Once you do get more confident, the Mini 2 is stable, nimble, safe to fly and quieter than other DJI models. While it is an affordable beginner option, those of you with no existing flying skills should start out practicing in wide-open spaces until you get the hang of things. That means there will be a learning curve and potentially some crashing. One of the reasons that the foldable drone is so light is that it has no sensors for obstacle avoidance. Still, images are captured at 12 megapixels. Its small camera unit is stabilized for smoother footage and it can shoot video at 4K at up to 30 frames per second. It can fly for up to 31 minutes on a single charge and has a flying range of up to 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). It uses the same control scheme as other DJI drones, which we've found to be easy for beginners learning the ropes while allowing more advanced flyers the flexibility to test their skills. Its compact, folding size means it's super easy to chuck in a bag and carry anywhere while its 249g weight means you don't need to register it with the FAA (in the US). The DJI Mini may have launched back in 2020, but it's still available to buy today, and it's still a superb option for those of you looking to take your first steps into the world of aerial photography. Its combination of flight time, automated flying modes and excellent image quality make it a superb all-rounder that's well worth considering. Its folding design makes it quite easy to fit into a photography backpack, but it's physically larger and heavier than DJI's 'Mini' range, so keep that in mind if you're after the lightest model to take on your travels.

Its maximum flight time of up to 31 minutes is solid for a drone of this size, but it can be bought with a bundle of extra batteries for those of you that want to capture more footage from the sky.

It's as easy to fly as others in the DJI range and it has a range of obstacle sensors to help keep it in the air and avoid it plowing headlong into a tree or a wall. If that's a priority for you, look towards DJI's Mini 3 Pro. That's a shame, as it means that capturing vertical video for TikTok or Instagram Reels is more difficult as you'll need to crop your video down the middle, losing a lot of resolution in the process. One thing it doesn't do is flip the camera over to let you shoot in portrait orientation. The drone has a variety of intelligent flight modes too that makes it particularly easy to capture cinematic footage even when you're out hiking by yourself, including a mode that follows you as you walk through the hills and a mode that automatically circles a point of interest. It'll shoot video at up to 5.4K resolution, while still images can be taken in DNG raw format at up to 20 megapixels. With its large 1-inch image sensor, the DJI Air 2S is able to take great-looking photos and videos from the sky.

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