DJI officially launched the Mini 3 Pro—an exciting new mini drone with powerful camera options, a lightweight design, and plenty of other features that have fans running to pre-order.
The Mini 3 Pro is not the only lightweight drone on the market— let’s take a look at how it compares to the DJI Air 2S and see if the Mini 3 Pro is worth taking the title of the preferred consumer drone.
First things first—weight and portability. The Mini 3 Pro weighs right under 249 g, compared to the Air 2S which weighs right below 600 g. Why is this important? It all comes down to regulations. For the most part, most countries require you to register your drone if it weighs .55 lbs., or 250 g. By weighing less than 249 g, users can travel freely without worrying about registration. When it comes to ease of portability, DJI was mindful of maintaining the feature so many users loved in other Mini models; the foldable design. Just like previous models, the Mini 3 Pro folds right up and fits into a loose cargo-pant pocket, making it a clear winner for users on the go.
DJI is known for developing features that consistently improve the flying experience and drone functionality; the Mini 3 Pro is no different. DJI improved the build and structure of the Mini 3 Pro series to increase flight time. Users will notice the difference in the arms and propellers of the Mini 3, which have been redesigned to enhance the aerodynamic capacity of the drone. Overall, the Mini 3 Pro can stay in the air for about 34 minutes of extended flight time, beating out the Air 2S by 3 minutes, which has 31 minutes of air time in excellent conditions.
A 3-minute difference is a tight sell, but for users that fly their drones professionally, 3 minutes is a long time to capture footage or images necessary for the job. If you’re planning to invest in the DJI Mini 3 Pro Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, then you can extend the Mini 3’s 34-minute flight time up to 47 minutes—just be aware of the cost and the additional weight the batteries will put on the Mini 3 Pro.
Precise Control & Obstacle Avoidance
The Mini 3 Pro has tri-directional obstacle sensing with forward, downward and backward dual vision sensors to minimize potential crashes. Paired with APAS 4.0, Advanced Pilot Assistance System, the Mini 3 Pro can avoid objects in the aircraft's flight path in real-time, making it easier to fly in complicated environments.
The DJI Air 2S has obstacle sensing in four directions with up, down, forward, and backward, and APAS 4.0. Because both drones have APAS 4.0, we say your flight is safe regardless of the drone you choose.
Users should also consider controller compatibility. The Mini 3 Pro comes equipped with the RC-N1 standard controller (unless you already have the remote, you can purchase the Mini 3 Pro on its own), however, you will be limited to using your smartphone for the viewfinder feature.
If you want ease of use, the Mini 3 Pro is also compatible with the DJI RC which has a neat 5.5-inch, 1080p built-in display so you can see where you’re going and have smooth, precise control over your drone. Both controllers offer a max video bitrate of 18 Mbps delivered at an ultra-low latency of 120 ms.
Users who already have the discontinued DJI Smart Controller should note that it is not compatible with the Mini 3 Pro, but it will still work with the DJI Air 2S.
You shot that on a mini?
Let’s move on to what everyone REALLY cares about—the camera specs and features.
As the “PRO” in the name says, the Mini 3 Pro has amazing camera capabilities designed to capture incredible detail during the day AND night.
By comparison, the Mini 3 Pro only has a 48 MP camera with a 1/1.3- inch CMOS sensor to the 20MP, 1-inch sensor on the Air 2S. Many fans are questioning whether the resolution or image quality will be less on the Mini 3 Pro, especially at nighttime, however, it does have a dual native ISO—which is usually reserved for professional-grade drones. As DJI puts it, every image is enriched with a higher dynamic range to reveal more detail in highlights and shadows.
By Drone Nerds standards, both drones are great and will offer an enjoyable flight experience and awesome footage. The main differences lie in the respective price points and size, as the Air 2S is a balanced drone that offers a mid-point between DJI’s flagship imagery specs of higher tier drones, and the comfort and portability of the Mini series drones.
If you’re looking for a hassle-free drone to travel with, the Mini 3 Pro might be the better option.
Ready to buy? Pre-order the Mini 3 Pro now.
Prefer the Air 2S? Buy it here.