News |DJI Mavic Mini or DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo?s

DJI Mavic Mini or DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo?

Trying to decide whether to buy the DJI Mavic Mini standard kit or the Fly More Combo? Read on.

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Tuesday January 21, 2020

By Angela Nicholson

At £369/$399 the DJI Mavic Mini is very attractively priced. For that money, you get a 12Mp 1/2.3-inch type CMOS sensor mounted behind the equivalent of a 24mm f/2.8 lens on a stabilising gimbal in a unit that weighs less than 250g and can fly.

The standard package also includes a rechargeable Li-ion battery that enables up to 30 minutes of flying and a controller that holds and connects with your smartphone.

That’s pretty impressive, but even more so when you consider that a 12Mp GoPro Hero8 Black will set you back by £379/$399. And it can’t fly further than you can throw it.

Also, as our DJI Mavic Mini review explains, DJI’s latest lightweight drone is easy to fly and it produces very good stills and video.

But if you’ve been thinking about buying the Mavic Mini, you’ve probably noticed that it’s also available in a ‘Fly More Package’ for around £90/$100 more. You may be wondering whether to go for that or not, so let’s look at what it has to offer.

DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo

For many people, the biggest draw of the Mavic Mini Fly More Combo is the extra batteries. You get three in the kit instead of the single battery that comes in the standard kit.

Each battery enables up to 30 minutes flight, so the Fly More Combo gives you a flight time of up to 90 minutes.

Two-way Charging Hub

Helpfully, you also get a charging hub that can hold all three batteries and charge them in succession. This has a much neater, user-friendly design that the Mavic Air’s battery charger as the batteries click inside the unit and can be stored there for travel.

Without the charging hub, you have to charge the battery inside the Mavic Mini using the supplied USB cable.

Another bonus is that the charging hub works as a powerbank when there’s a charged battery in-place.

Propeller Guards

If you’re a first-time drone flyer, a nervous pilot or you’re going to be flying in an area with lots of vegetation or other objects that could get in the way of the propellers, it’s advisable to fit propeller guards. These are supplied as part of the DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo and they’re very easy to fit.

However, keep in mind that the propeller guards take the Mavi Mini’s weight over 250g, which means you’ll have to register as a drone operator. That might sound alarming, but it’s very easy and only costs you £9 in the UK. You’ll also have the opportunity to ensure that you know the drone code so you’ll fly safely.

To find out more read Do I need to Register my Drone?

Case

The other big win with the Mavic Mini Fly More Combo is the case. This is a neat, zip-closing semi-rigid case that has space dedicated to all the key components in the kit apart from the propeller guards.

Of course, a key selling point the Mavic Mini is its small size and weight, but you need at least one battery and the controller to fly it. The case keeps everything together, including the charging hub, batteries and spare propeller. Its semi-rigid shell means it’s all protected.

It’s also a nice size and can be slipped into a fairly small backpack, or amongst your camera gear in a bigger backpack.

Having the case means if you need to swap the battery or change a propeller, you won’t be scrabbling around trying to find the right part in the bottom of your bag.

Extras

The Mavic Mini Fly More Combo also gives you 3 more pairs of spare propellers (along with the necessary screws) and an additional USB cable.

The propellers are quite delicate, so it’s handy to have them. It could save you from having to abandon a flight because of a broken prop.