With their latest release, DJI showed us its improvements for the mini lineup. The brand-new wholly redesigned DJI Mini 3 Pro packs the performance of larger drones into a compact form factor. It’s lightweight and has a solid 4K image quality with a massively improved camera system. Also, the Mini 3 Pro can flip over the camera and shoot vertical videos, which makes this palm-size drone utterly different from other drones. It costs nearly as much as the DJI Air 2S. The Air 2S is also the best value for money drone for professional photographers and videographers.
DJI Mini 3 Pro vs DJI Air 2S
In this article, we are going to compare the latest DJI Mini 3 Pro with the Air 2S to see which one of these performs better. So, let’s dive in.
Design
Starting with the design, as we said before, DJI Mini 3 Pro comes in a completely new design compared to its predecessors. Although the folding Mini 3 looks much larger than the earlier Minis, DJI surprisingly managed to keep its weight under 249g, so you don’t need FAA registration to take it to the sky. Whereas the Air 2S is also compact and lightweight but not similar to the Mini 3 Pro. The Air 2S weighs roughly 595 grams and fits perfectly in any backpack. Considering its weight, the Air 2S provides outstanding stability in windy conditions.
In terms of arms design, DJI Mini 3 Pro has lower front arms than the back arms, which can improve flight performance while moving it to the front. On the other hand, DJI Air 2S is exactly the opposite of the Mini 3 Pro. Also, as the latest drone, Mini 3 Pro comes with a completely new design 3-axis gimbal, which can move upside down to give you more shooting capabilities.
Camera Quality
Let’s talk about the most important feature of a drone, the camera system. The new Mini 3 Pro comes with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor, which is a notable upgrade compared to the previous Mini series. This drone also comes with a 48 Megapixel camera that can shoot 4K videos at 60fps, which is a pretty exciting upgrade from a mini drone like this, considering how so many expensive drones don’t include this feature. Instead, the Air 2S comes with a 1-inch sensor and 20 Megapixel camera. The sensor is larger than the Mini 3 Pro but has fewer camera pixels. Still, the Air 2S can impress you with the overall image quality and can shoot up to 5.4K videos at 30fps. You can even take a 60fps video with 4K resolution. It is also worth mentioning that the Mini 3 Pro has vertical shooting capabilities, which Air 2S lacks. The Mini 3 Pro has an aperture of f/1.7, and Air 2S has f/2.8, which means you can get a lot more light for better-quality photos and videos with the Mini 3 Pro. To capture more view of your adventure, the Mini 3 Pro supports 82.1 degrees of FOV, and the Air 2S supports 88 degrees of FOV, which means the Air 2S can give you a wider view. With the Mini 3 Pro, DJI increased the ISO level up to 6400 in every shooting mode, but there will be no 10-Bit Dlog-M mode, whereas the Air 2S also supports up to 6400 ISO but only in manual shooting mode.
Performance
Coming to the performance, now we have Tri-Directional obstacle avoidance in the Mini 3 Pro, which was missing in the previous Mini lineup. On the other hand, the Air 2S has Obstacle avoidance in 4 directions. Both drones also feature ActiveTrack 4.0, APAS 4.0, MasterShots, Zoom Mode, and Hyperlapse, allowing you to get more creative shots. Now, when it comes to Transmission, both drones use DJI O3, which means you will get up to 12 kilometers in the range between your drone. Speaking of range, both drone has a built-in Global Navigation Satellite System to let you know the exact position of your drone.
Battery Life
However, the biggest change on the Mini 3 Pro is the battery life. The standard battery will let you fly this drone for up to 34 minutes, whereas the Air 2S will give you up to 31 minutes. DJI also introduced another battery, which can give you up to 47 minutes of flight time. But it’s good to keep in mind that the higher capacity means higher weight, which means your drone will be no longer under 250 grams, so we’d advise you to choose wisely.
Final Verdict
All being said, DJI’s latest drone, the Mini 3 Pro, almost performs like the Air 2S, considering the price range. Even in some cases, the Mini 3 Pro performs better than the Air 2S. What do you think? Is the Mini 3 Pro better than the Air 2S?
