Air 3s or Mini 4 Pro… which one’s more fun to fly?

Buying Advice Forum
1

Hey all,

I’m about to buy my first drone since the old Mavic Air 1. I’m stuck choosing between the DJI Air 3s and the Mini 4 Pro—not based on cost or camera, but just how fun they are to fly. I’m not into FPV, but I do love just flying around and using automatic features like waypoints and missions.

I won’t be traveling with it and I already have all the licenses (A1-A2-A3), so restrictions aren’t an issue.

From a pilot’s point of view, which one gives you that itch to go out and fly? Which one just feels better and more satisfying in the air?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

2

Honestly, not a huge difference in how they feel to fly. You’re not pushing the sticks any differently on the Air 3s. It does handle wind better though because of the size.

3

Flying-wise they’re really similar… it’s not like switching to FPV or anything. The Air 3s is a bit more solid because it’s bigger, so it stays more stable.

They’re both the same style drone though, so I’m curious what kind of flying experience you’re after? I’ve got the Air 3 and I enjoy it!

4

@Bret
That’s exactly what I was wondering—if one handles a lot different than the other. My last one was the Air 1, so I’m trying to figure out how much things have changed.

5

Nicol said:
@Bret
That’s exactly what I was wondering—if one handles a lot different than the other. My last one was the Air 1, so I’m trying to figure out how much things have changed.

Ah gotcha. Yeah in that case, the Air 3s will feel a lot more refined and smooth compared to the Air 1. You’ll notice a difference for sure in how it handles.

6

I went with the Mini 4 Pro. Mainly because it was €600 cheaper and in Turkey I don’t need to get any special permissions for it.

7

Chan said:
I went with the Mini 4 Pro. Mainly because it was €600 cheaper and in Turkey I don’t need to get any special permissions for it.

That totally makes sense in your case. Here the price gap isn’t that wide and I don’t have any restrictions since I’ve got the license.

8

@Nicol
Yeah if there weren’t any rules here I’d probably pick the Air 3s. It’s got that 1-inch sensor, so better for low light and supposedly crisper photos too.

9

Chan said:
@Nicol
Yeah if there weren’t any rules here I’d probably pick the Air 3s. It’s got that 1-inch sensor, so better for low light and supposedly crisper photos too.

Now that you mention it, I am interested in doing long exposure shots at night. Not video, just some nice nighttime photography, so that’s something to think about.

10

I’m still pretty new, but I bought the Mini 4 Pro as my first drone. One thing I noticed is it doesn’t hold up as well in wind. Even when it’s not that breezy, my hyperlapses sometimes come out shaky.

I picked the Mini 4 Pro mainly because it’s lighter and easier to deal with. Didn’t want to risk crashing something more expensive right away.