Hi all, new member, joined today in the hope of firstly getting some advice and secondly, in time contributing to the community!
I am looking to buy my 1st drone but due to budget, will be looking second hand. My primary interest in having one is aerial photography (with some panos / 360). Not all that interested in video but realise that may change so dont want to rule it out. With my budget of approx £220, I have been looking at the Mini 2 / Mini 4k (I’ve been told they are the same but hopefully you experts can advise?) or for a bit less, the mini 2 SE. Can you perhaps give me some guidance based on my use case?
I can’t speak for the Mini 2 or 4K as I’ve not owned either. However, if I were choosing between the two I’d be mindful of the fact that DJI don’t sell the Mini 2 anymore while they do still sell the 4K. If you encounter any problems and need support/parts that could be important.
For general second-hand drone advice, I’ll echo Patrick’s advice to make sure the drone is unbound. Not always possible if buying online, but a good check over for any possible damage and a test flight can’t go amiss.
Also, keep your eyes peeled for a deal with a couple of extra batteries. You might think you’ll be fine with one, but you’ll quickly realise you need more.
Looking at your profile you are quite a distance from me - I am over in Somerset on the coast. There are plenty for sale around me, I’m just trying to decide what I want at this stage - either the Mini 2 / 4k or the 2SE. Thanks for the offer though.
Great advice - thanks. I wasnt sure about the unbinding process. The link in your message explains it clearly though so thanks for that. Also good advice about the 4k still being produced but not the Mini 2. That may well sway my opinion.
The 4K is a pretty good option right now. I’m assuming from your 2nd hand preference that your funds are limited, but this is on sale on Amazon for £209, which might be manageable for you with Klarna installments. Another new option would be the Neo, which can be had for £125. A bit basic, but it can be flown from your phone, until you can raise funds for one of the RCs it can be paired with.
Both of these are great ‘learner’ drones, easy to fly and control, and the 4K is capable of seriously good imagery. It’s 3-axis gimbal is awesome, like having a steady tripod 400’ up in a 25mph wind!
Another option, if you’re patient, might be to buy a brand new Potensic Atom 2. The Fly More combo frequently drops to under £250 on AliExpress, and the cheapest I have seen it is at £204 a few months ago. I had technical issues with mine, so I sent it back and splashed out on a DJI, but if you get a good one it is a phenomenal drone for that price and offers a few advantages over the mini 4k.
No Problem.
I’ll echo a couple of bits of advice others have already offered.
From your shortlist go for the mini 4k. It pretty much is the mini2 but with a better camera.
Also whatever you buy, I would suggest you collect in person and see the drone flying. A genuine seller will be happy to demo it. If you’re happy to buy don’t forget to get them to unbind it from their account. You won’t be able to bind it to your own account otherwise.
So, in my impulsive style - I ended up ignoring all advice and went and bought one. My local cash converters had a Mini 2 Fly more with a set of Sunnylife filters for £199 (also comes with 12 months warranty). I checked it out, its unbound and all 4 of the batteries has less than 10 cycles on it. Seemed like a good deal so I pulled the trigger. I’ve just spent the last hour in my garden doing the DJI take off tutorial repeatedly and shooting a couple of panos and it all seems fine. Hopefully I havent been ripped off but it seemed a good deal and 12 months warranty desnt hurt (although how good they are with their warranties I dont know!). So hopefully I will have happy flying. Got to go now, I have about 200 hours of Youtube tutorials to watch…!
I have the Mini 2 and it does all I need it to, I really like it! Unfortunately it had a bit of an accident; DJI still carryout the repairs though, and they were so helpful when I called them. My drone has just got back to DJI, via DHL, not flying so I’m waiting to hear how poorly it is
Why not pop over and 
so I’m waiting to hear how poorly it is 