DJI has two other strains of drones which might be usually regarded as shopper drones — one thing a passion photographer (or most likely a qualified photographer on the cheap who doesn’t need all of the bells and whistles of a Mavic). They’re the DJI Air and DJI Mini strains. And now that we’ve marked the release of the DJI Air 3 in July 2023, each strains can declare to be on their 3rd generations of drones. So in a mashup between each 3rd generations of drones, the DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional, which drone is healthier?
The DJI Air 3 has far more options and extra tough generation general. It’s additionally approach larger and far more pricey — two primary detractors. No person desires a better payment level, however many folks actively search smaller drones (particularly the ones within the sub-249 gram class, which the Mini 3 Professional falls into).
On this information to the DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional, I’ll weigh the professionals and cons of each that can assist you select the precise digicam drone for you:
Evaluating costs (winner: DJI Mini 3 Professional)
At $759 for the DJI Mini 3 Professional as opposed to $1,099 for the Air 3 (assuming you choose the style with the elemental controller), it’s transparent which one wins out on payment. You’ll save greater than 30% (that’s $340) by means of choosing the Mini 3 Professional over the more moderen Air 3.
Similar learn: DJI Mini 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional: which drone is healthier?
DJI Air 3 vs. DJI Mini 3 Professional key specifications
However in fact, the (most commonly) higher specifications at the Air 3 could make it simple to justify the $340 upper payment. So with that, right here’s a comparability of the DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional and a breakdown of what each and every gives so you’ll make a decision the most productive drone in your finances:
| DJI Air 3 | DJI Mini 3 Professional | |
| Takeoff Weight | 720 grams | < 249 g |
| Dimensions | Folded (with out propellers): 207×100.5×91.1 mm (L×W×H) Spread out (with propellers): 258.8×326×105.8 mm (L×W×H) |
Folded (with out propellers): 148×90×62 mm (L×W×H) Spread out (with propellers): 251×362×72 mm (L×W×H) |
| Max Flight Time | 46 mins | 34 mins (with Clever Flight Battery) 47 mins (with Clever Flight Battery Plus *) |
| Max Wind Velocity Resistance | 12 m/s | 10.7 m/s |
| International Navigation Satellite tv for pc Device | GPS + Galileo + BeiDou | GPS + Galileo + BeiDou |
| Onboard digicam(s) | Two cameras (Huge-angle digicam and Medium tele digicam) | One digicam |
| Symbol Sensor | 1/1.3-inch CMOS, Efficient Pixels: 48 MP | 1/1.3-inch CMOS, Efficient Pixels: 48 MP |
| ISO Vary | Video: 100-6400 Picture: 100-6400 |
Video: 100-6400 Picture: 100-6400 |
| Max Symbol Measurement | 8064×6048 (48 MP) | 8064×6048 (48 MP) |
| Max Video Bitrate | 150 Mbps | 150 Mbps |
| Sensing Kind | Omnidirectional binocular imaginative and prescient gadget, supplemented with an infrared sensor on the backside of the plane | Ahead, Backward and Downward imaginative and prescient gadget |
| Video Transmission Device | DJI O4 | DJI O3 |
So what do these types of specifications in fact imply? Right here’s a deeper dive into the DJI Air 3 vs. DJI Mini 3 Professional drones:
Evaluating cameras (winner: DJI Air 3)
If we’re evaluating cameras, figuring out that we’re now not evaluating two cameras, however reasonably, 3. That’s for the reason that DJI Air 3 comes with two integrated cameras (making it the primary of the Air line to provide this sort of factor). The 2 cameras at the DJI Air 3 are:
- A 1/1.3-inch CMOS wide-angle digicam
- 24mm layout similar
- F1.7 aperture
- A 1/1.3-inch CMOS 3x medium tele digicam (can succeed in 3x optical zoom)
- 70mm layout similar
- F2.8 aperture
The vast attitude cameras at the two drones are unusually an identical. Whilst the Air 3 is among the finest so far as digicam drones come, the DJI Mini 3 Professional shocked drone lovers when it delivered its personal 1/1.3-inch CMOS digicam sensor with twin local ISO and a pair of.4μm pixels for prime element. That roughly tech was once one thing prior to now handiest to be had on high-end cinematography drones.
Each drones even have some nice-to-have digicam modes, together with a vertical taking pictures mode designed to allow you to shoot movies and photographs in particular for mediums like TikTok or Instagram reels.
However the place the Air takes the cake is that secondary tele digicam. Now, videographers can briefly change between zoom and vast attitude in the similar flight with no need to take down the drone to modify lenses, as you’d need to should you had been flying a high-end digicam drone like DJI’s Encourage 3.
Whilst the Mini 3 Professional does tout a zoom function, it has one primary limitation: video handiest. The Mini 3 Professional guarantees to toughen virtual video zoom as much as 2x in 4K, as much as 3x in 2.7K, and as much as 4x in Complete HD. Weirdly, it didn’t have photograph zoom.
In the event you’re depending on zoom (in particular for footage), you’ll want the Air 3.
Similar learn: DJI Air 3 overview: probably the most tough new addition to Air Collection but
Evaluating plane power (winner: DJI Air 3)
You’ll be able to’t forget about the myriad ways in which the Air 3 is a much more tough plane than the DJI Mini 3 Professional They come with:
Higher battery lifestyles: The DJI Air 3 gives as much as 46 mins of flight time. In the meantime, the bottom model of the Mini 3 Professional gives simply 34 mins of flight time, which means you get a just about 50% build up in battery lifestyles while you go for DJI’s more moderen, extra tough DJI Air 3 drone.
That stated, the DJI Mini 3 Professional makes a valiant effort to win within the battery lifestyles class, and that’s all because of a separate battery referred to as the “Clever Flight Battery Plus.” This can be a battery offered one after the other by means of DJI by way of the DJI Mini 3 Professional Fly Extra Plus Equipment, which prices $249 and comprises two such batteries in addition to another chocolates like additional propellers and a shoulder bag. That additional $249 value to get the longer battery lifestyles narrows the $340 payment hole between the Air 3 and Mini 3 Professional, so stay that during thoughts should you’re evaluating the 2 in accordance with value.
Every other downfall of the Clever Flight Battery Plus is that it’s decently heavy (and heavier than the usual Mini 3 Professional battery). When your Mini 3 Professional is working with the Clever Flight Battery Plus, it’ll finally end up weighing greater than 249 grams, which is in a different way probably the most key the reason why folks make a selection the Mini 3 Professional drone over the DJI Air 3 (I’ll dive deeper into why drones weighing lower than 249 grams are this sort of large deal down under).
Progressed impediment sensing: So far as the drone’s talent to discover stumbling blocks (after which plan another path round them), the DJI Air 3 is the transparent winner. It begins with the Air 3’s APAS 5.0 tech as opposed to APAS 4.0 at the Air 3. However the true sport changer comes right down to the choice of sensors at play.
The DJI Air 3 is the primary drone within the Air Collection to incorporate omnidirectional impediment sensing, one thing the Mini line doesn’t have. Whilst the Mini 3 Professional has a ahead, backward and downward imaginative and prescient gadget, the Air 3 gives consciousness in all instructions. Recall to mind it like this: the Mini 3 Professional has a couple of blindspots, so it’s now not protected to suppose it’s crash-proof. Whilst DJI gained’t outright name the DJI Air 3 crash-proof (whats up, it’s inevitable one way or the other, someway to anyone), that is just about as shut as you’ll get.
Higher video transmission: The DJI Air 3 be offering O4 video transmission, which is an growth upon the Mini 3 Professional’s O3 video transmission. With the Air 3, you’re taking a look at a most transmission distance of 20 km (assuming low interference, equivalent to flying at maximum seashores), whilst the DJI Mini 3 Professional has a max transmission distance of simply 12 km.
Evaluating drone measurement (winner: DJI Mini 3 Professional)
Whilst the Air 3 is surely a extra tough drone, it’s additionally so much larger — and that’s now not essentially a excellent factor. All of DJI’s shopper drones have greatly dropped in measurement from the clunky days of the DJI Phantom line. However whilst the DJI Mavic Professional was once a sport changer again when it introduced in 2017 due to its foldable fingers that condensed it to the scale of a water bottle, it could also be regarded as a “massive drone” by means of nowadays’s requirements.
And the Air 2S is in fact a tad better than the Mavic Professional, which is 198 mm lengthy when folded. In the meantime, the Air 3 is an even-longer 207 mm lengthy. But, the Mini 3 Professional is solely 148 mm at its longest level.
The Air 3 could also be heavier, coming in at 720 grams whilst the DJI Mini 3 Professional is lower than part that at below 249 grams.
Small measurement is for sure nice for people who wish to commute with their drone however reduce baggage house, or for people who find themselves simply at all times on-the-go and wish to really feel empowered to tuck their drone into, say, a backpack with out it taking an excessive amount of actual property amidst their different stuff.
However then there’s a extra critical explanation why it’s essential for the DJI Mini 3 Professional to weigh lower than 250 grams, and that’s the federal government. Many nations classify drones in accordance with their weight, and construct in additional laws or restrictions in accordance with that. It’s somewhat commonplace for nations (together with the U.S.) to make drones that weigh below 249 grams exempt from many types of law, together with registration necessities.
Smaller, lighter drones just like the DJI Mini 3 Professional lend a hand to relieve the forms burden from the pilot, and they’re additionally theoretically more secure within the tournament of a crash (much less pressure upon have an effect on).
Who’s the DJI Mini 3 Professional absolute best for?
Now that I’ve dug into the variations between the DJI Air 3 vs Mini 3 Professional, it’s time to know which drone is absolute best for which particular person. There is not any “one absolute best” drone. There’s merely the most productive drone in your scenario.
So with that, the DJI Mini 3 Professional is absolute best for a couple of sorts of folks, together with:
- Access-level drone pilots
- Individuals who take their drones with them on out of doors adventures
- Common vacationers
- A extremely finances mindful pilot who nonetheless desires an excellent digicam
The Mini 3 Professional is excellent for brand new drone pilots. With its compact measurement, it’s a dream for vacationers, bloggers, out of doors journey lovers and athletes who desire a drone that they may be able to throw of their bag, however gained’t get in the way in which of no matter else they’re doing, whether or not it’s jet-setting all over the world or occurring and off-the-grid tenting tour.
And with the cost distinction, that $340 financial savings could be a saving grace for probably the most price-sensitive drone pilots.
Similar learn: DJI Mini 3 Professional drone overview and information
Purchase the DJI Mini 3 Professional drone now from:
Who’s the DJI Air 3 absolute best for?
If the Mini 3 Professional is for the pilot who prioritizes their game, expedition or vacationers over the drone itself, imagine the DJI Air 3 to be the other. The DJI Air 3 is for the one that emphasizes flying the drone above all else, thus they don’t thoughts the bigger measurement and bigger price ticket. As a result of in go back, they get a a lot more forged flying enjoy due to options like longer flight time, stepped forward transmission and omnidirectional impediment sensing.
A certified photographer on the lookout for a inexpensive choice to the Mavic 3 would to find this drone to be ideally suited.
Recall to mind it this manner: should you imagine your self an athlete, explorer or traveler first and a drone photographer 2d, get the Mini 3 Professional.
In the event you imagine your self a drone pilot first after which the sports activities, tours and adventures come 2d to that, then get the DJI Air 3.
By means of the way in which, if you wish to see an entire rundown of the entirety you get while you purchase the brand new Air 3 drone, take a look at my recent DJI Air 3 unboxing video!
Between the DJI Mini 3 Professional as opposed to Air 3 drones, which one would you reasonably have? Proportion your remark under!
