Unique aerial photos like in the film, videos in time-lapse or panorama pictures as well as very special self-portraits from a bird’s eye view. None of this is a problem with drones. No wonder that the small unmanned flying objects are enjoying increasing popularity in the private sector and are now also widely sold by online retailers.
However, it is not easy, especially for beginners, to keep track of the jumble of different functions and guidelines; the latest drone regulation, which has been in force since April 2021, makes things even more complicated. Some of the most compliant drones are the Holy Stone HS720 and DJI Mini 2. Seeing that both models come from recognized brands in the unmanned aviation sector. This is what elicits this Holy Stone vs DJI comparison article. In this article, we’ll compare both brands, their best drones, and side-by-side comparisons.
Holy Stone and DJI are some of the most popular brands in the UAV industry. Here is a brief overview of both manufacturers.
Holy Stone is a brand that specializes in making high-quality quadcopters and drones with cameras. The brand produces beginner drones to premium and advanced drones, as well as accessories. The brand started in 2014 and has since introduced a lot of innovative drones with advanced technologies on the market. Some of its most successful drones include the Holy Stone HS210, HS170 Predator, X400C, HS190 Foldable Mini Drone, HS100, F181 and F181W, HS400, and the HS150 BOLT BEE MINI. The products are manufactured in the Far East.
DJI is a tech brand of SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd., a technological company in China. Parented by iFlight Technology Company Limited, DJI manufactures UAVs for videography and aerial photography from its facilities located in China, Japan, Chile, North America, and Europe. It started operation in 2006, more than 15 years ago. The most successful models from the brand include DJI Phantom 4, DJI Mavic Air 2, DJI Mavic Mini, and DJI Mavic Air.
First, here is a side-by-side comparison of two of the most popular UAV models from the brands.
| Holy Stone HS720 | DJI Mini 2 | ||
| Control range | 3,000 ft | 6.2 miles (31,680 ft) | |
| Flying time | 26 min. | 31 min. | |
| Top speed | 44 mph | 35.79 mph | |
| Camera | 4K HD, 3840 x 2160P | 4K HD video, 12MP photo | |
| Camera angle | Up to 90° | Up to 180° | |
| Dimensions | 6.8 x 4 x 2.2 in (folded); 13.2 x 14.6 x 2.2 in (unfolded) | 5.5 x 3.2 x 2.2 in (folded); 9.6 x 11.3 x 2.2 in (unfolded) | |
| Weight | 16.2 oz. | 8.8 oz. | |
| VIEW ON AMAZON | VIEW ON AMAZON |
If you are a beginner looking for a drone with a camera at a good price-performance ratio, you should take a closer look at the Holy Stone HS720. The flight time of this model is 26 minutes, but two batteries are included so that this can be increased to 52 minutes. This leaves enough time for aerial photos and videos with 4K in full HD and 60 fps.
The Holy Stone HS720 can fly up to 1 km and broadcasts live at a distance of up to 500 m. You can view the live image itself via the free Orphelia Go app, which you should install on your smartphone in advance.
In contrast to many cheap models, this drone impresses with its brushless motors. These are quieter and more durable than motors with brushes.
You can create flight paths yourself and the drone will then fly this specified route. Using GPS, the drone can fly very well outdoors. Indoor use is also possible, as the quadrocopter has an optical flow positioning system, which consists of a floor camera and a barometer. Thus, a stable flight position near the ground is not a problem. A landing light is also installed. Overall, this quadrocopter has dimensions of 13.2 x 14.6 x 2.2 inches and weighs 459 g. A drone license is therefore necessary as this is a regulation requirement for ≥250 grams drones Trusted Source How to Register Your Drone www.faa.gov .
The Mavic Mini 2 is a great drone for beginners or dronists looking for extreme portability. It will allow you to get your hands on while evolving! The original Mini had its limitations with images in JPEG only, video resolutions of 2.7K, and a Wi-Fi signal. DJI has taken the necessary steps to ensure that anyone purchasing the Mini 2 is not stuck in their room for improvement.
We were impressed with the original Mavic Mini and more delighted with the improvements made to the Mini 2. The upgraded engines make all the difference when it comes to the overall noise and jitters of the aircraft in flight. The mini drone behaves surprisingly well in the wind, providing smooth and crisp images.
DJI took a great initial concept on its entry-level drone, listened to community feedback, and made some significant improvements. Despite a few minor issues that persist, the Mini 2 is a small, high-performance, and versatile machine that is easy and convenient to transport, which packs several sophisticated features into a small kit. Mavic Mini owners will certainly be tempted to upgrade to correct signal issues and enjoy an improved camera. For first-time buyers, the extra $ 100 you’ll spend is well worth it.
Here are the in-detail side-by-side comparisons between the two models:
Both brands look well designed and functional and seem not to have any problem. However, there are slight differences.
Seen from the outside, the new Mavic Mini 2 drone is quite smaller, compact, and light. It weighs 249 grams. Because of this, you do not need to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, such is not the same with the Holy Stone HS720. It weighs approximately 500 grams and will need to be registered before use.
The DJI Mavic Mini 2 sports the same folding arm design as all other drones made by the DJI company. When folded, it is the same size as a Smartphone. Thus, it is easy to store in a backpack. This new drone also has a strap. The latter wraps around the drone to secure the propeller blades. The Holy Stone model is also foldable. However, the Mini model looks more beautiful as it’s designed in white, and the Holy Stone is designed in black.
The HS720 is built to be heavier and more durable than the DJI Mini. Sometimes, the latter is referred to as a toy drone because of its small and light build. However, both models are made of plastics. The HS720 is made of durable plastic but the other one is made of light plastic with no carbon fiber or aluminum. With one crash, the Mini 2 may get damaged.
The Holy Stone beats the DJI Mini 2 hands-down in the battery and flight time department. First, it has a strong battery that guarantees a flight time of around 26 minutes. The Mini 2 has a battery that offers a flight time of 31 minutes but the HS720 comes with an extra battery, which means you will be able to switch the dead battery for a recharged one and prolong your filming time. Also, the longer flight time of the DJI Mini 2 doesn’t indicate better quality. The HS720 battery is lithium-ion while the Mini 2 is lithium polymer. This means the Mini 2’s battery will last longer as lithium-ion batteries last better than lithium polymer batteries and the lithium-ion batteries store higher energy densities Trusted Source What Batteries Will Power The Future? www.forbes.com than the former.
The quality of the DJI Mavic Mini 2 video is improving greatly. You can now shoot video at resolutions up to 4K / 30fps while the HS720 can shoot 4K HD with 3840 x 2160P. The Mini can take 30 frames per second at a rate of 100 Mbps.
The Holy Stone model has shock absorption as well as a 90° rotation adjustable lens. There’s also a 5G FPV transmission. Equipped with a 4K Full HD camera, the model promises good pictures when recording. This can be streamed and transmitted live directly thanks to WiFi and FPV. Whether aerial photos, selfies, or impressions from the drone race does not matter.
When shooting 1080p video, you can have 2x and 4x digital zoom with the DJI camera. However, you do not have the possibility of increasing the zoom in increments, it goes directly from 1x, 2x, or 4x. Note that when you zoom to the maximum, the image quality deteriorates.
The video quality of the Mini 2 and the Holy Stone drone are crisp and free from artifacts. The colors have a uniform and neutral tone. However, the performance of the Mini 2 crumbles as soon as the sun goes down. The quality becomes dark and unusable unless there are strong light sources in the scene. The HS720 has no night vision but many users report its outstanding performance during nighttime, thanks to the landing lights.
The Mavic Mini 2 is agile, stable, and easy to fly compared to other DJI drones, thanks to its lightness. DJI has upgraded the engine of the new Mavic Mini 2 drone. Thus, it has faster acceleration and a top speed of 35.8mph. In addition, this drone now has a battery life of 31 minutes. It also withstands wind gusts of 24 mph.
The controller of the DJI Mini 2 is twice the size of its predecessor. It looks more like the controller of the Mavic Air 2. It has an extendable arm on the top to hold your smartphone.
If you’ve ever tested the Mavic Mini, you know how sensitive video transmission can be to interference. Fortunately, thanks to OcuSync 2.0, these problems are mitigated in the new version Mavic Mini 2. Indeed, with OcuSync 2.0, there is more reliability concerning the connectivity between the drone and the controller.
Thanks to the DJI Fly app, the DJI Mini 2 is easier to control. At the top, a progress line gives you an overview of the battery life. The control panel is accessible in the upper right corner. On the left side, above the shutter button, is a rectangular photo icon. The latter opens a menu that serves as access to all the features you need to capture images. By clicking on it, a menu showing the options Photo, Video, QuickShot, and Pano appears.
The Holy Stone also has similar functionality to the Orphella Go app.
DJI claims that the Mavic Mini 2 is capable of reaching a range of 10 kilometers (around 6 miles). Meanwhile, the HS720 has a transmission range of 3,009 up in the sky. The drone can also be controlled via the smartphone and has a powerful brushless motor. The drone is quite easy to control, which is especially good for inexperienced pilots.
In the central left area, the controller of the Mini 2 has a “Return to home” button. This button orders the drone to return to the point of origin. Meanwhile, the Holy Stone has something similar. You can create flight paths yourself and the drone will then fly this specified route. There is also the Follow Me mode. In this mode, the drone will follow you automatically. With the Return to Home mode, the drone automatically returns at any time if, for example, the battery is weak.
When it comes to dimensions and weight, the differences are clear. The Mini 2 confirms to us by its name that it is the lighter and smallest of the two. Both models can be folded and unfolded, when folded, the HS720 has dimensions of 6.8 x 4 x 2.2 inches. The Mini has 5.5 x 3.2 x 2.2 inches. When unfolded, the HS720 has dimensions of 13.2 x 14.6 x 2.2 inches. The Mini 2 has just 9.6 x 11.3 x 2.2 inches.
In terms of weight, the Holy Stone weighs 459 grams (16.2 oz.) while the Mini 2 weighs just around half of that, at 249 grams (8.8 oz.). If you go for the Holy Stone, you’ll have to pay extra fee to register it with the FAA. The Mini 2 doesn’t require licensing as it narrowly falls short of FAA’s weight cap of 250 grams that requires registration.
The Mini 2 may look like a small toy, it’s however not so “small” in price. Despite its lighter build, it’s sold around $440 to $460. The HS720 costs around $200 less. The price difference may be explained by the Mini’s more complete package. Asides from the aircraft, you get a remote controller, one battery, one pair of spare propellers, a cable, a gimbal protector, two extra RC cables, and a pair of spare control sticks.
The Mini 2 is durable enough for its price and strong in windy conditions according to a few users. But we’re going to be honest with you. Considering its light build, it’s a type of drone that will break quite faster than the Holy Stone because it’s made of light plastics in favor of lightness. We also found several users reporting that the cymbal, camera, gimbal, arm, propellers, and other parts broke after its first to second crash. This explains why it comes with a lot of spare parts. However, it comes with a 90 days warranty. But this doesn’t cover the event whereby the drone is accidentally damaged. It only covers factory defects.
Meanwhile, the Holy Stone is as durable as its name. Some users said it didn’t break even after crashing it on a brick wall. Others say it can withstand crashes up to 5 times. So, if you’re worried about durability and crashes as a beginner, you have to choose this model. The drone is also covered by a one-month warranty while the parts are covered by three months of warranty.
If we are asked to recommend just one of these two, we’d be going for the Holy Stone HS720. The drone is compact, foldable, and is offered with accessories, which includes a set of two high-quality lithium-ion batteries, unlike the Mini 2’s single lithium-polymer battery. You also get a storage bag and remote control with a display with the HS720 model. The drone is also a lot cheaper than the other model, but you will have to pay $5 as a license fee every three years to the FAA as it’s heavy. Crash-resistant, it is a good choice for beginners who don’t trust their flying skills yet. The DJI Mini 2 impresses us with its compact size and lightness. It’s ideal for professional cinematographers who can swear they will not crash the lightly-built drone. We liked that it has a lot of spare parts, a high transmission range, and good quality video and image resolutions.
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