DJI Mini 2 vs DJI Mavic Air 2 EXTREME WIND TEST

DJI tell us that the DJI Mini 2 (store.dji.com/product/mini-2?...) can fly in winds up to 10.5ms but is this claim true? How does it stand up against the DJI Mavic Air 2 (www.dji.com/se/mavic-air-2?pb...
Thanks to our video sponsor Swedron: www.swedron.se/
FEATURED PRODUCTS:
|-- DJI Mini 2: store.dji.com/product/mini-2?...
|-- DJI Mini 2: store.dji.com/se/product/dji-...
|-- DJI Mavic Air 2: store.dji.com/product/mavic-a...
VIDEO CONTENTS:
00:00 - DJI Mini 2 Introduction
00:40 - Wind Speed Tester
00:56 - How to take off in wind
01:47 - DJI Mini 2 Wind Test
05:55 - DJI Mini 2 Wind Verdict
06:32 - DJI Mavic Air 2 Wind Test
08:35 - DJI Mavic Air 2 Wind Verdict
09:14 - Summary
---------------------------------------------
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[@markthompson6334]

8 m/s is slightly better than 17 mph. For the US people. Another excellent video. This was extremely helpful… For people who own Mini 2. Perfect demonstration! You are providing quality information, great presentation. Thanks

[@twiume4830]

I think it’s way more than 8/9 meters/s high in the air, 8/9 m/s wind was measured at the ground level.

[@Droning-ON]

Yes indeed, as mentioned as you ascend you'll encounter stronger winds, but most will measure wind speed at ground and deem it 'safe' to fly, altitude does indeed bring with it added dangers :)

[@martinhenrymh89]

I agree.

[@digpal90]

Brilliant video Ash! Detailed and clear. Surprised the Mini 2 has similar camera stability as the A2. Do you the m2 could be used for commercial uses had it not been for the wind?

[@jetmartin9501]

Maybe it was just me but the Mini 2's video looked more stable then the MA2.

[@kramdsm]

I agreed. The mini 2 video does look more stable.

[@Droning-ON]

Absolutely, indeed it does!!! I actually comment in the video as such, the gimbal on the Mini2 is really impressive!

[@stevecook706]

more stable THAN the MA2.

[@martinhenrymh89]

I agree

[@Daniel-hd7gq]

@@Droning-ON really sad

[@NazwanJamal]

Excellent videos Ash!! Gave a lot of helped and cleared view about Mini 2 according to the wind resistance. Cheers from Malaysia. :-)

[@Droning-ON]

Pleasure Nazwan, thanks for watching and do hit subscribe!

[@joepowers3731]

The mini 2 camera is more stable than the mavic air 2's camera

[@Droning-ON]

Impressive isn't it, I comment in the video that the video looks more stable, but the Air 2 definitely has the better clarity. Thanks for the comment!

[@DeerarDS]

Totally agree with you 👍🏼

[@MobileAura]

The air 2 is outdated old junk, the mini 2 is state of the art unbelievable technology.

[@KardosoMedia]

Great test Ash! Great to see the Air 2 holds up very well

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks Kardoso, appreciate it!

[@kavirl0390]

Hey for my first drone keeping wind and budget in mind, amongst the mini se at 299, the mini 2 fmc at 599 and the mavic air 2 fmc at 789 which do you recommend as my first drone?

[@Markmywordschannel]

Great video Ash, simple test but really helps when making decisions on what to buy next 👍

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks Mark My Words! Hope that it helps, now get signed up to the Club and join us in Discord :) Thanks for the comment!

[@paulctx]

I figured it out! The specs for the DJI Mini 2 claim to handle high winds. The secret is that it can FLY in high winds but it can't FILM in high winds. The "Maximum Tilt Angle" says "Up to 40° under strong winds" but the "Gimbal Mechanical Range" says "Roll: -35° to 35°! So it has to tilt beyond the range of the gimbal in order to handle the strong winds. This is where the Mavic Air 2 shines. It's maximum tilt is 35° and it's gimbal supports "Roll: -45° to 45°".

[@rajaafrasiabafrasiab5796]

Your laughing is amazing😂👍 Nice video

[@andrehitstheroad1402]

Hey , good video. So would you say, the mini 2 is not as stable in the wind as the mavic pro 1? I doubt, if the mini 2 can replace my mavic pro

[@EzzaLeo]

This was exactly the comparison I've been looking forward to, thank you for it. While the outcome is ultimately not surprising, I admit I was curious to see whether, by some miracle, DJI had managed to build in near-Air-2 levels of wind resistance into the Mini 2. I just bought the Air 2 on the assumption this wasn't the case, but the Mini 2 was a very tempting proposition, so seeing this video has confirmed I didn't make the wrong choice. (I don't plan on flying in high wind as a matter of habit but it does happen sometimes and, more generally, I want to do more long exposure photography and so stability is important for me)

[@dosomestuff1949]

The mini 2 has some. Powerful motors

[@quang8080]

the mini 2 or mavic 3 on the best

[@heathmichael142]

New Mini 2 drone owner here (from the US) with a possible newbie question. Ive only flown my mini 2 a few times, but one thing I noticed is that when I get in up about 30 ft. or higher the drone will hold its horizontal position pretty well, but vertically it will climb about 5 feet and lower 5 feet. So if I got it up to 100 ft., it would go up and down between 95ft.-105ft without me touching the controls. Also, there was some wind those days but about 10-15 mph gusts at most. And I had the drone in Cinematic mode each time. Does that seem normal? Thanks and great video!

[@LevelDroneRCX]

Great advice, drop it and use care refresh if needed.

[@dumbtube237]

Great video, just want question, when flying your mini 2, does the gimbal for some reason pitch slightly down when flying in wind or even in sports mode and won’t pitch back up, or is it a problem with my mini 2, thanks

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks for the comment! It might be that your gimbal is damaged? During initialisation does it ever get stuck pointing downwards? Do remember that during forward flight in heavy wind will result in the gimbal tilting to its limit, so it's most likely just that

[@paulctx]

I now understand this issue. The specs for the DJI Mini 2 says "Maximum Tilt Angle" of "Up to 40° under strong winds" but the "Gimbal Mechanical Range" says "Roll: -35° to 35°! So it has to tilt beyond the range of the gimbal in order to handle the strong winds. This is where the Mavic Air 2 shines - with the same wind rating, it's maximum tilt is 35° and it's gimbal supports "Roll: -45° to 45°" - so it can still have stable video with that much wind.

[@ThompYT]

So I have some theories kinda: 1. Gimbal calibration (if its properly calibrated) 2. Gimbal Design (Like the MA1 had some nice side walls that helped[but also hurt in high speeds} 3. The Mini 2 uses more EIS

[@pallidinyou]

You are correct.

[@denisqcrs]

The wind resistence is mentioned in meters per second but what were the winds looked like in km/h that days approximately so I can relate. The app I use is giving the wind speed and gust in kilometers per hour not m/s. Thanks for that video though it still useful to see.

[@electricwheels411]

Great test and your very brave testing those drones in that wind as I would not test mine in that strong a wind as I may as well throw £450 into the wind lol. I would say the footage from the Mini 2 was more stable than the Mavic Air? I was going to take mine Mini 2 out today but we had upper gusts of just over 19mph so knocked it on the head and went home sadly. Tomorrow looks better weather for us and UAV Weather says Green Good TO GO so fingers crossed on my way back from shopping I can grab some footage

[@jj8526]

Really good advice and review..👏

[@ferdronemedia]

Thankx for testing! If you fly on this winds....I would say to you all: ALWAYS FLY INTO the WIND. 👍

[@Droning-ON]

Absolutely, yes but ideally don't fly in wind like this at all, fly within yours and the drones capabilities and not beyond. Thanks for the comment!

[@MVMTV4Videos]

well done ty for sharing

[@ASQ83]

You should fly both same time to compare. (with second operator) as wind changes

[@michaellaframboise7646]

That's a great video of the mini 2and air 2...thanks

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks Michael, glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment!

[@epsonexxon1088]

I presume with the Air 2 it could easily move forward at the same height where mini 2 was really struggling at very slow movement towardsyou at full forward stick since in specs the Air 2 has higher speed? Thanks!

[@Droning-ON]

Yes absolutely, the Air 2 went precisely where I told it to go, unlike the Mini 2 which easily could have been lost by a less experienced drone operator. Thanks for the comment!

[@speliotis]

appreciate the comparison between the Mini2 & Mavic air 2.....

[@kramdsm]

Great test Ash.

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks MB and for being a great club member! Thanks for the comment!

[@lowhombre]

Awesome risky video Ash. Another great video.

[@Droning-ON]

Haha indeed, risking mine so that you and other consumers don't need to risk yours :) Thanks for the comment!

[@speliotis]

@@Droning-ON Appreciate your commitment to drones & Consumers.

[@JamesBond-qw3jw]

Lost my mini 2 which I bought last December, if I have watched your video, I could have avoided loosing my drone, thanks ash!

[@ar12.]

How did you loose your drone James.

[@DroneViral]

So i was thinking, wouldn’t it be soo cool if dji makes a gopro karma style drone. So you can slide an osmo pocket into a new designed drone (just like the karma grip) with the battery under it with sensors and amazing tracking features(just like skydio2) 😃 That would be soo cool!! 2 in 1 drone! Sorry i was bored.

[@BackcountryRenegade]

Excellent vid brother. I was getting worried I bought the wrong drone and should have gone with the mini with all it offers, but I do tend to go to more wind prone areas.

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks Backcountry and always nice to see a comment from a new viewer! Thanks for the comment!

[@pallidinyou]

You made a wise purchase choice.

[@flypic1098]

Hi Ash, I have the Mini 1 and Air 2 Very pleased with them both although not had the weather ( or time ) to get out very much. The Mini 2 looks very impressive compared to the 1 but the 1 is impressive anyway so thumbs up to DJI. My biggest problem with these drones is that they return to the take off point not the last known position of the controller. I have a small boat and would like a drone to return to where I am not where I was. Ditching in the sea is not a good idea even if I have a floatation device. Thanks for doing this. Jim

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks for the comment Jim! The Mini 2 is indeed great but it's still not a good drone to be using in wind, there's just too many chances of losing it!

[@peterbennpan7288]

Took my MA2 out last night just to drain the remainder of the battery for storage charge, it was dark and I took off to let it hover and it started drifting. Got control of it then went higher about as high as a house and it started drifting again. I managed to get control of it but it was about to fly into the side of the house? Is this because it was dark? If so whats the reason? Doesn't not do it in the light. Thanks

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks for the comment Peter, it sounds to me that you took off before the drone had acquired sufficient satellites, never take off until you have at least 12 acquired.

[@pallidinyou]

Was your landing light turned-on? That makes a big difference. Did you fly and hold at the recommended 22 or so feet to enable precision landing? You may also need to recalibrate everything.

[@kunkelmag2]

The test was in N mode. I guess DJI specs (8.5 - 10.5 m/s) may include as well S mode- what do you think? In S mode I think it would be capable of flying at 10.5 m/s, maybe not very stable but usable for some shots or just for fun.

[@Droning-ON]

As per the video, this test was in both S and N mode. Thanks for the comment.

[@tinyplanet1262]

Thanks for this video.now I know which one to buy.keep safe😊🙏

[@ar12.]

Is the mavic zoom 2 more stable in the wind then the air 2.

[@pallidinyou]

Well, is it heavier? That makes a difference in high winds. But it's also larger than the Air2, which means it could get kicked around more. Good question.

[@DroneViral]

great test!

[@Droning-ON]

Thanks DroneViral!

[@dale_ch]

Risky business Ash - thanks for considering potential financial ruin to bring us this vid matey 😍😍👍

[@Droning-ON]

Indeed Dale, hopefully after watching this, consumers will be more careful before they fly! Thanks for the comment!

[@Rogar0]

I must say that the windspeed measurement that you did was i.m.h.o. at quite a low level; the windspeed up at the higher level was I suggest a factor higher! But nevertheless a useful test! Thank you for that!

[@Droning-ON]

This point is made very clear in the video, stating that at higher altitudes the wind will be faster. However the difference between ground level in an open field and 6-8m altitude will be minimal. Thanks for the comment.

[@The-Opium-Den]

Only surprise here to me was how well the gimbal on the Mini 2 performed. The MA2 has significantly shakier footage. I'm not sure if it's because the Mini 2's gimbal is better or if the wind has more surface area to hit on the MA2. Thanks for exposing DJI's marketing hype! I suppose Occusync 2.0 and the ability to shoot RAW would be much better features to hype up than the wind resistance aspect of this drone. To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed DJI chose to release a new Mini so soon. It's pretty obvious by now that it's not that much of an upgrade over the original unless you really want quality 4k imagery in such a small form factor. It also seems to me DJI is still at risk of cannibalizing sales between their Mini and Mavic Air line-ups. Next time they should do a better job of differentiating the two when they release new drones for both line-ups.

[@Droning-ON]

Yes the Mini 2's gimbal is exceptional, we were really impressed with how well it performed!! Thanks for the comment!

[@ellobo1326]

Old pilot adage applies to drones as well : It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground. As a hobbyist, there is no reason for me to fly in borderline winds and risk losing my drone. But to each his own.

[@BRIANFORWARD1]

My old SPARK is brilliant in high winds due to weight to size

[@pallidinyou]

True. I have a SPARK. My recently purchased MA2 is better, but I think my SPARK is a tank compared to the mini-2, holding it's ground in high winds better than the mini-2.

[@mavic6155]

10m/s is 36km/h wind (level 5). It's easy to judge if one could go for a flight, because at wind level six the tops of the waterwaves start to get white. When you see that happening, it's unsafe to fly.

[@pallidinyou]

Huh, good to know.

[@BobLewen]

Ash, as you were getting just over 9 at ground level, the wind was obviously much higher at the mini’s height when you were flying....probably well over 12mps. I don’t own a Mini, but considering it’s only 249g, when you wanted to bring it back, you dropped altitude and brought it back... and the video was as good as the MA2. And no, I definitely wouldn’t fly my Tello in those circumstances!

[@Droning-ON]

Absolutely Bob, as mentioned in the video you'll hit stronger winds when you ascend. But most will measure wind speed at ground level, or just not understand that altitude brings stronger winds, it's a real worry because consumers will keep losing their Mini's, whether the original model or this one. The Tello would disappear as soon as you let go hehe - Thanks for watching!

[@Fishingletsgo]

awsome video and impressive drone!

[@Droning-ON]

Indeed Mo, considering it's size, it did well!! You'll need to buy yourself a little Mini 2 :) let me know if you want one and I'll get you a discount. Thanks for the comment!

[@GhureAshi]

Really amazing video my friend. Akshay, I am going to buy a drone so your video helped me a lot. This is Munia from Ghure Ashi youtube channel. I am an engineer and love drones.

[@akshaybissoon6527]

Which one did you decide on?

[@GhureAshi]

@@akshaybissoon6527 hello I decided on Mavic Air 2 Its so amazing Please come and watch my channel Ghure Ashi. I am an Engineer and want to motivate people. Thanks stay safe

[@shiromanramsoedh8068]

the mini 2 is really impressive for its size i think sport mode would have helped a bit

[@Droning-ON]

Please watch the video again, I talk about Sports Mode and even test it in this video! Thanks for the comment!

[@MobileAura]

@@Droning-ON 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I swear 80% of people leaving you comments are people who are telling you you should be doing something that you already did in the video.

[@andydodson5718]

"and I bet you're wondering how would the Mavic Air 2 cope" - no, I'm thinking my little Spark would rate that Swedish wind as a mere zephyr ;-)

[@Droning-ON]

Haha, loved this comment, actually made me LOL :)

[@bryanbuff]

Are you using thirds party props on the MA2?

[@Droning-ON]

No, completely standard.

[@zulhamdani6340]

Intinya yang lebih kuat melawan angin yang mana bang? Mavic Mini 2 atau mavic air 2

[@danielwilson3671]

I flew in such conditions today and had no problems at all with my mini 2

[@Lithium023]

Same I flew mine when the trees were clearly swaying back and forth, very windy and I was shocked at how well it flew. I still had it in normal mode aswell, the little drone exceeded all my expectations. Still Want the Air 2s aswell though so that's next lol.

[@yomango35]

But my question is about the size ....in your backpack ... do you really feel the difference regarding the size or not ??? And my last question , will we see the Mini 2 working with the smart controller in the near future or not at all?? The reason why i am asking is that right now I could get the Air 2 Combo with the smart controller for $1300 and I could use the smart controller with current my Mavic 2 pro as well.

[@Droning-ON]

The Air 2 is clearly heavier and bigger, but to be honest in a backpack the size consumption isn't dissimilar, it's more the weight difference which you'll notice. I'd also add that the Air 2 is more robust, therefore I'm less concerned about it getting damaged in comparison to the Mini 2 during transport. Thanks for the comment!

[@Manuelitto03]

DroningON b

[@brunoa.l..s3472]

You need to fly in Sport Mode in windy conditions!

[@Droning-ON]

Sports mode will definitely of course help if you're losing control of the drone, but in this test we didn't need to switch to it

[@onnie1968]

A good drone operator knows the limits of his or her drone, but still you get those that have no idea. Wind like that I wouldn't even both my drone, I'd be inside drinking coffee and watching KZbin lol

[@micojacinto8019]

Over sea? Why?

[@omegalord]

Was honestly kinda hoping it would get swept and we'd see you have to run down the beach after it.

[@Droning-ON]

Haha, thanks :) you don't want to see me running, trust me :) Thanks for the comment!

[@muzikmon2267]

FYI it's a lot higher than 8 or 9 m/s if you would just open your UAV forecast app from the Play store and see what the real wind speed is in the gusts.. like I said I have one of those and I don't trust it it's not that accurate it all depends what gusts you get and what height you're at.. for instance the time that you measure you might not get a big of August that you get 10 minutes earlier or later.. leave that meteorology stuff up to the professionals especially with a expensive drone. But I definitely understand why we try.. ;)

[@IanandIdaDroneAdventures]

almost lost my mavic mini 1 before doing a ship spotting video...i triggered rth from about half km away at almost 50% battery...the mini returned after several long agonizing minutes w/ only 17% power...never then would i fly it at 25-30kph winds🤣🤣🤣

[@StirsMYCookiez]

Would have been nice to keep the mini 2 in S mode to see how it handles it, you kept it in N mode for so long and saying its struggling, well of course..

[@AkilezNewEngland]

My DJI Mini 2 can handle 25 mph wind speed. Thanks for the Vid

[@rodskt100]

come on man fly it over the ocean...

[@sptrader6316]

In high wind, use Sport mode. Your 9m/s wind reading is at ground level, it could of been much windier when you raised the Mini2 to a higher level and it had trouble holding its position.

[@Droning-ON]

Absolutely, as mentioned in this video when you ascend you'll encounter stronger winds than at ground level. Also as mentioned and shown in the video, using Sports Mode saves you. Do watch the video again, you might have missed these points :) Thanks for the comment!

[@phantomjosh2148]

I accidentally clicked on the video while scrolling No regrets

[@CRy3Gen]

Hmm you flew the Mini away from you and towards you but not the Mavic, does that mean that the Mavic cant even come back after flying away ?

[@Droning-ON]

Yeah they're both capable of coming back, even in strong winds

[@freakyscumbag]

Any drone in that wind speed would struggle,

[@muzikmon2267]

Can you please explain to me why the MINI 2 IS THE ONLY DJI MAVIC DRONE THAT GIVES YOU TWO SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE WIND 🤣 WHY DOES IT SAY 19 MILES AN HOUR TO 23.5 WITHOUT EXPLAINING!! For instance on the mavic Air 2 it just says 23.5 What does it mean by 19 to 23.5 does it mean sometimes it's 19 and sometimes it's 23 LOL And again I don't know why people just don't use the UAV forecast app to accurately tell people what the real wind and temperature is at the height the drones going to be at.. I apologize if you've done this in other videos I didn't see.. As for the wind gadget you got there the anemometer thing I bought one too but I think it's a complete waste of money. It only tells you the wind speed of where you are where you're standing... So I never use it because the Drone is always going to be 100 ft to 400 ft above your head where the wind speed can change drastically so can the wind gusts.. That's why I always use the UAV forecast app that will much more accurately tell you what the wind and gust speeds are going to be above your head you obviously must know this.. So if wind machine tells you the speed of the wind where you're standing it's got to be a lot worse above your head..

[@Alanhobbs.droneadventures]

Why would anyone fly their drone in strong winds. Dont make sence

[@simplefact4u]

Mini 2 gimbal was way more stable than air 2

[@Droning-ON]

Yes it indeed was, very surprising!! Thanks for the comment!

[@simplefact4u]

@@Droning-ON do you also get the jittery and jerky gimbal movement on Mavic Air 2 as well as ? On mini 2 sometimes the gimbal jerks upwards or downwards on its own and it really ruins the footage .

[@pallidinyou]

I have zero problems with the stability of my Air 2 gimbal, but I did re-calibrate it, as well as the compass and IMU. Maybe I was just lucky on purchase too.

[@igyusuf_hamdani45]

please gice subtitle, i'm from indonesia

[@onemandrone]

End of the day, its down to the pilot. If some idoit wants to fly it in srong winds, then there isnt no more hope. Its not a competition who can fly it in strong winds, same as some wankers who want to test it how far it goes..

[@coaldust01]

Not very tolerant of wind? It's the size of a packet of cigarettes, might as well take it out in a tornado next video so you can state it don't handle tornados very well 😂

[@Droning-ON]

You've really missed the point of this video, if you listen to it again it'll make more sense. The point raised here is that DJI claim that it can fly in 8.5ms to 10.5ms wind, the reality and what is shown in this test is that if you try, you will most likely end up losing your drone. Therefore DJI's claim is not quite correct nor accurate. Hope this makes more sense now...

[@coaldust01]

@@Droning-ON Fair play, But I think considering the weight and size of the mini 2 I'd say it's tolerant of a decent amount of wind. Incredible little drone, shocked to see the air 2 footage looked less stable, maybe because the wind has more surface area to hit.

[@Droning-ON]

*Thanks to our sponsor SWEDRON for sponsoring this video - **www.swedron.se/*

[@JustinWallace1467]

Can u give me a drone please I can't afford one please I subscribe and I do videos step by step please a magic air please I wanna start doing photography please

[@Droning-ON]

@@JustinWallace1467 no...save up, buy your own, that's what the rest of us do.

[@JustinWallace1467]

@@Droning-ON bro am not working am don't live with anyone

[@Ranzy0]

@@JustinWallace1467 just try to get a job