The Mini 4k is currently the most affordable DJI drone for beginners and casual users who want to approach drone videography and photography. In this article, I will concentrate on the photo quality of this model and its functionalities for still images
Here you can check the updated prices of the different configurations. it is an affiliate link, so I get a small commission in case of purchase
Other articles you may find interesting:
- My overall review of the Mini 4k
- My review of the Mini 4k for video
- Mini 4 Pro vs Mini 3 Pro for Photography
If you prefer to watch this as a video, you will find my YouTube version at the end of this article
Photo specs
The Mini 4k is a rebranded version of the Mini 2 proposed at a much more competitive price. The Mini 2 was released almost four years ago. It is a very long time but as we will see later, this is not necessarily a negative point
The specs of the lenses are the same:
| Sensor size | 1/2.3″ |
| Aperture | f 2.8 |
| Photo resolution | 12 MP |
It is possible to save photos in JPEG format or JPEG plus RAW, while the first lightweight DJI model, the Mavic Mini, could only save images in JPEG
Functionalities
Due to the old design, the Mini 4k lacks most of the functionalities offered by the more expensive lightweight models, the Mini 3 and 4 Pro. But these extra features are mostly useful for video. Here I will analyze only the ones affecting still images
Obstacle Avoidance
The Mini 4k doesn’t have obstacle avoidance sensors, a crucial safety feature. Extra care is needed when flying in confined spaces or close to the ground, but the lack of obstacle avoidance is not as critical as when shooting footage, as the aircraft is not moving while taking photos
48 MP Photo
The Mini 3 Pro and 4 Pro have a mode called 48MP which is useful in easy light conditions when large prints are required. This mode is not present in the Mini 4k, but this is not a major drawback, as it is still a work in progress
Automatic Exposure Bracketing
The Mini 4k has Automatic Exposure Bracketing. For each photo, three images will be saved with a difference in exposure of 0.7 stops. The images can be merged to HDR for better results in high dynamic range situations, as we will see later
I always use AEB when taking photos to make sure one image is perfectly exposed, a sort of insurance against exposure mistakes. It is a useful feature, however I would prefer five images instead of three, while the Mini 4 Pro in AEB can save up to seven
Panorama
Another functionality available for photos is Panorama mode, with three options:
- Sphere
- 180 degrees
- Wide angle
Compared to to the more expensive models Vertical panorama is missing
Easy Light Conditions
The Mini 4k should not be considered a toy despite its low price. I have already tested the video quality and its performance is outstanding in friendly light conditions, as long as we avoid low light. Here is my article
Let’s see start with still images taken in friendly light conditions. RAW files behave much better than JPEG, there is more contrast, the colors are richer and they respond much better to editing. All the images here are from edited RAW files exported as JPEG.
On several occasions, I will show them before and after editing. I use Luminar Neo, my favorite photo post-processing software to edit the images. Here you can watch my article about it
You can check here the different pricing options for Luminar Neo together with a 10% discount coupon (code VicVideoPic). It is an affiliate link, so I receive a small commission for each sale but I am not sponsored by this company
Photo taken with the Mini 4k have remarkable detail. It can compete with the Mini 3 Pro, although the Mini 4 Pro is superior in this department
The color rendition is nice considering the price and the old technology of the sensor and processor. In friendly light conditions, photos taken in RAW with the Mini 4k give more than acceptable results, however they cannot reach the quality of the more expensive lightweight models
By turning the camera toward the ground for top-down shots we can better appreciate the detail and color renditions. The performance of the Mini 4k is surprisingly good, especially the rendition of the vegetation, very hard to reproduce correctly with a small sensor
Toward the sun
Images taken in the direction of the sun are hard to reproduce correctly due to the very high dynamic range. It is a situation for advanced users and requires solid skills in exposure and editing
It is crucial to avoid burning the highlights. The shadows will be very dark, but we can try to recover them while editing
I had low expectations because of the small sensor and the old technology of the Mini 4k. I am not showing images containing the sun inside the frame as the results are not good enough
However, when the sun is just outside the frame the results obtained with the Mini 4k are better than expected: there is a good amount of info to recover in the shadows and I don’t notice nasty flares and loss of resolution and detail in the areas close to the sun
At times there is some chromatic noise in the shadows, but Luminar Neo can fix it with its excellent denoiser
It is often possible to obtain better results by taking three AEB photos and merging them to HDR
Against the sun this model is outclassed by the Mini 4 Pro, but advanced users who can expose correctly and have good editing skills can pull out acceptable results on some occasions
Low light
In my analysis of video with the Mini 4k, I found that shooting footage with this model at night should be avoided, as the quality is unacceptable. This has to be expected with such a small sensor and aged technology
Things improve only marginally in photography. The small sensor cannot collect much light, so the shadows are often too dark and when we recover them in post-processing a good amount of noise creeps in
An alternative is to raise the ISO value to increase the luminosity, but in this case, there is a loss of detail and excessive noise
Drone technology for low light has massively improved in recent years. The Mini 3 Pro and 4 Pro produce sensational images under the same conditions and their wide aperture of f 1.7 gathers plenty of light. The Mini 4k is simply unable to compete
Conclusion
The quality of images produced in friendly light conditions by the Mini 4k is outstanding considering the very affordable price. Beginners and casual users mostly interested in photography will be delighted, as long as they are aware of the limitations against the sun and in low light
The lack of intelligent features is a major drawback for users interested in videography, but it is not a major issue for photography
For advanced and professional users who already own a larger drone and are looking for a lightweight one for urban shooting and travelling, the Mini 4 Pro is a better choice