If you’re familiar with what we do here at Top Gear Philippines, then you probably know that we’re quite fond of DJI products. Our most used ones? The brand’s mics.
Mics are integral to the content we make. We regularly shoot videos, most of which entail spiels, and for several years now, DJI has been our brand of choice. We’ve essentially tried all of its mics, and we’ve seen the improvements from one product to another. This was the reason it was a no-brainer to say yes when DJI offered us to review the new Mic Mini 2.
We’ve tried the O.G. Mic Mini—we still have one with our team. It’s not as powerful as the Mic 2, but it has its much more portable and, not to mention, significantly more affordable. With the Mic Mini 2, however, DJI has made a few important tweaks that have made the overall experience better than ever.
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For starters, DJI has changed how the clips and the magnets work. The clip on the transmitter is now detachable, and you can replace it with the actual magnet, which now also sticks stronger than before. Also, either the clip or magnet can now be stored within the charging case itself.
Speaking of the charging case, it still functions the same way and can still store the transmitters with their respective dead cats. The only difference now is that the inside of the lid itself is deeper to make room for the magnets or clips. This case also allows for up to 48 hours of use across both mics.
Perhaps the most notable and visible addition to the Mic Mini 2 are the interchangeable rainbow-colored covers. These are all magnetic and easy to switch around. At face value, it’s merely aesthetic, but in our case, it lets us easily see the mics as well. It comes in handy when we accidentally misplace the transmitter in, say, a small cubby of a car—with a bright-colored cover, it won’t just blend in with the interior plastics.
But of course, the main purpose here is to add style, and personally, I’m all for it. It lets you choose a different color that’s apt for the mood of the video you’re shooting, and it also adds some flavor especially when there are two people in front of the camera using the same mics. It also lets cameramen easily distinguish which host is using which mic.
In terms of functionality, the Mic Mini 2 works the same as the first one, only the audio quality has greatly improved. It’s now comparable to the quality you get in the DJI Mic 2, which says a lot. Its two-level active noise-canceling system has also stepped up a notch. Granted, the Mic Mini 2 isn’t as feature-packed since it still won’t allow you to monitor your audio inputs in real time. It still doesn’t come with built-in recording, but that’s totally fine. If those are what you’re looking for, then you’re in the wrong place.
That said, I still think this will still work for pros with the full camera+gimbal rigs, but at that point, you might be better off getting the bigger mic—especially if you’re shooting longform and are gunning for more cinematic videos. You’d want the quality of the audio to match that of the footage, right?
The Mic Mini 2 will be for those who normally shoot shortform and, more often than not, record videos using their phones. They’re also the ones who likely need the portability and ease of use. You won’t need to get too technical with this, and since it’s also not bulky, it won’t give you a hard time holding your phone even with the receiver attached to it. The best part, of course, is that you can pair it seamlessly with your other DJI devices like an Osmo Pocket or Osmo Action—both of which most content creators these days also use.
If you’re the type of creator that fits the parameters I’ve mentioned, or if you simply feel like the DJI Mic 2 or 3 is too big of a purchase, then the Mic Mini 2 will be perfect for you. At just P4,990, it’s less than half the price of its bigger mic siblings. It has its limitations, yes, but you can’t argue with the monetary savings. It’s just a darn good value-for-money purchase.
