Digital Photographer - UK (2020-05)

DJI Mavic Mini

TheMavicMinihassomething to offer both experienced

pilotsandfirst-timefliers,soshouldit beinyourkitbag?

AswesawinIssue 222 , a drone

canreallyexpandtherange

ofphotographicopportunities

availabletoyouina locationandoffera new

perspectiveontheworld.However,it’sanother

thingtocarry,andthat’spartofthereason

whymanyphotographersareexcitedabout

theDJIMavicMini.Firstly,it foldsdowntoan

incrediblysmallsize– 140x82x57mm– soit

cansitonthepalmofyourhandandiseasy

tofitintoyourcamerabag.Butalso,because

it weighslessthan250g,it doesn’tneedtobe

registeredwiththeCAAintheUK– aslongas

youdon’tfitthepropellerguards.

Consequently,theMavicMiniisa tempting

firstdrone,butit’salsoattractivetoseasoned

pilotslookingforsomethingtheycaneasily

takeontheirtravels.

DJIsellstheMavicMiniintwoforms– the

standardkitora FlyMoreCombo.The

standardoptionincludeseverythingyouneed

to fly, but the Fly More Combo is well worth

considering for the extra £90 because you

get two additional batteries, each enabling up

to 30 minutes of flight, a charging hub that

can hold all three batteries, two extra sets

of propellers, propeller guards, and a neat,

semi-rigid case that can hold everything apart

from the propeller guards.

A controller is supplied, but you need to

download the free DJI Fly app to a smartphone

and connect it using the supplied cables. The

phone sits in the controller’s clamp and lets

you see the drone camera’s view.

The Mavic Mini is very easy to set up, but it’s

worth doing it at home the first time because

there are a few essential steps that require a

Wi-Fi connection. Once you’ve done all that,

you can head outside, ready for your first flight.

The Mavic Mini has three flight modes that

are selected with a tap on your phone’s screen.

Position (P) mode is a good general-purpose

Price:£369/ $39 9

REGULATION-

FREE

The Mavic Mini weighs less

than 250g, so it doesn’t need

to be registered in the UK, but

you’ll need to register if you

add propeller guards or longer

landing gear as they will take

it above the registration-

free weight limit.

Above

Time to fly

The Mavic Mini’s price,

size and ease of flying

make it a great everyday

kitbag companion

Below left

Small and lightweight

It’s light enough to

avoid UK registration

requirements, and folds

up to a very small size

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