DJI Mini 4K vs DJI Mini 2 SE
Both are under the 250-gram line, so the legal position is identical and the decision comes down to the rows tinted below — the specs where these two actually differ. The DJI Mini 2 SE is the cheaper of the two at ~$399.
| Drone | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bundle price | ~$449multi-battery bundle | ~$399multi-battery bundle |
| True first-year price | ~$449 | ~$399 |
| Flight min per $100 | 6.9 | 7.8 |
| Rating | No cited rating | No cited rating |
| Takeoff weight | 246 g | 246 g |
| FAA registration | Not required | Not required |
| Remote ID | Built-in | Built-in |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor area | 28.1 mm² | 28.1 mm² |
| Megapixels | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Max video | 4K/30fps | 2.7K/30fps |
| Colour depth | 8-bit | 8-bit |
| Log profile | — | — |
| Gimbal | 3-axis | 3-axis |
| Obstacle sensing | None | None |
| Claimed flight time | 31 min | 31 min |
| Tested flight time | — | — |
| Battery | 17.32 Wh | 17.32 Wh |
| Transmission | O2 | O2 |
| Max range | 10 km | 10 km |
| Max speed | 36 mph | 36 mph |
| Wind resistance | Level 5 (10.7 m/s) | Level 5 (10.7 m/s) |
| Service ceiling | 4000 m | 4000 m |
| Internal storage | None | None |
| Controller | DJI RC-N1 (phone required) | DJI RC-N1 (phone required) |
| Return to home | Yes | Yes |
| Geofencing | Yes | Yes |
| Care plan (1 yr) | Not in our snapshot | Not in our snapshot |
| US availability | Limited | Limited |
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
| Flight claim measured at | DJI quotes 31 minutes for a single 2250 mAh battery in windless conditions. It is a hover-and-cruise laboratory figure, not a number from a windy afternoon with the camera rolling. | DJI quotes 31 minutes in windless conditions at a constant forward speed. As with the rest of the Mini line, hovering to frame a shot costs noticeably more than cruising. |
DJI Mini 4K
Three hundred dollars is the entire point here. Strip a Mini down to a 1/2.3-inch 12MP sensor, 8-bit 4K/30, and a downward vision system with nothing looking forward, keep the three-axis gimbal and the GPS return-to-home, and you get the cheapest genuinely stable aerial camera DJI sells. Nothing about the footage will impress anyone who has seen a 1/1.3-inch sensor at dusk, but in daylight it is sharp and level, which is more than any sub-$200 quadcopter manages. O2 transmission is rated to 10 km and holds a 720p feed rather than O4's 1080p. Treat the lack of obstacle sensing as the defining spec: this aircraft will fly into a branch at full speed without hesitating, so it belongs in open fields while you learn.
Full spec sheet →DJI Mini 2 SE
DJI's cheapest way into the ecosystem for two years running, and the model the Mini 4K was built to replace. Identical airframe, identical three-axis gimbal, identical O2 link to 10 km and the same 1/2.3-inch 12MP sensor — the only meaningful difference is that this one stops at 2.7K where the newer one records 4K. Both sit at $299, which makes the choice between them a short conversation unless the Mini 2 SE turns up substantially discounted. Everything that makes a Mini easy is here: GPS hold, automatic return-to-home, Level 5 wind resistance and a weight that keeps it out of the registration system. Everything a Mini lacks at this price is here too, chiefly any obstacle sensing at all.
Full spec sheet →