DJI Air 3s vs Mini 4 Pro: A Deep Dive Comparison

I’m interested in a drone that will track my skateboarding

So if I intend to use it in harsh environments, air 3s.

What would you say would be the best action sport tracking drone? Riding motocross on a track (dirt bikes) and side by side (utility vehicles). Something that can have speed and be able to change directions quickly. Most everything will be solo so no one to pilot the drone and need a tracking drone. Watched 4 of your videos showing several ones, air 2s, air 3 and the 3s, this one with mini pro 4 and the mavic, so hard to choose! Think I am more in info overload lol. Thank you so much if you have time to answer.

For photos and videos it not worth it

It too expensive

Thanks for the super useful insights.

I enjoyed this video that compared the DJI Air 3S and Mini 4 Pro. It was nice to see a side-by-side comparison of these two drones. However, it's late in 2024, and I'm wondering if it might be better to wait and see what the Mini Pro 5 will offer. I'm hoping it will have a 1-inch sensor. If it does, I'll be sold!

Great Mini series... I didn't have a noticable problem on very windy air with Mini 4 Pro. Good portable one. Respect DJI...

Well, you were right, I have ordered the 4 pro as an upgrade from my Mini SE. I will keep using the SE for "non permissive" environments, I.E. when the stupid takes over LOL. Keep up the great content, I am league's above where I was two-three years ago.

Hey dude, what do you think about Air3S Lidar sensor? vs mini4p non lidar

LOVE your content, and i miss Alaska. Nice comparo.

What jacket is that (safety orange)?

Its kinda my color and i could use a bright orange shell.

I'd probably still lean towards the mini for two factors, price, and not needing a license (in Canada) to operate it. The vertical video is a bonus for sure...I wish they did better in strong wind but it's a trade off for the weight.
I still have the original mini and anything will be an upgrade at this point, really want tracking and 4K.

I already have a Mini 4 Pro w/ RC 2. Could I use the same RC 2 on the Air 3S and save the cost of another?

This is the video I was looking for! Mini vs air is hot right now and hard to decide for non pros for sure like myself

These are both great drones, and you couldn't go wrong with either of them. The two big advantages for me, and why I fly the Air 3s more often are, the 70mm second camera on the Air 3s and the better performance in wind, especially high wind gusts. Great video Jake, and thanks for sharing.

H.264 work in 4k on the mini 4 but not on the air3s which is a major design failure

Will the air 3s ever get the freeking night mode ????

Ari 3S has no adjustable aperture. Why don''t you talk about that huge disadvantage?

Way I see it is that the meaningful Pro is at the top of the mini game and I'm looking over at the air series and looking for the top of that drone. Just like I'm looking at the Maverick series and seeing the Mavericks 3 Pro as the best drone.

Mini4pro has an issue the gimbal in rock mode goes out to the distance set coming back the gimbal looks straight up instead of staying stable

THANKS mate it helped a lot😀.

Wow, I can't believe some of the places those helicopters are landing! Thanks for a great video. I have M4P with the plus batteries and the Mini 3 with the normal batteries, which fit the M4P as well. I do find that with the plus batteries, the M4P is a bit more stable in the wind that with the normal batteries, but you are absolutely correct about the wind being an obstacle at times. I always check my UAV report and won't fly the M4P when the wind speeds are 35km/h (21 mph) or more. It's just not worth crashing the drone.

Muito bom vídeo! ❤️🇧🇷🇧🇷

Great job on the video Jake! Thanks for making it.

I have both, I love both of them and they are great. If someone needed to only have one drone, I would say the mini four pro is perfectly fine for someone who is just beginning. I use my drones in the dunes in California and out there. It can get very windy. For me the air 3S is obviously the better of the two but I still get a ton of use out of my mini for pro. Especially For stealth reasons

day 2 asking for a dji mini 3

YES this is the review ive been waiting for!

Does using the heavier battery on the mini 4 make it handle the wind better

Brilliant, your very knowledgeable mate.😊

Jake, I recommend you check out the Congressional Hearing just announced.

Subcommittee Chairmen Pfluger, Gimenez Announce Hearing on Threats to Homeland Security Posed by Unmanned Aerial Systems.

DJI selling the same old tech. They look the same as usual making the image faded is not dynamic range!!! LOL Someone wake me when the quality improves. Although | reckon the image is deliberately being restricted due to security concerns.

Really enjoyed the comparison. I've owned the Mini 4 Pro since it came out. It is my main, ease of use, go to drone. And right now, the Air 3S is sitting in my Christmas stocking waiting for the 25th to come. While this video didn't tell me anything more than I might know, it confirmed what I suspected. Each drone has it's own use, just like any good tool. But I really did get a lot from the camera comparisons. And this is off topic, but as an ex-hiker/back packer, what brand footwear are you using?

Lightweight and noise is always my concern when traveling..the mini 4 pro, together with the insta X4 and pocket 3 never leaves my travel backpack, as compared to my Mavic 3 pro/avata 2 which always gets left behind when traveling out of country..

Another nice review, Jake. I have both drones and prefer the Air3S however, when flying near people, I prefer the stealthiness of the Mini4 Pro. Especially when in a city with loud ambient noise. That said, flying around tall buildings can be tricky with the ever changing wind speeds and vectors. At which point, it is wiser to fly the Mavic or Air series. Be well!

Ordered my Mini 4kpro directly from Dji and got it in less than 2 weeks.. Excellent drone and at $749 with no tax and free shipping as well as a free year of replacement care it was a great deal..

Hey did you ever do the video where you use the Holly Land Mics but showed how you use them covering them under clothing without them being visible as well as the DJI mics?

B&H Photo announced they’ll no longer carry the 3 S. It’ll be interesting how this plays out with ongoing support from DJI.

Great video! Both are great drones. What is the highest takeoff altitude you have achieved on a mini 4 pro?

I was recently delayed by customs but it only took a couple weeks to clear. Well worth it for the Mini 4K sale for $239!! I've been flying it for almost a week now and I honestly don't see a reason to even upgrade. 10km distance and 31 minute flight time is all I really need.

Really great, detailed video. New sub.
I have both these drones and it was very useful to see the comparisons like that.
One thing that you didn't mention, due to it not being relevant with the mini 4, is something which I found disappointing with the air 3s.
The fact that you have to stop recording in order to change lenses. I was looking forward to jumping to the 70mm during recording, but no can do.
Davey

Are the sharpening and noise reduction settings affecting the RAW photos from the drone or only video?

Nice review ! thank you. Did you see more moire/aliasing issue on the air3s than on other dji's drones ? A lot of people complains about that. Again great review, thanks for share your tests with us !

I am impressed by the mini 4 pro, however, I am having issues with active track with the mini 4 pro. I have not been able to get the M4Pro to keep a lock on objects it is trying to track. The drone loses the object really quickly and even will not lock on at all. I am continuing to troubleshoot but mostly likely it will be user error. Now active track works on slow moving objects. I'll have to figure it out.🤷

Air 3s 👍

I don't know how I missed it. Thats an Emmy award sitting behind you! What did you win for? Well done!

Can you elaborate on the issue getting drones into USA?

Great comparison video Jake! I think the Air 3S is better, overall.The 70mm lense really adds versatility selecting shots. Nice having better low light abilities. Definitely like the greater flying speed, too.

Great vid, thanks