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 wish to get into this passion.

As a result of the query is, why not? You’ll hardly discover something higher round this value level when it comes to efficiency and even picture high quality.

And DJI is broadly generally known 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.

To date, so good, however the primary purpose anybody would wish 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 every of our fellow writers and an expert 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 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 will see an improved CMOS resulting from developments in drone expertise 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 at this time’s requirements, 1/2.3-inch CMOS is simply too little for any sort of skilled pictures.

Don’t anticipate 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.

Observe: A 1-inch sensor is greater than 4 occasions greater than a 1/2.3-inch one.

To know it higher, a sensor dimension will straight contribute to how a lot gentle the sensor can register in a brief time period, which straight 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 received’t be too darkish, and the brights received’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 dangerous when you simply wish to get into the passion, particularly in pictures.

You’ll merely must remember that the Mini 2 SE’s sensor will fall behind when you’re aiming for low-light pictures.

When it comes to pixel density, this digicam sensor has 12 million. In brief phrases, it may possibly {photograph} at a decision of 12 Megapixels, which is beneath at this time’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 digicam and its true high quality. 

» MORE: Digicam Know-how in Drones (Defined)

DJI Mini 2 SE for pictures

Strictly when it comes to pictures, the DJI Mini 2 SE is first rate. In truth, it’s greater than first rate for on a regular basis forms of pictures, however when you’re aiming towards skilled captures, it falls brief.

The digicam aperture of f2/8 is common for many drones available on the market. Nonetheless, with a bigger aperture, we might have the ability to take higher low-light and night time pictures, together with long-exposure pictures.

Identical 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 gentle, the place the picture sensor will increase its sensitivity as a way to expose the picture correctly in low-light eventualities at the price of inducing picture noise. 

Nonetheless, this can straight 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 possibly {photograph} in RAW.

Which means that you’ll have the ability to post-process your pictures additional in applications like Lightroom to regulate the shadows and highlights, publicity, colours, temperature, and far more. 

Behind each nice {photograph}, there’s lots 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 when you’re seeking to see what sort of picture high quality you’ll be able to take with the DJI Mini 2 SE straight with out enhancing (nonetheless RAW model), right here we’ve got two pictures to match. 

Not so spectacular, proper? That’s high-quality as a result of even when you seize pictures with an expert DSLR digicam or high-end drone, the photographs will nonetheless undergo a bit except improved by way of post-processing strategies.

However now let’s see how this drone does at completely different occasions 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 gentle 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 affect on it.
• The white stability does an ideal job of offering the right ambient colours in full sunny daylight.
• Shutter velocity can be inside vary, so there isn’t any 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 could be higher at pictures than the Mini 2 SE, for this value, it does excel, particularly once we examine it with the Holy Stone HS720E or some other comparable drones.

Your greatest digicam settings for good pictures in daylight could be as follows:

• ISO: Locked at 100
• White Stability: Auto or 5600K
• Shutter Velocity: Auto

» MORE: Drone Pictures Planning (Defined for Newcomers)

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, but it surely nonetheless can do okay.

Let’s take a look on the above picture comparability taken through the morning, with each the edited and non-edited variations. 

For such pictures to look higher, you need to apply some post-processing to extend shadows and possibly regulate the colour temperature, scale back the picture noise, and presumably improve 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 most likely have to extend it to be accurately 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 must manually give attention to locking the ISO at a particular worth.

That’s provided that we can’t 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 Velocity: 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

Evening pictures

The DJI Mini 2 SE is just not meant for night time pictures.

The picture sensor is just too small to seize any night time pictures. On this case, the ISO must be pushed to its higher limits, and lots 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 identical time, the Mini 2 SE digicam will try to compensate with longer exposures to get sufficient gentle to the digicam sensor for better-exposed pictures. However with drones, we don’t have a lot of that.

With the Mini 2 SE, we will expose the picture for a most of 4 seconds.

The DJI Mini 2 SE is not going to do dangerous when you’re making an attempt to {photograph} an illuminated downtown or areas at night time with lots of synthetic gentle. However it doesn’t do a wonderful job both.

You’ll even have to recollect the drone legal guidelines of capturing night time pictures with a drone and flying the DJI Mini 2 SE at night time.

Subsequently, the Mini 2 SE is NOT my advice for night time pictures.

» MORE: Greatest Drones for Evening Time Use (Pictures & Video)

Recording movies with DJI Mini 2 SE

With recording movies, we’ll benefit from the identical digicam specs as with pictures.

The Mini 2 SE sensor dimension could have essentially the most affect on video high quality, and, as with daylight, low-light, or night time pictures, filming shall be principally the identical however will undergo 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 gentle will come into the digicam sensor, which is ideal while you’re recording in decrease gentle 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 velocity to double the framerate for clean and cinematic movies. Which will require ND filters when you’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 velocity 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 definately want an ND filter or to drop the decision to FHD at 60fps and set the shutter velocity at 1/120fps.

These are some settings when you’re aiming to get the most effective movies you’ll be able to from the Mini 2 SE digicam.

However auto mode is all the time acceptable for a median drone pilot simply desirous to take a couple of pictures or movies of touring or in nature. 

Nonetheless, you continue to must keep in mind that the DJI Mini 2 SE’s small sensor dimension does have an enormous destructive affect on each photographing and filming in low-light eventualities.

Yet another point out. The DJI Mini 2 SE does NOT profit from D-Cinelike or comparable flat profiles, so you’ll be able to’t do a lot video enhancing in post-process software program. It solely has the traditional shade mode.

However it does profit from the implausible 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 pictures

In pictures, to get the most effective pictures we will with any drone, not solely the DJI Mini 2 SE, we’ve got to edit them.

However as a way to try this, it’s important to set your Mini 2 SE to seize pictures in RAW format. This fashion, the photographs usually are not processed, and also you’re freely in a position to do it your self.

Nonetheless, when you’re not aiming for any semi-professional stage pictures, then taking pictures in JPEG is nice sufficient. 

However when you {photograph} in JPEG, your pictures will already be processed with info, so bettering such pictures is advanced and with restricted outcomes.

It’s no shock we edit all the photographs we take not solely with this drone but in addition with any DSLR digicam. That’s what photographers do, and most of the people do, to get first rate outcomes.

So, pictures captured along with your DJI Mini 2 SE with out enhancing are okay, particularly when you shoot in full daylight. 

However as a result of we’ve got this feature to shoot in RAW, we should always all the time purpose to edit these kinds of pictures to get the most effective outcomes we will out of this small sensor drone.

» MORE:  Edit Drone Images 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 bought 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 outdated digicam and expertise. So, as per at this time’s requirements, the Mini 2 SE does higher.

You don’t want a elaborate drone to start out studying drone pictures. 

In truth, the DJI Mini 2 SE could be best, and right here’s why.

It’s low-cost, small and transportable. It weighs lower than 250 grams, so it’ll profit from relaxed drone legal guidelines. Fewer complications for newcomers in that space. 

Furthermore, you could possibly fly the Mini 2 SE in locations the place you legally can’t with different drones.

That may open new alternatives to take all forms of aerial photographs, 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 will have superior sufficient on this area of interest, you’ll be able to improve to a extra skilled sort of drone.

What sort of pictures can you are taking with DJI Mini 2 SE?

There aren’t any limits to how you should use this drone within the pictures enviornment. Really, there are a couple of limits, so what do I do know?

For those who’re on the lookout for a particular space in pictures and even video taking, as coming from an expert photographer, right here’s how we will classify this drone’s digicam capabilities with completely different eventualities.

• ✅ Panorama: Good
• ✅ Overcast Panorama: Common
• ✅ Cityscape: Good
• ✅ Morning Pictures: Common
• ❌ Evening Pictures: Insufficient
• ✅ Actual Property Pictures: Good
• ✅ Selfie & Household Images: Good
• ✅ Journey Pictures: Good
• ❌ Fireworks: Under common
• ❌ Evening Cityscapes: Under common
• ❌ Wildlife Pictures: Insufficient
• ❌ Mapping: Insufficient

Understand that this classification can rely upon many components, akin to the present lighting situations, wind velocity, location, and different features.

All these pictures will be additional improved if captured in RAW and post-processed. So, the sky’s the restrict.

» MORE: Greatest Drones for Wildlife Pictures