into aerial photography (taking photos) only.  So you can visit all my aerial photography gallery made via DJI MINI 2 drone as shown below link.

• Model gallery:  DJI MINI 2 - 249g mini multirotor
  • Video:  DJI MINI 2 drone - Follow Me, Focus & Active Track through Litchi app, ride on bicycle
  • Video:  DJI MINI 2 drone - Chase the bike in urban maze | Follow Me mode | Litchi app

Vendor/seller

DJI MINI 2 drone is a globally recognized product all over places.  Its not hard to find one at any local tech store.  Where i live every few shop block kilometers away there's definitely a seller selling a  DJI MINI 2.  Other than hobby stores, smartphone shops, computer/gadget stores and even home electrical appliance store like HARVEY NORMAN do sells these drones.  So i don't have to put the links where to buy it since its as common as buying a computer anywhere else.  Their prices are almost standardized with minor mark ups.

Downloads
Essential download to enhance your experience with DJI MINI 2.

• LITCHI app (Additional flight modes..a must have!):  https://flylitchi.com/
• RawTherapee (RAW photo enhancement on *.DNG files):  https://www.rawtherapee.com/
• DarkTable (RAW photo enhancement on *.DNG files):  https://www.darktable.org/

Support group/articles:
Places where you can find help and resources related to this product:

• DJI MINI 2 at DJI discussion forum: https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=forumdisplay&fid=129
• DJI MINI 2 at MAVIC PILOTS discussion forum: https://mavicpilots.com/forums/mini-2-discussions.187/
• RCgroups discussion group - DJI Mini 2 Drone:  https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3750575-DJI-Mini-2-Drone
• Official product information DJI MINI 2:  https://www.dji.com/mini-2
• Official app/file download support DJI MINI 2:  https://www.dji.com/mini-2/downloads

Summary

For the first time in my life as a drone hobbyist i've never complained, disgust being a 'DJI fan boi' or feel guilt when using DJI MINI 2. For the price i paid and the expectation i want in a drone that do what i want the DJI MINI 2 has exceed my expectation and fill my enthusiasm to become aerial photographer to the brim. Further more with the release of LITCHI app support for MINI 2 it has unlock more useful autonomous features such as WAYPOINT, FOLLOW ME, FOCUS & ACTIVE TRACK which makes this drone as capable as its expensive sibling the MAVIC series.  "Finally this is a drone i want!" without throwing too much money into the bin. As fun 'Aerial Photography' drone it never fail to make me smile after full session of flight.   Going home eagerly to edit the RAW (*.DNG) photos always keeps me amused and enchanted by the colors and exciting view points of the world around me that other drones fail to deliver in the past even to this day in 2022. In the past i've own many multirotor drones they all seems to lack certain department such as low battery, short range issue, radio/video interference, bad camera quality and etc despite putting much money and time to improve them. But time have changed and DJI MINI 2 came to rescue me from all these issues......i'm glad the HUBSAN ZINO crashed into the tree branches else i wouldn't have bought the MINI 2, lol!

When it comes to ease of flying, the best one word i could describe about my DJI MINI 2 would be: "Fly with confidence and have fun!"....zero technical problem and concentrate having fun.  Throughout my years building multi-rotor drone from scratch, buying, got sponsored and flying it nothing flies as solid, easy, predictable, reliable and as portable like a DJI MINI 2.  This little thing not only spark my new interest in aerial photography but also fun enough to carry around daily without to much preparation on the ground to get it up in the air.  I felt like i can't live without it, like having a smartphone in my hand..you can go out home without it, lol!  Plus since its a popular drone products you can easily join activities and club and fly together to capture and share the moment with club member and friends.... its like a car meet, lol!

Honestly speaking i was never serious into aerial photography taking beautiful shots nor do some post production photo editing to make it more "Wow!" with stunning vibrant colored poster like quality. All i did in the past was just fly over there and claim 'i've been there!' and move on to next location like an 'Christopher Columbus' the explorer which explained why i fly my FPV plane a lot at long distance than spending time on multirotors drone. Before DJI MINI 2 i don't imagine myself like a photographer, but now i do!  I started to appreciate the beauty and the vibrant colors of photography.  I'll just need to squeeze out the 'juice' from RAW photo and revealed its sparkling hidden beauty both from different perspective and colors.  The DJI MINI 2 helped me to see how the world look like in different perspective with showcase of amazing exotics colors of life and geometry around us,  "Wow! i didn't know this place looks amazing!".  So i continue my quest to explore the world around me with my DJI MINI 2 in my pocket. If DJI MINI 2 can speak it probably says; "Go, fly and discover the world...don't worry i can handle everything!".