DJI has announced its latest lightweight drone aimed at those on a budget. The firm’s SE models are more affordable alternatives which tend to sacrifice a few features here and there to bring the cost down.

The Mini 2 SE maintains this theme, taking the popular Mini 2, tweaking the specifications and making it a lot more wallet friendly.

And at £339 / $369, it should certainly appeal to more buyers than the £419 / $449 Mini 2.

DJI Mini 2 SE release date

22 March 2023

The new drone will be available to buy from DJI’s website and its partners including Apple from 22 March.

DJI Mini 2 SE price

As well as the standard edition (shown below) which comes with a remote controller, a single battery and spare propellers, there’s a Fly More Combo which costs £459 / $519.

This includes two extra batteries, extra spare props, a charger for all three batteries and a shoulder bag.

Although at £339 / $369 it’s quite a bit more expensive than the original DJI Mini SE at £269 / $299, you’re getting a much improved remote controller.

DJI Mini 2 SE features & specs

Most of the drone’s specs are the same as the existing Mini 2.

The key differences are that the Mini 2 SE cannot record video in 4K, and is limited to 2.7K at 30fps, with a bitrate of 40Mbps.

This table shows how their cameras compare:

 DJI Mini 2 SEDJI Mini 2Image Sensor1/2.3-inch CMOS, Effective Pixels: 12 MP1/2.3-inch CMOS, Effective Pixels: 12 MPLensFOV: 83°
Format Equivalent: 24 mm
Aperture: f/2.8
Focus: 1 m to ∞FOV: 83°
Format Equivalent: 24 mm
Aperture: f/2.8
Focus: 1 m to ∞ISO RangeVideo: 100-3200
Photo: 100-3200Video:  100-3200
Photo: 100-3200Shutter SpeedElectronic Shutter: 4-1/8000 sElectronic Shutter: 4-1/8000 sMax Image Size4000×30004000×3000Still Photography ModesSingle Shot: 12 MP
Timed: 12 MP
JPEG: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s JPEG + RAW: 5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s
Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 12 MP, 3 frames at 2/3 EV step Panorama: Sphere, 180°, and Wide AngleSingle Shot: 12 MP
Timed: 12 MP
JPEG: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s JPEG + RAW: 5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s
Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 12 MP, 3 frames at 2/3 EV step Panorama: Sphere, 180°, and Wide AnglePhoto FormatJPEG/DNG (RAW)JPEG/DNG (RAW)Video Resolution2.7K: 2720×1530@24/25/30fps
FHD: 1920×1080@24/25/30/48/50/60 fps4K: 3840×2160 @ 24/25/30fps 2.7K: 2720×1530@24/25/30/48/50/60 fps
FHD: 1920×1080@24/25/30/48/50/60 fpsVideo FormatMP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)Max Video Bitrate40 Mbps100 MbpsSupported File SystemFAT32 (≤ 32 GB)
exFAT (> 32 GB)FAT32 (≤ 32 GB)
exFAT (> 32 GB)Digital Zoom2.7K: 3×
FHD: 4×4K: 2x 2.7K: 3×
FHD: 4×Color ModeNormalNormalQuickShots ModesDronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, and BoomerangDronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, and BoomerangStabilisation3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, and pan)3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, and pan)

In other areas, specs are the same. Both drones:

Weigh less than 249g (which is regulation friendly)Have O2 transmission for a range of up to 10kmHave a 31-minute maximum flight timeHave Level 5 wind resistance to hover steadily at wind speeds up to 10.7m/sHave no ability to track subjects, except in QuickShots modesHave no sensors for avoiding obstacles while flying

If you can’t wait until 22 March, here are the best drones to buy right now.

Related stories

DJI Mini 2 reviewDJI Mini 3 reviewDJI Mini 3 Pro reviewAutel Evo Nano+ review

Drones