On the subject of selecting between the DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mini 4 Professional, you’re not simply choosing a drone—you’re deciding what sort of pilot you need to be. Each of those DJI digicam drones pack spectacular options, however they cater to totally different audiences. The DJI Air 3S excels in uncooked energy and flexibility. In the meantime the DJI Mini 4 Professional provides portability and ease with out sacrificing an excessive amount of efficiency.
The DJI Air 3S is my favourite general drone for vacationers. However the DJI Mini 4 Professional would possibly nonetheless be higher for some kinds of vacationers. It weighs lower than 250 grams, which means leisure pilots within the U.S. don’t have to register it with the Federal Aviation Administration. That additionally simply means it’s extra moveable for ultra-light packers. Plus, it’s barely cheaper, beginning at $759 for the DJI Mini 4 Professional vs. $1,099 for the DJI Air 3S.
So which must you select between the DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mini 4 Professional? Right here’s determine:
DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mini 4 Professional: which drone is healthier?
Evaluating the DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mini 4 Professional on key specs
Typically talking, the DJI Mini 4 Professional is the smaller, lighter and cheaper drone. The DJI Air 3S is larger and extra highly effective. Right here’s precisely what I imply, by the use of a simple comparability desk:
| Function | DJI Air 3S | DJI Mini 4 Professional | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning Value | $1,099 | $759 | Mini 4 Professional |
| Wind Resistance | As much as 12 m/s (26.8 mph); rock-solid stability | As much as 10.7 m/s (24 mph); strong for its dimension | DJI Air 3S |
| Weight | 724g | 249g | Mini 4 Professional |
| Dimensions (folded, with out propellers) | 214.19×100.63×89.17 mm | 148×94×64 mm | Mini 4 Professional |
| Digicam | Twin digicam: 1-inch CMOS wide-angle 1/1.3-inch (medium tele) |
Single 1/1.3-inch sensor, HDR | DJI Air 3S |
| Inside Storage | 42 GB | 2 GB | DJI Air 3S |
| Battery Life | As much as 45 minutes | As much as 45 minutes with Clever Flight Battery Plus, in any other case 34 minutes | DJI Air 3S |
| Portability | Compact however heavier; requires registration | Extremely-light, no registration required (<250g) | Mini 4 Professional |
| Impediment Sensing | Omnidirectional, supplemented with forward-facing LiDAR | Omnidirectional | DJI Air 3S |
| Video Transmission | O4 | O4 | Tie |
Let me break down what all these specs truly imply:
Flight capabilities: flight time, wind resistance and extra
I name the DJI Air 3S my favourite drone for journey photographers for a cause: it holds up fairly properly in unhealthy climate situations. Once you’re touring, you typically don’t have a selection when you’ll be able to fly. If it’s windy out however you’re touring, you doubtless don’t have the posh of “simply coming again tomorrow.”
In case you can’t watch for one thing like wind to die down, then the DJI Air 3S is your higher wager. Constructed for stability, the Air 3S handles winds as much as 12 m/s (26.8 mph) with ease. Plus, an alert within the controller makes it clear for those who’re flying in too sturdy of winds so you’ll be able to rapidly get to security.
That occurred to me precisely after I took my Air 3S on a visit to Oahu. I used to be solely in every city for a day (properly, typically simply an hour) and wished particular photographs. I flew in situations that I wouldn’t dare put my Mini 4 Professional in. Take a look at the aggressive palm tree swaying within the wind in that picture above. In the meantime, the Air 3S held regular.
Nonetheless although, don’t count on to fly the Air 3S in a full storm. Hold it away from rain, and keep away from heavy winds.
However with the DJI Mini 4 Professional, you even need to maintain it away from sturdy breezes. Positive, the Mini 4 Professional has good wind resistance of 10.7 m/s (24 mph). That’s fairly distinctive for a sub-250g drone. Nevertheless, its light-weight body will be pushed round in notably turbulent situations. Whereas it’s higher than its predecessors, I’d hesitate to fly it in sturdy winds.
Winner: The DJI Air 3S reigns supreme for windy situations, however the Mini 4 Professional is not any slouch for its dimension.
Dimension and portability
The ability within the wind has to do largely with the Air 3S’s larger, heavier body that may anchor it in opposition to gusts. However for vacationers who need the smallest, lightest gear, that’s a disadvantage relative to the DJI Mini 4 Professional. At simply 249g, the Mini 4 Professional is ultra-portable. Actually, I may match it into a bigger jacket pocket (like a snow jacket).
For what it’s price, the DJI Air 3S is definitely compact and foldable relative to one thing like a Phantom or Encourage. Additionally observe that the Air 3S’s 724g weight means it requires registration in most nations (together with the U.S.), including a little bit of problem.
Winner: The Mini 4 Professional is the final word selection for portability and comfort.
Digicam high quality
The Air 3S’s twin digicam system (extensive and telephoto) is a step above the remainder, permitting you to both body huge landscapes or zoom in on particulars. There’s a 1-inch CMOS wide-angle, plus a 1/1.3-inch (medium tele). It captures 4K/60fps video, HDR, and 10-bit shade, and its D-Log capabilities shine for professional-grade modifying. Whether or not you’re framing an unlimited panorama or zooming in on particulars, the Air 3S delivers.
Listed below are some pattern photographs I filmed in Oahu to offer you a way of the picture high quality on the DJI Air 3S:
The DJI Mini 4 Professional is, properly, easier. It has a single 1/1.3-inch sensor that helps 4K/60fps and HDR. That’s good, however it’s simply so exhausting to compete with the DJI Air 3S. Positive, the video high quality is similar to the Air 3S in good situations, however it lacks a telephoto lens and superior shade profiles like D-Log. That is likely to be limiting for creatives and professionals.
Winner: The DJI Air 3S takes the crown for superior digicam options. For what it’s price, the Mini 4 Professional holds its personal for informal or semi-professional use.
Battery life: who’s the true winner right here?
The DJI Air 3S provides as much as 45 minutes of flight time. That’s spectacular in opposition to all rivals, interval.
Now the DJI Mini 4 Professional additionally provides 45 minutes, form of. The first battery will get you simply 34 minutes of flight time, which remains to be fairly good. To get 45 minutes, it’s important to improve to the “Clever Flight Battery Plus,” which entails an additional value. This battery can also be heavier (which places you over the 249 gram threshold).
The “Plus” battery for the Professional retails for $95 when bought a la carte, so issue that into your determination if value is essential to you. Or, you should buy a DJI Mini 4 Professional Fly Extra Combo Plus with DJI RC 2, which prices $1,159 and contains the Mini 4 Professional drone, a DJI RC 2 Distant Controller, three Clever Flight Battery Plus, and some different equipment. That’s a greater deal than buying every part a la carte (although three batteries is likely to be overkill).
Winner: Tie
Associated learn: DJI Air 3 vs. DJI Air 3S: is it definitely worth the improve?
Clever Options whereas flying
Each of those drones provide omnidirectional impediment sensing, which permits the drone to see objects in entrance, behind and on sides. And when it does, moderately than carry on flying, it’ll merely hover in entrance (or navigating intelligently round, relying on the flight mode). It’s spectacular, and classifies it as considerably crashproof.
Each drones have automated flight modes that enable it to fly pre-programmed paths. With the DJI Mini 4 Professional, comes clever flight modes reminiscent of:
- MasterShots: Delivers dynamic digicam motion templates tailor-made for portrait, close-up, and long-range photographs, guaranteeing you nail each shot
- QuickShots: Offers Dronie, Circle, Helix, Rocket, Boomerang, and Asteroid strikes for extra fashion outcomes
- Hyperlapse: Offers Free, Waypoint, Circle, and Course Lock modes with limitless capturing time and helps compositing whereas capturing
- Panorama: Helps capturing 180, Extensive Angle, Vertical, and Sphere panoramic pictures to seize landscapes
However the DJI Air 3S turns it up additional with waypoint missions and Free Panorama mode. So far as impediment sensing, it’s a better model of it due to forward-facing LiDAR expertise, which is especially helpful if flying in low gentle.
The Air 3S additionally has a Subsequent-Gen Sensible RTH (Return-to-Dwelling). It makes use of real-time imaginative and prescient positioning and map building applied sciences to memorize flight paths, which is helpful for those who took off with out connecting to satellite tv for pc alerts (which is typically inevitable when launching from sure areas, reminiscent of balconies).
Watch the Air 3S execute a flight returning to dwelling routinely at 2:44 on this clip:
Winner: The Air 3S edges out for its barely smarter options.
DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mini 4 Professional: different variations
These are the massive variations, however the DJI Air 3S has made some tweaks from the DJI Mini 4 Professional that don’t get talked about sufficient in the details, however do make an actual distinction.
Constructed-in storage: I’m loving the 42 GB of inner storage on the DJI Air 3S vs. simply 2 GB on the DJI Mini 4 Professional. 2 GB is nice for those who’re in a pinch and, perhaps, forgot your microSD card. 42 GB makes it so that you don’t even want a microSD card. Much less stuff is a win throughout.
More room environment friendly: No, not that form of house, because the Air 3S is definitely larger. I’m speaking about digital house. The Air 3S employs a extra superior video encoding compression algorithm that reduces video file sizes by over 30%. Sure, that’s with out compromising picture high quality.
DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mini 4 Professional: which must you purchase?
In case you’re somebody who likes touring together with your drone, both the DJI Air 3S vs. DJI Mini 4 Professional are a superb wager.
- The DJI Air 3S is finest for you if… you’re knowledgeable or fanatic who prioritizes stability, superior digicam options, and inventive management in difficult situations. You don’t thoughts a bigger dimension in favor of a extra highly effective drone. Take a look at my full DJI Air 3S evaluation.
- The DJI Mini 4 Professional is finest for you if… you worth both dimension or value. For vacationers or informal pilots searching for a light-weight, easy-to-use drone with glorious efficiency for its dimension. It’s not as highly effective, however it’s neither as massive nor as dear. Take a look at my full DJI Mini 4 Professional evaluation.
Are you searching for a professional-grade powerhouse (DJI Air 3S)?
Would you favor an ultraportable companion (DJI Mini 4 Professional) on your subsequent journey?
Both means, DJI has you coated.
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