Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 vs DJI Mavic 2 Pro Camera Drone Comparison

Spec Comparison of the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Two vastly different drones from the offset, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro was released nearly 2 years ago in 2018 and the new Xioami Fimi X8 SE 2020 was released middle of 2020 and is a brand new drone to the market.

At first glance the price difference is considerable, with the Fimi costing just one third of the price of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, at $449 compared to $1499 for the Mavic 2 Pro camera drone.

Physically they are very similar in size, both medium sized camera drones and their dimensions are only off by a few centimetres here and there.

This means their volume and physical size is virutally identical with both being around 1.5L in volume. The Fimi X8 SE 2020 is 1556cm³ and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is just slightly bigger than this at 1635cm³.

They both use a remote controller which you attach your smart phone to control.

Their max speed is very similar, with just a few kmh difference. The Fimi can reach speeds of 65kmh and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is a touch faster at 72kmh.

Although the Fimi has a faster descent speed of 4m/s compared to the 3m/s of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

They are a similar size and speed performance but the Fimi X8 SE 2020 can handle much higher wind speeds of 50kmh compared to the 38kmh of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. That is a 12kmh improvement for the Fimi and means mountain flying and coastal flying should be easier with the Fimi X8 SE 2020 version.

They have exactly the same transmission distance of 8km which is quite large, easy enough to lose sight of when up in the sky.

The flight time is much better at 35 minutes compared to 31 minutes for the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, that is 4 minutes extra flight time, which is definitely good enough for 2-4 extra shot types and flight paths taken.

You also get a quieter drone in the Fimi X8 SE 2020 at 68 decibels when at head height, compared to 75 decibels for the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. If being quiet and having a silent camera drone is your priority then you would be better off with the Fimi.

Camera Photo and Video Comparison of the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Now we look at the real differences of the two cameras on the drones.

The FOV is 3 degrees larger on the Fimi, which means you'll have a larger field of view when they are both in the same spot. 80° for the Fimi and 77° degrees fov for the Mavic 2 Pro.

They can both record at 100 mbps file recording rate which is high quality.

The sensors are the first real difference, with the Fimi being just under half the size of the DJI Mavc 2 Pro. The Fimi has a 1/2.6" sized image sensor and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro has a 1" inch sensor size.

This means that it should be better at low light straight out of the box compared to the Fimi.

You get larger photo resolutions of 20MP for the Mavic 2 Pro and 12MP for the Fimi X8 SE 2020.

Slightly better slow motion and frame rate speeds of 120fps for the M2P compared to 100fps for the Fimi. This is both at 1080p but slow motion capabilities are good for film makers who are after slow motion shots.

They both record videos in 4K video resolution and take raw photos and video, so similar in terms of resolution for aerial videography and being able to colour grade in post.

They both use flat profiles for video, F-log for the Fimi and D-log for the Mavic 2 Pro, with both having h.264 and h.265 options.

And both cameras utilise a 3-axis gimbal to smooth out their camera footage for cinematic shots.

Summary

On paper and in flight the Fimi is just as good, if not slightly better than the Mavic 2 Pro.

The Fimi X8 SE 2020 has longer flight time, better in high winds and is slightly smaller than the Mavic 2 Pro.

It also takes some quality videos from what we have seen so far and has raw video and photography features, just like the M2P.

If you are looking for the best image sensor you can buy, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro wins this battle easily as it has a double the size sensor and that means better low light and less noise issues.

But is that camera worth an extra $1000 alone?