Working as a drone photographer can internet you severe financial institution, particularly in case you do it full-time. Having a specialty or area of interest helps, comparable to actual property images.
The seek for a drone acceptable on your skilled aspirations warrants a number of cautious consideration and analysis between manufacturers, then particular person drone fashions.
To date, one of many drones in competition is the DJI Mini 2 SE.
It is a sensible, dependable drone for business and leisure flights, however is it the best one on your actual property initiatives? That’s the all-important query I’ll assist you to reply.
I’ve sufficient flight expertise with the Mini 2 SE to say I do know this drone totally. I’ve examined it each which means, so you possibly can belief my insights about this drone’s appropriateness for actual property images.
DJI Mini 2 SE defined
The DJI Mini 2 SE got here out in March 2023, making it one of many latest entry within the Mini line (as of the time of publication) and one in every of DJI’s latest drones, interval.
The DJI line of Mini drones has develop into well-known for weighing beneath 250 grams, a trait the Mini 2 SE proudly carries on.
This isn’t totally a moot level simply because it’s important to register your drone as a business actual property photographer. You continue to need a travel-friendly, moveable drone, and the Mini 2 SE definitely matches the invoice.
I really like touring with this drone as a result of it’s so gentle I neglect I’m carrying it typically.
Its battery has 31 minutes of steady marketed flight, and its wind resistance is best than you’ll think about for a drone of this stature.
Its digital camera with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS lens takes video in 2.7K high quality and pictures in 12 MP.
The Mini 2 SE additionally has a wealth of Clever Flight Modes designed to facilitate a hands-off expertise.
It contains the RC-N1 controller, a distant that hooks as much as your smartphone so you possibly can navigate, toggle options, and livestream. The distant has a digital camera button, energy button, RTH button, and a change for adjusting between Sport, Regular, and Cine modes.
I discover the distant fairly simple to make use of, and whereas I want it had a display, I can perceive why it doesn’t. It is a lower-cost entry within the Mini line, and a distant with a display would bump up the associated fee.
It retails for beneath $400 in case you purchase the bottom version, and the Fly Extra Combo is on the market for beneath $500.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE Controller (All You Must Know)
Why select the DJI Mini 2 SE for actual property images?
The Mini 2 SE can get many roles accomplished, and that features actual property images. Listed here are some methods it excels if you take it to work.
Simple to make use of
If you happen to’re an skilled drone pilot, the newbie options of the Mini 2 SE are simple sufficient to bypass.
You don’t have to the touch the tutorials within the DJI Fly app, and you may manually begin and cease your drone fairly than use one-touch launching and touchdown.
Nonetheless, in case you’re new to drones, however you’ve gotten your business license and are keen to begin capitalizing on it by earning profits, you’ve chosen effectively in case you purchase the Mini 2 SE.
This DJI drone has sufficient data and automatic options that you could confidently take to the skies, get your work accomplished, and be on to the following challenge whereas constructing confidence and familiarity in drone operation.
» MORE: Is DJI Mini 2 SE Good for Novices? (Palms-on Evaluate)
Wonderful wind resistance
The Mini 2 SE additionally has a surprisingly good diploma of wind resistance at Degree 5. It’s constructed to face up to winds of just about 24 miles an hour.
I’ve flown it in 25-mph winds, the place it nonetheless carried out okay, however I didn’t transcend that as a result of I didn’t wish to have my drone get thrown right into a tree.
Curiously, the Mini 2 SE has higher wind resistance than Avata, and its wind degree is akin to the Mini 2, Mini 3, and Mini 3 Professional.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE Wind Resistance (Defined)
Gentle and moveable
I praised the portability of the Mini 2 SE within the final part, and also you higher consider I’m doing it once more.
This drone is a good weight for taking up all of your actual property adventures, whether or not you’re working in your individual neighborhood or driving out of state.
I like to recommend the carrying bag DJI sells for the Mini 2 SE. Regardless that it’s not included with the drone, it matches the Mini 2 SE completely and may stash a couple of equipment.
After all, any comparable bag or backpack you have already got is okay, too.
» MORE: Finest Equipment for DJI Mini 2 SE
Good zoom
The Mini 2 SE is provided with 4x zoom. I really like an excellent zoom in a DJI digital camera as a result of it’s greater high quality than most zooms you see in rivals’ drones.
Zoom can also be a nice security function. You don’t have to face on the sting of a harmful precipice to get your excellent shot.
Zooming may even turn out to be useful when photographing properties on the market, as you will get in nearer to the element as your drone hovers over the house.
» MORE: The way to Dolly Zoom With a Drone (Step-by-Step Information)
Secure hovering
As an actual property photographer, your pictures don’t have probably the most creativity. They don’t should. You solely want pictures of the property to make a sale.
The Mini 2 SE’s hovering capabilities make it superior for taking as many overhead or side-angle pictures as you want.
The drone is provided with GNSS and imaginative and prescient positioning to maintain it in a single place.
The horizontal and vertical accuracy ranges are spot-on, so in case you set the Mini 2 SE in a spot, you possibly can fairly anticipate it to remain there.
» MORE: How Drones Can Hover (Defined for Novices)
Professional-level Clever Flight Modes
Regardless of the Mini 2 SE’s cheap worth, DJI doesn’t skimp on Clever Flight Modes.
This drone has 3 times the Panoramas for taking encompassing pictures of a whole property. You may set your panos to 180 Levels or Broad Angle, which is able to turn out to be useful in on a regular basis work situations.
The Sphere mode is cool, however because it takes artistic liberties, you won’t use it that usually (until you additionally fly this drone recreationally, which you must!).
QuickShots modes are all video-based, however you possibly can at all times take stills out of your movies and save them as pictures. The modes embrace Rocket, Helix, Dronie, Boomerang, and Circle.
Do I really feel like among the QuickShots modes are possibly a bit too additional for actual property images jobs? Most likely, nevertheless it’s at all times higher to have the choice than not!
» MORE: DJI Clever Flight Modes (Together with Quickshots & Mastershots)
Sensible RTH
Must make a fast touchdown? The Mini 2 SE contains three RTH modes.
Failsafe RTH works in case your drone loses sign, Low Battery RTH prompts in case your battery is nearing zero, and Sensible RTH works in lots of different situations.
You don’t should be a newbie to understand RTH. It could actually save your disguise in near-miss conditions, permitting your Mini 2 SE to outlive and fly one other day.
» MORE: Sensible Options in Drones (Defined for Novices)
Why the DJI Mini 2 SE might not be your best option for actual property images
Whereas I like to recommend the Mini 2 SE for actual property images for the above causes, it has a couple of shortcomings which may make you rethink. Let’s discuss them for the sake of equity.
The picture high quality may very well be higher
The 12 MP picture high quality and 4K video high quality may appear stunning for a drone launched in 2023, however the Mini 2 SE continues the Mini 2 line.
That is an space the place it reveals. The reasonably costlier but older Mini 3 Professional has 48 MP picture high quality, an enormous leap in high quality.
Do you want the very best picture high quality ever if taking actual property images? Sure and no.
I imply, your job is to promote the property, and since that’s all about visuals, you possibly can’t get away with crusty pixels and low-quality resolutions.
Possibly for some static overhead pictures, however not for the inside and up-close pictures of the outside.
On this case, you’re higher off saving up and shopping for the Mini 3 Professional as a substitute.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE Digicam High quality (With Footage)
Zoom is limiting
Do I really like that the Mini 2 SE has zoom? Sure, definitely. Nonetheless, 4x zoom is a bit low for a DJI drone.
No, I’m not anticipating the identical diploma of zoom as what you’d discover within the Mavic 3 Professional with its triple-camera system. That drone is oodles costlier than the Mini 2 SE.
Nonetheless, a bit extra zoom, and even adjustable zoom, could be higher for actual property images.
Okay battery life
The default battery lifetime of the Mini 2 SE is 31 minutes. You may’t improve the battery right here, in order that’s all you get.
And, in all my flight experiences, I by no means bought to half-hour. I’d log a couple of greater than 25 minutes, however not the marketed 31 minutes.
That’s as a result of drones are examined for battery life in impossibly excellent situations laborious to duplicate in on a regular basis situations.
Now, half-hour may be sufficient time to {photograph} a couple of properties, relying on how large they’re and the way intensive you get.
I can’t assist however suppose the battery life is not going to get you thru a whole day of labor.
The Mini drones often have brief battery lives, however the Mini 2 SE bought the particularly brief finish of the stick.
» MORE: Flight Time of All DJI Drones (Defined)
LightCut is for movies solely
I really like DJI’s LightCut app. It makes use of AI and provides single-tap edits. It saves me a great deal of time in submit, and I recognize how beginner-friendly it’s.
The one drawback? It edits movies, not pictures. In your function, it received’t turn out to be useful a lot, so you’ll have no selection however to edit your pictures after you’re completed with the job.
» MORE: Autel EVO II PRO vs. DJI Mini 2 SE (Right here’s My Favourite)
Do I would like a license to make use of the DJI Mini 2 for actual property?
That relies on the form of license we’re speaking about.
If you happen to imply an actual property license, no, you don’t. You’re not technically promoting the property, solely serving to the actual property brokers promote it along with your top-notch images.
Because you don’t deal immediately with patrons or sellers, you don’t want an actual property license.
Now, in case you imply a business drone license, sure, you do.
The FAA requires all pilots to have a license, whether or not it’s the TRUST certificates for leisure flights or the Half 107 license for business pilots.
It’s unlawful to fly and not using a license, and utilizing an expired license is simply as dangerous!
» MORE: Finest Half 107 On-line Check Prep Programs (With Finest Move Price)
Suggestions for utilizing the DJI Mini 2 SE for actual property images
Are you able to kickstart your profession and get extra actual property shoppers along with your Mini 2 SE? Right here’s find out how to enhance as a drone photographer.
Shoot in RAW
The Mini 2 SE can take pictures in RAW file format. In comparison with JPGs and PNGs, RAW recordsdata retain a lot extra element.
The one factor that’s lacking is the noise, and belief me, you’re not going to overlook that.
RAW recordsdata might require much less modifying since they’re already so crisp and interesting. Nonetheless, do be forewarned that RAW picture recordsdata take up fairly much more laborious drive area, which brings me to my subsequent level…
» MORE: Actual Property Drone Pictures: A Complete Information (Insider Suggestions)
Convey spare SD playing cards
The extra SD (microSD) playing cards you’ve gotten useful, the higher. Carry them in your drone bag, in your pocket, in your sneakers if it’s important to. Simply have them.
The one factor worse than operating out of battery mid-shoot is taking on all of the area in your drone’s laborious drive and never having the ability to proceed photographing.
Don’t let it occur to you!
» MORE: Finest SD Playing cards for DJI Mini 2 SE
Benefit from pure lighting
Capturing in pure lighting is a given when taking exterior pictures, however I’m referring extra to the inside pictures.
Fairly than activate each gentle in the home, open a window and let the pure daylight in. Nothing creates a extra interesting, fascinating impact than pure lighting, which is able to curiosity potential patrons.
» MORE: The way to Enhance Your Drone Pictures
Keep abreast of the climate
The FAA prohibits drone operation in stormy skies, so it’s extra than simply harmful to fly in dangerous climate. It’s additionally unlawful.
If you happen to don’t have already got a drone app that tells you wind patterns and climate adjustments, obtain a climate app with forecasts in your space. Watch the forecast like a hawk on the times you’re imagined to work.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE and Climate (Defined for Novices)
Take pictures from quite a lot of angles
You may’t have each photograph you snap be overhead, overhead, overhead. Broaden your horizons, making an attempt completely different angles to showcase the complete neighborhood or entire rooms.
That can create a real sense of what dwelling within the house is like.
» MORE: Drone Pictures: Newbie’s Information to Getting Began
