Credit: DJI/PetaPixel
You’ve heard of a fly on the wall, now meet the drone on the wall.
Drone piloting has become quite the expansive hobby. Everyone loves to see those little things whizz about, especially photographers. Drones make tricky photography much easier. However, as drones become bigger and fancier, their own brand of headaches start popping up. More maintenance, more power requirements, not to mention having to register them with the FAA. If only we could have a good, functional drone in a convenient size. Oh wait, we do.
On Wednesday, drone developer DJI officially unveiled their newest product: The Mavic Mini. It’s as small as your palm and folds up to get even smaller, and is a great starting piece for a newbie drone pilot. Don’t be fooled by its compact size, though, the Mini is no pushover. The Mini is equipped with a 12MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor mounted on a 3-axis motorized gimbal. That little camera can shoot 2.7K video at 30fps or 1080p video at up to 60fps, which is pretty good for such a little thing. The on-board battery also promises a good thirty minutes of steady flight on a full charge, and its wi-fi and GPS allow you to control it up to 2.5 miles away as well as keep the unit out of danger zones. And, as an added bonus for those of you who don’t like paperwork, because the Mini is so small, it doesn’t need to be registered with the FAA. Still gotta follow FAA flight guidelines, of course, but hey, small victories. Ba-dum tish.
The Mavic Mini is available from DJI’s site for $400. For an extra hundred bucks, you can also get the “Fly More Combo,” which includes a propeller cage, a charging hub, some extra parts, and a carrying case.
