Right here we’ve got it. One of many most cost-effective DJI drones, an entry-level strategy that appears wonderful for many individuals who need to get into this interest.
As a result of the query is, why not? You’ll hardly discover something higher round this worth level when it comes to efficiency and even picture high quality.
And DJI is broadly often called one of many high drone firms on this planet for creating high-quality and long-lasting drones; you’re off to an ideal begin.
To this point, so good, however the principle 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 way of the Florida vibes with a collection of pictures taken by one among our fellow writers and an expert photographer, Dan Bayne, with the DJI Mini 2 SE.
DJI Mini 2 SE digital camera sensor
The DJI Mini 2 SE comes with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS digital camera mounted on a 3-axis gimbal.
By way of the sensor dimension, 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 situation, we are able to see an improved CMOS as a consequence of developments in drone know-how and digital camera high quality, so, in actual phrases, the digital camera present in Mini 2 SE is best than the older one present in Mini 2.
However by at the moment’s requirements, 1/2.3-inch CMOS is simply too little for any form of skilled pictures.
Don’t anticipate a lot of it. Should you’re aiming for a professional-level digital camera, 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.
Notice: A 1-inch sensor is greater than 4 instances larger than a 1/2.3-inch one.
To know it higher, a sensor dimension 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 pictures, clearer and with a lot better dynamic vary, so even photographing in daylight, the shadows gained’t be too darkish, and the brights gained’t overexpose the whole 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 interest, particularly in pictures.
You’ll merely should bear in mind that the Mini 2 SE’s sensor will fall behind if you happen to’re aiming for low-light pictures.
By way of pixel density, this digital camera sensor has 12 million. Briefly phrases, it may {photograph} at a decision of 12 Megapixels, which is beneath at the moment’s requirements, however not too far.
In actuality, if we publish pictures on social media or take some trip pictures, 12 Megapixels is greater than sufficient.
Let’s take a look in any respect the specs behind the DJI Mini 2 SE digital camera 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 pictures and movies |
| Digital Shutter Pace | Between 4 sec and 1/8000 |
| Picture Dimension | 4000×3000 |
| Photograph Format | JPEG & RAW |
| Video Decision | Max 2.7k at 30 fps or FHD at 60 fps |
| Max Video Bitrate | 40 Mbps |
| Video Colour Mode | Regular |
| Gimbal | 3-axis |
» MORE: Digital camera Know-how in Drones (Defined)
DJI Mini 2 SE for pictures
Strictly when it comes to pictures, the DJI Mini 2 SE is respectable. In reality, it’s greater than respectable for on a regular basis forms of pictures, however if you happen to’re aiming towards skilled captures, it falls quick.
The digital camera aperture of f2/8 is common for many drones in the marketplace. Nevertheless, with a bigger aperture, we might be capable to take higher low-light and evening pictures, together with long-exposure pictures.
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 aspect, we’ve got an higher restrict of ISO to 3200. The ISO is the digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to mild, the place the picture sensor will increase its sensitivity as a way to expose the picture correctly in low-light situations at the price of inducing picture noise.
Nonetheless, this can 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 may {photograph} in RAW.
Because of this you’ll be capable to post-process your pictures additional in applications like Lightroom to regulate the shadows and highlights, publicity, colours, temperature, and way more.
Behind each nice {photograph}, there’s a number of post-processing to enhance the standard of the picture.
As a disclaimer, all the photographs you see listed here are post-processed, so the sky’s the restrict. And that’s regular. However if you happen to’re seeking to see what sort of picture high quality you’ll be able to take with the DJI Mini 2 SE immediately with out enhancing (nonetheless RAW model), right here we’ve got two pictures to match.
Not so spectacular, proper? That’s positive as a result of even if you happen to seize pictures with an expert DSLR digital camera or high-end drone, the photographs will nonetheless endure a bit until improved by way of post-processing strategies.
However now let’s see how this drone does at completely different instances of the day.
» MORE: Is the DJI Mini 2 SE Value It?
Daylight pictures
That is the place the DJI Mini 2 SE shines essentially the most, with pictures taken in full daylight.
- Your ISO doesn’t have to extend its worth to compensate for mild to reveal the picture correctly, so the photographs might be at their peak high quality.
- The digital camera’s aperture (lens opening) is ideal for photographing in daylight and doesn’t have any adverse influence 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 is no such thing as a fuss round right here.
All these situations are met to seize the most effective pictures you are able to do with this drone.
Though many different drones can be higher at pictures than the Mini 2 SE, for this worth, it does excel, particularly once we examine it with the Holy Stone HS720E or some other related drones.
Your greatest digital camera settings for good pictures in daylight can be as follows:
- ISO: Locked at 100
- White Stability: Auto or 5600K
- Shutter Pace: Auto
» MORE: Drone Pictures Planning (Defined for Freshmen)
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 digital camera begins to not shine, but it surely 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 pictures to look higher, you could apply some post-processing to extend shadows and perhaps regulate the colour temperature, scale back the picture noise, and probably improve the sharpening a bit.
With out some changes, particularly if you wish to {photograph} the dawn, there might be an excessive amount of of a distinction between the highlights and shadows.
If photographing in full solar at dawn, the ISO might 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 situation, to take the most effective low-light pictures, whether or not dawn, sundown, or an overcast afternoon (and even to a storm), we’ll should manually deal with locking the ISO at a selected worth.
That’s provided that we can not take any pictures with the ISO100 with out counting on a long-exposure course of.
So, listed here 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 Stability: 3500K to 4500K for dawn or 5600K for an overcast day. Or go away 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 just isn’t meant for evening pictures.
The picture sensor is just too small to seize any evening pictures. On this case, the ISO must be pushed to its higher limits, and a number of picture noise might 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 identical time, the Mini 2 SE digital camera will try to compensate with longer exposures to get sufficient mild to the digital camera sensor for better-exposed pictures. 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 is not going to do unhealthy if you happen to’re making an attempt to {photograph} an illuminated downtown or areas at evening with a number of synthetic mild. However 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.
Due to this fact, the Mini 2 SE is NOT my advice 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 digital camera specs as with pictures.
The Mini 2 SE sensor dimension can have essentially the most influence on video high quality, and, as with daylight, low-light, or evening pictures, filming might be largely 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 digital camera 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 at all times 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 ready to movie in 2.7k at 30 frames per second, the shutter pace must 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 most effective movies you’ll be able to from the Mini 2 SE digital camera.
However auto mode is at all times acceptable for a median drone pilot simply desirous to take a couple of pictures or movies of touring or in nature.
Nevertheless, you continue to should keep in mind that the DJI Mini 2 SE’s small sensor dimension does have an enormous adverse influence on each photographing and filming in low-light situations.
Yet another point out. The DJI Mini 2 SE does NOT profit from D-Cinelike or related flat profiles, so you’ll be able to’t do a lot video enhancing in post-process software program. It solely has the conventional shade mode.
However it does profit from the implausible 3-axis mechanical gimbal that’s generally discovered throughout (nearly) all DJI drones. This implies your video might 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 pictures
In pictures, to get the most effective pictures we are able to with any drone, not solely the DJI Mini 2 SE, we’ve got to edit them.
However as a way to try this, you must set your Mini 2 SE to seize pictures in RAW format. This manner, the photographs should not processed, and also you’re freely capable of do it your self.
Nevertheless, if you happen to’re not aiming for any semi-professional degree pictures, then capturing in JPEG is sweet sufficient.
However when you {photograph} in JPEG, your pictures will already be processed with info, so enhancing such pictures 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 digital camera. That’s what photographers do, and most of the people do, to get respectable outcomes.
So, pictures captured along 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 should always at all times goal to edit some of these pictures to get the most effective outcomes we are able to out of this small sensor drone.
» MORE: Easy methods to Edit Drone Pictures for Social Media Utilizing Lightroom (Information)
Is that this drone adequate to begin studying drone pictures?
To start out studying aerial pictures? Completely sure. For any kind {of professional} pictures? No.
All of us took step one into aerial pictures, and as a photographer, I do suggest utilizing this drone for a number of causes.
After I began my journey in aerial pictures, I did it with the DJI Mavic Air. Then I obtained my Mavic 2, and the journey continued.
The Mavic Air picture high quality was manner beneath that of this drone. It’s an historical drone with an previous digital camera and know-how. So, as per at the moment’s requirements, the Mini 2 SE does higher.
You don’t want a elaborate drone to begin studying drone pictures.
In reality, the DJI Mini 2 SE can be best, and right here’s why.
It’s low cost, small and moveable. It weighs lower than 250 grams, so it’ll profit from relaxed drone legal guidelines. Fewer complications for newbies in that space.
Furthermore, you could possibly fly the Mini 2 SE in locations the place you legally can not with different drones.
That can open new alternatives to take all forms of aerial pictures, from nature to cityscapes and landscapes, and the place the creativeness can take you.
Get this drone. Seize a couple of thousand aerial pictures, and after you may have superior sufficient on this area of interest, you’ll be able to improve to a extra skilled kind of drone.
What kind of pictures can you are taking with DJI Mini 2 SE?
There are not any limits to how you should utilize this drone within the pictures area. Really, there are a couple of limits, so what do I do know?
Should you’re searching for a selected space in pictures and even video taking, as coming from an expert photographer, right here’s how we are able to classify this drone’s digital camera capabilities with completely 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: Beneath common
- ❌ Night time Cityscapes: Beneath common
- ❌ Wildlife Pictures: Insufficient
- ❌ Mapping: Insufficient
Remember the fact that this classification can rely upon many components, equivalent to the present lighting situations, wind pace, location, and different facets.
All these pictures will be additional improved if captured in RAW and post-processed. So, the sky’s the restrict.