About a month ago I did a side-by-side comparison of the Mavic Mini and FiMI X8SE. Now it is time to extend the list with another player. The newly announced Zino 2 is also a serious competitor for the “Best drone under 500” title.
In this article, I will go through all the important aspects (flight time, flight range, and camera capabilities) of each drone, so in the end, you should have all of your questions answered, at least I hope so. Anyway, the final decision is only yours!
Weighting almost 1 Kg/35 oz, the Hubsan Zino 2 is the heaviest of all. I think the increased weight is due to the high-capacity LIPO pack. On the opposite side is the Mavic Mini, which weighs less than a quarter of a kg. According to FAA’s regulation, recreational drones under 250 grams do not need to be registered (at least for now).
Hubsan Zino 2 vs Xiaomi FiMI X8SE vs DJI Mavic Mini: In-depth comparison guide
In the table below I will try to compare the most important specs of these 3 foldable drones. I highlighted with red were the Hubsan Zino2 excels, with green were the FiMI X8 shines, and with blue the Mavic Mini’s pros.
| Zino 2 | FiMI X8SE | Mavic Mini | |
| Size (mm) | 326 x 260 x 95 | 287 x 247 x 96 | 160 × 202 × 55 |
| Weight | 915g | 790g | 249g |
| Camera | 4K@60fps | 4K@30fps | 2.7K@30fps |
| Max bit rate | 100Mbps | 100Mbps | 40Mbps |
| Gimbal | 3-axis | 3-axis | 3-axis |
| FPV | 720P | 720P/1080P | 720p |
| Range | 6Km | 5Km | 2Km/EC or 4Km/FCC |
| Intelligent flight modes | ? | POI flight, Orbit and Drone | Dronie, Rocket, Circle and Helix |
| Active tracking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Obstacle avoidance | No | No | No |
| Optical flow / Vision positioning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geo fence | No | No | Yes |
| Max flight speed | 72Km/h | 65Km/h | 47Km/h |
| Wind resistance | ≤50 kph | ≤50 kph | ≤28.8 kph |
| RC LCD | Yes | No | No |
| Battery | 4s/3800 mAh | 3s/4500 mAh | 2s/2400 mAh |
| Flight time | 33 minutes | 33 minutes | 30 minutes |
| FAA registration | Yes | Yes | No |
| Price | $399 | $499 – Order from Banggood | $399 |
Battery life
All three drones are advertised with more than 30 minutes of flight time. Based on my experience, the manufacturer’s specs are always optimistic or just measured in super optimal flight conditions. For example, the real-world flight time of the Mini and X8SE is about 23-27 minutes.
Both the number of cells and the capacity of the batteries are different. The Mavic Mini is powered by a 2s/2400 mAh, the FiMi X8SE by 3s/4500 mAh, and the Zino2 by 4s/3800 mAh.
Camera
If you are interested in professional aerial filming, I think you should forget about the Mavic Mini with just 2.7k resolution. If you need 4K recording with 60 fps, the only option you have is the Zino 2. Also, if you want to do post-processing with professional photo editors, the RAW (uncompressed/lossless image) format is a must-have.
In order to allow super-smooth footage, all three drones feature 3-axis mechanical image stabilization.
Bottom line
I hope I succeeded in giving you a bit of an overview of what’s similar between these 3 drones and what’s different. The comparison table above shows that the Zino2 excels the most. Currently, is not just that it has the best price, but it overcomes its rivals in terms of flight range and camera specs.
While the Mavic Mini will fit for those who want a travel-friendly and FAA registration-free drone, the Zino 2 would be more suitable for those who like getting the best specs for their money. Speaking about the FiMI X8SE, it was a nice drone for 2019, but for 2020, Xiaomi should come up on the market with a new model.
The X8 Mini handles the wind a little better than the DJI Mini 2!
Hubsan Zini 2, FIMI X8 SE even the cheap MJX 2 SE has active tracking why not the Mavic Mini?
Hubsan Zino 2, DJI Mavic Mini or Mavic Air 2??
If you can pay the Air 2, wait for it! I own the Mini and it flies great but can’t handle moderate wind
zino 2 is still a mirage… your best option is a DJI drone…maybe you should wait for the Mavic Air 2!!!!
maybe the Zino 2 is better than FiMI X8 SE and Mavic MINI, but DJI is about to release the new Mavic Pro 3 which will has 8K recording and other cool stuff!
JM
Both, Zino 2 and Fimi X8SE are out of stock everywhere. They are affected by coronavirus or what?
The only option remain the tiny Mavic Mini….
I canceled my z2 order. 1st it takes 1 month just to dispatch. 2nd, in Portugal, drones above 900g should have a insurance (about 150 euros/year)…
Till Zino2 truly come on the market I will happy with my tiny Mavic Mini. It is a technological marvel, if you know how to use it!
The ZINO2 looks damn good on specs, Hubsan did a great work! Finally DJI has a real contender. Z2 is much better than Mavic Mini, you should compare it with the Mavic Pro series instead
In the UK, anyone owning a UAV that weighs more than 250g (8.8oz) will be legally required to register it and could face a £1,000 fine if they fail to do so and are caught flying it! So, for me the winner is the Mavic Mini.
all have removable sticks, so you can lose them easily
For me, the Mini is out of question without 4K. Between the Zino 2 vs FiMI X8SE the only significate difference is the extra frame rate.
Hey! I agree with you. The only difference between the fimi x8 se and the zino 2 is the frame rate, but I think that makes a considerable difference between both drones, because you can get a much smoother video with 60 fps rather than with 30 fps.
In my opinion, fimi will have to release a new drone soon, because, as the writer said, it was a great model in 2019, but in 2020 new competitors are approaching, and many people will prefer to buy the zino 2 instead of the fimi x8 se because of the frame rate. I hope that they release the model in 2 months or so, I would really like to buy it. Do you think fimi will come up with a new drone soon in early 2020?
Maybe they are not top dollar drones but I’m sure they could satisfied any newbie pilot.
Totally agree with Herrmann
Furthermore in France, every drone above 800g must be declared to authorities…
you missed an important point of Zino 2’s downside, if it weighs 915g, the pilot in the EU will need a c2 license starting from June 2020, it will cost way more money to take the test which will not be held online
Yes you have perfectly right! Hubsan probably will offer in the future a “lighter” battery with less flight time. Just in case of the Mavic Mini for the Japanese market.
Herrmann,,,, A c2 license means you can fly close to uninvolved people at a smaller distance and a slow speed, that is the one of many special permissions in the classes where you take advanced tests for 4kg and under. The normal recreational flyer will come under C3 C4 or privately built which covers the general rules we fly by currently and covers under 25kg, the other categories C2 C1 C0 are more privileged requirements (i.e. fly close to people) So this drone at 915g will be fine under C3 C4 category.
I already have a Mavic Mini, it is nice to carry everywhere but it has its own limitations.