Thanks for testing my article on which I might 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 varied styles and sizes for my consumer’s wants.
I’ve been utilizing the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 virtually completely for the previous month, placing a couple of 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 specific wants and functions.
Editor’s Selection
Overview
DJI Mini 4 Professional
Launched in the summertime of 2023, the Mini 4 Professional is the latest “superior drone” in DJI’s Mini Professional line.
Retaining the same measurement, 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 recognize.
- Omnidirectional impediment sensing to guarantee the protection of the Mini 4 Professional whereas in flight
- OcuSync 4 Video Transmission System for stronger, interference-free video alerts
- Enhanced monitoring and added flight modes for these trying to movie themselves or specific topics
- New picture processing platform used to enhance the general imaging efficiency
» MORE: DJI Mini 4 Professional Assessment (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 trying to accomplish numerous business tasks for shoppers, with out reaching for the dearer Mavic 3 line. Whereas the Air 3 has a smaller most important digital camera than the DJI Air 2S, it has much-needed upgrades in different features.
- Twin-camera system provides viewers very good parallax results
- Omnidirectional impediment sensing to make sure the protection of the Air 3 whereas in flight
- OcuSync 4 Video Transmission System for stronger, interference-free video alerts
- Enhanced monitoring and added flight modes for these trying to movie themselves or specific topics
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Assessment – 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 the whole lot the Mini 4 Professional does, with the additional advantage of getting a twin digital camera system.
Although related in options, the marginally dearer Air 3 edged out the Mini 4 Professional within the efficiency division, significantly relating to weight and pace.
Whereas the Mini 4 Professional is ideal for these wanting to make use of a sophisticated drone for journey and to movie themselves as solo creators, the Air 3 is a go-to for a lot of relating to business work and shoppers.
Which drone pilot are you?
» MORE: DJI Mini 4 Professional vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Selection)
What are the Important Variations?
While you take 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 searching for a business workhorse, is:
- Twin digital camera system: Whereas the 24mm equal wide-angle lens does many of the heavy lifting (shared with each the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3), the extra 70mm lens is good for videographers searching for new views to inform their story. Photographers trying to get nearer to their topic or focal point will likewise recognize the brand new 70mm medium-tele digital camera.
- 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 would possibly appear to be a damaging, particularly for these not desirous to register their drone. Nevertheless, if trying to buy an Air 3 for business functions, its heavier weight will guarantee it’s extra secure in windier situations throughout a wide range of shoots.
With these variations in thoughts, as each the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 are certainly related in most features, beneath are our really useful use instances for every:
- Mini 4 Professional is good for the journey blogger and solo content material creator. Having such a small footprint, being underneath 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 america (if solely used recreationally) as a consequence of being a sub-250 g drone.
- Air 3 is a superb, lower-cost choice to the Mavic 3 sequence for these trying to do some business work on a finances or use the Air 3 as a backup drone to a Mavic sequence drone. Sitting squarely between the dimensions of the Mavic 3 and Mini strains, the Air 3 is each transportable and superior degree.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 3 Professional (Right here’s My Selection)
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 varieties 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 could possibly be thought-about an incremental improve over the Mini 3 Professional, for a lot of.
Fortunately, it retains its 250 g weight whereas including superior topic monitoring as a consequence of 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.
Key options of the Mini 4 Professional:
- 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
- Energetic 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 lovers and professionals on a finances trying to get nice low-light pictures and 10-bit, 4k video for shoppers 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 dimensions of the digital camera (to some).
Whereas that may nonetheless be a small degree of rivalry, the standard of the 24mm and 70mm medium-tele cameras, together with their usually neglected 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.
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 colour
- Energetic Observe 360
- Wonderful price-to-features ratio (just like the Air 2S)
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Learners Information (Step-by-Step Information)
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)
- Tele & Huge-Angle Twin Major Cameras
- 46-Min Max Flight Time
- Omnidirectional Impediment Sensing
- 48MP Pictures, 4K/60fps HDR, as much as 20Km Video Transmission
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10/19/2023 09:17 am GMT
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, digital camera measurement, transmission system, and superior focus observe modes, the Air 3 clearly got here out forward on the efficiency finish, which is one thing I believe many utilizing the Air 3 for business functions will recognize.
When evaluating the efficiency of the Mini 4 Professional to the Air 3, it’s virtually like evaluating an entry-level luxurious automotive 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 principally “hops to it” at a a lot faster charge.
I took the Air 3 with me on a few Actual estate-related consumer shoots and was totally happy with how properly and rapidly the Air 3 carried out.
The day of capturing was very windy and overcast. We had a number of space to cowl because the properties had been acreage.
Nevertheless, the Air 3 moved between massive areas fairly rapidly and stayed planted within the air throughout wind gusts, capturing the whole lot spot-on, with minimal to no fuss.
Because the shoppers had been watching, it was good to have a drone performing with no hiccups.
If utilizing the Air 3 for skilled functions, you will see that that, with the added advantages of weight and energy, it is possible for you to to totally seize what’s envisioned on your consumer tasks.
» MORE: Actual Property Drone Pictures: A Complete Information (Insider Ideas)
Digital camera 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 tools junkies, that is good, as extra is best.
In all seriousness, the power for the Air 3 to shoot at a normal 24 mm large angle in addition to zoom in to 70 mm is one thing floor digital camera 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 pictures the benefit of capturing the topic whereas additional away.
I get a number of downtown video footage and do that, oftentimes, from the highest of rooftop garages. Due to the quantity of pedestrians, foot site visitors, and automotive site visitors, generally it’s not sensible or secure to fly 1000’s of ft away from the house level to get the perfect shot.
That is the place the 70 mm digital camera is available in.
Because it has the very same specs because the 24 mm, I may be additional away from my topic whereas safely over a rooftop or construction, capturing the scene with the perfect 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 digital camera possibility additional permits for this, whereas doing so effortlessly as a completely built-in possibility.
» MORE: Can You Fly a Drone in a Metropolis?
Portability
Winner: Mini 4 Professional
In the case of measurement 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, principally a 3rd of the burden of the Air 3.
Likewise, the Mini 4 Professional is barely greater than half the Air 3’s measurement. The Mini 4 Professional may be thought-about the uncontested winner with regards to measurement and portability over most DJI drones.
Though I do a number of consumer work, I additionally wish to get out to the Florida Gulf Coast and fly recreationally, capturing pictures 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 a couple of 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 america. If utilizing it for any sort of business work, then it have to be registered.
A further profit is that the Mini 4 Professional is straightforward 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 preferrred 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 completely for weeks shortly after their launch, I can confidently say that the Air 3 is the right workhorse for business drone pilots with a finances to think about.
Though sporting many of the identical options of the newer launched Mini 4 Professional, the addition of the 70 mm telelens digital camera and efficiency upgrades make the Air 3 not solely an amazing backup to the Mavic 3 however a wonderful stand-alone Professional unit.
When you plan to buy the smallest and lightest advanced-level drone for journey, outdoor, or solo content material creation, you may’t go unsuitable with the Mini 4 Professional.
In order for you one thing with a couple of extra upgrades and a extra stable construct, then spend the additional {dollars} and go along with the Air 3.
You’ll be completely satisfied you probably did.
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