DJI Mini 4 Professional vs. Air 3 (Right here’s My Alternative) – Droneblog

Thanks for testing my article on which I’d select, the DJI Mini 4 Professional or the Air 3.

Because the proprietor of a small media and manufacturing home for greater than half a decade, I’ve come to depend on drones of assorted styles and sizes for my consumer’s wants.

I’ve been utilizing the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 virtually solely for the previous month, placing just a few miles on every of them.

On this article, we’ll go over the similarities and marked variations between the Mini 4 Professional and the Air 3, a few of their upgrades over earlier fashions, their efficiency, in addition to why I favor the Air 3 over the Mini 4 Professional.

Okay, let’s discover the drone that may suit your explicit wants and functions.

Overview

DJI Mini 4 Professional

Launched in the summertime of 2023, the Mini 4 Professional is the most recent “superior drone” in DJI’s Mini Professional line.

Retaining an identical dimension, footprint, and weight to the much-loved Mini 3 Professional, the Mini 4 Professional is an incremental improve to its predecessor, with upgrades in most of the areas the goal marketplace for the Mini 4 Professional would admire.

• Omnidirectional impediment sensing to guarantee the security of the Mini 4 Professional whereas in flight
• OcuSync 4 Video Transmission System for stronger, interference-free video indicators
• Enhanced monitoring and added flight modes for these seeking to movie themselves or explicit topics
• New picture processing platform used to enhance the general imaging efficiency

» MORE: DJI Mini 4 Professional Evaluation (Is It Value to Improve?)

DJI Air 3

Additionally launched in 2023, the Air 3 was a extremely anticipated improve to the very fashionable and much-used Air 2S.

The Air 3 is a powerful alternative for pilots seeking to accomplish numerous business initiatives for purchasers, with out reaching for the dearer Mavic 3 line. Whereas the Air 3 has a smaller essential digicam than the DJI Air 2S, it has much-needed upgrades in different features.

• Twin-camera system provides viewers excellent parallax results
• Omnidirectional impediment sensing to make sure the security of the Air 3 whereas in flight
• OcuSync 4 Video Transmission System for stronger, interference-free video indicators
• Enhanced monitoring and added flight modes for these seeking to movie themselves or explicit topics

» MORE: DJI Air 3 Evaluation – Is This the Drone for You?

Fast Verdict

I put in dozens of hours and miles testing out the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3, in addition to placing each drones via their paces. I totally went via all of their options, with the intent of selecting one solely as a backup to our business fleet.

The Air 3, whereas being bigger than the Mini 4 Professional and launched previous to the Mini 4 Professional, does every thing the Mini 4 Professional does, with the additional advantage of getting a twin digicam system.

Although related in options, the marginally dearer Air 3 edged out the Mini 4 Professional within the efficiency division, notably concerning weight and pace.

Whereas the Mini 4 Professional is ideal for these wanting to make use of a complicated drone for journey and to movie themselves as solo creators, the Air 3 is a go-to for a lot of concerning business work and purchasers.

Which drone pilot are you?

» MORE: DJI Mini 4 Professional vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Alternative)

What are the Predominant Variations?

Once you have a look at the Mini 4 Professional and the Air 3, each launched in 2023, they’ve the identical cameras, impediment avoidance methods, and upgraded video transmission methods (O4).

What the Air 3 has over the Mini 4 Professional, for these in search of a business workhorse, is:

• Twin digicam system: Whereas the 24mm equal wide-angle lens does a lot of the heavy lifting (shared with each the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3), the extra 70mm lens is good for videographers in search of new views to inform their story. Photographers seeking to get nearer to their topic or focal point will likewise admire the brand new 70mm medium-tele digicam.
• Bigger and stronger motors: Being a bigger drone, the Air 3 advantages from bigger and extra highly effective drone motors, propelling the Air 3 ahead to a most pace of 46.9 mph, 11 mph quicker than the 35.7 mph of the Mini 4 Professional.
• Bigger and heavier body: The truth that the Air 3 is bigger and heavier at virtually 500 g greater than the Mini 4 Professional may appear to be a unfavourable, particularly for these not desirous to register their drone. Nevertheless, if seeking to buy an Air 3 for business functions, its heavier weight will guarantee it’s extra secure in windier situations throughout quite a lot of shoots.

With these variations in thoughts, as each the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 are certainly related in most features, under are our beneficial use instances for every:

• Mini 4 Professional is right for the journey blogger and solo content material creator. Having such a small footprint, being below 250 g, and having superior degree specs provides the Mini 4 Professional the sting over equally highly effective drones, in that it’s handy to hold and gained’t must be registered in the US (if solely used recreationally) attributable to being a sub-250 g drone.
• Air 3 is a superb, lower-cost choice to the Mavic 3 collection for these seeking to do some business work on a funds or use the Air 3 as a backup drone to a Mavic collection drone. Sitting squarely between the scale of the Mavic 3 and Mini traces, the Air 3 is each transportable and superior degree.

» MORE: DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Alternative)

DJI Mini 4 Professional

The Mini 4 Professional is the improve to the Mini 3 Professional and is at present the top-tiered advanced-level DJI Mini Professional drone.

With its small footprint, weight, {and professional} options, it’s nice for the outdoorsy sorts who wish to movie themselves mountain biking, climbing, or having fun with watersports, in addition to vacationers and solo content material creators.

The Mini 4 Professional might be thought of an incremental improve over the Mini 3 Professional, for a lot of.

Fortunately, it retains its 250 g weight whereas including superior topic monitoring attributable to 360-degree safety from an omnidirectional obstacle-sensing system.

Add in bodily vertical capturing and a stronger transmission system, and the Mini 4 Professional is a worthy improve to the Mini Professional line.

DJI Mini 4 Professional key options embrace:

• Sub 250 g
• True (bodily) 4k 60fps video capturing
• Omnidirectional impediment sensing
• OcuSync 4.0 Video Transmission System (12.4 miles)
• Prolonged battery life within the type of Commonplace (34 min) and Plus (45 min) battery choices
• Lively Observe 360

» MORE: DJI Mini 4 Professional – Preliminary Setup

DJI Air 3

The Air 3 is the logical successor to the favored consumer-level business workhorse, the Air 2S.

It appeals to each drone fanatics and professionals on a funds seeking to get nice low-light pictures and 10-bit, 4k video for purchasers in numerous industries, together with the actual property market.

In most features, the Air 3 is a significant improve over the much-loved Air 2S, apart from the scale of the digicam (to some).

Whereas that may nonetheless be a small degree of competition, the standard of the 24mm and 70mm medium-tele cameras, together with their usually missed low gentle efficiency, show the Air 3 is a contender within the skilled house.

Couple this with 10-bit capabilities and 4k 100fps gradual movement, and the Air 3 is nice to work with.

DJI Air 3 key options embrace:

• Twin Cameras – 24mm and 70mm
• Omnidirectional impediment sensing
• OcuSync 4.0 Video Transmission System (12.4 miles)
• 4k 100fps, 10-bit D-Log M shade
• Lively Observe 360
• Wonderful price-to-features ratio (just like the Air 2S)

» MORE: DJI Air 3 Newcomers Information (Step-by-Step Information)

Head-to-Head Comparability

Efficiency

Winner: Air 3

Whereas many features of the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 are an identical, these being impediment avoidance, digicam dimension, transmission system, and superior focus monitor modes, the Air 3 clearly got here out forward on the efficiency finish, which is one thing I feel many utilizing the Air 3 for business functions will admire.

When evaluating the efficiency of the Mini 4 Professional to the Air 3, it’s virtually like evaluating an entry-level luxurious automobile to the top-of-the-line mannequin by the identical producer.

The Mini 4 Professional, whereas performing most of the identical features because the Air 3, does so at a slower tempo, whereas the Air 3 mainly “hops to it” at a a lot faster price.

I took the Air 3 with me on a few Actual estate-related consumer shoots and was totally happy with how effectively and shortly the Air 3 carried out.

The day of capturing was very windy and overcast. We had plenty of space to cowl because the properties had been acreage.

Nevertheless, the Air 3 moved between massive areas fairly shortly and stayed planted within the air throughout wind gusts, capturing every thing spot-on, with minimal to no fuss.

Because the purchasers had been watching, it was good to have a drone performing with no hiccups.

If utilizing the Air 3 for skilled functions, you’ll discover that, with the added advantages of weight and energy, it is possible for you to to totally seize what’s envisioned on your consumer initiatives.

» MORE: Actual Property Drone Pictures: A Complete Information (Insider Ideas)

Digicam choices

Winner: Air 3

That is the place the Air 3 actually shines, because it has double the quantity of cameras because the Mini 4 Professional. To these of us gear junkies, that is good, as extra is best.

In all seriousness, the power for the Air 3 to shoot at a normal 24 mm vast angle in addition to zoom in to 70 mm is one thing floor digicam customers are accustomed to with zoom lenses.

The 70 mm lens, with the usage of parallax strikes, provides a much-needed perspective and cinematic worth to video footage, in addition to giving nonetheless images the benefit of capturing the topic whereas additional away.

I get plenty of downtown video footage and do that, oftentimes, from the highest of rooftop garages. Due to the quantity of pedestrians, foot visitors, and automobile visitors, generally it’s not sensible or protected to fly 1000’s of ft away from the house level to get one of the best shot.

That is the place the 70 mm digicam is available in.

Because it has the very same specs because the 24 mm, I might be additional away from my topic whereas safely over a rooftop or construction, capturing the scene with one of the best settings attainable.

Oftentimes, creatives should consider new, fascinating, or out-of-the-box methods to seize a consumer’s imaginative and prescient.

Having a second 70 mm digicam choice additional permits for this, whereas doing so effortlessly as a totally built-in choice.

» MORE: Can You Fly a Drone in a Metropolis?

Portability

Winner: Mini 4 Professional

On the subject of dimension and portability, the Mini 4 Professional is in a category by itself. The Mini 4 Professional is lower than 249 g, whereas the Air 3 is 720 g, mainly a 3rd of the burden of the Air 3.

Likewise, the Mini 4 Professional is barely greater than half the Air 3’s dimension. The Mini 4 Professional might be thought of the uncontested winner in terms of dimension and portability over most DJI drones.

Though I do plenty of consumer work, I additionally wish to get out to the Florida Gulf Coast and fly recreationally, capturing images and movies right here and there, simply for me.

After I intend to fly solo (with just one drone introduced on the journey), the drone of alternative is the Mini 4 Professional. Oftentimes, I’ll simply slip the Mini 4 Professional in a cargo shorts pocket, with the DJI RC 2 in one other pocket.

Different instances, I’ll simply slip them (and some batteries) in no matter bag or purse the partner is carrying round that day. She’s talked about just a few instances that she doesn’t even discover the burden of them.

The advantages of getting a sub-250 g drone are quite a few.

The primary is that, if solely utilizing the Mini 4 Professional recreationally, it doesn’t should be registered in the US. If utilizing it for any kind of business work, then it should be registered.

A further profit is that the Mini 4 Professional is simple to hold for many who are touring (like I do each few weeks) or are filming themselves whereas climbing or bike using. The light-weight and small footprint make the Mini 4 Professional best for journey.

» MORE: Do I Must Register My DJI Air 3 (All You Have to Know)

Conclusion

After utilizing each the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 equally and virtually solely for weeks shortly after their launch, I can confidently say that the Air 3 is the right workhorse for business drone pilots with a funds to contemplate.

Though sporting a lot of the identical options of the newer launched Mini 4 Professional, the addition of the 70 mm telelens digicam and efficiency upgrades make the Air 3 not solely an incredible backup to the Mavic 3 however a superb stand-alone Professional unit.

In the event you plan to buy the smallest and lightest advanced-level drone for journey, outdoor, or solo content material creation, you’ll be able to’t go incorrect with the Mini 4 Professional.

If you’d like one thing with just a few extra upgrades and a extra stable construct, then spend the additional {dollars} and go along with the Air 3.

You’ll be completely happy you probably did.

» MORE: Finest Newbie Drones for Racing