Right here we’ve got it. One of many most cost-effective DJI drones, an entry-level method that appears glorious for many individuals who need to get into this pastime.
As a result of the query is, why not? You’ll hardly discover something higher round this worth level by way of efficiency and even picture high quality.
And DJI is extensively referred to as one of many high drone corporations on the earth for creating high-quality and long-lasting drones; you’re off to an ideal begin.
Thus far, so good, however the primary purpose anybody would need to purchase a drone, together with the DJI Mini 2 SE, is to {photograph} or movie with it. So, how does this drone maintain up on this space?
Let me take you on a journey by means of the Florida vibes with a sequence of pictures taken by one in all our fellow writers and knowledgeable photographer, Dan Bayne, with the DJI Mini 2 SE.
DJI Mini 2 SE digicam sensor
The DJI Mini 2 SE comes with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS digicam mounted on a 3-axis gimbal.
When it comes to the sensor measurement, the Mini 2 SE’s sensor is equal to the one present in DJI FPV and the older model of this drone, the DJI Mini 2.
On this state of affairs, we are able to see an improved CMOS because of developments in drone know-how and digicam high quality, so, in actual phrases, the digicam present in Mini 2 SE is healthier than the older one present in Mini 2.
However by in the present day’s requirements, 1/2.3-inch CMOS is simply too little for any form of skilled pictures.
Don’t count on a lot of it. For those who’re aiming for a professional-level digicam, look for at least a drone with 1/1.3-inch CMOS however ideally 1-inch or the Mavic 3 Professional‘s Hasselblad 4/3-inch.
Word: A 1-inch sensor is greater than 4 occasions larger than a 1/2.3-inch one.
To grasp it higher, a sensor measurement will immediately contribute to how a lot mild the sensor can register in a brief time frame, which immediately impacts the dynamic vary and high quality of the picture (distinction between the highlights and the shadows)
With bigger sensors, we get extra pure photographs, clearer and with a lot better dynamic vary, so even photographing in daylight, the shadows received’t be too darkish, and the brights received’t overexpose the complete picture.
However what we get with the DJI Mini 2 SE is a bit low. That’s what we’ve got with an entry-level drone, and but, it’s not that unhealthy if you happen to simply need to get into the pastime, particularly in pictures.
You’ll merely need to bear in mind that the Mini 2 SE’s sensor will fall behind if you happen to’re aiming for low-light pictures.
When it comes to pixel density, this digicam sensor has 12 million. Briefly phrases, it could {photograph} at a decision of 12 Megapixels, which is beneath in the present day’s requirements, however not too far.
In actuality, if we publish pictures on social media or take some trip images, 12 Megapixels is greater than sufficient.
Let’s take a look in any respect the specs behind the DJI Mini 2 SE digicam and its true high quality.
| Specs | DJI Mini 2 SE Digital camera |
|---|---|
| Sensor Dimension | 1/2.3-inch CMOS |
| Efficient Pixels | 12 Million (12MP) |
| Aperture | f/2.8 |
| Discipline of View | 83 levels |
| ISO Vary | 100-3200 for each images and movies |
| Digital Shutter Pace | Between 4 sec and 1/8000 |
| Picture Dimension | 4000×3000 |
| Picture Format | JPEG & RAW |
| Video Decision | Max 2.7k at 30 fps or FHD at 60 fps |
| Max Video Bitrate | 40 Mbps |
| Video Shade Mode | Regular |
| Gimbal | 3-axis |
» MORE: Digital camera Know-how in Drones (Defined)
DJI Mini 2 SE for pictures
Strictly by way of pictures, the DJI Mini 2 SE is first rate. In reality, it’s greater than first rate for on a regular basis varieties of pictures, however if you happen to’re aiming towards skilled captures, it falls brief.
The digicam aperture of f2/8 is common for many drones available on the market. Nevertheless, with a bigger aperture, we’d be capable of take higher low-light and evening pictures, together with long-exposure photographs.
Similar with a bigger sensor.
However you’ll see that the DJI Mini 2 SE can’t do a lot of that.
On the opposite facet, we’ve got an higher restrict of ISO to 3200. The ISO is the digicam sensor’s sensitivity to mild, the place the picture sensor will increase its sensitivity in an effort to expose the picture correctly in low-light situations at the price of inducing picture noise.
Nonetheless, this may immediately contribute to the standard of low-light pictures.
What we’ve got as a bonus with the DJI Mini 2 SE is that it could {photograph} in RAW.
Which means that you’ll be capable of post-process your photographs additional in packages like Lightroom to regulate the shadows and highlights, publicity, colours, temperature, and way more.
Behind each nice {photograph}, there’s a variety of post-processing to enhance the standard of the picture.
As a disclaimer, all the photographs you see listed below are post-processed, so the sky’s the restrict. And that’s regular. However if you happen to’re trying to see what sort of picture high quality you may take with the DJI Mini 2 SE immediately with out enhancing (nonetheless RAW model), right here we’ve got two photographs to check.
Not so spectacular, proper? That’s nice as a result of even if you happen to seize pictures with knowledgeable DSLR digicam or high-end drone, the photographs will nonetheless endure a bit until improved through post-processing strategies.
However now let’s see how this drone does at totally different occasions of the day.
» MORE: Is the DJI Mini 2 SE Price It?
Daylight pictures
That is the place the DJI Mini 2 SE shines essentially the most, with photographs taken in full daylight.
- Your ISO doesn’t have to extend its worth to compensate for mild to show the picture correctly, so the photographs shall be at their peak high quality.
- The digicam’s aperture (lens opening) is ideal for photographing in daylight and doesn’t have any destructive impression on it.
- The white stability does an ideal job of offering the right ambient colours in full sunny daylight.
- Shutter pace can also be inside vary, so there isn’t a fuss round right here.
All these situations are met to seize the perfect pictures you are able to do with this drone.
Though many different drones could be higher at pictures than the Mini 2 SE, for this worth, it does excel, particularly after we evaluate it with the Holy Stone HS720E or every other comparable drones.
Your finest digicam settings for good photographs in daylight could be as follows:
- ISO: Locked at 100
- White Steadiness: Auto or 5600K
- Shutter Pace: Auto
» MORE: Drone Pictures Planning (Defined for Learners)
Low-light pictures
The DJI Mini 2 SE’s picture high quality falls behind drones with bigger sensors.
That is the place the Mini 2 SE digicam begins to not shine, however it nonetheless can do okay.
Let’s take a look on the above picture comparability taken throughout the morning, with each the edited and non-edited variations.
For such photographs to look higher, it’s essential to apply some post-processing to extend shadows and perhaps regulate the colour temperature, scale back the picture noise, and presumably enhance the sharpening a bit.
With out some changes, particularly if you wish to {photograph} the dawn, there shall be an excessive amount of of a distinction between the highlights and shadows.
If photographing in full solar at dawn, the ISO shall be decrease. But when not, you’ll in all probability have to extend it to be appropriately uncovered (if not on auto mode)
On this state of affairs, to take the perfect low-light photographs, whether or not dawn, sundown, or an overcast afternoon (and even to a storm), we’ll need to manually deal with locking the ISO at a particular worth.
That’s provided that we can not take any images with the ISO100 with out counting on a long-exposure course of.
So, listed below are some settings I like to recommend:
- ISO: Lock it between 100 and 400, but when wanted, go as much as 800.
- Shutter Pace: Go away it to auto
- White Steadiness: 3500K to 4500K for dawn or 5600K for an overcast day. Or depart it on auto and additional regulate it in post-process.
» MORE: Drone Pictures: Newbie’s Information to Getting Began
Night time pictures
The DJI Mini 2 SE shouldn’t be meant for evening pictures.
The picture sensor is just too small to seize any evening pictures. On this case, the ISO should be pushed to its higher limits, and a variety of picture noise shall be launched within the photos.
To not point out, the ISO max worth could be very low in comparison with different drone cameras.
On the similar time, the Mini 2 SE digicam will try to compensate with longer exposures to get sufficient mild to the digicam sensor for better-exposed photographs. However with drones, we don’t have a lot of that.
With the Mini 2 SE, we are able to expose the picture for a most of 4 seconds.
The DJI Mini 2 SE won’t do unhealthy if you happen to’re attempting to {photograph} an illuminated downtown or areas at evening with a variety of synthetic mild. Nevertheless it doesn’t do a superb job both.
You’ll even have to recollect the drone legal guidelines of capturing evening pictures with a drone and flying the DJI Mini 2 SE at evening.
Subsequently, the Mini 2 SE is NOT my suggestion for evening pictures.
» MORE: Greatest Drones for Night time Time Use (Pictures & Video)
Recording movies with DJI Mini 2 SE
With recording movies, we’ll reap the benefits of the identical digicam specs as with pictures.
The Mini 2 SE sensor measurement may have essentially the most impression on video high quality, and, as with daylight, low-light, or evening pictures, filming shall be principally the identical however will endure much more.
Earlier than that, we should keep in mind that the DJI Mini 2 SE can movie solely in 2.7k at 30 frames per second or FHD at 60 fps.
When filming at 30 fps, extra mild will come into the digicam sensor, which is ideal while you’re recording in decrease mild situations. However at 60 fps, you are able to do it solely in full daylight with out dropping picture high quality, inflicting movies to be underexposed or inflicting an excessive amount of picture noise within the movies.
Skilled videographers will all the time attempt to set the shutter pace to double the framerate for clean and cinematic movies. That will require ND filters if you happen to’re filming in full daylight.
So, as an illustration, in case your DJI Mini 2 SE is about to movie in 2.7k at 30 frames per second, the shutter pace needs to be manually set at 1/60sec and the ISO to the worth the place you get a correctly uncovered video.
If the video is overexposed even at ISO 100, then you definitely want an ND filter or to drop the decision to FHD at 60fps and set the shutter pace at 1/120fps.
These are some settings if you happen to’re aiming to get the perfect movies you may from the Mini 2 SE digicam.
However auto mode is all the time acceptable for a mean drone pilot simply desirous to take just a few pictures or movies of touring or in nature.
Nevertheless, you continue to need to keep in mind that the DJI Mini 2 SE’s small sensor measurement does have an enormous destructive impression on each photographing and filming in low-light situations.
Yet one more point out. The DJI Mini 2 SE does NOT profit from D-Cinelike or comparable flat profiles, so you may’t do a lot video enhancing in post-process software program. It solely has the traditional coloration mode.
Nevertheless it does profit from the incredible 3-axis mechanical gimbal that’s generally discovered throughout (virtually) all DJI drones. This implies your video shall be extraordinarily clean even when recorded in high-wind situations.
» MORE: 3 Tricks to Market Your Enterprise With Drone Pictures and Videography
Edited vs. non-edited Mini 2 SE photographs
In pictures, to get the perfect photographs we are able to with any drone, not solely the DJI Mini 2 SE, we’ve got to edit them.
However in an effort to try this, you need to set your Mini 2 SE to seize pictures in RAW format. This fashion, the photographs will not be processed, and also you’re freely in a position to do it your self.
Nevertheless, if you happen to’re not aiming for any semi-professional stage photographs, then capturing in JPEG is sweet sufficient.
However when you {photograph} in JPEG, your photographs will already be processed with info, so enhancing such images is complicated and with restricted outcomes.
It’s no shock we edit all the photographs we take not solely with this drone but additionally with any DSLR digicam. That’s what photographers do, and most of the people do, to get first rate outcomes.
So, photographs captured together with your DJI Mini 2 SE with out enhancing are okay, particularly if you happen to shoot in full daylight.
However as a result of we’ve got this feature to shoot in RAW, we must always all the time intention to edit some of these pictures to get the perfect outcomes we are able to out of this small sensor drone.
» MORE: Methods to Edit Drone Pictures for Social Media Utilizing Lightroom (Information)
Is that this drone adequate to start out studying drone pictures?
To begin studying aerial pictures? Completely sure. For any sort {of professional} pictures? No.
All of us took step one into aerial pictures, and as a photographer, I do advocate utilizing this drone for a number of causes.
Once I began my journey in aerial pictures, I did it with the DJI Mavic Air. Then I acquired my Mavic 2, and the journey continued.
The Mavic Air picture high quality was method beneath that of this drone. It’s an historic drone with an previous digicam and know-how. So, as per in the present day’s requirements, the Mini 2 SE does higher.
You don’t want a elaborate drone to start out studying drone pictures.
In reality, the DJI Mini 2 SE could be very best, and right here’s why.
It’s low cost, small and moveable. It weighs lower than 250 grams, so it can profit from relaxed drone legal guidelines. Fewer complications for freshmen in that space.
Furthermore, you might be able to fly the Mini 2 SE in locations the place you legally can not with different drones.
That may open new alternatives to take all varieties of aerial pictures, from nature to cityscapes and landscapes, and the place the creativeness can take you.
Get this drone. Seize just a few thousand aerial photographs, and after you could have superior sufficient on this area of interest, you may improve to a extra skilled sort of drone.
What sort of pictures can you’re taking with DJI Mini 2 SE?
There aren’t any limits to how you should utilize this drone within the pictures area. Really, there are just a few limits, so what do I do know?
For those who’re in search of a particular space in pictures and even video taking, as coming from knowledgeable photographer, right here’s how we are able to classify this drone’s digicam capabilities with totally different situations.
- ✅ Panorama: Good
- ✅ Overcast Panorama: Common
- ✅ Cityscape: Good
- ✅ Morning Pictures: Common
- ❌ Night time Pictures: Insufficient
- ✅ Actual Property Pictures: Good
- ✅ Selfie & Household Pictures: Good
- ✅ Journey Pictures: Good
- ❌ Fireworks: Under common
- ❌ Night time Cityscapes: Under common
- ❌ Wildlife Pictures: Insufficient
- ❌ Mapping: Insufficient
Needless to say this classification can rely on many elements, similar to the present lighting situations, wind pace, location, and different elements.
All these photographs could be additional improved if captured in RAW and post-processed. So, the sky’s the restrict.