Want to get around the DJI drone ban AND save? Meet the Specta Mini – cheap and USA-legal!

Specta Mini drone hovering over a car and four people
(Image credit: Specta)

The world's leading drone company, DJI, is facing a tough time in the USA. The USA or its allies often lead in technology, but no independent observer would credit the USA with much success in civilian drones – it is an area where Chinese companies famously stopped copying and started to lead, and chief amongst them was DJI.

Sadly for American consumers, freedom of choice has taken a back seat to regulations, bans and tariffs, and DJI products might face a ban at the end of the year unless the government actively conducts a study into them and grants them a reprieve.

Inevitably many are looking for other solutions, one of which seems to be Specta – a company buying the right to produce DJI products in Malaysia

Specta Mini
Specta Mini: was $269 now $219 at Amazon

The Specta Mini is essentially the same hardware as the excellent DJI Mini 4K, but sold through different legal channels with slightly different firmware. It has a 4K camera with 3-axis stabilzation and comes in under the crucial 250g limit – a brilliant beginner drone, and a camera with raw and some tracking effects.

📸 4K 30fps | 🕹 10km/ 6.2 miles | 🔋 31 min

Reportedly these drones are made on the very same line as DJI's, but the firmware is different. That means the batteries won't work together even though they fit perfectly!

Read the (very similar) DJI Mini 4K review to see sample clips of what recorded video will actually look like, and to get a good idea of how the drone works.

As I explain there, the design is established based on DJI (and now Specta's) folding airframe. The concept has been the core of drone design for a decade now because it is practical, robust, and efficient.

All the key safety and control features like GPS, automatic return to home, auto hover etc. are included, and the camera can more than compete with most camera phones so you should be pleased with the results.

This isn't the only instance of a Specta drone using the DJI template. The DJI Air 3 is, effectively, the Specta Air, which is also on sale through Amazon USA.

(Oh, my personal tip if you're buying outside the USA? Stick with DJI – Specta is, for now, a work-around).

You might also like

Read my first story on what I called the Attack of the clone drones, and check my guide to the best non-DJI drones.

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Adam Juniper
Managing Editor

With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones. 

Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones. 

He is the author of a number of books including The Complete Guide to Drones, The Smart Smart Home Handbook, 101 Tips for DSLR Video and The Drone Pilot's Handbook

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