Thanks for trying out 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 shopper’s wants.
I’ve been utilizing the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 nearly completely 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 choose the Air 3 over the Mini 4 Professional.
Okay, let’s discover the drone that may suit your explicit 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 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 respect.
- 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 seeking to movie themselves or explicit 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 seeking to accomplish varied business initiatives for shoppers, with out reaching for the dearer Mavic 3 line. Whereas the Air 3 has a smaller major digital camera than the DJI Air 2S, it has much-needed upgrades in different points.
- Twin-camera system offers 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 seeking to movie themselves or explicit 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 by way of their paces. I completely went by way of 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 comparable 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 Fundamental Variations?
If you have a look at the Mini 4 Professional and the Air 3, each launched in 2023, they’ve the identical cameras, impediment avoidance programs, and upgraded video transmission programs (O4).
What the Air 3 has over the Mini 4 Professional, for these in search of 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 in search of new views to inform their story. Photographers seeking to get nearer to their topic or focal point will likewise respect 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 nearly 500 g greater than the Mini 4 Professional may appear to be a destructive, particularly for these not eager to register their drone. Nonetheless, if seeking to buy an Air 3 for business functions, its heavier weight will guarantee it’s extra steady 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 comparable in most points, beneath 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 offers the Mini 4 Professional the sting over equally highly effective drones, in that it’s handy to hold and gained’t should be registered in america (if solely used recreationally) resulting from being a sub-250 g drone.
- Air 3 is a superb, lower-cost choice to the Mavic 3 sequence for these seeking to do some business work on a funds 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 the moment 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 could possibly 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 resulting from 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 embody:
- 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 Monitor 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 photographs and 10-bit, 4k video for shoppers in varied industries, together with the actual property market.
In most points, the Air 3 is a significant improve over the much-loved Air 2S, apart from the dimensions of the digital camera (to some).
Whereas which may nonetheless be a small degree of competition, the standard of the 24mm and 70mm medium-tele cameras, together with their typically missed low gentle efficiency, show the Air 3 is a contender within the skilled area.
Couple this with 10-bit capabilities and 4k 100fps sluggish movement, and the Air 3 is nice to work with.
DJI Air 3 key options embody:
- Twin Cameras – 24mm and 70mm
- Omnidirectional impediment sensing
- OcuSync 4.0 Video Transmission System (12.4 miles)
- 4k 100fps, 10-bit D-Log M coloration
- Lively Monitor 360
- Glorious price-to-features ratio (just like the Air 2S)
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Novices Information (Step-by-Step Information)
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)
- Tele & Vast-Angle Twin Main Cameras
- 46-Min Max Flight Time
- Omnidirectional Impediment Sensing
- 48MP Images, 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 points of the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 are similar, these being impediment avoidance, digital camera 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 respect.
When evaluating the efficiency of the Mini 4 Professional to the Air 3, it’s nearly 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 principally “hops to it” at a a lot faster price.
I took the Air 3 with me on a few Actual estate-related shopper shoots and was completely happy with how effectively and rapidly the Air 3 carried out.
The day of capturing was very windy and overcast. We had a whole lot of space to cowl because the properties had been acreage.
Nonetheless, the Air 3 moved between giant 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’ll discover that, with the added advantages of weight and energy, it is possible for you to to totally seize what’s envisioned to your shopper initiatives.
» 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 healthier.
In all seriousness, the flexibility for the Air 3 to shoot at an ordinary 24 mm huge 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 whole lot of downtown video footage and do that, oftentimes, from the highest of rooftop garages. Due to the quantity of pedestrians, foot site visitors, and automobile site visitors, typically it’s not sensible or secure to fly 1000’s of toes away from the house level to get the very best 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 will be additional away from my topic whereas safely over a rooftop or construction, capturing the scene with the very best settings potential.
Oftentimes, creatives should consider new, fascinating, or out-of-the-box methods to seize a shopper’s imaginative and prescient.
Having a second 70 mm digital camera possibility additional permits for this, whereas doing so effortlessly as a totally built-in possibility.
» MORE: Can You Fly a Drone in a Metropolis?
Portability
Winner: Mini 4 Professional
Relating to 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, principally a 3rd of the load of the Air 3.
Likewise, the Mini 4 Professional is barely greater than half the Air 3’s dimension. The Mini 4 Professional will be thought of the uncontested winner in terms of dimension and portability over most DJI drones.
Though I do a whole lot of shopper 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.
Once 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 load 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 should be registered.
A further profit is that the Mini 4 Professional is straightforward to hold for individuals 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 excellent for journey.
» MORE: Do I Should Register My DJI Air 3 (All You Must Know)
Conclusion
After utilizing each the Mini 4 Professional and Air 3 equally and nearly completely for weeks shortly after their launch, I can confidently say that the Air 3 is the proper workhorse for business drone pilots with a funds to contemplate.
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 superb stand-alone Professional unit.
For those who plan to buy the smallest and lightest advanced-level drone for journey, open air, or solo content material creation, you’ll be able to’t go unsuitable 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 together with the Air 3.
You’ll be completely happy you probably did.
