Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 vs DJI Mavic Air Camera Drone Comparison

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

This comparison is between a brand new for 2020 camera drone, the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 and the DJI Mavic Air which was released in early 2018, over 2 years ago.

When comparing the two camera drones and their size, the Fimi is by far the bigger drone. The DJI Mavic Air is a lightweight and small folding arm camera drone.

This is shown in the diagonal distance size of 372mm for the Fimi when viewed from above with the arms folded in and 213mm for the DJI Mavic Air.

The dimensions for each side are bigger in every dimension for the Fimi X8 SE 2020. You can compare their sizes more easily when you look at the volume of the two drones. The Fimi X8 SE 2020 is 1556cm³ and the DJI Mavic Air is less than half of that size at 683cm³.

We don't have the controller dimensions for the Mavic Air but the Fimi has a very small remote control size when folded in.

In the air the top speed of these two drones is very similar, with a top speed of 65kmh for the Fimi X8 SE 2020 and 68kmh for the Mavic Air, so nothing in it here.

The Fimi X8 SE 2020 does have a faster ascent and descent speed than the Mavic Air at 5m/s for the ascent and 4m/s for the descent. This is 1m/s faster in both directions than the Mavic Air.

The second big difference after the size is in the max wind speed the two camera drones can handle. The Fimi X8 SE 2020 can handle up to 50kmh winds (31mph) and the Mavic Air can handle wind speeds of up to 38kmh (23mph) which is much lighter winds.

The transmission distance of the two drones is very big, 8km for the Fimi and 10km for the Mavic Air, both fantastic in this department.

The third big difference in the two aerial photography drones is that of flight time. The Fimi has an extra 14 minutes flight time on top of the Mavic Air which can fly for only 21 minutes in total. You will have to have multiple batteries or make sure to get the shot first time with the Mavic Air.

In terms of noise, the Fimi X8 SE 2020 comes out on top here with a noise level of 68 decibels compared to 79 decibels for the Mavic Air when at head height. So if you are looking for a quieter camera drone when people are about, the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 would be the preferred drone here.

A theoretical flight distance which is worked out from the drones top speed and it's flight time means that the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 has a distance of up to 37.91km and the DJI Mavic Air can fly up to about 23.80km. This isn't true as you would need perfect conditions for this, but gives a comparison to their flight performance.

Photo and Video Comparison of the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 and the DJI Mavic Air

Both of the cameras on these two drones are stabilized using 3-axis gimbals which means smooth footage all-round for both drones.

In terms of FOV, the DJI Mavic Air does better here with a field of view of 85° compared to 80° for the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020. This means in the same spot in the air the DJI Mavic Air will see more as it has a larger field of view.

In terms of bitrate and quality they can both record in 100 mbps.

They use two different image sensor sizes, with the Fimi X8 SE 2020 using a 1/2.6" sized image sensor and the DJI Mavic Air using the more popular sized 1/2.3" for camera drones. It has a size advantage of about half a millimetre compared to the 7.04mm of the Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 image sensor.

They both take 12mp photos, 4K videos and shoot in RAW photography which means better colour grading in post.

The improvement on the Fimi X8 SE 2020 over the DJI Mavic Air is that the video recording for the Fimi has a flat profile, F-Log which means more data and a flat look to colour grade after you have recorded your shot in the air.

They both have a number of video resolutions and frame rate pairings to choose from, from 1080p 30fps through to slow motion frame rates of 100fps for the Fimi and 120fps at 1080p for the DJI Mavic Air and both record 4k at 30fps.

Summary

The DJI Mavic Air is still a fantastic camera drone, even though it is two years old, it still holds it's own, but it is twice the price of the brand new Xiaomi Fimi X8 SE 2020 which can be had for around $399 at the moment.

You get flat profile in video for the Fimi but you get 120fps, 20fps more slow motion frame rate on the DJI Mavic Air. The Fimi might upgrade this in a firmware update in the future.

If you want a smaller drone then the DJI Mavic Air is best suited as it's just under half the size when folded up.

But if you want a better handling drone for high wind speeds, longer flight time and a solid camera to back it up, the Fimi X8 SE 2020 is the better drone of the two.