DJI Mavic Mini Vs. DJI Mavic Air Vs. DJI Spark

The DJI Mavic Mini has been designed to match the current Mavic 2 series of drones – further unifying the Mavic line. Both the Mavic Air and Spark have their unique designs, while both designs are great the Mavic Mini looks well thought out. The Spark is not capable of folding down while the Mavic Mini and Mavic Air can. The Mavic Mini has the smallest footprint once folded but is a little larger while unfolded than the Spark and the Mavic Air.

Thanks to DJI, the Mavic Mini comes in at just 249 grams, 1 gram under the FAA’s limit for drone registration. This is no coincidence. DJI making the Mavic Mini only 249 grams makes it the perfect beginner drone without the need to license and register your drone. Both the Mavic Air and Spark weigh over the 250-gram limit requiring them to get registered.

The camera attached to all drones comprises of the same 1/2.3′ CMOS sensor, capable of 12MP photos. Mavic Mini and the Spark capture JPEG photos, while the Mavic Air can capture JPEG and DNG photos. The Mavic Air the only drone capable of RAW photos.

The Mavic Mini can record video at 2.7K 30 fps and 1080p 60 fps, all you need in an entry-level drone. The Spark has the most limited resolutions with only 1080p 30 fps available. The Mavic Air is capable of capturing video in the most resolutions, which include 4K 30 fps, 2.7K 60 fps, 1080p 120 fps and 720 120 fps. DJI’s Mavic Mini records video at 40 Mb/s while the Mavic Air records at 100 Mb/s and the Spark records at 24 Mb/s.

The DJI Mavic Mini is equipped with a 2400 mAh battery and lacks sensors found on the other drones allowing a maximum flight time of 30 minutes to be achieved. The Mavic Air and Spark both have lower flight times and battery capacities with the Mavic Air having a maximum flight time of 21 minutes and a 2375 mAh battery while the Spark has a maximum flight time of 16 minutes and a 1480 mAh battery.